Archive
Ct. mall security officers-bystanders save heart attack victim www.privateofficer.com
MILFORD CT Feb 28 2011 — A man who went into cardiac arrest while dining at a mall restaurant was saved by quick-thinking bystanders and security guards using a portable defibrillator, officials said Friday.
The 35 year-old man was eating lunch at the Red Robin restaurant in the Westfield Connecticut Post mall last Saturday when his heart stopped, said Capt. Chris Zak of the Milford Fire Department. When the customer collapsed, restaurant manager Curtis Kilburn called 911 and the mall security office.
Two bystanders began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the man, who had no pulse or heartbeat, Zak said. Jeanne DeMello, a nurse, and Mark Kipstein, an off-duty New York City firefighter, started the chest compressions within moments of the man’s collapse.
Security guards Brian Carlson and Michael Todd used the portable defibrillator to deliver one measured shock that returned the man’s heart to a normal rhythm, Zak said.
Mall spokesman Greg Udchitz said Friday that the mall owns at least two of the units, and the security guards and other Westfield personnel are trained in how to use them as well as in basic first aid and CPR. “It is very rare that we see a medical emergency like this, where we get to use our training,” he said.
Milford Fire Department paramedics arrived within four minutes, Zak said, and provided advanced life support services and oxygen. The man, who was not identified, was transported by ambulance to Milford Hospital.
All city buildings are also equipped with the Automatic External Defibrillators, which can assess the amount of electric current a patient needs to jolt his heart’s ventricular defibrillation. The life-threatening condition often keeps a person’s heart from effectively pumping blood, officials said.
The equipment and training is one of the reasons that Milford was recently designated a Heart Saver Community by the American Heart Association, Zak said. “This type of action and response shows that lives can be saved when all of the factors are in place and performed in a timely fashion,” he said. “It is only because of the actions of all of these individuals that this man is alive today.”
Source:www.ctpost.com
Arizona police shut down major shoplifting ring www.privateofficer.com
More than 30 individuals have been arrested and indicted for the alleged involvement in a major organized retail theft syndicate.
The investigation began in April 2010 and uncovered an elaborate gift card scams, identity theft and retail theft from the Angel Tree holiday toy program for kids.
The investigation has uncovered over $1.2 million in proceeds from these crimes.
Back in April the Scottsdale Police Computer Fraud detectives were contact by eBay security regarding suspicious activity on a user account. That account was later linked to Wayne Clifford Bahlman who was involved in auctions of gift cards through eBay.
Around the same time Bahlman was linked to a Home Depot shoplifting and suspicious returns investigation.
Months of further investigation revealed Bahlman had a network of associates that would recruit people to shoplift items from retail stores and then return the items for store credit cards.
Bahlman then sold the cards on eBay.
Three suspects, Mary Booker, Douglas Booker and Michael Brandenbery, were seen stealing gifts that were purchased for an Angel Tree inside Walmart. They were later observed returning those items at another Walmart location.
Investigators discovered the three suspects actually worked for the Angel Tree Foundation and were assigned to pick up gifts from the store, but instead of dropping the toys at the foundation they would return the toys for profit being funneled back to Bahlman.
A grand jury has indicated Bahlman and 35 others, alleging more than 50 felony counts including participation in a criminal syndicate, organized retail theft, fraudulent schemes and artifices, trafficking in stolen property and forgery.
The investigation was led by the newly created Arizona Electronic Crimes Task Force.
LaPorte hospital employee charged with theft of equipment www.privateofficer.com
According to our reporting partners at the Herald Argus, Cheryl Pender, 44, has been charged with theft.
Police say a supervisor at IU Health LaPorte Hospital caught Pender stealing a sleep apnea machine.
Investigators think she was selling them to VA clinics to pay for her gambling addiction.
Pender faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.
Best Buy employee charged in felony thefts www.privateofficer.com
VINELAND NJ Feb 28 2011 — Police arrested a 24-year-old Best Buy employee who allegedly stole at least $3,500 after months of making fraudulent returns and pocketing the cash, authorities said.
Tiffany S. Holmes, of the first block of South Ladow Avenue in Millville, told police she created duplicate receipts of mobile phones and entered them as customer returns starting in August 2010, according to police reports made available Friday.
She kept the cash refunds — some of which she used to help her mother with a surgery — from those returns, police said.
On Tuesday, police charged Holmes with theft by deception and two counts of forgery. Vineland Municipal Court issued her a warrant with bail set at $5,000. She was released on recognizance.
A store manager discovered the incidents Feb. 9 after a standard product count revealed several mobile phones were missing, police said.
That manager couldn’t tell police how much Holmes had pocketed since August because he could only provide documentation showing she took $3,509.26 since Dec. 12. He told police he would provide more documentation as he compiled it.
When the store manager noticed the phones were missing, he checked the store’s computer database, police said, and found the missing phones were listed as returned items, but couldn’t find them in the store.
The manager found Holmes’ employee number and the employee numbers of two other women accounted for several more phones labeled as returned, but not in stock.
Holmes later admitted she used the other employees when she was unable to make returns in her own department and told those employees it was for a customer.
“I only went to them when I couldn’t make the returns in my department and asked them to do it because I knew they wouldn’t question me if I told them it was for a customer,” she told police.
A store manager wouldn’t say Friday if Holmes was still an employee at the Vineland store.
Source:TheDailyJournal
Friends with benefits flocking to Facebook www.privateofficer.com
New York City NY Feb 28 2011 It’s a friend request with benefits – but it isn’t for free.
New York hookers are flocking to Facebook to advertise their services, a Columbia University sociologist says.
After studying the habits of 290 sex workers, Sudhir Venkatesh found that 83% rely on Facebook to lure johns.
“I estimate that by the end of 2011, Facebook will be the leading online recruitment space,” Venkatesh wrote in the February issue of Wired magazine.
Even a quick search of the uber-popular social networking site reveals a trove of sex-charged profiles.
“I’m a full Gfe [girlfriend experience] provider,” wrote “Molly Ravish” on her page, which features a picture of a young blond woman in lingerie.
“For a list of my services go to [my website].”
Ravish’s personal Web page offers titillating photos and a detailed description of her services: $200 for an hour of passion, including “deep french kissing” and oral sex – and $150 for 30 minutes.
“Succulent, sweet, and dripping with charm, I beleive [sic] you will find me to be seductive, sensuous, and enticing,” her website says.
Among Ravish’s favorite quotations listed on Facebook are several sexually suggestive phrases.
“Remember my name … you’ll be screaming it later,” reads one.
Other pages owned by local sex workers are less risque – but just as easy to find.
On her profile, “Beva Langoria” listed her employer as “independent escort” and provided an in-depth physical description.
“Hispanic, caramel soft skin, no tattoos or piercings, long dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, height 5’3″, 125-pound, beautiful smile,” reads the note on her page.
For those who are interested, Langoria included her educational background (Fordham University class of 2011) and her religious views (open).
Venkatesh says Facebook offers prostitutes a bevy of perks.
The site allows hookers to “control their image, set their prices, and sidestep some of the pimps, madams, and other intermediaries who once took a share of the revenue.”
In 2008, Facebook accounted for 25% of the regular clients served by the women Venkatesh followed.
Top NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the findings aren’t too surprising. “Everybody is using the Internet,” he said.
Still, not all sex workers are using Facebook – at least not yet.
A 32-year-old escort told the Daily News she would never advertise her services on Mark Zuckerberg’s site.
“It’s a place for teenagers to socialize, to play games, to meet friends – not a place for some dumb ass to find a piece of ass,” declared the escort, who asked to remain anonymous.
Facebook is not the only site grappling with the prostitute problem. Even after shutting down its “Adult Services” section last September, craigslist is rife with ads from women offering sex for cash.
Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said the site comes down hard on anyone who uses it for illegal ends.
source:NY Daily News
California man made more than 18,000 false calls to 911 www.privateofficer.com
EAST LOS ANGELES CA Feb 28 2011 — An East Los Angeles man is accused of making more than 18,000 crank calls to 911 over the course of six months.
California Highway Patrol officers arrested 43-year-old Maurice Cruz and booked him for misusing the 911 emergency line.
Authorities said Cruz used non-initialized cellular phones, making the calls difficult to trace. A non-initialized cellular phone is one that does not have a service plan.
The CHP, with the help from the U.S. Secret Service, eventually tracked Cruz to his home, where they found numerous cellular phones and chargers.
Cruz was booked and held on $5,000 bail.
Navy police shoot suspected DUI driver www.privateofficer.com
Police were attempting to apprehend the sailor on suspicion of drunk driving when the incident occurred, officials said. The sailor had already smashed his car into two other police vehicles, they said.
The incident began when two sailors attempted to drive onto the base through a gate near a housing complex on the base south of downtown San Diego. A security guard, suspecting that the driver had been drinking, ordered the car to pull over and wait for police, officials said.
Instead the car sped off, leading to a chase by police in which the two vehicles were struck. After that, officials said, one sailor got out of the vehicle and was arrested, but the driver sped off again and attempted to ram another police vehicle.
The sailor who was shot is listed in stable condition at the UC San Diego Medical Center. Both sailors are enlisted, officials said.
Source:LA NOW
2 Hospital security officers injured by board member www.privateofficer.com
OCEANSIDE, Calif.Feb 28 2011 — Witnesses said a controversial North County hospital board member stormed into the board’s monthly meeting on Thursday night and injured two security guards.
Tri-City Healthcare Board of Director member Charlene Anderson told 10News when fellow board member Kathleen Sterling came into the room where the meeting was held, security immediately surrounded her. Anderson said she saw Sterling pushing and shoving against five security guards while shouting that she just wanted to say hello to someone. Anderson described the scene as frightening.
“I saw a person with blood on his clothing,” said Anderson. “I’ve never even heard of such a thing and I’m absolutely embarrassed.”
Hospital administrators brought in three extra security guards specifically to control Sterling. Administrators said Sterling’s frequent outbursts and verbal assaults at them during meetings – which include a time when Sterling referred to them as “Nazis” – are escalating into physical intimidation.
After the incident, Oceanside police arrived and took a report. Sterling was not arrested. Charges will not be filed because one of the injured guards does not want to press charges.
Board members have censured Sterling six times in the last six months. Part of that political reprimand forbids her from being in the same room as other board members during meetings. Sterling must stay in another room and communicate with the board through a speakerphone. On Thursday night, Sterling walked into the meeting anyway and was quickly blocked by guards.
Anderson said she doesn’t feel safe around Sterling anymore because her behavior has become so erratic and unpredictable.
“Personally, I would feel better if I had a restraining order from her being anywhere near me,” said Anderson.
No one answered the door at Sterling’s Oceanside home when 10News tried to get her side of the story. When reached by phone, Sterling refused to comment.
Hospital administrators said they intend to file a restraining order against Sterling so if she tries to walk into another meeting, she can be arrested.
Tn. teen who killed grandparents commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
KNOXVILLE TN Feb 28 2011 — A Hawkins County teen accused of murdering his grandparents nearly a year ago apparently committed suicide in his jail cell in a Knox County juvenile detention facility around 11:40 p.m. Saturday.
Brandon Charles Fannin, 17, formerly of 3210 Stanley Valley Road, Surgoinsville, was indicted by the Hawkins County grand jury in December on two counts of first-degree murder in the April 15, 2010, deaths of his grandparents.
He had been housed in Knoxville since November after he reportedly told a Hawkins County jailer he wanted to harm himself.
According to a report filed by Knox County Sheriff’s Office Detective Walt Schmidt, jail officer Jimmy Randolph was doing a cell check around 11:40 p.m. Saturday when he found Fannin had hanged himself in his cell with a bed sheet.
Randolph told investigators he was assisted by Sgt. Samantha Worley in getting Fannin down and immediate attempts to revive Fannin conducted by both officers were unsuccessful.
Fannin was then taken to the Regional Forensic Center for an autopsy.
Jail officers reportedly told Schmidt that Fannin hadn’t made any statements to them or indicated to them in any way he intended to do harm to himself.
Schmidt added, however, that investigators found a note in Fannin’s cell “indicating the victim’s intention.”
There were no signs of foul play, Schmidt stated in his report. Schmidt added that the investigation revealed that Fannin died of an apparent suicide.
Fannin was accused in the deaths of his grandparents, Clyde Fannin, 64, and Linda Fannin, 54, at their home on Stanley Valley Road. According to juvenile court records, Clyde Fannin became Brandon Fannin’s legal guardian on Aug. 15, 2007.
Not much information about Brandon Fannin’s life before that time has been made public, although he was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and attention deficit disorder.
Police said Clyde Fannin, a retired police officer from Newport News, Va., was shot at least 20 times in the head. Brandon Fannin reportedly told police he shot his grandfather while he lay sleeping on the couch.
When Linda Fannin came home from work that day, Brandon Fannin allegedly slit her throat and stabbed her at least 17 times.
After the murders, Brandon Fannin admittedly watched porn and played video games and then left in the family van with $500 he took from the home. Members of the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office were waiting at the home when he returned two days later.
Hawkins County Sheriff Ronnie Lawson said his department received notice of Brandon Fannin’s death around 2:45 a.m. and he notified Attorney General Berkeley Bell on Sunday morning.
No definite trial date for Fannin had been set, and in fact, a Feb. 18 pretrial appearance in Hawkins County Criminal Court was postponed because a new defense attorney was going to be appointed by Judge John Dugger.
Fannin was ordered to be tried as an adult following a hearing in Hawkins County Juvenile Court on Aug. 10, 2010.
In November, he was transferred from the Hawkins County Jail — where he’d been held since being transferred to adult court — to the custody of the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center in Knox County after he made comments about harming himself.
“He had attempted a couple of times to scratch his wrists with plastic knives in our jail, but he wasn’t seriously injured,” Lawson said. “That’s why we had him moved to a juvenile facility in Knoxville. Their facility was better suited for watching juveniles. We had to segregate him from adult inmates, and we’re just not set up to house juveniles in our facility.
“If an adult threatens suicide, we put them on suicide watch and we can watch them on camera, but with Mr. Fannin, we had to house him in a whole cell block by himself, which put us at a real disadvantage trying to keep an eye on him 24 hours a day.”
On Jan. 1, Fannin tried to escape from the Bean juvenile center by choking a guard and threatening to kill him if others didn’t open the doors. The attempt was caught on facility surveillance video.
Richard Bean, who is superintendent of the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center, said Sunday he had Fannin transferred to a juvenile facility in the Knox County Jail shortly after his escape attempt.
Bean noted that Fannin hadn’t threatened to harm himself prior to his transfer to the Knox County Jail juvenile facility.
Arkansas nightclub security stabbed www.privateofficer.com
Police say Kyle Sosebee, a bouncer at the club, was trying to escort 32-year-old Jayson Campbell outside, when Campbell stabbed Sosebee in the back.
Campbell was arrested and is being held at the Sebastian County Jail for 2nd Degree Battery. Sosebee is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Houston security officer shoots bar patron www.privateofficer.com
HOUSTON TX Feb 28 2011 – A shooting inside a southeast Houston nightclub landed a woman in the hospital early Sunday.
Police said a female in the El Antro nightclub near the intersection of Ogden and Gulf Freeway was causing a disturbance around 2:00 a.m. when a security guard pulled out his gun and shot her one time.
She was transported to the hospital in serious condition.
No more details were immediately available.
Source:KHOU
OFFICER DOWN-FRED THORNTON
North Carolina
End of Watch: Friday, February 25, 2011
Biographical Info
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 28 years
Badge Number: Not available
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Explosion
Date of Incident: Friday, February 25, 2011
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Officer Fred Thornton was killed when a flash-bang device detonated as he handled SWAT equipment.
He had just returned home following a SWAT call out to serve a warrant and was attempting to render his equipment safe when the flash-bang discharged, causing massive injuries. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Officer Thornton had served with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for 28 years. He is survived by his wife and four children.
Agency Contact Information
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
601 East Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: (704) 336-7600
Please contact the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
College starts security guard training program www.privateofficer.com
8 Hour Security Guard: MVCC will be hosting two 8-hour Security Guard Training programs, which are the first part of the New York State certification for all contractual and proprietary security guard personnel. The first program will be held on the Utica Campus, Monday, March 7 and Wednesday, March 9, from 6-10 p.m. The second program will be offered on the Rome Campus, Monday, April 11 and Wednesday, April 13, from 6-10 p.m. The cost for each program is $60. These programs are a prerequisite to the 16-Hour Security Guard Training course.
16 Hour Security Guard Training: This course is the 16-hour on-the-job training course (OJT) which is required within 90 days of initial employment as a Security Guard. Topics include role as a security guard, legal powers and limitations, emergency situations, public relations, access control, ethics and conduct, report writing, incident command system, and terrorism. An examination is taken at the end of the class and upon successful completion students will receive a certificate confirming your participation. This program will be offered Monday through Thursday, May 2-5, from 6-10 p.m. on the Utica Campus. The registration fee is $99.
Enrollment is limited and will be taken on a first come basis. For information or to register, call 792-5300 or visit mvcc.edu/cced. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Friday. All MVCC non-credit instruction is completely self-supporting, including indirect costs, and requires no public funding.
Disturbance at pot dispensary lands man in jail www.privateofficer.com
Michael James Ellis was arrested at 7:45 p.m. Thursday on suspicion of resisting and obstructing a peace officer, and assault and battery of a peace officer after deputies responded to calls for help at a dispensary in the 24600 block of Raymond Way, Sgt. Angel Andrade said.
According to police reports, Ellis walked into the dispensary and wanted to purchase some marijuana but had no money. He asked for credit and was refused. He became angry and was escorted out of the building by dispensary staff. A short time later he came back to the building and tried to start a fight with a security guard and other patrons at the dispensary.
Deputies arrived and placed Ellis into the back seat of the police car, Andrade said.
“Ellis began to kick out the rear window at which time one deputy opened the door to calm Ellis down,” Andrade said. “Ellis jumped out of the backseat and had to be restrained. He then attempted to kick the deputies.”
Ellis was taken to Orange County Jail. He is being held on a $2,500 bail and is scheduled for arraignment on Monday
Nigeria man passes heroin pellets at Philadelphia airport www.privateofficer.com
PHILADELPHIA PA – February 27, 2011 — A man from Nigeria is under arrest after officers say he passed 67 pellets filled with heroin at Philadelphia International Airport.
Clement Agbapu, 36, was arrested after the incident this past weekend.
Investigators say Agbapu arrived in Philadelphia from Nigeria after a layover in the U.K. at about 2:30 p.m on Friday, February 18th.
Officers allegedly detected “inconsistencies” in his answer to routine questions, and discovered his stomach to be distended.
He consented to an x-ray at a local hospital in which officers found something suspicious. The next morning, police say he passed the pellets of heroin.
The pellets contained a total of two pounds, 11 ounces of heroin worth an estimate $86,000.
Authorities say ingesting narcotics for concealment is highly dangerous, and carriers have been known to die a very painful death when pellets breach.
Agbapu faces charges including possession with intent to deliver. He is being held on $50,000 bail.
Source:WPVI
Man fights security-police trying to escape courthouse www.privateofficer.com
Robert J. Matlock, 28, was being picked up on a warrant for domestic battery and as he was escorted out of the courthouse on Etna Road, he tried running away. Matlock kicked and swung at officers before five deputies and a security officer subdued him, according to the report.
Four deputies were treated for minor injuries. Matlock was charged with aggravated battery of a peace officer and resisting arrest. The incident happened at 10 a.m., according to the report.
Matlock’s original reason for being at the courthouse was not in the report, according to the sheriff’s office.
Victorville CA. nightclub security officer killed www.privateofficer.com
VICTORVILLE, Calif. Feb 27 2011 — Victorville police are searching for a male suspect who shot and killed a security guard at a nightclub.
Police said on Thursday night, Sean Thrift was working as security at the front entrance of Teazers nightclub on Seventh Street in Victorville. Thrift was approached by an unknown male who shot and killed him.
Investigators do not have a detailed description of the suspect and it is unknown if the suspect fled on foot or had a vehicle waiting nearby.
The motive for the shooting is unclear. It does not appear that there was any confrontation between the suspect and victim prior to the shooting.
Anyone with any information regarding this investigation is urged to call San Bernardino County Sheriff’s at (909) 387-3598.
Callers wishing to remain anonymous may contact the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.
Source:KABC
Veteran Montgomery police officer arrested for identity theft www.privateofficer.com
MONTGOMERY, AL Feb 27 2011 – A veteran Montgomery police officer is under arrest and charged with two counts of identity theft. Bradley Howard Pemberton, 41, a sergeant with the Montgomery Police Department, is facing federal wire fraud and identity theft charges said Leura G. Canary, United States Attorney.
The MPD placed Pemberton on mandatory leave with pay effective Feb. 10, 2011. The department has since “initiated proceedings to terminate Pemberton’s employment,” according to Director Chris Murphy of the Montgomery Police Department. He’s been with the department since 1994.
The indictment, which was unsealed Friday, alleges that through his position with MPD, Pemberton was authorized to access the Law Enforcement Tactical System (“LETS”), which is maintained by the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center (“ACJIC”).
LETS provides law enforcement personnel with Alabama drivers license information, including a driver’s Social Security number, date of birth, and home address. This information is to be used for law enforcement purposes only.
Pemberton is accused of using LETS on December 2, 2008, to obtain the Social Security number and date of birth of an individual with the initials “BNP.”
Pemberton then applied for a Discover Card credit card over the Internet using his own address, but BNP’s name, Social Security number, and date of birth.
Discover Card opened an account based on the application, and Pemberton used the account to make payments on a previously fraudulently obtained American Express card account.
Source:WSFA
BWI Airport shuts down checkpoints becuase of improper screening www.privateofficer.com
Baltimore MD Feb 27 2011 Two security checkpoints at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport were shut down for more than a half hour Saturday morning because of improper screening of passengers, a Transportation Security Administration spokesman said.
The A and B pier checkpoints were closed from about 8:40 a.m. to about 9:20, when normal operations resumed, said Michael S. McCarthy, the TSA spokesman. The checkpoints serve Southwest Airlines, BWI’s dominant carrier.
In a statement, the security error was described as “an instance of improper screening protocol.” McCarthy declined to elaborate other than to say the checkpoints were shut down “out of caution.”
“Acting with an abundance of precaution, TSA suspended checkpoint operations for a short period of time,” said Jonathan Dean, an airport spokesman, who said, “Operations are normal.”
Brandy King, a spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines, said the security breach caused minimal delays on a handful of flights that were taking off around the time of the shutdown.
“It did cause minimal delays this morning when the security breach did happen,” King said.
Source:Baltimore Sun
Former Greenfiled teacher failed to register as sex offender www.privateofficer.com
Bond was set at $75,000.
Peck is alleged to have violated terms of her probation twice within two months by failing to register as a sex offender.
The probation violation hearing was rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. March 25.
If her probation is revoked, she could have to serve her five-year sentence for crimes against the student.
Phoenix teacher arrested for arranging sex with dog www.privateofficer.com
PHOENIX AZ Feb 27 2011 – A middle school teacher is one of two Valley men arrested for using a popular Internet website to connect with people offering their dogs for sexual acts with humans.
Twenty-five-year-old Patrick Stephen Trejo’s students at Raul Castro Middle School knew him as a good music teacher.
“Why would you do something like that,” said one of his students, Keena Huesby. “It scared me, because I wouldn’t think of him as someone who would get arrested for anything because he seemed like a really nice teacher.”
The school sent Huesby home with a letter to her parents, saying their children were never in danger.
“It’s just not something I’ve ever thought about discussing with my kids before,” said Huesby’s father, David Huesby.
The investigation indicated there is secret language amongst Craiglist users in order to obscure their criminal plans, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said.
According to court paperwork, Trejo wrote, “Hit me up if you have a pup to play with,” and made the call for anyone who was interested in “K-9 play” on Craigslist.
Another man, 47-year-old Keith D. Kiefer of Mesa was also arrested in the online sting, but the arrests were unrelated to each other, according to Arpaio.
Arpaio said there are apparently Craigslist users who train their animals for the encounters, and that no money was offered or exchanged.
“I think they figured the dog was already trained for the activity, so they didn’t need to bring any bones to bribe the dog,” he said.
According to the court documents, Kiefer, an unemployed handyman, wrote that he was looking to try, “Beasty worship of the kinky kind” and requested pictures of the dog’s genitals, which he said he “liked very much.”
Arpaio said undercover deputies corresponded with the two men, posing as the handler of a male shepherd mix, and arranged to meet them in local hotel rooms where the sex acts were to occur. Before the actual sex act occurred, the deputies took the suspects into custody.
“I don’t want to get into too much of the sex situation, but when I mention domination, I presume you might catch on as to what I’m talking about,” said Arpaio.
Zues, the dog detectives used as bait, had been neglected and rescued from an abusive home. He is now up for adoption. Deputies said they used the two-year-old dog because he is the friendliest one they had.
There was not a beastiality law on the books in Arizona until 2006, when one of Mesa’s assistant fire chiefs was allegedly caught trying to fornicate with a sheep.
The investigation took several months, and Arpaio has pledged to continue the stings.
According to Meri Simmons with the Cartwright School District, the following letter was sent home with students at Raul H. Castro Middle School where Trejo taught:
We were notified today that one of our teachers has been arrested on charges unknown at this time. The teacher involved will be placed on administrative leave and will not be permitted to return to school, pending the outcome of the investigation by authorities, as well as by our staff.
At no time, were your children in any danger. Please be assured that your child’s safety is always our utmost concern.
Source:ABC15
11 year old NC girl killed in accidental shooting www.privateofficer.com
MORVEN, N.C. Feb 27 2011– An 11-year-old girl is dead after her 10-year-old brother accidentally shot her.
The Anson County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called out to Sandy Ridge Church Road shortly before 10 p.m. Friday night.
When they arrived on scene, the girl was found unresponsive and deputies began CPR.
The girl was taken to the Anson County Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators say the .22 caliber rifle was in a closet at the home.
They say the girl’s brother got the gun and accidental fired it, hitting his sister just below the eye.
Sheriff Tommy Allen said in a statement, “This appears to be a terrible accident. This is something that should never have happened, but then it does. We preach over and over that guns must be stored in a safe place, where inquisitive children cannot get to them.”
Sheriff Allen says even though everything with this incident points to an accidental shooting, the case will still be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office and DSS for further review.
Source:Charlotte Observer
Rapper Waka Flocka Flame security team shoot it out with robbers www.privateofficer.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. Feb 27 2011– Parents of the men charged in connection with a shooting involving Waka Flocka Flame say they want charges filed against the rapper’s security guards.
Six men were arrested for allegedly trying to rob the rapper of his jewelry, which ended in a shootout in the parking lot of Car Stereo Warehouse on East Independence Boulevard.
Shots were fired by both sides and the families of the men charged in the shooting are asking why no one from Waka Flocka Flame’s security team was charged.
Antonio Stukes was shot in the shoulder during the exchange of gunfire at the Car Stereo Warehouse. He was one of six suspects arrested for allegedly trying to rob rap star Waka Flocka Flame.
“Just don’t listen to one side of the story because there is always another side,” said Stukes’ mother, Antoinette.
On Saturday, Stukes and the mothers of the other suspects are planning to hold a rally of sorts.
“So us parents are trying to get together so they can hear our cry and release our kids,” Stukes said.
The parents believe their children were arrested because they don’t have money or fame, unlike Waka Flocka Flame’s security. None of the bodyguards were arrested.
“I don’t understand why they are not locked up or being questioned for shooting at people,” Stukes said.
There is surveillance tape of the shootout, which could resolve the question of who shot first. The police have seen the video and so have the employees at the store, but the store won’t release the video. The manager says he’s been offered $5,000 for the video and turned it down.
The rally will be held in the same neighborhood where a police chase ended involving two of the suspects.
“Hoping they will release our kids and hoping they will do justice as they should,” Stukes said.
Stukes is not sure how many people will attend Saturday’s event but she is hoping 30 to 40 show up.
NewsChannel 36 spoke with the rapper’s publicist after the shooting. She says the security team followed protocol and the security cameras from the audio store back up the team’s story.
Source:WCNC
Alert NM security agent aids police arrest in burlary arrest www.privateofficer.com
Now ADPS detectives need the victims to come forward and identify their stolen property recovered by the department.
Detective Mark Esquero said Matthew W. Peil has been charged with 18 counts of fourth degree breaking and entering, four counts of commercial burglary, two counts of receiving, retaining or disposing of stolen property over $500 and one count of possession of burglary tools. He is being held on $125,000 no-ten percent bond.
Esquero said the Alamo Security guard was doing his rounds at The Storage Center, 2219 Lawrence Blvd., around 3:12 a.m. and saw Peil in front of storage unit No. 109 and thought it was odd.
“Peil was wearing a head band with a light on it,” he said. “It’s common for a night time burglar to wear or have some kind of light with them to see what they’re doing. The security guard approached Peil and asked what Peil was doing.”
Esquero said Peil told the guard that the unit belonged to him.
“The guard attempted to verify Peil’s claim that he was a renter of the unit,” he said. “When the security guard called ADPS officers then Peil ran in the direction of the Satellite Inn. The security guard was able to inform ADPS officers of the direction in which Peil ran.”
Esquero said officers were able to retrace Peil’s steps to Lawrence Boulevard and 23rd Street then to an alle way and found a set of keys in the middle of one of the streets then found a backpack and cellular telephone in the alleyway.
“The investigation revealed that Peil was using the unrented storage unit to store stolen items from other units within the Alamogordo area,” he said. “The abandoned backpack and cellular telephone led officers and detectives to the Satellite Inn where Peil was renting a room but Peil was not at the motel at that time. Detective conducted surveillance on the motel and observed Peil entering one of the rooms around 9 a.m. on Feb. 18.”
Esquero said during their investigation detectives and officers learned that Peil had an outstanding Otero County Magistrate Court arrest warrant for alleged failure to pay fines or court cost.
“We arrested Peil on the warrant,” he said. “While arresting Peil officers and detectives observed several items inside the motel room similar to the items being stored in the unrented storage unit. They obtained a search warrant for the motel room then executed the warrant on the room and found items similar to the items being stored in the unit. We found several items in the room and storage unit which included furniture, clothing, electronics and various other stolen items within the Alamogordo area.”
Esquero said officers have filed reports of burglary from victims over the last two months.
“Peil was allegedly breaking into storage units then putting the stolen items in the one storage unit,” he said. “Peil was allegedly stealing one or two items for the other storage units and not everything in the unit. Renters reporting break ins to their units because they found their locks broken. We’re asking those victims to return to ADPS and try to identify their stolen property. Some of the victims may or may not know their property was taken.”
Esquero said victims of residential and automobile burglaries need to visit with detectives to possibly identify their property as well.
“We’re not sure what other possible burglaries Peil was allegedly committing during the two month period,” he said. “Peil did admit to detectives and officers that he had broken into storage units in the past. Peil is minimizing any other break ins at other locations. There’s some large items in the storage unit that would take more then one person to move into the unit. We believe he may have had an accomplice.”
Esquero said he is suggesting renter of storage units use anti-theft locks to secure their units.
“Renters were using a cheaper in cost brand lock,” he said. “They need to spend the money for a more secure lock or anti-theft lock.”
Anyone with information about the burglaries or have been a victim of the burglaries can contact the ADPS Detective Division at 439-4300 or Crime Stoppers at 437-2000.
Springield court security officer charged with sex crimes www.privateofficer.com
Daniel J. Curran, 39, who beat a 2001 open and gross lewdness rap, has an April 8 disposition hearing on charges of indecent assault and battery and lewd wanton lascivious conduct, records show.
The case stems from 2009 charges by East Longmeadow cops, who allege Curran pinched the butt of a naked 15-year-old boy in a health club shower, records show.
On Thursday, court officials told the Herald they had lost Curran’s criminal case file. The file has since been found, officials said yesterday.
Curran, who worked as a state transportation engineering aide for seven months in 2002, was hired as a court officer in June 2004 after a background check, said court spokeswoman Joan Kenney. She noted the 2001 case against Curran was dismissed, and said he has been on unpaid suspension since the new charges were filed.
Defense attorney Michael O. Jennings and Hampden County District Attorney Mark Mastroianni did not return messages.
Court officers serve the key public safety function of guarding suspects, witnesses and jurors. But Curran is not the only employee to face legal trouble.
Former Trial Court Security Department staffers who have faced serious charges include a Level 3 sex offender and a chief court officer’s son who is now in federal prison for drug distribution, a Herald review found.
Former associate court officer Charles J. Tatum was hired in July 2001 despite a 1986 conviction in South Carolina for indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, records show.
He is set to go to trial on May 11 on rape charges in Plymouth Superior Court. A Massachusetts criminal background check was conducted on Tatum before he was hired, Kenney said. That check did not list the South Carolina conviction. Tatum was put on unpaid leave and later fired on July 1, 2010, after a disciplinary hearing, said Kenney. Neither he nor his lawyer returned messages.
Former court officer Eric Bevilacqua, 29, whose father is a chief court officer in Haverhill, is now serving a 35-month federal prison sentence for distributing oxycodone, court records show. He had been hired by the Security Department in 2006 and resigned in 2009, after he was charged.
His father, Frederick Bevilacqua, referred questions to Kenney, who described the son as a “qualified candidate at the time of his hiring.” His lawyer declined comment.
Source:Boston.com
Man caught after crashing through Texas bank www.privateofficer.com
SAN MARCOS, Texas Feb 26 2011 – A San Marcos man wreaked havoc inside a bank with his car Friday morning, but left behind a license plate that police used to track and find him.
Police said Elias Mercado, 25, crashed his car into the Bank of America, circled through the lobby area, struck a wall, a cubicle, a teller counter, restroom doors and plants. Backing up to try to get out of the bank, the car struck furniture, then blasted out through double doors and drove away.
Police caught up with Mercado after bank security provided a vehicle description and a license plate number from a plate off the car that ended up in the bank’s lobby.
San Marcos police arrested Elias Mercado, 25, jailed him at the Hays County Law Enforcement Center Friday morning. He is charged with burglary of a building and evading arrest.
Police followed a trail of glass and searched the area of Interstate 35 and State Highway 80. They spotted the suspect vehicle with body damage, including a rear license plate matching the plate found in the bank.
When police tried to stop Mercado, he didn’t stop, but headed the car south on the west access road near SH 80. Police cars stopped him by use of a pit maneuver — steering into the back bumper of the fleeing vehicle, forcing the car to spin and stop, according to San Marcos police.
Mercado’s bond was set at $10,000 for the burglary and $5,000 for evading arrest. Both charges are state jail felonies.
Source:KXAN
Richmond council aide charged with sexual assault www.privateofficer.com
RICHMOND, VA Feb 26 2011 – Richmond Police served two misdemeanor warrants on City Council Aide David R. Hathcock today stemming from an incident last year.
Hathcock, 64, of the 7100 block of Shawnee Road, has been charged with one count of simple assault and one count of sexual assault relating to an incident that occurred on April 21, 2010, at City Hall at 900 East Broad Street.
No further information is being released at this time.
Source:WWBT
Newark TSA security officer admits to thefts www.privateofficer.com
NEWARK NJ Feb 26 2011 – A Woodbridge man who worked as a lead transportation security officer employed by the Transportation Security Administration at Newark Liberty International Airport admitted Thursday that he and his supervisor regularly stole from travelers during security screenings, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Al Raimi, 29, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Jose L. Linares to an charge of theft by a government officer. He faces a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when sentenced on June 6.
Source:njtoday.net
Florida police officer commits suicide during stand-off www.privateofficer.com
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla.Feb 26 2011 — A South Florida police officer facing criminal charges killed himself during a standoff with authorities.
Police responded to the home of 31-year-old Elijah Jay Rodgers Thursday afternoon after receiving a report about a man threatening to kill himself. Officials say Rodgers eventually shot himself in the head. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Lauderhill police asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to begin investigating Rodgers last fall for possible misconduct. The FDLE was preparing to charge Rodgers with official misconduct and falsification of official records. He was supposed to report to the Broward County Jail on Friday.
Rodgers worked for Lauderhill police for six years and the Broward Sheriff’s Office for five years before that.
Spource:www.miamiherald.com
West Virginia University student caught with 5 pounds of pot www.privateofficer.com
MORGANTOWN WV Feb 26 2011 — A West Virginia University student is facing drug charges after police said they found more than five pounds of marijuana and $4,000 in cash, in his apartment, according to Morgantown police.
Friday morning, the Morgantown Police Department Street Crimes Unit served a search warrant at the Beverly Avenue apartment of Timothy Desevo, police said.
After finding the drugs and cash, police charged Desevo with possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver.
He was also arrested on a warrant for delivery of a controlled substance, which was obtained by the Mon Valley Drug Task Force, based on an investigation from June 2010, according to a police department news release.
Desevo, 20, is originally from Stockton, N.J.
He is listed in the WVU directory as a pre-business and economics major.
Desevo was arraigned in Monongalia County Magistrate Court where his bail was set at $40,000.
Source:WBOY
