Man on bond for attempted murder of ex-girlfriend returns to Hammond and kills her
A man released on a nearly $8,000 bond for the attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend allegedly returned to the crime scene three months later and fatally shot her Wednesday, prosecutors in northwest Indiana say.
Charles Goforth, 56, was arrested Thursday in Missouri and charged with the murder of 55-year-old Sylvia Williams, according to Hammond police.
“A very frustrating case,” Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Hammond police caught and arrested the same man in November … then, a few weeks later, he returned to the same house and killed [Williams],” he wrote.
“The system failed the victim in this case,” McDermott wrote. “The violent felon should have never been set free on bond in the first place.”
Before the murder, Goforth “constantly” called her to “smooth things over” because he did not want to go to jail for the previous murder attempt, according to a court document provided by Lake County prosecutors.
A relative found Williams dead on the floor of her home Wednesday morning in the Sheffield Estates mobile home park with seven bullets in her body: five from the Wednesday shooting and two from the previous murder attempt, prosecutors said in a court document.
Williams was pronounced dead at a hospital at 8:15 a.m., and her death was ruled a homicide, the Lake County coroner’s office said.
Photo Credit: Hammond police arrest photo
Chicago Woman Infects Husband With Coronavirus in 1st Case of Person-to-Person Transmission in U.S.
Health officials Thursday reported the first U.S. case of person-to-person spread of the new virus from China.
The man is married to the Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. There have been cases reported of the infectious virus spreading to others in a household or workplace in China and elsewhere.
The new case is the sixth reported in the United States. The other five were travelers who developed the illness after returning to the U.S. from China. The latest patient had not been in China.
The Chicago woman returned from central China on Jan. 13, then last week went to a hospital with symptoms and was diagnosed with the viral illness. She and her husband, both in their 60s, are hospitalized.
Experts have said they expected additional cases, and that at least some limited spread of the disease in the United States was likely. Health officials think the new virus spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois health officials said that health workers and people who have been in contact with the latest patient are being monitored for symptoms.
“We anticipated this,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. “The kind of contact that you have in a household is very close and very prolonged. That’s the kind of circumstance where we would anticipate a virus such as this could be transmitted.”
The virus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. It is a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. The new virus has sickened thousands, mostly in China, and killed about 170.
An international outbreak caused by the virus first emerged last month in China. Doctors there began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale food market in Wuhan. Officials said the virus probably initially spread from animals to people, as did SARS and MERS.
The other U.S. cases are in Arizona, Southern California and Washington state.
Photo Credit: ktla.com
California couple uses a lawn mower and GPS to create giant grass mural of Kobe Bryant
Tributes and murals of the late Kobe Bryant have been popping up all around the world. But one created by a California couple can only be seen from the sky.
Using the Turfprinter technology from their company, New Ground Technology, Kelli Pearson and her husband, Pete Davis, created a 115-foot tall and 92-foot wide mural of Bryant in a grass field at a park in Pleasanton.
Pearson first created a black and white image of Bryant using several pictures.
“The face was from two different photos, the neck was from a different photo and the body was from a different photo. It ends up creating an artwork piece,” Pearson said. “I tried to capture him, the likeness of him smiling and as an athlete.”
The image was then loaded into a lawn mower-type machine that Davis moved around the field. With the help of GPS and digital processing, the machine blows air to gently bend the grass away or toward you to make up the dark and light contrast, according to Davis.
For the couple, who said they are big Kobe fans, the decision to create the mural was only natural.
“This tragedy came as a huge surprise. He was an amazing person, amazing family man and an amazing athlete,” Pearson said. “Fortunately, we have this technology that allows us to do this huge tribute.”
The mural will last for about two days before the grass returns to its normal position, but the couple is hoping the tribute will create a lasting effect on their community.
“For me, it’s a community effort,” Davis said. “You feel helpless and there’s really nothing more you can do in the situation. But in our space, I did it to represent our community and let the community be a part of this closure.”
The 41-year-old basketball legend, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people were killed Sunday morning in Southern California in a helicopter crash.
By Alicia Lee, CNN
Photo Credit: fox2now.com
Video Of Black Artists Passing Up All The Black Media At The Grammys Is A Disappointing Sight To See
The Grammy awards were on Sunday night and while there were plenty of winners, including Lizzo going home with three gramophones, Black media lost out big on the red carpet.
BlackTree Media, which has covered the show for the last 14 years, was present with their camera crew on the big night, and captured plenty of disappointing video of Black artists walking past them and the few Black media correspondents who were all thrown together at the end of a long red carpet.
“There’s a struggle, especially for Black media,” Jamaal Finkley, CEO of BlackTree, said over B-roll of stars on the carpet. “The struggle is multifaceted. First, there’s the placement that we are on the carpet, which is usually we’re all bundled near the end of the carpet. Second is the publicists that represent the talent, which you’ll see in some of these videos, and third, it’s the talent themselves, who make conscious efforts or lack of effort to take time to speak to the few Black-owned media.”
As he pointed out, there is not more than four or five Black media representatives on the carpet at one time out of a sea of non-Black ones, but by the time celebrities get past the major white publications at the beginning of the carpet, they, along with their publicists, zone out. Finkley can be heard in the video telling the likes of rappers Gucci Mane and Quavo of the Migos, “Don’t just do PEOPLE!” (Interesting enough, both mens’ names popped up for interviews secured with Billboard that night.) Other stars who walked past were H.E.R., Questlove, Lil Nas X and reportedly Rick Ross. Rapper Gunna did stop with his publicist, but wasn’t able to answer questions for long.
“Been doing it for too long to continue to watch this BS happen,” Finkley wrote in the comments on YouTube. “Each of these award shows cost blacktree $1500 to cover and to see people just ignore us for white media is ridiculous. They thirsty for that 30 seconds on a white outlet while ignoring 4 black outlets. Maybe 5. Like you can’t make the time sis or bro? Wtf. We here to cover you.”
Finkley was able to speak with some talent, including Misty Copeland, but more people walked by than they did stop by for one question. While it’s understandable that people may need to get inside a show by a certain time, enough time should be allotted to speak with more than just the mainstream outlets or don’t speak to any. In addition, it is somewhat hypocritical that some of these same artists and names are outspoken about feeling like their work isn’t respected or properly acknowledged by the Recording Academy because it’s Black or want to acknowledge poor treatment of Black folks in general, but won’t give the time of day to people who help them build their name before becoming part of the A-list.
And before you go about talking about Black media being messy, the reputable sites they tend to flock to, from PEOPLE to E! and Entertainment Tonight, often focus on the same angles and drama they specifically point the finger at Black reporters about.
At the end of the day, if they can stop for those publications and sites, what would it hurt to give your own people the chance for at least one question? As previously mentioned, it’s disappointing, but not surprising at this point. There is hope, though. If you’ll recall, Halle Berry made time for the two Black journalists at the premiere of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (one of them being for Blacktree) after her publicist claimed she had no time. As she made clear, “I can’t skip my brother and my sister,” and that gesture meant a lot more than Berry realized to the reporters she spoke to.
Photo Credit: Rick Fury/madamenoire.com
‘Mighty Ducks’ actor Shaun Weiss arrested on burglary, meth charges
MARYSVILLE, Calif. (WXIN) – A former child actor who starred in “The Mighty Ducks” was arrested once again over the weekend.
The Marysville Police Department arrested 40-year-old Shaun Weiss on Sunday just before 7 a.m. He was charged with residential burglary and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Police say Weiss broke into a woman’s garage, then into her car by shattering a window.
The homeowner called police during the break-in, and officers found Weiss in the car when they arrived.
They arrested him and took him to the Yuba County Jail. He was charged with being under the influence of methamphetamine and residential burglary. He is being held on a $52,500 bail.
Weiss is best known for his role as goalie Greg Goldberg in the 1992 film “The Mighty Ducks.”
This arrest is another chapter in Weiss’ downward spiral in recent years. He was arrested for public intoxication in August 2018 and for shoplifting in December 2018.
Photo Credit: fox2now.com
Dad who allegedly locked daughter inside fiery car dies from burns
The monster dad who torched a car with his 3-year-old daughter locked inside during a bitter custody battle over the child has died from burns he sustained in the killing, police sources told the Post.
Martin Pereira, 39, had been hospitalized in the burn unit of Weill Cornell Medical Center since May 6 when he poured gas on the car with its doors chained shut and his daughter, Zoey Pereira, in the back seat. The source said the dad died in the hospital Tuesday.
Pereira suffered second- and third-degree burns and was medically sedated after killing his daughter. He and Zoey’s mom, Cherone Coleman, were fighting for custody of the child at the time of the attack, and Pereira had threatened to hurt their kid before he followed through, sources said.
Cherone’s family celebrated Pereira’s death as they continue to grieve Zoey’s death.
“I hope he burns in the sub-basement of hell,” said Denise Coleman, Cherone’s mother and Zoey’s grandmother. “I am happy he’s dead. If I could dance a jig I would.”
Zoey’s gruesome death was ruled a homicide one day after her charred remains were extricated from the flaming Audi A6 in Springfield Gardens.
A good Samaritan had spotted a flaming Pereira flee the car and used a blanket to help put out his burning clothes. Pereira then jumped into a park pond and tried to hide as police arrived, but he was eventually nabbed and taken into custody. Medics rushed Zoey to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, but she could not be saved.
Months since the killing, Denise Coleman was still absolutely furious with Pereira and said his death brought some closure.
“He was so selfish. He wanted to hurt my daughter — [so] he murdered my grandbaby. He burned her alive,” she said as she broke down in the Jamaica, Queens, apartment she shares with her daughter.
Coleman said her daughter is still devastated over Zoey’s death, but she recently went back to work as a medical assistant to cope with her loss.
“She is so hurt,” Coleman said of her daughter. “I’m her mother and I can’t do anything for her now.”
Coleman put blame on the city’s Administration for Children’s Services for not acting on reports her daughter had filed on Pereira. Both parents had reported each other to various children’s protective services for maltreatment of Zoey, police sources previously told the Post.
“My daughter, I can’t speak for her but maybe she can find some peace,” Coleman said. “His family, they’re all demonic and evil. They never reached out to her.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/01/29/dad-who-allegedly-locked-daughter-inside-fiery-car-dies-from-burns/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
‘Fat people are harder to kidnap’ Pizza restaurant’s billboard causes controversy
BARBERTON, Ohio (WJW/CNN/Meredith) — A pizza restaurant owner is taking down a sign he made that pokes fun at overweight people.
He didn’t get objection from them, but another implication of the message made him think twice.
Jeremy Clemetson has owned his pizza store in Barberton, Ohio for 14 years.
He said he enjoys weaving humor into his advertising.
“I thought it would be a good idea to put up some funny signs,” he said. “Most people seem to like them.”
Signs that say things like “Now hiring, must show up,” “If it’s not there in 30 minutes, move closer” and “Free box with every pizza.”
“I scour the internet for different signs that people have had,” Clemetson said. “Sometimes I use them, sometimes I reinvent my own. I also have got some of my funny signs from customers.”
His latest billboard says “Fat people are harder to kidnap.”
It’s a slogan he previously had on the sign outside of his shop for several weeks and on his Facebook page without a single objection.
Some customers even thought it was “cool as ever.”
“We pulled in and I saw it and I pointed to Judi, I was laughing and I said ‘Judi that is fantastic.’”
“I don’t see it offensive, they are just advertising and trying to get people to notice them,” nearby resident Judi Julsi said.
But Clemetson said he took the store sign down after an email was sent to corporate headquarters, complaining it was in poor taste considering it was National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
“I never even thought about it in that way, and as soon as I thought about it, because kidnapping is not a joke, we are taking it down,” Clemetson said.Customer demands require complex solutions.Explore new business models based on integrated partner ecosystems that infuse financial services throughout customers’ daily lives.Ad By IBMSee More
The response on Fox 8’s Facebook page has been overwhelming.
Some responses support the store’s use of the sign, while others can see how it can be offensive.
“I think a lot of people are going to be offended by it, but I don’t think its a big deal,” resident Emma Bair said. “It’s advertising.”
The slogan has been used for years on popular T-shirts and advertising for a hotel chain buffet. It is even the name of a Facebook page.
Clemetson said he never meant the sign to be offensive and is sensitive to the objections.
“I have seven kids of my own. I’m from the community here, I’ve lived here pretty much all of my life,” Clemeston said. “I live in Barberton, I have strong roots here. I never even thought about it as the kidnapping aspect, I just meant it to be funny.”
Clemetson said it will probably take a couple of days for the billboard to come down.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
Doorbell camera captures off-duty Tennessee officer stabbing dog
MOUNT JULIET, TN (WSMV) – Residents living in a Mount Juliet neighborhood are concerned after video surfaced showing a person stabbing a dog after it reportedly attacked.
“It kind of looked like a scuffle,” said Brian Larson, whose Nest camera captured the incident.
The video shows a man walking his dog in the Trailwood Farms subdivision, an unleashed dog approached.
According to a report filed with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, the dog became aggressive and attacked Roy Sain and his dog.
In the video a trash can is in the way of what exactly is happening. However, in the audio the dogs can be heard growling and squealing. According to the report, that is when Sain stabbed the dog with a 3-inch blade multiple times.
Sain is a Metro Nashville Police officer. He was not on duty at the time of the incident. Sain said his dog was bitten on the neck.
Sain provided a statement to News4:
“As an animal lover, I am incredibly sorry that this incident resulted in the harm of another animal, but I was left with no choice as my dog, who I was walking on a leash, was being attacked by another aggressive dog who was left free to roam the neighborhood. After multiple attempts to physically remove the aggressive animal from my dog and after listening to my dog yelp out in pain – as is captured in the video – I was forced to use the only tool available to me to save my dog from further injury. Immediately following the incident, I contacted the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office to report the incident and then sent my own dog to a local veterinary clinic to obtain medical treatment.”
Still neighbors expressed their concerns about the violence and that Sain left the unleashed dog bleeding.
“I mean I get it. I mean don’t get me wrong if it was my baby, I would do anything to protect my baby,” said Larson. “I mean the garbage can was right there throw the garbage can on him, I dont know.”
Sain said he called Animal Control to get the unleashed dog. However, according to the report from Wilson County, the owners of the dog found it and took it to be treated.
News 4 reached out to the unleashed dog’s owners but have not heard back from them.
Photo Credit: kmov.com
WANTED: Purple Heart recipient accused of raping and impregnating stepdaughter, faking his own death
(Meredith) — The U.S. Marshals have placed a Mississippi man accused of raping and impregnating his stepdaughter and faking his own death on the top 15 most wanted fugitives list.
Jacob Blair Scott, 43, is potentially in Colorado, Texas or Tennessee. He is accused of raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter and then faking his own death to avoid prosecution. He has been wanted since 2018.
The accusations of rape arose when the stepdaughter became pregnant.
Scott got out of jail on bond and then did not appear for a court hearing in July 2018. Officials then found his abandoned boat floating off the cost of Alabama with a gun and suicide note inside. Investigators said they did not find any evidence that it was a true suicide and believe he faked his death. His body was never found.
Authorities also said Scott had withdrawn $45,000 from his bank account before he disappeared.
The U.S. Marshals describe Scott as a “survivalist” and military veteran who received a Purple Heart in 2011 for injures he suffered while in Iraq. He has the knowledge to live off the grid.
Scott is a 43-year-old white male, 5 foot 10 inches tall, weighing 225 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes and several tattoos. One large tattoo is on his inner forearm with a compass, feathers and the words “Isaiah 6.7.”
A $25,000 reward is being offered to anybody with information that leads to his arrest. If you have any information, please call 1-877-926-8332 or visit the U.S. Marshals tip website here.
An award up to $25,000 is being offered to anybody with information that directly leads to his arrest. If you have information, call 1-877-926-8332 or visit the U.S. Marshals tip website here.
Photo Credit: U.S. Marshals
A postal worker rented a storage unit to hide mail because he felt ‘pressured’ to deliver it
A United States postal worker was caught with a public storage unit full of mail he never delivered.
Jason Delacruz pleaded guilty to charges of delay of mail by a postal employee in August 2019. He is set to be sentenced on February 12.
Delacruz, who worked as a mail carrier in Chesapeake, Virginia, said he felt “pressured” and couldn’t “make time” to complete his mail route, according to court documents. He told authorities that he rented a public storage unit for $49 per month for “the sole purpose of storing mail he could not deliver.”
The employee said he started hiding mail in November or December 2018 and he rented the storage unit in February 2019, according to court records. He said he put mail he was unable to deliver in the unit from that time up until he was discovered in May 2019.
Delacruz told authorities he intended to deliver the mail in the storage unit, but he fell behind and was never able to, according to court documents. He said he never destroyed any mail.
Delacruz’s attorney, Wilfredo Bonilla, Jr., told CNN Wednesday that he was unable to comment at this time.
Agents from the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General found almost 5,000 pieces of mail in the storage unit in Virginia Beach.
They discovered 97 pieces of first-class mail, which included letters from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the IRS, insurance companies, bank statements and other tax return documents.
Magazines and other publications made up 115 pieces of mail. There was also one undelivered package found in the unit. The bulk of the mail was advertisements, more than 4,700 ads at that.
The Postal Service delivered the first-class mail after it was found. The ads were discarded because they were old by then.
“The employee no longer works for the Postal Service,” USPS public relations manager Dave Partenheimer told CNN Tuesday. “He resigned in 2019 and he worked for 14 months prior to his resignation.”
Delacruz could face a fine or up to five years in prison, according to federal law.
via: https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/postal-worker-rented-storage-unit-004419552.html
Photo Credit: Scott Olson/currently.att.yahoo.com