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G4S security guard wanted for murder of armored car guards www.privateofficer.com
EDMONTON CANADA June 15 2012- Police have a person of interest in the fatal shooting of three armoured car employees at the University of Alberta.
Travis Brandon Baumgartner, who is 21, is an employee of security company G4S and was with the guards on an ATM delivery overnight at HUB Mall.
Police say Baumgartner owns a dark-blue Ford F150 pickup truck with a licence number ZRE724.
They are asking the public to use extreme caution if they encounter him.
Police Chief Rod Knecht delivered a statement to the media at police headquarters about what he said was a “horrific act of violence.”
“To the families of those involved, and to the co-workers of these employees from G4S, all of us here at the Edmonton Police Service, and all the citizens of Edmonton, share your feelings of shock and disbelief,” Knecht said.
“Our thoughts are with you at this difficult time. Victim Services employees have been assigned to work with each one of the families involved, and senior executives from G4S will be arriving in Edmonton shortly to meet with their employees here.”
Police were releasing few details, but one bystander photo posted to Facebook showed three people from G4S lying in front of a TD bank machine, emergency crews working over the bodies. There were blood streaks on the concrete floor out from behind the machine to where the bodies were lying.
“It’s devastating,” said G4S spokeswoman Robin Steinberg, who confirmed the deaths and injuries. Names were not released.
“Our hearts go out to families of the victims and all of our employees at the Edmonton branch. I’ve been working for this organization for 5 ½ years and to see something like this is beyond tragic. It just hits you to the core.”
Steinberg confirmed the guards were armed, but would say little else about what is believed to have happened.
“I have no details,” she said.
“It is under police investigation and we are doing everything we can obviously to co-operate with the police and hopefully they can apprehend this person, or people. I am not even sure how many are involved.”
The robbery occurred around 12:30 a.m. at HUB Mall, a long, thin rectangular block of shops, eateries and student apartments on the east end of campus, which sits on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River and across from Edmonton’s downtown skyscrapers.
The mall is built up over an access road. The third fatality was found on the road, underneath the super-structure and below the shooting scene.
Student residents, who live in apartments above the stores, reported hearing shots. Police and tactical units swarmed the campus and found the bodies by the machine at the north end of the mall, which links up to a number of surrounding buildings by covered passageways.
Ian Breitzke said he saw police pulling out bodies. The 21-year-old accounting student said he was watching TV in his residence room and heard a man in a room behind an ATM crying out in pain.
“When the police came in about 10 minutes, they ended up busting down the door (of the ATM room) and pulling out all the bodies that were in there,” he said.
“Another couple of moments after that (they) pulled the man who was still alive out of the room.”
About 560 students are living in residence at the mall at this time of year.
The scene had a puzzling twist. While one G4S vehicle was located at the scene, a G4S armoured truck was found some distance away in an east Edmonton industrial park near the G4S offices.
The truck had been left idling, parked at an angle at the side of the road. Police had the area around the truck blocked off Friday and were investigating.
G4S is an international security company with more than 630,000 employees. It has a specialized cash-management arm that delivers pay packets to fill ATMs.
Police didn’t discuss how, or if, the second vehicle was tied to the university robbery and would only say the shooting was an “attempted armed robbery.”
The university was put in lockdown after the shooting. Any students leaving their rooms in the residence were being told they could not return until 7 p.m.
The university confirmed that it did not send out an emergency alert to students on its internal website system when the shooting happened. Instead, police went door to door in the residence telling people to stay inside.
Police spokesman Scott Pattison did confirm no students were involved in the shooting.
The school offered a statement about the shooting on its website.
“The university is saddened about those who lost their lives last night and we extend our condolences to their loved ones,” the statement said.
“The safety and security of our students and staff is our first priority and our campus protective services are working closely with Edmonton police.”
Grief counsellors were made available for students living at the HUB residence, and students too traumatized to write exams were being allowed to defer them.
The rest of the university was operating as normal and scheduled exams were going ahead.
It was the second robbery of a G4S armoured vehicle in Edmonton in recent months. Last December, guards making a mid-afternoon pickup outside a casino were attacked and pepper-sprayed by two masked men. The pair fled in a Jeep with an undisclosed amount of money.
The Canadian Press
Armored car robbed in Rockville goes on to next stop www.privateofficer.com
Rockville MD June 15 2012 An armored vehicle was robbed outside a credit union on Rockville Pike on Wednesday morning, and authorities say they’re looking for two suspects in the incident.
Montgomery County Police spokesman Capt. Paul Starks says the robbery happened just after 11:20 a.m. outside a Navy Federal Credit Union branch in the 12200 block of Rockville Pike in Rockville. Police say the amoured truck, with two guards inside, arrived to make a pick-up. As one of the guards returned to the truck, he was approached by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.
According to police, the gunman reached out and grabbed the bag of money.
The suspects then fled. Police would not confirm the type of vehicle the men got away in.
The armored truck also drove away, police say, to their next scheduled stop – a Harris Teeter store at Park Potomac Avenue off Montrose Road in Potomac.
Witnesses at the Navy Federal Credit Union called police.
Officers caught up with the armored truck guards at the grocery store parking lot. Police say both guards are fine, but they want to know why they didn’t stay at the scene of the robbery.
Calhoun County AL Sheriff named president of the National Sheriff’s Association www.privateofficer.com
CALHOUN COUNTY, AL June 15 2012 - Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson now has a new second job. He’s being sworn in next week, as president of the National Sheriff’s Association.
Amerson says his priorities include training for jail deputies and courthouse staff, and law enforcement uses for broadband Internet space.
Amerson says he hopes his tenure means good things for Alabama.
“We get the opportunity to bring things back to the state, in training resources, financial resources and others, so we’re looking forward to being able to do some good things for Alabama,” Amerson said.
Sheriff Amerson will be sworn in at the annual conference, this year in Nashville. The only other Alabama sheriff to hold this position was Ted Sexton of Tuscaloosa County back in 2005.
Source:WBRC.com
Former Virginia police officer arrested after police stand-off www.privateofficer.com
HOPEWELL, Va. -June 15 2012
A former Hopewell police officer who barricaded himself inside his residence and held Virginia State Police at bay earlier Wednesday surrendered peacefully and was arrested on an abduction charge.
State police identified Bobby CoPenny Jr., 41, of the 5000 block of Moody Drive as the man taken into custody and who had been indicted in the January abduction of an 18-year-old woman.
City police had asked state police assistance in investigating the abduction incident.
CoPenny is being held in the Dinwiddie County Jail without bond and is scheduled to be arraigned June 27 in Hopewell Circuit Court.
CoPenny had been a uniformed Hopewell officer since 2003 and was fired in February; he had been suspended in January.
The barricade situation earlier today lasted nearly 90 minutes and involved no injuries.
Concord University police officer charged with sexual assault www.privateofficer.com
Athens WV June 15 2012 — A Concord University police officer is behind bars after being arrested on multiple sexual abuse charges.
Randy Keith Cordle, 47, of Athens, was arrested Monday and charged with one count of third-degree sexual assault and five counts of sexual abuse by a parent, guardian or custodian.
Sgt. M.D. Clemons, of the West Virginia State Police Crimes Against Children Unit, said the victim was a family member. “It (the abuse) started when she was 15,” Clemons said. “He was in a caretaker role.”
Clemons said no inappropriate behavior was alleged to have occurred at the university. “It happened at his residence.”
A criminal complaint filed in Mercer County Magistrate Court states that the victim advised that she had sexual intercourse and engaged in other sexual acts with Cordle beginning in 2011 when she was 15. The victim said the last instance of sexual intercourse occurred at the Mercer County Airport in May of this year, while the previous incidents occurred at Cordle’s residence in the Lashmeet area, the complaint states.
Cordle admitted having intercourse with the victim, a teenage female, on multiple occasions when he was interviewed by Clemons, according to the criminal complaint.
The complaint also states that Cordle told Clemons the victim and another teenage family member (who was not abused) would stay with him on weekends and that “they (the victim’s parents) trusted him to take care of them, and that he loved the kids like they were his own.”
Clemons said Concord University officials cooperated with her in the investigation. “They took the appropriate actions,” she said.
Concord University Interim Vice President of Advancement Alicia Suka Besenyei said Cordle was placed on administrative leave with pay when university officials were advised of the investigation by the State Police.
Cordle was arraigned Monday, and is currently being held at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver.
Source:Bluefield Daily Telegraph
Richmond Police Investigate Fake Cop Scam www.privateofficer.com
RICHMOND, VA June 15 2012- Richmond police are investigating an unusual scam involving fake cops and local dental offices.
Dr. Jeff Friend told 8News he was asked to buy an ad in “The Richmond Police Journal” by a man claiming to be Richmond police officer.
“I agreed to do it at first, but it seemed kind of unusual,” said Friend.
Friend was right, because there’s no such thing as The Richmond Police Journal and the man selling the ad wasn’t a police officer.
“I said how do I know that this is not a scam, and he said ‘Well there’s certainly a lot of scams out there, and you can look us up online’.” said Friend.
When Friend looked online, he found nothing. He waited for the man, who called himself Kevin Stanley, to return. Friend said, that never happened.
A return address listed on a package from the scam artist is listed at 2230 Hull St.
8News went to that address, but found an abandoned building with no signs of a Richmond Police Journal.
“I’m very relieved I didn’t give over the money,” said Friend.
Friend said he sent a scam alert to members of the Richmond Dental Society, and says he knows one dentist who gave money to the fake publication.
In that case, Richmond police were able to retrieve the money, but Friend says he wants to warn others so others aren’t targeted like he was.
“I just wanna get the word out there to let everybody know to be very very careful,” said Friend.
Richmond police said they are investigating the scam are reminding everyone to do their research when giving a company money. Police are also asking people to be cautious with phone solicitors, stressing they never ask for donations over the phone.
News8
Richmond caregiver accused of stealing more than $100,000 www.privateofficer.com
HENRICO, VAJune 15 2012- A Louisa County woman has been accused of stealing more than $100,000 from a man for whom she was supposed to be caring. Authorities charged Chris Denise Turner with four counts of grand larceny in Henrico County.
Prosecutors said Turner was supposed to be caring for a man at the Dogwood Terrace retirement home. They added that Turner worked on staff at Dogwood Terrace as a housekeeper, but that the victim hired her on the side to help him with some daily living chores. During that time, they said she took his money by using checks written from his account.
Police said the crime happened mostly between 2009 and 2010.
Kathy Miller, Director of Programs with Virginia’s Department for the Aging, reported that this type of exploitation is common and increasing.
“Unfortunately, it isn’t that uncommon and as the population gets older, and more older adults choose to stay in their homes, I think we’re going to see financial exploitation cases proliferate,” said Miller.
Authorities don’t plan to reveal how Turner reportedly got access to her victim’s account before trial, but experts say one way to protect yourself from a similar problem is to be very careful with your financial information.
“If you’re hiring a caregiver, who is going to be providing services and supports in the home, you should never give that individual access to your checking account or any of your other financial account information,” said Miller.
When getting help with errands, Miller recommends giving a caregiver cash to use instead of a check or debit card.
She also recommends hiring a caregiver through an agency.
“If you hire someone through an agency, you know the agency is required to do a background history on the caregiver as well as to obtain reference checks,” said Miller.
We checked with management at Dogwood Terrace. They said they started work in the last few years and haven’t met Turner, but added that anyone found to be stealing from a resident would be fired immediately.
Turner is due in court for a trial in July.
If you suspect exploitation, call police immediately.
Source: WWBT
Security guard charged in theft of baseball memorabilia www.privateofficer.com
Santa Barbara County CA June 15 2012 A security guard is accused of stealing Robin Ventura baseball memorabilia early this morning from a display case at Lakeview Junior High School in Orcutt, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.
Cameron James Taylor, 21, of Santa Maria, has been booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of felony burglary and petty theft.
Deputies responded to the school on Lakeview Road shortly after midnight after an alarm went off in the school’s gym.
The deputies found that a display case had been broken into that contained several items of baseball memorabilia signed by Santa Maria native Robin Ventura, manager of the Chicago White Sox and a former major league baseball player.
Some of the memorabilia had been discarded in a nearby trash can.
As the deputies searched the school grounds, they were reportedly approached by Taylor in his security guard uniform. When he was asked for his identification, Taylor walked with deputies to his car. As he bent over to reach into the car, deputies spotted a baseball in his jacket packet, according to sheriff’s officials.
The baseball featured Ventura’s autograph, and deputies also reportedly found a piece of the broken display case lock in Taylor’s pocket.
Taylor, who had been assigned to guard the school grounds overnight leading up to today’s eighth grade graduation ceremony, was arrested.
He works for Overland Security Services.
Virginia shoplifter pulls knife on mall security officer www.privateofficer.com
Arlington VA June 15 2012 A 40-year-old Washington, D.C., man has been accused of threatening a mall security guard with a pocketknife while attempting to steal 10 T-shirts over the weekend.
Lonnell Andre Buford has been arrested and charged with robbery and possession of burglarious tools. He remained in jail under a $2,500 bond late Tuesday, according to the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Buford attempted to steal 10 T-shirts from a store in the Pentagon City mall, according to information police released this week.
Buford brought a shopping bag from another store — lined with aluminum foil in order to get past the store’s security system — to put the shirts in, police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said.
Sternbeck would not name the store.
A loss prevention officer, who was unarmed, saw Buford and attempted to stop him, Sternbeck said. Buford ran, and the security guard followed. The two confronted one another in a nearby hallway, at which point Buford threatened the loss prevention officer with a pocketknife, Sternbeck said.
Buford continued to run, but by then police had been notified, Sternbeck said.
He was soon taken into custody without incident in a parking garage near the mall.
Two children from Chicago found tied up at Kansas Walmart www.privateofficer.com
LAWRENCE, Kan. June 15 2012 (AP) — Police say two children from suburban Chicago who were found bound and blindfolded outside a Kansas Walmart are in temporary protective custody.
Lawrence police spokesman Trent McKinley says the presumed parents of the children have been arrested on suspicion of child abuse and endangerment and will appear in court Thursday.
Police found a 5-year-old boy Wednesday sitting beside a large SUV with his hands tied and a blindfold over his eyes. A bound and blindfolded 7-year-old girl was inside the vehicle, along with three other children, ages 12, 13 and 15. All are in protective custody.
The family, from Northlake, Ill., was heading to Arizona when the vehicle broke down Monday in Lawrence.
McKinley says officers are working with Illinois social services to determine where to send the children.
Former Nevada police officer charged with impersonation www.privateofficer.com
HENDERSON, Nev. June 15 2012– A former police officer allegedly posing as a police officer is in trouble with the law.
According to the arrest report, Adam Brooks was pulled over for a traffic violation in Henderson and showed the officer an active police officer’s badge but claimed to be a retired officer from the Henderson Police Department and the New York City Police Department. Brooks resigned from the Henderson Police Department in 2008.
Police say Brooks did not work long enough to qualify for retirement and the badge he was carrying was not department issued.
Brooks is a known bounty hunter who opened up Las Vegas Fugitive Recovery after leaving the force.
Police say they were able to tie Brooks to an incident that was reported several months earlier.
In that case, a man matching Brooks description entered a McDonald’s restaurant looking for the boyfriend of an employee. According to the arrest report, Brooks portrayed himself as a police officer to several employees while getting information and eventually taking the woman’s boyfriend into custody for a bail violation.
Brooks is facing one count of impersonating an officer.
source-8newsnow.com
Security officers take teen into custody for auto burglaries www.privateofficer.com
Horry County police arrested the juvenile and turned over to the state Department of Juvenile Justice after officers were called to Ocean Lakes Campground at 6001 S. Ocean Blvd. about 6 a.m. Tuesday, police said.
Security guards took the juvenile into custody after they said he was driving a Toyota Camry and it got stuck on an embankment at the edge of a pond inside the campground, so he jumped out and ran into the pond. The guard ran after him and detained him before taking him to the security office to wait for police to arrive.
During an investigation, the teen told officers he was trying to kill himself when he stole the vehicles and ran into the pond, according to the report. The teen said he went to the campground with two others, but did not identify them.
The teen said he left his friends and started stealing cars and breaking into vehicles. A golf cart also was stolen during the incident, which began about 9 p.m. Monday, according to the report. The two cars and golf cart stolen were valued at $30,000, $8,000 and $7,000, respectively.
Officers took the teen to Conway Medical Center for evaluation before he was released to DJJ officials, according to the report. One vehicle that was reported stolen was found submerged in a pond at the campground.
Source:www.myrtlebeachonline.com
Gangs-shootings present security risks at hospitals www.privateofficer.com
Atlanta GA June 15 2012 Across the country, gang members enter hospital emergency rooms on a daily basis as victims of shootings, stabbings and beatings, as well as for non-violence related medical needs. Many are admitted for short- or long-term care. Often accompanying these patients are fellow members of their sect. If a rival gang injured the patient, there is always the chance that adversary gang members could come to the hospital to finish the job. While these incidents are rare, they do occur.
All healthcare facilities — not just those hospitals located in the inner cities — need to adopt a gang awareness-training program that incorporates area and regional gangs and identification, workplace violence, obvious warning signs and reporting procedures. This education should be available to all employees, especially ER, ICU and security staffs.
Local police and the FBI track gang activity. Many police departments have a dedicated gang enforcement unit or officer. It is paramount that hospital security departments utilize these resources to gain pertinent information on gangs operating in the surrounding communities and to be involved in creating a viable gang awareness-training program for hospital employees.
Our facility, which is Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, Md., has kept gang awareness at the forefront, keeping an open line of communications with the Baltimore County Police Department (BCOPD) gang unit. This partnership keeps hospital staff abreast of gang activities in the area and provides gang intelligence to law enforcement, while keeping HIPPA laws in mind.
With the assistance of Sgt. James Conaboy of the BCOPD gang enforcement unit, the Northwest Hospital security department has conducted several gang awareness seminars for the security and clinical staffs. Additionally, gang identification resource books are being created for the security department, emergency room and ICU. These resources will describe the area’s gangs, colors, tattoos, graffiti and potential for violence.
In December 2010, we coordinated an active shooter training drill with the BCOPD, which was centered around a gang member coming to the ICU to kill another rival gang member who was a patient. More than 100 persons attended the drill, including, the entire hospital administration, police executives, local precinct police officers, the BCOPD gang unit, the BCOPD intelligence unit and local emergency medical services personnel. The drill was deemed a huge success. A follow-up drill is scheduled for the near future.
It is imperative that hospital security staff are thoroughly educated on gang activity, including how to recognize and deal with it. Hospital security departments should have procedures in place to deal with the potential for gang members entering their facility.
At Northwest Hospital, security staff investigates all shootings and stabbings. The patient’s criminal background is checked. Police are interviewed to determine if the incident was possibly gang or drug related, or if the victim or suspect has current or past gang ties. Clinical staff is also asked to look for gang-related tattoos. All information is documented in a security incident report, and if required, an action plan is designed to better protect the patient, staff and visitors.
It is very important that security and clinical staff be trained to recognize warning indicators related to potential gang violence. Some of these signs are:
•Obvious signs of agitation of patients and/or visitors arriving at the ER or signs that they just came from a fight
•The staring down of other visitors or staff members may be an indicator of looming violence. Known as “Mad Dogging” this tactic is often used between rival gang members.
•Gang indicators, whether they are gang colors, identical clothing or sports attire, tattoos or hand signs
•A patient suffering trauma arriving with a group or posse, or a shooting, stabbing or assault victim being dropped off at the hospital entrance
•A patient refusing to give up clothing or packages, which could contain weapons or illegal drugs
Staff Must Treat Gang Members With Respect
A workplace violence policy should be in place and all hospital employees should be aware of its content. This policy should be a part of any new employee orientation program and should detail the procedures for incident reporting, not only incidents of violence but also the potential for violence. The LifeBridge Health system, a four-hospital corporation located in Baltimore, has recently designed and implemented an annual workplace violence course, which is mandatory for all employees. This course discusses a wide range of warning signs, tactics and reporting procedures.
The clinical staff should receive education regarding the best methods to employ while interacting with suspected gang members. Should gang members feel disrespected by a nurse or physician, he or she may retaliate and lash out at staff.
Hospital staff should be straightforward and honest with the patient regarding his or her injuries and treatment. Treat the gang member patient respectfully, as you would any other patient. Staff should be cognizant that a gang member’s clothing may represent his gang affiliation, so care should be taken when handling these items.
Gang graffiti found on hospital property should be photographed and reported to police. The graffiti should then be immediately removed. Under no circumstances should the graffiti be crossed out, as this may be seen as a sign of disrespect to the gang and be cause for future violence.
Like all patients, gang members cannot be turned away when seeking emergency medical treatment. Therefore, preparing for incidents of potential gang violence through training, education, cooperation with law enforcement and proper reporting procedures and protocols are the keys to a successful campaign against gang violence in a hospital setting.
Most gangs are structured in the same manner as many large businesses. Gangs are generally organized in a typical pyramid structure, with the leadership at the top and the rank and file soldiers at the bottom.
Gangs provide their own boundaries and levels of discipline for violations of the membership code, up to and including a sentence of death.
Gangs may identify themselves through wearing certain colors, through symbols, tattoos and graffiti. Bandanas and sports apparel of a specific color is often the clothing of choice. Blood members often wear Chicago Bulls jerseys. Crips will often wear Dallas Cowboys jerseys and MS-13 members may be seen in a Dan Marino #13 Miami Dolphins jersey. Gang members will never wear the colors of a rival gang.
To better understand the gang culture you need to comprehend how a gang member thinks. Reputation, Respect and Retaliation are the 3 Rs of gang life.
•Reputation is crucial for the continued existence and achievement of any gang-banger. Additionally, gang reputation is critical in the endurance and promotion of the gang as a viable criminal enterprise. The fear of reprisal and violence is created through reputation. Members gain status by their acts, as well as their willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve gang objectives.
•Respect is a dominant desire for all gang members. Gang members seek respect and demand respect for themselves and their gang. They insist that rival gangs respect their territory, their colors and their fellow members. They are often willing to risk serious injury or death to ensure that this occurs.
•Retaliation: When gang members believe that they or the gang have been disrespected or their reputation has been violated, they will retaliate, often very harshly.
Disrespect by rival gang members can often lead to open gang violence. The Bloods and the Crips have been violent rivals since the 1960s and have had many violent episodes. They often disrespect each other through graffiti, tattoos and attire.
Graffiti is placed on buildings, sign posts, streets, sidewalks or basically wherever visible to show that the community belongs to a particular gang and that criminal activities in this territory are only to be conducted by members of this gang. Gang members enter rival gang communities and spray paint their gang colors over the existing adversary gang graffiti as a sign of disrespect.
Tattoos on gang members may also be a sign of disrespect of rival gangs. For example, Blood members might tattoo the initials “CK” on their bodies, which signifies “Crip Killers.” Crip members might tattoo the word “SLOB” on themselves as a sign of disrespect to the Bloods.
Attire worn by gang members may also be a sign of disrespect to rival gangs. Blood members have been known to wear Calvin Klein (CK) jeans, again to mean “Crip Killers.” While Crip members often wear Dallas Cowboys jerseys as a sign of disrespect to the Bloods. In the Crips’ world Cowboys stands for “Crips on wheels blasting on young slobs.”
How Significant Is the Gang Threat?
The Gang Threat Assessment published by the NGIC in November 2011 indicates that there are an estimated 1.4 million active street, prison and outlaw motorcycle gang members in more than 33,000 gangs operating in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Gang membership continues to increase.
The assessment found that gangs are responsible for 48% of violent crime in most jurisdictions and up to 90% in several others. The assessment also pointed out that gangs are acquiring high-powered military style weapons and equipment, which poses a potential to engage in lethal encounters with law enforcement and citizens alike, to include hospital security.
The Gang Threat Assessment further revealed a growing threat of “Hybrid Gangs.” The Hybrid gang culture” is characterized by members of different racial/ethnic groups participating in a single gang, individuals participating in multiple gangs, unclear rules or codes of conduct, symbolic associations with more than one well established gang (e.g., use of colors and graffiti from different gangs), cooperation of rival gangs in criminal activity, and frequent mergers of small gangs.
Charles D. Moore Sr., CHPA is the director of security at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown, Md.
Three Houston men charged with theft of 289 pairs of shoes www.privateofficer.com
HOUSTON TX June 15 2012 – Charges have been filed against three men police say stole more than $20,000 worth of merchandise – including 289 pairs of shoes – from a Journeys store in Deerbrook Mall.
Erik Brodie, Evan Potts and Richard Alvarez are all charged with theft.
According to police, the three suspects broke into the store after hours on May 23, 2012.
The store manager told investigators that $600 in cash, 70 T-shirts, 4 wallets, 4 backpacks, 3 pairs of sunglasses, 15 belts, 2 toys, 25 sets of headphones and 289 pairs of shoes were taken from the store.
She said she reviewed surveillance video and saw three suspects taking the merchandise away in large boxes.
The manager told officers that she suspected Potts in the burglary, because he worked at the store, had closed it that night and neglected to set the alarm and shut the rear door.
The manager also said she recognized Potts’ vehicle on the surveillance video.
Investigators said the manager also suspected Alvarez, because he used to work at the store but had previously been fired.
Police said they received a Crime Stoppers tip that led them to the three suspects.
Investigators believe the suspects took the items to Alvarez’s house, and then hid them in a storage unit rented by Alvarez’s father.
When police searched the storage unit, they said they found 264 pairs of stolen shoes and 40 other pieces of merchandise inside.
Investigators said Alvarez told them he’d bought the shoes from Potts, and that he and his dad had hidden them in the unit because they didn’t want police to think Alvarez was responsible for the burglary.
When investigators interviewed Potts, he confessed to the theft but said it was planned and organized by Brodie.
Brodie, on the other hand, reportedly told investigators that Potts had planned and organized the whole thing, and that he only participated because he needed money.
Brodie said they planned to sell the stolen items at a flea market, according to police.
Charges were filed on June 12, 2012.
Source:KHOU.com
Piano Teacher Arrested for Criminal Sexual Conduct www.privateofficer.com
Greenville County NC June 15 2012 An Easley man has been charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct with a minor in Greenville County after authorities alleged he had sexual intercourse with a 13 year old piano student.
Roman Isaac Harkins, 25, was arrested yesterday and taken to the Greenville County Detention Center where he later posted a $30,000 bond and was released.
Harkins was a member of the New Life Baptist Church and an active participant in the music ministry. Harkins provided private piano lessons on church property, where the incident took place. At the time, Harkins was 23 years old and the victim was 13 years old.
It is unknown at this time if there are additional victims. The Sheriff’s Office is asking if anyone has information about any additional assaults.
Any information should be reported to authorities are 828-271-5210 or to Crime Stoppers at 828-23-CRIME
Brevard Co. teacher arrested, accused of having sex with 14-year-old www.privateofficer.com
Brevard County Fla June 15 2012 A Brevard County science teacher is still in jail, accused of having sex with a 14-year-old student.
Irene Khan, 32, was arrested on Wednesday and booked into the Brevard County Jail.
“Did you have inappropriate contact with one of your students?” WFTV asked as Khan was transported to jail.
The eighth-grade teacher never said a word.
A representative with West Melbourne police told WFTV the two had sex on and off for the past 10 months.
Investigators said the 14-year-old boy’s mother found inappropriate text messages from the teacher on his cellphone and called police.
“I guess the parents of the victim learned and reported the incident to police,” said Steve Wilkinson, Commander of West Melbourne Police Department.
On Wednesday morning, the teenager was taken to police headquarters and questioned. He told detectives that he and Khan had sex in her car on their first meeting and then they stayed at hotels after that.
According to a police report, one time she spent nearly $200 for a night’s stay at a Double Tree hotel right on the beach.
Investigators also believe Khan had sex with him in her own apartment.
The relationship allegedly began when the student jokingly wrote his phone number on a classroom chalkboard for a fellow student in his class.
Apparently, Khan wrote down the number and texted the student, according to officials.
Nearby residents were shocked, and disgusted.
“It’s pathetic, said resident Kathleen Lawla.”People should have more respect.”
Khan worked as a science teacher at the Imagine School in West Melbourne.
Khan was booked on a $50,000 bond.
The Imagine School hasn’t commented.
source-wftv.com
Lifeguard on NY’s Long Island, fired at 71, settles age-bias lawsuit for $65,000 www.privateofficer.com
]The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said that Jay Lieberfarb had 50 years of experience as a lifeguard when he failed a Nassau County swimming test in 2009.
Lieberfarb lives in Valley Stream on Long Island and is now 74.
According to his lawsuit, he failed two swimming tests but was given a second chance. The suit says Lieberfarb passed one test but injured himself before he could take the second test and was told to return with a doctor’s note. He was fired before he could provide the note.
The EEOC said younger lifeguards who failed the test were permitted to continue working until they passed it.
Military drone mistaken for UFO on D.C.’s Capital Beltway www.privateofficer.com
Washington DC June 15 2012 Some folks in the Washington, D.C., area are buzzing about what they thought was a UFO atop a flatbed truck on the Capitol Beltway.
Turns out the disc-shaped object was just a run-of-the-mill military drone.
MyFoxDC reports that what drivers saw—and some photographed—around 11 p.m. Wednesday on Interstate 270, and then later on Interstate 495, was an X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System being transported from Edwards Air Force Base in California to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland for testing.
During its travels through the D.C. area, local station WTOP reported a flurry of activity on Twitter about the strange-looking object.
This not the first time a drone was mistaken for something alien. Last year, a drone being transported by flatbed to Pax River for practicing aircraft carrier takeoffs and landings was also mistaken for a UFO, the Daily Caller reported.
