Woman doused with gasoline, set on fire inside Florida Taco Bell
A woman in a Florida Taco Bell was reportedly seriously injured when a suspect doused her with gasoline and set her on fire Wednesday night.
The disturbing attack occurred at about 6:15 p.m. at one of the fast food chain’s Tallahassee locations, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
The suspect, identified by police as 32-year-old Mia Williams, fled and is still being sought.
“At this time, [investigators] are on scene, trying to basically solve this puzzle, to figure out why this heinous crime was committed,” Tallahassee Police Department spokesman Damon Miller told the paper.
Miller said it’s unclear if Williams knew the woman or what may have provoked the attack.
The victim was airlifted to a nearby hospital with serious burns.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/10/24/woman-doused-with-gasoline-set-on-fire-inside-florida-taco-bell/
Photo Credit: nypost.com/Tallahassee Police Department
Starving dog eats cat after pets’ owner moves, leaving them to die
A starving dog ate his kitty counterpart in the UK home they shared — after their heartless owner moved out, leaving the pets alone until authorities found them 10 days later, according to a new report.
Tiffany Guest, 29, of Kenilworth, Warwickshire, was sentenced Wednesday to 18 weeks behind bars and banned from owning any animals for 15 years after pleading guilty to three animal welfare charges, according to South West News Service, a British news agency.
Guest callously moved out of her apartment, abandoning Kray, a Staffordshire bull terrier-type dog, and two cats, Reggie and Ronnie, back on May 20, 2017, according to the report.
It wasn’t until May 30 that local police showed up at the home in response to calls from concerned neighbors — finding Kray alive but emaciated, and Reggie, who had starved to death.
Kray only survived because he ate Ronnie after running out of scraps left behind in the garbage bin, officials determined.
Kray was taken to a local animal welfare agency for treatment while authorities launched an investigation.
Guest was tracked to a location near her job, only a mile from the apartment.
But as soon as she found out that she faced animal welfare charges, she fled the country for Malta, according to the report.
She returned 13 months ago to the UK, where she was arrested by border control agents.
At that time, she was bailed to reappear at another date, and took off once more for Malta.
She re-entered the country on Oct. 10 and was held without bail until her case at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court.
“It is incomprehensible to think the suffering these pets must have endured and how terrified they must have been for such a long period of time before the cats died of starvation,” Boris Lasserre, inspector of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said after the sentencing, according to the report. “It must have been terrible for Kray to watch as the cats died in front of him. There was evidence the pets had scavenged to try and feed themselves as the bin contents were all over the kitchen floor.”
Kray, who was renamed Bobby by local police, has since regained his weight and has a new home.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/10/24/starving-dog-eats-cat-after-pets-owner-moves-leaving-them-to-die/
Photo Credit: SWNS
Dad died in burning Tesla because its futuristic doors wouldn’t open
A Tesla driver burned to death after a crash because the “futuristic handles” on his car trapped him inside and rescuers couldn’t open the doors, it is claimed.
Dr. Omar Awan, 48, lost control of his car, skidded across a road and smashed straight into a palm tree in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in February.
Smoke and then flames engulfed his blue Model S Tesla shortly after the crash.
A police officer arrived almost immediately, and crowds gathered outside the vehicle, but no one was able to save the father of five because of the “inaccessible door handles,” a lawsuit claims.
The car’s retractable door handles are meant to “auto-present” or pop out when they detect a key fob nearby.
But it malfunctioned, stopping first responders from opening the doors and saving Awan, it is claimed.
His loved ones are now suing the electric car company for wrongful death, alleging the car’s lithium-ion battery caught fire.
The smoke from this suffocated Awan and burned him from his feet upwards, it claimed.
The complaint said the car burned for hours, reigniting several times even after firefighters extinguished the flames and also when it was being towed away.
The lawsuit added: “After the Tesla hit the tree, he was alive. He had no internal injuries or broken bones.
He died from the smoke he inhaled as he sat locked inside the Tesla, despite that a police officer and others were there and ready to help, until flames forced them away.
“The fire engulfed the car and burned Dr. Awan beyond recognition — all because the Model S has inaccessible door handles, no other way to open the doors, and an unreasonably dangerous fire risk.”
The Sun has contacted Tesla for a statement.
The company’s lawyers have not yet responded in court.
Tesla, the maker of electric vehicles, claimed the Model S once achieved the “best safety rating of any car tested.”
Awan’s family lawyer Stuart Grossman described the victim as environmentally sensitive and safety conscious.
He insisted Awan could afford a Mercedes or another luxury vehicle but went with the 2016 Tesla because of its safety.
He added: “These things, they just love to burn. The car is so over-engineered.
“It’s so techy, it makes you want to buy a Chevy pickup truck.”
After the incident, Tesla said in a statement: “We understand that speed is being investigated as a factor in this crash, and know that high-speed collisions can result in a fire in any type of car, not just electric vehicles.”
His family is seeking more than $15,000 in damages.
The emergency guide says: “If the door handles do not function, open the door manually by reaching inside the window and using the interior door handle.”
It is not the first time Tesla has been blamed for a death.
In May 2018, Barrett Riley and his friend Edgar Monserratt, both 18, died when they lost control of Riley’s dad’s car at 116 mph.
Dad James Riley claimed Tesla is at fault for the speed, fire and the teens’ deaths.
Photo Credit: Local 10
Sick boy dies after dad allegedly blew treatment money on parties, hookers and drugs
An ailing Brazilian boy died after his dad blew through money raised for the boy’s much-needed medical treatments on hookers, drugs and parties instead, according to reports.
Two-year-old João Miguel Alves died at his home in Salvador last Thursday following a battle with spinal muscular atrophy, which is a degenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, Metro UK reported.
His condition required that he take doses of a costly drug at $70,000 a pop to prevent the disease from advancing, the outlet reported.
To finance his pricy treatments, his family raised more than $200,000 to keep him alive, but the funds were wasted away by the boy’s father, Brazilian outlet Pleno reported.
Mateus Henrique Leroy Alves, 37, was arrested July 22 after his wife noticed numerous withdrawals from the account, the report said.
The dad was busted at a luxury hotel where he had stayed as he tore through the money on parties, jewelry and prostitutes in addition to booze and drugs, according to reports.
He told officers that he had been extorted but authorities were unable to find evidence of such an attempt, Pleno reported.
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Haunted house requires 40-page waiver, insurance, drug test
SUMMERTOWN, Tenn. — A haunted house that promises an extreme experience that can last up to 10 hours requires participants be medically cleared by a doctor and sign a 40-page waiver.
The McKamey Manor experiences in Summertown, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama, also require visitors be at least 18, insured, and pass a background check and drug test.
WFLA-TV reports that owner Russ McKamey offers thousands of dollars to anyone who completes the tour, but says no one ever has. He records each tour on video — for his own protection he says — and then posts them online , showing them quitting in humiliation.
It’s costs nearly nothing to enter: Just a bag of dog food. The website warns of physically demanding environments, but McKamey says the manor is a mental game.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/10/24/haunted-houses-require-40-page-waiver-insurance-drug-test/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
Missouri man charged after allegedly mutilating, decapitating cat in Arby’s bathroom and found on a changing table
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. – A 19-year-old faces charges for allegedly mutilating a cat in the bathroom of a Missouri Arby’s.
Tanner Maggard has been charged with second-degree animal abuse and second-degree property damage in Jackson County.
Court documents say Maggard used to work at the Arby’s before he was fired for “setting fires” at the restaurant in June.
On Saturday, he allegedly came into the Arby’s, placed an order and then went into the men’s restroom. When he came out, he reportedly told the manager, “Oh, I see you remodeled the bathroom, huh.”
Shortly after, the manager told police Maggard went back into the bathroom.
Court records say as the manager was in the bathroom cleaning, he said he could hear Maggard in a toilet stall, allegedly coughing and gagging.
After the manager left the bathroom, he said Maggard at some point left as well and exited the restaurant through a “propped open” door near the restroom.
When the manager went back to finish cleaning the stall Maggard had been in, court documents say he found a cat’s body that had allegedly been mutilated and decapitated on the changing table.
The manager told police there was a large amount of blood smeared across the toilet, walls and door.
When the manager exited the bathroom, he saw Maggard sitting outside in his truck, allegedly waiting to see his reaction to the graphic scene. Maggard then took off, according to the manager.
When police arrived, the responding officer processed the scene and said she didn’t detect any foul odor, indicating the cat had been recently mutilated.
When detectives spoke with Maggard, court documents say he repeatedly denied knowing anything about a cat. The manager said the restaurant didn’t have any security cameras.
Court documents say the Arby’s was forced to purchase a new baby changing station, a new toilet and had to treat and repaint the walls due to the blood.
Photo Credit: fox2now.com
3 Children Found Living in Trash-Filled Florida Home With 245 Animals, Including Over 80 Rats
Three young girls — all under the age of 10 — were found living in a house with 245 animals, police said. Among them were four dogs, 10 sugar gliders, a hedge hog, 14 birds and 60 adult rats with 23 babies.
You couldn’t walk anywhere without stepping on debris, or animal urine or feces, wrote Officer Anthony Binz, of the Edgewater Police Department in Florida, in his affidavit.
There were flies everywhere, and the children’s bedroom was covered in ankle-deep trash, he wrote.
They lived in the residence with their parents and their father’s girlfriend, police said.
The father, Gregg Nelson, called a wellness check on the home on Sunday, after he decided to end his relationship with both his wife, Susan Nelson, and girlfriend, Melissa Hamilton, according to the police affidavit. He wanted to take the children with him, but their mother wouldn’t let him, he told police.
He “believed the residence was uninhabitable for the children,” according to the affidavit.
Some of the animals were caged, while others roamed freely, Binz wrote. Some of the caged animals were lying in their own feces and urine, and all of them appeared to be infested with fleas, while a few were found to have mange.
Some were simply dead.
“In my five years of experience as a law enforcement officer this is the absolute worst residence I have been to regarding the overwhelming odor of ammonia, animal hoarding, and just the everyday living conditions in which these three juveniles have had to endure while residing at this residence,” Binz wrote.
Police did not say how long the children had been living in the residence, but they have since been placed with a responsible family member, police said.
Meanwhile, the Edgewater Police Department and Edgewater Animal Control removed the animals from the property and took them to the animal shelter.
The police department is taking both monetary and clothing or toy donations for the children, and the Edgewood Animal Shelter is taking donations for the animals.
All three adults were charged with multiple counts child abuse and animal cruelty.
The Florida Public Defender’s office said it’s representing Gregg and Susan Nelson. Asked for a comment, the spokesman for the office declined.
No attorney was listed for Melissa Hamilton. CNN’s attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.
Photo Credit: ktla.com
A police officer will be fired for pulling a gun on the parents of a 4-year-old girl who allegedly stole a doll
A Phoenix officer will be fired for pulling a gun on the parents of a 4-year-old girl who allegedly stole a doll from a Family Dollar store, the police chief says.
Officer Christopher Meyer will be terminated following an internal investigation into his use of force in the May incident caught on video, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said at a press conference Tuesday.
The Phoenix Police Department gave a second officer involved in the incident a written reprimand, and the police chief agreed with the decision. The board recommended Meyer receive a six-week unpaid suspension, but Williams did not think that disciplinary action would suffice.
“In this case, a 240-hour suspension is just not sufficient to reverse the adverse effects of his cations on our department and our community,” Williams said.
The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. CNN has also attempted to reach Meyer for comment.
The couple, Dravon Ames and Iesha Harper, said they didn’t notice their daughter had walked out with a Barbie from the store on May 29.
After they left the store, they pulled into an apartment complex to drop their daughter off at a babysitter, Ames said. Then an officer began banging against their window, yelling and threatening to kill them.
“Our hands are up, we’re just trying not to get shot, trying to stay calm,” Ames said. “He had a gun drawn.”
In the 12-minute video shot by bystanders and posted on Facebook, one officer can be seen handcuffing Ames, first on the ground and then against a police car. The officer kicks Ames and can be heard yelling multiple times, “When I tell you to do something, you f****** do it.”
Ames said there were no sirens or lights to indicate they were being pulled over beforehand and the man pointing a gun at them did not immediately identify himself as an officer.
Another officer appeared to be pulling a gun on the passenger side of the couple’s vehicle before Harper exited the car, holding a small child, with a second child by her side.
An officer attempted to yank the child from her arms before a bystander offers to take her children.
Harper, who was five months pregnant at the time, said she was terrified.
“I really thought he was gonna shoot me in front of the kids,” she said. She chose to give her two children to a “complete stranger because I didn’t trust the police to have her.”
During the video, officers can be heard telling her to get her hands up.
The police chief said she was disturbed by the language and the actions of our officer.
“I assure you that this incident is not representative of the majority of Phoenix police officers who serve this city,” Williams said.
Earlier this year, the couple filed a notice to sue the city for $10 million.
Photo Credit: pix11.com
Alabama School Teacher Paints Fake Bullet Wound On Black Second Grader’s Forehead
A second-grader in Birmingham returned home from school with a bullet wound painted on his forehead. The boy’s teacher applied the makeup.
Now, his upset mother is speaking out, saying, “this actually happens to our black young men,” AL.com reports.
Zakiya Milhouse shared the photo of her son, Amonn Jackson, 7, on Facebook Tuesday (October 15).
The second-grader at Phillips Academy in downtown Birmingham can be seen with a small bullet hold painted on his forehead.
“So they did this in drama class and my boy said the teacher said it’s like he got shot,” Milhouse wrote in her Facebook post. “I don’t like that sh**! I don’t care if it’s Halloween or NOT! A bullet hole in the head.” She added two angry emojis at the end of her message.
“It looked so real in person, that it looked like something happened,” the concerned mother told AL.com.
“It was supposed to be a gunshot wound,” she said. “That’s when I got upset. A gunshot wound.”
Milhouse didn’t feel that putting makeup on a child to mimic a bullet wound was an appropriate school lesson, AL.com reports.
“This actually happens to our black young men,” she said. “If you saw it in person, it looked real.”
The principal of the school empathized with her, calling the teacher’s actions “unacceptable,” according to Milhouse.
The teacher, who teaches drama at the school, also apologized but Milhouse said, “He didn’t think it was a real big deal. He said he did paint on different kids such as black eyes. He said he was going to take it out of his lesson plan.”
Although she admitted she signed a permission form for the use of the makeup in drama class, Milhouse said, “A bullet wound — that’s too much.”
“Birmingham City Schools is aware of an image posted by a parent on social media depicting a wound on a student’s head,” school officials said in a statement. “The student was participating in a theater class unit on stage, film, and special effects.”
The school also stated that all the students participating in the lesson had a choice of where they’d like the makeup, and Amonn chose his face. Students were also given the option to skip a design, AL.com reports.
The teacher, whose name was not released, told Milhouse there was no malice behind the depiction and explained the lesson was intended to help students appreciate and understand the technical elements of performing arts.
“As a culturally responsive school system, Birmingham City Schools takes issues like this very seriously and does not condone the graphic nature of this lesson on special effects,” school officials stated. “We regret any issues and perceptions this incident may have caused, and this portion of the lesson will be removed from the unit.”
Photo Credit : Zakiya Milhouse Facebook via AL.com
Court rules in favor of beauticians who refused to wax transgender woman
A Canadian court ruled in favor of several beauticians that refused to provide a bikini wax to a transgender woman, according to a report on Tuesday.
Jessica Yaniv, who was born male, claimed that five Vancouver estheticians discriminated against her on separate occasions when she requested a Brazilian bikini wax, KOMO News reported.
Yaniv, who has male genitalia, filed various complaints against the women after she was told they were unable to provide her the service.
The women insisted in court that they only offer the service to female clients and weren’t trained to wax men, KOMO News reported. Several of the estheticians also cited religious reasons, claiming they were uncomfortable waxing a man.
“No woman should be compelled to touch male genitals against her will, irrespective of how the owner of the genitals identifies,” defense lawyer, Jay Cameron, told KOMO News.
Photo Credit: Justice Centre for Constitutiona