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Phoenix Wal-mart manager killed during robbery www.privateofficer.com
PHOENIX AZ April 7 2012 – Phoenix police say a manager at a Walmart store has been shot and killed during a robbery attempt.
Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson says the employee of the west Phoenix Walmart Supercenter near 75th Avenue and McDowell Road was killed shortly after midnight Saturday.
Thompson says two employees were collecting cash from the store’s registers and placing it in a shopping cart when a man with a handgun came up and told them he was robbing them. The gunman grabbed the cart and began pushing it out of the store as other employees were alerted to the robbery.
Thompson says 47-year-old support manager Peter Marquez was outside with another employee and they ran to the front doors. As they approached the robber with the cart, the suspect pointed his gun at both individuals and shot Marquez in the chest.
Marquez was taken to the hospital where he died.
The gunman fled the scene eastbound through the parking lot, stopping briefly where he removed a portion of the money. He then crossed 75th Avenue and jumped over the fence of a residence, according to police.
A perimeter search utilizing K-9 units and helicopters was unsuccessful in locating the suspect.
Marquez was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries.
The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic male in his 20s-30s, with a thin build and about 5 feet 9 inches tall and wearing blue jeans, dark shoes, and a dark gray, long-sleeved hoodie.
Police provided store surveillance photos, anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stop at 602-262-6161 or Violent Crimes at 602-262-6141.
Walmart spokesperson Dianna Gee released the following statement:
“We are extremely saddened by what took place. Pete was well respected by his fellow associates. All those that worked with him always appreciated his commitment to family as well as his positive attitude. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this very difficult time. We are in close communications with them, trying to be as supportive as possible as they come to terms with their loss. We are assisting law enforcement to provide any information we may have to help identify the suspect and we are also providing support for our associates during this difficult time.”
Texas police officer files sexual harrasement lawsuit www.privateofficer.com
Candice Shirley filed the lawsuit against the city of Harlingen in 445th state District Court in December. The lawsuit alleges, “Shirley was sexually harassed, sexually assaulted and retaliated against while an employee of the city.”
Attempts to contact an attorney representing the city in the lawsuit were unsuccessful.
City Attorney Roxann Controneo did not respond Thursday to email and phone calls seeking comment.
The lawsuit states that Shirley was fired in May 2011. Capt. Michael Kester was acting police chief at that time. Chief Tom Whitten was hired in July 2011.
At the time Shirley alleges the incidents began in February 2010, District 1 City Commissioner Danny Castillo was police chief. He resigned in February 2011.
Castillo said in an e-mail that because this is pending litigation it would be inappropriate for him to comment and deferred to the city of Harlingen’s legal department.
Whitten was out of the office Thursday but in an email, Whitten confirmed that two of the officers named in the lawsuit, Officers Herman Sauceda and John Byrum, are currently employed with HPD as patrol officers. The third man named in the lawsuit, Sgt. Gerald Manthey, has since retired, Whitten said via email.
Shirley’s lawsuit alleges that she was completing her police field training in February 2010 when Sauceda, her training officer, accessed the Internet from their patrol car’s computer and displayed videos of a half-naked woman. The videos provided instructions on massage techniques to sexually arouse women, the lawsuit alleges.
Shirley filed a complaint with HPD, but received no response within 15 days of the complaint, the lawsuit states.
“After the Sauceda incident, Officer Shirley was retaliated against by other members of the department in the form of harassment and name calling,” the lawsuit states.
Shirley, according to the lawsuit, filed another complaint with the city and did not receive a response.
The lawsuit alleges that a day after she filed the complaint, in July 2010, Shirley found a message on a board in the police station briefing room at the beginning of her shift that read, “Keep the rat on your shift under control or I will take care of the rat myself. Duty, Honor, Pest Control.”
The lawsuit further alleges that in September 2010 she was at a shooting range with other officers when she was approached by Byrum, who, the lawsuit states, “grabbed Shirley by her duty belt and pulled her toward him, then shook her duty belt in a manner to cause intimate contact between them. Officer Shirley asked Officer Byrum to leave her alone.”
Again, Shirley filed a complaint with the city and did not receive a response, according to the lawsuit.
The city’s human resources department called Shirley for a meeting there in November 2010 and wanted her sign a release of liability, the lawsuit states.
Also in November 2010, Shirley filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the lawsuit says. The EEOC and the Texas Workforce Commission ruled the following month that Shirley had the right to sue, the lawsuit states.
Because she filed complaints, Shirley’s lawsuit states, she received ongoing retaliation from the city.
The lawsuit alleges other incidents of harassment and retaliation that included blog postings on a city website by an unnamed officer that Shirley engaged in promiscuous behavior, and other officers’ failure to respond to her requests for back up while on duty. In one case, Shirley was forced into a physical confrontation with a violent suspect without assistance from other officers, the lawsuit claims.
Shirley’s lawsuit states that she was called to a disciplinary meeting on April 12, 2011. She says “the police chief” refused her request for her police union representative, and the meeting was canceled two days later, according to the lawsuit.
On about April 18, 2011, Shirley was called into the police chief’s office and received disciplinary actions, the lawsuit says. She was told that if she did not sign the document, he would put in her file that she was terminated under mutual agreement and was not eligible for re-hire, the lawsuit states.
May 16, 2011, Shirley was fired, according to the lawsuit, with her termination papers stating that it was an honorable discharge.
Shirley is seeking back pay, compensatory damages, front pay in lieu of reinstatement and loss of future earnings, and attorneys’ fees.
Source:brownsville herald
Glasgow police officer arrested for buying drugs from informant www.privateofficer.com
CHARLESTON, W.Va. April 7 2012– A Glasgow police officer was arrested Wednesday after allegedly buying drugs from a confidential informant.
Fayette County Sheriff Steve Kessler said local authorities got a tip from a local informant saying that he had previously sold drugs to Glasgow police officer Donald Scott Wills, 43, of Smithers. Kessler said the informant told investigators that Wills had allegedly bought drugs while in uniform and while driving a Glasgow city police car.
Kessler said deputies, troopers from the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and officers of the Central West Virginia Drug Task Force set up a sting operation Wednesday at the informant’s home. Kessler said the informant called Wills at the Glasgow Police Department and asked him if he would come over to buy drugs.
A few hours later, Wills, in street clothes, allegedly came to the house and bought 30 Oxycodone pills for $30, offering to pay the rest of the money owed for the pills once he sold them, Kessler said. Officers hidden inside and outside the house allegedly witnessed the transaction.
Wills was arrested when he left the house, Kessler said. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
Wills was in the Southern Regional Jail on Thursday on $25,000 bail.
“When you find a drug dealer masquerading as a police officer it is absolutely disgusting,” Kessler said. “Police officers are expected to hold to much higher standard of conduct and the public has every right to expect that of us.
“This individual is a disgrace to the law enforcement profession.”
Kessler said Fayette County authorities would investigate drug crimes no matter who the suspect is. “No one is above the law,” he said.
Wills previously worked for the Smithers Police Department.
Glasgow Police Officer Steve Smith said the department is “highly disappointed” and “very hurt that one of our own resulted to doing something like this.”
Smith said he’s worked with Wills for almost a year and he was always very friendly.
Those who worked with Wills never suspected him of prescription pill abuse, he said.
“You always hear the rumors,” he said. “Anytime there’s a police office out there doing his job, you’re going to hear the rumors. But there was never any evidence of this.”
source:wvgazette.com
Jersey City police arrest man in murder of off-duty security guard www.privateofficer.com
Christopher D. Erazo, 18, of Suydam Drive in Jersey City, surrendered to homicide detectives Wednesday night and he appeared in Central Judicial Processing Court in Jersey City yesterday via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.
A warrant for Erazo’s arrest was issued Tuesday, charging him with the March 29 murder of Chad Edgehill, 24, who moved to Fairmount Avenue in Jersey City from Brooklyn a year ago, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said.
Erazo’s bail had already been set at $500,000 cash only when he appeared in CJP yesterday. He told the judge yesterday he understood his rights and had no questions, ending the brief hearing.
The prosecutor said that after Erazo’s picture appeared on the front page of The Jersey Journal, an attorney contacted the Prosecutor’s Office and said Erazo would surrender. He turned himself in Wednesday night, DeFazio said.
Edgehill, who was a security guard at New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, was shot in the back of his head and the bullet exited his forehead, officials said.
The motive for the killing is not clear, but the suspect and the victim apparently knew each other, DeFazio said, adding police are searching for a second man who was with Erazo.
Security footage shows the victim met the gunman and accomplice near the Jackie Robinson statue in front of the PATH station, officials said. The gunman and victim were then captured on security video in the Duane Reade on the PATH concourse, where Edgehill withdrew money from an ATM, DeFazio said.
The three men then walked toward Hudson County Community College and under the covered walkway running along the building’s west side, where Edgehill was shot at 9:20 p.m., officials said.
An off-duty Port Authority police officer heard the shot and found Edgehill dead with $120 near his hand, officials said.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office’s Homicide Squad at (201) 915-1345.
Pastor reacts to sodomy arrest of church attendee www.privateofficer.com
ETOWAH COUNTY, AL April 7 2012 - An east Alabama woman is accused of sodomizing a 14-year old girl.
Investigators say 31-year old Jamie Duffey met the girl at church. Pastor Tommy Marshall of Tabernacle Church hopes there aren’t more young victims.
Gadsden Police say Duffey had a sexual relationship with the teenager.
Pastor Marshall said, “She’s a very disturbed person. To do what she did was wrong in every way.”
Police say Duffey befriended the teen after seeing her at youth events at the church. The two also saw each other at a slumber party, not affiliated with the church.
Then in the women’s restroom at the Premier Cinemas at the Gadsden Mall, that’s where police say an act of sodomy took place.
After hearing about it through the church’s youth pastor, Senior Pastor Marshall reported it to police.
Pastor Marshall said, “No one wants to hear of anything like this, see a young lady go through this kind of trauma. We’re helping her every step of the way.”
Marshall spoke about how Duffey was someone the church took in. And they were trying to minister to her.
Marshall said, “She’d been in and out of trouble. At the time she came here and was virtually homeless. People reached out to help her.”
Pastor Marshall of course is upset and disturbed by what Duffey is accused of doing.
Now all he can do is pray for her.
Pastor Tommy Marshall says the suspect was actually escorted out of church on a Sunday morning and taken into custody by police for this alleged incident.
Duffey was charged with 2nd degree sodomy, and police want to know if there are anymore victims of the suspect out there.
You can call the Gadsden Police Department at 256-549-4613
Source: WBRC
Rockford school guard pleads guilty to sexual abuse of student www.privateofficer.com
Shaun George, 33, entered the plea Tuesday to Judge Rosemary Collins.
On Nov. 19, 2010, the principal of East reported to police that there was a possible inappropriate sexual relationship between George, a guard at the school, and a 15-year-old student.
George is accused of sending inappropriate emails soliciting a student to have a relationship with him. During the course of the investigation authorities learned of a sexual relationship between George and a 17-year-old.
Indecent solicitation and aggravated criminal sexual abuse are Class 2 felonies punishable by three to seven years in prison. The sentences can run concurrently or consecutively at the discretion of the judge.
George is being held in the Winnebago County Jail on $200,000 bond. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Collins at 1:30 p.m. May 16.
Source:rrstar.com
Ohio casino board issues first employee license to security officer www.privateofficer.com
CLEVELAND OH April 7 2012 (AP) — Ohio moved closer to the debut of casino gambling by issuing its first employee license Thursday to a security guard hired by the Cleveland casino opening in May.
Ohio Casino Control Commission member June Taylor and the commission’s employee licensing manager, David Acosta, presented license No. 1 to Taneshia Pitts, 28, of Cleveland.
“This opportunity is important to me because it’s historical for the state of Ohio, so being No. 1 is just one step closer for us opening the casino,” Pitts said while showing off her employee badge.
She didn’t have to go far for the new job with the casino’s surveillance team: she had been working security down the street with the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team owned by Dan Gilbert, a casino partner.
The Cleveland casino opens during the week of May 14, Toledo’s will open two weeks later and casinos in Cincinnati and Columbus will open next year.
The commission has approved more than 1,100 licenses and is investigating up to 500 other applicants.
Acosta said Pitts, like other casino applicants, underwent a series of criminal, financial and integrity background checks to uncover anything that might compromise security, like a criminal record or personal debt issue.
“In Ms. Pitts’ case, she was an example, a very good example, of what a casino employee should be,” Acosta said as construction workers put finishing touches on the casino’s basement buffet restaurant area.
Applicants must be at least 21, have no felony convictions and must disclose financial judgments or liens, arrests, wage garnishments, foreclosures, loan defaults, delinquent child-support obligations and pending lawsuits.
Acosta said the commission was compiling figures on how many applicants failed the background checks and won’t qualify for a state license to work in a casino. The commission staff has focused on getting qualified applicants licenses for the initial casino openings, he said.
Taylor said the commission was working hard to check casino applicants and move ahead with opening the casino on schedule. “We are really focused on that May 14 date,” she said.
Winter Haven woman, teen charged in all day shoplifting spree www.privateofficer.com
WINTER HAVEN Fla April 7 2012
Winter Haven police arrested a Winter Haven women and a juvenile after police say they went on all-day stealing spree, including taking a Chihuahua puppy and a hamster.
Niccole Rae Ruston, 33, of 1800 Ave. Q, S.W. in Winter Haven, was arrested Saturday, along with a 13-year-old girl police are not naming, after police say they stole more than $3,000 from a number of Winter Haven-area stores.
Their spree was finally ended when a Belk’s employee witnessed them shoplifting $635 worth of merchandise from the store at 700 Third Street S.W., police said.
Police also found bags of other stolen goods from Macy’s, Pier 1 Imports, Walgreen’s and Hibbett Sports inside Ruston’s vehicle, police said.
The Chihuahua and hamster were reported missing after the arrests and were found at Ruston’s home, police said.
Ruston was charged with two counts of grand theft, four counts of petit theft, one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of child abuse, police said. She was booked into the Polk County Jail.
The juvenile was charged with shoplifting and petit theft and taken to the Polk County Juvenile Assessment Center.
Source:theledger.com
Three people wounded in large brawl at San Antonio nightclub www.privateofficer.com
SAN ANTONIO TX April 7 2012 – Police say a man was shot in the chest and at least two women were wounded early Friday morning following a large brawl at a north-side night club.
Nearly 150 patrons were forced out the Endless Music night club on US 281 just north of Loop 1604 after police say security used pepper spray to break up a large fight.
Outside of the club, police said a suspect fired 10 shots into the crowd, hitting a man in the chest and grazing a woman.
Police said the man was taken to the hospital in stable condition. The woman allegedly left before receiving treatment.
A third victim told police she was hit over the head with a gun and beaten with a metal object.
Police said they pulled over a suspect vehicle and questioned two men inside. They said a weapon was found inside that vehicle.
Investigators have reviewed several shootings in the same area and said the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission will also investigate.
Florida teacher arrested for abusing handicapped children www.privateofficer.com
APOPKA Fla April 7 2012
An Orange County elementary school teacher is under arrest after police said she abused two handicapped students.
Patricia LaMantia was arrested Thursday on two counts of child abuse.
The 56-year-old is a teacher at Dream Lake Elementary School.
According to police reports, LaMantia made one student slap herself multiple times until the student needed a bag of ice from the school nurse.
On another occasion, police said LaMantia grabbed another student’s face and pushed it back until the student cried.
However, they said Principal Gary Schadow told them two handicapped students were hurt.
Port St. Lucie school aide arrested, accused of inappropriate advances, touching himself in public www.privateofficer.com
Gerald Destorel, 51, was arrested after police say he entered a teacher’s room “visibly aroused,” and later began “touching himself in public.”
According to an incident report, Destorel, who is employed at West Gate K-8 School, acted inappropriately, causing a teacher to “fear for her life.”
The teacher, who filed a complaint against Destorel, told Port St. Lucie police that he looked into her classroom while standing in the math area Wednesday and stared at her for approximately one to two minutes. Thursday morning, she said he entered her classroom as she was completing lesson plans and became noticeably “aroused.”
According to the incident report, she began to panic and asked, “Do you need to talk to me about something?” He did not respond verbally, but shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her and began to move closer, the report states. Police said she began to fear that he may cause physical harm.
Destorel left the classroom when another teacher walked in. When he left, the teacher said she was able to see a reflection of him in the window of a nearby classroom, where he was “standing there touching himself and waiting for the other teacher to leave,” the incident report states.
Immediately after the incident, a complaint was filed against Destorel, according to the incident report.
Later, during the same day, Destorel came back into the math area and stared at the teacher through a classroom window, the report states. During second period, the teacher said he again returned and exhibited the same behavior. But this time, he motioned for her to come outside the classroom, according to an arrest affidavit.
A separate complaint against Destorel came from a student who reported that he was staring at her through a classroom window. According to the incident report, the student later looked up and observed Destorel smiling at her with his head tilted. She told authorities his eyes appeared disoriented and he did not stop until the bell rang.
Destorel later told officers he “didn’t do anything wrong” because he “didn’t touch anyone.”
Police said several concerned parents had contacted the school inquiring about Destorel’s behavior before he was arrested.
When police arrived to arrest Destorel, the school was in a modified lockdown due to the escalating situation, according to the report. Police found him locked in the bathroom. Shortly after exiting the restroom, he was taken into custody.
Janice Karst, St. Lucie County schools spokeswoman, told Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers that Destorel is a para-professional, which is a classroom aide.
“Until any kind of criminal or internal investigation is complete, he will be assigned away from students,” Karst told Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers.
Source:www.wptv.com
SC brothers arrested after getting pot package in the mail www.privateofficer.com
ROWESVILLE, SC April 7 2012 - Two Orangeburg County siblings were arrested Wednesday morning after investigators say a package with over 2 pounds of marijuana in it was mailed to them.
Rowesville Police Chief Michael Thomas said one of his officers was on patrol at the Rowesville Post Office when the postmaster alerted him of a package that had a strange odor coming from it.
“Up until yesterday, I would have thought it would have never happened,” said Thomas.
When one of the suspects came to pick up the package, the officer asked him to open it. The package had over 2 pounds of marijuana in it, Thomas said.
Sgt. Ronald Johnson described what Michael Simpson said when he opened the package at the Post Office.
“When it was opened, he was like, ‘it ain’t mine, it’s not mine. Suppose to give me sneakers, It’s my brother’s package, not mine.’”
While this was happening the second suspect called the post office asking about the package, according to Thomas. He was also arrested.
Officials arrested 40-year-old Simpson and his 35-year-old brother Woodrow Bowman and charged them with possession with intent to distribute. The brothers are free on bond.
Thomas said the package was shipped from an address in Texas. Police checked out the return address, but it doesn’t exist.
The arrests are the first of the kind for the 3-year-old Rowesville Police Department.
“We’re definitely out here and things of this nature will not be tolerated,” said Thomas.
Source:WIS
Burlington Police charge five women in shoplifting crackdown www.privateofficer.com
Burlington MA April 7 2012 The Burlington Police arrested five females for shoplifting in two separate incidents on Thursday at the Burlington Mall, the department said in a release today.
The arrests were the result of a coordinated effort with security personnel and Burlington detectives in an effort to curb organized retail theft at the Mall.
According to police, the first incident occurred at approximately 2 p.m. at Bath and Body Works. Detectives Al Gagne and Matt Leary arrested three females for Shoplifting by Asportation.
They were identified as: Mellisa Lopes of Mattapan, Kristine Duarte of Boston, and Vanessa Rodriques of Quincy.
A search of their vehicle resulted in the recovery of hundreds of dollars worth of stolen merchandise from area stores. Detectives are working with other agencies to identify the location of each store. Police believe these three individuals are members of an organized retail theft ring responsible for multiple thefts in the area.
Burlington Police later arrested two other females at approximately 6:15 p.m. after a theft from the Express store in the Mall. Officers Shane Thompson and Peter Abaskharoun arrested Zenaida Santiago of Haverhill and Miram Rodriguez of Lawrence for Shoplifting by Asportation.
Santiago also had a warrant for shoplifting from Peabody District Court. All five were bailed and will be arraigned at Woburn District Court on Monday morning.
Laguna Niguel teacher arrested for sending sexually explicit photos and text messages to students www.privateofficer.com
Laguna Niguel CA April 7 2012 English teacher Dominic Witter, 25 of Laguna Niguel was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of allegedly sending sexually explicit photos and text messages to a female student at the school where he teaches.
Witter who teaches in Irvine was taken into custody when he arrived at a pizza restaurant in Laguna Hills expecting to meet the female victim. Instead, the instructor and coach at Crean Lutheran High School was detained by investigators from the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force, including special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Orange County Sheriff’s deputies and detectives from the Irvine Police Department.
Witter was arrested on probable cause for allegedly sending the underage student sexually explicit text messages and nude photos of himself. In those messages, Witter allegedly asked the victim to send him explicit pictures of her. The matter is being referred to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. It is expected Witter will be arraigned in Orange County Superior court early next week.
“We entrust teachers to serve as role models for our children and safeguard their welfare. When that trust is violated, there will be zero tolerance,” said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge for HSI Los Angeles. “Those who exploit their access to young people to gratify their own perverse sexual desires are on notice that there will be serious consequences for those actions.”
In addition to teaching English, Witter also serves as a coach for the school’s girls’ track and boys’ soccer teams. Investigators have notified the school about the arrest.
“I am proud of the outstanding work the Orange County Sheriff’s Department did on this case and our investigators will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect our children from those who would sexually exploit them,” said Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens.
The Task Force received substantial assistance with the case from the Irvine Police Department.
The OCCETF’s investigation is ongoing and there is concern Witter may have other victims. Investigators are asking anyone with information that may be relevant to the case to contact ICE’s toll-free 24-hour tip line at 1-866-DHS-2ICE.
Lebanon County woman charged with arson in church fire www.privateofficer.com
Lebanon PA April 7 2012 A 54-year-old Lebanon County woman has been charged with two counts of arson in connection with a Monday morning fire at a Lebanon church.
Police said Sandra Jones, who has no known address, started the fire to the rear of Calvary Chapel, 740 Willow St., about 1:30 a.m. Monday.
Lebanon police Chief Daniel Wright said police first had contact with Jones at the scene of the fire, and she was initially treated as a witness.
“Based on some other things, we determined she was a suspect,” he said.
Police obtained a warrant for Jones late Tuesday afternoon. She was arrested in Harrisburg by officers from the Harrisburg Police Department on Tuesday evening and returned to Lebanon. She was arraigned by District Judge Thomas Capello and placed in Lebanon County prison, with bail set at $50,000.
The fire was determined to have been deliberately set based on an investigation conducted by the Lebanon City Bureau of Fire, the Lebanon police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Federal law requires that the ATF investigate all fires at church-owned buildings. Had it been determined that Jones specifically targeted the church or the school, more serious federal charges might have been filed, Wright said.
Alabama Attorney Arrested On Drug Charges www.privateofficer.com
Thursday afternoon, the Brewton Police Department charged attorney Sara “Sally” Oswald Stoddard with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and attempt to commit a controlled substance crime.
According to Lt. Bryan Davis, Stoddard, age 65, was arrested at her Brewton law office following the conclusion of a Brewton Police Department investigation. She was transported to the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center.
According to court records, Stoddard was arrested on controlled substance charges in Evergreen, Ala., in 2003. Those charges were later dismissed.
Stoddard later filed suit against then-Conecuh County Sheriff Tracy Hawsey and a deputy sheriff for $500,000 in punitive damages and $4,000,000 in compensatory damages. That case case was later dismissed.
Modesto teacher arrested for sex crimes www.privateofficer.com
Modesto CA April 7 2012 The former Enochs High teacher whose romance with one of his students drew attention from around the world a few weeks ago was arrested today on one count of oral copulation with a minor for an incident police said happened 14 years ago.
The charge stems from a relationship Christopher James Hooker allegedly had with a 17-year-old Davis High student in 1998, where he was teaching at the time.
Hooker was arrested at his home this morning and booked into Stanislaus County Jail, police said.
Hooker, 41, moved in with Jordan Powers, 18, on Feb. 22, the day he resigned from Modesto City Schools. Jordan had been one of his students at Enochs High.
Hooker said he left his wife and three daughters the week before. The school district had suspended him Feb. 3.
The couple met when Powers was a freshman at Enochs, but both say the romance didn’t bloom until months after she turned 18 on Sept. 5.
The victim in the case in which the charge was filed was a 17-year-old girl at Davis High. Hooker was a teacher at Davis at the time and later transferred to Enochs.
A police news release said Hooker befriended the girl and developed a romantic relationship with her. Police had disclosed that they were investigating Hooker’s relationship with Jordan Powers.
Hooker’s relationship with Jordan Powers came to public attention after the girl’s mother began castigating Hooker on her Facebook page.
Since news of the affair became public, Hooker and Jordan Powers appeared on national TV talk shows. Kristin Olsen, an assemblywoman from Modesto, introduced legislation that would outlaw teacher-student relationships and strip offending teachers of their pensions.
Source:www.modbee.com
Prison guard arrested in Tualatin for pretending to be a cop
TUALATIN, Ore.April 7 2012 – A Federal Bureau of Prisons worker has been arrested after police spotted what appeared to be a bogus attempt at imitating a police car.
A Tualatin police officer noticed a car with red and white lights in the back window similar to a police car parked at Tualatin- Sherwood Road and Martinazzi, said Lt. Greg Pickering.
The officer did not recognize the red Volkswagen GTI as part of any police agency. He then spoke with the driver and noticed he had a ballistic vest, police utility belt and the lights.
Robert John Burke Jr., 44, of Vancouver, was accused of two counts of impersonating a police officer. Police believe Burke may be connected to a similar March incident.
Paul Thompson with the prison bureau’s Sheridan Federal Correctional Facility said Burke has worked there since April, 2010. He said Burke is an active employee for now. Prison officials were aware of his arrest and his employment status could change.
No part of Burke’s duties involve a car with police emergency lights, Thompson said.
Anyone who may have been approached by Burke was asked to contact the Tualatin Police at (503) 691-4800.
Shoplifter turns violent at Westfield Trumbull Mall www.privateofficer.com
Trumbell CT April 7 2012 A Bridgeport man allegedly caught shoplifting drew more charges after fighting with security at the Westfield Trumbull Mall.
Rafael J. Rodriguez, 42, of Palisade Avenue, is charged with sixth-degree larceny and second-degree robbery. Police said he left Lord & Taylor without paying for $375 in cologne.
When officers tried to detain him, he allegedly threatened that he had a friend with a gun who would shoot officers.
After his arrest, officers found he was wanted for five counts of failing to appear in court.
Rodriguez was held in lieu of $150,000 bond for the mall incident and $50,000 for the warrants, police said.
Another Arrest at the Trumbull Mall
A woman allegedly carrying three foil-lined bags and an item used to remove security sensors faces several charges.
Natisha Nicole Phonville, 29, of Linwood Avenue, Bridgeport, is charged with three counts of possession of a shoplifting device.
The bags are used to get by door sensors, police said.
Her bond was set at $500.
Three people commit suicide within a month at Aventura Mall www.privateofficer.com
Aventura Fla April 7 2012 In the nearly 30 years since it was built in 1983, the sprawling Aventura Mall had been the scene of just one suicide.
But in the last few weeks, three people have killed themselves at mall parking garages, including a woman who leapt to her death on Thursday — an alarming uptick in fatalities for the upscale shopping center, which boasts a considerable security effort according to local police.
“If somebody wants to kill themselves… there’s no rhyme no reason,” Aventura Police Major Skip Washa told HuffPost Miami, noting that the mall employees off-duty officers as well as additional security on bikes and golf carts. “There’s no way to really try to prevent that.”
An unidentified Hispanic woman in her mid-40s jumped to her death from the parking garage Thursday, Washa said. According to the Miami Herald, a witness spotted the woman around 2:30 p.m. and was unable to talk her out of jumping.
The woman was not carrying any form of identification, and her fingerprints did not come up in the system, Washa said. Investigators are now trying to identify her through missing persons reports.
Two suicides at the mall last month happened within days. On March 14, 21-year-old nursing student Morvin Andre jumped from the parking garage to evade loss prevention officers from Bloomingdales, leading his death to be ruled a suicide. At his funeral, a gang-related drive-by killed 2 people and injured another 12, one of the bloodiest mass shootings in Miami-Dade history.
Days later on March 19, a 15-year-old boy committed suicide by jumping from the parking garage in the wee hours of the morning.
Washa said that a security video showed the boy hiding when people walked by, waiting for them to leave, and finally jumping.
The first of the four suicides at Aventura happened several years ago when according to Washa a man broke from police custody and jumped off the parking garage.
Hero grandmother killed by hit-run driver www.privateofficer.com
Staten Island NY April 7 2012 The family of a Staten Island woman killed in a hit-and-run wreck blasted the cowardly driver Friday while hailing their hero matriarch for saving her grandson’s life.
Brian McGurk, who was reportedly speeding before the Thursday night crash, disappeared for three hours after running down Clara Almazo as she walked home from church with her little grandchild.
“I don’t know why he left,” said the dead woman’s weeping brother, Francisco Almazo, at the family’s Staten Island home. “If you have an accident, you don’t leave the scene of that accident.”
McGurk, 40, wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and a long beard, said nothing at a Staten Island court hearing.
Investigators were trying to retrace McGurk’s path in the hours before the fatal crash to determine if alcohol was a factor, a police source said.
The 57-year-old victim, her daughter Berta and her 8-year-old grandson were headed home from evening church services on Holy Thursday when the speeding Ford Escape screeched into sight.
Witnesses described Almazo saving the little boy’s life by pushing him out of harm’s way on Cary Ave. near Roe St.
The child, Brian Herrera-Ramirez, sat stunned on the curb as the SUV dragged his screaming grandmother down the block, witnesses said. The victim was described as a devout Catholic and a devoted mother and grandmother.
The grandson remained in Richmond University Medical Center recovering from a broken bone, with his parents there Friday keeping a bedside vigil.
After plowing into the woman and narrowly missing the boy, McGurk sped off — and took three hours to turn himself in, prosecutors said.
The suspect told cops that he was involved in an accident and “struck something,” apparently unaware of the carnage left in his wake.
His surrender “is not going to cure the pain and sadness of what he did to our family,” said Francisco Almazo. “I feel bad. Truthfully, I feel pain. It’s not easy.”
Prosecutors said damage to his vehicle was consistent with what happened in the 9:50 p.m. fatal wreck.
McGurk was arraigned Friday on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident.
The lifelong Staten Island resident has no previous record, his lawyer said during the hearing. McGurk was jailed after he could not make the $50,000 bail.
McGurk made headlines last year by scoring a major win in a divorce case after proving his ex-wife was belly-dancing despite her claims of disability.
Almazo, the daughter and the grandson were just around the corner from their home on Elizabeth St. in West Brighton when the accident occurred, family and officials said.
“She pushed the kid away,” said neighbor Mercedes Fuentes, 54. “He was on the ground.”
“That was heroic of her, thinking about the boy until the last second,” said family friend Arturo Cabrera, 45. “They were coming from church. They are very religious people.”
Almazo, a homemaker originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, was in traumatic arrest when emergency responders found her. She died a short time later at Richmond University Medical Center.
Marcos Antonio Ramos, 27, said he gave surveillance video of the accident to police.
“You see very clearly the impact,” he said of the footage captured on tape. “A black SUV hit her, and you see her belongings, like food, going up the air.”
He said the impact sent the woman soaring nearly 20 feet.
“You can see that she pushes the boy out of the way,” he said. Almazo left behind six grown children and several grandkids, her son-in-law said.
Source:www.nydailynews.com
