Virginia man arrested for taping photos of naked women to his front door

Fredericksburg VA March 31 2013 A 68-year-old Virginia man has been charged with the unlawful display of obscene materials after neighbors complained about photos of naked women taped to his front door.

James Albert Frost was arrested Wednesday evening near his home at the Apartments at Cobblestone Square in Fredericksburg, Va., just one month after moving in.

Police said neighbors began complaining about Frost almost immediately after he moved into the apartment complex at the end of February. He allegedly posted numerous photographs of nude women on his apartment door. Several neighbors also reported that Frost made disturbing and inappropriate sexual remarks when he passed them outside, police said. Frost is currently being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond and is due in court in April. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information can call 540-654-5792.
Source: Washington Post

Las Vegas residential care facility resident charged with 2 homicides www.privateofficer.com

LAS VEGAS NV Jan 1 2013– A man is in custody after two people were found dead Sunday morning at a residential care facility in the 3700 block of West Washington Avenue.

Metro’s Dispatch Center received a call at 4:40 a.m. from medical personnel advising they had responded to an injured person call at the residential care facility.
Upon their arrival, they discovered two people inside deceased from apparent blunt force trauma.

Police say they discovered a 59-year-old female caregiver and an 82-year-old resident dead.

Detectives say they found resident David Settle on his bed wearing only a diaper. Settle told authorities he had killed the two with a hammer before going to the store and buying wine, cigars and coffee.

Police say Settle didn’t explain why he had killed the two. He told officials he later tried to cut and beat himself to commit suicide.

Settle was booked on suspicion of murder.

This incident remains under investigation. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or at http://www.crimestoppersofnv.com.

Source:KSNC/AP

Three Dead in Calif. Senior Center Murder/Suicide www.privateofficer.com

TORRANCE, Calif. Nov 23 2012(AP) — Three people died Tuesday in what appears to be a double murder-suicide at a senior citizens’ high-rise south of Los Angeles, police said.

A man in his 80s apparently shot two women shortly after noon before turning the gun on himself in the lobby of the Golden West Tower apartments in Torrance, said Sgt. Robert Watt.

One of the women was an employee of the apartment complex, but victim identities are being withheld until next of kin is notified, Watt said.

Witness Arturo Ramirez, who works at the Golden West Towers, told the Los Angeles Times he locked himself in an office to call 911 after seeing a man who lived in the facility holding a gun.

Ramirez said he heard one of the women killed say, “Please, no! Please!” and then heard two gunshots. A final gunshot came a few minutes later.

Police are still investigating the man’s motive, but residents and staff from the senior center told NBC4 that the man had been behaving erratically, and many of them were seeking to have him kicked out of the complex.

“People knew that he was a little bit off,” Golden Tower employee Alex Galindo told the TV station. “People were warned, but nobody did anything, so I know there’s going to be blood on a lot of people’s hands. That’s all I can say at this point.”

A handgun was recovered at the scene.

Watt said the building’s management had received complaints about the alleged shooter but police were never alerted.

Police were trying to obtain surveillance camera recordings of the shooting, he said.

According to the city of Torrance’s website, Golden West Towers is a 180-unit, privately owned and operated facility. The low- and moderate-income housing is for seniors who can live independently.

A call to building management wasn’t answered Tuesday night, and the voicemail box was full.

The incident was the latest in a string of murder-suicides at senior centers in Southern California in recent years.

In a shooting last month, investigators suspect 45-year-old Colin McGrattan shot and killed his ex-wife and her two nieces at O’Connor Woods Senior Living center in Stockton before killing himself.

 In 2010, 77-year-old Arthur Baar shot and killed his wife, Caryl, 72, before turning the gun on himself in Laguna Woods, the south Orange County retirement community formerly known as Leisure World.

Elderly shoplifter shot numerous times after opening fire on police www.privateofficer.com

STANFORD KY Nov 19 2012 — An elderly man accused of shooting at a Stanford police officer in front of Walmart appeared for a preliminary hearing Thursday, after several months of rescheduling.

Jackie Murphy, 71, did not approach the front of the courtroom while his case was heard before Judge Bill Oliver.

Murphy’s attorney, David Marshall, and Lincoln County Attorney Daryl Day discussed the case with Oliver in near-whispers that couldn’t be heard in the main courtroom seating area.

A circuit court clerk employee confirmed Thursday afternoon that Murphy’s case had been waived to a grand jury.

Murphy, a Harrodsburg resident, was charged with attempted murder after a shoot-out with Stanford police officer Tim Morris at the Murphy USA gas station in Stanford on Aug 20.

Murphy was shot four times below the waist during the incident and taken from the scene by ambulance. At his court appearance Thursday, he was able to walk but struggled to descend the courthouse stairs afterward.

According to police, Murphy was confronted by Walmart security after attempting to shoplift some sandpaper. Murphy fled the store and ran toward the gas station, opening fire on Morris’ cruiser as it pulled in.

Morris was responding to Walmart’s report of a shoplifter.

Murphy was transferred to a medical facility at the Kentucky State Reformatory in La Grangeshortly after the incident, where he remained until he posted a $200,000 property bond on Oct. 5.

Friends in Harrodsburg have said Murphy is a Vietnam veteran who appeared to be under increased amounts of stress in the days leading up to the shooting.

Murphy wore a Vietnam veteran hat to his court appearance Thursday. He did not comment to the media as Marshall ushered him out of the building to a vehicle.

Source-Central Kentucky News

92-year-old vegetable vendor robbed by teens www.privateofficer.com

 

 

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, SC March 28 2012 - If you looked at Palmer Boulware’s land in Fairfield County, you’d see a plow that looks a little antiquated and a barn that seems a little weathered.

But a closer look would show that Boulware’s soil is fresh and his shovel is just as sharp as his 92-year-old mind. But what’s his secret?

“Just working like a dog. All I know. I never did smoke, I never did drink,” Boulware said.

Boulware, a World War II vet, moved to Fairfield County in the 40′s. He grows tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash.

In the off-season, he buys potatoes and onions and sells them out of his truck. On Friday, his truck was at the corner of College and Spring streets in downtown Winnsboro. Seems like a normal day, right? Wrong.

Chief Fred Lorick explains.

“From what I understand, two of the kids came up and acted like they wanted to buy something, other kid grabbed his wallet. Of course, all of them ran,” Lorick said.

That’s right, the kindly vegetable vendor was robbed.

“I guess the police are questioning them up, don’t know if I’ll get the money back or not,” Boulware said.

Boulware says the group got away with a “couple hundred dollars” of his money. A couple hundred dollars is a lot when you consider that Boulware likes to do things the old way. Take his bananas for example. Boulware sells a 2-pound bushel for $2.

“It’s really kind of a shame that he has to worry about some kids taking his money,” Lorick said.

The chief says what’s equally surprising about the suspects is their ages: a 14-year-old boy, a 15-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl.

“All indications are she was the ringleader,” Lorick said. “That’s kind of unusual.”

Due to the fact that the teens are minors, we cannot identify them, but we can tell you that all three of them face strong armed robbery charges.

It’s not clear if Boulware will ever see the money again. He thinks there is a chance the robbers — more than 70 years his minors — may reap what they sow. As will he.

Boulware says he’ll continue to sell his wares regardless of the robbery.

“I reckon I’ll try ’til they knock me out,” Boulware said. “I reckon.”

Source:WIS

70-year-old Gwinnett County man charged with murder in strangulation death of wife www.privateofficer.com

 

 

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. March 26 2012— A 70-year-old Gwinnett County man is facing murder charges for the strangulation death of his wife.

Jail records show Alex Blatt was arrested Friday afternoon and charged with the crime. He is being held at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Blatt had been hospitalized at the Gwinnett Medical Center since Monday, when investigators discovered the body of his 62-year-old wife Eva Blatt at their home.

Authorities say Alex Blatt strangled his wife and attempted to kill himself but survived his injuries.

Police have not released details about a possible motive and an attorney for Blatt wasn’t immediately identified.

102 Year old NC man shoots wife, commits suicide www.privateofficer.com

 

 

GREENSBORO, NC Feb 24 2012 (AP) – Police in Greensboro say a 102-year-old man shot and wounded his 84-year-old wife before killing himself.

Authorities said in a statement that officers responded to a report of shots being fired at a home on the northeast side of the city around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

When they arrived, they found Theodore Delano Larkin Jr. dead at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot. Police said Gloria Laurette Larkin was suffering from gunshot wounds, and was taken by ambulance to Moses Cone Hospital where her condition is described as non-life threatening.

Investigators have not determined a motive for the shooting and are continuing to look into the incident.

Elderly Nassau County security officer beaten-injured www.privateofficer.com

 

Nassau County NY Nov 21 2011 A Greenport man was arrested Saturday afternoon after allegedly assaulting a security guard at the Five Towns Shopping Center in North Woodmere

According to Nassau County detectives, around 3 p.m., Steven Pirrera, 36, of Greenport, approached a male victim, 74, who was working as a security guard in a security guard vehicle in the parking lot of Five Towns Shopping Center, and attempted to open one of the car’s doors.
Pirrera, who had lost keys hours earlier, was upset that the security guard wasn’t able to find his keys.
The victim, not knowing why the defendant would try to open his car door, drove a short distance away.

Pirrera approached the victim a second time, forcibly removed him from the car, threw him to the pavement and punched him several times on the head and face, police said. The victim then called police.

According to police, a Nassau County police ambulance transported the victim, who suffered pain throughout his body and sustained a laceration above his eye requiring sutures, to a local hospital for treatment.

Fourth Precinct officers responded to the scene and placed Pirrera under arrest.

Pirrera is being charged with assault in the second degree and was arraigned on Sunday in First District Court in Hempstead.

29-year-old Virginia woman faces prison in death of 77 yr old husband www.privateofficer.com

 

Bedford County VA Oct 22 2011 A 29-year-old Virginia woman could spend the next 40 years in prison for savagely beating her 77-year-old boyfriend to death with his own cane last year.

Kristina N. Pongracz pleaded no contest to second degree murder in Bedford County court on Tuesday.

She was charged with attacking her sugar daddy beau, William Herchenrider, with his own cane at his home in Goode, Va., on May 4 2010.

Herchenrider spent weeks in a hospital after the incident and then died on Aug. 25.

An autopsy showed he died from complications related to his injuries.

Investigators said Pongracz flew into a rage after Herchenrider tried to break off their relationship and kick her out of his 20-acre estate in rural southern Virginia.

On the night of the beating, investigators said Pongracz attacked her elderly boyfriend in a drunken rage, ripped his flesh with her fingernails, threw patio furniture at him and nearly tore his ear off, according to a report in the Roanoke Times.

The two had been together for about a decade after first hooking up while she worked as his receptionist, according to local reports.

Herchenrider was a former president and CEO of Delta Star Inc., which manufactures electrical transformers.

The second degree murder charge carries a five- to 40-year prison term and a fine of up to $100,000.

Pongracz’s defense attorney has said that she suffers from bipolar disorder and other mental problems.

Gulfport MS man kills woman, disabled son and commits suicide www.privateofficer.com

 

GULFPORT, MS Oct 11 2011 – An outbreak of violence in a normally quiet Orange Grove neighborhood ended with three people dead, a community in shock, and a lot of unanswered questions.

Authorities say they believe 70-year-old Paul Buckman killed 45-year old Karen Denise Ferguson and her 21-year old son Trevor Cole Ferguson before turning the gun on himself.

Monday afternoon around 2:00, a 5 year old boy ran out of his Kent Avenue home in Orange Grove, hitting on his neighbor’s doors screaming that a bad man was hurting his mommy. Two female neighbors ran back with him to his house, they pushed the door open to find a man covered in blood holding a gun to a woman’s head, then he turned the gun on them. That’s when they say the boy’s mother screamed and begged them to save her baby, so they grabbed the small boy, ran away and called police.

Gulfport Deputy Chief of Police Leonard Papania said, “We responded to a complaint of a disturbance up here on the 1200 block of Kent avenue when the officers arrived here ultimately we found two deceased adults.”

Shot dead in their home was the 45 year old Karen Ferguson and her 21 year old disabled son Trevor. The grief stricken husband and father barely able to stand on his own after hearing the horrific news, is Reverend Les Ferguson. He is the pastor of the nearby Orange Grove Church of Christ in Gulfport.

Many of the members of his congregation arrived at the scene. As many of them sobbed, they consoled each other through absolute disbelief and heartbreak.

The two neighbors who had rushed the Ferguson’s 5-year-son out of the home and away from harm, helped police figure out 70-year-old Paul Ellis Buckman was their suspect. Heavily armed police officers and SWAT teams in full gear knew he wasn’t in the home anymore; they raced to find him and a motive.

Papania said, “Some sort of disturbance between them and that’s what we’re trying to find out now.”

Once police ran Buckman’s name and criminal history, the connection became clear. Less than three months ago, the Ferguson family filed sexual battery charges against Paul Buckman for allegedly molesting one of their family members. Police knew Buckman was armed and dangerous, so capturing him quickly was their top priority.

As they searched for Buckman authorities flooded the news and internet with his image.

Within two hours that manhunt led to the nearby Creekwood North apartment complex.

Clearing traffic along Oneal Road, authorities pulled out all the stops to find the suspect.

Gulfport Police Chief Alan Weatherford said, “There was witnesses to the crime. A suspect was seen leaving the residence. That’s how we were able to obtain his name so quickly.”

After clearing out the other residents, police began a sweep of the apartment complex. When authorities entered Buckman’s apartment, they found a gruesome scene.

Chief Weatherford said, “Paul Buckman, the individual we obtained warrants for today for the double murder, has been located deceased in his apartment.”

Found in his bathtub, shot dead, Buckman’s death is believed to be the result of a self inflicted gunshot wound.

Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove said, “Of course an autopsy is going to be pending on all three to make sure that the perpetrator is a self-inflicted wound and that the other two are not self-inflicted in fact, that they are homicide victims.”

Authorities immediately began gathering evidence searching Buckman’s apartment and took possession of his vehicle. While the violence appears to be over, the investigation into the deaths is only beginning.

Chief Weatherford said, “It’s just a sad tragedy. You had a child there at the scene who was able to escape the residence who saw some of this activity. It’s heart breaking for this community and just a difficult time for the family.”

Source:WLOX

Elderly shoplifter bites, pulls knife on loss prevention www.privateofficer.com

 

Somerville MA Sept 11 2011 Loss Prevention personnel at the K-MART store on Middlesex Avenue got more than they bargained for when they detained an alleged shoplifter last Sunday, according to reports.

Aniello Tiberi, 75, of Medford, was reportedly spotted putting a CD in his pocket and was stopped as he tried to leave the store.

While awaiting the arrival of police, Tiberi allegedly pulled a pocketknife on store employees and reportedly bit one of them.

He was eventually disarmed and charged with shoplifting by asportation and assault with a dangerous weapon.

Source:Somerville News

PA police officer-father arrested in death of woman www.privateofficer.com

 

Washington County PA July 24 2011 A police officer and his father were taken into custody this evening in connection with the killing of an elderly Washington County woman.

David A. McClelland, 56, of Coal Center, has been charged with criminal homicide and burglary in the stabbing of Evelyn Stepko at her home in Coal Center. She was 92.

The son, David J. McClelland, 36, a Washington Township police officer, was arrested but not yet charged in the killing, authorities said. Both men lived near Ms. Stepko.

His father had been cutting the victim’s grass for the last year and a half. Over that stretch, Ms. Stepko had reported at least four burglaries. David A. McClelland was linked to the crime scene by a fingerprint on a bloody latex glove found there, according to authorities.

District Attorney Steve Toprani said Ms. Stepko was “a captive in her own home.”

Mr. Toprani believed the men had “unfettered access” to her house and that Ms. Stepko kept significant amounts of cash in the house.

David A. McClelland was arrested at a Sam’s Club in Washington, Pa., about 7:30 this evening. David J. McClelland surrendered to state police at 4:30 this afternoon.

Neighbors, concerned that they hadn’t seen Ms. Stepko, contacted law enforcement officers who found her body on Monday.

Ms. Stepko, a retired crossing guard, lived alone in a house on Pike Run Road and didn’t drive.

Neighbors said that there had been a number of recent break-ins in the area recently, and last week Ms. Stepko called a neighbor to say there were people behind her house. A neighbor chased them away with a shotgun. At some point, too, the woman’s phone lines were cut, police said

Souce:www.post-gazette.com

SC man ties up-assaults 92 yr old woman reading bible www.privateofficer.com

 

EASLEY, SC July 21 2011(AP) – Pickens County deputies say they have arrested a man who bound a 92-year-old woman to her bed with tape during a robbery and slapped her when she tried to remove a cloth covering his face.

Investigators say 43-year-old Samuel Stephens used a screwdriver to force open a storm door Friday, surprising the woman as she read her Bible.

Authorities say Stephens demanded money and jewelry, then bound the woman to her bed with painter’s tape before pulling her phone cords out of the wall.

Deputies say the woman freed herself and went to her nephew’s house next door to call 911.

Stephens was arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary, strong arm robbery and kidnapping. It wasn’t clear if he had an attorney.

Shoplifter given prison time www.privateofficer.com

EPHRATA WA Feb 28 2010
By: Brett Davis/Staff
PRIVATE OFFICER NEWS
http://www.privateofficer.com/ — A minor shoplifting incident has landed one Moses Lake woman in prison for trying steal beer, soda and party supplies from Walmart.

Dora T. Quintero, 60, pleaded guilty to burglary in the second degree in Grant County Superior Court and was sentenced to more than three years behind bars.

Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz, followed the prosecutor’s recommendation, sentencing the woman to three years and 2.25 months in prison, the low end of the state-mandated sentencing range.

The reason for such a harsh sentenced for shoplifting is that Quintero has 13 previous convictions, including burglary, theft and violations of the uniform controlled substances act and at least six other shoplifting cases.

Walmart loss prevention officers stopped the woman as she tried to leave the store with a cart full of beer and soda along with a bag of party supplies, according to a Moses Lake police report. The woman admitted she intended to steal the items.