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Woman 98 charged with roommate’s murder www.privateofficer.com
Laura Lundquist was sent to a state mental hospital for a competency evaluation before her arraignment. Her defense attorney, Carl Levin, said she has a “long-standing diagnosis of dementia, as well as issues of cognitive impairment.”
She is believed to be the oldest murder defendant in state history, but might never go to trial because of her mental health issues.
Her roommate at the Brandon Woods nursing home in Dartmouth, Elizabeth Barrow, was found dead in her bed Sept. 24 with a plastic bag tied around her head. Police initially speculated it was a suicide, but a medical examiner ruled it a homicide after an autopsy indicated strangulation.
Barrow’s son, Scott Barrow, has said Lundquist complained to nursing home officials about the number of visitors his mother received. He also has said Lundquist had made “threatening” and “harassing” remarks to her. He declined to comment on the indictment, which was handed up Friday by a Bristol grand jury.
Bristol District Attorney Sam Sutter said Lundquist suffered from paranoia and “harbored hostility towards the victim” and thought Barrow “was taking over the room they shared.”
Sutter said Barrow complained in the weeks prior to her death that Lundquist was making her life “a living hell.” The night before Barrow was killed, Lundquist put a table at the foot of her bed to block her way to the bathroom, then punched a nurses aide who removed it, he said.
Lundquist also told Barrow she would soon get her bed by the window because she would outlive her, Sutter said.
The two women had been roommates for about a year. Scott Barrow has said he asked nursing home officials to separate the women, but they assured him the two were getting along. He said his mother told him she did not want to leave her room because that’s where she and her husband had lived for several years before he died in 2007.
A Superior Court judge, acting on a motion filed jointly by prosecutors and Levin, ordered Lundquist sent to Taunton State Hospital for an evaluation.
Sutter said the case likely won’t ever go to trial because of the possible incompetency finding and because the defense will likely involve mental health issues, which take a long time to prosecute.
Levin said that if someone is found not competent to stand trial, the state would likely move for a civil commitment.
“Her family is very saddened for the loss of Ms. Barrow, and they are also very saddened by what’s happened,” Levin said. “Without acknowledging her responsibility, it’s a sad event for both families. It just really points to the issue of mental health with the elderly.”
Prosecutors pursued second-degree murder charges because they didn’t believe Lundquist had the cognitive ability to form premeditation, which must be proven in a first-degree murder case, Sutter said.
Lundquist is believed to be the oldest murder defendant in state history, Sutter said.
“It is my intention to advance this case in a professional, ethical and humane manner,” he said.
Sutter said prosecutors decided not to file charges against the nursing home, but did not elaborate.
Brandon Woods’ chief of operations, Scott Picone, said the home was “deeply saddened by this tragic event, and our thoughts and prayers go out to both families.” He declined to comment further.
In a statement, the home said the roommates acted like sisters, walked and ate lunch together daily and said, “Goodnight, I love you,” to each other every night. The home said Barrow declined a room change in July and August.
The statement also said the home was establishing a scholarship in Barrow’s name, and Scott Barrow was chair of the scholarship committee.
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St Paul teacher arrested for student molestation www.privateofficer.com
Gagne was wanted by St. Paul police on two counts of criminal sexual conduct.
Investigators say Gagne, who was hired as an assistant basketball coach and substitute teacher two years ago, had a sexual relationship with a male student.
Investigators say the relationship began in the summer of last year, while Gagne worked as a weight room supervisor and that the two had sex on more than one occasion.
When the allegations surfaced last spring, school administrators at Cretin Derham Hall put Gagne on leave and sent a letter to parents explaining only that a female employee was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
Gagne is the granddaughter of wrestling legend Verne Gagne, who was involved in the death of a fellow resident at the Friendship Village Nursing Home in Bloomington back in January. She is also the daughter of Greg Gagne, Verne’s son and a well-known professional wrestler in his own right.
Investigators issued a warrant for Gail’s arrest at her parent’s house in Bloomington, but her father says she no longer lives there and is working out of state
Armored car guard guilty in theft of cash www.privateofficer.com
Keith Wayne Billie, 40, Konawa, pleaded guilty to embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization, according to Sheldon J. Sperling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Sperling said Billie was a security guard for the Chickasaw Nation Enterprises Armored Car Division and stole approximately $10,000.
Billie was arrested after an investigation by Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“The investigation revealed that the defendant feigned an illness and sent his partner inside to pick up another deposit,” Sperling said. “Once the other guard went inside, Billie used his pen to pierce a deposit bag and took a brick of money out and concealed the money in his shirt until the end of his shift.”
Once the deposits were taken to the bank, bank officials notified the Chickasaw Nation of the $10,000. shortage, Sperling said.
Billie’s plea was accepted in federal court and a pre-sentence report was ordered.
He will be sentenced following the completion of the report.
“The statutory range of punishment is not more than five years imprisonment and/or up to $250,000 in fines,” Sperling said. “A preliminary calculation of the sentencing guidelines, predicts a term of probation or up to six months imprisonment.”
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Man guilty in movie theater attack www.privateofficer.com
Steven Walter Robinson Jr., 26, was found guilty Sept. 29, 2009, of multiple felony counts, including attempted murder. Robinson did not know the two men.
According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, at 6 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2008, Robinson bought a ticket for horror movie The Signal at an AMC theater in Fullerton. Robinson wore dark clothing and sunglasses inside the theater. A theater manager asked security to watch Robinson after noticing that he appeared agitated and aggressive when asked to show his ticket.
The theater security guard saw Robinson carrying a container of alcohol and asked Robinson to put it in his car. Robinson left the theater.
About 10 minutes later, Robinson re-entered the theater and asked the concession cashier if anyone had seen or turned in a “baggie.” The cashier told him that nothing had been found.
The security guard saw Robinson carrying an AMC cup that the guard thought might have alcohol inside. Robinson refused to remove the lid of the cup for the guard. He was told that he wouldn’t be permitted to see the movie without complying with security. Robinson got a refund for his ticket and left the theater.
A box office cashier called the manager shortly after to report that a bag of hallucinogenic mushrooms had been turned in to the box office. The manager contacted the Fullerton Police Department, who sent officers to the theater.
At approximately 7:20 p.m., Robinson sneaked back into the theater. The security guard was checking the theater where The Signal was playing and recognized Robinson as one of the four people watching the movie. He returned to the lobby and informed the manager and police.
While officers were in the lobby, Robinson allegedly got up from his seat and approached Julio Sanchez, 38, carrying a double sided knife-hammer weapon. Robinson stabbed Sanchez five times in the head, arm, chest, and knee. He continued to stab and slash at Sanchez until the victim was able to run into the lobby, covered in blood, and escape.
Robinson then allegedly approached Eloy Uresti, 65, and began stabbing him in the arm as Uresti tried to protect his face. Uresti began to crawl away, but Robinson followed. Robinson hit the victim in the head with the hammer end of the weapon and continued attacking Uresti until hearing police enter the theater. Robinson fled through an exit door to the parking lot.
Sanchez suffered permanent loss of mobility in his arm. Uresti suffered nerve damage.
Robinson fled to his brother’s Las Vegas apartment to hide. He was arrested on March 7, 2008 on a $500,000 warrant and brought back to Orange County.
Investigation revealed that Robinson possessed several books about serial killers and the torture and murder of their victims. Robinson’s home computer contained MySpace postings from Robinson to friends about killing and mass murder. Robinson used the screen name “psychokiller666.
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Security agency owner, employees arrested for theft of gun www.privateofficer.com
That was when a family says three men posing as officers aggressively and illegally told to keep their hands on their vehicle while it was searched. The men who were actually security guards with Metro City Security took a handgun from the vehicle before leaving according to the arrest affidavit.
Patterson, Juan Mireles, 26, and Metro City Security owner Jose Gonzalez, 42, were all arrested and release Tuesday for theft of a firearm. Arrest warrants were then issued for Patterson and Mireles for impersonating a police officer. Patterson was taken into custody peacefully while Mireles is still at-large.
Gonzalez voluntarily contacted police in November to speak about the inappropriate actions of two of his employees.
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Security guard’s pepper spray causes wreck www.privateofficer.com
It happened near 11th and Yale. Officers say the driver and four friends were sitting in the parking lot of Club Corrall when security asked them to leave.
One of the passengers got out and began arguging with the security officer. That’s when he got sprayed with pepper spray and some of it got inside the SUV. 8 Talkback:
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The driver tried to pull away, but ended up rear-ending the back of a semi truck.
Luckily, there were no injuries.
Man charged with attempted murder of police at casino www.privateofficer.com
James Francis Deck, 43, is also charged with assault on a peace officer, obstruction, resisting an officer causing great bodily injury and assault on a peace officer with an automatic weapon.
Deck was hospitalized overnight and then booked into the county jail, where he is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
He was ordered to return to court Dec. 21 for a felony settlement conference. A preliminary hearing was tentatively set for Dec. 24.
The unidentified deputy was treated and released from a local hospital following the Dec. 8 incident in the parking structure of the Pechanga Casino, said Lt. Scott Madden in a news release.
About 10:11 p.m., the deputy was patrolling the area of Pechanga Parkway in the unincorporated area of Riverside County just south of Temecula. The deputy observed a truck occupied by two men driving on Pechanga parkway and attempted to stop it for a vehicle code violation, Madden said. The driver did not immediately pull over, but drove into the northern parking structure at the Pechanga Casino.
As the truck drove onto the second floor of the parking structure, the driver abruptly stopped and ran from the truck. Madden said the deputy called for assistance and began to chase the driver through the parking structure.
During the foot pursuit, Madden said, the suspect turned and charged at the deputy knocking him to the ground and the officer landed on his back, hitting his head on the concrete and momentarily stunning him.
The suspect jumped on top of the deputy, violently assaulted him, and told the deputy that he was going to kill the officer, Madden said. Deck grabbed the deputy’s handgun, Madden said. Despite being injured, Madden said the deputy struggled for control of the gun.
A nearby Good Samaritan citizen witnessed the assault and assisted the deputy by jumping on the suspect’s back and helped prevent the suspect from gaining full control of the deputy’s handgun, Madden said. Despite the deputy’s pleas for help, Madden said, several additional bystanders refused to aide him and walked away leaving the deputy and now Good Samaritan to continue the struggle with the suspect.
A Pechanga Casino security employee quickly notified other casino security personnel who responded to the parking structure and eventually subdued the suspect, Madden said. The deputy and two Casino security personnel who had also sustained minor injuries during the arrest were treated a local hospital and released the following morning.
Deck was also transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Deck was found to have an outstanding no-bail felony parole warrant.
The Good Samaritan who assisted the deputy did not want to be publicly identified, but the department and the deputy involved in this incident are grateful for his assistance and that of the Pechanga Casino Security Personnel.
Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Jess Martinez at the Southwest Sheriff’s Station at 951-696-3000.
