Archive
Pathmark shooting victims identified www.privateofficer.com
Old Bridge NJ Sept 1 2012 Three people are dead after an employee at the Old Bridge Pathmark armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and an automatic pistol opened fire inside the store early this morning, killing two young store workers before turning one of the weapons on himself, Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said.
The two victims, an 18-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man, were both from the township, Kaplan said.
The 18-year-old victim, Cristina LoBrutto, was a recent graduate of Old Bridge High School, where the superintendent described her as a bright student, active as a horn player in the music department. The other victim was Bryan Breen, 24, from the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge.
Kaplan said the shooter, identified as a 23-year-old township man, appeared to have been a former member of the military.
Neighbors and a law enforcement source identified the shooter as Terence Tyler.
Terence S. Tyler served less than two years in the military, and never went overseas, according to Capt. Kendra Motz, a Marine spokeswoman.
His home was Brooklyn when he entered the Marines on March 24, 2008 – and his primary place of service was Twentynine Palms in California, home of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command, Motz added.
His specialty classification in the Marines was “0311 – Rifleman” — or the general infantry, Motz added.
He received the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal, Motz added.
He was discharged on Feb. 27, 2010. The Marines do not comment on whether personnel are honorable or dishonorably discharged, Motz added.
Tyler had apparently finished his shift, but returned about 3:30 a.m. armed with the weapons and multiple magazines. He started firing randomly, hitting the two employees, Kaplan said.
All three of the dead were assigned to the overnight shift at the store, on Route 9 near the Sayreville border.
“I don’t believe they were specifically targeted. I believe everyone was targeted,” Kaplan said.
This morning Breen’s family gathered in the backyard of their home consoling one another.
June Launay lives next door to the Breen family and her son graduated from Old Bridge High School at the same time as Bryan.
“He was a really nice kid. He’s always been polite. He’s always been friendly and outgoing,” Launay said, fighting back tears. “He’s just a normal kid. He wasn’t a kid you ever worried about. We’re all shaken up over here.”
Old Bridge police have parked a patrol car several houses away from LoBrutto’s home. They asked reporters to stay back at the family’s request. The family will make a statement when they are ready, the officers said.
Two women standing nearby were hugging and consoling each other, then quickly got into cars and drove away.
A neighbor, visibly upset, declined to answer questions about the young woman.
“This is a real tragedy,” said Old Bridge Superintendent Timothy Brennan. “Cristina LoBrutto was a member of the class of 2012 and she has siblings in the district at the secondary and middle school levels.”
Brennan said LoBrutto was a bright student who was active in the school’s music department, playing in the horns section of multiple bands.
Miranda Miranda, 19, was scheduled to work the morning shift at Pathmark today. But after she got another job, another worker took her shift.
This morning, at the nearby London Terrace Apartment complex, Miranda was shaken.
“What keeps coming into my mind is that it could have been me,” Miranda said.
Miranda said she knew both victims and had met the shooter, who only began working at the supermarket earlier this month.
Right away, she said the ex-Marine made her uneasy.
“The way he looked at me, that gave me a very bad feeling,” she said. “He gave me an uneasy vibe.”
Old Bridge, Sayreville and Perth Amboy police were quickly on scene, Kaplan said, but all three were already dead when officers arrived.
An assistant manager inside the store got 10 to 12 other store employees out quickly, said John Niccollai, the president of Local 464A of the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents some store workers.
“He immediately got them out the back door,” Niccollai said. “Who knows what could have happened if not for some quick thinking?”
Tyler is said to have lived at the nearby London Terrace apartment complex, directly behind the store.
A nearby resident, Jitender Yadv, was walking through the complex about 6 a.m. when he saw police questioning relatives of the suspected gunman outside an apartment in building 3.
“They were questioning three people. I think his parents and a cousin,” Yadv said. “They picked up a lot of items and put them in police cars.”
The suspected gunman had lived in the complex for about a month, other residents said.
A police officer was stationed outside the apartment this morning.
Manase Acheampong, 25, of Old Bridge, said Tyler was the cousin of a friend of his and that he had recently moved to the township from Brooklyn.
“He was a normal kid,” Acheampong said. “We had drinks. He never got into a fight or started one. I would never have guessed.”
A Pathmark spokeswoman said company representatives were assisting authorities in their investigation.
“We express our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and our appreciation to local law enforcement,” the spokeswoman, Marcy Connor said. “Our main concern is the safety of our associates and customers.”
Police this morning had escorted a number of store employees and brought them to chairs outside the nearby TGIF restaurant along.
The adjacent Old Bridge Park & Ride, which was closed earlier while police investigated, has reopened. Buses are again stopping there, but the parking lots on the northbound side of Route 9 remain closed.
Caroline Anders, who knew LoBrutto, said the young woman recently started working at Pathmark.
“She has a heart of gold,” said Anders of the woman. “She was just beginning her life. She always had a smile on her face and now some clown who is thrown away by society takes her life. Let’s all just pray for all of them.”
Source:nj.com
Retired Kentucky police chief ambushed-gunned down www.privateofficer.com
Chief of Police
Herbert Proffitt
Tompkinsville Police Department, Kentucky
End of Watch: Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Bio & Incident Details
Age: 82
Tour: 55 years
Badge # Not available
Military veteran
Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 8/28/2012
Weapon: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect: Apprehended
Chief of Police (Ret) Herbert Proffitt was shot and killed from ambush in the driveway of his home by a man whom he had arrested multiple times over the past 40 years. He was walking down his driveway to check his mail when the subject drove up and opened fire, killing him.
The suspect fled the scene but was arrested several hours later.
It was later determined that Chief Proffitt had first arrested the man for domestic violence in the 1970s. The conviction resulted in the man spending several years in the state penitentiary. Chief Proffitt arrested the man several more times after his release from prison. When he was arrested for Chief Proffitt’s murder, he had copies of the original citations in his possession.
Chief Proffitt was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. He had served in law enforcement for 55 years, including as chief of the Tompkinsville Police Department and sheriff of Monroe County. He returned to work as a bailiff with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office after retiring the first time in 2000. He retired again in 2009 at the age of 79.
Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:
Chief of Police Dale Ford
Tompkinsville Police Department
201 East 2nd Street
Tompkinsville, KY 42167
Phone: (270) 487-6191
S.C. Court of Appeals rules in favor of Walmart-US Security Associates in death lawsuit www.privateofficer.com
A jury had previously parceled out 65 percent of the fault to the deceased woman, while placing the rest of the blame with the U.S. Security Associates, Inc. and the security guard, Derrick Jones.
A personal representative of the woman’s estate filed an appeal, alleging negligence on the part of Wal-Mart.
In June of 2006, Alice Hancock and her sister drove to a Lancaster Wal-Mart. Hancock waited in the car.
“I then went and got a bag and went and put some pants into the bag. I shouldn’t have done it,” her sister had testified.
After she slipped past a greeter and the two women drove away, store authorities told Jones to follow them in order to write down their tag number.
“And I’m on the walkie-talkie, telling them, I can’t see this license plate tag number, and they’re about to leave the parking lot,” Jones testified. A Wal-Mart employee then replied, “Man, well, you got to do what you got to do. You need to get that license plate number.”
The instructions, however, violated Wal-Mart’s personnel policy for addressing shoplifters. According to court records, employees are prohibited from chasing a fleeing suspect who is in a moving vehicle.
During the chase, after about 2 miles, Hancock told her sister, “He’s still on our ass.”
Her sister heard and felt a bump before the car wrecked and Hancock died at the scene.
In Wednesday’s 2-1 decision, Judge Thomas Huff dissented.
Phoenix church pastor-wife-brother indicted for Medicaid fraud www.privateofficer.com
Michael Salman, 39; his wife, Suzanne Salman, 34; and his brother, Frank Salman, 37, are accused of misrepresenting their income and bilking the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System out of $118,000.
This is the latest legal trouble for the self-styled preacher, whose fight with the city over zoning laws has fueled a debate on conservative news shows and websites over religious freedom.
Authorities say that for four years beginning in 2008, Michael and Suzanne Salman received $73,000 in free health services for themselves and their children.
Frank Salman received $43,000 in coverage for himself and his children.
“It is unacceptable for anyone who does not legitimately need AHCCCS assistance to devise this kind of scheme that ultimately rips off taxpayers and depletes badly-needed resources for the truly needy,” Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne said in a statement Wednesday.
According to authorities, the Salmans lied about their household income to qualify for state assistance. At the same time the Salmans were receiving state Medicaid, they were employees of a national credit-card-processing company.
Authorities said Suzanne is currently the registered agent for the National Bureau of Merchant Services and that both she and Michael were sole board members of the company when it was formed in 2004.
Horne said the couple earned $6,000 to $8,000 per month while claiming they made $1,600.
Neither Michael nor Suzanne Salman could be reached for comment Wednesday.
The Salmans face multiple individual charges of fraud, theft, forgery and perjury.
Frank Salman said Wednesday that he could not speak about the charges. In a brief interview, he indicated the charges were likely a form of retaliation for Michael’s ongoing legal battle with the city of Phoenix.
“I wish I could tell you. I wish I could speak,” Frank said.
Michael Salman is currently serving a 60-day jail sentence following a 2010 conviction on 67 misdemeanor zoning charges related to his backyard church.
Michael, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship Community Church, fought the city for years, claiming that zoning laws were restricting his First Amendment rights.
The zoning charges stem from the construction of a 2,000-square-foot building behind his house. When seeking a permit from the city of Phoenix, Salman indicated it would be used as a game room. That designation prohibited using the structure to hold church services due to fire-safety and occupancy regulations.
But the city said Michael used the building to conduct services attended by dozens of people who paid tithes to Michael each week. County-assessor records classify the property as a church. Michael Salman and his wife have not paid property taxes since 2008.
Michael Salman’s supporters claim he is being persecuted for attempting to hold Bible study meetings.
Lawyers with the Rutherford Institute, a Virginia civil-liberties organization representing Michael in the case against the city, could not comment on the fraud charges.
They said they are continuing to fight for Michael’s release from the Lower Buckeye Jail on the zoning violations and are waiting for the court to rule on a habeus corpus motion.
In 1993, Michael Salman was convicted of aggravated assault stemming from a drive-by shooting. He served three years.
Frank Salman in 1992 was arrested on second-degree-murder charges after he and his cousin shot and killed an 18-year-old shoplifter who had stolen several six-packs of beer from the family convenience store.
At the time, Frank told police the shoplifter pointed a gun at him inside the store and again during a chase across Camelback Road. Police said there was no evidence the teenager was armed. He was shot in the back of the head.
Frank was acquitted on the charges.
Source:www.azcentral.com
Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon arrested for assault www.privateofficer.com
CHARLESTON, SC Aug 31 2012 – Officials with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division say Charleston County Sheriff Al Cannon was arrested on Tuesday on charges of third-degree assault and battery.
SLED says that Cannon was booked and fingerprinted at the Charleston County Detention Center. Cannon is out of custody after posting a $1,092 bond.
According to SLED, the arrest was a result of an investigation conducted by SLED at the request of the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation pertained to an incident in January where authorities say Cannon slapped Timothy McManus, who is accused of leading deputies on a chase.
Earlier on Tuesday, Cannon said he was ready to face the consequences if he was charged in the incident. The York County Solicitor Kevin Brackett had recommended to the State Law Enforcement Division that Cannon be charged with third-degree assault and battery.
That charge carries a sentence of 30 days in jail and/or a $500 fine.
Furthermore, Cannon is prohibited from being within one block of where McManus lives or works.
I have been up front about this since the beginning. What I did set a bad example. I want to apologize to Mr. McManus. What he did was dangerous, but I should not have reacted in that fashion,” Cannon said earlier on Tuesday.
In the wake of the incident, Cannon requested SLED investigate whether or not he broke the law. After investigating, SLED handed the case over to 16th circuit solicitor Kevin Brackett.
Brackett says all the deputies involved in the chase acted appropriately, but the evidence would support a charge of third-degree battery against the sheriff.
Cannon said in an earlier press conference on Tuesday that the slapping was very out of character for him, and if he is charged he plans on pleading guilty. However, he said he did not plan on resigning as sheriff.
McManus was arrested again this week for driving under suspension third-offense, being a habitual offender, borrowing or lending a license tag and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
He posted bond on Tuesday at $75,000
Source:WCSC
Gun found at McNamara Terminal of Detroit Metro Airport www.privateofficer.com
The loaded gun was found Tuesday in a passenger’s carry-on bag at a security check point.
TSA says firearms can be transported in checked luggage only if declared to the air carrier first and properly packaged.
Transportation security officers are dedicated to ensuring that dangerous items do not make their way onto aircraft,” said Bob Ball, TSA DTW federal security director. “Almost all of the nearly 4 firearms found daily at security checkpoints nationwide are brought inadvertently. Travelers should makes sure to check their bags for any prohibited items before leaving for the airport.”
Police confiscated the firearm and arrested the passenger who could now face both criminal charges and civil penalties.
Security breach at Port Newark leads to arrest www.privateofficer.com
NEWARK NJ Aug 31 2012 — An unidentified man was arrested five hours after breaching a security perimeter at Port Newark this morning in an incident authorities said was not connected to terrorism.
The unidentified man, described as “emotionally disturbed,” entered an area of the sprawling marine terminal about 11 a.m., said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Steve Coleman.
The spokesman but did not provide any detail as to where exactly the breach occurred, how it happened nor what the suspect did for five hours until captured, but said the investigation began immediately after the suspect was arrested about 4 p.m.
The agency said the exact circumstances of the incident were under investigation.
Port Newark occupies 180 acres along the Newark Bay and handles more than 600,000 shipping containers per year in four berths.
Louisville police reorganizes to combat violent crimes www.privateofficer.com
Louisville KY Aug 31 2012 Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad met with the media Wednesday to discuss the organizational changes coming this fall to the Louisville Metro Police Department that will allow officers to better target crime, particularly repeated violent offenders.
Conrad had outlined the changes to police personnel in a memo sent Friday on plans to create a new 31-member team — called the VIPER Unit — meant to reduce violent crime by focusing on areas were violent crime has been happening, arresting the worst offenders and addressing gang activity, the memo said.
The Courier-Journal first reported the changes Monday.
Conrad said Wednesday that a new Crime Information Center will also bear a significant role in reducing crime.
The Crime Information Center will consist of Louisville Metro Police’s crime analysts and two detectives trained in crime analysis, Conrad said. Each of the department’s eight patrol divisions will have a liaison officer to the center.
Currently, intelligence data gets to the patrol divisions through a weekly meeting and communication among detectives and officers, Conrad said.
The intent of those changes is to allow officers to know which people are committing violent crimes and to arrest them before more violence can happen, Conrad said.
“The overall goal here is a safer city,” Conrad said, noting that more changes are expected in the future.
By nabbing those repeat violent offenders, Louisville Metro Police could have a “significant impact on violent crime,” Conrad said.
The reorganization will begin at the close of business on Sept. 29.
Source:Courier-Journal
Four dead in Albermarle County VA murder-suicide www.privateofficer.com
Sgt. Darrell Byers said police found three of the victims inside the residence on Stony Point Road after responding to a 911 call around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday. The fourth person was taken to an area hospital, where they were pronounced dead at 3:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Media outlets report that the victims are two males and two females and the suspect is believed to be among the dead. Police have confirmed the incident was a murder-suicide. Authorities are not saying how they died but Byers says a firearm was involved in the incident.
The victims’ identities haven’t been released. Neighbors told WVIR-TV that the house was being rented by a mother and her three children.
Police said the incident is isolated and there’s no threat to the community.
“It’s pretty devastating,” said Barbara Capron, who lives down the road from where the deaths occurred but did not know the victims. “I’ve lived on Stony Point Road all my life — that’s been 63 years — and I don’t remember anything like this ever happening.”
Source:Washington Post
Pennsylvania constable arrested for “shaking down”Amish www.privateofficer.com
Online court records don’t list an attorney for 63-year-old New Sewickley constable Glenn Young Jr. His home phone was disconnected Wednesday, when he was arraigned on charges of theft by deception, official oppression and impersonating a public servant.
Troopers say Young contacted Amish leaders after some windows were broken at Indian Run School in October during a gathering that included some Amish youths. Young claimed to be investigating the vandalism and began stopping Amish buggies, which he would search for contraband, while also threatening to jail the youths if their families didn’t pay him fines.
State police say the Amish had already paid for the windows.
Suffolk County police charge man with assault on hospital security www.privateofficer.com
Suffolk County NY Aug 31 2012 Brian Colin Kelly, 43, of Shoreham, was arrested on Aug. 23 after he allegedly assaulted a security guard and stole money from a pocketbook at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital, according to police. He was charged with assault, harassment and burglary.
Police say that at about 10:10 a.m. Kelly assaulted a security guard near the loading dock at the hospital, pushing him into a concrete wall. About 10 minutes later, he pushed a person out of the way as he was entering or exiting an unauthorized area. While he was at the hospital, Kelly allegedly entered an unauthorized area and took money from a pocketbook.
According to records, Kelly was in Central Islip Court represented by a Legal Aid attorney on Aug. 25. His bail was set at $10,000 but was not posted. Kelly is due back in court on Sept. 14. Court records also show that last year Kelly was convicted of a previous crime of petit larceny and sentenced to one year in jail.
Atlantic Springs apartment security officer nabs “Peeper” www.privateofficer.com
CORAL SPRINGS Fla Aug 31 2012 — — A security guard at Atlantic Springs had heard residents’ complaints of a man going around peeping through people’s windows, according to a police report.
So Monday night, when the guard saw a man walk through bushes in front of a window to peer inside an apartment, he told the man, “What you are doing is wrong,” and he called police, the report said.
The suspect, Scott Howard Iglehart, 50, was taken into custody at his apartment Monday night on one count of voyeurism and one count of possession of cannabis less than 20 grams, the report said. He was freed from jail on $100 bond, jail records show.
Wednesday, Iglehart declined to comment, only to say, “It’s probably not smart to talk about it at this point.”
About 10:20 p.m. Monday, police responded to the security guard’s prowler report at Atlantic Springs in the 11200 block of West Atlantic Boulevard, the police report said.
The guard said he had seen a heavy-set man with gray hair and a gray goatee, the report said. The description was similar to one given by residents of the prowler they had been complaining about.
The guard told Iglehart he knew Iglehart was up to no good. Iglehart allegedly replied, “I know. I don’t want any problems.” Iglehart, who lives in the complex, walked back to his unit, the report said. During police questioning, Iglehart said he had walked over to an area to smoke “weed,” the report said. When he saw the guard, he said he only crouched down near the window to try and hide, the report said.
Police determined Inglehart had been secretly watching a 16-year-old girl inside an apartment, the report said. An officer interviewed the girl and her mother, the report said.
The arrest report said Inglehart had looked through the girl’s window “with lewd, lascivious and indecent intent.”
Source:tribune.com
Wanted man kills self in front of police www.privateofficer.com
ASHLAND WA Aug 31 2012 - Authorities are investigating an incident in Bayfield County, in which a driver who was wanted on a warrant killed himself in front of an officer who stopped him for a traffic violation.
It happened during the noon hour on Monday, about three miles west of Ashland on Highway 2. A Bayfield County deputy stopped the car, learned that the driver had a warrant, and told the man he was under arrest. Officials said the driver refused to follow an order to get out of the car – and instead pulled a gun hidden near the driver’s seat and shot himself in the head. He died later at an Ashland hospital.
Ashland Police are investigating. They say they won’t release the names of the man or the sheriff’s deputy until their probe into the incident is finished either today or tomorrow. For now, officials are not saying why the man was stopped – or what the warrant was for.
NC Food Lion refuses to release video tape in indecent exposure crime www.privateofficer.com
WHITEVILLE, NC Aug 31 2012 - Whiteville police say they’re investigating an indecent exposure case caught on camera at the Food Lion in the Whiteville Town Center shopping plaza.
But they say that managers at the store are not releasing the evidence.
According to Dallas Hewett, a 19-year-old cashier at the store, two weeks, ago a male customer unzipped his pants and exposed himself to her.
Hewett says after the incident, she told a manager and they watched the incident which was recorded by a security camera.
“The video isn’t that clear. But he’s wearing an automatic uniform,” said Hewett. “I figured if we can get the video police, maybe [sic] able to use technology to zoom in and get more details.”
Detective Tedd Dixon says that managers at Food Lion will not give them the video. Dixon says it’s not the first time managers have refused to hand over evidence.
“There’s been cases of checks being stolen or some type of crime and we can’t get video,” said Dixon. “In this particular incident with the cashier, it’s frustrating because she came to us for help, but our hands are ties because of a tape.”
He added, they could get a search warrant but it’s going to be hard to explain to a judge why they’re getting a search warrant for a victim. Dixon says, most businesses in town easily hand over videos.
A spokeswoman for Food Lion sent WECT a statement that read, “For the safety and protection of our customers and associates, and to ensure that we only release video to authorized agents, we request information such as evidence of a police report and the relevant case number before We can release video recordings from within our store.” Waldo goes on to add they apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to working closely with local police as they investigate this unfortunate incident.
Source:WECT
Mom left child inside Walmart while she slept in car www.privateofficer.com
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, SC Aug 31 2012 - An Upstate woman is facing charges after deputies said she left her 3-year-old child inside a Walmart while she slept in the parking lot.
Deputies said the mother also had meth in her purse.
Deputies said they were called to a Walmart in Spartanburg County on Monday just after 10 p.m. about a child left in a shopping cart inside the store.
When deputies arrived they were told by Walmart employees that a woman was seen on surveillance video leaving the child in the shopping cart and walking out of the store.
The child told deputies her mother was in the bathroom, but numerous attempts to locate the woman were not successful, deputies said.
Deputies said they went through a purse left in the shopping cart and found a birth certificate and Social Security card for Kimberly Nichole Brewer.
Brewer was later identified as the child’s mother, according to deputies.
Deputies said they also found meth in a wallet of the purse.
The child was taken into protective custody.
Five hours later, at about 3 a.m., Walmart employees called deputies and said Brewer had come into the store and told them she had been asleep in her car and when she woke up she realized her purse and her daughter were missing.
Brewer is charged with child neglect and possession of meth.
Source:WYFF
Tennessee holds No Refusal enforcement period over Labor Day www.privateofficer.com
NASHVILLE TN Aug 31 2012 - Tennessee will hold its second No Refusal enforcement campaign over Labor Day weekend, officials announced Thursday.
The enforcement effort begins at 6:00 p.m. Friday and ends at midnight on Monday.
No Refusal is the latest law enforcement strategy aimed at preventing impaired driving and reducing fatal crashes in Tennessee.
A new law the Legislature passed this year allows law enforcement to seek search warrants for blood samples in cases involving suspected impaired drivers.
Five counties participated in the first No Refusal campaign during July 4th weekend. Officials said there were no fatalities in those counties.
The Labor Day effort will expand to 16 counties where impaired driving and fatal crashes have increased this year.
Those counties include:
•Roane
•Campbell
•McMinn
•Meigs
•Robertson
•Rutherford
•Shelby
•Tipton
•Jefferson
•Sullivan
•Cumberland
•Warren
•Bedford
•Lincoln
•Chester
•Weakley
The preliminary number of alcohol-related crashes has increased 8.7 percent in Tennessee through the first seven months of this year, compared to the same period last year.
During this time, there were 2,995 crashes involving impaired drivers. That’s 240 more than during the same time in 2011.
State troopers arrested 3,557 people for impaired driving from January 1-August 13 of this year. Last year, they arrested 2,757 during that time. The numbers show a 29 percent increase.
Motorists can also expect sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols in other counties over the Labor Day weekend.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is partnering with local and state officials and highway safety advocates, including the Governor’s Highway Safety Office and Mothers Against Drunk Driving for the No Refusal period.
Source:WATE.com
Houston Texans fan falls to his death from escalator inside Reliant Stadium www.privateofficer.com
HOUSTON TX Aug 31 2012 – Houston Texans fans watched in horror as a man fell to his death from an escalator inside Reliant Stadium Thursday night.
The incident happened at about as the Texans were playing the Vikings at the stadium.
Witnesses said the man fell from the 600 level. Cell phone video obtained from a game attendee shows people scrambling and pleading for someone to help the victim.
Randall Wisdom, a Texans fan from Channelview, said he and his 18-year-old daughter were on the escalator below the victim when the incident happened. Wisdom said they first saw a hat and cup fall, and the man came next.
The victim was transported by private ambulance to Memorial Hermann Southwest.
Houston Police Department homicide detectives were on the scene.
The man’s identity has not been released.
Source:KHOU
Mother took 3 children on Bloomingdales shoplifting spree www.privateofficer.com
The Brooklyn resident, Mei S. Yip, was seen by Bloomingdales employees picking up 14 items while walking around the store on Aug. 24.
Yip then entered a fitting room with the merchandise. Upon leaving the fitting room, she was seen with a full Bloomingdales’s bag. Employees said she didn’t have the bag when she went into the dressing room.
The Bloomingdales employee checked the dressing room Yip was in and could not find any of the merchandise.
Yip and her children were stopped as she tried to leave the store passing multiple registers, the employee said. Police were given a video of Yip’s attempted theft in the store.
Police arrested Yip without handcuffing her so she could take care of her children on the way to headquaters. Police did not release any information about the ages or genders of the children.
Yip was charged with shoplifting last week. She was processed and released with a mandatory court date. Her children were allowed to leave with her.
Two Florida JCPenney employees accused of stealing merchandise www.privateofficer.com
Naples Fla Aug 31 2012 Two JCPenney employees are accused of stealing merchandise from the Coastland Center mall store.
A security officer told Naples police that employee Milton Rodriguez, 30, gave several items to Cruzado Ramos, 28, who put them in a bag after pretending to scan them. Ramos didn’t charge Rodriguez for 13 items totaling $330, an arrest report said.
The security officer detained Rodriguez until police arrived, according to the report.
Rodriguez of the 3500 block of Second Avenue Southeast in Golden Gate Estates; and Ramos of the 4300 block of Atoll Court in Golden Gate, each face a charge of grand theft.
source-naplesnews.com
Four charged with running Texas theft ring www.privateofficer.com
ROUND ROCK, Texas Aug 31 2012 – Four people are charged in an organized theft ring which totaled $6,000 in stolen merchandise, according to multiple arrest affidavits.
According to the documents released Tuesday, Valentin Perez, Noe Puente, Nereyda Perez, and Diana Puent were working together and targeted over 12 separate locations from cities including Round Rock, San Marcos, and San Antonio.
The arrest warrant affidavit released Tuesday depicts how the four individuals worked together to to steal merchandise from popular Texas outlet malls. Their tactics included pretending they didn’t know each other,snipping off security devices and stuffing stolen merchandise into a child’s back pack.
According to the arrest warrants, the four entered up to nine different stores in the Round Rock Outlet mall, and another two at the San Marcos Outlets. Merchandise was stolen from stores like Puma,Toys R Us,Nike and even over a thousand dollars worth of merchandise from Burberry.
The group was also charged with stealing $1,120 worth of merchandise from Sea World in San Antonio.
According to the arrest warrants, Valentin Perez, Noe Puente, Nereyda Perez, and Diana Puente were all arrested on charges of organized retail theft and endangering a child.
Source: KXAN
Ogden Walmart loss prevention nab 3 women in shoplifting spree www.privateofficer.com
OGDEN Utah Aug 31 2012 — Police arrested several women Tuesday, in separate incidents, for stealing from the Walmart store at 1945 Wall Ave.
Ogden Police Lt. Chad Ledford said security officers witnessed Marshaye Lynn Jones, 22, and Dee Dee Marie Dayton, 24, wandering through the store and putting random items into their separate purses.
“They were going through Walmart taking different items from throughout the store, no rhyme or reason as to why they were taking them,” Ledford said. “They were concealing them in their purses.”
After taking various items, Ledford said, the women took a razor knife from the hardware section and began to open the packages.
Police arrested the suspects as they attempted to leave the store.
In addition to the razor knife, the women are accused of taking numerous items, including a screwdriver, bra inserts, a power converter, key locks, a battery charger and a pair of earphones.
In another incident, during random surveillance, Amanda Elisabeth Saucedo, 27, was caught stealing CDs from the store’s electronics section.
Saucedo had a large number of CDs, with a total value of about $161, Ledford said.
The suspect said she stole the CDs in order to sell them, then use the money to buy food.
The police department does not think the incidents are related. The women happened to be arrested by the same officer that is tasked with patrolling the area.
“I don’t think it’s a ring by any means,” Ledford said.
Police took the women to Weber County Jail.
Jones is charged with retail theft, possession of marijuana and two counts of failure to appear. Dayton is charge with retail theft. Saucedo is charged with retail theft and two counts of failure to appear.
Source:stanard.net
Norwalk Kohl’s security say couple stole more than $900 worth of clothing www.privateofficer.com
Norwalk CT Aug 31 2012 Two people were arrested Tuesday after police say they stole more than $900 worth of clothing from Kohl’s department store.
Officers responded to Kohl’s, 500 Connecticut Ave., at about 7:30 p.m. on a report of a larceny.
Store security guards had detained two people at the store, who were allegedly seen entering and exiting the fitting rooms multiple times.
The suspects — identified as Weetwaher Deronville, 21, of 42 Merrell Ave., Stamford, and Gabrielle Lemmons, 20, of 13 Rippowam Ave., Greenwich — allegedly tried to exit the store without paying for 28 items of clothing, police said.
The clothing was concealed inside a black duffle bag that was placed in a shopping cart. The total value of the clothing was $910, police said.
Deronville was charged with fifth-degree larceny and conspiracy. Lemmons received identical charges, plus an additional charge of interfering with an officer
They were both held on $1,000 bond and are due in court Sept. 5.
Virginia Beach Police charge family with stealing about $100,000 worth of property www.privateofficer.com
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.Aug 31 2012 - A couple and their daughter are accused of stealing about $100,000 worth of property from a business they were working at as a cleaning crew.
According to Grazia Moyers with the Virginia Beach Police Department, officers were alerted about a large scale theft at the T.J. Maxx located at 2356 Virginia Beach Boulevard on Aug. 27.
A loss prevention investigator for the business said investigators noticed large quantities of various items missing and found suspects removing large trash bags from the store.
The suspects, Slavtcho Andonav, 59, Tinka Andonova, 56, and Elvira Raycheva, 23, were employed as a contract cleaning company for T.J. Maxx, Moyers said. Investigators for T.J. Maxx believed the three had stolen from the store over a six month period.
Moyers said officers seized about $100,000 worth of stolen property from the trio’s home along Tivoli Crescent in Virginia Beach Wednesday. Officers believe they shipped a large quantity of stolen goods to their home in Bulgaria.
“There wasn’t much room [in the home,]” Beach detective Nicole Allday said. “It was packed from the floor all the way up. Every pantry, every cupboard, closet.”
Slavtcho Andonov and Tinka Andonova have been charged with five counts of grand larceny, two counts of petit larceny and three counts of conspiracy. Raycheva has been charged with receiving stolen property and conspiracy.
All are being held without bond at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center because they are considered a flight risk. All three were in the country legally and had work visas, according to police.
Moyers said the Department of Homeland Security is assisting in the investigation
Source:WAVY.com
Portland lifeguard honored for bravery www.privateofficer.com
PORTLAND, Ore. Aug 30 2012– Local lifeguards are being honored for their bravery, after their heroic efforts saved a 13-year-old girl who drowned in a Portland city swimming pool.
It was back in July when they pulled the girl from the bottom of the pool — and saved her life on the spot.
This group of 17- and 18-year-olds became life savers that day. And for that they received a well-deserved standing ovation Tuesday morning, at Wilson Pool in southeast Portland.
Portland’s Aquatics Director Nancy Roth calls the staff at Portland’s Wilson Pool “heroic” — acting “above and beyond.”
What happened?
That heroic act happened on a picture-perfect Portland day: 80 degrees Fahrenheit, blue skies. The Wilson Pool was crowded on July 19th, when lifeguard William Meier spotted something 12 feet under.
“I kinda saw something by the bottom by the diving board,” said lifeguard Garrett Wyman. “And then I heard a little girl say, ‘My sister’s at the bottom of the pool!’”
The 13-year-old girl at the bottom of the pool had been adopted from China just weeks before.
Immediately the 17-year-old says he blew his whistle and jumped in.
“I had a little trouble getting to her,” Wyman told KOIN, “because she was literally laying on the bottom of the pool so its like 12 feet.”
He pulled her to the top, laid her on his float and tilted her head back to open her airway.
“The second I hit the water, adrenaline pumping,” he said, “I just kind of went through the steps and I knew what to do.”
Wyman was doing rescue breaths in the water. He put the backboard in and pulled her up, basically extricating her in the pool. That’s when four other lifeguards jumped in to get the girl onto the pool deck.
“As soon as she started breathing,” said one of the lifeguards, William Meier, “it was relieving to know she was conscious again.”
EMTs say the lifeguards’ speed played a role in her survival: “They said the oxygen levels in her blood were pretty high,” Meier said.
As for Wyman, who blew that first whistle, “I’m glad she’s alive. I’m really glad I knew what to do.”
“I’m glad I can rely on everyone that I work with,” he told KOIN. “It’s nice to call for help, and turn around, and help’s already there.”
source-koin.com
Phoenix teacher-student’s mother arrested after sexual relationship crimes www.privateofficer.com
PHOENIX AZ Aug 30 2012 - Police have arrested a Phoenix teacher accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl. The teenager’s mom has also been arrested for knowingly allowing her daughter to be in the relationship, police said.
Phoenix police said they were contacted by school officials at Paradise Valley High School on Thursday about a possible inappropriate relationship between a student and a teacher.
During the investigation, police learned Jordan Doneskey, 26, had been in a relationship with the teen for several months.
“It’s kind of surprising cause he didn’t seem like he’d do anything like that, he seemed like a good teacher too, we had a sub today and I just thought he was sick or something, I didn’t know,” said sophomore Tyler Vandenheuval.
“I mean I think that’s sad, I mean I don’t think people should be doing that kind of thing. Especially from a teacher to a student,” said sophomore Ernesto Rocha.
Police also learned the girl’s mother had allowed her daughter to have a sexual relationship with Doneskey at her home. According to the police report, the mother knew since April and that both her daughter and the teacher told her their relationship was sexual in nature.
Police said the mother has had an extensive employment history with Child Protective Services and as a social worker had an obligation to report the relationship.
Police said Doneskey admitted his involvement and was booked into jail on one charge of sexual conduct with a minor. The girl’s mother was charged with child abuse and failure to report.
Donesky was arrested at home Thursday night.
“I just saw seven cops come up and my neighbor walk out in handcuffs,” said his next-door neighbor, Kendra Hamilton.
The name of the victim’s 49-year-old mother is being withheld to protect the identity of the victim.
Doneskey has been placed on administrative leave. He’s an English and journalism teacher at the school.
Paradise Valley School District released the following statement on Friday afternoon.
“The administration of Paradise Valley High School called Phoenix Police yesterday, Aug. 23, after a member of the school community expressed concern that teacher Jordan P. Doneskey was having a relationship with a 17-year-old female student at PVHS. Phoenix police arrested Doneskey last night, and also arrested the student’s mother, whom they report was aware of the relationship and approved of it.
“Doneskey was hired at PVHS in August 2009, possessed a valid fingerprint card from DPS, and has no disciplinary actions on his personnel record with the district. There is no indication at this time that he had relationships with any other students during his tenure at PVHS.
“Upon Doneskey’s arrest the Paradise Valley School District contacted the Arizona Department of Public Safety to invalidate his fingerprint clearance card, without which Doneskey cannot return to the classroom. Doneskey has been placed on paid leave, as required by state law (ARS 15-549, Compulsory leaves of absence for criminal charges, continued salary).”
Source:CBS5
Man posing as Bigfoot killed in Montana www.privateofficer.com
The man was wearing a military-style “Ghillie suit” consisting of strips of camouflage fabric and was standing in the right-hand lane of a highway south of Kalispell on Sunday night when he was hit by the first car, according to the Montana Highway Patrol. A second car hit the man as he lay in the roadway, authorities said.
Flathead County officials identified the man as Randy Lee Tenley, 44, of Kalispell. Trooper Jim Schneider said his motives were ascertained during interviews with friends, and alcohol may have been a factor but investigators were awaiting tests.
“He was trying to make people think he was Sasquatch so people would call in a Sasquatch sighting,” Schneider told the Daily Inter Lake newspaper on Monday. “You can’t make it up. I haven’t seen or heard of anything like this before. Obviously, his suit made it difficult for people to see him.”
Ghillie suits are a type of full-body clothing made to resemble heavy foliage and used to camouflage military snipers.
“He probably would not have been very easy to see at all,” Schneider told KECI-TV.
Tenley was struck by vehicles driven by two girls, ages 15 and 17, who were unable to stop in time, authorities said.
Source:keci-tv
Portland doctor indicted for manslaughter in death of friend www.privateofficer.com
PORTLAND OR Aug 30 2012– A Portland doctor was indicted by a grand jury on one count of manslaughter Tuesday for the late-night surgery that resulted in a friend’s death.
Dr. Soraya Abbassian began performing surgery on a 59-year-old employee and friend at about 10 p.m. on Dec. 15, according to the Oregon Medical Board. There was no support staff present at Abbassian’s Northeast Portland clinic at the time.
There were complications soon after Abbassian injected a local anesthetic into the woman’s skin, near her abdomen.
The patient complained of chest pains and shortness of breath before having a seizure and becoming unresponsive. Abbassian attempted to revive the patient “and administered about 15 chest compressions and then called 911,” according to the OMB’s order of emergency suspension for the doctor’s license.
Abbassian hired well-known Portland criminal defense lawyer Stephen Houze to represent her. Houze also represents Terri Horman in the cases against her related to the disappearance of 7-year-old Kyron Horman.
Emergency crews responding to the scene found the patient unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse. They said no CPR was being performed when they arrived. The patient was transported by ambulance to Portland Adventist Medical Center. She was maintained on life support until she was pronounced dead on the morning of Dec. 19.
The board determined Abbassian had not conducted a sufficient evaluation before the procedure began.
On Dec. 22, Abbassian told a board member she often performs dermatological procedures without support staff on site, the report said. She did not have an emergency “crash cart” on the premises.
She also told the board member she would call emergency services to her clinic “about six times a year,” the report showed.
Abbassian’s trial has been scheduled to begin on October 18.
source:kgw.com
Hyre Middle School education assistant arrested for raping two children www.privateofficer.com
Akron OH Aug 30 2012 An education assistant at Hyre Middle School has been arrested on charges of raping two children.
D’Juan Shields, 40, was arrested and booked into the Summit County Jail on Tuesday. He is charged by Akron police with two counts of rape of a child under 13 and three counts of gross sexual imposition.
Police spokesman Lt. Rick Edwards said the accusers are not students at Hyre.
The girls, who were 10 and 7 at the time of the alleged offenses, are the children of an acquaintance of Shields, Edwards said.
The offenses occurred, according to police, from December to April inside a Niagara Avenue home in Akron. The allegations were recently reported to police, Edwards said.
An attorney for Shields could not be immediately identified.
Akron Public Schools officials said Tuesday that Shields has been suspended from his position as an education assistant pending the outcome of the criminal case. He has worked for the district since 2006.
Shields faces a life sentence in prison, if convicted of the rape charges. Shields is scheduled to appear today in Akron Municipal Court for an initial hearing
source:thebeaconjournal.com
Police-security officers wrestle robbery suspects into custody www.privateofficer.com
STOCKTON CA Aug 30 2012 - Police twice subdued the suspect in an armed robbery who tried to flee from officers during a morning car chase Tuesday and again at a hospital hours later, officials said.
Ivon Lamont Walker, 41, held up the Jack in the Box at Pacific Avenue and Harding Way about 7:30 a.m. before he and his accomplice fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the Stockton Police Department.
The pair’s white Ford Explorer was found by officers near Sutter and Magnolia streets about 9 a.m. and a pursuit began, said Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the department.
The chase ended at Center and Clay streets when authorities moved into the Ford’s path and collided with it, Silva said.
Walker and his driver, identified by police as Roberta Collazo, 27, were being interrogated separately by police when he complained of pain. Officers took the handcuffed suspect to San Joaquin General Hospital for observation.
When police removed restraints so Walker could receive X-rays, he ran from the room toward the main lobby, police said.
A witness said she heard Walker fall as police and security guards were on his back.
“It was like a movie,” said Aja Smith, who was at the hospital with a family member. “I heard people running, and then the guy said ‘Whoa’ as he went down and was kicking the cops.” Walker was checked by a doctor, who cleared him to head to the San Joaquin County Jail, Silva said.
Investigators said they also suspect Walker is responsible for a stabbing in the 200 block of East Park Street on Thursday afternoon.
Orange County high school teacher had sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl www.privateofficer.com
WINTER GARDEN, Fla.Aug 30 2012 - A former Orange County high school teacher was arrested Monday on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl.
Andrew Parker Flavell, 29, who taught at West Orange High School but resigned in May, was arrested by Winter Garden police on a charge of lewd or lascivious battery.
According to an arrest affidavit, the girl’s parents contacted police on Monday to discuss her relationship with Flavell, who previously disclosed to authorities that he had kissed the teen.
The girl’s father said Flavell continued to contact his daughter, who admitted to having sex with Flavell about 25 times, the arrest report stated. The girl said the sex occurred at her home and Flavell’s home, according to the report.
Flavell also sent sexually explicit text messages to the teen. He had been teaching biology at West Orange High for 9 months, according to Orange County Public Schools.
Flavell was arrested and said he wanted an attorney present when detectives attempted to interview him, according to police.
source-orlando.com
