12-year-old boy severely burned when friends set him ablaze for a ‘fire challenge’
A 12-year-old Michigan boy was severely burned when his friends set him ablaze as part of a so-called “fire challenge,” according to a report.
The victim’s mom, Tabatha Cleary of Dearborn Heights, said her son Jason was hospitalized for four days with second-degree burns to his chin, chest and stomach because his friends set him on fire Saturday after seeing the disturbing social media trend on YouTube, WDIV-TV reports.
“I just want everybody to know that these challenges, or whatever they’re watching on YouTube, is not worth risking your life,” Cleary told the station. “My son got [second-degree burns], and it could’ve been way worse.”
Cleary said her son at first willingly took part in the challenge — where participants set each other on fire using flammable liquids before being extinguished — but things soon took a scary turn when one of his friends continued to douse him with nail polish remover.
Cleary heard her son, who was at a nearby friend’s house in Dearborn Heights, screaming while still on fire outside the other family’s home.
“So we came running out, and that’s when his friend, Bryce, was riding him on the bike with no shirt on,” Cleary continued. “And I immediately started to freak out. I’m like, ‘Take him to the hospital! Take him to the hospital!’ ”
One of the boy’s friends swatted out the flames when they tried the challenge the first time — but that didn’t happen during a second try, the injured child said.
“They kept spraying it on me,” Jason Cleary said of the nail polish remover. “Once my dad finally opened the door and said, ‘Let’s go to the hospital,’ I was in the backseat, still in much, much pain.”
A police investigation into the incident is ongoing, and child welfare workers have since visited the family’s home, WDIV said.
A message left for Dearborn Heights police was not immediately returned Friday.
Cleary, who posted a photo of her son recovering in a hospital bed Thursday, could not be reached for comment.
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Vacaville Woman Posed as Teacher, Tried to Kidnap 4-Year-Old Boy Outside Elementary School
A woman was arrested after allegedly posing as a teacher and attempting to kidnap a 4-year-old boy outside an elementary school in Vacaville on Thursday, police said.
Dispatchers first received reports of a woman displaying “erratic and concerning behavior” near Cooper Elementary School around 8 a.m., according to the Vacaville Police Department.
She was apparently photographing vehicles and individuals, and even tried to open the car door of a parent who was dropping off a child at the campus, police said in a statement.
A short time later, 56-year-old Aileen Caringal is accused of approaching a 4-year-old boy while his stepfather was dropping off an older sibling at the school, according to police.
She allegedly asked the boy if he was ready to go to school, then grabbed his hand and started leading him away from campus.
The stepfather saw this and questioned her. Caringal told him she was a teacher and that the boy — who she called “Brian” — was in his class, according to the police statement.
The parent became alarmed, as that was not the boy’s name, nor was he was a student at the school. It also turned out that Caringal does not teach there, police said.
Caringal allegedly tried to get away with the boy, but only made it some 15 feet before the parent intervened and freed him from her grasp, the statement read.
She followed the pair, insisting she was his teacher and threatening to call the police chief if she wasn’t allowed to take him, authorities said.
Another adult assisted by bringing the children to the school’s office while the stepfather waited for police.
Caringal then ran to her home nearby, where officers took her into custody.
She was arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and trespassing on a school campus while interfering with children, according to the statement.
Caringal is being held on $250,000 bail, inmate records showed.
Photo Credit: Vacaville Police
Florida mother tells children to take off seat belts before purposefully crashing van
FLORIDA — A Florida woman is facing attempted murder charges after police say she told her four children to unbuckle their seat belts and then purposefully drove a minivan into a tree yesterday.
Calicia Williams and the children, who are between 7 and 13 years old, were all injured in the crash, Ocala police said in a release.
Williams was speeding and told the children to take off their seat belts and stretch out their hands before the crash, according to the release.
“The devil can’t hurt you, he only hurts bad people,” Williams said just before the crash, according to the police report, which cited a witness whose name was redacted. “You have the light of Jesus in you and only Jesus can cure us,” according to the police report.
Williams was standing outside of the van when police arrived. She told an officer that her husband had put a hex on her and caused her to crash, and she “kept rambling on about spells and voodoo,” according to the police report.
Williams also told police that she had “marijuana in her system,” the report said.
“(D)ue to tire and furrow marks in the median it appeared the Pontiac was steering directly toward the tree that was struck,” the investigator at the site reported, according to the release.
Williams and the four children were transported to local hospitals. The children are in stable condition, a police spokesperson told CNN.
The children’s injuries were not life-threatening, CNN affiliate WKMG reported, citing Ocala police spokeswoman Corie Byrd.
Williams was arrested and charged with four counts of attempted murder. She will be taken into custody when she is released from the hospital.
CNN wasn’t able to determine if Williams has an attorney.
Photo Credit: pix11.com
A man who traveled from Norway to Florida to surprise his father-in-law accidentally shot dead by him instead
A man who traveled from Norway to Florida to surprise his father-in-law for his birthday was mistakenly killed by him after he leapt out of the bushes and startled him.
Christopher Bergan, 37, arrived at the home of Richard Dennis, 61, on Tuesday evening and began banging on his front door.
Dennis, unsure who was outside, ran the person off, Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson said in a press conference. But, just a few hours later at 11:30 p.m., the banging started again — this time at the back door, Johnson said.
Dennis turned on the back door light and stepped out.
That’s when 37-year-old son-in-law Bergan, fresh off a flight from his native Norway, jumped out of the shadows, scaring Dennis. He fired a shot, striking Bergan in the heart and killing him instantly, Johnson said.
“Investigation has revealed that this was totally accidental,” Johnson said. “It was a really sad occurrence.”
No charges are warranted in this case, Johnson said.
“Anybody who’s religious out there, you need to pray for this family, because I can’t imagine what they’re going through,” he said.
Photo Credit: pix11.com
A Florida woman made two dozen pipe bombs, intended to hurt people
A Florida woman has been arrested for allegedly making two dozen pipe bombs with the intent of using them to hurt people, the Hillsborough County Sheriff said Friday.
Michelle Kolts, 27, faces 24 counts of making a destructive device with intent to harm, Sheriff Chad Chronister told reporters in a news conference.
It was Kolts’ parents who notified deputies Thursday evening after they discovered “what appeared to be a significant amount of pipe bombs, other bomb-making materials and numerous weapons” in her bedroom, Chronister said.
A bomb squad responded and rendered the home safe, the sheriff said. Investigators also found smokeless pistol powder, 23 knives, nunchuks and “dozens of books and DVDs about murder, mass killing, domestic terrorism and bomb making,” Chronister said.
Kolts had allegedly displayed an “infatuation” with mass killings like the Columbine shooting and the Oklahoma City bombing in the past, he said.
The sheriff commended Kolts’ parents for calling authorities.
“Her parents did exactly what we ask people to do: If you see something suspicious, please say something,” Chronister said.
It was not immediately clear if Kolts was represented by an attorney.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Florida man oversleeps for jury duty, sentenced to 10 days in jail
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Deandre Somerville, 21, learned the hard way, why you can’t miss jury duty.
“After going through that, my life will never be the same again,” he said.
In August, he was sworn in as a juror on a civil case. He understood he was to return the next day for the continuation of the trial, but he overslept.
“I woke up and I was like, ‘Oh shoot, it’s past the time,’” said Somerville.
Mistake number two: he didn’t call the jury office to let them know what was going on. Days later, he was served with a subpoena to go before the judge.
“I talked to my grandad for a while and he said the best thing you can always do is honesty, so I went for the hearing,” said Somerville.
Somerville lives with his grandparents and helps look after his grandfather by taking him to therapy.
“My grandma was saying, ‘I think you should dress up,’ and I said, ‘Nah, I’m going to wear my work clothes cause I felt like at least he can see that I’m doing something, cause a lot of times people get stereotyped ‘oh he’s just another black boy out here doing something he’s not supposed to be doing,’” said Somerville.
But the 21-year-old man could not imagine what was coming next. The judge asked him to explain why he did not show up to court when he was supposed to.
“I said, ‘Sir, honestly I overslept and I didn’t understand the seriousness of this.’ He asked me if I had a criminal record. I said, ‘Sir, I’ve never been arrested,’” added Somerville.
Court transcripts show Somerville apologized, but the judge sentenced him to 10 days in jail. Somerville said all he could think about was his grandfather.
“Like he depends on me, so it’s hard for him,” said Somerville.
Fifteenth Circuit Civil Judge John Kastrenakes’ order said Somerville’s failure to appear delayed the trial by 45 minutes. The court also tried to reach him and could not.
WPTV’s criminal analyst Michelle Suskauer said these cases are not common.
“This is going to show others you have to take this very seriously, but this 21-year-old with no prior record now has a misdemeanor conviction,” said Suskauer. “Could there have been other alternatives to be more instructive and less punitive? It’s possible.”
Somerville served 10 days in jail, is on probation for a year and has to complete 150 hours of community service as well as write a letter of apology. He said he wants to apologize to the parties from the civil case that were delayed because of him.
“It hurts, but it’s a lesson learned. It could have been worse. He could have given me 365 days in jail,” added Somerville.
The judge’s order found, based on Somerville’s explanation, there was no good reason to explain why he didn’t appear in court. We reached out to Judge Kastrenakis’ for more information. Judge Kastrenakis said he cannot comment because the case is still pending.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/10/04/floria-man-oversleeps-for-jury-duty-sentenced-to-10-days-in-jail/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
Woman steals $20 from 9-year-old boy in Queens pizzeria
BRIARWOOD, Queens — Police are looking for a woman they say snatched cash right out of a young boy’s hand at a Queens pizzeria in September.
Authorities said it went down at Natalie’s Pizza on Parsons Blvd. in the Briarwood neighborhood, on Wednesday, Sept. 25 just before 4 p.m.
The 9-year-old boy was standing in the restaurant when the unidentified woman took $20 in cash out of his hand and fled the pizza shop, running southbound on Parsons Blvd., police said.
The NYPD has released the above surveillance image of the woman they’re looking for, describing her as an adult with a medium build, last seen wearing a black t-shirt.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/10/03/woman-steals-20-from-9-year-old-boy-in-queens-pizzeria-police/
Photo Credit: NYPD
Cheerleader jumps off homecoming float to save choking toddler
Cheerleader Tyra Winters is Rockwall High School’s homecoming hero and it wasn’t for anything that happened on the field.
The 17-year-old senior was riding on a float in the homecoming parade when she saw a desperate mother and a little boy who needed help.
“I see the kid. I see a little bright red face and his mom’s holding him up, begging for help, screaming, asking ‘someone help me someone help me,’ Winters told CNN affiliate KTVT.
She told the station that her first thought was “Oh my God, I’ve got to help this child.
“Her kid’s turning purple, so I immediately jumped off the float and I ran down to the kiddo and I said ‘I got him,’” Winters said.
She held the little boy and gave him three strong back thrusts that made him spit up the candy he was choking on.
The incident happened on September 18, but 2-year-old Clarke and his mom, Nicole Hornback, came to Winters’ school on Tuesday to thank her.
Hornback told KTVT she was sitting right next to Clarke when it happened.
“I just happened to look over to him and there was no noise, there was no coughing, there was no breathing,” she said. “And at that moment that’s when I tried to give him the Heimlich, and I’ve never taken a class. To feel so useless as a mother was the most terrifying thing in my life.”
Fortunately, Winters had gotten CPR training in eighth grade because her mom is in the medical field. Winters plans to be a pediatric surgeon.
“I commend her for being a teenager and being trained,” Hornback said. “She saved my baby.”
Hornback told the station that her family is going to get CPR and first aid training right away.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/10/03/cheerleader-jumps-off-homecoming-float-to-save-choking-toddler/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
NC mother, stepfather arrested after 7-year-old boy ‘covered from head to toe in bruises’ found dead
Fayetteville, NC (WGHP ) — A North Carolina couple was charged with child abuse after a 7-year-old boy died, according to police.
At about 4:42 a.m. Wednesday, police responded to a report of an unresponsive person in a home on the 1500 block of Sisal Drive.
At the scene, police found 7-year-old Ethan Bates, who died at the scene.
The boy’s mother, Evie Loretta Bates, 24, and his step-father, Saint Michael Edwards, 23, were both charged with felony intentional child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.
According to arrest warrants, the boy was “covered from head to toe in bruises” and “appeared to have broken bones in his hand and foot.”
They are both being held at the Cumberland County Detention Center under a $1 million secured bond.
Police are waiting for an autopsy report to determine the child’s cause of death. More charges may come when the autopsy comes through.
Photo Credit: WGHP
Oregon doctor claims sperm was improperly used to father at least 17 kids
An Oregon doctor got a big surprise when he submitted his DNA to Ancestry.com — the test revealed he had 17 children he’d known nothing about.
It turned out a fertility clinic may have used his sperm without his permission to father the children — and now he worries he could have even more rugrats running around without his knowledge, he claims in a $5.25 lawsuit reported by The Oregonian.
Bryce Cleary, now 53, donated his sperm to the Oregon Health & Science University 30 years ago as a medical school student, under an agreement that only allowed for it to be used to conceive five children, he claims in his suit.
“I wanted to help people struggling with infertility and I had faith that OSHU would act in a responsible manner and honor their promises,” Cleary told reporters.
After graduating, Cleary married and had three sons of his own and adopted a daughter. But in March 2018, two sisters contacted Clearly looking for information about their biological dad.
After submitting his DNA to the genealogical website Ancestry.com, Clearly says he discovered he was the father to those girls — as well as to 15 other people.
But “there could be a huge number of kids out there,” he said.
At least two of the offspring conceived through OSHU went to the same schools, church or social activities as the children he had with his wife, Cleary claims.
That means the clinic breached another promise: that Cleary’s sperm be used only for couples living outside Oregon, in order to lessen the chances the offspring would meet or become romantically involved, states the lawsuit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
“The idea that you can produce that many children from one donor and throw them all in the same region?” Cleary asked. “There has got to be some reforms.”
Also, Cleary says the clinic was supposed to keep his information private, but didn’t.
All of the promises OSHU allegedly made, “were a lie,” Cleary said, adding that his donation was “distributed locally and in a largely irresponsible manner.”
The lawsuit claims that Cleary “incurred extreme mental and emotional pain, anguish and suffering, which have all had a significant and negative impact on his personal, parental and marital relationships.”
OSHU said it couldn’t comment on the case for confidentiality reasons.
Photo Credit: AP