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Ontario Calif. security officer shot in robbery www.privateofficer.com
The robbery occurred at 11:55 a.m. March 8 at the Check into Cash, 727 N. Euclid Ave.
During the robbery the suspect and a security guard got into a scuffle, which resulted in the guard getting shot, according to an Ontario police news release.
The guard is expected to survive his injuries and is listed in stable condition, according to the release. Police have not released his name.
After the struggle and shooting, the suspect stole the guard’s gun from his holster and robbed the business. He escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash.
He was last seen riding north on Euclid on a BMX style bicycle.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic man between 25 and 30 years old, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 150 pounds, black hair, brown eyes, clean shaven with a light complexion. He was last seen wearing a dark baseball hat, grey hooded sweat shirt, black pants, black and white tennis shoes with a black backpack.
Ontario police detectives believe the man is local to the area.
Anyone with information on this robbery is asked to call Detective Roger Planas at 909-395-2918 .
Mesa teacher arrested for molesting child www.privateofficer.com
Michael LaMonica was charged with the felony offenses after a Maricopa County grand jury indicted him on Thursday, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. LaMonica is accused of molesting four children, according to the county attorney’s office.
LaMonica, who is being held in the Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail without bond, was arrested about 8:30 p.m. on March 11 on suspicion of two counts of child molestation.
The ages of the other three children or their dates of the alleged offenses were not immediately known.
The girl, now 12, who is connected to the incident involving LaMonica’s arrest, came forward and told authorities that when she was in the second and third grade in 2005, she would help LaMonica clean the band room. After they were done, he would place her on the floor and take her pants and underwear off before inappropriately touching her, according to a Maricopa County Superior Court document.
LaMonica has taught at Brinton Elementary School since 2001 and had several complaints and a letter of reprimand in his personnel file from parents of children he allegedly inappropriately touched in the past who complained about him.
LaMonica received the letter of reprimand in his personnel file in 2002 after a girl’s parents voiced concern for him nicknaming a third-grade girl “Cute Belly Button Girl” and asking her if her boyfriend smooched her on her belly button, according to a letter the Tribune received from the Mesa Unified School District.
Veteran Maine teacher charged with sexual contact with students
Peter Simonds, a fourth grade teacher, is charged with three counts of unlawful sexual contact and three counts of unlawful sexual touching.
Damariscotta Police Chief Steve Drake says he was alerted to the problem yesterday, and after interviewing two of the alleged victimns, talked with Simonds. Following that interview the chief talked with a third girl. Simonds resigned and was arrested later in the day. He has since been released on bail.
Superintendent Bob Bouchard says it has been a shock to the entire school community. Parents and students from that classroom met with the principal today to talk about it, and letters have gone home to all parents as well.
“It’s going to be difficult but i’ll tell you, Great Salt Bay School and the Great Salt Bay Community is a strong one. People support each other and that extends to the parents. They love that school, and they’ll pull together to make sure first the school is good and safe for the kids who are there but beyond that to the parents who send their kids there and to the staff as well,” said Bouchard.
Bouchard says the school will have its crisis team ready to help any students, parents or staff members who need it in the days ahead.
Chief Drake says he is continuing the investigation, and does not know if there are any other victims who haven’t yet come forward.
Identity theft suspect arrested in Georgia www.privateofficer.com
Tennyson Alvene Smith was arrested on March 4 and charged with one count of financial transaction fraud for using a stolen credit card to buy food, police said.
Smith is accused of taking the card from one of his neighbors where he lives at the Stratfords Apartments on the south side of Sandy Springs, police spokesman Lt. Steve Rose said.
Investigators learned that Smith had received several packages, mailed to separate names, at his apartment, and found open packages labeled to different people there, Rose said.
Police also found financial documents, bank records and government-based documents in the apartment, as well as items that appeared to have been purchased by stolen credit cards.
Smith is currently out of jail on bond.
Armored car guard murderer gets life www.privateofficer.com
A Pierce County Superior Court judge handed down that sentence to Calvin Finley, 37, who pleaded guilty to the murder last July.
Finley admits that he shot armored truck guard Kurt Husted last June, then fled the scene.
Husted’s family and fiance sat in the courtroom Friday and spoke to Finley before the life sentence was handed down.
“I want you to know something, Mr. Finley,” said Husted’s fiancee, Deborah Bishop. “I feel sorry for you. I’ve been very bitter. But you know what? I’m done with that. It’s time to stop reminding myself of what won’t be – and plan for what will be.”
Finley showed no remorse and did not apologize for the murder. But Bishop says she is relieved justice has been served.
Finley originally was scheduled to be sentenced in January, but it was held up by some last-minute legal maneuvering.
Prosecutors say surveillance tape caught the execution-style killing and theft of the money bags Husted was transporting to the armored truck.
Four other people – Marshawn Turpin, 20; Tonie Williams-Irby, 42; Odies Walker, 41; and Brittney Marie Maas-Baines – have been charged with first-degree murder and other crimes in the case. They have all pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors said the group spent a month planning the heist, and two of them celebrated with a big dinner at Red Lobster afterward.
As a Wal-Mart employee, Williams-Irby was briefed at company meetings about the weekly and monthly income of the store, and she told the other suspects that “hundreds of thousands of dollars” could be stolen from the armored car.
In the three days before the robbery, Finley and Walker went to the Wal-Mart store and timed the movements of the armored car and the guard carring the money bags, according to court documents. During this period, Turpin also was recruited to help out in the scheme.
On the day of the robbery, Williams-Irby was working at the store. The armored truck arrived near the front door, and Husted proceeded into the store.
Shortly afterward, Walker drove a white Buick up to the store’s front entrance, about 100 feet behind the armored car. Surveillance cameras then showed that Finley and Turpin got out of the car and walked quickly into the store.
Less than a minute later, Finley and Turpin approached the guard as he was walking toward the exit in a crowded area of the store, with a cart containing bags of cash and checks.
Finley then whipped out a handgun and shot the guard, Husted, in the face, according to court documents. Husted collapsed to the floor as Finley calmly turned and walked out of the store.
Turpin, who also was armed, swooped down and and grabbed the money bags from the guard’s cart, then ran from the store behind Finley, court documents say.
When Finley was arrested, officers found more than $20,000 in a safe in the trunk of his car, according to court documents. When Irby-Williams and Walker were arrested, more than $20,000 was found in a safe at their home.
Sheriff commends casino security for fast fraud arrest www.privateofficer.com
After an intense investigation involving Mountaineer security and several Hancock County sheriff’s deputies, deputies arrested Travis Antonio Lee of Maryland and ultimately charged him with fraudulent use of credit cards, fraudulent schemes and possession of a credit card-making device with intent to produce fraudulent credit cards.
White commends the actions taken by the personnel and staff at Mountaineer because “if it were not for their actions and attention to detail this person may not have been caught.”
According to White, Mountaineer security called the Hancock County 911 dispatch center at approximately 3 p.m. March 5 and reported a person was attempting to use a fraudulent credit card. Deputies were dispatched and immediately responded.
White said that Lee, after standing at the teller’s window for a period of time, apparently realized something was wrong and exited the casino with Mountaineer security personnel following him. Once outside, Lee took off running across the parking lot in an attempt to get away from Mountaineer security. White explained that Lee was able to make it to his vehicle and he then drove off Mountaineer property, heading north on Ohio River Boulevard.
Mountaineer personnel continued calling the sheriff’s dispatch with updates on the situation, including a description of the vehicle and its direction of travel. Chief Deputy Todd Murray stated that this continuing information was crucial in the apprehension of Travis Lee.
Traveling south on Ohio River Boulevard, Deputy First Class Doug Wade observed a vehicle matching the description provided by Mountaineer and he attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver appeared as though he was going to attempt to avoid apprehension, and Deputy First Class Eric Cline then assisted Wade in the traffic stop at the Holiday Inn Express.
The driver showed deputies a driver’s license that identified him as Travis Antonio Lee. Deputies also found additional evidence that linked him to the incident at Mountaineer, White said.
After responding to the scene of the traffic stop, Sgt. Scott Swan responded to Mountaineer for the purpose of collecting the evidence that was left behind and to view images provided by the surveillance department at Mountaineer. White said Swan was able to confirm that the images from Mountaineer and the person he observed at the traffic stop were the same. Lee was then arrested for the offense of fraudulent schemes and fraudulent use of credit cards and was transported to the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
White said based on the information obtained and the nature of the complaint, Sgt. Art Watson obtained a search warrant for the vehicle driven by Lee. Watson and Deputy First Class Scott Little and his K-9 partner Christine executed the search warrant at Chaney’s Garage in Chester, where the vehicle had been towed.
Murray stated that as a result of the search, additional items of evidence were recovered and warrants were obtained for the third charge, which was possession of a credit card-making device with the intent to produce fraudulent credit cards.
Panama City security officer suspended after brawl www.privateofficer.com
One beach security guard is taking a few days off work after being accused of beating a spring breaker Wednesday night.
Robert Hammer, manager at Hammerhead Fred’s in Panama City Beach, says it was a typical spring break night.
“This is a nightly routine. There are usually internal fights. It happens. It’s all a part of spring break,” Hammer said.
However, the normal night at Hammerhead Fred’s turned for the worse. Management says the incident started in the restaurant entrance. They say a spring breaker tried to show an invalid I.D. and was told she couldn’t come in.
According to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, that’s when one of the friends decided to step in. Several accounts say the friend was attacked by the bouncer and was sent to the hospital. The bouncer claims the group of people jumped on him and he played self defense.
“I felt it was best to have an officer come out here and evaluate the situation, “Hammer said.
Major Dave Humphreys with the Panama City Beach Police says situations like this are typical for this time of year.
“We have experienced problem in the past with security personnel being over aggressive,” he said.
But situations like this are what Hammerhead Fred’s trys to avoid. To do so, they put their security guards and bouncers through training classes to make sure they make all the right moves.
“We have a class that we give them that we give them every year. This year we gave them a security outfit and explain how to deal with certain situations,” Hammer said.
Major Humphreys says bouncers and security guards aren’t required to take any classes. That’s up to the business. However, Humphrey’s says bouncers do have the right to defend themselves if they get attacked.
“They’re human beings like anybody else, just like you see police using excessive force or something,” Humphrey’s said.
“We have to give them the latitude to defend themselves. You can’t take that away from them. Of course you what to explain to them the definition of going too far,” Hammer said.
Sheriff’s officials still don’t know exactly what happened yet. According to a report, the spring breaker who was transported to the hospital, suffered a split lip that may reqire stitches.
Officials will resume this case when the injured spring breaker gives them a call.
