Sanford Fla April 30 2011 A man who had just been robbed at his church told authorities that the two men who committed the robbery had been armed with large guns.
Sanford police today released a recording of a 911 call made in the terrifying minutes after the two masked men robbed three church band members and a pastor Wednesday night at Iglesia Apostólica, 2599 Sanford Ave.
The band was practicing about 9 p.m. when the robbers burst in, said Sgt. David Morgenstern, a police spokesman. The robbers stole wallets, car keys, cash and credit cards.
The Spanish-speaking man, who was assisted by a translator on the call, said nobody had been hurt during the incident. He also said that the robbers had been dressed in all black, and that nobody at the church saw whether they took a vehicle
Church members were forced into a back room, Morgenstern said.
Investigators used dogs and a Seminole County sheriff's helicopter, but they could not locate the robbers. Police dusted for prints.
"One print can take us a long way, so hopefully we'll get something out of that," Morgenstern said.
Anyone who saw anything suspicious at the church, which is near 26th Street, is asked to call police. The number is 407-688-5070.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Campus security, police arrest men with counterfeit merchandise www.privateofficer.com
Wilkesboro NC April 30 2011 Four men were charged with felony trademark violations, and 231 counterfeit Zac Brown Band T-shirts were confiscated outside the Wilkes Community College campus late Thursday night.
According to the warrants, N.C. Secretary of State Trademark Enforcement Agent Derek Wiles of North Wilkesboro and Officer Joe Buchanan of the of the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Hickory District office arrested Tevinn Leron Pair, 18, of Orangeburg, S.C., Chris Jody Dwight, 16, of Columbia, S.C., Paul Taylor, 25, of Kannapolis, and Jevon M. Barber, 28, of Eastover, S.C.
The four, according to records, were parked behind one of the apartment buildings at Windemere Apartments on Collegiate Drive at 11 p.m. Officers said that the four were probably waiting to sell the shirts to fans leaving the campus after the performance by the Zac Brown Band, and that none of the shirts had been sold when the four were apprehended.
Officers said that the screen printing on the variety of shirts, as well as the shirts, were poor quality. Counterfeit shirts are usually sold for $5 to $10. Licensed Zac Brown Band shirts of similar designs sold at the MerleFest Mall were priced at $25.
The four were charged with felony criminal use of a counterfeit trademark on merchandise with a retail value of $5,775 (based on the $25 retail price). They were processed through the Wilkes County Jail and are being held under a $15,000 secured bond pending first appearance hearings this morning.
Wilkes Community College security officers assisted with the arrest and seizures, along with officers from the Wilkesboro Police Department, Wilkes County Sheriff’s Department and North Wilkesboro Police Departments who are working for WCC Security during the festival.
Officers from the N.C. Secretary of State’s Counterfeit Task Force work undercover at special events such as MerleFest and will be here through Sunday.
Licensed products, including T-shirts and other apparel, and CDs, are available at the MerleFest Mall on the WCC campus.
According to the warrants, N.C. Secretary of State Trademark Enforcement Agent Derek Wiles of North Wilkesboro and Officer Joe Buchanan of the of the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Hickory District office arrested Tevinn Leron Pair, 18, of Orangeburg, S.C., Chris Jody Dwight, 16, of Columbia, S.C., Paul Taylor, 25, of Kannapolis, and Jevon M. Barber, 28, of Eastover, S.C.
The four, according to records, were parked behind one of the apartment buildings at Windemere Apartments on Collegiate Drive at 11 p.m. Officers said that the four were probably waiting to sell the shirts to fans leaving the campus after the performance by the Zac Brown Band, and that none of the shirts had been sold when the four were apprehended.
Officers said that the screen printing on the variety of shirts, as well as the shirts, were poor quality. Counterfeit shirts are usually sold for $5 to $10. Licensed Zac Brown Band shirts of similar designs sold at the MerleFest Mall were priced at $25.
The four were charged with felony criminal use of a counterfeit trademark on merchandise with a retail value of $5,775 (based on the $25 retail price). They were processed through the Wilkes County Jail and are being held under a $15,000 secured bond pending first appearance hearings this morning.
Wilkes Community College security officers assisted with the arrest and seizures, along with officers from the Wilkesboro Police Department, Wilkes County Sheriff’s Department and North Wilkesboro Police Departments who are working for WCC Security during the festival.
Officers from the N.C. Secretary of State’s Counterfeit Task Force work undercover at special events such as MerleFest and will be here through Sunday.
Licensed products, including T-shirts and other apparel, and CDs, are available at the MerleFest Mall on the WCC campus.
Man urinating outside mall pulls gun on police www.privateofficer.com
Harper Woods Deputy Police Chief Jim Burke tells The Detroit Free Press security officers at the shopping center, located near Kelly Road and Eight Mile, reported two men suspected of being intoxicated staggering outside a home improvement store at 11 a.m. Harper Woods Police Lt. Rob Hunter, who was nearby, drove into the lot, where he spotted one man urinating next to a car.
The newspaper reports Hunter approached one of the men as they were walking away, and then the man reached into his waistband and pulled out a handgun, but Hunter was able to get it away from him.
Burke could not be reached for comment by MLive.com at this time.
The shooting occurs about a month after mall officials announced a partnership with K9 Academy to incorporate to start a K9 Patrol initiative "to enhance the safety and security at the mall."
This is at least the third reported situation involving a firearm at the mall in the past six months or so.
In November, a dispute between two rival groups of teenagers escalated into gunfire when members of one of the groups opened fire inside Eastland, critically injuring one teenager and a clothing store worker.
And just two months before the shooting inside the mall, a 30-year-old man was killed in the facility’s parking lot.
According to CBSDetroit.com, the man was sitting in his car when another car pulled next to him, and someone inside began shooting. The victim was shot multiple times, and Harper Woods EMS pronounced him dead at the scene.
Eastland opened in 1957 and currently has nearly 90 storefronts.
Source:MLive.com
TBI says Nashville crime is on the rise www.privateofficer.com
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Thursday released its final crime statistics for 2010, showing an overall 3.4 percent decrease in crime statewide. But while the state and nearby Middle Tennessee counties saw general declines, Nashville saw a slight overall increase, including a 37 percent jump in all reported sex crimes and a 21 percent jump in burglaries, a crime that has stymied police.
Mayor Karl Dean declined to comment on the crime statistics, instead deferring to Metro police.
“Chief Anderson, the deputy chiefs and precinct commanders discuss crime trends and strategies each Friday,” spokesman Don Aaron said. “It has been and continues to be the police department’s mission to enhance safety and reduce crime in neighborhoods throughout Nashville.”
Tennessee overall saw double-digit declines in several property crime categories and a 13 percent drop in homicides.
“Law enforcement in general works diligently every day, and when you see the overall number of crimes reported across the state drop even slightly, that’s encouraging,” said Kristin Helm, spokeswoman for TBI.
Neighborhoods besieged
Nashville’s neighborhoods in late 2010 were under siege from brazen burglars who would break in during broad daylight, clean out homes and be gone before alarms or neighbors could alert police.
Christian Paro, 32, was one such victim. On Nov. 13, his girlfriend returned to their East Nashville home to find something terribly wrong.
“She came in; the front door was locked. But she noticed things didn’t look right,” Paro said. “The TV in the living room was missing; the back door was open. She went upstairs and saw all the drawers were rummaged through, her jewelry chest.”
They were shocked by the timing of the burglary. It was about 10:30 a.m. on a sunny Saturday. He has since installed an alarm but was burglarized a second time on April 12.
The city also saw jumps in sex crimes, though the department declined to address the increase, saying there could be problems with the TBI’s data.
“MNPD staff is presently reviewing and reconciling police data with (TBI) figures,” Aaron said.
Questions have been raised about the department’s practice of filing away some cases — sex crime allegations included — as noncrime “matter of record” reports that don’t appear in statistics. In January, Metro police announced they would be recategorizing scores of sex crime allegations to actual crimes after re-evaluating the cases.
Metro police are still awaiting an overall audit of the department’s crime statistics, which have similarly come under question over the past several years.
Sumner crime drops
Neighboring counties saw crime remain flat or decline, with Sumner leading the pack.
Sumner County Sheriff Sonny Weatherford said his detectives had great success in 2010 in busting burglary cases, which helped contribute to a 14 percent decline in property crimes.
“We have really stepped up our patrols and are working the areas where, if we have one burglary, we kind of saturate that area and work those neighborhoods for the next week or so,” Weatherford said.
Weatherford said Sumner County’s growth will reach a tipping point where his department will need more deputies to keep pace with expected demands.
It’s a similar story in Williamson County, which saw the raw number of crimes increase but a lower crime rate because of an increased population.
“We have just an X amount of deputies to go around, and that hasn’t grown in a while,” said Deputy Rod Shoap of the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office.
As for Paro, he’s not giving up on his East Nashville home, in spite of seeing more crime in his neighborhood.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “But I am getting a dog. A Doberman pinscher.
Source:The Tennessean
Nightclub bouncer stabbed by boss over owed money www.privateofficer.com
The incident happened after 4 a.m. Wednesday in the 3200 block of Mission Road.
Police said the victim got into a vicious brawl over money he claims his boss owes him. During a verbal altercation, officers at the scene say the boss pulled out a knife and allegedly stabbed his employee in the stomach.
The victim was transported by EMS to the hospital. Police are carrying this case as a fight. Criminal charges are pending.
JC Penney security nab repeat offender www.privateofficer.com
Natick NY April 30 2011
Police were called to the JC Penney after store security personnel stopped 18-year-old Shaquia Marie Shephard of Roslindale for allegedly shoplifting.
JCPenney in Natick Collection loss prevention agents told police that he woman was spotted concealing numerous items and then leaving without making payment.
Police were called to the JC Penney after store security personnel stopped 18-year-old Shaquia Marie Shephard of Roslindale for allegedly shoplifting.
JCPenney in Natick Collection loss prevention agents told police that he woman was spotted concealing numerous items and then leaving without making payment.Shephard was detained by security and charged with shoplifting by concealing merchandise and five counts of receiving stolen property valued under $250.
Police say that the woman was later released with a court appearance date.
Abercrombie & Fitch employee accused of felony theft www.privateofficer.com
The loss prevention manager had noticed the store's winter inventory was short this February, Mentor Police Lt. Tom Powers said. Consequently, the manager set up a camera to record employees.
Mallory Babika, 23, of Wickliffe, was repeatedly filmed stealing clothes from the store, Powers said.
"She would go into a changing room with an article of clothing and come out wearing it," he said.
Babika is also accused of filing fraudulent clothes returns and pocketing money, Powers said.
According to the police report, Babika is suspected of taking $1,449 worth of clothes and money from the store between Feb. 2 and April 27. She was arrested from the store and charged with theft Wednesday, Powers said.
Babika was arraigned this morning in Mentor Municipal Court. She is out on bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday.
If convicted of theft, Babika could be punished with probation or up to a year in prison.
Former Bushnell University employee charged in copper thefts www.privateofficer.com
Shawn M. Hoffman, a former student employee for Bucknell’s Facilities Department, was arraigned recently by District Judge Leo S. Armbruster on charges of stealing copper wire from a storage barn on the Lewisburg campus between last fall and March 3. He is out on $25,000 bail and faces a preliminary hearing May 5.
University police arrested Hoffman April 19. He took the stolen wire, worth about $21,000, to Staiman’s Recycling Center in Williamsport, police said.
Felony charges include burglary, criminal trespass and breaking into a structure and receiving stolen property. Hoffman also faces misdemeanor charges of theft by unlawful taking and possession of an instrument of crime with intent.
Bucknell police did not return a call seeking comment before press time Thursday.
This is the third copper theft in the Valley within the past four months. In late December, a vacant former orphanage in Upper Augusta Township, Northumberland County, had 2,000 feet of copper pipe stolen. In early January, two Milton men were charged with theft after they allegedly were caught with copper pipe and tools in their possession. The two incidents are unrelated.
Copper’s value has climbed steady for the past few years, fueling a black market for the material that has stoked copper thefts. Abandoned buildings and homes are popular targets for thieves, who break in and strip copper pipes and cable.
However, recently, the price of copper has hit a slump because of the U.S. economy, Reuters reported Thursday. While it finished on the New York Mercantile Exchange and Commodity Exchange at $4.26 per pound, that is down from a record high in February of $4.65 a pound.
That drop in price for the base metal came after U.S. gross domestic product for the first quarter slowed to a 1.8 percent annual pace, according to Reuters.
Source:Daily Item
Store security officer pepper spray-beat by shoplifters www.privateofficer.com
Police said the guard tried stopping a woman from leaving the store, but she ran out and went into Gino’s Bar.
Dodo Kemenar said he chased the woman to the bar, where he confronted the woman again, but a man in the bar punched him and the woman then sprayed him in the face, burning him with the Mace, police said.
"Three black females come in the store loading stuff in their purse. I went to stop the one right here and she turned around and sprayed some mace in my face," Kamenar said.
Police said the woman ran out of the bar and got into a car with two other women and fled the scene.
"Next thing I know someone hit me from behind and knocked me down. Then the car came with two other black females and two fellas came running out of that bar. I lay on the ground then finally got up," Kamenar said. "I had some bruises here and I got a nice big lump on the back of my head where somebody cracked me."
Police said they don't believe the man in the bar was an accomplice. Investigators said the women got away in a white convertible.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
Source:WPIX
Community College Security Chief Arrested www.privateofficer.com
Robbie Henderson, 45, was recently named the head of security at the school. He is facing impersonating a police officer charges after investigators said he tried using a badge to receive a discount at an Avalon thrift store.
According to police records, Henderson flashed a fake badge to the manager of the store and identified himself as "Allegheny County homicide detective Henderson."
Police said Henderson demanded 50 percent off and would not take no for an answers. The police reports said Henderson repeatedly told the manager, "I don't want to go over your head. I know you can make an exception for me."
The store's manager Sherri Lisanti told police that Henderson said, "He would call the corporate office and go through the Allegheny County if he had to."
CCAC officials said Henderson was placed on administrative leave without pay while they "review the situation."
NJ firefighter chases down shoplifter www.privateofficer.com
On April 21, at about 9:45 a.m. Clifton firefighter Latona saw the suspect, later identified as Luis Gonzalez-Perez, 46, of Passaic, running out of the hardware store with unpaid merchandise and chased him, said detective Capt. Robert Rowan.
When the suspect realized he was being chased, he abandoned the cart full of unpaid merchandise and continued fleeing, but within minutes, Latona caught up with him and held him until police officers arrived, Rowan said.
Rowan said officers took the suspect back to the store where employees identified Gonzalez-Perez as the shoplifter and he was charged.
"We appreciate the assistance from our public safety partners," Rowan said, adding "If it wasn't for Firefighter Latona the suspect would have gotten away with a pretty large haul."
The cart of merchandise was recovered and returned to the store.
Source:NorthJersey.com
Shoplifter fires on citizen trying to stop him www.privateofficer.com
Bryant, 21, of Saginaw, and two codefendants — Quentin A. Smith Jr. and Darold C. Cain Jr. — were arraigned today before District Judge Dawn A. Klida.
Klida set a $200,000 bond for Bryant who is charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm, a 10-year felony; two counts of felony firearm, a two-year felony; felonious assault, a four-year felony; and transporting a loaded firearm in a vehicle, a two-year high court misdemeanor.
Bay County sheriff’s investigators have said the gunman fired five shots from a Colt .38 at a man who gave chase as they fled from the Walmart Supercenter, 3921 E. Wilder Road.
Investigators allege Smith was driving the get-away vehicle.
Smith, 22, of Saginaw, remains jailed on $150,000 bond following his arraignment on charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm; two counts of felony firearms; felonious assault; receiving and concealing stolen firearms, a 10-year felony; carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent, a five-year felony; and possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle.
Cain was charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm, two counts of felony firearms and felonious assault. He remains jailed on $100,000 bond.
All three suspects requested court-appointed attorneys.
Klida ordered that the defendants have no contact with each other or the civilian who pursued them. If they are released, they are prohibited from going near the Bangor Township Walmart.
A 21-year-old Saginaw man accused of stealing the Xboxes has bonded out of jail and will be arraigned at a later date on misdemeanor retail theft charges.
“He’s out (of jail),” said Bay County Sheriff’s Lt. James Chlebowski. “He bonded out on a misdemeanor charge. He just stole the Xboxes. That’s all this would have been if they just would have stopped when the security guy was going to get them at Walmart. But they escalated it.”
The weapon had been reported stolen from a Bangor Township residence more than 10 years ago, authorities have said.
The suspects were arrested after multiple deputies stopped them at Mackinaw Road and U.S. 10.
Source:MLive.com
Former Miss Russia arrested for shoplifting in New York www.privateofficer.com
Anna Malova, 39, was caught stealing a pair of sandals valued at $135 and a hat for $10 at a Strawberry store in New York.
Malova was arrested and charged with criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny. She is due to attend a court hearing on May 24.
Malova was arrested in February 2010 on charges of illegal drugs possession, forgery and impersonating a physician.
Former Macy's employee charged with embezzlement www.privateofficer.com
David Fraire Garcia, 22, was booked into the Santa Clara County Jail by Palo Alto police on two felony charges of embezzlement and burglary, police said. He was arrested at 9:29 p.m. at the Macy's store at Stanford Shopping Center. Police did not know which department Garcia worked in, or what his title was.
Macy's security estimate that the Menlo Park resident scammed approximately $6,757 from the company, police said. Garcia allegedly started the scam last December and made the last transaction on April 23.
According to police, Garcia was allegedly buying merchandise from the store and then charging refunds on the goods to his Bank of America credit card, but keeping the products. He was also jacking up the refund amounts, police said Thursday.
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Sergeant Rick Sung said Garcia has since bailed out of jail
Shoplifter arrested for arson in K-Mart blaze www.privateofficer.com
Valeria Holler is suspected of intentionally starting what grew to be a two-alarm fire at the store earlier this month.
Investigators said Holler, 22, is the woman who was captured by surveillance cameras and had been named a person of interest in the case.
Det. Ed Troyer said a tip from Crime Stoppers led investigators to Holler, who was arrested by Lakewood police on Friday afternoon.
The Kmart blaze appeared to have started in the back of the store in the hardware area, fire officials said. The blaze set off aerosol canisters, which exploded and shot across the store. The store quickly filled with smoke, but everyone managed to evacuate safely.
Damage to the Kmart store was estimated at $3 million to store inventory due to "extensive smoke damage" and $250,000 to the structure.
Police have not tied Holler to the arson at the nearby Dollar Tree store on the same night. Investigators have noted similarities between the two fires. Both blazes were started with a flammable liquid in the back of the store, they said.
Two store clerks at the Dollar Tree store managed to douse the flames using fire extinguishers, and no one was injured.
Holler has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for felony residential burglary, theft, assault and harassment.
Cell phone company employee charged in identity theft crimes www.privateofficer.com
Hartford CT April 30 2011 A former Wireless Zone employee was charged with 20 counts each of computer crime and identity theft after police said he stole 75 cell phones from the business.
Police said Jason Ryans, 26, of 69 Imperial Drive, Manchester, used other employees' names to make at least 20 fraudulent inventory computer adjustments.
In an interview with police, Ryans allegedly admitted to selling smartphones to people he met through the Internet. He admitted to receiving an excess of $17,000 from the sale of the stolen phones, police said.
Source:Hartford Courant
Police said Jason Ryans, 26, of 69 Imperial Drive, Manchester, used other employees' names to make at least 20 fraudulent inventory computer adjustments.
In an interview with police, Ryans allegedly admitted to selling smartphones to people he met through the Internet. He admitted to receiving an excess of $17,000 from the sale of the stolen phones, police said.
Source:Hartford Courant
Resort security aids in capture of burglars www.privateofficer.com
Thursday afternoon, a Paradise Valley Police Officer spotted a man breaking into a parked vehicle. The officer pursued the suspect on foot, but the suspect jumped into a waiting vehicle driven by a woman.
After a short vehicle chase, the car stopped and the man bailed again on foot, while the driver took off. Phoenix and Scottsdale Police were called in to assist.
The vehicle was found a short time later and two women were detained by Paradise Valley Police officers.
The search continued for the male suspect. Security officers at the Scottsdale Camelback Resort, located very close to the foot pursuit area, called police after spotting the suspect on video tape.
Officers ended up finding the suspect hiding in the false ceiling of a banquet room.
Michael Montoya, 36, and Anna Montez ,31, were arrested and charged with burglary and unlawful flight from a police officer. The second woman was not charged.
Police believe the suspects are responsible for several other burglaries in the area -- they recovered stolen property from this crime and others.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Mall security officer speaks about her kidnapping www.privateofficer.com
DENVER CO April 30 2011 -- Before she escaped from the trunk of her own car, the woman who reported being kidnapped from Cherry Creek Mall drove around Denver at gunpoint.
Two search warrants obtained by 7NEWS reveal the timeline of events dealing with the man suspected in the Cherry Creek Mall kidnapping and separate murder of a Denver man on April 13.
According to one of the search warrants, a female security guard at Cherry Creek Mall was about to start her workday when a man approached her car in the west garage. Police believe that man is 24-year-old William Lornes.
Suspect Made Woman Drive At Gunpoint
The woman told police that the man walked up to her car and asked for a cigarette and to borrow her phone.
She then said he pulled out a silver handgun and got in her back seat.
They drove to an alley where the man forced her into the trunk. While the man drove, the woman found the trunk's escape latch and was able to jump out when the car slowed by a 7-Eleven near Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
She called police and gave her report to investigators within an hour.
Lornes Also Suspected In Denver Dumpster Murder
Police have said they suspect Lornes in not just the Cherry Creek Mall kidnapping, but also the murder of a Denver man.
While police were looking for Lornes after the reported kidnapping, a person called 911 to report what looked like a dead body in a dumpster near 12th Avenue and Hudson Street.
The man, 73-year-old Gerald Schwartzman, had been shot in the head.
Based on the search warrants, police have pieced together a timeline for the two crimes.
Dumpster Murder, Cherry Creek Mall Timeline
•April 13, 12:27 p.m.: Schwartzman had a lotto ticket in his pocket bought at 12:27. Police had previously said he was last seen at the King Soopers off 13th Avenue and Krameria Street.
•12:32 p.m.: Schwartzman's sister speaks with him on his cell phone.
•Between 1-2 p.m.: Woman reports seeing a black man leave a vehicle in a shopping center near Leetsdale Drive and Holly Street. At 4:03 p.m., the woman called police to report the abandoned vehicle.
•2:28 p.m.: Cherry Creek Mall surveillance revealed a man who looked like Lornes walk to the west garage area.
•3 p.m.: Woman escapes the trunk of her own car near Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
•April 14, 2:10 a.m.: Lornes rings the buzzer at Arrowhead Manor Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson County asking for a taxi after police said he crashed his car along Highway 285 between Conifer and Tiny Town.
•3 a.m.: Colorado State Patrol and Jefferson County sheriff's deputies investigating a single car crash spot Lornes in a passing taxi and make the arrest near C-470 and Alameda Avenue.
On Thursday, Lornes was charged with kidnapping, robbery and car theft, but has yet to be charged with murder.
Two search warrants obtained by 7NEWS reveal the timeline of events dealing with the man suspected in the Cherry Creek Mall kidnapping and separate murder of a Denver man on April 13.
According to one of the search warrants, a female security guard at Cherry Creek Mall was about to start her workday when a man approached her car in the west garage. Police believe that man is 24-year-old William Lornes.
Suspect Made Woman Drive At Gunpoint
The woman told police that the man walked up to her car and asked for a cigarette and to borrow her phone.
She then said he pulled out a silver handgun and got in her back seat.
They drove to an alley where the man forced her into the trunk. While the man drove, the woman found the trunk's escape latch and was able to jump out when the car slowed by a 7-Eleven near Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
She called police and gave her report to investigators within an hour.
Lornes Also Suspected In Denver Dumpster Murder
Police have said they suspect Lornes in not just the Cherry Creek Mall kidnapping, but also the murder of a Denver man.
While police were looking for Lornes after the reported kidnapping, a person called 911 to report what looked like a dead body in a dumpster near 12th Avenue and Hudson Street.
The man, 73-year-old Gerald Schwartzman, had been shot in the head.
Based on the search warrants, police have pieced together a timeline for the two crimes.
Dumpster Murder, Cherry Creek Mall Timeline
•April 13, 12:27 p.m.: Schwartzman had a lotto ticket in his pocket bought at 12:27. Police had previously said he was last seen at the King Soopers off 13th Avenue and Krameria Street.
•12:32 p.m.: Schwartzman's sister speaks with him on his cell phone.
•Between 1-2 p.m.: Woman reports seeing a black man leave a vehicle in a shopping center near Leetsdale Drive and Holly Street. At 4:03 p.m., the woman called police to report the abandoned vehicle.
•2:28 p.m.: Cherry Creek Mall surveillance revealed a man who looked like Lornes walk to the west garage area.
•3 p.m.: Woman escapes the trunk of her own car near Eighth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard.
•April 14, 2:10 a.m.: Lornes rings the buzzer at Arrowhead Manor Bed and Breakfast in Jefferson County asking for a taxi after police said he crashed his car along Highway 285 between Conifer and Tiny Town.
•3 a.m.: Colorado State Patrol and Jefferson County sheriff's deputies investigating a single car crash spot Lornes in a passing taxi and make the arrest near C-470 and Alameda Avenue.
On Thursday, Lornes was charged with kidnapping, robbery and car theft, but has yet to be charged with murder.
Police say Ocean Springs teacher had sex with student www.privateofficer.com
An Ocean Springs Middle School teacher is under arrest, accused of having a sexual relationship with a student.
Coach Grady Brown was arrested Thursday at his home in Biloxi. He's charged with four counts of sexual battery of a child.
Authorities began their investigation Monday night after receiving a report about a sexual assault involving a teacher and a student. The reporting party said Coach Brown had been having an affair with a female student.
The next day, investigators interviewed several students at the middle school who said they were aware of the relationship. Witnesses said Coach Brown was overheard speaking to the student about having sex with her.
It turns out the Ocean Springs School District had conducted its own investigation into the reported sexual relationship involving Coach Brown and the student back in late February. Officials said Coach Brown had been suspended by the School District for breach of policy involving the same student.
Once investigators learned that the alleged sexual assault occurred within the Jackson County Sheriff's Department's jurisdiction, a joint investigation began.
A search warrant was obtained for Coach Grady Brown's house located on Westwind Drive in Biloxi. Officers collected evidence from the home Wednesday, and returned for a second search on Thursday.
Brown is being held at the Jackson County Adult Detention Center awaiting an initial appearance.
Source:WLOX
Georgia teacher found walking school halls "naked" www.privateofficer.com
MORROW, Ga., April 29 2011 -- Police in Georgia said an elementary school teacher caught walking the halls naked after learning he was losing his job said his "third eye was open."
Capt. James Callaway of the Morrow Police Department said a teacher spotted Harlan Porter, 31, walking the halls of B.C. Haynie Elementary School in Morrow without any clothes at 3:20 p.m. Friday, after all of the students had gone home, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday.
Callaway said the incident took place after Porter learned his contract would not be renewed after the end of the school year. He said colleagues reported the man had been acting strangely on the day of the incident, including eating tacos from Taco Bell despite his vegan lifestyle.
Porter told the responding officer he had reached a "new level of enlightenment" and said "he wanted everybody to be free now that his third eye was open."
"I then explained the obvious problem with his third eye being opened in public," the officer wrote in his report. "He readily agreed that his decision to remove his clothing posed a problem and stated that he understood why I would likely have to place him under arrest."
Porter was charged with misdemeanor counts of public indecency and indecent exposure.
Source:www.upi.com
Kansas police break student's arm www.privateofficer.com
Derby KS April 29 2011 Police are investigating whether a school resource officer used excessive force in breaking a student's arm and giving him a black eye.
The department says it investigates any time an officer uses force during an arrest. In this particular case, a student was injured and the officer was unharmed. While some claim the officer went too far, the department says it's still too early to tell.
"He just grabbed me and tried to throw me on the ground," said Jonathan Villarreao.
17-year-old Villarreao claims he was thrown to the ground Wednesday. This, after his SRO at Derby High School asked him to pull up his pants because they were sagging, and he said 'no.'
"I told them no because I already had gotten out of school and I was leaving to go to home and catch my bus," said Villarreao.
Then what began as a verbal dispute turned physical, when police say Villarreao refused to comply.
"[He] used a number of different profanities towards the officers. The SRO was was attempting to escort him back to the office of the school when he refused to go," said Derby Police Chief Robert Lee.
But police are still investigating exactly what happened to spur the officer to shoot his taser, then use enough force to break Villarreao's arm and give him a black eye.
"This is just not right. He shouldn't have made me get a broken bone just for [refusing] to pull up my pants," said Villarreao.
"Physical altercation certainly isn't the most desirable, but there are times when that's what is the next step," said Lee.
Whether it was the appropriate step in this case, the department hasn't yet determined.
"What I would tell people is, don't be driven by emotion. Let the facts tell you what they are, and that's what we're going to do, is gather the facts in this case," said Lee.
But Villarreao and some of his fellow students claim they know the facts, and they say what happened wasn't right.
"I'm pretty scared of them now, for what they did to Jonathan. If they're here to help they shouldn't have done what they did," said Derby High School student Natalie Quintanilla, who says she witnessed the altercation.
"These people, they don't really care about you. They say they're here to protect you but they didn't protect me," said Villarreao.
The police department says charges haven't been filed against Villarreao. It will be up to the District Attorney's office whether to pursue the case.
The officer will continue working as the SRO at Derby High School as the investigation continues
Source:KAKE
The department says it investigates any time an officer uses force during an arrest. In this particular case, a student was injured and the officer was unharmed. While some claim the officer went too far, the department says it's still too early to tell.
"He just grabbed me and tried to throw me on the ground," said Jonathan Villarreao.
17-year-old Villarreao claims he was thrown to the ground Wednesday. This, after his SRO at Derby High School asked him to pull up his pants because they were sagging, and he said 'no.'
"I told them no because I already had gotten out of school and I was leaving to go to home and catch my bus," said Villarreao.
Then what began as a verbal dispute turned physical, when police say Villarreao refused to comply.
"[He] used a number of different profanities towards the officers. The SRO was was attempting to escort him back to the office of the school when he refused to go," said Derby Police Chief Robert Lee.
But police are still investigating exactly what happened to spur the officer to shoot his taser, then use enough force to break Villarreao's arm and give him a black eye.
"This is just not right. He shouldn't have made me get a broken bone just for [refusing] to pull up my pants," said Villarreao.
"Physical altercation certainly isn't the most desirable, but there are times when that's what is the next step," said Lee.
Whether it was the appropriate step in this case, the department hasn't yet determined.
"What I would tell people is, don't be driven by emotion. Let the facts tell you what they are, and that's what we're going to do, is gather the facts in this case," said Lee.
But Villarreao and some of his fellow students claim they know the facts, and they say what happened wasn't right.
"I'm pretty scared of them now, for what they did to Jonathan. If they're here to help they shouldn't have done what they did," said Derby High School student Natalie Quintanilla, who says she witnessed the altercation.
"These people, they don't really care about you. They say they're here to protect you but they didn't protect me," said Villarreao.
The police department says charges haven't been filed against Villarreao. It will be up to the District Attorney's office whether to pursue the case.
The officer will continue working as the SRO at Derby High School as the investigation continues
Source:KAKE
Arizona security guard arrested for auto burglary www.privateofficer.com
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. April 29 2011— Bullhead City police say a Davis Dam security guard has been arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft. The police department says officers responded to a theft call Wednesday afternoon at Lake Mohave. A couple told police they were down by the lake when they heard breaking glass.
Investigators say the couple then returned to their Jeep Liberty and saw a man wearing a uniform and holding the victim's purse.
Police later arrested 29-year-old Emory Ray Stout of Golden Valley. He was picked up near Davis Camp north of Bullhead City.
The police department says Stout was booked into the Mohave County jail on charges of burglary, criminal damage and theft.
Source:Daily Journal
Investigators say the couple then returned to their Jeep Liberty and saw a man wearing a uniform and holding the victim's purse.
Police later arrested 29-year-old Emory Ray Stout of Golden Valley. He was picked up near Davis Camp north of Bullhead City.
The police department says Stout was booked into the Mohave County jail on charges of burglary, criminal damage and theft.
Source:Daily Journal
Santa Fe NM deputy caught shoplifting www.privateofficer.com
A store security guard caught Jeremy Garcia, 39, opening a car waxing kit and pocketing some of its contents at the Kmart on St. Michael's Drive, according to Santa Fe police Capt. Aric Wheeler.
Garcia was seen pocketing items that dealt with car scratch repair. Wheeler said the product is valued at $19.99.
Garcia was not in uniform and there were no signs that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the 8 a.m. incident, Wheeler said.
Garcia was cited for misdemeanor shoplifting of under $100 and was released, as is customary with petty shoplifting charges, Wheeler said.
Garcia heads a traffic patrol for the sheriff's office and has been a lieutenant for five years, according to Santa Fe County Sheriff Robert Garcia. Jeremy Garcia has been placed on paid administrative leave pending a sheriff's office internal review of his alleged actions, the sheriff said.
"It's very disappointing," Sheriff Garcia said.
Drake University security officer assaulted www.privateofficer.com
Security Officer Matthew Samann was parked in a university lot in the 1300 block of 31st St., not far from Peggy’s tavern, which was hosting an annual Drake Relays party with a beer tent at the back of the business.
Des Moines police said Samann’s attention was drawn to a commotion. It appeared that a fight was about to break out. As he was getting out of his car about 1:45 a.m., a man standing nearby intentionally shut the door on him, pinning his arm between the door and the frame.
Samann detained the man with the help of fellow university employees and a Des Moines police reserve officer.
Officers charged Benjamin Joseph Freeman, 22, of Fargo, N.D., with simple assault and public intoxication. Bond was set at $600.
Source:DesMoines Register
ST Louis corrections officer arrested in aiding prisoner escape www.privateofficer.com
The Circuit Attorney's Office charged Mori Farrell with five counts of forgery, two counts of permitting escape and one count of making false declaration.
Two Justice Center inmates, 33-year-old David White and 34-year-old Vernon Collins, escaped from the Justice Center on the morning of Friday, April 22. Police said the men were in the infirmary as the Justice Center, located at 200 S. Tucker. Both White and Collins removed their yellow corrections jumpsuits prior to escaping. They pushed the bunk bed they were assigned to sleep in and put it against the wall. They climbed into the ceiling and were able to gain access to a window. They smashed the window, tied bed sheets together into a rope and used that to get down the wall and escape the building.
White was previously charged with burglary, domestic assault, unlawful use of a weapon, endangering the welfare of a child and property damage. Collins had previously been charged with assault on a law enforcement officer, armed criminal action, assault, resisting arrest and disarming a correctional officer.
Police said Collins was suspected of shooting a St. Louis police officer when they got into a struggle over the officer's gun earlier this year following a stabbing investigation in the 5200 block of St. Louis Avenue. The officer was critically injured in the shooting.
The inmates were apprehended within 24 hours and charged again.
According to court documents, Farrell was assigned to the infirmary area of the Justice Center, which included a cell holding White and Collins. Nine inmates were in the infirmary - eight male and one female.
Farrell was responsible for performing watch tours every half hour on all individuals confined to the infirmary. He was to confirm by sight that all inmates were present in their cells and enter that information into a database, which includes what time the guard performed the check and the number of confined individuals present at the time of said check.
The detention center supervisor said guards were required to perform physical head counts of confined individuals by calling off their names and confirming their presence. Guards would then report the results of the head counts to admissions personnel on the second floor, who would then relay that information via reports to a master control hub in the Justice Center.
Prosecutors allege Farrell made false entries into that database, and said he admitted to detectives that he lied about making status checks on the inmates on four occasions that morning.
A nurse at the Justice Center infirmary told investigators that at approximately 2:15 a.m. she reported hearing loud banging noises coming from one of the cells to Farrell. The noise was coming from the cell containing White and Collins.
Farrell allegedly walked into the cell area but did not enter any of the cells. He noticed the bed was on its side but did not see Vernon Collins. He then allegedly told the nurse that one of the inmates was exercising with his bed.
Around 2:45 a.m., the same nurse went to the guard again and said she heard more banging noises coming from the cell, prosecutors said. The guard again went into the cell area and looked in the cell, but did not see Vernon Collins. This time, however, authorities allege Farrell told the nurse someone was taking a shower. The nurse told the guard inmates were not allowed to take showers because of the time and staff requirements.
Prosecutors said Farrell later admitted to detectives that he never observed Collins in the infirmary at that point either.
Just before 6 a.m., Farrell went to the second floor supervisor to provide head count information and allegedly confirmed all the inmates were present. Authorities said the supervisor used this false information and made a false report.
The infirmary nurse said at some point around 6 a.m. she looked into the cell holding Collins and White and saw neither man present. She then informed Farrell, who confirmed both men were missing. Farrell then reported to the master control hub that the inmates were missing.
A St. Louis police officer interviewed the guard at 7 a.m. to review what had happened. Farrell is accused of lying to the police officer by saying he reportedly saw the inmates just before 6 a.m.
Farrell admitted to lying to authorities all this time to avoid getting into trouble, prosecutors said.
Source:KSDK
Cook County corrections officer commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
Cook County IL April 29 2011 A 40-year-old Cook County Correctional officer used his service weapon to kill himself Monday after an argument with his girlfriend, police said today.
William Washington, of the 20100 block of Sequoia Avenue in Chicago Heights, was pronounced dead at 7:06 p.m. at Saint James Hospital and Health Care Centers in Chicago Heights, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Washington sustained a gunshot wound to his chest at about 6:15 p.m. on the 400 block of West 34th Street in Steger, officials said.
While an autopsy is scheduled for today, police are treating the case as a suicide, said Steger Police Chief Richard Stultz.
Police were called to the home at about 6:15 p.m. The apartment belongs to Washington's girlfriend, who is also a Cook County correctional officer, said Stultz.
Washington and the girlfriend were at the woman's apartment, where they were arguing, Stultz said. The woman had just been dropped off by a male friend, who left and walked down the stairs when the argument began, Stultz said.
After the woman stopped the argument and was about to leave, Washington went to a back bedroom. The woman heard a gunshot and then found him wounded on the floor, said Stultz. The male friend called 911.
No charges are expected, said Stultz.
Washington had worked for the Cook County sheriff's office since March 2, 1999 and was assigned to work at Division 1, a maximum security section of Cook County Jail, said Steve Patterson, a spokesman for the office. Washington worked a 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift, Patterson said.
"Everything we've heard indicates he was a good employee," said Patterson.
Washington, who was in uniform at the time of the shooting, apparently used his service weapon, officials said.
Source:Chicago Tibune
William Washington, of the 20100 block of Sequoia Avenue in Chicago Heights, was pronounced dead at 7:06 p.m. at Saint James Hospital and Health Care Centers in Chicago Heights, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.
Washington sustained a gunshot wound to his chest at about 6:15 p.m. on the 400 block of West 34th Street in Steger, officials said.
While an autopsy is scheduled for today, police are treating the case as a suicide, said Steger Police Chief Richard Stultz.
Police were called to the home at about 6:15 p.m. The apartment belongs to Washington's girlfriend, who is also a Cook County correctional officer, said Stultz.
Washington and the girlfriend were at the woman's apartment, where they were arguing, Stultz said. The woman had just been dropped off by a male friend, who left and walked down the stairs when the argument began, Stultz said.
After the woman stopped the argument and was about to leave, Washington went to a back bedroom. The woman heard a gunshot and then found him wounded on the floor, said Stultz. The male friend called 911.
No charges are expected, said Stultz.
Washington had worked for the Cook County sheriff's office since March 2, 1999 and was assigned to work at Division 1, a maximum security section of Cook County Jail, said Steve Patterson, a spokesman for the office. Washington worked a 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift, Patterson said.
"Everything we've heard indicates he was a good employee," said Patterson.
Washington, who was in uniform at the time of the shooting, apparently used his service weapon, officials said.
Source:Chicago Tibune
Heroic police officer's last act of bravery saves daughter www.privateofficer.com
As violent winds tore through their tent, Louisiana police Lieutenant Wade Sharp, 40, flung himself on top of the sleeping nine-year-old to shield her.
Moments later a huge sweetgum tree crashed through the canvas, hitting the lieutenant on the back of the head and killing him instantly, but leaving his daughter unharmed.
It was the final act of heroism in a 19-year career with the force, in which he had been decorated several times for bravery, twice saving lives by endangering his own.
Covington Police Chief Richard Palmisano told the Times-Picayune: 'He was a hero all the way through his whole career, and was a hero to the end.'
He said: 'Everyone always wanted to work with him. He was a joy to be around. He was an excellent, fantastic officer, well-liked. I never heard anything against him.'
He was head of the criminal investigations division and had been given the Medal of Valor, the highest award Covington Police Department can bestow, for risking his life to save a man from a burning house, despite not having breathing apparatus.
Another colleague, Captain Jack West, called him ‘a hell of an investigator’
Casino security team nabs suspect in chips theft www.privateofficer.com
Daniel Robert Paul of Prospect Park swiped six $500 chips off the table at Harrah's Chester, police said.
When the chips turned up missing during a routine check, casino security reviewed surveillance cameras and contacted state police.
After leaving the table, Paul, 41, and Tara Lynn Foglio, 35, of Ridley Township, headed to their car in a casino garage. Foglio returned to redeem three chips for $1,500 in cash, according to police.
Paul and Foglio were charged with theft, receiving stolen property, conspiracy, and related crimes. They are being held in the Delaware County jail after failing to make bail.
Foglio told police she dropped the $1,500 in the parking garage when she thought she saw a security guard. That money is still missing, but the three missing chips were found in Paul's car, police said.
Source:Philadelphia Inquirer
Texas police release photo of person of interest in security officer's murder www.privateofficer.com
On Thursday, authorities released images of the man that were taken by a store surveillance camera. Detectives want to talk to him about the April 20 death of Fidel Sanchez, 26.
Sanchez was shot multiple times after responding to an emergency alarm at J.D. Abrams, a construction site in the 8400 block of FM 2234 in Fresno.
Sanchez died later at an area hospital.
Investigators ask anyone with information to call the sheriff's office at 281-341-4665 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477).
Shoplifters bite, assault Carson Pirie security agents www.privateofficer.com
At about 4:30 p.m. on April 18, police received a call that three women were fighting in the store parking lot. According to police reports, a store clerk saw Chicago residents Sandra L. Ramsey, 17, Kametta Coakley, 19, and Lakeshia N. Ramsey, 25, walking in the store, selecting items and concealing them in the bags they were carrying.
According to reports, a clerk called security, then the women left through the west doors to the parking lot. Police said that after security officers identified themselves, the three women took off running but were caught and taken into custody.
While Ramsey was being taken into custody, she bit a security officer, breaking his skin, which necessitated a call for an ambulance, police said. The security officer eventually had to get stitches, according to the report. Police said that when they arrived, the three women were already in custody.
The three women were charged with retail theft for taking a combined $522.98 worth of assorted clothing, jewelry and makeup, police said. Ramsey also was charged with aggravated battery for biting the security guard, and was charged with battery for biting another officer on the hand, but not breaking the skin of that officer.
Detroit security shoots man during burglary call www.privateofficer.com
Police said the security guard, who witnesses say is also a neighbor, was responding to an alarm that went off at the home. When he arrived, there was a car in the driveway that started backing up toward him, police said.
The guard fired shots at the man in the car, striking him in the arm, police said.
The Detroit Police Department said officers were questioning the security guard Wednesday night.
The man who was shot is in stable condition, police said.
US Security underbidding wins Colorado courthouse contract www.privateofficer.com
FORT COLLINS, Colo. April 29 2011-- If you come to the Larimer County Justice Center next week, you'll see armed security guards checking your purse and pockets for 25 percent less pay than the guards who did it the previous week.
"I will be unemployed," said Charles Hall, a security guard at the complex for three years. "I'll have to look for a new job. I'll have to collect unemployment. And hopefully I can find a new job."
Hall says he's refusing to drop from nearly $12.75 an hour to $9.50 per hour with the new company and feels the public should be concerned.
"I mean, you know, you're putting people's lives at risk for less money," he said.
"I'm going to retire," said Bob Perino, a guard at the security checkpoint for the past four years. "There's no way you can work for $9.50 an hour."
Several court staffers and even one judge told 7NEWS Wednesday they had no idea the change had been made and would be sorry to see Hall, Perino and the other two staffers go.
"OK. But cheaper's never always better. So it's not a great idea at all," said Sue Reed-Baum, a Justice Center visitor. "I think it stinks."
Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith approved the change, as did the county's finance director.
Commissioners could vote on the final contract next week, said spokeswoman Deni La Rue.
But commissioner Steve Johnson told 7NEWS he was already sold.
"It does not bother me at all," Johnson said. "In fact, courthouse security is the responsibility of the sheriff and he has our full confidence. What it says to me is that our sheriff is very good at courthouse security and getting the best value for the taxpayer dollar. I'm not surprised at all if the losing bidder is unhappy but that's what competition is all about in America."
Twin City Security had the contract for the justice center for five years, a company spokesman told 7NEWS.
And a Larimer County sheriff's spokesman agreed the company did a fine job.
But, he said, after reviewing 14 bids, U.S. Security Associates had the lowest offer.
"Yeah, that's the main reason the change is occurring," said Nick Christensen, the executive officer for the sheriff's department. "If they're the lowest bidder, they're going to get that job and they're going to have to find a way to make that work."
When asked if public security was the right place to search for cost savings, Christensen said, "Well, absolutely. As long as we get the same level of service. That's the key."
Criminal background checks are being done by the sheriff's department, another spokesman said.
The contract with U.S. Security runs four years, with annual reviews and a chance to terminate the deal at any time for serious problems, the sheriff's office spokesman said.
"I will be unemployed," said Charles Hall, a security guard at the complex for three years. "I'll have to look for a new job. I'll have to collect unemployment. And hopefully I can find a new job."
Hall says he's refusing to drop from nearly $12.75 an hour to $9.50 per hour with the new company and feels the public should be concerned.
"I mean, you know, you're putting people's lives at risk for less money," he said.
"I'm going to retire," said Bob Perino, a guard at the security checkpoint for the past four years. "There's no way you can work for $9.50 an hour."
Several court staffers and even one judge told 7NEWS Wednesday they had no idea the change had been made and would be sorry to see Hall, Perino and the other two staffers go.
"OK. But cheaper's never always better. So it's not a great idea at all," said Sue Reed-Baum, a Justice Center visitor. "I think it stinks."
Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith approved the change, as did the county's finance director.
Commissioners could vote on the final contract next week, said spokeswoman Deni La Rue.
But commissioner Steve Johnson told 7NEWS he was already sold.
"It does not bother me at all," Johnson said. "In fact, courthouse security is the responsibility of the sheriff and he has our full confidence. What it says to me is that our sheriff is very good at courthouse security and getting the best value for the taxpayer dollar. I'm not surprised at all if the losing bidder is unhappy but that's what competition is all about in America."
Twin City Security had the contract for the justice center for five years, a company spokesman told 7NEWS.
And a Larimer County sheriff's spokesman agreed the company did a fine job.
But, he said, after reviewing 14 bids, U.S. Security Associates had the lowest offer.
"Yeah, that's the main reason the change is occurring," said Nick Christensen, the executive officer for the sheriff's department. "If they're the lowest bidder, they're going to get that job and they're going to have to find a way to make that work."
When asked if public security was the right place to search for cost savings, Christensen said, "Well, absolutely. As long as we get the same level of service. That's the key."
Criminal background checks are being done by the sheriff's department, another spokesman said.
The contract with U.S. Security runs four years, with annual reviews and a chance to terminate the deal at any time for serious problems, the sheriff's office spokesman said.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Virginia man gets prison time for assault on security officer www.privateofficer.com
A judge found Christopher Neal Root guilty of assault-and-battery Tuesday. Prosecutors say the 26-year-old sucker-punched a guard in the neck at Eastside Speedway in 2009.
The victim suffered a series of strokes, and lost feeling in part of his body.
Root faced a malicious wounding indictment, but was convicted of the lesser assault charge.
He was ordered to serve the maximum 12 months in jail.
Source:News29
Maryland police hunt armored car robbers www.privateofficer.com
Clinton MD April 28 2011 Two men wearing ski masks used an assault rifle to hold up the driver of an armored car Monday afternoon in Clinton, Prince George's police said.According to police, at approximately 1:55 p.m. the men approached a Dunbar Armored employee from behind as he was transporting money outside a Bank of America in the 7800 block of Old Branch Avenue, said Cpl. Mike Rodriguez, a county police spokesman.
The men, both wearing black gloves and ski masks, brandished an assault rifle and a silver handgun and demanded the money from the driver, who gave the men an undetermined amount of cash before they drove off in a white van, police said. The driver was not injured, Rodriguez said.
He said the robbery appears to be an isolated incident, but police are investigating any possible links to other crimes.
To view surveillance camera photos of the suspects, visit http://cms.princegeorgescountymd.gov/PoliceNews/default.aspx?itemid=3068.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Prince George's County Police Department's Robbery Unit at 301-772-4905. Callers who want to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 866-411-8477 or text "PGPD (plus the message)" to CRIMES (274637) on a cell phone or go to www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/police to submit a tip online.
West Virginia hospital security officer cut stopping burglary suspect www.privateofficer.com
According to a criminal complaint filed with the Huntington Police, security guard James Smith questioned a man who was getting out a vehicle in the parking lot.
Smith says the suspect, Shane Burton, ran from him. Smith chased him to the 1500 block of Columbia Avenue, where a bystander helped Smith tackle and take Burton into custody.
During the struggle, Burton cut Smith on the arm with a pocket knife. Smith was treated at Cabell Huntington Hospital.
Security officers were able to track down the CHH employee whose car was broken into. She told them she thought she locked her car. She said her purse was in her trunk and that her wallet was missing, which had credit cards, a bank card, cash, her checkbook, drivers license, social security card and insurance cards inside.
When Burton was caught, the victim's driver's license, credit card and cash was found in pocket.
Her checkbook and an emergency hammer were found in an alley near the parking lot.
Burton is charged with a misdemeanor count of breaking and entering and a felony county of malicious wounding.
He is being held in the Western Regional Jail on a $20,000 bail.
Source:WSAZ
Security officer sliced breaking up hotel fight www.privateofficer.com
Timothy Lewis Hall, 29, of 10223 Brighton Ridge Way, has been charged with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of reckless endangerment, police said.
Police were called at about 2:40 a.m. for reports of a stabbing at the BWI Airport Marriott on the 1700 block of W. Nursery Road.
There had been an argument between two men – Hall and an unnamed 28-year-old man – that led to Hall pulling out a knife, police said.
The 28-year-old man tried to get the knife away from Hall but ended up suffering a hand injury, police said. He was taken to Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, treated and released.
A hotel security guard also was injured while trying to separate the men, suffering a laceration on the back of his neck, police said. He was taken to the Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, treated and released.
Hall was also treated for a hand injury, police said.
Illegal Mexican immigrant found working as Anchorage police officer www.privateofficer.com
ANCHORAGE, Alaska April 28 2011 -- A Mexico-born illegal immigrant working as a police officer in Alaska was caught only after the U.S. citizen whose identity he stole applied for a passport, authorities said Tuesday.
Rafael Espinoza, who has dual citizenship, lives outside of the U.S. and recently applied for a passport, Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew said. Around that time, the officer using Espinoza's name applied for a passport renewal under the same identity, according to police and federal authorities.
Rafael Mora-Lopez, 47, was arrested last week after federal agents processing his renewal request discovered the alleged fraud. He has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of passport fraud, which carries a maximum 10-year sentence.
Mew said the man whose identity Mora-Lopez stole is a real person, but had no "no record in the United States, beyond the fact that he existed."
Authorities said documents revealing Mora-Lopez's true identity were found in his home.
Mora-Lopez has formally resigned from the police department, where he worked for six years, Mew said. He was a well-regarded swing-shift patrol officer, winning an award after he and another officer conducted CPR on a person last year, Mew said.
The chief said Mora-Lopez also was on the verge of receiving a letter of recognition for working with authorities to rescue someone with a broken leg from Anchorage's treacherous coastal mudflats.
Authorities said Espinoza and Mora-Lopez have no known criminal records, which helped the officer elude detection when he was hired.
Mew said the department conducted a pre-employment criminal background check and that Mora-Lopez passed a polygraph test. A national fingerprint check also turned up empty.
Since Espinoza was living outside the country, that likely explained a lack of tip-offs, such as dual federal income tax filings.
A federal release order dated Tuesday said Mora-Lopez posted a $50,000 bond and listed electronic monitoring as a condition for release. He was ordered to home confinement on Friday at his arraignment.
Mora-Lopez's attorney, Allen Dayan, did not immediately return a call Tuesday.
Officials have said it's too early to predict implications of the case, such as any repercussions over Mora-Lopez's testimony in past criminal trials or his work in cases ranging from traffic tickets to arrests and domestic violence calls.
The case also complicates benefit procedures, such as paying pension earned by Mora-Lopez under the assumed identity, Mew added.
Mora-Lopez is married with a child, and has lived in Anchorage since the late 1980s, his attorney said in court. His wife could not immediately be reached by phone Tuesday.
The case is similar to one involving a Mexican national who took the identity of a dead cousin who was a U.S. citizen in order to become a Milwaukee police officer. Oscar Ayala-Cornejo was deported to Mexico in 2007.
Mora-Lopez's arrest comes two months after another Anchorage police officer, Anthony Rollins, was convicted of sexually assaulting women while on duty.
Source:www.miamiherald.com
Tacoma senior citizen charged with kidnapping-rape www.privateofficer.com
SEATTLE WA April 28 2011 – Police have released a photo of the man suspected of picking up a prostitute in Seattle and taking her to his alleged “torture room” at his mobile home in rural Tacoma.
John Joseph Hauff Jr, 66, is charged with kidnapping, rape and assault. Police say he picked up the 24-year-old woman on Aurora Avenue April 2. She secretly texted her boyfriend with Hauff's address and license plate number.
When they arrived at the home, police say the woman was chained to a wall as Hauff spent the next eight hours repeatedly torturing, electrocuting and binding her using tools and other devices. The woman told police she was released after she showed Hauff the text message she sent.Hauff was arrested a few days later..
Investigators say they found a “torture room” in Hauff’s mobile home with whips, syringes, belts and two devices for administering electric shocks. The walls were eight inches thick, making it virtually soundproof.
Searchers from several agencies in King and Pierce counties also searched the property for any evidence related to missing person cases.
Police also released photos of the outside of the home and of the 1998 Mercury Sable station wagon that he allegedly used to pick up the woman.
Anyone who has been victimized by Hauff or recognizes the building or the car is asked to call Seattle Police at (206) 233-5000. Police say they are not interested in investigating any prostitution or drug crimes in relation to this case.
Source:King5
Preachers file lawsuit after their arrest for reading the bible www.privateofficer.com
A security guard asked Mark Mackey to stop. He refused to do so and was later arrested. After his arrest, the two men who had accompanied him, assistant pastor Brett Coronado and Ed Flores, were arrested for impeding business. Coronado and Flores reportedly did not read the Bible out loud.
According to their attorneys' press release, "The men believed that they had a First Amendment right to free speech as they were standing in a planter within the parking lot and were located on public property. Further, they were not interfering with any business of the DMV and were not yelling or disturbing the peace."
The men were charged with violating California Penal Code Section 602.1:
(a) Any person who intentionally interferes with any lawful business or occupation carried on by the owner or agent of a business establishment open to the public, by obstructing or intimidating those attempting to carry on business, or their customers, and who refuses to leave the premises of the business establishment after being requested to leave by the owner or the owner's agent, or by a peace officer acting at the request of the owner or owner's agent, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for up to 90 days, or by a fine of up to four hundred dollars ($400), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(b) Any person who intentionally interferes with any lawful business carried on by the employees of a public agency open to the public, by obstructing or intimidating those attempting to carry on business, or those persons there to transact business with the public agency, and who refuses to leave the premises of the public agency after being requested to leave by the office manager or a supervisor of the public agency, or by a peace officer acting at the request of the office manager or a supervisor of the public agency, is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment in a county jail for up to 90 days, or by a fine of up to four hundred dollars ($400), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(c) This section shall not apply to any of the following persons:
(1) Any person engaged in lawful labor union activities that are permitted to be carried out on the property by state or federal law.
(2) Any person on the premises who is engaging in activities protected by the California Constitution or the United States
Constitution.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to supersede the application of any other law.
Advocates of Faith and Freedom is representing the trio and has filed a complaint against the arresting officer and the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The complaint asks for a jury trial, compensatory damages and a permanent injunction against the Department of Motor Vehicles and its staff, employees and representatives from arresting or trying to stop religious speech at the Department of Motor Vehicle premises.
Police arrest man for attacking gay security guard www.privateofficer.com
John William Koontz, 62, was ordered held without bail Tuesday.
He was arrested Monday after police said he walked up to Miguel "Angel" Rodriguez, 46, outside a CVS in the 5200 block of Southwest 34th Street in Davie and repeatedly punched and kicked him while shouting insults.
"I'm gay, that's what I am … and now he uses that against me," Rodriguez said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
Koontz was charged with aggravated battery and a hate crime. To label an assault a hate crime, investigators and prosecutors must prove the victim was targeted because of race, color, sexual orientation or other personal factors. A hate-crime designation is added to other criminal charges, elevates them to felony status and may mean stiffer penalties under Florida law.
According to a Davie police complaint affidavit, Rodriguez works as a security guard for Everglades Mobile Home Park, where both men live.
About 5:30 p.m Monday, Koontz approached Rodriguez as he was entering the pharmacy and made an anti-gay remark to him, the affidavit said.
Koontz then hit Rodriguez in the face, causing him to fall to the ground, according to the affidavit. Koontz then straddled Rodriguez, punched him and kicked him in the face, the Davie police document says.
Rodriguez said he pepper sprayed Koontz, but was unable to stop him. When Koontz punched him, his eyeglasses were smashed, he said.
"I thought he was going to kill me," he said.
Two CVS employees were able to separate the men and called police. Rescuers took Rodriguez to Memorial Hospital Pembroke, where he was treated and released Monday night.
Koontz was arrested and taken to the Broward County Main Jail where police found a small key in his pocket. He also was charged with obstructing justice through unlawful possession of a concealed handcuff key, a third-degree felony, and violating probation from a recent marijuana possession charge.
Rodriguez's father, Jack Gilmer, was inside the CVS picking up medicine when the attack happened.
"I heard Miguel screaming my name and when I got to the front he was laying on the floor with his face all beat up, bleeding," Gilmer said Wednesday. "It was definitely a hate crime."
Rodriguez said the feud between the two men began about three weeks ago when Rodriguez, who guards the mobile home community's entrance, called police after he said Koontz was harassing him and visitors near the gate. He said Koontz has since continued to verbally harass him.
Speaking almost 24 hours after the attack, Rodriguez said his face remained swollen and throbbing. Though physically and emotionally drained, he said he was keeping a positive spirit.
"I'm scared … but at least I'm alive," he said
Source:SunSentinel
TSA screeners find baton in luggage www.privateofficer.com
Ontario CA April 28 2011 A Beaumont man was taken into custody at Ontario International Airport Tuesday after security officers discovered a weapon inside his bag.
The unnamed man was arrested for possessing a deadly weapon about 7:20 a.m. during a search of his carry on bag, said Nico Melendez, TSA spokesman. The man was planning to fly to Oakland.
The weapon, a collapsible baton, was identified by a security officer who saw it in the x-ray machine.
Initially 8 inches in size the baton expands, making it a deadly weapon, Melendez said.
The man did not tell officials why he had the weapon with him.
Airport police are notified every time an illegal item goes through a checkpoint, which happens fairly often, Melendez said.
Throwing stars were discovered in a bag over the weekend and several rounds of ammunition were discovered last week at local airports. And a gun was discovered at a Sacramento airport about a week ago.
"That is all stuff that shouldn't be in the airport and we need to remind passengers that there are consequences to bringing these items," Melendez said.
Source:www.sbsun.com
The unnamed man was arrested for possessing a deadly weapon about 7:20 a.m. during a search of his carry on bag, said Nico Melendez, TSA spokesman. The man was planning to fly to Oakland.
The weapon, a collapsible baton, was identified by a security officer who saw it in the x-ray machine.
Initially 8 inches in size the baton expands, making it a deadly weapon, Melendez said.
The man did not tell officials why he had the weapon with him.
Airport police are notified every time an illegal item goes through a checkpoint, which happens fairly often, Melendez said.
Throwing stars were discovered in a bag over the weekend and several rounds of ammunition were discovered last week at local airports. And a gun was discovered at a Sacramento airport about a week ago.
"That is all stuff that shouldn't be in the airport and we need to remind passengers that there are consequences to bringing these items," Melendez said.
Source:www.sbsun.com
Arizona sheriffs say US Border Patrol ordered them to stop catching illegal immigrants www.privateofficer.com
Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever stated that a supervisor with the U.S. Border Patrol told him as recently as this month that the federal agency’s office on Arizona’s southern border was under orders to keep apprehension numbers down during specific reporting time periods.
“The senior supervisor agent is telling me about how their mission is now to scare people back,” Dever said in an intervie. “He said, ‘I had to go back to my guys and tell them not to catch anybody, that their job is to chase people away. … They were not to catch anyone, arrest anyone. Their job was to set up posture, to intimidate people, to get them to go back.”
Dever said his recent conversation with the Border Patrol supervisor was the latest in a series of communications on the subject that he has had with various federal agents over the last two years. Dever said he plans to relay the substance of these conversations when he testifies under oath next month before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
“I will raise my hand to tell the truth and swear to God, and nothing is more serious or important than that,” he said. “I’m going to tell them that, here’s what I hear and see every day: I had conversation with agent A, B, C, D and this is what they told me.”
Dever’s charges were vigorously denied by a commander with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“The claim that Border Patrol supervisors have been instructed to underreport or manipulate our statistics is unequivocally false,” Jeffery Self, commander of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Joint Field Command in Arizona, said in a written statement.
“I took an oath that I take very seriously, and I find it insulting that anyone, especially a fellow law enforcement officer, would imply that we would put the protection of the American public and security of our nation’s borders in danger just for a numbers game," he said. "Our mission does not waiver based on political climate, and it never will. To suggest that we are ambiguous in enforcing our laws belittles the work of more than 6,000 CBP employees in Arizona who dedicate their lives to protect our borders every day.”
In recent days, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has said the U.S.-Mexican border is more secure than ever, and Homeland Security officials have used recent statistics to support those claims.
“There is a perception that the border is worse now than it ever has been,” Napolitano said at the El Paso border crossing last week. “That is wrong. The border is better now than it ever has been.”
Dever doesn’t agree.
“Janet Napolitano says the border is more secure than it’s ever been. I’ve been here for 60 years, and I’m telling you that’s not true,” he said.
The sheriff of Santa Cruz County, which borders Dever’s Cochise County to the west, said, “This is news to me,” when asked about reports that border agents were being told to turn illegal immigrants back to Mexico rather than arrest them.
“It comes as a complete surprise that that would be something that’s going around,” Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said. “I meet with Dever all the time and I have great respect for him, so I expect he’d come forward and say what he knows and give the source.
“Not knowing who the source is, how reliable that source is, I really don’t have much of a position,” Estrada said. “I’ve been around a real long time and haven’t heard anything like this. By the same token, you learn new things every day.”
Both sheriffs are elected officials. Dever is a Republican, Estrada, a Democrat.
Others have questioned the methodology and conclusions of the Homeland Security numbers showing the border is more secure.
Mark Hanna, CEO of Real Life Enterprises, a Phoenix-based technology integration and security company, has testified before the Arizona Senate about what he called Homeland Security’s flawed methodology used to compile border security statistics. Hanna maintains the numbers are dangerously misleading.
Hanna, who is currently working on a private/public partnership pilot program along the Arizona border, said he attended a February conference at which Michael Fisher, chief of the United States Border Patrol, and Mark S. Borkowski, assistant commissioner for technology and innovation acquisition, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, showed off charts indicating arrests were decreasing and argued the border was more secure. The charts also showed an increase in marijuana seizures along the border and an increase in Border Patrol agents.
But those charts left out crucial data, Hanna said.
“Since we don’t know how many illegal crossings are occurring, then a decrease in apprehensions might mean that there are fewer illegal crossings, and the border is more secure. But it could also just as easily mean that more illegal border crossings are occurring, and we’re just not catching as many. In order to know how secure the border is, you need to know how many are crossing and the threat level of those who are crossing illegally," he said.
“It is a very dangerous condition for the secretary of Homeland Security to be using incomplete data to form such a conclusion, and then repeatedly announce these conclusions as fact,” he said.
The Department of Homeland Security did not return repeated requests for comment on Hanna’s specific challenges to the agency’s methodology.
Whatever the methodology, Dever said the numbers don’t accurately describe what’s happening on the ground.
“We do not know who’s crossing that border, but that anyone who wants to can. That’s the message our nation needs to hear, that anyone who wants to can, and is. And our own Department of Homeland Security does not have clear definition of what securing the border even means," Dever said.
“People are disgusted, the smiles are gone off their face, their general sense of welfare been taken away from them and until that’s returned you can throw all the numbers on the board. … I’ll tell Napolitano, in spite of all of your declarations and efforts to the contrary, things are not safe. No, they are not secure.
“You can use your numbers to say it’s more secure, but it does not define a sense of safety or well-being. You can say it’s more secure, but it’s more dangerous than ever.”
Source:AP
Jacksonville teacher arrested for molestation of child www.privateofficer.com
Robert Bryan Luke, 35, faces one count of lewd/lascivious molestation and two counts of sexual battery, after someone accused him of being involved in oral sex and inappropriate touching with an underage person. One of Luke's sexual battery counts revealed the victim is under the age of 12.
Duval County Schools spokesperson Jill Johnson said she didn't know if the victim was a student, but a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office police report shows that the incidents occurred inside the school and further indicates that the victim is a male.
The victim's legal guardian filed the complaint with the sheriff's office on Saturday, according to the JSO report, and Luke was arrested Monday evening. Investigators said Luke denied the allegations.
During a news conference, JSO detectives said Luke had been accused of acting improperly before, while he was a substitute teacher at Southside Middle School in September 2007.
Luke became a full-time employee at Lake Shore Middle School in 2008, Johnson said, and the school board did a full background screening on him prior to hiring him.
Johnson also noted that there was no disciplinary action noted in his employee files since he'd been employed at the school.
No hearing has been scheduled yet for Luke.
Until Luke's case is completed he will remain an employee of Duval County Schools, but Johnson said he has been removed from the classroom.
Source:First Coast news
Deputy sheriff, second man charged with having sex with minor www.privateofficer.com
Jason Anguiano was taken into custody at about 9p.m. Monday after a search warrant was served at his home.
When asked if Anguiano was being accused of having sex with the same police Explorer that Deputy Nathan Gastineau was accused of having sex with, sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said yes.
"It's the same girl," Miller said.
Deputy Nathan Gastineau was arrested Friday on suspicion of committing lewd acts with a minor after the Sheriff's Department received information he may have had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl from the Explorer program he ran.
Investigators said they recovered "evidence" at Anguiano's home after they served the warrant but did not elaborate. They arrested him without incident on suspicion of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and possession of a dangerous weapon.
Deputies from the sheriff's Crimes Against Children Detail investigating the allegations against Gastineau identified Anguiano as a suspect, Miller said.
"It's part of the same investigation," she said. "(Anguiano) was identified as a second subject."
But Anguiano is not connected to the Sheriff's Department in any way nor is he connected to the Highland Explorer post, Miller said.
Anguiano was booked Monday night at Central Detention Center in San Bernardino. He posted $25,000 bail about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Gastineau is also out on bail.
The District Attorney's Office has yet to file charges against either man
Source:www.sbsun.com
CT adds K-9 police teams to trains and buses www.privateofficer.com
"I think to the extent that it's something new, I think people are going to be surprised, just like I am about it. In the end, I think we're all concerned with terrorism," said commuter Paul White.
Thanks to an almost $2 million grant, Connecticut State Police have a new Mass Transit Security Unit, that includes five canine explosive detection teams.
"The traveling public, and the commuting public, likes to see security, and wants to see security. They want to feel safe when they commute," State Police Lieutenant J. Paul Vance said.
Official say there is already a vast security system with the MTA and Amtrak police, along with Connecticut police squads, but in a post 9-11 world there is no such thing as too much security.
"To have these five dogs and their trainers available, to mix up the security, to make sure at any given time, one of these dogs may be walking up your train, or at your station, or checking your bag, I think is an important message that we've got to get out there," Governor Dannel Malloy said.
"The goal is prevention, obviously. Prevention, and enabling our citizens to feel safe, to provide that extra layer of safety to them through this program," State Police Captain L.J. Fusaro said.
The campaign, "See Something, Say Something" is well known to commuters now, but with an added dimension, because for the dogs it's "Smell Something, Speak Something".
"I think it's a great idea. All the protection you can get. It's the best there is," one woman said.
Source:WTNH
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)