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Archive for August 19, 2011

Employee wheels $4.3 million out of bank www.privateofficer.com

 
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Aug 19 2011 (AP) — An Anchorage bank employee embezzled more than $4 million the old-fashioned way — by carrying it out of the building, according to federal prosecutors.

Gerardo Adan Cazarez Valenzuela, 26, is charged with stuffing $4.3 million into computer boxes and wheeling them out of a KeyBank vault on a rolling cart. He was arrested in Mexico on Aug. 1 and indicted Wednesday by a grand jury in Anchorage, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Valenzuela, also known as Gary Cazarez, remained in Mexico on Thursday.

Details of the case were revealed in an affidavit filed by FBI agent Susan Cusack based on bank surveillance equipment, interviews with employees and admissions by Valenzuela.

According to Cusack, Valenzuela entered the vault at 6:39 p.m. July 29 — a Friday — with three computer-size boxes on a rolling cart. He turned out the vault light and filled the boxes with cash.

Just 16 minutes later, he was pushing the boxes and a computer bag out of the vault, Cusack said, and by 7 p.m., he was loading the boxes into a vehicle known to be driven by him and his girlfriend. Five minutes later, he was spotted returning the cart to the cash vault room and then driving away.

Valenzuela drove to his home and transferred the cash to duffel bag suitcases, according to the affidavit, then drove to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, where two days before he had arranged for a private charter.

The charter reached Seattle-Tacoma International Airport around midnight and Valenzuela hailed a cab to take him to his girlfriend, Leysa S. Bindas, who was visiting family and friends in the Tacoma area.

While in the cab, according to the FBI, Valenzuela asked the driver where he could buy a gun. The cab driver hooked him up with a seller and Valenzuela bought an AK-47 rifle, a handgun and ammunition for $4,000. The cab driver then drove Valenzuela to the home of Bindas’ sister.

The next morning, they bought a used compact car from a dealer in Auburn, Wash., and drove south, intending to visit Valenzuela’s uncle somewhere in the Mexican state of Sonora.

Upon reaching Tijuana, south of San Diego, Valenzuela reportedly called his uncle and was advised to take a bus because the small car would have trouble driving over the difficult terrain.

On Aug. 1, according to the FBI, Valenzuela bought two bus tickets and abandoned the car.

The bus was stopped at a checkpoint in Sonoita, Mexico, later that day. Valenzuela and Bindas collected their luggage, and as they walked through a check line, they were flagged for further inspection.

According to the FBI agent, Valenzuela turned to Bindas and told her they were in serious trouble. Valenzuela was asked to open his suitcases, and Mexican authorities found weapons, ammunition and about $3.8 million.

Back in Anchorage, Valenzuela had not shown up for work after the weekend. Bank officials made repeated attempts to open the cash vault Monday but could not because it had been time-locked.

Cusack was on hand a day later at about 12:45 p.m. when the cash vault door was opened and bank employees quickly discovered that large amounts of cash were missing. An audit put the figure at $4.3 million.

The U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement that procedures will be started to have Valenzuela returned to Alaska to face a charge of theft of bank funds.

Bindas was not charged.

Assistant U.S. attorneys Joseph Bottini and Aunnie Steward said federal law provides for a sentence of up to 30 years if Valenzuela is convicted, but his actual sentence would be based on the seriousness of the offense and criminal record.

Man with penis exposed said Wal-Mart aroused him www.privateofficer.com

 

MONROE, LA Aug 19 2011 Some people claim to hate Wal-Mart, but perhaps no one loves it as much as one Louisiana man, who explained to police officers that he had his penis out while cruising the parking lot because Wal-Mart “aroused” him.

Police confronted Travis Keen, 28, after receiving reports of a sexually-aroused man driving by shoppers in his Fort Taurus “with his penis exposed,” according to a report from thesmokinggun.com.

At least one of the victims followed the Taurus as Keen cruised the Monroe mega-store parking lot Tuesday, and reportedly told police that he would stop as he passed female shoppers so they could admire his ‘excitement for Wal-Mart’.

When officer Colby Spillers confronted Keen, according to a police report, “He stated he was trying to see if he fixed his power steering in his car.”

After Spillers informed Keen he had spoken with several witnesses, “Keen stated that he did have his penis out because of past experiences he had at Wal-Mart. Keen stated when he comes to Wal-Mart he gets aroused,” according to the report.

He was charged with obscenity and is being held at a Ouachita Parish jail on $5,000 bail.

Source:PIX11

Security officers assaulted at Li’l Wayne concert www.privateofficer.com

 

Tinley Park IL Aug 19 2011 Security guards at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre called the cops over the weekend, saying they had in their custody a drunk, combative man who head butted one of their staff members during a Li’l Wayne Concert, police said.

Theater staff had Angelo A. Roman, 28, of the 600 block of Sherwood Court in Romeoville pinned to the ground around 11 p.m. Aug. 13, according to the police report.

Officers said they didn’t confirm his identity until later, when he sobered up in his cell at the Tinley Park Police Department. 

A woman who said she didn’t know Roman was recording the struggle.

Police believed she had been hanging around with him, they said. They told her the video she was recording was evidence and then confiscated her Apple iPhone, the report said.

Amphitheatre staff members said Roman and the woman entered the lower pavilion of the venue even though they didn’t have tickets for that area, police said. They noted that Roman refused to leave when asked.

He was then forcefully escorted out with his arms behind his back, police said, which is when he reportedly head butted a security guard in the right side of the face.

On Sunday, after Roman had become sober, police said he admitted to being escorted out, head butting the guard and fighting with officers and theater staff.

“He said liquor affected his judgment and that he was sorry,” police said in the report.

Roman was charged with obstructing a peace officer and battery.

Categories: S/O ASSAULT

Scott County KY teacher faces four dozen sex crime charges www.privateofficer.com

 

Georgetown KY Aug 19 2011 Police said Thursday that a Scott County Middle School teacher arrested Wednesday and charged with almost four dozen counts of sexual misconduct involving minors now faces 36 new charges of first-degree sexual abuse in the case.

Jason Carpenter was originally facing 23 counts of promoting sexual performance of a minor under the age of 18 and 23 counts of possession of matter portraying sexual performance of a minor.

Carpenter is listed on the Scott County school’s website as a teacher at the middle school.

Police say the new charges will likely result in Carpenter’s bail being raised.

The superintendent of Scott County schools, Patricia Putty, released a statement Thursday, saying:

“The number one priority of the Scott County School Community is to provide a safe and secure learning environment for all our students. I know I speak for the 1139 dedicated employees who work tirelessly to fulfill this mission when I say, we are truly disappointed by the allegations leading to this arrest. I want the students, parents, and community to know that we are working collaboratively with law enforcement officials as well as conducting our own investigation.”

Source:LEX18.com

Paramus police stay busy with retail thefts www.privateofficer.com

 
Paramus NJ Aug 19 2011

• On Aug. 4 at 7:55 p.m., Officer Keith Bland responded to a store at the Garden State Plaza on a report of a suspected shoplifter. He was advised by security that two female suspects had recently left the store, and observed them in the parking lot. Upon further investigation, he determined that the suspects were carrying a pair of pliers used to remove security tags and $855 worth of stolen merchandise, according to police. Rosareo Ramirez, 45, and Bertha Ramos, 39, both of Paterson, were charged with possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools. They were released on their own recognizance.

• On Aug. 5 at 9:18 p.m., Officer Jeff Lattanzi responded to the Garden State Plaza on a report of a suspected shoplifter. Upon his arrival, a store security officer informed Lattanzi that he had observed a woman who he recognized as a known shoplifter steal merchandise from another store, according to police. Lattanzi located and apprehended the woman, and on further investigation determined she was in possession of $314 worth of stolen property from four stores, police said. Margarita Gonzalez, 39, of Prospect Park, was charged with possession of stolen property and remanded to Bergen County Jail in lieu of $3,500 bail.

• On Aug. 6 at 4:14 p.m., Officer Keith Bland responded to the Garden State Plaza in reference to a robbery in progress. Upon his arrival, he was informed the suspect has stolen merchandise from a store and as she exited punched a security guard in the face and bit his arm, according to police. Bland located the suspect, and upon further investigation determined she was in possession of a foil lined booster bag, according to police. Liz Vargas, 24, of New York was charged with possession of burglary tools, robbery and resisting arrest and remanded to Bergen County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail with no 10 percent option.

Source:NorthJersey.com

Shoplifter stabs store employee in escape www.privateofficer.com

 

 

San Rafael, CA Aug 19 2011- The San Rafael Police Department is investigating the stabbing of a United Market employee during a shoplifting arrest. The employee received superficial injuries.

On 08/14/11, at approx. 4pm, San Rafael police officers responded to the United Market at 515 Third St. on the report of a shoplifting suspect who had just stabbed a clerk in the chest and fled the scene. Store employees had observed the suspect select groceries from the shelves and walk out of the store without paying for the items. The suspect was detained and walked to an office in the market. While being interviewed, the suspect took a knife and held it to the throat of one of the employees. He then fled the store, chased by several employees. He unsuccessfully attempted to stab an employee from the meat section, but then stabbed a clerk in the chest. Luckily, the clerk received only superficial injuries. The suspect was last seen fleeing in a black colored Audi A4 toward E. Francisco Blvd. It was later determined that the vehicle license plate had been stolen from an unassociated vehicle in Sausalito.

The suspect is described as a White male, late 20’s, 5’-10”, 180 LBS., with shoulder length brown hair, and a visible tattoo on one of his calves. He was wearing gray checkered shorts and brown knit beanie cap.

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call San Rafael Police at 415.485.3000 or Crime Stoppers at 800.222.TIPS(8477). This phone number will accommodate all languages. Callers can remain anonymous and may earn a possible reward. Tips can also be made online through the San Rafael Police Silent Witness program at http://www.srpd.org/tips or http://www.bayareacrimestoppers.com.

Categories: loss prevention

Hallsburg ISD teacher re-indicted for sex assaults www.privateofficer.com

 
WACO TX August 19, 2011— Former Hallsburg ISD teacher Patricia Rush, 38, who once told a McLennan County Sheriff’s Office investigator she had “fallen in love” with a teenage student with whom she’s accused of having an improper relationship in 2007, was named in an 18-count indictment Wednesday charging improper relationship with a student.

Rush turned herself into McLennan County deputies on Feb. 24 but has been free since then after posting a $100,000 bond.

The new indictment charges Rush with five counts of aggravated sexual assault, four counts of improper relationship between educator and student/sexual contact, four counts of indecency with a child and five counts of improper relationship between educator and student/deviate sexual intercourse.

Rush was first arrested in November 2007 on a warrant charging improper relationship between educator and student, which is a second-degree felony, but she was never indicted and in December 2009, the charges against her were dropped.

The case, however, remained opened and prosecutors said then that charges could be refiled.

Her attorney at the time was Abel Reyna, who’s now McLennan County’s district attorney.

Because Reyna represented Rush, a special prosecutor presented the case to grand jurors Wednesday.

The affidavit submitted for the original arrest warrant in 2007 said authorities started an investigation after a woman, who was not named, contacted the Sheriff’s Office and told an investigator that her son had been spending a lot of time with Rush and said she was concerned that the boy and Rush were “having a sexual relationship.”

Investigators interviewed Rush, who told them she “loves him in her heart,” the affidavit said.

She said “she has had fantasies about having sex with the victim,” and said she had held hands with and had hugged the student, the affidavit said.

Source:KWTX.com

Richmond County teacher pulls knife on student www.privateofficer.com

 
AUGUSTA GA Aug 19 2011 — It’s only the second week for students at Richmond County schools, and already, a big scare at T.W. Josey High School.

“I would say it’s shocking whether it’s the second week or the 32nd week. I mean, you never want this kind of thing to happen. You don’t expect it to happen,” said Louis Svehla, spokesman for Richmond County Board of Education.

He says substitute teacher Brian Andre Marcus was arrested Wednesday afternoon after allegedly pulling a knife on a student.

“From what I heard from public safety, from the officer there, as well as from the principal there, was that the students were kind of Johnny-on-the-spot,” he said. “You know, they did exactly what we would ask them to do.”

Students ran from the classroom to get help around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday as the scene unfolded. Now, Marcus has been charged with carrying a weapon within a school safety zone and obstruction of law enforcement officers.

“I’m always a firm believer to believe in the good of people until they disappoint you with the bad. You know, you can’t see this kind of thing coming,” Svehla said.

An incident report says Marcus ordered a disruptive student out of the classroom, and when the student refused to leave, Marcus pulled out and displayed a 2-inch folding knife from his pocket. Svehla says Brian Marcus had been part of the sub system since 2005 and had completed a background check just like anyone else.

He says even though it’s a serious event only two weeks in, they’re treating it as an isolated event.

“I don’t think this will change anything. I think our policies and procedures are strong. You’re never going to catch 100 percent. You just have to hope when something like this does happen, that the reaction is as good as it was today,” Svehla said.

No one was injured in the altercation.

Marcus is being charged with one count of felony possession of a weapon on school property and one misdemeanor obstruction charge.

A full incident report will be released Thursday afternoon.

The arrest was made by Richmond County Board of Education Public Safety Officers. Marcus was taken to the Richmond County Jail.

No bond has been issued for Marcus.

Man crashes vehicle into restaurant after being zapped by security officer www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Montgomery County MD Aug 19 2011 Police are looking for a man who allegedly drove his Ford Explorer into a Germantown restaurant after a security guard zapped him with a stun gun for pulling a knife.

Police said the incident was reported around midnight Friday, July 29, at El Tejano, at 11514 Middlebrook Road. A security guard reportedly had asked the male suspect to leave the restaurant.

The suspect allegedly obtained a knife from a car and threatened the security guard, spurring the guard to use the stun gun, according to police.

Police said the suspect reportedly removed the stun gun prongs from his chest, returned to his vehicle and allegedly drove toward the security guard, striking the building in the process, before leaving.

Police said the man drove a Ford Explorer with Maryland plates. The investigation is ongoing.

Categories: S/O ASSAULT

Mobile County teaches face sex charges www.privateofficer.com

 

MOBILE, Ala. Aug 19 2011 – Some parents at Grand Bay Middle School said they haven’t seen one of the popular teachers this first week of school.

Kim McCullough heard Danny Moncla was arrested over the summer break.

“It’s just unreal. I couldn’t believe it,” McCullough said.

Moncla was one of eight people arrested in a sex sting back in June. He’s charged with loitering for the purpose of deviate sexual activity.

James Fredriksen is another school system employee who was arrested at the same park. Fredriksen, who works in the central office, is also charged with sexual misconduct and drug possession.

Even though both men work for the school system, a Chad Tucker with the District Attorney’s office said Moncla could be in a lot more trouble.

“In Mr. Fredriksen’s case he had no criminal history of any sort, so his case will be handled a lot differently than one where there was a criminal history, especially if it was a similar charge – in this case, loitering for the purpose of deviant sexual behavior,” Tucker said.

Chad Tucker said Moncla’s previous arrest in 2009 in Daphne will likely be a factor in this case.

The fact that Moncla is only charged with Loitering is not a relief to McCullough.

“No, it doesn’t make me feel better at all, and this is the second time … No,” she said.

However, Amy Holmes said she’s not judging Moncla, who has taught three of her children.

“He’s the PACE teacher, so he teaches a lot of the advanced students, and he’s a great teacher,” Holmes said.

Moncla’s future as a teacher will be uncertain until the new charge is resolved.

School officials refused to comment on Moncla or Fredriksen Wednesday. They wouldn’t say if the pair is on administrative leave and still being paid.

Moncla has a trial date set for September 19.

Fredriksen has a “good behavior review” hearing on December 15. Because he has no other record, it means he could get probation without going to trial

Source:WALA

Boys and Girls Haven employee arrested in sex assault www.privateofficer.com

 

 
Louisville KY Aug 19 2011 A former Boys and Girls Haven employee turned himself into police late Monday amid allegations that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old foster child under his care.

Lyle C. Kenobbie, 55, of the 9100 block of Hampton Ridge Court, was charged with four counts of sodomy and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse after he turned himself into detectives from the Louisville Metro Police Crimes Against Children Unit, said Officer Carey Klain, a police spokeswoman.
Kenobbie engaged in a sexual relationship with the 17-year-old boy that included oral and anal sodomy, according to an arrest citation.
Klain said some information was provided to Child Protective Services about possible sexual relations between Kenobbie and the teen, which prompted CACU detectives to look into the matter, Klain said.
But it was unclear how the information was disclosed to Child Protective Services and Kenobbie turned himself in before detectives could question him, Klain said.
He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Tuesday morning.
Kenobbie had been a long-time employee as a food services supervisor for the children’s organization, Jeff Hadley, chief executive officer for Boys and Girls Haven, said in an email.
He had no prior criminal history, Klain said. He had become a foster parent for the agency, located at 2301 Goldsmith Lane, three months ago after completing a “battery of background checks,” according to Hadley.
He said Kenobbie has resigned from the organization, which has “been deeply committed to protecting thousands of vulnerable children” for 60 years, according to a release.
“We absolutely do not tolerate any behavior, alleged or sustained, that compromises that trust,” Hadley said.
Police are asking for anyone with information about this case to call the anonymous tip line at 574-LMPD.

Source:louisville courier-journal

Striking Verizon employees suspected in Richmond area damages wwww.privateofficer.com

 

 
Chesterfield VA Aug 19 2011 County police are investigating two incidents since last week in which Verizon Communications Inc. equipment was damaged, in one case disrupting parts of the company’s local FIOS service.

A Verizon spokesman Wednesday described it as “sabotage,” a word the telecommunications company has used to describe numerous incidents of damage to its equipment since more than 45,000 Verizon workers from Massachusetts to Virginia went on strike Aug. 7.

About 1,200 Verizon employees in the Richmond region are on strike, according to the Communications Workers of America, the union that represents them.

A local union officer said Wednesday that the union has told striking employees not to damage any equipment.

“The last thing we want our people to do is mess up any equipment or break any law,” said Richard Hatch, executive vice president of the Communications Workers Local 2201.

Verizon spokesman Harry Mitchell said there have been 202 incidents of deliberate damage to the company’s property in the nine states where workers are on strike. In comparison, there were 46 incidents of deliberate damage to Verizon property in the six months before the strike in those states, he said.

“These acts are reprehensible,” Mitchell said. “They are unpatriotic. They are a federal offense. The FBI is looking into it for that reason.”

“These are the actions of a few bad apples,” he added. “The vast majority of folks on strike were taken on strike by their leadership, and they have obeyed the laws and protested peacefully. But there are a few whose actions are not only not peaceful, but illegal.”

Mitchell said there had been no arrests, but the company is working with law-enforcement agencies to identify those responsible.

The company also has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of anyone who intentionally damages Verizon equipment or attempts to cause injury to its employees or contractors.

Hatch suggested that the company is shifting the blame onto striking employees for incidents that are not their doing.

“We have seen ill-trained managers and ill-trained people who are coming in to do these jobs,” Hatch said. “They don’t know how to do the jobs, and they are getting little training and they are going out there and are being expected to maintain the quality.

“They are messing things up, and then they want to blame us.”

Verizon said it trained tens of thousands of management employees, retirees and others to perform the jobs of striking workers, most of whom work in the company’s traditional land-line telephone business.

One of the local incidents occurred sometime from the night of Aug. 11 to Aug. 12, when a Verizon hub on Deerfield Drive was vandalized and cables were cut, the Chesterfield police department reported.

On Tuesday night, a Verizon hub on Coalfield Road was damaged. That incident disrupted service for about 100 customers of Verizon’s FIOS service, but the company made repairs, Mitchell said.

Chesterfield police also reported that sometime from the evening of Aug. 10 to the morning of Aug. 11, nails were spread out behind a rear tire of a Verizon vehicle on Hancocks Quarter Lane. The vehicle was not damaged.

Police also reported that sometime from Aug. 6 to Aug. 12, a fence at the rear of a Verizon property in the 700 block of West Hundred Road was cut, but nothing was reported stolen.

The strike has been marked by bitter back-and-forth accusations between the company and the unions — the CWA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Health care and pensions are among the major issues dividing the two sides in the contract dispute. Richmond-area workers have said job security also is a major issue.

Verizon has notified striking workers that it will suspend certain benefits at the end of the month if they have not returned to their jobs, a move that union officials called a “scare” tactic.

Verizon also has obtained injunctions to prohibit striking workers from disrupting business in New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. On Aug. 12, workers protested outside Verizon Chairman Ivan Seidenberg’s home in West Nyack, N.Y.

Both sides last week also filed unfair labor practice charges against each other with the National Labor Relations Board.

Source:RTD

Categories: Uncategorized

Muncie man arrested for theft of items to make Meth www.privateofficer.com

 

Muncie IN Aug 19 2011 A Selma man was arrested this week after loss prevention officers at a Muncie Walmart said he tried to steal camping fuel and was in the process of obtaining ingredients needed to produce methamphetamine.

Kirk Leslie Mullis Jr., 32, 10012 E. Jackson St., is preliminarily charged with theft and possession of chemical reagents or precursors.
According to a probable cause affidavit, security officers at the north Walmart, 4801 W. Clara Lane, had detained Mullis about 3 p.m. Monday after they said he attempted to leave the store without paying for a can of camping fuel.
Muncie police noted Mullis had already obtained several ingredients needed to produce meth, including fuel cans, lithium batteries, drain cleaner containing lye, matches and several tablets of Sudafed.
In 2007, Mullis was arrested after he used a red snow shovel to rob a near-downtown Muncie Village Pantry. That incident led to one of the six theft convictions he has compiled over the past nine years.
The former Muncie resident also has convictions for driving while intoxicated, driving while suspended and criminal conversion.
Two charges are pending against Mullis in Muncie City Court: battery resulting in bodily injury, filed last August, and public intoxication, filed in January.
A warrant was issued for his arrest June 6 when he failed to show up for pre-trial hearings in those cases.
He was being held without bond Wednesday in the Delaware County jail.

Source:thestarpress.com

Thieves hitting NC stores for cigarettes www.privateofficer.com

 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.Aug 19 2011 – Thieves stole more than 12 thousand dollars in cigarettes and cash from two gas stations.

Police are working to see if the two crimes are connected.

One victim tells NewsChannel 36 he is convinced a duo targeting stores in Union County is now committing the same crimes in Charlotte.

It’s 3:39 in the morning.
A car pulls up to the Mighty Midget Mart on Albemarle Road.
Two men get out.
A rock goes through the front door.

So do the thieves with garbage cans.

One heads behind the counter.
The other goes to the back room, then he heads for the office and starts kicking in the door.
A new delivery of cigarettes ends up in that trash can.

Behind the counter, two rows of cigarettes are wiped out.

“179 cartons, about three to four hundred dollars worth of cigars and two thousand cash and change stolen,” said Store Manager Paresh Patel.

“They took Marlboro and Newports. Anywhere you go they are the most demanded cigarettes,” Patel said.

“The off-brand, they didn’t want to take it.”

Patel’s surveillance video is similar to video from Union County, when similarly-dressed thieves with self-brought containers throw a rock through a window, steal cigarettes and get away in one minute.

“One minute thirty five seconds,” Patel said about how long the thieves were in his store.

Patel says he thinks the crimes are connected. “They pre-planned what they are doing,” he said.

Deborah White pulled up to Earp’s BP on Cambridge Commons Drive Wednesday and saw the broken window.

“I bet someone broke in and stole cigarettes because that’s all I’ve been hearing about on the news,” White said. “It’s close to home so it’s kind of scary for me.”

At Earp’s BP, $2,000.00 worth of cigarettes were stolen by two people smashing the window to get in. It’s the same m.o. as Patel’s store.

Patel says the people breaking in and stealing the cigarettes are probably taking them to the Northeast, and particularly New York, to be re-sold.

Here, a carton sells for around $45. In New York, Patel says, cartons cost over 100 dollars.

Source:WCNC

Categories: loss prevention

CT police charge three in Home Depot thefts www.privateofficer.com

 

Fairfield CT Aug 19 2011 Three people were arrested Wednesday evening in connection with a shoplifting incident at Home Depot, 541 Kings Highway Cutoff.

According to police, at around 8:30 p.m., Derek Sweet, 23, of Newington, CT, and James Young, 29, of Naugatuck, CT, opened a manufacturer’s box containing a DeWalt drill. One of the men concealed it under his shirt and they left the store without paying for it. Store security observed Sweet flee on foot while Young got into a gray Buick driven by Mallerie Sweet, 23, of Manchester, CT, which headed south on Grasmere Avenue.

The trio was arrested and the drill and a battery charger, with a total value of $279, was recovered. Derek Sweet was charged with sixth-degree larceny and conspiracy to commit sixth-degree larceny, and issued an Aug. 18 court date. He had an outstanding warrant against him in Torrington, so was turned over to Torrington Police. The same charges were levied at Young, who had an active warrant against him in Naugatuck. He was turned over to Naugatuck Police and issued a court date of Aug. 18. Mallerie Sweet admitted to discussing and planning the crime and faced the same charges as her accomplices. She was transported to Fairfield Police HQ and released on a written promise to appear in court Aug. 18.

Shoplifter abandoned son in stranger’s truck www.privateofficer.com

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. Aug 19 2011– Louisville Metro Police arrested a man Friday evening who they said shoplifted from an area Kroger store then abandoned his child in a stranger’s truck.

Police said officers found the child in the bed of a truck at the Kroger store in the 2700 block of West Broadway.

Kroger’s loss prevention told police that 41-year-old Robert Farris stole about $100 in merchandise and that they had him on surveillance video.

According to an arrest report, someone in the Kroger parking lot said Farris put his child in the bed of a truck and walked away.

Police said officers caught up to Farris on a TARC bus attempting to flee. When officers questioned him, police said Farris said his name was Jacob Charles.

Police said Farris also had several warrants out for his arrest.

Farris was charged with theft by unlawful taking, giving false information to police and endangering the welfare of a minor.

Source:www.wlky.com

Woman arrested in Alabama for kidnapping Kansas child in 2009 www.privateofficer.com

 
Huntsvill Ala Aug 19 2011 Police in Alabama have arrested a woman accused of kidnapping a young boy from Kansas in 2009.
Huntsville police investigators say they received information from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Monday that Kathryn Peoples and her now 9 year-old son were possibly in the north Alabama area.

Police say Peoples abducted her son from her Topeka area home in December 2009. Huntsville police say Noah Peoples-Wallace is safe and is currently in temporary foster care. His custodial parents are scheduled to reunite with Noah Thursday in Alabama.

Peoples was wanted for the 2009 abduction of her son who was listed on the North American Missing Persons Network and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children websites.
The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office were unavailable to comment on this case Wednesday.

Kathryn Peoples is being held without bond at the Madison County Metro Jail.

Police arrested Peoples Tuesday at the Assembly of God Church in Huntsville.

Categories: police Tags:

Richardson school band director arrested for lewd act www.privateofficer.com

 
RICHARDSON TX. Aug 19 2011 – The Richardson School District has put one of its associate band directors on leave after he was arrested on a public indecency charge.

The problems for David Anderson began around 6:45 Saturday morning. That’s when several businessmen, at a strip mall, claim they saw the 38-year-old performing a lewd act.

“A couple of individuals, inside of a business, looked out and observed an individual sexually gratifying himself inside of a pickup truck,” explained Richardson PD Public Information Officer Kevin Perlich.

Perlich says Anderson did not appear drunk or under the influence at the time of his arrest.

Richardson ISD Spokesman Tim Clark says upon learning of the arrest officials took action. “From this point forward the district is going to be gathering facts, related to the allegations, and we don’t have a timetable to make a further decision,” he said.

Both police and the school district are quick to point out the accusation does not involve anyone else.

“There’s no indication that the allegations against him involved a student, a child, or a minor in any way,” said Clark.

According to Clark, Anderson has been with the district for about two years and primarily worked with the Richardson High School Band.

Anderson apparently also did other work throughout the Richardson ISD. “I think, through a program we have they also, all of our band directors and assistant band directors, work with younger students in the junior highs as well,” said Clark.

Anderson is charged with indecent exposure, a Class B Misdemeanor, and is free on bond.

Source:CBS

Small town NC police chief hositalized in attack www.privateofficer.com

 

POLKTON, N.C. Aug 19 2011– Officers have found the man they say assaulted the chief of the Polkton Police Department, the Anson County sheriff said.

Bradley Taylor Jr., 27, assaulted the chief in front of the Town Hall building, the sheriff said.

A woman stopped in front of the Town Hall because Taylor was following her, officials said. Taylor stopped there, too, and got into a confrontation with the chief when he came outside, officials said.

The chief tried to arrest Taylor, but Taylor hit him, knocking him to the ground and causing him to hit his head on the concrete.

The police chief was taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Officers searched for Taylor for a few hours before he turned himself in. Police had been working with his relatives, and one of them brought Taylor in, the sheriff said.

Polkton is at the intersection of U.S. 74 and N.C. Highway 218 in Anson County.

Source:WSOCTV.com

Veteran Albuquerque police officer charged with bribary www.privateofficer.com

 

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.Aug 19 2011 – Police said an Albuquerque police officer was busted for a bizarre encounter with a prostitute while he was on his lunch break.

Matt Kindle, a 15-year veteran with the department, was placed on administrative leave after he was accused of having inappropriate contact with an escort, promising to get her out of trouble in return.

Police say some of their contact happened on work time, and they caught Kindle in the act.

According to a criminal complaint, Kindle was talking to a decoy on the phone who claimed to be an escort, and they arranged a meeting on Kindle’s lunch break at the Suburban Hotel on Wellesley.

When he got to there, authorities said the woman asked Kindle if he could help her, claiming she owed outstanding money to the hotel and could get arrested if she didn’t pay up. Documents showed Kindle agreed to help her and they began talking about prostitution, and Kindle even told her how to avoid contact with detectives.

The complaint said Kindle also exposed himself, and then agreed to have sexual contact with the woman.

According to documents, the woman asked Kindle if everything would be OK with her outstanding debt. Kindle allegedly promised he would do everything he could to take care of her and help her out, referring to sexual favors.

Police Chief Rey Schultz released a statement, saying he’s disappointed and wants to make it clear that it is a privilege to wear an Albuquerque Police Department uniform, and anyone who tarnishes it will be fired.

Kindle, who was charged with demanding or receiving a bribe by a public official, posted a $5,000 bond.

Source:koat.com

Nashville area shoplifting ring busted www.privateofficer.com

 

Hendersonville TN Aug 19 2011 Two women have been arrested for their involvment in an alleged shoplifting ring that targeted the Hendersonville Walmart.

On Aug. 15, Hendersonville police responded to a reported shoplifting at the store after a woman allegedly attempted to steal merchandise.

During the investigation, two co-conspirators of the woman were discovered in the Walmart parking lot with several bags of stolen merchandise from various retail stores in their vehicle. Contents of the bags included stolen merchandise valued at over $1,000, with tags from various retail stores still attached.

“What it looks like is – they’re an organized ring that will have some of the members go in to one store of a retail chain in a jurisdiction,” said HPD Detective David Harrell. “They’ll go in and steal the items, and then – from what we can tell – they have that same person or another member of the group go to another store franchise of the same retail chain in another jurisdiction, to do a return.”

Harrell said it also appears that the suspects use different combinations of people to steal merchandise and then make the returns for cash.

“We fully believe that there are other subjects involved who we are looking to identify and arrest for their crimes in Hendersonville,” Harrell said.

Further investigation has led police to believe this group of shoplifters has been active in Davidson, Sumner, Wilson, Williamson and Rutherford counties, as well as parts of Kentucky.

Condra Lynn Medford and Marilyn Ann Musser are both charged with theft of property of over $1,000, theft of property under $500 and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Medford is also charged with forgery and driving on a suspended driver’s license.

Medford, 39, of Cross Plains, Tenn., and Musser, 50, of Nashville, are both set to appear in Sumner County General Sessions Court at 9 a.m. on Sept. 28. Medford’s bond was set at $5,000 and Musser’s was set at $2,500.

Warrants have been obtained for the arrest of Sherry Lynn Huff, 42, of Cross Plains, who is charged with theft of property of over $1,000 and theft of property under $500.

New Britian CT police sting operations snags stores buying shoplifted items www.privateofficer.com

 

NEW BRITAIN CT Aug 19 2011— Police have arrested nine people and have a warrant for one more after conducting a sting targeting businesses that allegedly bought stolen goods for resale.

On Thursday, the owners of four small grocery stores, three store clerks and one pawn shop owner were charged with organized retail theft and other offenses. One store owner was charged with the illegal sale of CDs and DVDs.

Undercover New Britain officers and informants, led by Det. Adam Rembisz, used items provided by the New Britain Target store and the Berlin Home Depot store to go into pawn shops and small groceries to offer them for sale. In each case, the person who went into the store told the owner or clerk that the items had been stolen, New Britain police Capt. James Wardwell said.

Those selling stolen goods are often drug addicts seeking to make a quick buck, and they sell the items for pennies on the dollar, Wardwell said. In one instance a store owner bought $291 worth of merchandise for $29 in cash, he said.

Police offered GPS devices they suggested had been stolen from cars, and some of the items still had store security devices on them, Wardwell said.

Police went to all seven pawn shops in New Britain and to all the small neighborhood markets. Clerks and owners at most pawn shops and small groceries did not want to buy the purportedly stolen goods, Wardwell said.

“There were plenty of businesses that indicated they wanted to operate within the law and that’s fantastic,” he said.

By targeting the stores that buy stolen goods, police hope to reduce the incentive people have to shoplift.

“If they don’t have a place to dispose of this stuff, there’s less incentive to steal it,” he said.

Legitimate retailers have long been plagued by people stealing large quantities of baby formula, energy drinks, cigarettes, batteries, power tools, electronics, electronic tooth brushes, razors and other items that are sold at a steep discount to pawn shops or small groceries. Wardwell said police would interview people they caught carrying out such thefts to learn their motivations and where they would resell the items.

In recent years, products such as chewing gum and Oil of Olay have been targeted by thieves.

Police began planning the sting in May and carried it out during July.

Wardwell said police have one more arrest warrant to serve and will do so when the suspect returns to New Britain.

One of those charged Thursday downplayed the allegations against him. Nazier Anwari, 37, of New Britain, a clerk at the Corner Market, 560 Church St., said that he bought only a case of Red Bull energy drink and that it was not a big deal.

Others charged, when approached by a reporter, declined to comment.

The other people charged Thursday and their associated businesses are:

Syed Hassan, 46, of Newington, owner of the Corner Market, 560 Church St.

Izzat Hassan, 40, of Meriden, owner of NB Mart & Deli, 340 South Main St.

Jose Acosta, 20, of New Britain, clerk at Express Shop Mart, 131 North St.

Nereida Duran, 42, of New Britain, owner of Lenny’s Grocer, 76 Oak St.

Benjamin Merced, 42, of New Britain, clerk at Lenny’s Grocer, 76 Oak St.

Pedro Reyes, 35, of New Britain, owner of Stanley Street Market, 514 Stanley St.

Yocasta Brito, 35, of New Britain, owner of Los Nuevos Cubanitos, 244 North St.

Carlene Nazario, 67, of Meriden, owner of CJ’s Pawn Shop, 16 Washington St.

Police still hold a warrant for a person associated with El Bayamon/Ponce Market, 447 Osgood Ave.

Source:FOX CT

Pocono realty company employee charged with embezzlement www.privateofficer.com

 

 
Pocono PA Aug 19 2011 A 30-year-old woman who worked as an accountant for a Poconos realty company was charged this weekend with forging and cashing more than $30,000 in company checks, police said.

Shayna Czura, of Effort, faces charges of theft, receiving stolen property and forgery for the theft of 50 checks from Fox Realty Group on Route 940 in Pocono Summit, according to Pocono Mountain Regional police.

Police were called to the company on Saturday about an employee theft complaint. An investigation showed that Czura forged check’s with the owners name and made them out to herself, police said. The thefts happened between May and August for a total loss of $30,466.83.

Source:mcall.com

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Gun found in carry -on bag at SC airport www.privateofficer.com

 

GREER, S.C.Aug 19 2011 — The Transportation Security Administration says there has been a slight increase in the number of guns found at checkpoints recently, including one that earned an Upstate man a ticket this week.

TSA agents say Christopher McCall, 36, of Simpsonville was ticketed after TSA agents at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport found a gun and ammunition in his carry-on bag.

Agents said the McCall’s gun was not loaded, but he also had 26 rounds of ammunition and two magazines in the carry-on when the bag was inspected on Tuesday.

The incident report said that the firearm was found during screening, and McCall told agents immediately that he had forgotten that he had a pistol in his bag.

“It’s always a good idea to look through bags thoroughly before coming to the airport to make sure there are no illegal or prohibited items,” said Jon Allen, TSA spokesman

McCall was given a $270.50 uniform traffic ticket for violation of airport rules and regulations. According to TSA guidelines, he could still face a civil penalty of up to $10,000. Decisions on civil penalties are made on a case-by-case basis, and no decision has been made in the case yet.

Other media outlets had mistakenly reported McCall’s age as 16, but according to the uniform ticket, he was born in 1974.

According to TSA, while firearms may be transported in checked baggage provided they are declared to the airline, in a proper carrying case and unloaded, they are prohibited in carry-on bags.

Including this incident, there have been seven weapons found at the security checkpoint at GSP since January, according to TSA, a very small number considering the thousands of passengers that travel through the airport.

Three other weapons were found after passengers had already checked-in and had given the ticket counter attendant their baggage to be checked. The guns were later found during TSA screenings before being loaded onto the plane.

Guns are allowed in checked baggage, but they have to be declared ahead of time. In those three instances, they were not.

TSA says the national average of firearms found at checkpoints is two per day, but Aug. 8 to Aug. 11, 18 firearms were found at checkpoints. In that same time period, three “artfully concealed prohibited items” were found at checkpoints and four passengers were arrested after investigations of suspicious behavior or fraudulent travel documents.

Source:www.wyff4.com

Stolen laptop in his pants gets man jail time www.privateofficer.com

 
LAS CRUCES, NM Aug 19 2011– A man who concealed a laptop computer and lighter fluid in his pants was arrested on shoplifting charges for the second time this month.

Robert Anthony Montoya, 19, is charged with non-residential burglary and shoplifting over $500.

At around 11:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15, a loss prevention officer at the Walmart at 1550 S. Valley Dr. spotted Montoya in the store with his mother. The loss prevention officer recognized Montoya who was arrested on shoplifting charges at the same Walmart store on Aug. 3. After the Aug. 3 arrest, Montoya was issued what’s known as a criminal trespass warning that forbade him from entering any Walmart property.

After spotting Montoya in the store Monday morning, the loss prevention officer detained him and called police. While in the security office Montoya disclosed that he was shoplifting and that the sunglasses he was wearing belong to the store.

Loss prevention also learned that Montoya had a laptop computer and lighter fluid concealed in his pants and that he had intended to exit the store without paying for the items. Montoya told detectives that he intended to conceal an electric toaster in his pants but spotted the laptop computer and decided to take that, instead.

Montoya was transported to the Dona Ana County Detention Center with bond set at $5,000.

NY Wal-Mart employee and husband nabbed in thefts www.privateofficer.com

 
MASSENA NY Aug 19 2011 — A Walmart employee and her husband face third-degree grand larceny charges Wednesday by village police.

Stephanie J. Rousaw, 49, of 77 Maple St., Apt. 2, who was additionally charged with sixth-degree conspiracy, is accused of using her position as a sales associate to assist her husband, Galon L., 53, in stealing items from the store, court documents show.

Karen A. Murray, a Walmart asset protection employee, said Mr. Rousaw was identified on camera July 30 with a cart of unbagged groceries in the hardware department. There he met Ms. Rousaw, who provided him with a set of keys as he proceeded out the exit, documents show.

When Ms. Murray used the security camera system to check the last 30 days, she found positive results.

Again on July 29, Mr. Rousaw was identified taking unbagged items out of the lawn and garden section of the store with the assistance of his wife, court records show.

On July 21, Mr. Rousaw was identified taking an air conditioner and groceries out the lawn and garden exit. Video shows Ms. Rousaw approached him near the exit, where he handed her a white piece of paper and proceeded through the exit.

In a statement, Ms. Rousaw, employed at Walmart for nearly four years, admitted to allowing her husband to go through the exits two to three times a month with unpurchased groceries. She wrote that the average amount of groceries in the cart averaged $150.

“I will never do it again and I am willing to pay (Walmart) back,” she wrote. “I am very sorry.”

A manager at the Massena Walmart declined to comment. Ms. Rousaw was issued an appearance ticket for village court Aug. 16 and is being held at the St. Lawrence County jail, Canton, on $2,000 bail.

A spokeswoman for Walmart confirmed Ms. Rousaw’s employment was terminated.

“Walmart sets high theft standards at their stores,” said Kayla R. Whaling, Bentonville, Ark. “This employee failed to meet those standards.”

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