Four charged in vicious Albion child abuse investigation
ALBION — Just one meal a day, doused with hot sauce.
That’s what four Albion adults allegedly allowed a 10-year-old child who the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office says was forced to work outside all day without food, water or bathroom access, tied to the back of a vehicle and dragged, and subjected to repeated physical abuse with what the suspects referred to as “the beating stick.”
Gary Bubis Jr., 37, Shawn Whaley, 23, and Brandy Shaver, 18, all of 393 Albion Cross Road, Albion, face second-degree assault charges.
The 34-year-old mother of the 10-year-old faces a count of endangering the welfare of a child in connection to the investigation, which also involves a 3-year-old who still suffers burn wounds from Bubis allegedly forcing its hand into a container of scalding water, deputies said.
According to the sheriff’s office, the 10-year-old fled to a neighbor’s residence Wednesday morning, reporting harrowing allegations of physical abuse since at least April.
“After seeing the condition of the child, (the neighbor) immediately called 911,” said Undersheriff Eugene Sullivan in an interview.
Deputies responded at 11 a.m. and noticed the alleged victim had suffered physical injuries warranting immediate medical attention, Sullivan said.
The 10-year-old was admitted and remains at Golisano Children’s Hospital, Sullivan said, where further investigation allegedly revealed injuries that corroborated the child’s accusations.
Deputies say the 10-year-old was the target of repeated abuse by the adults: Whereas other children in the house were allegedly given regular meals, clothing and proper bedding, the 10-year-old was allegedly deprived of food, slept on a couch, worked outside all day clearing brush at the property and hadn’t been allowed a bath for almost a month.
The sheriff’s office said a 12-year-old at the home was an unwilling participant in the alleged abuse, forced to beat the 10-year-old with a makeshift device the suspects called “the beating stick,” which deputies said was tightly rolled up newspaper wrapped in electrical tape.
The 10-year-old was allegedly struck with open hands, closed fists and kicked repeatedly in alleged abuse that escalated for months, according to the sheriff’s office, which notes the investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely.
The assault charges for Whaley and Shaver stem from a recent incident in which they allegedly took the 10-year-old to Happy Valley Game Management Park in the middle of the night and “forced (the child) to run with weighted backpacks,” according to a sheriff’s office press release.
“The victim was followed and struck by the motor vehicle for running too slow,” deputies wrote. “The victim was tied to the rear of the vehicle by a rope for running too slow and was dragged.”
The assault charge for Bubis stems from allegations he forced a 3-year-old’s hand into a container of hot water. The child’s hand still showed injuries Wednesday and it remains unclear whether the child ever received medical attention after the alleged incident, according to deputies.
Bubis, Whaley and Shaver were arraigned early Thursday morning in Williamstown Town Court, according to chief assistant district attorney Mark Moody.
All were remanded to the Oswego County Correctional Facility in lieu of Moody’s recommended bail of $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond.
The mother was released on her own recognizance and her next court date was unavailable by press time.
Whaley and Shaver must appear in Williamstown Town Court Sept. 9 at 7 p.m., while Bubis is due in Albion Town Court Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.
Moody noted a Williamstown judge issued an order of protection barring the defendants from any contact with the alleged victims.
Sullivan said it was his understanding the children who lived in the home have been taken in by relatives.
Anyone with more information is urged to contact investigators at 315-349-3411.
Woman Pulls Gun During Fight in Michigan Walmart’s Back-to-School Aisle – Over a Notebook
NOVI, Mich. (WJBK) – Shoppers at a Walmart in Novi, Mich. were in for some frightening moments as they witnessed a woman pull out a loaded gun Monday afternoon. Police say the gun was pulled out during a fight over school supplies.
“It was in the back to school section over a notebook,” says Novi Police Det. Scott Baetens.
Novi officers say two Farmington Hills women, ages 32 and 46, were inside the Novi Towne Center Walmart, shopping for school supplies. Apparently, so was a 20-year-old South Lyon woman and her mother, 51.
“One girl was going to buy a notebook. There was one left, some pushing resulted,” Baetens says. “They began to argue who was the rightful purchaser of that notebook.”
Both duos of women were not backing down, as police and witnesses described the two women pulling the younger woman’s hair. That mother got shoved out of the way as the three continued to fight. That mother then pulled out a gun.
“She’s a valid CPL holder,” Baetens says. “She pulled out her firearm and tells them to stop attacking her daughter while pointing the gun at them.”
The fight quickly ended as customers were seen running away and police were called.
“It was a senseless act of violence all the way around,” Baetens says.
Novi police say they need more witnesses to come forward as they work to get surveillance video from the Walmart to get a closer look at what happened. Police spoke with prosecutors, who hope to determine who the aggressors were and if the woman, in fact, pulled the gun in self defense. Those four women are all facing possible charges.
“A simple assault could be just a local ordinance, a 90-day misdemeanor,” Baetens says. “All the way up to felonious assault with a firearm, which is a felony.”
Police say the gun was loaded but no round was in the chamber. No one was hurt.
In the end, Baetens says he’s unsure who got the notebook.
Ohio State student posts offensive video saying dating black women is ‘weird’
An Ohio State student is backpedaling on offensive comments she made about black women in a video many people are labeling as racist.
Miami University freshman Aleigha Mason shared a 10-second clip of Katelyn Rust ranting about how “weird” it was that her ex-boyfriend was hooking up with a black woman.
Rust, a white woman, was apparently angry that her ex was caught dancing with Mason, a black woman.
“First and foremost racism is wrong,” Rust said in a statement to The Lantern. “I, in no way, think that anyone is less of a person than anyone else because of their skin color, nationality, religion, sexual preference or otherwise and sincerely apologize for all the words in this Twitter video.” Rust went on to say that her “weird” comment had nothing to do with the color of Mason’s skin.
“I was quite simply very hurt, and angry with an ex-boyfriend and jealous of her. Nothing more,” she said. “Again, I say in the strongest possible terms that racism is despicable and I apologize for any hurt or pain this tweet caused this young woman or anyone else.”
In the video Rust is seen looking into the camera and saying, “F— yourself you’re hooking up with a black girl, that’s weird. That’s weird as f—. F— you.”
In the caption, Mason wrote that it was “crazy” racism still existed at Ohio State. “Can’t believe the color of my skin is ‘weird,'” she tweeted.
In a follow-up post, Mason said she was taking the video down.
“Not because I feel bad or because I’m afraid, because at the end of the day she is a human too even though she thinks I am less than that,” she posted. “Never let anyone judge you because of your race, Never.”
“We shouldn’t act as if my tweet never existed, this happens everywhere and there is NO excuse. Let this be a lesson to all,” Mason added.
The Pi Beta Phi women’s fraternity, which Rust is a member of, also released a statement saying the content in the video does not align with its values.
“Pi Phi is taking this very seriously, and we are currently working through our member accountability process,” a tweet read.
FL Woman arrested for leaving 2-year-old boy with HOMELESS baby-sitter while she traveled out of state
A Florida woman was arrested after she told police that she left a little boy in the care of a homeless baby-sitter because she needed to make a quick trip out of town.
Tampa Police were called to an apartment building near Busch Gardens following reports that a child was outside unattended.
When officers arrived they found a 2-year-old boy sitting outside an apartment door with a blanket, sippy cup and half-eaten Lunchable, a police report states.
When deputies went inside the apartment, they found a computer mouse with an attached cord tied to a bedroom door to keep it secure. Authorities said the door had enough space for a small child to get in and out. Inside the bedroom was a cheese snack, a jug of iced tea, a Gatorade and pull-up diapers.
Police believe the child had been outside by himself for a few hours.
According to the report, 22-year-old Cotisha Long-Green was supposed to be looking after the child but she was in another state. Long-Green, who is the guardian of the boy, said she had to catch a flight early in the morning on Aug. 21 because she had a court hearing in Illinois. She didn’t return until late on Aug. 22. Long-Green said that she asked a homeless woman known as “Fe Fe,” or Felicia, to look after the child while she was gone. Long-Green said she had met Felicia on the street and let her nap at her apartment a few times.
According to the report, Long-Green didn’t know Felicia’s last name or a phone number she could be reached at. Long-Green also told police that she suspected Felicia was an addict.
“She knows for certain that Felicia smokes marijuana,” the report stated.
Authorities said Long-Green’s cousin lives nearby but she never asked her cousin to watch the child. She also never told the boy’s mother or his family members that she had to leave town.
According to neighbors, they have never seen a woman fitting Felicia’s description going in and out of Long-Green’s apartment. Tampa police spokesman Steve Hegarty told the Daily News that police have not been able to track down Felicia and the boy is now with the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Father accused of slamming 1 month old son against a changing table and threw him into a ceiling fan for crying
A 1-month-old baby in Oklahoma is in critical condition after police say the newborn’s father brutally beat him for crying.
Robert Jackson Jones Jr. was arrested and charged with child abuse after he allegedly told Muskogee police that he choked, slammed and tried to smother his son.
According to the Tulsa World, the baby’s mother Emma Whitehead told authorities that she and Jones took their child to the emergency room on Sunday when the baby started having seizures.
At the hospital, Whitefield was told horrifying details of her son’s condition.
Medical personnel determined that the infant, named Calvin, had two skull fractures, a pool of blood around his brain and fingerprint bruises on both sides of his neck.
The newborn also had a bruised left eye and a bruise on his left ear.
Muskogee Police Department investigator James Poffel wrote in an affidavit that the injuries were “considered to be non-accidental,” the outlet reports. Jones allegedly confessed to causing the baby’s injuries, telling police that he picked Calvin up by his throat and shook him, before covering the baby with cushions and towels because he wouldn’t stop crying.
Investigators said Jones then slammed the infant against a changing table, threw the baby in the air and hit him on the ceiling fan.
Police said the abuse didn’t end there. Jones also allegedly told investigators he put his son on his shoulders and then dropped the baby to the floor, causing Calvin to hit his head against the toilet.
Authorities alleged the abuse went on from Aug. 16 to Aug. 19, the Tulsa World reports.
Whitehead told KTOV that she usually gets a babysitter to watch Calvin while she works, but couldn’t get her usual sitter. She said Jones agreed to watch the baby.
“I never thought anything like this would ever happen,” Whitehead said.
Jones is being held at the Muskogee County Jail with a $1 million bail. He’s scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 5.
Toddler Found Wandering, Covered in Feces, Bruises, Scratches Leads Officers to ‘Horrifying’ Apartment in Oklahoma
A 3-year-old found wandering an Oklahoma neighborhood alone, covered in bruises, scratches, and feces led officers to a disturbing scene. The child has been taken into protective custody and the mother is now charged with child neglect.
It started with a report of the child seen wandering across a Sonic Drive-In to a convenience store in Norman, Oklahoma.
“A woman was sitting in the Sonic parking lot, she saw him cross by himself through the Sonic Drive-In and ended up in here, and that’s when she flagged me down,” an OUPD officer told Norman dispatch.
The child’s mother picked him up.
But later that day, it happened again. According to court documents, he was wearing no pants, underwear, or shoes, and his legs and shirt were covered in feces.
The same officer was flagged and told Norman officers it was time to confront the mother in the apartment complex next to the Sonic.
When police went to the door, they had to knock for several minutes before the mother, Kimberly Dye, answered.
Officers asked her if she was missing a 3-year-old, and she said, “No. He was just in here.”
Inside the apartment, the conditions were described as horrid.
“One of the most horrifying houses that they’ve walked into,” Norman Police Department PIO Sarah Jensen told KFOR
She said the smell alone was difficult to handle.
Inside, animal and human feces were found on the floor throughout the apartment, rotting food in the kitchen, and cockroaches and other insects all over.
“It was a difficult scene for our officers to walk into, so it was very hard for them that a child and another individual were actually living there,” Jensen said.
Kimberly Dye is charged with neglect and a warrant is out of her arrest.
The child was taken into protective custody and DHS is investigating what’s best for his welfare.
The Fall of The Simpsons: How it Happened
What a very interesting view of The Simpsons
New animé-style series ‘Primus 7’ by Blerd-owned media company
Looks soooo DOPE!!
By Jacqueline-Elizabeth*, AFROPUNK contributor
This past weekend, our Black-owned indie media company, Noir Caesar Entertainment (NSZR), founded and owned by NBA Player, Johnny O’Bryant III of the Charlotte Hornets, made history at this year’s Crunchyroll Expo 2017 (CRX), in Santa Clara, California.
NSZR Entertainment shook Crunchyroll Expo to their core with the release of the highly-anticipated, full-length trailer for our company’s very first animated series, Primus 7: The Movie, along
READ MORE: http://afropunk.com/2017/09/new-anime-style-series-primus-7-blerd-owned-media-company/