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Teen charged with murder of family www.privateofficer.com
Teen charged in murder of family http://www.privateofficer.com
EASLEY SC April 28 2008 — Nathan Dickson was going through a rough patch in his life. The teen and his live-in girlfriend had broken up and he was dealing with tension from moving back in with his parents a year after graduating high school and going out on his own.
Still, the 18-year-old politely answered questions on a visit to a friend a week ago, according to the friend’s mother. Dickson text-messaged the same teen Friday, saying he was going to ride four-wheelers with friends.
Less than 12 hours later, authorities say Dickson gunned down his father, stepmother, 19-year-old stepsister and 14-year-old brother at their Easley home Saturday morning. He has been charged with four counts of murder, leaving friends and neighbors trying to grapple with how the quiet teen who loved video games and sports and always called women “ma’am” could be capable of the largest killing spree officials in this county of 180,000 can recall in at least 50 years.
“I can’t put my finger on what happened,” said Melissa Funk, whose 16-year-old son, Robbie, was good friends with both the suspect and youngest victim. “It’s not what I’ve known him to be.”
Authorities won’t talk about what might have prompted Dickson’s shooting spree or whether he is talking to investigators. “I’m going to have this case tried in the courtroom, not out on the streets,” Anderson County Sheriff David Crenshaw said Sunday.
Dickson is the only suspect in the case and more charges could be filed against him, Crenshaw said.
Crenshaw said he does not think the teen has an attorney.
The sheriff said he can’t remember ever dealing with the teen before Saturday’s quadruple homicide.
The killings unfolded in a one-story house with tan siding and bright blue shutters in a wooded neighborhood about five miles from Easley. A plastic tricycle and basketball goal were overturned in the yard Sunday.
An orange notice stuck to the front door warned of biohazard material inside and recommending calling someone to clean up before entering.
Just to the left of the front door is a window for the laundry room where authorities say 14-year-old Taylor Dickson was found behind a clothes dryer, apparently trying to hide from his brother. The blinds were up and the inside pane of glass had a fist-sized hole in it. The outside pane was not damaged.
Deputies found Taylor’s body last, a few hours after someone called 911 Saturday morning to report a man injured in the yard of the home. Samuel Andrew Dickson Jr., 46, died as paramedics arrived. Officers then went inside and found the bodies of his wife, 46-year-old Martiza Hurtado Dickson, and his 19-year-old stepdaughter, Melissa Giliam Salazar.
All were shot to death. Authorities would not say how many times they were shot or release other details.
Neighbors said the family was quiet and kept to themselves. Joyce Allen’s husband worked with Samuel Dickson, who went by the nickname “Andy.” The elder Dickson was an electrician with Vulcan Materials, a company that provides crushed stone, sand and gravel for construction.
Dickson didn’t say much at work, keeping to himself. Most of Allen’s memories are of him with his sons.
“He was crazy, crazy, crazy about those kids,” Allen said. “I’d see him running up and down the road, taking them to ball games.”
Taylor Dickson had just made one of the junior varsity baseball teams at Wren High School a year after failing to make the cut. His father, who had coached his youth teams, was so proud he bought him several Wren High school shirts and caps, said Melissa Funk, whose son was friends with the Dickson boys.
Funk said she thought the two brothers seemed close. When word came that four people were dead inside the home, Funk said she figured the fourth victim might be the stepsister’s boyfriend, and Nathan Dickson and his brother escaped with their lives.
“I figured we’d find him safe with Taylor, or that it had to be something else,” Funk said.
Neighbors said they didn’t see Martiza Dickson much. She was a native of Colombia and worked as a translator. Melissa Salazar graduated from high school last year and was going to technical college, Funk said.
Funk said her 16-year-old son is taking what happened hard. He had been hanging around with Nathan Dickson since the two families moved into the neighborhood about five years ago. Dickson’s younger brother would tag along too.
“He’s heartbroken,” Funk’s husband, Robert, said. “Those were his only friends in the neighborhood.”
Dickson graduated from high school last year and moved in with his girlfriend, working a series of fast-food and restaurant jobs. The two broke up and Dickson moved back in with his parents about two weeks ago, said Funk, who wasn’t sure if he had found another job before the killings.
The last time her son saw Dickson was Friday evening in the driveway. Funk said her son told her that Dickson’s eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he needed to sleep. Dickson later sent a text message to him saying he was out with friends, Melissa Funk said.
Sitting on her couch the day after the killings, Funk recalled with tears in her eyes the only time she remembered Dickson getting in trouble. She was coming to pick up her son at the high school and the teen was sitting outside the principal’s office.
“I said, ‘Nathan, what are you doing here?’ And he said, ‘Mrs. Funk, I have holes in my blue jeans.’”
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Security officers will strike at Kaiser www.privateofficer.com
Security officers to strike at Kaiser http://www.privateofficer.com
Courtesy Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Kelly, 213-300-3336
Friday, April 25 2008
Inter-Con Security Officers to Launch Strikes at Kaiser Hospitals Across California, Defend Civil Rights
Officers Issue 10-Day Notice of Unfair Labor Practice Strike
Oakland, Calif. – Security officers at Kaiser Permanente hospitals are ramping up their fight against employer Inter-Con, today issuing 10-day notice of an unfair labor practice strike in California to defend their civil rights. Inter-Con workers held the first-ever strike by hospital security officers last month in response to Inter-Con threatening, intimidating, and spying on workers who were trying to form a union for better conditions.
“We wanted a union for better pay and benefits—just like other workers inside Kaiser. But instead we’ve got Inter-Con violating our civil rights. We go to work every day to protect these patients and employees, but we have no protections ourselves,” said Warren Chauvin, Fremont.
Momentum from the first strike has built as Inter-Con continues to break the law and violate workers’ civil rights. Officers also filed more federal charges today against Inter-Con, and workers are preparing to protest Inter-Con’s unfair labor practices at several Kaiser healthcare facilities throughout California on May 6, 7, and 8. The facilities include locations in the Bay Area, Sacramento and Los Angeles and could cover more 240 workers—more than double the number of the first strike. Officers will also hold their first national solidarity activities at Kaiser in Colorado, DC, Ohio and Virginia during the California strike.
Inter-Con officers work for poverty wages, many making as little as $9/hour while at Kaiser. Many Inter-Con officers cannot afford the family healthcare coverage and do not have paid sick days. By comparison, facility janitors have free family healthcare, make a minimum of $11.50/hour and accrue paid sick leave.
“Without paid sick days, many of us are forced to work while we’re sick. If I were to have to miss even one week I would be in danger of losing my apartment,” said Dale Brown, Sacramento. “Plus I’m a single mother, and the insurance plan is too expensive for me to enroll my two kids.”
“I work to protect patients and hospital workers, but can’t event take a day off when I’m sick because we don’t have sick days,” said LaRonda Lynch, Compton.
Since November 2005, 1,500 Inter-Con security officers at Kaiser Permanente in California have been working to improve security and working conditions by forming a union with SEIU. They are the only workers at Kaiser—either direct employees or subcontracted—who do not have a union, fair pay, free family healthcare, paid sick leave and more.
Worse, Inter-Con still owes security officers $4 million in recovered wages for requiring employees to work off the clock. The money was part of a settlement issued in Sept. 2007 for a class-action lawsuit against Inter-Con.
With 1.9 million members, SEIU is the largest and fastest-growing union in North America and the largest property services union, representing more than 250,000 security officers, janitors, and other service workers. SEIU United Service Workers West represents 10,000 private security officers across California.
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Police capture suspects in security officer assault www.privateofficer.com
Police capture suspects in security officer assault http://www.privateofficer.com
Police announced that they have made three arrests in case that began as a shoplifting Thursday but quickly turned violent as one of the suspects beat a security officer.
The Reno Police Department responded to the Mervyns at 6895 Sierra Center Parkway about 7 p.m. on a report of a shoplifting that had just happened.
There was no further information given on the security officer’s injuries or if any of them were treated at the hospital.
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US Marshal’s capture man wanted on child sex charges www.privateofficer.com
U.S. Marshal’s capture man wanted on sex charges http://www.privateofficer.com
He was arrested on indictments alleging twenty counts of indecency with a child/sexual contact. The indictments stem from an investigation that began in August 2007 by the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and the Hays County District Attorney’s Office. The indictments were issued in April 2008.
Saraswati has waived extradition and arrangements will be made to transport back to Hays County.
Saraswati is the founder of Barsana Dham Center located on FM 1826 in Hays County.
Due to the integrity and sensitive nature of this investigation, no further information will be released at this time.
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Security officer aids in capture of burglars www.privateofficer.com
Security officer aids in capture of burglars http://www.privateofficer.com
Deputies arrested two teenagers Friday morning after they burglarized Durant High School, smashed vending machines and broke into students’ lockers, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office say that they were called by a security patrol officer who had spotted several subjects breaking into the school.
Riley James Reynolds, 18, of 809 Jerry Smith Road and Anastasios Mastorides, 17, of 2814 Laurel Leaf Drive were charged with burglary and criminal mischief.
Investigators said the teens entered the school at 4748 Cougar Path in Plant City about 3:18 a.m. through an unlocked window and went into the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms.
Responding deputies surrounded the area where the security officer had seen them flee to and Deputy James Woods and his dog, Cowboy, tracked the teens to a nearby orange grove, where they were found inside a vehicle and arrested.
Reynolds was taken to Orient Road Jail. Mastorides was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center, officials said.
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Macy’s employee arrested in refund scheme www.privateofficer.com
Macy’s employee arrested in refund scheme http://www.privateofficer.com
Vazquez is scheduled to appear in court April 18 on a felony retail theft charge resulting from incidents between the morning of June 23 and the night of April 9 in Macy’s at the Old Orchard mall.
Police said Vazquez, a Macy’s employee, refunded merchandise that he had stolen from the store and that was not his own and then credited his credit card account.
The internal investigation showed that Vazquez took more than $50,707 from last June to April.
Authorities call this a large retail theft case but would not say if any other employee of Macy’s was involved in this refund scheme.
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Officer arrested during drug sting at school www.privateofficer.com
Police officer arrested during drug sting at school http://www.privateofficer.com
Pineville Police Patrolman First Class Raymond Eli Smith, 37, of Pineville, was booked with conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine, authorities reported.
“That could be an extremely serious problem,” Sheriff’s Assistant Chief Herman Walters said, referring to officer safety.
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Security officer shoots robbery suspect www.privateofficer.com
Security officer shoots robbery suspect http://www.privateofficer.com
A St. Louis police officer moonlighting as a security officer at a restaurant shot and killed a would-be robber early Friday, police said.
The suspect was identified as 37-year-old Brett Holloway of Waynesville. The officer’s name was not released. He is a two-year veteran of the department. He was placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
The episode happened at 1:25 a.m. at a Denny’s restaurant in south St. Louis. Police gave this account:
The officer was working a second job as a security guard at the restaurant and was seated at the counter, in his police uniform, when the suspect came in.
Police said Holloway pulled a stocking down over his face, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the officer and workers at the counter. The officer drew his gun and fired several shots at the suspect.
Holloway fell behind the counter still clutching his weapon. The officer ordered him to drop it, but when the suspect refused, the officer fired several more shots.
Holloway was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. He was identified through a driver’s license found in a vehicle at the rear of the restaurant.
No customers were inside the restaurant the time. The officer and employees were not hurt.
The shooting was the latest of several in recent years involving gunfire between St. Louis police and suspects. Police Chief Joe Mokwa said Wednesday that while crime in the city is down sharply so far this year, assaults and violent crimes against officers are up from a year ago.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Web site, STLtoday.com, reported Holloway was on parole after serving 12 years in prison for several robbery convictions out of St. Louis and St. Louis County.
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Security guard, teen arrested for plotting Columbine style attacks www.privateofficer.com
Security guard, teen arrested for plotting Columbine style attacks http://www.privateofficer.com
A 16-year-old boy in Indiana and a 33-year-old man in Ohio plotted by e-mail to wage coordinated attacks in the two states using guns and explosives, law enforcement authorities said Friday.
The teenager, whose name has not been released, and the man, Lee M. Billi of Lakewood, Ohio, are in custody.
The teenager sought Mr. Billi’s help in buying a TEC-9 semiautomatic handgun, noting in an e-mail message that it would be “awesome” to carry the same weapon used by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in the Columbine High School killings of 1999, according to a statement by Michael A. Dvorak, the prosecutor in St. Joseph County, Ind.
Mr. Billi and the boy planned to carry out their attacks on Sept. 11, 2008, Mr. Dvorak said. The plot involved simultaneous assaults in two states: The teenager planned to attack his school, Penn High in Mishawaka, Ind., near South Bend, while Mr. Billi would attack an unknown target in Ohio, the authorities said.
By e-mail message, the pair agreed to research how to make explosives, discussed obtaining “weapons of mass destruction” and talked about ways to obtain schematic drawings of the teenager’s high school, complete with the location of security cameras, according to Mr. Dvorak’s statement. There was no indication from the authorities how Mr. Billi and the boy met.
The boy was detained on Tuesday after a school police officer discovered his writings on the Internet expressing support for the Columbine shooters, Mr. Dvorak said. At his home, the police found more than 100 knives as well as several dangerous and illegal snakes, which were confiscated by animal control officers, according to Mr. Dvorak’s office.
The boy was denied release at a detention hearing Friday morning and was being held at a juvenile justice center in South Bend, said Peter J. Nemeth, Probate Court judge in St. Joseph County.
No arraignment date has been set for the teenager, Judge Nemeth said. The prosecutor plans to charge him with conspiracy to commit murder. Mr. Billi is scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning, said Ryan Miday, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Mr. Billi worked as a security guard, said Lt. Gary Sprague of the Lakewood police.
Several neighbors said Mr. Billi seemed friendly but rarely spoke. “Lee was roly-poly, kind of dorky,” said Laura Budny, 53. She said she and Mr. Billi would complain about mice in the building and neighbors who left the front door open in the winter.
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Gang members arrested for murder at Va. mall www.privateofficer.com
Gang members arrested for murder at VA. mall http://www.privateofficer.com
Two alleged MS-13 gang members have been arrested and charged with the late-night December 2007 murder of a Springfield man in the parking lot of the Cerro Grande restaurant at Springfield Mall.
Rafael Parada-Mendoza and Hosman Perez-Amaya, both 21 and both formerly of Fairfax County, were arrested in Texas on March 14, 2008.
A federal grand jury indicted the pair in Alexandria on April 25.
At 1:45 a.m. on Dec. 2, 19-year-old Christian Argueta left the Cerro Grande Restaurant, which is also a nightclub, just before it closed at 2 a.m. Argueta and two suspects started arguing in the parking lot, and Argueta was shot and killed.
Since the incident, county police have been trying to establish a link between the shooting and a Nov. 30, 2007, Springfield stabbing at a Pizza Hut along Commerce Street.
The indictment charges that Parada-Mendoza, also known as “Chevi,” and Perez-Amaya, also known as “Dandy,” belong to the Pinos Locos Salvatrucha clique of the street gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.
Argueta was an alleged member of rival gang South Side Locos. Justice Department officials maintain that the suspects committed the murder to “maintain and increase their position in the gang.”
Both suspects are natives and citizens of El Salvador, according to Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs records obtained by the FBI. According to the search warrant affidavit, at least one of the suspects, Parada-Mendoza, was ordered deported on Feb. 23, 2006, but “failed to appear for deportation as required.”
An FBI investigator interviewed an alleged MS-13 member present at the nightclub the evening of the homicide. Each interviewee attested that Parada-Mendoza admitted to them that he had killed Argueta.
“In addition to interviewing [the informant], my colleagues and I have interviewed two other people who told me that ‘Chevi’ was a member of MS-13 and admitted that he shot the victim outside the Cerro Grande. In addition, my colleagues interviewed another cooperating witness who said Chevi possessed a gun and showed the gun to that cooperating witness,” the affidavit said.
The pair have been charged with murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder and assault in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. The maximum sentence for the murder in aid of racketeering charge is death or life imprisonment.
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Security agents injured by shoplifter www.privateofficer.com
Security agents injured by shoplifter http://www.privateofficer.com
Shoppers at a local mall said that there was some scary moments as several men were fighting at one of the stores..
CSPD officers responded to a call for help from loss prevention agents who said they were trying to detain a man who was fighting with them.
Police arrested Lee Allen Langston after allegedly beating up two store security officers at Target on Texas Avenue, when they tried to detain Langston for allegedly stealing merchandise.
The two employees tried to detain Langston before police arrived, but he allegedly fought back.
During the struggle which got violent and involved several store employees and the shoplifter, two of the security agents suffered a number of injuries.
One of the employees received a large wound on his head when he was slammed into a concrete wall.
Langston has been charged with robbery.
The loss prevention agents received medical attention and were released.
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Family wins lawsuit against security company www.privateofficer.com
Family wins lawsuit against security company http://www.privateofficer.com
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Drug dealers take kids for ride www.privateofficer.com
Drug dealer takes children along for ride http://www.privateofficer.com
When Brockton police stopped a suspected drug dealer, they found young children in the back seat.
When police stopped a suspected drug dealer minutes after an alleged sale, officers discovered more than heroin.
In the back seat of the suspect’s Jeep were three children, aged 8, 2 and 3 months.
“When the officers moved the children from the seat, they discovered the 3-month-old had been laying on top of a glass tube crack pipe, and under the 2-year-old’s car seat was an exposed razor blade,” Lt. John Crowley, chief of detectives, said.
Police found syringes, burnt spoons believed used in drug use and other suspected drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, Crowley said.
Police stopped the Jeep after a security officer at Kmart noticed Thursday afternoon suspicious activity in the parking lot and then a suspected drug transaction, Crowley said.
Police, armed with a description and license plate number of the Jeep, stopped the suspected dealer’s vehicle on Hayward Avenue, Crowley said.
Officers recovered 10 small baggies of suspected heroin from the woman in the Jeep, who was identified as the children’s mother, Crowley said.
The driver had $4,726 on him, he said. Suboxone pills were also seized.
Barbara A. Nixon, 26, of 848 Montello St., Brockton, was charged with possession of a class E drug, Suboxone, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Korrie Penna, 30, of 848 Montello St., was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, subsequent offense, distribution of heroin and conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Also, three people were arrested outside the store.
Meghan Young, 20, of 30 Albert St., Brockton, was charged with possession of heroin, possession of Suboxone, conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Kayla Gould, 19, of 57 Mellen St., Brockton, was charged with possession of heroin and conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Annalise Walsh, 19, of 135 Manners Ave., Brockton, was charged with possession of heroin.
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Fed Ex driver helps police nab shoplifters www.privateofficer.com
Fed-Ex driver helps police nab shoplifters http://www.privateofficer.com
Three people were were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of stealing a bundle of clothes from J.C. Penney.
All three were captured by police and arrested at Santa Rita Park and were being held at the La Plata County Jail.
Raphel Sherman, 36, and Jason Kole, 37, were being held on $230 bail. Rhonda Sanchez, 39, of Farmington, was being held without bail on a probation violation. All three are suspected of theft.
The incident occurred about 10:43 a.m. at the Durango Mall, said Durango police spokeswoman Capt. Micki Browning.
About $146 worth of goods were stolen from J.C. Penney, she said.
Police credited a Fed Ex driver for providing a good description of the get-away vehicle and a direction of travel in helping to make the arrests.
Police were investigating whether other property in the trio’s possession was stolen, Browning said.
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Condo owner killed during armed rampage www.privateofficer.com
Condo owner killed after armed rampage http://www.privateofficer.com
The women inside the clubhouse tried to reason with Dellisanti; they even told him they would go to a bank with him so he could withdraw the cash he needed.
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Pharmacy employee charged with theft of pills www.privateofficer.com
Pharmacy employee charged with theft of pills http://www.privateofficer.com
Authorities say that an employee of a local Pharmacy has been taken into custody and charged with felony theft after police discovered that she had been stealing medication from the store for at least ten months.
Police say that Tiffany M. Gates, an employee of the Walgreen’s at 815 Summit Street in Elgin has taken at least $11,000 of Ambien pills from her employer.
Gates, 22, of 310 Triggs Ave, Elgin has been under investigation after police were notified by Walgreens of the disappearance of the pills.
At this time ,police are not selling what Gates did with the pills or idf other arrests could be made in the thefts.
Gates is being held in the jail and was scheduled to appear Friday at a bond hearing in Rolling Meadows.
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Community leader arrested for exposing self to children www.privateofficer.com
Community leader arrested for exposing self to children http://www.privateofficer.com
At the Diamond Starz Academy off Highway 5 in Douglasville training in baseball and moral development go hand-in-glove. All mentions of one of the owners, who is active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, have been removed from its web site.
On April 8 two girls, ages 11 and 14, were eating at a Panera Bread restaurant in Newnan when, they said, a man exposed himself to them. He left before their mother could get his car tag. Later, they said they saw the man again at an orthodontist’s office and this time their mom wrote down the tag.
“The subject was wearing the same outfit, the red hat, the navy blue shirt with the (Diamond Starz) logo and the dark pants, or shorts,” said Sgt. Mike McGuffey with the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials googled Diamond Starz Academy and discovered it’s an indoor facility in Douglasville that trains youth in baseball and softball and morals, values and positive role models.
“And he confessed to Panera and being at their orthodontist’s, it was him, and several other locations which we’re still investigating at this time. He admits he has a problem,” said McGuffey.
The face on the web site and the car tag both led to co-owner Harold Jones, 40, of Coweta County.
Jones is the area director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Bob Austera’s son goes to Diamond Starz and was surprised. “It was kind of shocking with the guys at Diamond Starz but they’re a good group of fellas,” said Austera.
“I haven’t heard any complaints he was doing it at his business or at a school or anywhere like that,” said McGuffey.
Officials with Diamond Starz said Jones is now no longer co-owner.
Diamond Starz released a statement that said, “Diamond Starz Academy was informed today of an alleged incident of inappropriate behavior involving Harold Jones in Coweta County. At this time we do not have any further details about this alleged incident. Diamond Starz maintains high standards of morality and personal conduct for all of it’s staff. Diamond Starz will take all appropriate actions to protect the integrity and values for which our business stands. Of course we are praying for those involved and that healing and God’s redemptive power will be demonstrated.”
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Police detective faces prison in identity theft case www.privateofficer.com
Police detective faces prison in identity theft case http://www.privateofficer.com
Authorities say that after receiving numerous complaints and an extensive investigation, they arrested one of their own for stealing people’s identity and using the information for his own personal shopping sprees.
Former Rutherford County Sgt. Mark Warf pleaded guilty Thursday.
Warf admitted that while he worked in the sheriff’s office he got the names and social security numbers of other people. Then without their knowledge, he opened 17 credit cards in their names and charged about $23,000 worth of merchandise.
The 20-year department veteran resigned in 2007 amid a federal investigation into the charges.
Warf will be sentenced in June.
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Security officer’s killer freed on lesser charges www.privateofficer.com
Security officer’s killer freed on lesser charges http://www.privateofficer.com
A Selma teenager accussed of murdering a security officer in cold blood walked free after being convicted Wednesday of only harassment, menacing and reckless endangerment in the 2007 death of the security officer.
Corey Pullom stood trial for murder, but a jury found him guilty of the lesser charges, after which the presiding judge gave Pullom credit for the 10 months the teenager had served prior to trial and then released him.District Attorney Michael Jackson bristled at the sentence and said it came “against our strong objection
Jackson said his office likely will appeal the conviction because a couple of jurors were observed visiting outside the courtroom with members of Pullom’s family during a lunch break during the trial.”Jurors were talking to the defendant’s family for quite a while,” he said.Prosecutors objected, but the judge overruled the objections after a hearing and determined the contact was not enough to stop the trial.Pullom was indicted on a charge of murder in the July 2007 shooting death of Steven James Aguero, 35, a security officer at Jim Minor Homes.Aguero lived in the complex with his family. He worked as an armed security officer for Globe Security.
According to police reports, Aguero had called police before 10 p.m. the night of his death to report two young women fighting. Police arrived and arrested two teenagers.After 10 p.m., Aguero reported to police that several people had assaulted him. As he was giving a statement to police officers, authorities said, shots were fired at him and Selma Police Sgt. Tommy Webber. Aguero was hit and suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.
Authorities who investigated the shooting said it was connected with the earlier fighting and arrests of the women while others say that it was not.The incident prompted elected officials in Selma to hold a news conference and declare disregard for law enforcement as “unacceptable” behavior.
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Shoplifters nabbed after police chase www.privateofficer.com
Shoplifters nabbed after police chase http://www.privateofficer.com
Several Costco employees and loss prevention agents chased the subjects onto the property of Camp Johnson.
Both subjects were taken into custody and are facing numerous charges today.
It is unknown if either suspect has an attorney in this case.
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Code enforcement officer shot www.privateofficer.com
Code enforcement officer shot http://www.privateofficer.com
A few police cars, orange spray-painted markings of where three tow trucks riddled with bullets had been parked and a nearby elementary school absent of children Thursday were the somber reminders of the shooting of a Warner Robins code enforcement officer the previous day.
John Thomas Adcock, 54, of 204 Ward St., remained hospitalized at The Medical Center of Central Georgia after special tactical officers found him “lethargic” inside his home nearly 10 hours after he opened fire on two code enforcement officers and three tow-truck drivers, said Warner Robins police Sgt. Chris Rooks.
Code enforcement officer Beau Weathers, 29, who suffered gunshot wounds to the right side of his body and to his face, was in stable condition at the same Macon hospital. His injuries are expected to require several surgeries, authorities and family members said.
“He’s sore but he’s going to be fine,” Rooks said of Weathers, who has been with the city’s code enforcement office since 2004.
Authorities are investigating just what prompted Adcock, a widower, to take such “extreme” action Wednesday afternoon after two code enforcement officers and three wrecker drivers and their trucks arrived to remove the junk vehicles, Rooks said.
The code enforcement officers had been working with Adcock to take corrective action, but were finally forced to tow the vehicles when he took no action to come into compliance after a 15-day waiting period.
“You would think someone towing your car away would not get you upset enough to come out shooting at officers,” Rooks said.
Not much is known about Adcock, with police having had no prior dealings with him before the shooting began at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Rooks said. Authorities hope to develop a biographical sketch and are looking into his medical and mental background for clues behind the shooting, the detective said.
Arrest warrants have been signed but will not be formally served on Adcock until his release from the hospital, Rooks said.
The code enforcement officers had been at Adcock’s home for about 15 minutes when he suddenly came out of his home and opened fire with a shotgun, wounding Weathers, Rooks said. The code enforcement officers and tow-truck drivers took refuge behind the three large tow trucks, which were riddled with bullets, the investigator said.
Adcock then went back inside and returned with a rifle, again opening fire, Rooks said. Capps did not return fire.
Multiple shots were heard, but just how many rang out will take some time to determine as crime scene investigators scour the property and collect shell casings and count bullet holes, Rooks said.
A standoff with police ensued throughout the afternoon and into the late hours of Wednesday night. Special tactical officers from the Warner Robins police and Houston County sheriff’s agencies eventually used a ram to knock open a door of the home about 11:40 p.m. Attempts to enter with a robot had failed a few minutes earlier.
An unresponsive Adcock was found in a chair in the front of the house and was transported to the Macon hospital, Rooks said.
Authorities were able to wait out Adcock and enter without firing a shot, police said. The last communication with Adcock before the tactical team went in was between 6 and 6:30 p.m.
Earlier, when the call of “officer down” first went out over the police radio, law enforcement officers from Warner Robins, Houston County, Centerville, Perry and the Georgia State Patrol converged quickly and in force on the residential community, Rooks said.
Later, robots were brought in by the GBI and the U.S. Department of Defense.
“It was kind of moving,” Rooks said of the unfolding scene. “You have that many agencies responding that quickly to an officer down.”
Adcock’s home is two houses down on Ward Street from the intersection of Ward Street and North Avenue, across from Lindsey Elementary School.
Authorities quickly worked with school officials Wednesday afternoon to evacuate children by buses to churches about a mile away where parents could pick them up.
Parents were kept abreast of the emergency and given instructions through the school system’s voice automated system. The school remained closed Thursday, but classes were to resume today.
Neighborhood residents within a 100-yard radius of Adcock’s home were evacuated. Residents were allowed to return to their homes early Thursday morning.
The junk cars at the center of the dispute still were sitting on the property while police continued to collect evidence from the crime scene Thursday.
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One armored car flips, another is robbed www.privateofficer.com
One Armored Car Flips, One Is Robbed http://www.privateofficer.com
Two incidents involving armored cars occurred this week according to our newswire blasts.
In Tallahassee Florida, an armored money truck overturned blocking traffic for hours.
It happened around 10am on Wednesday morning on the corner of Brevard and North Bronough. Police say the driver of the Loomis truck ran a red light and crashed into a Kia, causing the front end of the car to rip off. The truck flipped at least twice
The driver of the Kia sustained minor injuries. The driver and passenger of the truck were taken to TMH with minor injuries. The driver of the truck did receive a traffic citation.
According to police, there was no loss of contents and the accident was cleared without any problems.
Santa Rosa Police Sgt. Lisa Banayat said officers were searching for the suspect, who robbed the truck’s guards outside of Bank of America.The holdup occurred at 10:23 a.m. No one was injured.How much cash was stolen wasn’t available. But Banayat said some cash was recovered in the shopping center.Another armored car robbery occurred in September at the Exchange Bank on Stony Point Road.
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RETAIL BULLETIN-SC,NC,GA, FAKE PAYROLL CHECKS www.privateofficer.com
BULLETIN-RETAILERS SC., NC.,GA. FAKE PAYROLL CHECKS http://www.privateofficer.com
FRANKLIN COUNTY — Lavonia police and the Secret Service have a warning for northeast Georgia banks, grocery stores, and convenience stores that cash payroll checks.
Lavonia Police Chief Randy Shirley said Wednesday his department is working with the Secret Service to track down a crew responsible for passing fake payroll checks across the area.
“We just wanted to alert the people of northeast Georgia and the surrounding areas about this fictitious check ring to get the identity of the individuals and to be very, very careful on cashing payroll checks,” Shirley said.
Shirley said the scheme came to light when multiple checks that appeared to be payroll checks from Habitat For Humanity or Home Depot were presented to Lavonia businesses.
The checks were found to have router numbers that coincided with an account attached to Zaxby’s Corp.
“They look authentic,” Shirley said. “The only thing different about them is the routing number.”
Shirley said authorities have identified one of the three men they are looking for as Melvin Bridges, 40, of Jefferson.
A warrant has been issued for Bridges’ arrest, Shirley said.
Shirley said the Secret Service has told him there are numerous checks in circulation in the northeast Georgia area.
The Secret Service collaborates with local agencies in cases such as fraud or forgery because the crimes affect federally insured financial institutions
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Teacher arrested by FBI on sex charges www.privateofficer.com
Teacher arrested by FBI on sex charges http://www.privateofficer.com
Agents say that the popular teacher that many in the area love and look uo to had hundreds of images of child pornography on his home computer, including one that showed an unclothed toddler in a sexual situation, authorities say.
Joseph E. Macanga, who taught social studies and language arts at Lumberton Middle School, was arrested by FBI agents at his township home about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, officials said. The teacher, charged with possession of child pornography, was held on $100,000 bail.
“If it’s true, a lot of people are still in complete disbelief,” said school district spokeswoman Betsy Kapulskey. She said Macanga, who told the FBI he was an ex-priest, was his school’s Educator of the Year in 2003.
The FBI said no local students were involved in the case, and no pornography was found on Macanga’s school computer, according to the school district.
School officials learned of the allegations against the 10-year teacher on Wednesday, Kapulskey said. FBI agents first found suspected child porn on Macanga’s personal computer in October, according to court papers.
“I think the district feels, and this is just me, they would have liked to have known ahead of time . . . to be able to have him out of the school,” she said.
Sean Quinn, an FBI spokesman in Newark, said the agency cannot disclose an investigation before a subject’s arrest. Doing so could jeopardize cases when they come to trial and would violate a suspect’s rights, he said.
“We understand their concerns,” he said of the school district. “But it’s not just a policy, it’s the Constitution. As bad as Mr. Macanga’s actions may have been, he still has rights.”
Macanga who has been under investigation by Federal Agents for sometim, admitted to using his computer to send and receive child pornography in two FBI interviews last week, according to the criminal complaint.
Macanga attracted investigators’ attention on Aug. 6, when he engaged in an online conversation with an undercover agent, said FBI Special Agent Jamie Banko, who probes “chat rooms” used by pedophiles.
FBI agents seized Macanga’s computer after a visit to his Torrington Court home on Oct. 11. A forensic examination of the computer, completed on March 21, found more than 300 images of child porn, according to the complaint. It also showed Macanga’s computer had been used to access nearly 30 chat rooms with names like “baby&toddlerlove.”
The sixth-grade teacher, who also coached girls’ soccer and basketball teams, will not return to the Lumberton district, Kapulskey said.
Schools Superintendent Frank Logandro, who called Macanga “a leader in the school and a pillar in the Lumberton community,” said a crisis team has been formed to help students.
“Additional counseling staff will be available for Mr. Macanga’s current students,” he said.
If convicted, Macanga faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. But a federal judge would consult sentencing guidelines that consider factors like the severity of the offense and the defendant’s background.
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Man robs store with baby www.privateofficer.com
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Patterson is the mother of the baby girl and has been Woods’ girlfriend for three weeks, Rocco said.The clerk was identified as Sukhbir Singh, 40, of Sunrise.
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Retail Security/Loss Prevention News Round-Up www.privateofficer.com
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The CVS Pharmacy in the 700 Block of Baltimore Pike reported April 1 that two females had been in the store and attempted to purchase gift cards with possibly stolen credit cards. When the cashier became suspicious the actors left the store. Ptlm. Daniel Boyd responded to Bennigan’s in the 700 Block of Baltimore Pike for a reported stolen wallet from a pocketbook. The investigation showed that the credit cards in the wallet were the ones that the actors attempted to use at the CVS Pharmacy. Det. Daniel McNeely and Robert Nutley are handling the investigation.
Springfield Pa.
Macy’s Security reported April 2 that they had a young male in custody for Retail Theft at the store. Ptlm. Joseph O’Berg responded and took a 17 year old juvenile from Philadelphia into custody and transported him to the Springfield Police Station. He will be Petitioned to Juvenile Court in Media and charged with Retail Theft for taking $519.45 worth of merchandise from the store. The actor was later released to a relative.
Springfield Pa.
– Best Buy’s Security reported April 3 that they had a young male in custody for Retail Theft at the store. Ptlm. Jacob Bierling responded and took a 15 year old juvenile from Philadelphia into custody and transported him to the Springfield Police Station. He was issued a citation for Retail Theft for taking $29.99 worth of merchandise from the store and was later released to a relative.
JACKSON TOWNSHIP OH.ROBBERY William J. Schwartz, 22, of 901 Shorb Ave. NW, Apt. 1, was arrested on robbery charges at 4:57 p.m. Sunday at WalMart at 4572 Mega St. NW after police say Schwartz cut the security sensor from a DVD box set and left the store without paying for it. WalMart’s security officer stopped Schwartz, who had a folding knife, outside the store.
Pascagoula Ms.
Cross Street, Calvin McCune, 46, Bayou Vista Street, Gautier, was arrested for shoplifting.
Denny Avenue, Kayla Nettles, 19, Coventry Drive, Escatawpa, was arrested for shoplifting.
Salina NY. April 22 2008
Onondaga County Sheriff’s deputies, with the help of a state police helicopter, are looking for a man accused of shoplifting at K-Mart in Salina. Another man has already been caught.
Someone at K-Mart called in the complaint this afternoon and a description of the vehicle two men left in, said Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputy Kathleen Kruger. North Syracuse police saw the car and tried to stop it.
The men kept going to Wally Road and Route 11, Kruger said. There they stopped the car and left it, she said.
Deputies caught one unidentified man, Kruger said. Deputies with the help of a state police helicopter searched the neighborhoods in that area to find the second man.
Taunton MA.
FRIDAY• At 2:33 p.m., Rachael Dacey, 22, of Raynham was arrested and charged with shoplifting at the Kohl’s store at 80 Taunton Depot Drive.• At 2:34 p.m., Janae Monteiro, 18, Hannah Ponte, 17, and Corey Ponte, 19, all of New Bedford were arrested and charged with shoplifting at the Sears store at the Silver City
At 8:33 p.m., Eboney McClain, 22, of Dorchester was arrested and charged with resisting arrest, assault and battery on a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, and disturbing the peace at the Gap Kids store at the Silver City Galleria.
UNION CITY MI. — A Sunday morning shoplifting incident at the PS Food Mart on M-60 in Union City led Michigan State Police (MSP) to a meth lab in Union City.MSP Trooper Ben Bordner was called to investigate the theft and, based on the items stolen and other items purchased, suspected plans to cook meth.The officers went to the suspect’s residence where they reportedly found an active meth lab. The MSP Drug Disposal Unit from Plainwell responded to clean up the lab. Officers did not book any suspects in the case, pending further investigation. Union City Police Department officers and the Southwest Enforcement Team of the MSP also assisted.
Tempe AZ. A 24-year-old Scottsdale man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of shoplifting on the 1800 block of E. Rio Salado Parkway, police reported.Investigation showed the man, an employee at Road Runner Sports at Tempe Marketplace, had walked out of the nearby Target on Wednesday with $143.95 worth of merchandise, police reported. He then drove to GameStop at 2040 E. Rio Salado Parkway and sold the items for $56.60 in store credit, according to police reports. He was held at Tempe Jail to see a judge.
Algonquin IL.
• A Marengo woman was arrested at 3:15 p.m. Sunday at Kohl’s Department Store. Catherine M. Saxild, 23, of 1231 Fox Glove Lane was charged with retail theft, police said. She posted a $100 bond and was given a May 28 court date in Woodstock.
WALNUT HILLS OH. –Police arrested Rodney Tye after he fled a grocery store with hundreds of dollars of razors.
Police say Tye, 42, of North Fairmount, walked out of a Walnut Hills Kroger with enough razors to clear-cut the gorillas at the Cincinnati Zoo.
Tye is accused of swiping nearly $400 in Gillette razors Monday night
The store’s alarms went off as Tye walked out the door, according to the arrest report, and an officer saw a large bulge under his shirt.
Within that bulge were Gillette Mach 3 Turbo razors, Gillette Fusion blades and a whole variety of shaving implements totaling $394.87, police said.
Tye was charged with theft and criminal trespass.
Officials said Tye has been arrested there before.
AVENTURA Fla.
Police arrested a 41-year-old woman on a charge of theft at Sears, 19505 Biscayne Blvd., after hiding a bracelet valued at $28 in her purse at 1:45 p.m. April 13.
Angela Maureen Stancy, 39, of 6810 N. Lexington Lane, Niles, is scheduled to appear in court May 21 on a retail theft charge stemming from an incident the afternoon of April 12 in Macy’s at Westfield Old Orchard. Police said Stancy tried to leave the store without paying for merchandise valued at $52.
Richmond VA.A Richmond man is facing charges in Henrico after an incident at Regency Square Mall.Police say Maliak Al Mawat, 43, entered the Hallmark store in February and pressed his genitals against an employee. He fled before police arrived.Just last week, Mawat went back to the store wearing the same clothes. This time, he was arrested.Mawat has been charged with sexual battery.
South Elgin IL.
• A South Elgin woman was accused of shoplifting $180 in clothing at 11:30 a.m. Monday at Kohl’s department store, 350 Randall Road. Melissa S. Bueno was charged with retail theft, police said. Bueno was released on recognition. She is scheduled to appear in court on May 7 at the Kane County Judicial Center.
Fall River Ma.
A Fall River woman was arrested for allegedly stealing about $300 worth of shrimp from two stores at about 2 p.m. Kathryn Donovan of Fall River was charged with two counts of shoplifting and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after taking shrimp from the Stop & Shop and Wal-Mart Supercenter. According to police, Donovan made off with $181 worth of shrimp in grocery store bags at the Stop & Shop on Route 44. As store security guards investigated the incident, she was arrested at the Wal-Mart Supercenter for allegedly stealing $99 worth shrimp. Donovan was released after he mother arrived at the police station and paid her bail.
Denver CO. Police were called to Wal-Mart, 7455 W. Colfax Ave., at 4:43 p.m. April 2 on a report of a man masturbating throughout the store. The security officer told police the man had been walking around looking at women and masturbating under his sweatshirt. The security officer showed police surveillance footage of the man repeating pausing behind female shoppers and reaching under his clothes. When police contacted the 19-year-old Denver man, he said, “What did I do? All I was doing was shopping,” although he did not have a wallet or money with him. The man was told he was permanently banned from entering Wal-Mart stores and was arrested on suspicion of public indecency.
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6 State shoplifting ring busted www.privateofficer.com
6 State shoplifting ring busted http://www.privateofficer.com
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Man gets 50 year prison term in child rape www.privateofficer.com
Man gets 50 year prison term for child rape http://www.privateofficer.com
BAY MINETTE Al. April 25 2008 — An illegal Mexican immigrant was sentenced to 50 years in prison Wednesday for repeated sexual attacks on a 5-year-old boy in Orange Beach.
In handing down the sentence for Inigo Felix Vaigoes, Baldwin County Circuit Court Judge Charles C. Partin said, “It is the intention of the court that you be an old man when you are released from the penitentiary.”
Vaigoes pleaded guilty in December to three counts of sodomy and two counts of sexual abuse. He will not be eligible for parole, according to Alabama law.
Prosecutors said Vaigoes had repeated sexual encounters with the boy from Janu ary 2006 until he was arrested in October of that year.
Vaigoes had been dating the boy’s aunt, and the attacks occurred when he was watching the child, prosecutors said.
Vaigoes was living in Orange Beach at the time and working construction jobs in the south Baldwin area. He said he was intoxicated during the assault incidents and had no recollection of what happened.
He told the judge through an interpreter Wednesday that he had been sexually abused as a child. He said he believed that the abuse had “influenced him.”
“He’s sorry for what he did,” the interpreter said.
Before sentencing, the boy’s mother told Partin that her son was once carefree and outgoing but has become “reserved” since the attacks.
“This just changed his whole outlook,” the mother said. “He doesn’t believe he can trust an adult anymore. He lost his innocence.”
Defense attorney Tanya Hallford asked whether Vaigoes wanted to apologize to the child and his family. “Yes,” the interpreter said.
Partin sentenced Vaigoes to 20 years in prison for each of the three counts of sodomy. Two of those sentences will run consecutively. The judge also sentenced Vaigoes to 10 years for each of the two counts of sexual abuse. One of those 10-year sentences will run consecutive to the 40 years on the sodomy counts.
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Off-duty officer killed during confrontation with police www.privateofficer.com
Off-duty police officer killed by officer during confrontation http://www.privateofficer.com
An off-duty officer was shot and killed by another officer early Thursday after he drew a handgun when police tried to quell a brawl at a strip club, police said.
Officer Norman Stamp, 65, was fatally shot after he failed to follow an order to halt and instead drew his weapon, Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III said at a news conference.
The uniformed officer, John Torres, had first used a Taser in an unsuccessful attempt to subdue him, Bealefeld said. Torres did not recognize Stamp, and there was no indication Stamp identified himself as an officer, he said.
Torres, 26, “did what he was taught to do in these types of situations,” Bealefeld said.
Officers responded shortly after midnight to reports of a fight outside the Haven Place club. Torres stationed himself by a door to prevent anyone else from joining the melee, and confronted Stamp when he emerged wearing brass knuckles, Bealefeld said.
The jolt from the stun gun caused Stamp to fall to the ground, Bealefeld said, at which point Stamp drew his handgun. After he was shot, Stamp was rushed to a hospital, where he died around 1:30 a.m.
Stamp had been with the department 44 years, making him one of its longest-serving officers.
“Officer Stamp was a mentor to some and a friend to many,” Bealefeld said. “This is an incredibly difficult time.”
The brawl began after several women came to the bar looking for work and “some people made comments about them,” Bealefeld said. Stamp’s role had not been determined.
Police spokesman Sterling Clifford said Torres, who joined the department in 2002, would not have recognized Stamp because the older officer had spent several years in the unit that patrols the Inner Harbor.
“He just wouldn’t have ever run into him,” Clifford said. Torres was placed on administrative duty after the shooting.
Stamp became the seventh person shot and killed by Baltimore police this year, Clifford said
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Security agents injured detaining shoplifters www.privateofficer.com
Security agents injured detaining shoplifters http://www.privateofficer.com
One of three men who allegedly tried to shoplift goods from the Nordstrom’s at Menlo Park Mall was arrested Saturday. Two others fled and are being sought by police.
The three were observed by a security officer at the store placing men’s clothing into a shopping bag. A second security officer stood outside the door of the mall, and confronted the three when they left the store.
The three dropped the bags, and fled in three directions.
He was arrested and charged with theft, with bail set at $25,000.
A second man fought with one of the security guards at the mall’s parking deck before fleeing. The two security guards were treated for minor injuries.
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