Father makes son turn himself in after finding texts admitting to rape
A United Kingdom father marched his son to a police station after he saw texts on the teen’s phone admitting to raping a girl, according to a report.
Jonathan Evans, 47, of Pontypool, South Wales, said he encouraged his 18-year-old son, Jack, to “do the right thing” and go to the police, the Mirror reported.
“I believe you have to own what you did,” Evans told the outlet. “So I had to make it his choice. I am really proud of him for coming to the conclusion that the right thing to do was admit to it.”
Jack confessed to the January 2019 attack and police tracked down the girl, who confirmed she had been raped, according to the report.
He has been sentenced two years in a juvenile detention center and ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years, the report said.
His dad said most parents would have kept quiet, but he still “would do the same thing again.”
“I would have to because that is my moral standing on it, it is painful but it is right,” Jonathan told the Mirror.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/30/dad-makes-son-turn-himself-in-after-finding-rape-admission-texts/
Photo Credit: Gwent Police
Ohio Little Caesars delivers pizza with pepperoni swastika
An Ohio couple ordered a pizza and was horrified to open the box to find its pepperoni arranged as a swastika, according to a report.
Jason Laska said he had picked up the pie Saturday night from a Little Caesars shop in Brook Park and brought it home, WJW-TV reported.
“[My wife] turned and asked me, ‘Babe, did you order this, did they make it for you?’ And I turned around and looked at it and I could see the shock on her face and then my jaw just dropped,” Laska told the outlet.
The couple called the pizza joint, which had just closed, to complain and received a response the following day from the manager.
“[The employees] told him that it was supposed to be an internal joke that they were playing on each other and the other employee, and the pizza was never intended to go out,” Laska said.
The manager told them that employees involved were let go, but the couple said they never plan to return to the store.
“We are the type of people that support the diversity in our country, we embrace and love it. We just want to see this hate stop,” Laska’s wife, Misty, told WJW-TV.
Little Caesars confirmed in a statement that the chain fired the employees involved in the offensive incident.
“We have zero tolerance for racism and discrimination in any form, and these franchise store employees were immediately terminated,” a spokesperson told the outlet. “We’re deeply disappointed that this happened, as this conduct is completely against our values.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/29/ohio-couple-finds-swastika-made-of-pepperoni-on-pizza/
Photo Credit: @LaskaMisty
Adam Savage of ‘Mythbusters’ allegedly raped sister as a kid
Former “Mythbusters” co-host Adam Savage allegedly sexually abused his younger sister for years while calling himself the “raping blob” during the late 1970s, the woman says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Miranda Pacchiana, 51, claims the abuse happened when she was between 7 and 10 years old when the siblings lived in Sleepy Hollow, New York.
“Beginning in or about 1976 and continuing until approximately 1979, Adam Savage, would repeatedly rape Miranda Pacchiana and force oral sex upon her, and forced Miranda to perform oral sex on him, along with other forms of sexual abuse,” says her lawsuit, filed in Westchester Supreme Court.
The suit says Savage, who was between 9 and 12 years old at the time, would prevent Pacchiana from leaving the bed and anally rape her.
He allegedly nicknamed himself the “raping blob” while masking the abuse as a game, according to the complaint.
The 52-year-old special effects whiz is best known as the former co-host of “Mythbusters,” a Discovery Channel series that tests the validity of popular myths and legends.
Pacchiana, of Newtown, Conn., is a social worker who blogged about losing her family after coming forward about the alleged sexual abuse.
“When I first disclosed to my family that my brother had abused me as a child, I thought my whole world would change,” she wrote. “I assumed my family members would share my desire to examine what had gone wrong in our home and pursue a path toward healing together. I was sadly mistaken.”
“In fact, their behaviors left me feeling as though the abuse didn’t really matter,” she continued. “Yes, they believed me — but my family members still seemed determined to brush my trauma under the rug. Over time, I came to realize they viewed me as the problem for focusing on the abuse. Not the brother who had abused me.”
Pacchiana filed her lawsuit under the New York Child Victims Act, which opened a one-year look-back period for victims to bring claims that had already exceeded the statute of limitations. In May, the original deadline, which was set in August, was extended by five months due to coronavirus.
“The prolific abuse by Mr. Savage as alleged in the Complaint has caused irreparable damage to my client that she will live with for the rest of her life,” Pacchiana’s lawyer Jordan Merson said in a statement. “Today is the first step in the direction of healing and justice.”
Savage denied his sister’s allegations in a statement through his lawyer Andrew Brettler.
“While I hope that my sister gets the help she needs to find peace, this needs to end. For many years, she has relentlessly and falsely attacked me and other members of my family to anyone who will listen,” Savage said. “By spreading numerous untrue stories about us in pursuit of a financial bonanza, she has tortured our entire family and estranged herself from all of us. I will fight this groundless and offensive lawsuit and work to put this to rest once and for all.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/30/adam-savage-of-mythbusters-raped-sister-as-a-kid-lawsuit/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Missouri boy dies after being shot in face while sleeping
KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) — A Missouri boy has died after being shot in the face as he slept, according to authorities.
Police said the child was sleeping inside an apartment in Kansas City when he was struck around 2:30 a.m. The gunshots came from outside the home.
Family took him to a hospital where he died. Police do not believe this was an accident.
Detectives are working on identifying and finding suspects.
“This is a nightmare for any parent, and I can’t imagine the pain with which they’re dealing this morning. The boy was asleep. Malicious shooting with no regard for others claims another innocent life in our city,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a tweet.
This is the 92nd homicide for the year in Kansas City.
If anyone saw or heard anything in this area they are asked to call homicide detectives directly at 234-5043 or TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
Dallas ‘Karen’ throws a fit – and food – during mask meltdown
This “Karen” threw way more than just a fit.
A Texas supermarket shopper has gone viral after tossing more than a dozen items from her grocery cart in an infantile fit of rage — all because she was asked to put a mask back on.
“I don’t give a f–k, I’m from Dallas!” the unidentified shopper ranted as she angrily flung items from her cart at least 14 times in the 27-second clip seen almost 17 million times by Monday.
She complained about “dumbass motherf—ing rules and your dumbass motherf—ing s–t,” admitting it was all “over a dumbass motherf—ing mask!” — with one clearly in her left hand.
“Put all that s–t the f–k back,” she shouted, with most of the groceries appearing to be fresh meats as she stood in the express lane despite having a cart full of items.
“I don’t give a f–k. I got a f—ing mask,” she said of the one in her hand, only further highlighting the apparent absurdity of her tirade.
She finally stormed off — yelling, “Now clean that s–t up.”
Omar Guillen, who recorded the video posted early Sunday, said it happened in a Fiesta Mart in Dallas. “She was wearing [a mask] while she was shopping but by the time she got to the checkout line she took it off and refused to put it back on,” he explained.
“She was told cops would be called but did her tantrum and left before they showed up. As for what happened after, I have no idea,” he tweeted.
It quickly went viral, in part from being shared by model Chrissy Teigen, who complained, “I’m so tired of people, man.”
It sparked dozens of outraged comments on Twitter, with most deeming her the latest “Karen,” a term for entitled women throwing tantrums.
Some just joked that even if she escapes charges — or having to pay for the ruined items — she might still live to regret her fit.
“Wait until she gets home and remembers that she needed groceries,” one person tweeted.
Another, Sage Rosenfels, agreed, saying, “To think that it takes two seconds to put on a mask, and now she has to drive to another grocery store and buy the same s–t which will take another hour or two.”
Fiesta Mart did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/06/29/dallas-karen-tosses-food-during-mask-meltdown/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Family raises questions about Brooklyn boy, 14, who ‘snapped his neck’ and died in park
WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn — The grandmother and sister of a Brooklyn boy who died in a Williamsburg park Wednesday want to know the truth about the minutes leading up to his death.
They told PIX11 News that a Good Samaritan found Ivan Cruz, 14, unresponsive and surrounded by a group of boys in P.S. 16 Park on Wednesday, shortly after 6:30 p.m.
A call had gone out to 911.
“The caller said he was standing on monkey bars and he jumped or fell,” Alizabeth Cruz, 19, said about the first call made to ask for an ambulance.
But the family said a couple of adult witnesses saw the teen followed by a group of boys from the Bedford Avenue bus stop into the park.
“The lady saw one of the boys pushing him and then when he tried to hold the pole… they said he hit his head.”
But the medical examiner told the family Friday Ivan Cruz didn’t have any head injuries.
14, who ‘snapped his neck’ and died in park
The grandmother and sister of a Brooklyn boy who died in a Williamsburg park Wednesday want to know the truth about the minutes leading up to his death.
By: Mary Murphy , Jennifer BisramPosted at 10:02 PM, Jun 26, 2020 and last updated 4:15 PM, Jun 27, 2020
WILLIAMSBURG, Brooklyn — The grandmother and sister of a Brooklyn boy who died in a Williamsburg park Wednesday want to know the truth about the minutes leading up to his death.
They told PIX11 News that a Good Samaritan found Ivan Cruz, 14, unresponsive and surrounded by a group of boys in P.S. 16 Park on Wednesday, shortly after 6:30 p.m.
A call had gone out to 911.
“The caller said he was standing on monkey bars and he jumped or fell,” Alizabeth Cruz, 19, said about the first call made to ask for an ambulance.
But the family said a couple of adult witnesses saw the teen followed by a group of boys from the Bedford Avenue bus stop into the park.
“The lady saw one of the boys pushing him and then when he tried to hold the pole… they said he hit his head.”
But the medical examiner told the family Friday Ivan Cruz didn’t have any head injuries.
“His neck was broken,” Alizabeth Cruz told PIX11 News. “We don’t really know what happened.”
The teen’s grandmother, Luisa Rivera, started sobbing and quoted what the medical examiner said next.
“She said, ‘Go back to the police. Go back to the police.’”
Luisa Rivera, who was raising her grandson, is also a foster mother to other children; they all just went through a difficult quarantine in their Williamsburg apartment.
Cruz’s sister said her younger brother had been getting harassed the last two years at Middle School 126.
“We’d been getting calls from teachers saying he was getting bullied,” Alizabeth Cruz said.
The grandmother said at one point, her grandson got suspended for trying to defend himself.
“I just want to clarify what happened,” the sobbing grandmother said Friday night from her apartment. “I’m not interested in money.”
The family said a detective from the 90th Precinct was assigned to look at the case, but there have been no arrests.
When PIX11 News contacted the NYPD Friday night, a department spokesman said “the medical examiner will contact us. We have no determination from the ME’s office at this time.”
Photo Credit: pix11.com
18-year-old arrested on suspicion of hate crime after yelling racial slurs, throwing eggs at Black women in Azusa
An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a hate crime after yelling racial slurs and throwing eggs at African American women in Azusa early Friday morning, police said.
Officers first made contact with the man and four younger teenagers when they stopped his vehicle for speeding around 1:20 a.m. in the area of Alameda Avenue and Fifth Street.
When officers stopped the car, they found that one of the teens had a handgun, the Azusa Police Department said.
At around the same time, two women flagged down another Azusa officer in the 300 block of East Foothill Boulevard and reported that people inside a passing car hit them with eggs and yelled racial slurs at them, according to police Lt. Jorge Sandoval.
Officers determined that the same people stopped earlier were involved in the racist attack.
Officers arrested Gabriel Ornelas on suspicion of hate crime and battery, as well as child endangerment.
One teen was arrested for possession of a handgun, and the two others were taken into custody for curfew violations, cited and released to their parents, Sandoval said.
The city of Azusa has a curfew that goes into effect at 10 p.m. for minors without a parent or legal guardian.
Anyone with information on the incident or wishes to report a similar attack can call Azusa police at 626-812-3200.
Photo Credit:
Biracial woman says she was set on fire in Wisconsin. Authorities are now investigating the incident as a hate crime
Madison police and the FBI have launched a hate crime investigation after an 18-year-old biracial woman was set on fire.
The assault took place early Wednesday morning when the woman was driving and stopped at a red light and “heard someone yell out a racial epithet,” according to a police incident report.
The woman is not named in the report, but a family spokesperson identified her as Althea Bernstein, a college student and a volunteer EMT.
“She looked and saw four men, all white. She says one used a spray bottle to deploy a liquid on her face and neck, and then threw a flaming lighter at her, causing the liquid to ignite,” read the report, which was filed over the phone.
Bernstein then “patted out the flames, and eventually drove home,” the report said. “Her mother encouraged her to go to a hospital.”
Later on Wednesday, Bernstein called 911 to report the incident, according to Michael Johnson, the family spokesperson and president and CEO of Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.
“Once it happened I don’t even remember anything, but your brain still has that fight or flight response that takes care of you,” Bernstein told ABC’s “Good Morning America,” adding that she drove herself to the emergency room.
Bernstein has burn marks on her face and neck pain from the incident, Johnson said.
Police are working on obtaining permission to access Bernstein’s hospital records, according to Madison police spokesperson Joel DeSpain. Investigators are also looking at surveillance images to see if the incident was captured on camera.
“Our department believes victims, and we take their statement and then thoroughly investigate what they said happened to them,” DeSpain told CNN Friday. “We believe this victim, and we are going to work with her and review all the video we can find.”
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway released a statement saying the incident was “a horrifying and absolutely unacceptable crime that I will not tolerate in Madison.”
“While we are still learning more about the details, current information suggests this may have been a premeditated crime targeted toward people of color, which makes the incident even more disturbing,” Rhodes-Conway said. “I immediately reached out to the police when I learned of the incident, asking them to use all available resources to pursue the perpetrators as quickly as possible.”
Photo Credit: Althea Bernstein Family
Kanye West announces Yeezy Gap collaboration
Kanye West is bringing his fashions to the Gap.
The “Closed on Sunday” singer, 43, confirmed a collaboration between his Yeezy brand and apparel mainstay the Gap in a surprise social media return on Friday.
“YEEZY AND GAP FORM PARTNERSHIP #WESTDAYEVER,” he tweeted along with a Gap logo with the letters “YZY.”
The Yeezy Gap apparel line is set to hit stores and online in early 2021 and will include “modern, elevated basics for men, women and kids at accessible price points,” according to a news release from the brands on Friday.
However, the cult-like sneakers that West sells at Adidas will not be part of the deal. West will also have a hand at designing the in-store and online presentations. Gap shares on Friday spiked as much as 42 percent on the news. They were recently trading at $13.33, up 31 percent.
Gap will pay royalties and potential equity to Yeezy — of which West is the sole owner — based on sales performance, the companies said. They agreed to a 10-year deal starting this month, with the option to renew after five years, according the New York Times.
The collaboration is a full circle moment for West, who used to work at a Gap store in Chicago as a teenager. In 2015, he even told Vanity Fair magazine that he wanted to be Gap’s creative director.
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Whole Foods workers sent home for wearing Black Lives Matter masks
(CNN) — A group of Whole Foods employees in a Boston-area store walked out to protest the company’s policy that prevented them from wearing Black Lives Matter masks.
Seven workers at the chain’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, store posed in a picture Wednesday that they posted on Twitter, in which they claimed Whole Foods cares “about the business their racist customers give them more than spreading a peaceful yet important message.” The employees say the protest was in response to the store’s manager decision not to let them wear the gear.
In response to the manager’s decision, Whole Foods said in a statement that all employees “must comply with our longstanding company dress code, which prohibits clothing with visible slogans, messages, logos or advertising that are not company-related.”
“Team members with face masks that do not comply with dress code are always offered new face masks,” a Whole Foods spokesperson said. “Team members are unable to work until the comply with dress code.”
The Boston Globe first reported the walk out.
Although Whole Foods doesn’t allow employees to visibly support the Black Lives Matter movement while on the job, Amazon explicitly stated those three words in a press release earlier this month.
“Black lives matter. We stand in solidarity with our Black employees, customers, and partners, and are committed to helping build a country and a world where everyone can live with dignity and free from fear,” Amazon wrote on June 3. It also announced a $10 million donation to social justice organizations.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has stated similar sentiments on his Instagram account in response to a customer email that said “all lives matter.” Whole Foods also has a statement on its homepage saying it supports “the Black community and meaningful change in the world.”
Starbucks had also barred employees from wearing Black Lives Matter apparel before reversing its decision earlier this month. The coffee chain sent out 200,000 T-shirts with the phrase displayed on the shirt.
In a statement, Starbucks said it’s “critical to support the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement as its founders intended and will continue to work closely with community leaders, civil rights leaders, organizations, and our partners to understand the role that Starbucks can play, and to show up in a positive way for our communities.”
The movement gained steam after George Floyd died in police custody in May sparking nationwide protests for racial equality and police reform.
Photo Credit: kmov.com/Dania Maxwell/Bloomberg