Archive
Church employee charged in $100,000 theft www.privateofficer.com
Prosecutors say Donna Rood was indicted on charges of larceny by embezzlement over $250 and making false entries in corporate books.
Authorities say the 47-year-old Rood was responsible for counting collections at St. Mary Magdalen in Tyngsborough from 2003 until June 2009. Prosecutors allege she often kept some of the cash donations and deposited the money in her personal account.
Her alleged theft was discovered by a priest who noticed that Rood’s counts of the money was consistently lower than his own.
There was no answer at a listing for Donna Rood in Tyngsborough on Wednesday. No arraignment date has been scheduled.
Security officers subdue armed man at PA. church www.privateofficer.com
Bishop Otis Carswell says security guards hired for services were able to wrestle what turned out to be a BB gun away from the man after he entered Potter’s House Ministries in Mount Olive, near Pittsburgh.
Carswell says the suspect struck his stepfather, a deacon at the church, in the ear with the weapon before entering the church. No shots were fired.
Police did not identify the suspect, who is facing assault charges.
Carswell says the young man has been dealing with family issues.
Pastor admits to killing deacon in love triangle www.privateofficer.com
source:wsbtv — Former pastor Richard Scott Harper pleaded guilty to the 2004 killing of church deacon Thad John Reynolds Wednesday. Harper killed Thad Reynolds in a deadly love triangle, police said.
As part of the plea deal, Harper will testify against his former lover and Thad Reynolds’ widow, Michelle Sullins Reynolds, and in return, the state will not seek the death penalty against her.
Officials said Harper’s prerequisites in making the deal was that not only would he not face the death penalty, Michelle Reynolds wouldn’t either. Harper is expected to receive life without the possibility of parole.
On July 5, 2004, Harper stabbed Thad Reynolds, a 36-year-old father of four, to death when he arrived at the northwest Georgia Frito-Lay distribution center where Reynolds was a district manager. Police said Reynolds was stabbed 19 times.
Michelle Sullins Reynolds is accused of conspiring with her lover to have her husband killed. Thad Reynolds was stabbed to death in 2004.
Both Harper and the Reynolds family attended Hollywood Baptist Church in Rome where Harper was an assistant pastor and Thad Reynolds was a deacon and marriage counselor.
Harper was the one who stabbed Thad Reynolds to death, police said, and Michelle Reynolds is accused of conspiring to kill Thad Reynolds. Police said an affair between Michelle Reynolds and Harper led to the attack.
“I think he feels very responsible for the death of Thad Reynolds. He feels very guilty about it, ashamed about it and I think he was relieved to be able to come to court and accept responsibility for it today,” said defense attorney Christopher Adams.
“Of course I’d like to go forward with it but you have to work with the evidence you’ve got. And if I have the opportunity to shore my case up against another defendant, then I think I’m going to take it,” said district attorney Leigh Patterson.
Church secretary charged with stealing more than $200,000
Dawn Taylor Robinson, 40, of Buchanan, was arrested Thursday, said Haralson County Sheriff Eddie Mixon.
Mixon said the pastor of Victory Fellowship on Hwy 27 in North Bremen became suspicious after one of the church’s checks was returned for insufficient funds.
The Rev. Sidney Garner contacted the sheriff’s department. According to reports filed with the Sheriff’s Office, Robinson may have taken as much as $400,000.
Some of the money was allegedly deposited into an account in Oxford, Ala.
Robinson faces 332 counts of theft by taking and is free from the Haralson County Jail on a $300,000 bond.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation.
Avondale Arizona teacher charged with rape of student www.privateofficer.com
Brian Willner, 35, was booked into the Fourth Avenue Jail on one count each of sexual assault and sexual abuse of a minor. He was arrested at his Litchfield Park home at 1:15 p.m., Avondale police spokesman Rueben Gonzales said.
The girl, a special education student, told her mom on April 16 that Willner raped her at the Avondale school a few weeks earlier, according to an Avondale police report. The report gives the following account:
Willner excused the girl from class and brought her into his office. He grabbed her by the arms and took her to the ground. She told officers “she was unable to defend herself because she was not strong enough” and “she felt a lot of pain.”
The girl confronted Willner about the alleged rape. He threatened to “kill” her mother if she told anyone what happened.
Once her mom found out, she brought her daughter to Banner Boswell Medical Center in Sun City and called police. A nurse examined the girl and found evidence of rape through internal bruising and cuts. She also tested positive for Chlamydia.
Interviewed at the police station, Willner denied raping the girl. He volunteered to a “computer voice stress analysis test,” which showed “deception with answers pertaining to” the rape accusations, the report states.
Investigators obtained a court order to test Willner for Chlamydia, which came back positive Monday.
The girl “suffers” from bipolar disorder, psychosis and ADHD, according to the police report. Police believe the alleged rape was a one-time occurrence, but are looking into the possibility of additional victims.
Dennis Runyan, superintendent of the Agua Fria Union High School District, told The Arizona Republic on Monday afternoon that Willner had been on paid leave from the school, 530 E. Riley Drive, since police “requested an opportunity to speak with him” Friday.
District and school officials said they’ll cooperate fully with police during the investigation. Runyan said a letter will be sent home to parents Tuesday.
“The school has made appropriate arrangements to cover the teacher’s classes and other professional responsibilities,” Runyan wrote in a statement Monday. “Our Number One priority is always the safety of all of our students.”
Willner started his career in the Litchfield Elementary School District in 2002 and worked in special education programs at Verrado Elementary School in Buckeye and White Tanks Learning Center near Buckeye.
“I thought he always made decisions in the best interests of our kids. He was a good employee,” said Heather Cruz, Litchfield’s assistant superintendent, who was Verrado Elementary School’s principal while Willner worked there.
Willner left Litchfield in 2008 because of “other opportunities,” according to his resignation letter obtained by The Republic.
Agua Fria High School Principal Matt Smith hired Willner in 2008.
On line church security team training
Atlanta GA May 3 2010
The Public Safety Training Institute, a division of Private Officer International now offers a 12 module church security team training online.
Bill Watkins, educational services manager said that the modules will take any security team member from the basic introductions of security and walk them through the use of force, patrol techniques, customer service, trespass laws, dealing with disturbances and responding to bomb threats and armed intruders.
All course material and exams are provided online in a secured classroom and can be taken at the students pace.
For more information contact trainingdivision@privateofficer.com
Museum president backs guard union www.privateofficer.com
Most of the 130 security guards voted themselves into a union last year. But so far they have not been recognized by their employer, Allied Barton, which contracts with the Museum. When the Museum’s new director, Timothy Rub, took office last year, he refused to endorse either side.
But in a letter to City Councilman Bill Greenlee, Rub urged Allied Barton to listen to the security guards’ requests.
Union spokesman Fabricio Rodriguez says Rub’s support means a lot.
Rodriguez: “The letter from Director Rub was an enormous development. We’re glad Rub has joined the majority at the museum, councilman Greenlee, and the National Labor Relations Board in calling on Allied Barton to recognize union and improving museum security.”
The National Labor Relations Board has ruled that Allied Barton must negotiate with the union. The company has appealed.
The guards are fighting for higher pay and better working conditions. They also say they need more emergency training to help safeguard the museum’s visitors and masterpieces.
Fort Detrick security sues for back pay www.privateofficer.com
The workers filed the class action suit in March in Prince George’s County Circuit Court. They are seeking $5 million in punitive damages, plus compensatory damages and legal fees.
The plaintiffs, represented by the Hermina Law Group of Laurel, claim they worked 12-hour holiday shifts but were paid for only eight hours. The suit also alleges Eagle Technologies collected money from the employees for 401(k) plans, but failed to set them up.
Among other complaints, the employees — who worked or still work as armed and unarmed guards at Fort Detrick’s National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center — say Eagle failed to reimburse them for uniforms and other work-related expenses despite promising to do so; paid lower-than-contracted rates; failed to pay overtime when warranted; and failed to process medical claims. Most of the plaintiffs started working for Eagle about a year ago.
About 30 Eagle Technologies security guards work at Fort Detrick, said William Shank of Hagerstown, one of the plaintiffs. Eagle’s contract with the base pays $22 million for its five-year duration, he said.
Shank said when his supervisor shared the plaintiffs’ concerns with management, she was suspended without pay. Shank also alleges Eagle Technologies officials lost his information packet — needed to obtain a top-secret clearance — four times.
Eagle Technologies provides armed and unarmed security officers, background investigations and support training services to the federal government and private sector, according to its Web site. As of November, it had about 400 employees and, as of February, annual sales of $7.1 million, according to business research company Dun & Bradstreet.
In June, minority-owned Eagle won its second Small Business Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The company also won the award in 2007.
Eagle was recognized for its service to the agency headquarters, Science Technology Directorate, at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center in New York.
Eagle is represented by Richard C. Daniels of College Park. Eagle officials did not respond to requests for comment. Attorneys for both parties could not be reached for comment.
Former teacher charged with sexual contact with students www.privateofficer.com
Zellner is behind bars in Manitowoc County jail, accused of sexually assaulting multiple female students at Kiel High School.
“I guess I was floored to see the results of the police investigation,” says Kiel Area School District Superintendent John Lewis.
Kiel police say the alleged incidents involve text messages mostly to 15-year-old girls. Zellner was a social studies teacher and girls basketball coach at the school before he resigned amid the allegations March 31st.
“We’re talking about young victims who are very vulnerable and this is something you would hope none of your children in your community or your own family would have to deal with,” says Kiel Police Chief David Funkhouser.
Zellner previously taught in Green Bay and West De Pere and came highly recommended according to Lewis.
Lewis also says Zellner was talked to last fall about inappropriate text messages to students after complaints by fellow teachers. Although no allegations of sexual contact were made at the time.
“I thought that based on my meetings with him and the principal’s meeting with him revolving around the text messaging that that situation would have resolved itself,” Lewis says.
Zellner is expected to be charged with four felonies and police say they believe there could be more victims in the area.
“We’ve identified multiple victims and we’ve interviewed quite a number of students,” Funkhouser says.
Police are asking anyone else with information on this case to come forward. Counseling is also being made available for victims and students if needed.
Armored car guard shot in robbery www.privateofficer.com
Police were called at 12:51 p.m. to the Town Centre shopping complex after shots were fired, said Riverside police Sgt. Jaybee Brennan, a department spokeswoman.
The officers found a white Pendum armored car parked with a back door open in front of the bank’s main entrance. One of the vehicle’s guards had been shot three times in the torso, police said.
Witnesses said they heard several gunshots, Brennan said.
The guard was taken to Riverside Community Hospital, Brennan said.
His condition was not available and a phone call seeking information from the hospital was not returned.
Police said the guard got out of the armored car and walked into the bank. As he was coming back out, at least two men wearing hoods walked up to him and demanded money, police said. One then shot the guard.
The men fled with cash in a blue Chevrolet Astro van that police said had been stolen. It was found abandoned on El Cerrito Drive, on the west side of the shopping center.
Police do not know whether the robbers got into another vehicle or ran away.
The only description police would provide was that the men wore hoods. Only one was believed to have been armed.
Customers were in the bank at the time but were not hurt, Brennan said.
A police helicopter circled the neighborhood just south of the shopping center while investigators, including Riverside police and FBI agents, cordoned off the parking lot in front of the bank with yellow crime-scene tape. They said they expected the bank and lot to be closed for several hours during the investigation.
Marjorie Lierz, 25, of Riverside, was having lunch at Subs & Spuds in the same building as the bank when the shots were fired. A half-dozen people sitting by the window fled to the other side of the room, she said.
It was the fifth time in 10 years that the bank branch has been robbed, news reports in The Press-Enterprise indicate.
Fire Chief Paul Barth arrested for embezzlement www.privateofficer.com
Source:Courier-Journal.com Paul Barth, the longtime McMahan Fire chief who chaired the Crusade for Children’s board of directors, has been indicted on federal charges of embezzling at least $189,000 in Crusade funds.
Barth, 53, faces 16 charges accusing him of taking the money from a fire district account earmarked for the Crusade for Children to pay himself extra salary, make cash withdrawals for himself and pay other personal expenses, according to the indictment issued Monday.
The charges carry up to 150 years in prison and a $4 million fine.
Barth, who was removed in January as the Crusade’s chairman after the allegations surfaced, is expected to appear voluntarily before a federal magistrate, though that has not been set, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
He resigned from the fire district in January, offering to repay any debts “real or perceived.” At the time, he was serving a suspension because the district’s board had leveled administrative charges of financial mismanagement against him, including allegations that he used a department credit card to pay personal expenses.
He had been on unpaid suspension since a Nov. 24 board meeting. No hearings against Barth were held because he resigned.
Barth has not commented to the newspaper. And his attorney, Charles Ricketts, who has repeatedly said that Barth did nothing wrong, did not return calls Monday seeking comment.
McMahan officials also declined to comment on the indictment Monday.
Mike Harlamert, president of the McMahan fire district’s board, said the organization is continuing to review and revise all financial policies and several new policies have been put in place, he said.
“We’re trying to make sure that we do have everything in place so we can catch something like this,” Harlamert said.
Crusade officials issued a statement Monday, saying they were “disappointed to learn” about the charges against Barth and the potential “negative impact that such actions have had on the Crusade.”
The organization stressed that the account involved in the criminal allegations was not managed by the Crusade or part of its accounting system.
Barth was chairman of the Crusade’s board of directors when those charges surfaced, but he was removed from that position in January.
“We want to assure our donors that we make every effort to safeguard all contributions that we receive,” the Crusade statement said.
“As a result of what we have learned from the Barth case, we have examined and strengthened our procedures with our partner agencies to ensure that all donations reach the Crusade and the children of Kentuckiana.”
According to the indictment, Barth used a McMahan fire district business account he opened in 1998 at National City Bank that was labeled for the Crusade for Children in a “scheme” to defraud the public, the fire district and the Crusade. He was the only signer on the account.
Over the years, money solicited through the Crusade by McMahan firefighters was deposited in that account — including $218,995 from 2004 to 2009, according to the indictment.
Bank records show that from 2004 to 2009, Barth fraudulently withdrew $104,371 from that account, the indictment states. During that time, Barth also transferred about $51,670 from the account to McMahan’s general fund to pay himself salary he was not entitled to and to pay credit card bills that included personal expenses, the indictment alleges.
The indictment also details a sampling of personal expenses made from the McMahan Crusade account, including $300 to Hikes Point Optimist and four payments totaling more than $6,400 to Miller Print Group.
About $25,783 also was taken from the department’s Crusade account to pay credit card bills that included personal expenses, the indictment says.
The indictment says Barth fraudulently obtained 13 additional paychecks from McMahan.
Some of the counts in the indictment stem from Barth’s use of the department credit card for personal use, totaling nearly $40,000 in charges.
The cited charges include an April 14, 2009, payment of about $10,800 to Jefferson County for vehicle property taxes.
Twelve of the charges against Barth involve money laundering through the department’s Crusade account, according to the indictment.
Apartment security officer shot still critical www.privateofficer.com
The other security guard shot, William St. Peter, 54, was still in Miami Valley Hospital. His condition was not listed.
Police said Tuesday that the security guard wearing a protective vest during the shooting was in stable condition and expected to go home soon, while the other guard, shot in the torso, was taken to the hospital in critical condition and had undergone emergency surgery.
Christopher Beatty-Jones, the suspect in the shooting, which occurred around 1 a.m. Tuesday, was taken into custody at his home at 3933 Prescott Ave. shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on a felonious assault charge.
The guards were shot when questioning a passenger, Jodi Grigsby, in the vehicle Beatty-Jones had fled upon their approach. Beatty-Jones returned and fired five times at the officers, hitting each one of them once.
Just last week, on March 22, Grigsby and Beatty-Jones were together near the Summit Square Apartments when Grigsby was shot in the arm, according to a police report, which stated Beatty-Jones said he was there to buy $50 worth of marijuana when someone shot at their vehicle.
Police officer charged with immigrant smuggling www.privateofficer.com
Dizdul says Haley drove up to the checkpoint in a Chevy Tahoe with a female passenger. Dizdul says Haley presented a Mexican border crossing card for the woman that actually belonged to her sister. Authorities determined the woman had no legal documents to enter the U.S.
Haley is being held at the San Diego Metropolitan Correction Center as he awaits federal charges.
CPO Michael Ciaverelli named Officer of the Year www.privateofficer.com
PALM BEACH GARDENS Fla March 29 2010 — Saving lives and putting out fires is all in a day’s work for Custom Protection Officer® Michael Ciaverelli. Assigned to the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) account, G4S Wackenhut’s Fort Lauderdale office honored CPO Ciaverelli’s courage and valor by naming him the 2009 Security Officer of the Year.
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) and G4S Wackenhut management recognized CPO Ciaverelli during the SFRTA Governing Board meeting on Friday, March 26th. “The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority salutes CPO Ciaverelli for his bravery and commends him for his dedication to serving our passengers and the public. His background is typical of the type of officers who provide safety and security for our passengers on their daily travels,” said SFRTA Chair Jeff Koons.
CPO Ciaverelli is normally on duty at the Tri-Rail station in West Palm Beach. Recently, he heard an explosion and observed a fireball come from underneath a southbound Amtrak train that was stopped in the station. He quickly cleared the area of passengers and extinguished the fire. Because of his timely action and attention to duty, no one was injured. A few months prior to this, he saved a young man determined to end his life by walking into an oncoming train. CPO Ciaverelli observed him jump on the tracks, professing, “I am waiting to die.” He was able to talk the man off the tracks and took him to a safe location while waiting for the police to arrive. The man was transported to a mental health facility for assessment and treatment.
“We are proud of CPO Michael Ciaverelli and congratulate him on an exceptional job,” says G4S Wackenhut President Drew Levine. “Our ability to provide unrivalled security solutions to our valued clients like the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority is directly tied to exceptional employees like Michael Ciaverelli.”
CPO Ciaverelli joined G4S Wackenhut in 2008 after serving in the Navy for more than 20 years as a Law Enforcement Specialist and Anti-Terrorism Training Supervisor Instructor. G4S Wackenhut has been recognized for its military outreach efforts, including being named a Top 50 Military-Friendly Employer® by G.I. Jobs magazine and a Most Valuable Employer (MVE) for Military™ by CivilianJobs.com. These awards spotlight the company’s Custom Protection Officer® (CPO) division, which was created with veterans in mind. CPO Ciaverelli’s military and law enforcement background is characteristic of the security officers who provide safety and security for Tri-Rail passengers every day.
Atlanta security officer shot www.privateofficer.com
Thirty-one-year-old Patrick Denis and 26-year-old Glenmore Clarke are both charged with two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and obstruction.
The shooting happened at Magic City around 3:45 a.m. Friday morning at Forsyth and Brotherton streets.
“All of a sudden, bam, bam, bam!” said Bobby Tookes, describing the shooting.
“These dogs just riding around and shooting and shooting everything,” said Taiwon Davis, another witness.
Atlanta Police Sergeant Ed Baker said about 8-12 shots were fired in the parking lot. The gunfire followed a fight inside the club. It was unclear what the fight was about.
A security guard was treated and released from the hospital with a wound to the buttocks. A woman, believed to be a patron, was wounded in the leg. She is in fair condition at Grady.
The two suspects were caught at Central and Rawson streets. They tried to run from their car, but police chased them down. A police officer twisted her ankle in the chase but is expected to be fine.
The suspects are scheduled to make their first court appearance Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
11 Dead in I-65 crash www.privateofficer.com
The death toll has risen by four since the fiery crash was first reported, but KSP Trooper Charles Swiney said two children survived the crash.
Dispatcher Kathy Tyree said the collision occurred at 5:16 a.m. CDT in Hart County near mile marker 63, which is near Munfordville, Kentucky.
Emergency Management Director Kerry McDaniel said the tractor-trailer was going south on I-65 when it crossed the median, striking the van head-on. The van was carrying men, women and children. A pastor at a southern Kentucky church said many of the victims were from a Kentucky-based Mennonite family.
After crashing into the van, the semi hit a rock wall and burst into flames. McDaniel said the truck driver was killed.
Kentucky State Police, Hart County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky Safe Patrol, Hart County Emergency Management Services, Munfordville Fire Department and the Hart County Coroners Office were all on the scene.
Northbound lanes of I-65 have been shut down, and a detour has been established.
According to a KSP press release, traffic is being diverted off of I-65 at exit 58 onto KY218. Traffic will then be diverted onto US31 east and then head north. Traffic will remain on KY61 until the intersection with I-65 at exit 91.
KSP said the interstate will be close for at least eight hours. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has been advising motorists to seek an alternate route north of Kentucky and plan for delays until the crash has been cleared.
I-65 southbound lanes have been affected by rubbernecking.
Mesa nightclub security officers injured www.privateofficer.com
Police responded to an assault call about 12:15 a.m. at a bar in the Mesa Riverview shopping area. The name of the establishment was not disclosed.
The victim, Abraham Chaparro, told police that he was making his way through the crowd when he asked the suspect to move.
The attacker pushed Chaparro and hit him in the back of the head with a beer bottle.
Chaparro, who sustained a cut under his left eye, was able to restrain the attacker until a friend of the suspect began choking him from behind, police said. A second security guard approached and was struck in the face with a beer bottle.
The attacker was identified as Sang Luu, 27, of Mesa. His friend was identified as Lane Couch, age unavailable.
Luu admitted to attacking the guards but said he didn’t know they were security officers, police said.
Neither victim required medical attention.
Luu and Couch were booked on charges of aggravated assault.
MySpace photos lead to capture of bank robbers www.privateofficer.com
Florala Chief Sonny Bedsole said the two – identified as 30-year-old Jerry Hover Tinsley of Rutherfordton, N.C., and 30-year-old Rhianna Marie Jones believed to be of Ft. Walton, Fla. – were located inside a Destin, Fla., Motel 6 late Thursday night.
Bedsole said Covington County Sheriff’s Office investigator Greg Jackson received the tip from a confidential informant and was able to confirm the couple’s identity using photos posted on the popular social networking site, MySpace.
That information was immediately forwarded to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office’s Fugitive Warrants Unit, who had units in the hotel parking lot “within five minutes,” Jackson said.
“Our informant was able to tell us who (the alleged bank robbers) were and where they were staying,” Jackson said. “It was the key component we had been needing to solve this case, and all thanks to the outstanding working relationship between all the agencies.”
The pair was spotted leaving the motel around 11:15 p.m. in a gold Chevrolet Impala; however, when law enforcement tried to apprehend the couple, a high-speed chase ensued with speeds up to 80 mph. The chase ended on a dead end street and concluded with Tinsley’s arrest. Jones allegedly fled from the scene on foot but was taken into custody a short time later.
Bedsole said he was told drugs, later identified as cocaine and Oxycotin, were found in Tinsley’s possession.
The pair is currently being housed in the Okaloosa County Jail and will face a federal grand jury in Mobile next week for the robberies in East Brewton and Flomaton.
As for the Florala bank robbery, Bedsole said he plans to charge the couple with second-degree robbery.
“Our charges will go through the Circuit Court here in Covington County,” he said. “I don’t have an explanation at this time why all three cases aren’t being presented at the same time. We are still in the process of trying to coordinate all of our information to determine what’s what.
“We have spoken with (Tinsley and Jones), and they have confessed,” he said.
In each of the robberies, the duo passed a handwritten note to the teller demanding money. Witnesses were able to describe only vague descriptions of a white male and his female counterpart with a tattoo on her neck.
And as for that tattoo, Jackson said it read, “R, I guess for Rhianna, and a picture of an iguana.”
Road rage leads to murder-suicide www.privateofficer.com
An encounter on the roadways in El Dorado County led to the shooting deaths of two people in what police believe to be a murder-suicide.
Investigators said a man driving a pick-up truck and a man driving an SUV became aggravated which each other while driving in southern El Dorado County, trading insults and “hand gestures” on the roadway for 15 miles.
The drivers ended up crashing their vehicles through a picket fence, coming to rest door-to-door near the intersection of Broadway and Newtown Road off Highway 50.
The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department said that one driver, identified as 36-year-old Jensen Kohutek, apparently opened fire with a handgun from his own vehicle, mortally wounding the other driver, identified as 49-year-old Jack Eugene Larson.
Kohutek then turned the gun on himself, investigators said.
“We do get it, where somebody in a fit of rage acts out, does something, takes a human life then is upset about it and takes their own life,” said Sgt. Jim Byers from the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department.
One driver was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was declared dead at the hospital.
A female passenger in the victim’s car survived the ordeal without serious injury.
Investigators said the men did not know each other. They are looking into whether one or both cars were trying to run each other off the road.
“In road rage incidents, if you’re ramming a vehicle with your vehicle, that is assault with a deadly weapon and you have the right to defend yourself,” Byers said.
Spring breakers arrested after accusing security of rapes www.privateofficer.com
The young women — 19-year-old Megan Wheeler of Allen, Texas, and 22-year-old Kimberly Mills of McDonough, Ga. — were arrested in separate incidents Monday, according to incident reports. Initially, both simply were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. The false report charge is a felony.
Each woman made a rape accusation at the Bay County Jail, authorities said. Read ‘Police, deputies charge women with filing false reports’ »
In Mills’ case, deputies said she was making similar accusations before that. A friend said she was kicked out of Sharky’s Beach Club (where she accused a security guard of rape), angrily locked the friend out of their shared hotel room and caused a scene in the hotel as the pair argued about it.
A deputy responded, eventually arrested Mills on a disorderly conduct charge and led her to a patrol car, where she “yelled out, ‘You raped me,’ ” according to an incident report.
After she arrived at the jail, she claimed one of two male security guards who escorted her — a female guard was present, too — also raped her, the deputy wrote. She remained locked up Wednesday on $5,250 bond, according to the jail.
Wheeler, meanwhile, said a Panama City Beach police officer raped her in the back of his patrol car. Police, however, said she wouldn’t consent to an examination and changed her story several times.
Panama City Beach Police Maj. David Humphreys said the false report charge is rare and the agency hasn’t filed one all year. However, if a woman alleges rape after a PCB police officer takes her to the Bay County Jail, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office handles the case.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Ruth Corley said that over the last two weeks the agency has arrested five people for providing false information or filing a false report.
Alcohol played a role in several other Spring Break incidents listed in the Sheriff’s Office daily reports, including Tuesday night when deputies said a 19-year-old spring breaker from Alabama reported he might have been robbed but apparently was too drunk to tell. Read ‘Police: Spring breaker too drunk to determine robbery’ »
An off-duty sheriff’s deputy approached the man after watching him stagger into Krystal in Panama City Beach about 10 p.m., according to the BCSO report. The spring breaker said his friends had ditched him and he was trying to get back to his hotel.
Once outside the restaurant, the young man told the deputy he had been robbed by a man at Walmart. He said a man put a “9” to his head, demanded his money, took $100 and ran away.
He then told the deputy he had been robbed near Walgreens, not Walmart. Next, he said it had happened at a gas station.
“It was obvious if something had occurred (he) was too intoxicated to assist in any investigation at this time,” the deputy wrote. “I noted (he) had urinated on himself, and he could hardly stand.”
The deputy told the man there was nothing police could do to help him “due to his extreme level of intoxication,” but that he could contact the Sheriff’s Office once he had sobered up, if he wanted to pursue the matter.
MGM Casino security nab burglar www.privateofficer.com
State police said casino security at the MGM Grand spotted Melvin Wilson, 29, of 1000 Division St. in Great Barrington, Mass., walking through the casino about 2:30 a.m. with two bags from a hotel room not registered to him. Among items in the bags were towels, the contents of a mini bar, an iron, lightbulbs and batteries from the television remote control, police said.
After he was approached by security, police said Wilson admitted taking the items. Released on a $500 bond, Wilson is scheduled to appear March 25 in New London Superior Court.
Suspect arrested in nun’s beating www.privateofficer.com
Detectives from the 2nd Precinct as well as a state parole officer tracked down Calvin Battle, 52, Friday afternoon to question him.
Later Friday, investigators said they identified him as the suspect seen in security camera video from near the church.
Battle broke into St. Lucy’s on Thursday, punched and kicked Sister Obiama, and then stole a laptop computer and other equipment, police said.
Sister Obiama was briefly hospitalized, police said. She is originally from Nigeria and has been with this church for four years, according to NJ.com.
Police charged Battle with aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, theft, and criminal mischief.
He has nearly three dozen arrests and a dozen felony convictions for robbery, burglary, and theft-related offenses, Newark police said.
Atlanta schools hire PI to track cheaters www.privateofficer.com
Caveon has 7 years of experience in investigative test results for more than 100 clients. Commission chair Gary Price, a market managing partner at the Atlanta branch of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, says the group chose Caveon in part to prove the investigation will be independent.
“This commission has no objective other than to get the facts and whatever those facts are guide us in our recommendations,” said Price.
While most observers are interested in finding a reason for the test erasures, Caveon’s first priority is reviewing APS’ cheating policy. Price wants the company to review the policy and recommendation possible changes before APS students take the CRCT this year. Those recommendations are due early next month.
As for the cheating investigation, the state has set a May 17th deadline for those results. Caveon President John Fremer says it’s a quick turnaround. He jokingly told the Commission he’ll have to start the investigation on the plane leaving Atlanta.
A short amount of time is not the only unique factor of the investigation. Fremer says typical test investigations requiring looking at erasures, year to year gain scores and other information.
“What makes this stand out is focusing on erasures. So, we’re going to put all of our technology, crafts, science into that topic,” said Fremer.
Fremer, who seems to enjoy his work, said he sees the Atlanta investigation as a real challenge.
“I can’t wait to see that data because right now it’s a mystery. How there could be so many wrong to right erasures is not plausible. No interpretation anyone has given me seems credible,” said Fremer.
Caveon is headquarted in Utah. The company has conducted investigations for the College Board and 5 other states.
Nashville police kill burglar who pulled IPod www.privateofficer.com
An unarmed burglary suspect was shot and killed by a Metro police officer Friday after pulling a shiny metal object out of his pocket while the two were fighting. It was an iPod.
Reginald Dewayne Wallace, 40, died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after he was shot by Officer Joe Shelton at 1026 Villa Place, a home in the gentrifying Edgehill neighborhood near Music Row.
It was the second time in 24 hours that a suspect was shot by a Metro officer. The suspect in that first shooting is in stable condition at Vanderbilt.
Police say Wallace broke into a home at 1037 14th Ave. S. around 10:45 a.m. Friday morning. The resident was home, heard a loud crash and called police.
Wallace ran from the scene when police showed up. Officers chased him, but lost sight of him on Villa Place. Shelton, a 21-year police veteran, released his dog, Memphis, to find Wallace, who was hiding under a deck at the Villa Place home.
The dog bit Wallace and didn’t let go, even when the man crawled out from under the deck and tried to climb over a privacy fence.
While Wallace was trying to climb the fence, Shelton grabbed him and the two began fighting. Police said Wallace ignored repeated warnings and instead reached for a silver object in his pocket.
Shelton believed he was in danger and shot Wallace, according to police.
Second fatal shooting by officer
It’s the second time the officer has been involved in a fatal shooting. In 2007, Shelton shot and killed an 18-year-old man who was robbing a Mapco station on Dickerson Pike. In that case the man pointed a gun at Shelton but did not fire it, according to Tennessean reports. The officer was cleared in that case.
Shelton is a decorated officer — he was recognized in 2007 for helping capture a convicted murderer who opened fire on Officer Danita Marsh while she was on domestic violence call.
Police said Shelton is on routine administrative assignment while the case is investigated.
Wallace, who lived in North Nashville, had been convicted of burglary three times. He was on probation for a November 2009 conviction and had been arrested 31 times on 24 charges including resisting arrest.
iPod was stolen
Police recovered the stolen iPod on the ground near Wallace; a 52-inch flat-screen TV taken during the burglary was recovered in a nearby shed.
Next-door neighbor Matt Kovar was home when the shooting took place but said he didn’t know what happened until after police arrived.
“I was up in my room and I heard what sounded like banging on my door, so I got up to see what was going on,” he said. “I looked out my back window and saw cop cars. I thought it was a car accident.”
It’s the second time in two days Metro police have shot a suspect during a scuffle.
At about 5:30 Thursday evening, Officer Michael Hunnicutt shot Pedro Valencia Barragan, 31, after Barragan stabbed Officer John Timm. The officers were answering a domestic violence call.
Timm was released from the hospital Friday. Barragan faces two charges of attempted murder.
College Park officer crashes, had cocaine in system www.privateofficer.com
Source: Channel2 news –
Former College Park Police Officer Gary Clements tested positive for having cocaine in his system when he backed into another car while transporting two prisoners, according to investigators.
After the accident, the officer had to take a drug test.
“After the drug test, it came back positive for cocaine,” said Interim College Park Chief Ron Fears.
Police said Clements told them he had the drug in his system after he tested the drug by tasting it after he pursued suspects who got away.
“He did some of the old type of testing. He tested with his finger,” said Fears.
Clements resigned, in lieu of termination.
The city of College Park is investigating why its police department allowed the officer suspected to resign instead of being terminated.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones confronted Fears about why he allowed the officer to resign and why he’s not face charges after the officer tested positive for cocaine.
“At this point, there are no charges pending,” said Fears. “But why not, Chief? This is serious. He’s a police officer driving with drugs in his system. You know it. You have the results. And there is no charges,” said Jones. “Not at this time, sir,” Fears said.
College Park Mayor Jack Longino is upset over the incident.
“If he had drugs in his system, he will not be allowed to resign. He will be fired! And I want him charged with driving under the influence!” said Longino.
When Jones talked to Clements about the incident, he was told to talk to City Hall.
Mesa Elementary teacher arrested for child molestation www.privateofficer.com
Mesa police said the alleged 12-year-old victim disclosed on March 3 that when she was 7, her music teacher had sexually molested her.
The victim told police it had occurred on two separate occasions in the band room while she was attending Brinton Elementary School.
Mesa police said the incidents occurred between January 2005 and November 2005. The victim identified the suspect as 49-year-old Michael Allen LaMonica.
Mesa police detectives arrested LaMonica and booked him on two counts of child molestation.
LaMonica has been teaching music at Brinton Elementary for nine years.
Police say there may be other victims who have not come forward.
They are asking anyone with information contact the Mesa Police Department at 480-644-2211 .
Security officer handcuffed to pole by Islam group www.privateofficer.com
Supervisor Chris Daly on Tuesday introduced a resolution calling for Lennar to formally apologize to a group dedicated to stopping the joint project with the city for “irresponsible and potentially dangerous behavior” over the security guard incident.
Daly said he was “horrified” Lennar sent an armed security guard to a community meeting in a mosque.
The group, known as the Stop Lennar Action Movement, includes members of the Nation of Islam and had organized the meeting at the Nation of Islam mosque on Third Street in February. They contend the shipyard project is kicking up toxic dust, although a draft EPA report on the issue said effective safeguards are in place.
The security guard told investigators that men from the mosque held him against his will for about 45 minutes, including throwing him against a wall, handcuffing him to a light pole and calling him “you white mother f-,” according to the police report.
Daly, who was not at the meeting, took issue with that description, saying, “the events as described are not the events that seemed to have happened that have been corroborated by multiple folks.”
The police report, though, says the security guard, a retired police sergeant with a permit for carrying a concealed weapon, told investigators he “was in fear for his life.”
Tuesday’s developments come a week after Daly praised the Nation of Islam for “showing some restraint” when its personnel hauled the security guard away while he tried to record the meeting.
“This was a tinderbox situation,” Daly said at last week’s board meeting. “A law might not have been violated, but this is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. Thank goodness it only ended up with him only handcuffed to a pole for an hour. This is the best outcome I can think of. So thank you to the Nation of Islam for showing some restraint.”
Nation of Islam personnel wanted the guard arrested for trespassing, but officer declined, noting the meeting was “open to the public and anyone in the community was invited to attend,” the police report said.
Contract security officers looked down on at federal buildings www.privateofficer.com
There’s a saying among some private security guards in the Washington region: “There’s no security in security.”
Poor job security and the potential dangers that come with protecting government buildings make it a risky line of work, said guards interviewed this week.
Unlike officers with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency who gunned down shooter John Patrick Bedell last week, most security guards at federal buildings in the Washington region are employed by private firms that have contracts with the Federal Protective Service.
The FPS, part of the Department of Homeland Security, provides security at more than 9,000 federal buildings across the country and uses about 15,000 contract security guards to support about 1,200 officers, inspectors and administrative staffers, according to agency officials. A House hearing Tuesday will focus on the FPS’s future and its response to a 2009 Government Accountability Office investigation that exposed security gaps at 10 major federal buildings. The GAO report also faulted the FPS for inconsistent training and poor oversight of private guards.
Next month, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) plans to introduce legislation that addresses the agency’s future and broader threats and security measures at all civilian and military facilities, aides said.
FPS officials said in a statement that it has increased both overt and covert inspections of security posts, as well as its oversight of contract guards. In response to GAO concerns with the training and qualification of those guards, the agency said it has reviewed all contract guard certification and qualification records.
But the agency’s current arrangement leads to an odd mix of public- and private-sector workers who frequently fight turf wars and disagree on lines of authority, both private and federal guards said.
Some contract guards permanently stationed at a location can believe they have a stronger understanding of a site’s security threats than FPS officers and inspectors who make infrequent visits to perform law enforcement duties, review building security plans and train tenants about security threats.
“We’ve gained minimal respect over the years, but we’re still looked down on,” said one guard, who asked that his name be withheld. “We’re on the front lines. Being on the front lines, we need to be seen as essential and treated as essential.”
The guard, who has worked at federal facilities in suburban Maryland for more than 15 years, asked for anonymity for fear of retribution from his employer and the FPS.
“You never know what to expect day to day,” said another guard, who also requested anonymity for similar reasons. “It can be health problems, domestic problems. Ex-husbands show up to see their wives in the lobby,” the guard said. FPS officers may respond to incidents, he said, but contractors are usually the first point of contact.
The guard has worked at federal sites in downtown Washington and suburban Maryland for 10 years. Private guards are required to have first-aid and CPR training and must be recertified by the FPS each year.
John Childs III, an FPS K-9 inspector and regional vice president for American Federation of Government Employees Local 918, discounted the concerns of the guards interviewed.
“It’s just sometimes [contract guards] think they have more authority than we do, and that’s not the case,” Childs said. But the tensions would disappear if the FPS federalized or “insourced” the contract guards, he said.
“If they worked for FPS, things would be probably smoother,” Childs said.
Childs and the contract guards did agree on that point. They said Congress and the Obama administration need to federalize private guards or establish stronger guidelines for the private forces.
“There really are no federal standards for security guards,” said David Wright, president of Local 918 and an FPS inspector based in Kansas City. AFGE Local 918 represents FPS workers nationwide.
“These individuals should be trained at the federal level, and we think that they should be federal police officers,” he said.
Pickens County Ga. teacher arrested www.privateofficer.com
Pickens County Sheriff’s Office have charged Laura Dene Lyles with two counts of sex assault, two counts of sodomy and four counts of furnishing alcohol to a minor.
Investigators were contacted by the superintendent’s office regarding allegations of sexual misconduct. Pickens County Sheriff’s Office began investigating.
Investigators say the sexual encounter occurred on the Pickens County High School campus.
The student attended Pickens County High School.
Prince George Officer Dies In Crash www.privateofficer.com
The Prince George’s County, Md. police department is mourning the loss of one of their own. Officer Thomas P. Jensen, 27, passed away Tues., March 9 as a result of injuries suffered while responding to an emergency call on February 27, 2010.
According to a department press release, Officer Jensen was critically injured while responding to a call to assist the fire department with a disorderly person reportedly under the influence of PCP. He struck a sheet of black ice which caused his vehicle to crash into a telephone pole.
Officer Jensen was treated in the Intensive Care Unit at Prince George’s Hospital Center following the crash, and died there at approximately 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Officer Jensen was a five-year veteran of the department and was assigned to the Hyattsville District Station, Squad 22. He is the son of retired Sergeant Tom Jensen and leaves behind his wife of five months, Kristelle.
“Officer Jensen was a beloved member of our police family and his loss is a huge blow to all of us,” Chief Roberto Hylton said in a prepared statement. “I worked with Officer Jensen’s father and remember when Officer Jensen was born This loss is made all the more difficult because of the close ties with the Jensen family. Officer Jensen grew up in Prince George’s County; he is truly one of our own.”
