Husband, wife doctors charged in grand thefts www.privateofficer.com

Rochester NY July 9 2009
Two married doctors are in jail Tuesday accused of stealing close to $250,000 dollars. Neither of them would stop talking in court.
Dr., Michael Miran, a psychologist and an adjunct professor at R.I.T. and his wife, Dr. Esta Miran are accused of fraud.
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office says they overbilled the state and federal government hundreds of thousands of dollars. Esta Miran is not a psychologist but has a PhD. in education. She is also accused of practicing psychology without a license. Michael Miran is accused of letting her do it.
“This husband and wife team allegedly cheated taxpayers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “My office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit continues to root out scams across the state that rip off New Yorkers.”

The indictment against the couple was unsealed in court at their arraignment. One of the charges accuses the Mirans of booking four to five intensive psychotherapy sessions in the same hour and conducting psychotherapy sessions from just one to 12 minutes at a time. The Miran’s practice was under investigation by the AG’s office for two to three years.
Berkeley Brean: “So people that would have seen them aren’t owed money?”
NYS Assistant Attorney General Jerry Solomon: “No this was tax payer funds that were over billed.”
In court, the Mirans kept telling Judge John Connell that they couldn’t understand why they had to be in jail.
“We would never flee!” Dr. Esta Miran said. “We could have fled at any time. Can’t we be released? We would come back.”
Dr. Esta Miran continued.
“Can we get out of jail today?” she asked the judge.
“If you can post the $5,000 bail and surrender your passports, yes,” Judge Connell answered.
“Can I give you a credit card?” Dr. Esta Miran asked.
“No, you can’t do that,” Connell said.
Dr. Michael Miran told the judge he fears for his life.
“I’m in a medically distressed position in prison. A position that endangers my life. I’m at immediate risk for a heart attack,” Dr. Miran said.
Judge Connell ordered court deputies to make sure Dr. Michael Miran is under medical supervision in jail. However, the Mirans posted bail late today. There is still a bail hearing for the couple.

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Security officer assaulted, robbed with his gun www.privateofficer.com

FAIRBANKS AL JULY 9 2009 — A Fairbanks man is accused of taking a security guard’s gun and using it to rob him.
Jarrid Bloom, 24, formerly of Nevada, has been charged with eight felonies, including robbery, burglary, weapons misconduct, theft, assault and tampering with evidence.
The 47-year-old security guard was patrolling the federal courthouse parking garage about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when he spotted a man on the first floor who appeared to be looking for unlocked cars.
The suspect fled to the second floor, then the third floor of the garage on a bike.
When he returned to the second floor, the security guard drew his gun and began searching the man, locating a tinfoil cube that might have contained illegal drugs, Fairbanks police Lt. Tara Tippett said.
At that point a fight ensued, with the suspect getting on top of the security guard and punching him six to eight times in the face, according to the police report. The security guard fought back with an ASP baton, a collapsible baton commonly used by law enforcement, striking the assailant in the thigh.
The man then began reaching for the security guard’s belt, unsnapping his magazine and handgun. The suspect was able to knock the baton away, and the two began struggling for the weapon, Tippett said.
When the suspect grabbed the gun from the guard, he demanded the guard’s baton and wallet, pointed the gun at a vehicle in the garage and fired once, puncturing the tire of a car, Tippett said.
The victim was ordered to wait 40 seconds before doing anything, and when he was sure that the assailant was gone, the security guard called police, Tippett said. However, by that time police had already received a call from someone who had heard a man shouting and the sound of the gunshot.
“We’re really glad that someone called, and we were able to put everything together right away,” Tippett said.
Police contacted Bloom fleeing on a bike outside of the courthouse before they received the security guard’s call. Bloom had the baton in his pocket, and the gun was located nearby.
The security guard sustained serious injuries in the scuffle. His left eye was swollen shut and his eye socket might have been fractured. He was treated at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and released later in the morning, Tippett said.
Bloom is a convicted felon out of Nevada, Tippett said, though she did not know the nature of his prior conviction.

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Security officer aids police in theft arrests www.privateofficer.com

CORPUS CHRISTI TX July 9 2009 — Corpus Christi police arrested an 18-year-old and may be looking for one more person believed to be involved in multiple auto burglaries and an attempted robbery of two teens Tuesday night.
Security guards told police at 9:09 p.m. that a black Mustang had been casing cars in the La Palmera Mall parking lot Tuesday night. The victims left the scene before police arrived, according to the police report.
Four minutes later, two 13-year-old boys told police that two men in a black Mustang threatened to shoot them if they didn’t give them their money. A security guard near Doctors’ Regional Hospital on the 3300 block of Alameda arrived and got a license plate number, according to the police report.
At 9:40 p.m., a woman was leaving a restaurant on the 3700 block of Alameda when she saw a person inside the passenger side of her car. The woman told officers she yelled at the suspect, who ran into a black Mustang and sped off. A second victim told police her car was also burglarized, according to the police report.
Police found the black Mustang on the 500 block of Delaine where it was parked on the street and the engine was still warm, according to the police report. On the back floor board, officers saw some of the property that was reported stolen. Police brought one of the burglary victims to the scene to identify her property.
At that time, Mason Brazell, 18, drove up in another car. The security guard from the hospital, who responded to the scene, positively identified Brazell as the driver of the black Mustang.
Brazell is in Nueces County jail on a $25,000 bond for aggravated robbery

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Police arrest suspect for threats against security www.privateofficer.com

Iowa City July 9 2009
An 18-year-old Iowa City man was arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly threatening to kill uniformed security officers at an apartment complex.

According to Iowa City Police, a Premiere Security officer was patrolling Dolphin Lake Point Enclave, 2401 Highway 6 E. at 1:53 a.m. The security officer, who is not identified in police records, said Sha-Juan Orlando Johnson, 18, of 1476 S. First Ave. No. 1, threatened to shoot him. Police said two other uniformed Premiere Security officers witnessed the threats and were also threatened.
Five Iowa City Police officers responded to the scene and spoke with the security officers. The security officers told the police that Johnson cursed at and threatened them.
“If I see you in uniform again, I will shot you, kill you,” Johnson is alleged to have said. “I run this city. You rent-a-cops don’t have anything on me.”
At the time of the officers’ arrival, Johnson was last seen leaving the area westbound on Hollywood Drive. Officers located Johnson outside of the apartment at 2:12 a.m. Police said Johnson admitted to having a verbal exchange with the security officers, but denied threatening to shoot them. Police said Johnson said he invited the security officers to perform a lewd act on him.
Police said no weapon was ever displayed and no one was injured during the exchange. Johnson was arrested and taken to the Johnson County Jail. He has been charged with first-degree harassment and trespassing.
Johnson remained in jail on a $5,000 cash-only bond on Wednesday.

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TX teacher arrested on sex charges www.privateofficer.com

Amarillo TX July 9 2009
A teacher and coach remained in the Dallam-Hartley County Jail in Dalhart Tuesday after being arrested on a charge of indecency with a child, jail and county officials said.
Ronald Alvin Thompson, 56, was taken into custody Monday on a warrant from Hartley County that was issued the same day.
Court documents allege Thompson committed sexual contact with a child under the age of 17, a second-degree felony, according to the warrant issued Monday by Edwina Womble, a Hartley County justice of the peace. Thompson’s bond is set at $150,000.
A complaint filed by Texas Ranger Phillip Ditto alleges that Thompson forced a child to touch him in a sexual manner around the end of April.
Thompson has worked for the Hartley Independent School District, which lists him as a science teacher and coach. Attempts to reach most school board members were unsuccessful. School board Secretary Ryan Hoehn said he did not have enough information about Thompson’s arrest to comment.
“Hartley will make a statement when the superintendent comes back on Thursday,” said Scott Vincent, who began his job as principal about a week ago.
David Green, district attorney for the 69th Judicial District, said the case remains under investigation and would not provide any additional information on the charges, including who reported the incident, the age or gender of the child, or the circumstances surrounding the allegation, including whether the child was a student.
Hartley ISD serves about 200 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade in the northwest Panhandle. The district’s Web site lists about 30 staff members.

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Home invaders kill 12 yr old Nashville girl www.privateofficer.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn.July 9 2009 — A 12-year-old girl is dead after a south Nashville home invasion early Thursday morning.
Police said a group of men broke into the back door of a house on Maury Street around 1 a.m.
When a 12-year-old girl walked up to see the intruders, police said they shot her and ran off. The child has been identified as Mikia Woodland, a student at Donelson Middle School.
Mikia was taken to an area hospital but was pronounced dead.
Nothing was taken from the home by the intruders. No one else inside the home was hurt.
Police are investigating the case. No arrests have been made.

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LAPD detective commits suicide at sheriff’s station www.privateofficer.com

LOS ANGELES CA July 8 2009 — Officers throughout the Los Angeles Police Department grieved Tuesday as news spread that a veteran detective had killed herself in the lobby of an L.A. County Sheriff’s Department station Monday night.

Susan J. Clemmer, a well-regarded officer assigned to the LAPD’s Gang and Narcotics Division, walked into the Santa Clarita sheriff’s station about 9:15 p.m. and spoke to the sheriff’s deputy at the front desk, according to sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore and LAPD officials.

Clemmer, 41, placed a box of personal items on the counter and asked to speak to a different deputy. After a brief conversation with a second deputy, when Clemmer was briefly left unattended, staffers heard a gunshot and rushed out to find her with a single gunshot wound in her head, police said.

No one else was injured.

What Clemmer said to the deputies, and whether she identified herself as a police officer, remained unclear Tuesday.

The death of the 19-year LAPD veteran left officers throughout the tightknit department stunned.

“We’re in shock. It came as a complete surprise,” said Capt. Kevin McCarthy, one of the commanders of Clemmer’s unit. “She was always smiling and easy to work with. There was no indication that anything was wrong.”

Clemmer, McCarthy said, had sent a text message to another detective in the unit saying she looked forward to seeing him at work later in the week.

Clemmer joined the narcotics unit about a decade ago and for the last several years was assigned to a squad that worked with the U.S. Postal Service on cases involving drugs sent through the mail, according to McCarthy.

He praised her as a solid officer.

Soon after joining the LAPD, Clemmer was thrust into the spotlight as a crucial witness for the defense in the Rodney King beating trials of the early 1990s.

She told jurors in a federal civil rights trial that King had laughed about the beating he got from several LAPD officers after a traffic stop and said King had spit blood on her during the ambulance ride to the hospital. She also testified that she had spoken to one of the accused officers moments after the beating and that he appeared frightened by the confrontation.

Clemmer’s testimony was central to bolstering the officers’ defense that they had been frightened by King and acted out of concern for their safety. She took the stand after an expert witness for the defense testified that King’s behavior, as described by the defendants, was consistent with PCP intoxication.

Two officers were eventually convicted in the federal civil rights case. Clemmer gave substantially the same testimony in the officers’ state trial, which ended in acquittals and sparked deadly riots in Los Angeles.

Between 1998 and 2007, 19 LAPD officers committed suicide, according to a department study released last year.

12 Year old arrested in murder of 5wk old cousin www.privateofficer.com

MARIETTA, Ga. July 8 2009– Cobb County police said they have arrested a 12-year-old boy on a murder charge in the death of his 5-week-old cousin.

Cobb County Police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said Tuesday that officers found the infant unresponsive in a car parked outside a Target store in Marietta Saturday evening.

They said the infant’s mother had left her inside the car with the 12-year-old, and that she returned and found the baby was not breathing and called police.

“When she came out she discovered that her child was unresponsive. She immediatedly dialed 911 from the car location,” said Pierce.

 Paramedics rushed the baby to a hospital. She was pronounced dead Sunday. Pierce says an autopsy shows the infant died of blunt force trauma to the head.

He says police have charged the 12-year-old boy with felony murder and cruelty to children. He is being held at the Cobb County Juvenile Detention Center.

Police say they have killed SC serial killer www.privateofficer.com

GAFFNEY, S.C. July 6 2009 AP– Law enforcement officials have identified the man they think is the serial killer who shot five people to death in South Carolina in recent days.

Authorities identified the suspect Monday night as 41-year-old Patrick Tracy Burris. They say bullets in the gun found on Burris after he was killed by police in Gastonia, N.C., matched those used to kill residents in and around Gaffney some 30 miles away.

Authorities did not immediately say where Burris was from.

GAFFNEY, S.C. (AP) — A man suspected of killing five people and terrorizing a South Carolina community was shot to death Monday by police investigating a burglary complaint at a home 30 miles away.

Ballistics tests on a gun and bullets found with the man in Gastonia, N.C., match those used in a weeklong killing spree in and around Gaffney, said State Law Enforcement Deputy Director Neil Dolan.

“We have him. He’s our serial killer,” Dolan said Monday night.

Authorities did not release the man’s name, but said he has had several encounters with law enforcement over the years.

Dolan said the physical evidence leaves no doubt the slain suspect was the person who shot five people to death over six days. But investigators still have no idea why he started the killing spree June 27.

“He was unpredictable. He was scary. He was weird,” Dolan said.

The case came to an end in Gastonia early Monday after a couple called police to report a suspicious sport utility vehicle in their neighborhood.

Mike and Terri Valentine were on edge because the Gaffney serial killer was just a short drive away.

They watched two people who sometimes visit the neighboring home get out of the vehicle, followed by a third man who matched the description of the killer: tall, heavyset, unshaven and wearing a baseball cap. The man appeared to be very drunk, Mike Valentine said.

When officers went inside, Terri Valentine said she heard someone yell “put it down” and heard a gunshot.

Then “bam, bam, bam, bam. Next thing I know, all of Gaston County was here,” she said.

Gaston County police said the other two people were in custody, but did not indicate whether they were facing charges.

The Gaffney killings happened in a 10-mile area over six days. A peach farmer was killed June 27, an 83-year-old woman and her daughter were found bound and shot four days later, and the next day a father and his teen daughter were shot in their family’s furniture store.

SLED Chief Reggie Lloyd said the investigation isn’t over, and Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said investigators will trace the suspect’s recent activities and trying to figure out if he has killed other people in other places.

Blanton said he hopes the arrest calms the fears of 54,000 people in the county 50 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., known for its peach orchards and mills.

“We feel the victims’ pain,” Blanton said. “This isn’t over. We’re just changing gears.”

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Security officer nabs triple murder suspect www.privateofficer.com

San Antonio TX July 6 2009
A 30-year-old man wielding an assault rifle was arrested on a murder charge after three people, including his 2-year-old daughter, were found shot to death in his North Side apartment early Sunday.
Chris Allgood was charged with one count of murder and one count of discharging a firearm after authorities found the bodies of his 26-year-old girlfriend, Courtney Gass, the couple’s toddler Anika and a male in the apartment in the 8500 block of Wakefield Drive.
When being led away from the Police Department to be charged, Allgood mumbled that “the girl” did it, but he did not elaborate. If the investigation leads police to believe that Allgood shot all three people, he could face a capital murder charge, which is punishable by the death penalty.
He is currently in Bexar County Jail in lieu of $205,000 bond.
Though authorities have not identified the victims, Gass’ family in Texas City confirmed their names. The male is believed to be an acquaintance of the couple and was visiting from Texas City, said San Antonio Police Department spokesman Joe Rios.
“We are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the investigation,” said Gass’ father, Dale Gass.
Allgood was detained by a security guard at the Coral Ridge Apartments who heard shots fired in the area around 3 a.m., said police spokesman Sgt. Chris Benavides. After searching the property, the guard found Allgood in a parking lot holding the rifle in the air, Benavides said.
The guard called police, who arrested Allgood and took him downtown to appear before a magistrate to be charged with discharging his weapon in a public place, Benavides said. But while he was being questioned, police received another call from the complex.
Billy Watson, who lives with his mother above Allgood’s apartment, said he returned home around 4 a.m. to find his mother frantic. She had heard noises from the apartment below and went outside when Allgood was outside with the rifle, Watson said.
“She told me to go check on my goddaughter, Anika,” Watson said. “So I went downstairs and kicked in the door.”
He said that inside the apartment he found Gass lying in a fetal position in a pool of blood in the front living room. He then told his mother to call police.
Benavides said Anika and the male were in a back bedroom, each fatally shot in separate beds.
The incident is likely an instance of domestic violence, Benavides said, and officers believe alcohol may have played a role in the shootings.
Watson said he was with the couple Saturday night and saw Allgood drinking straight vodka, which he said has led to violent outbursts.
“They were drinking Grey Goose,” Watson said, “and he was already kind of drunk when I left. When they would get drunk, they were two totally different people.”
He left the couple’s apartment around 8:30 p.m. to do promotional work at a club. Watson said Allgood moved from Texas City to San Antonio about 10 months ago and that three months later Gass and Anika moved in with him. Watson quickly became friends with Allgood when they discovered their shared musical interests, and he got along well with Gass, too.
Anika’s parents allowed her to spend time with Watson — who calls himself her godfather but is referred to as “Uncle Billy” on Gass’ MySpace page — and he fondly remembers the toddler. He said he would take her to nearby North Star Mall, where he bought her shoes and ice cream.
“I loved her, and I showed her lots of attention,” he said. “She was like my little kid.”
Watson said Allgood had been unemployed for some time but is a musician. Gass was interested in photography, and the man visiting the couple was bringing her some equipment, Watson said.
The triple homicide comes just days after a shooting at a Dollar General on the Northeast Side that left a man and woman dead. That shooting was allegedly caused by domestic strife as well.
“In all of these recent murders, everybody knows each other,” Benavides said. “It’s tragic, but we’re able to find our suspects quickly.”
Benavides said he doesn’t know why it appears domestic violence cases have been on the rise but that it’s something he wants to investigate.
Courtney Gass’ mother, Judy Bradley, said she was in shock and grieving for Allgood’s family, with whom she was close.
“We looked forward to being grandmothers together,” Bradley said of Allgood’s mother. “I am sick for her, too.”
Bradley said her daughter and Allgood had a troubled relationship and showed court records that included at least one domestic violence charge in Galveston County, but there are no records of a conviction that could be confirmed Sunday. Bradley said she had tried to convince her daughter to return home to Texas City after moving to San Antonio to be with Allgood in October.
The latest victims bring the total of homicides in San Antonio this year to 52, which is two fewer than at this time last year, according to San Antonio Express-News and police records.
Even with the triple homicide, this year’s Independence Day was less violent than that of last year, when four people were killed in less than 24 hours. One of those crimes was family-related: A man was shot by his brother during a fight, according to records.

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Providence considers licensing bouncers www.privateofficer.com

Providence RI July 6 2009
A person convicted of a violent crime generally would be ineligible to work as a bouncer at a bar or nightclub in the city under potential licensing rules suggested by the administration of Mayor David N. Cicilline.
And someone with a criminal record for drug peddling or weapons possession or a generally less violent offense that is not a felony would be subject to review and exclusion from work under a proposed bouncer-licensing law.
The city is moving to tighten its oversight of bouncers, by requiring them to be screened, trained and licensed. Currently, they are required to merely register with the police and the city Board of Licenses.
The move is a proposal of the Hospitality Resource Partnership, a coalition of city government, Downtown Neighborhood Alliance, Providence Downtown Improvement District and other stakeholders in the area.
It arises from a conclusion of the coalition that the city must do more to rein in bouncers who are bullies and to upgrade and professionalize that occupation for the sake of polishing the city’s reputation with residents and visitors. Bouncers would be called “floor hosts” under the proposed licensing law, to reflect their new respectability.
The council Thursday gave the required second vote of approval of the licensing law, which would be enacted as soon as the mayor signs it or allows it to become law without his signature.
Rulemaking on the eligibility of ex-convicts and other licensing issues would be delegated to the license board. There is an understanding, however, between Andrew J. Annaldo, board chairman, and a couple of council members that he will consult with the council on the draft rules prior to adoption.
Advocates, including Councilman Luis Aponte, of the needs of ex-convicts are especially sensitive to the licensing because the job of bouncer is one of the relative few that someone right out of prison can do for gainful employment. Aponte, one of the authors of the current bouncer registration requirement, said he is concerned about the fairness of a standard to be applied to those with convictions as well as the possible ambiguity of rules for any would-be bouncer.
Over the last five years, at least 35 bouncers have been implicated in on-the-job assaults citywide, according to the police. Bouncers suffer, too, in altercations with intoxicated customers. In the last three months, for example, two bouncers were stabbed in downtown nightspots.
Councilman John J. Lombardi recalled that one bar proprietor informed him that one of his better employees is a convicted felon.
“We all know people who have turned their lives around,” the councilman said.
As a lawyer, however, Lombardi said that he would have cautioned that owner that hiring such a person would create for the owner potential exposure to civil liability.
The Cicilline administration, in a policy paper listing possible procedures for reviewing the background of a would-be bouncer, said “all applicants will be given due consideration and due process” and all applications will be reviewed one by one even if an applicant has been convicted of murder.
A list of criminal convictions that would call for automatic disqualification might include, the administration said, homicide; robbery; rape; assault with a dangerous weapon; arson; any crime that was pleaded down from those alleged crimes; crimes related to pedophilia, child abuse or child pornography; crimes related to prostitution, pimping or pandering; or convictions for multiple alcohol or violent incidents within three years.
The policy paper goes on to state that even those offenses would be reviewable and that an applicant should be given an opportunity to explain the circumstances of the crime, and to cite his or her experience since conviction, the completion of any court-ordered programs, compliance with any conditions of release from incarceration, and post-conviction work history. Affidavits in support of or in opposition to an applicant also should be weighed, the administration suggested.
A potential list of non-felony convictions that might trigger an automatic review prior to a license’s being issued might include: narcotics sales, spousal abuse, a weapons charge, sexual assault, use of false identification, assault of a law enforcement authority, and having worked in security at a liquor-licensed establishment without the required licensing as a floor host.
In order to detect situations in which a licensed floor host is charged with or convicted of a crime, the administration suggested periodically redoing the criminal background check of each licensed individual.

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San Francisco patrol specials face discipline www.privateofficer.com

SAN FRANCISCO CA July 6 2009
sfexaminer.com — The majority of San Francisco’s 161-year-old private patrol unit will face discipline after refusing to hand over their client lists to The City’s police department.
Fed up with resistance from many of the approximately 35 patrol specials, police commissioners laid down the law last month and said the officers must follow the interim governing rules that went into effect Jan. 31, or face consequences that could include losing their jobs.
Patrol specials, armed officers sanctioned by the city charter and hired by merchants and neighborhood associations, were ordered to wear their light blue-accented uniform, which differentiate them from sworn police officers, and to hand over to police a list of clients on their beats, as well as how much the clients pay for service.
While all but a handful of patrol specials are now complying with the uniform requirements, there have been only a few who have turned over their client lists, said Police Commission President Theresa Sparks. The non-compliant officers will be sent letters this week telling them they’re out of compliance and that disciplinary action may follow. Meanwhile, the patrol specials have retained an attorney.
“I still believe the fundamental problem is the patrol specials still have not acknowledged the commission is the legal body regulating them,” Sparks said. “There is a set of rules in place and we expect full compliance immediately.”
The power struggle is the latest in a feud between the patrol specials and the San Francisco Police Department that has simmered for years. Some police officers have criticized patrol specials for donning similar uniforms without the same training, while some patrol specials have claimed they’ve faced resentment by police officers for eating up potential police overtime hours or infringing on or competing with cop-owned security firms.
Officer Jane Warner, president of the San Francisco Patrol Special Police Officers Association, said she and her colleagues aren’t being contrary — they’re just protecting the confidentiality of their clients.
“We feel we have certain obligations to our clients that are not being respected,” Warner said, adding that she has offered to have a sit-down with Sparks and disclose her client information if there was assurance that others could not access the sensitive financial
information.
Patrol specials have received no training on the new rules and had little say in their implementation, Warner said.
“The input we submitted was ignored. We feel like we’ve had no voice in this process,” she said.
Commissioners met with patrol specials dozens of times, according to Sparks.
“I don’t think it’s reasonable for Jane Warner or any patrol specials to require the regulating agency do anything. These rules are being legally enforced, they’re in place, and we expect them to comply,” Sparks said.
Patrol specials history
1847: Formed by merchants to combat the insurgence of Barbary Coast outlaws

1935: Incorporated into The City’s charter

2008: Police commission approves interim rules to govern patrol specials, including uniforms that differentiate them from sworn SFPD officers

2009: New rules implemented; patrol specials ordered to comply

Source: SFPD, San Francisco Patrol Specials

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Bond increased to $2 million for teacher who had sex with 10yr old

DURHAM, NC July 6 2009 (WTVD) — In an investigation that’s starting to draw comparisons to the Mary Kay Letourneau case, a Durham, North Carolina teacher has once again been arrested for allegedly making contact with a 10-year-old boy she’s accused of having sex with.
A judge on Monday increased her bond to $2 million.
Gina Marie Watring, 40, was first charged back in April with the rape of a child, first-degree kidnapping, and felony child abduction.
Watring worked at Creekside Elementary School in Durham as a teacher’s aide. The victim is a student at the school.
According to an affidavit for a search warrant, the boy told Durham County Sheriff’s Office investigators that he and Watring had intercourse twice at her home.
In the original case, investigators said Watring gave the boy a cell phone so they could exchange text messages. Now, she’s accused of doing the same thing again.
Assistant District Attorney Jan Paul said Monday that the boy’s parents discovered Watring left handwritten notes and a new cell phone at a stop sign in the boy’s neighborhood so he could find them and they could communicate.
When the boy’s mother discovered the new phone in his backpack, she confronted her son.
Paul said the boy’s reaction was very violent. He hit his mother, threatened her with a knife and hammer, then kicked out the bedroom window and attempted to run away. His reaction was so extreme, the parents considered voluntary commitment.
The parents searched the boy’s room and found two handwritten notes. There are also voicemail messages on the cell phone that the mother listened to.
The parents contacted police, and Watring was rearrested on obstruction of justice charges over the weekend.
Detectives have obtained a search warrant for the cell phone.
Prosecutors say the boy’s parents believe the former teacher has been in contact with their son since she was released in late April. She allegedly told the boy that her husband was mad at her and she missed him.
According to the child’s therapist, Watring has caused emotional damage. Paul said the therapist has told the DA’s Office that every step should be taken to prevent the former teacher from contacting the boy.
In court Monday
In court Monday, the judge was given copies of the alleged handwritten “love messages” between Watring and the boy that the parents found in his room.
Watring’s attorney asked the judge to keep her bond at $100,000 – allowing her to bond out and go to California to live with her stepfather and other relatives.
Prosecutors asked that her bond be revoked – citing the emotional harm she’s allegedly done to the boy.
The judge instead set her bond at $2 million.
Her attorney said it’s unlikely Watring’s family can raise that amount at this time.
Watring was not in court for Monday’s hearing. The next hearing in her case is set for July 15.
Investigators look into Watring’s record
Investigators are now pouring through all the information they can find on Watring’s history and background. They’re checking previous places of employment to find out if she’s had similar issues in other states or jobs.
Original arrest
According to search warrants in the case, school administrators first became suspicious of Watring – who taught drama and dance at the school – after intercepting a note written by the boy.
“Gina, I love you so much babe. I’m so lucky to have you. I’m glad you feel the same way. I want to be with you forever. I’d never do anything to hurt u,” it read.
Also according to the warrants, school officials contacted the boy’s mother about the note who said Watring and the child had been communicating with each other via text message, and she had asked that the relationship stop because she thought it was inappropriate.
Investigating further, officials said they found a cell phone in the child’s possession, and text messages between him and Watring.
During questioning by detectives, the boy told them that he was in love with Watring and that they had had sex on two separate occasions in her home.
After her first arrest, an attorney temporarily representing Watring told Eyewitness News that she is innocent and that the case stems from “the infatuation of a ten year old boy.

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TSA agent arrested for avoiding flight screening www.privateofficer.com

NEWARK, N.J. July 5 2009 — A Transportation Security Administration agent was arrested at a New Jersey airport after authorities say she avoided a pre-flight screening and boarded a plane.
Authorities say Wanda Weems of Newark was detained Friday morning at Newark Liberty International Airport after she boarded a Continental Airlines flight bound for Houston.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman John Kelly said Saturday that a subsequent investigation by agency police found she was wanted on traffic-related warrants. The agency operates the airport.
The flight was delayed for more than an hour as each passenger was taken off the plane and screened again.
It’s unclear why Weems avoided the screenings. TSA officials didn’t immediately return telephone calls seeking comment Saturday.

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CBN Headquarters sent suspicious white powder www.privateofficer.com

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA July 5 2009 – Authorities say a white powder substance that was mailed to the Christian Broadcasting Network headquarters in Virginia, causing several employees to be isolated for six hours, was whey protein powder.

Virginia Beach fire spokesman Tim Riley says lab work determined the powder was the kind used by body builders, not a biohazard such as anthrax or ricin.

CBN spokesman Chris Roslan says two employees opened the envelope containing white powder Wednesday morning. Those employees, a CBN security guard, and a U.S. postal service inspector were placed on precautionary medical watch until officials received the test results.

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So called prophet arrested for molesting children www.privateofficer.com

Las Vegas NV July 5 2009
A Valley man is out of his church and in jail. Police say he claimed to be a prophet but instead,

they say, he was molesting children.
Metro says Benito Catello is a self-proclaimed prophet who’s facing dozens of felony charges. Catello’s neighbors say they’re outraged to find out someone accused of such atrocious crimes, especially against children, lived near them.
“That’s not something I would allow in my neighborhood, and if I knew anything about this, this would be something, he wouldn’t be welcome in this neighborhood for very long at all,” said Jacob Capehart, a neighbor of Catello.
Catello is being held in CCDC right now. He was booked on at least 29 counts, including sexual assault, sexual assault on a victim under fourteen years old, and lewdness with a minor under fourteen.
Catello is 75. He ran The Ministry, a church out of his home near Owens and Mount Hood, which is in the northeast part of Las Vegas.
If convicted, Catello could be done for good. He could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Metro is still investigating whether there are more victims out there. If you suspect Catello of anything at all, call police. In this type of case, even the slightest detail can lead to a big break.

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Walt Disney Monrail crash kills driver www.privateofficer.com

LAKE BUENA VISTA FL July 5 2009

news13 – News 13 has learned a driver of the Walt Disney World Monorail System was killed when two monorail trains collided early Sunday.

Witnesses who called the News 13 newsroom said the trains collided around 2 a.m. Sunday on the Epcot track of the Transportation and Ticket Center, located at the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom, as guests were leaving the park following a Fourth of July fireworks show.

The Reedy Creek Fire Department told News 13 the driver was pronounced dead on the the scene, and another driver was taken to the hospital.

No guests were injured, fire officials said.

There was no immediate word on what caused the wreck, or how many people were aboard the trains when they collided.

According to witnesses, one monorail train slammed into the back of the other.

Crews had to cut the driver who died out of the train.

Sunday’s wreck marks the first fatal accident in the Walt Disney World Monorail System’s nearly 38 years of operation.

Statement from Disney

Mike Griffin, vice president of public affairs at Walt Disney World, issued the following statement Sunday following the wreck:

“Today, we mourn the loss of our fellow cast member. Our hearts go out to his family and those who have lost a friend and coworker. The safety of our guests and cast members is always our top priority. The monorail is out of service and we will continue to work closely with law enforcement to determine what happened and the appropriate next steps.”

Disney officials told News 13 Epcot is scheduled to reopen on time at 9 a.m., but the monorail to the park will remain out of service until further notice.

Monorail System Facts

The Walt Disney World Monorail system debuted when the resort first opened in 1971 with two routes.

In 1982, the system expanded to three lines as Epcot first opened.

The entire monorail system currently comprises 14.7 miles of track, transporting about 50 million guests every year between the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and various Disney resorts.

Previous Monorail Accidents

1974
A monorail train crashed into the train ahead of it, injuring a driver and two guests.

June 26, 1985
A fire engulfed the rear car of a monorail train in transit from Epcot to the Transportation and Ticket Center. The train was carrying 240 passengers, 40 of whom were in the burning car.

Passengers in the car kicked out side windows and climbed around the side of the train to reach the roof, where they were subsequently rescued by the Reedy Creek Fire Department.

Seven passengers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation or other minor injuries.

Aug. 30, 1991
A monorail train collided with a diesel maintenance work tractor near Disney’s Contemporary Resort as the tractor drove closely in front of the train to film it for a commercial. Two cast members were treated at a hospital for injuries.

Aug. 12, 1996
An electrical fire broke out on a train pulling into the Magic Kingdom station. The driver and the five passengers onboard exited safely.

Police investigate Steve McNair’s death www.privateofficer.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn. July 5 2009 AP– Police were working Sunday to unravel the relationship between slain former NFL quarterback Steve McNair and his friend, a 20-year-old woman who was found shot to death alongside him in his downtown condominium.

McNair, who led the famous Tennessee Titans‘ drive that came a yard short of forcing overtime in the 2000 Super Bowl, was found dead on a sofa in the living room Saturday with multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the head. His friend, Sahel Kazemi, was very close to him on the floor, killed by a single gunshot. A pistol was discovered near her, but police said it took a while to find the firearm.

Authorities didn’t immediately say who was to blame for the killings, but they weren’t looking for any suspects.

McNair, 36, and Kazemi were together just two days earlier, when she was pulled over driving a 2007 Escalade registered to her and McNair. She was arrested on a DUI charges, and he was allowed to leave in a taxi.

McNair and Kazemi apparently knew each other from a restaurant the quarterback and his family frequented, but workers there wouldn’t talk about their relationship. Police also refused to release any details about their relationship, simply calling Kazemi a “friend.”

Autopsies were planned for Sunday.

Police spokesman Don Aaron said McNair’s wife, Mechelle, is “very distraught.”

“At this juncture, we do not believe she is involved,” he said. “Nothing has been ruled out, but as far as actively looking for a suspect tonight, the answer would be no.”

Fred McNair, Steve McNair’s oldest brother, said some family members likely will travel to Nashville on Monday to consult with Mechelle.

“It’s still kind of hard to believe,” Fred McNair said. “He was the greatest person in the world. He gave back to the community. He loved kids and he wanted to be a role model to kids.”

He said he did not know who Kazemi was.

The bodies were discovered by McNair’s longtime friend, Wayne Neeley, who rents the condo with McNair. Neeley told authorities he went into the condo, saw McNair and Kazemi, but walked first into the kitchen before going back into the living room.

Neeley then called a friend, who alerted authorities.

Police said a witness saw McNair arrive at the condo in the upscale Rutledge Hill neighborhood between 1:30 and 2 a.m. Saturday and that Kazemi’s vehicle was already there. The condominium is located within walking distance of an area filled with restaurants and nightspots, a few blocks from the Cumberland River and within view of the Titans’ stadium.

An arrest affidavit from Thursday said Kazemi had bloodshot eyes and alcohol on her breath when she was pulled over, but refused a breathalyzer test, saying “she was not drunk, she was high.”

McNair and his family frequented the restaurant where Kazemi was a waitress, according employees and patrons of Dave & Buster’s in Nashville. Keith Norfleet, Kazemi’s ex-boyfriend, told The Tennessean newspaper that McNair and Kazemi met at the restaurant.

“She was reliable 90 percent of the time,” manager Chris Truelove said of Kazemi. “She was pretty outgoing. A lot of the guests liked being around her, and she liked being around the guests.”

Co-worker Shantez Jobe, 33, she said was friends with Kazemi.

“We talked about who had more fashion sense, and who was the cutest, and who could get more boys, you know some of the stuff girls do,” Jobe said.

In June, McNair opened a restaurant near the Tennessee State University campus. It was closed Saturday evening, but had become a small memorial, where flowers, candles and notes had been placed outside the door.

McNair, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, led the Titans to the 2000 Super Bowl, which they lost 23-16 to the St. Louis Rams. He was co-MVP of the NFL with Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in 2003. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens before retiring in April 2008.

His most notable moment came in the 2000 Super Bowl. With the Titans trailing by seven, he led the team 87 yards in the final minute and 48 seconds, only to come up a yard short of a touchdown. Kevin Dyson caught his 9-yard pass, but was tackled at the 1-yard line by the Rams’ Mike Jones.

McNair accounted for all of Tennessee’s yards in that drive, throwing for 48 yards and rushing for 14. The rest of the yardage came on penalties against the Rams. Before that, he brought the Titans back from a 16-0 deficit to tie the game.

“If you were going to draw a football player, the physical part, the mental part, everything about being a professional, he is your guy,” former Ravens and Titans teammate Samari Rolle said. “I can’t even wrap my arms around it.”

McNair grew up in rural Mount Olive, Miss., and became a nationally known college football star playing for Alcorn State, a Division I-AA school in his home state. He was so dominant in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, he became a Heisman Trophy contender. National media flocked to little Lorman in the southwest corner of the Magnolia state to get a look at “Air McNair.” He still holds the Division I-AA (now known as Football Championship Subdivision) records for career yards passing (14,496) and total offense (16,823).

McNair was the third overall draft pick in 1995 by the Houston Oilers, who eventually became the Titans. He finished his career with 31,304 yards passing and 174 touchdowns. McNair’s rugged style led to numerous injuries and aches. He played with pain for several years, and the injuries ultimately forced him to retire.

“On the field, there isn’t a player that was as tough as him, especially at the quarterback position,” the Ravens’ Derrick Mason said.

During a five-game stretch at the end of the 2002 season, McNair was so bruised he couldn’t practice. But he started all five games and won them, leading the Titans to an 11-5 record and a berth in the AFC championship game for the second time in four seasons.

McNair played all 16 games in 2006, his first season in Baltimore, and guided the Ravens to a 13-3 record. But he injured his groin during the season opener in 2007 and never regained the form that put him in those Pro Bowls.

Serial killer still on the loose in South Carolina www.privateofficer.com

GAFFNEY, S.C. July 4 2009 – A teenage girl shot while helping her father in their family’s small furniture and appliance store died Saturday, becoming the fifth victim of a suspected serial killer terrorizing a small South Carolina community, authorities said.

Abby Tyler, 15, died about 11:15 a.m. at a Spartanburg hospital after fighting for her life for two days, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said.

 Tyler was wounded and her father was killed Thursday as they worked to close the Tyler Home Center near downtown Gaffney.

County Sheriff Bill Blanton said investigators believe the killings are linked and the search is on for a suspected male serial killer. An 83-year-old mother and her daughter were shot to death Wednesday, and a 63-year-old peach farmer was found dead at his home a week ago.

Blanton said all the victims were shot, but he would not say how the deaths were linked. The shootings all occurred within about 10 miles of each other in Cherokee County, a rural community of 54,000 people set amid peach orchards and farms some 50 miles west of Charlotte, N.C.

The spree had alarmed residents canceling Independence Day holiday plans and arming themselves. The sheriff has warned door-to-door salesmen to stop knocking and anyone who breaks down on the county’s rural roads to wait instead of walking to a house for help because he worries “people are going to start shooting at shadows.”

 The killings began a week ago Saturday when the wife of 63-year-old peach farmer Kline Cash found him dead in their home. Then last Wednesday, relatives found 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, bound and shot to death in a separate shooting at Linder’s home.

Dozens of local, state and federal investigators were assigned to the case when the killings were linked. But a day later, the killer struck again, less than a half-mile from the sheriff’s office serving as the headquarters for the investigation, killing 48-year-old Stephen Tyler and his daughter.

 ”We’re knee-deep in the investigation,” Blanton said Saturday. “There’s fear and concern here and there should be concern.”

Investigators have released a sketch of the shooter, saying he is in his 40s, with salt and pepper hair, about 6-foot-2, and roughly 200 pounds. They think he is driving a silver 1991-1994 Ford Explorer Blanton said all the victims were shot, but he would not say how the deaths were linked. The shootings all occurred within about 10 miles of each other in Cherokee County, a rural community of 54,000 people set amid peach orchards and farms some 50 miles west of Charlotte, N.C.

 The spree had alarmed residents canceling Independence Day holiday plans and arming themselves. The sheriff has warned door-to-door salesmen to stop knocking and anyone who breaks down on the county’s rural roads to wait instead of walking to a house for help because he worries “people are going to start shooting at shadows.”

 The killings began a week ago Saturday when the wife of 63-year-old peach farmer Kline Cash found him dead in their home. Then last Wednesday, relatives found 83-year-old Hazel Linder and her 50-year-old daughter, Gena Linder Parker, bound and shot to death in a separate shooting at Linder’s home.

Dozens of local, state and federal investigators were assigned to the case when the killings were linked. But a day later, the killer struck again, less than a half-mile from the sheriff’s office serving as the headquarters for the investigation, killing 48-year-old Stephen Tyler and his daughter.

“We’re knee-deep in the investigation,” Blanton said Saturday. “There’s fear and concern here and there should be concern.”

 Investigators have released a sketch of the shooter, saying he is in his 40s, with salt and pepper hair, about 6-foot-2, and roughly 200 pounds. They think he is driving a silver 1991-1994 Ford Explorer.

Steve McNair is Dead!

Nashville TN July 4 2009

 Nashville fire officials and Titans’ sources have confirmed that former Titans QB Steve McNair, 36, has been shot to death at an apartment in downtown Nashville.

The circumstances of the shooting were unclear. Police spokesman Don Aaron said a woman was also found dead with McNair.

 McNair played in the National Football League for 13 seasons before retiring last year. He was a three-time Pro-Bowler and the 2003 co-MVP of the league.

A police source said that the shooting may be a murder-suicide but would not speculate on who shot who.