Florida man stole one girlfriend’s ring to propose to other girlfriend
A Florida man is on the run after stealing one girlfriend’s old engagement ring so he could use it to propose to his other girlfriend, authorities said.
Joseph Davis, 48, is wanted on a grand theft charge after allegedly betraying two girlfriends he met on the dating site OKCupid, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Thursday.
He used the alias “Joe Brown” with one girlfriend, and “Marcus Brown” with the other, authorities said.
Girlfriend No. 1 — who lives in Orange City, and who had dated Davis since 2015 — told detectives she learned through some Facebook sleuthing that Davis, a convicted felon, was engaged to the second woman.
Worse, she saw on the second woman’s Facebook page that her rival was wearing an engagement ring and wedding band identical to her own from a previous marriage, according to the sheriff’s office.
She checked her jewelry box and found her rings and other items missing. About $6,270 in property had been stolen from her in all, officials said.
The girlfriend contacted Davis’ fiancée — who lives in Orlando and who had begun dating him in 2016.
The second woman discovered she had also allegedly been stolen from. They joined forces and reported Davis to the authorities.
The second girlfriend reported her own laptop and jewelry went missing after Davis moved out of her apartment, according to authorities.
She also recalled Davis once taking her to the first girlfriend’s house in Orange City. The first girlfriend was away at work at the time.
Davis claimed to the second girlfriend that the home was his and even asked her to move in there with him, she said.
The second girlfriend packed up her own apartment and was ready to move in, but then Davis told her the deal fell through, officials said.
Davis has a previous rap sheet that includes an active warrant in Oregon for a hit-and-run crash, domestic assault and possession of cocaine.
A brother of the Orlando woman posted about the bizarre situation on the sheriff’s Facebook page, writing, “Please everyone share this. My sister is the victim in Orland [sic] that was proposed to. He is now making threats to our family.”
The woman and her family did not return messages.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/13/florida-man-steals-girlfriends-ring-to-propose-to-other-girlfriend/
Photo Credit: Volusia Sheriff’s Office
Philadelphia sex offender charged after ‘deep-fried’ body parts found
A Philadelphia man has been busted after body parts were found in a U-Haul and dumpster — including deep-fried hands and feet, according to a report.
Taray Herring, 47, was arraigned Saturday on charges that include burglary, abuse of a corpse and evidence-tampering, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Police had been responding to a call about a burglary in the Somerton neighborhood Thursday morning and began chasing a U-Haul truck that had fled a home there.
When they pulled the truck over, the driver got out and reportedly said, “I don’t want anything to do with this, and there’s a body in the back.”
Police found a dismembered body in a trash bag, along with a weapon.
The unidentified motorist and a passenger, who was identified as Herring, were both taken into custody, but the driver was released without charges, the Inquirer reported.
After speaking to Herring, detectives searched dumpsters near a strip mall and found black trash bags with a person’s hands and feet, all of which were deep-fried, a law enforcement source told the outlet.
There were also cut-up legs, which were not deep-fried, which were found in trash bags, the source told the paper.
Police said the medical examiner’s office is still working to identify the remains.
It’s unclear whether the dismembered corpse had any connection to the burglary, which occurred Thursday at a home owned by 70-year-old Peter Gerold.
A person from a different state had requested a welfare check Wednesday on Gerold after not hearing from him for “some time.”
Police went to the home, but didn’t enter because they didn’t notice anything suspicious, the outlet reported.
”We don’t just kick people’s doors in,” police Cpl. Jasmine Reilly said, according to the Inquirer. “There must be a reason why we go in there.”
Herring, who is a registered sex offender listed on the state police’s site, has been ordered held without bail.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/15/pa-sex-offender-charged-after-deep-fried-body-parts-found/
Photo Credit: Google Maps
School book program suspended after book on transgender boy read in class
(Meredith/KSTU) — A Utah school district has suspended it’s book program after a book about a transgender boy was read to third graders.
The controversy started when a third grade student brought a copy of “Call me Max” from home and asked the teacher to read it aloud to the class, according to officials at Murray School District.
Kyle Lukoff, the author, said it’s a story about a transgender boy figuring out who he is and making new friends.
“Can you call me Max? I asked. Max is the boy in my favorite book,” Lukoff said.
Administrators said the teacher deflected students’ questions, including questions about puberty.
When the parent’s found out, they contacted the school with their concerns.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/school-book-program-suspended-after-book-on-transgender-boy-read-in-class/article_23499497-1f8b-50e5-930e-f313abbefe4d.html
Photo Credit: nypost.com
12-year-old kills home intruder after 73-year-old woman shot during robbery
A 12-year-old boy fatally shot a man to protect his grandmother when two intruders broke into her North Carolina home, authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly after 12:30 a.m. Saturday when two masked men entered 73-year-old Linda Ellis’ home in Goldsboro, news station WRAL reported.
The pair demanded money and shot Ellis in the leg, prompting the 12-year-old to open fire, police said.
“[The intruder] just shot his grandma… He would have shot him too, he would’ve shot me too, he would’ve killed us all,” the boy’s great-uncle, Randolph Bunn, told news station WTVD.
The gunfire caused the intruders to flee, but one suspect, Khalil Herring, 19, was found at a nearby intersection suffering from a gunshot wound, police said.
He was brought to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
Meanwhile, Ellis was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, authorities said.
“Why would somebody come into her house and do this? It’s got to stop,” Ellis’ great-niece, Chiquita Coley, told WRAL.
No information was released about the second suspect, but authorities said the investigation is ongoing.
Charges are not expected to be filed against the 12-year-old boy, police said.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/14/12-year-old-kills-home-intruder-after-73-year-old-woman-shot-during-robbery/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
‘Worst Cooks in America’ winner claims child died from drinking too much water
The winner of the Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America” season 20 — who is charged with the murder of her 3-year-old foster daughter — claimed in court Friday that the child died from drinking too much water.
Ariel Robinson, 29, and her husband Jerry Robinson, 34, were arrested in Simpsonville, South Carolina, and have been charged with homicide by child abuse for the January murder of little Victoria Rose Smith.
The foster mom appeared virtually during her bond hearing on Friday, when prosecutors revealed she told first responders she believed the toddler drowned from drinking too much water. A judge ultimately denied her $40,000 bond request, according to WHNS-TV.
Ariel Robinson claimed she performed the Heimlich maneuver on the child, thinking she was choking, and that she pressed on her stomach, which probably caused bruising to the girl’s abdomen, the outlet reported.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office determined Victoria died from blunt force injuries.
Jerry Robinson gave investigators a different account of what happened the day the child died.
He reportedly told investigators he was outside of a room while his wife repeatedly beat Victoria with a belt. He also stated that she used a “belt, paddle, flip flop, or whatever” in past beatings.
Ariel Robinson starred on the hit Food Network reality show where she won season 20 in August. Food Network has pulled the entire season from Discovery+, Hulu and YouTube, according to Deadline.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/14/too-much-water-claimed-childs-life-worst-cooks-in-america-winner/
Photo Credit: Simpsonville Police Department
LAPD probes cops over Valentine’s Day-style photo mocking George Floyd
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched an internal investigation into cops allegedly sharing a Valentine’s Day-style graphic featuring George Floyd with the inscription, “You take my breath away.”
The distasteful photo of Floyd, who suffocated to death while being pinned down by cops in Minneapolis last year, was reportedly being “passed around” within the department’s ranks, the LA Times said in a report.
“Our investigation is to determine the accuracy of the allegations while also reinforcing our zero-tolerance for anything with racist views,” Police Chief Michel Moore told the newspaper.
The chief said the culprits “will find my wrath” if the probe leads to them.
Police said a cop in the department reported the image to officials, prompting the probe.
The department said on its LAPD HQ Twitter page that it will have “zero tolerance.”
“At this point the department has not identified any actual postings in the workplace or identified that it was in fact our department employee who created the image,” one post said.
“We have raised the apparent existence of the image and directed commands to survey the worksites for it.”
Floyd’s death on May. 25 sparked worldwide protests calling for racial justice and against police violence against minorities.
via: https://nypost.com/2021/02/14/lapd-probes-ranks-over-george-floyd-valentines-pic/
Photo Credit: Facebook; AFP
Nicki Minaj’s dad killed in a hit-and-run in Long Island
Nicki Minaj’s father was killed by a hit-and-run driver on Long Island, police said Sunday.
Robert Maraj, 64, was struck around 6 p.m. Friday as he was walking in Mineola, according to Nassau County Police. The driver fled before witnesses could get a clear look at who was behind the wheel, cops said.
The rap superstar’s dad was initially listed in critical condition at a local hospital but died from his injuries at some point over the weekend, police said.
Homicide detectives are investigating the crash and asking anyone who saw the collision at the intersection of Roslyn Road and Raff Avenue to come forward.
Minaj — who was born Onika Tanya Maraj and raised in Queens — reportedly had a rocky relationship with her father.
via: https://pagesix.com/2021/02/14/nicki-minajs-dad-reportedly-killed-in-long-island-hit-and-run/?_ga=2.251949705.1294398169.1613359647-593493795.1608856676
Photo Credit: pagesix.com
An Indiana teen is one of the first Black female Eagle Scouts
(CNN) — Kendall Jackson went on her first Boy Scout camping trip with her mother and older brother when she was just a toddler, and now the Indiana teen is one of the first Black females to become an Eagle Scout.
Jackson was 15-years-old when the Scouts started admitting girls in 2019, so she knew she’d have to hurry to reach her goal of earning its highest rank before her 18th birthday.
“I was just ready to go. I was eager to get started and be able to have this opportunity,” she said. “I was overwhelmed with joy and I was ecstatic to be able to join.”
She’s now 17 and part of the inaugural class of female Eagle Scouts — which includes young women who earned the rank between Oct. 1, 2020, and Feb. 8, 2021.
“We are thrilled that hundreds of diverse young women have attained the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, which is widely valued by universities, employers, and other respected institutions around the world,” the Boy Scouts of America said in a statement.
Only about 6% of all Scouts ever earn the rank.
Officials are still finalizing the number of female Eagle Scouts but said Jackson is one of 21 Black women known to have reached the rank.
“It’s definitely something that’s amazing, to say that I’m a part of Black history now, but I know I never really considered it,” she said.
Scouting is a big deal in Jackson family.
Her mom, Kellauna Mack, has been the scoutmaster for Troop 53 in Gary, Indiana, for 22 years. She is also the assistant scoutmaster for Troop 53G, Jackson’s troop, and an executive with the Scouts’ Pathway to Adventure Council.
Jackson said her mom’s experience helped her speed through the lower ranks.
“I had picked up certain skills, like learning the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, I had been saying it since I could talk,” she said.
She’s earned 39 merit badges, which is almost twice as many as she needed to reach the rank.
It’s also more than her brother has — he’s nine years older and they’ve always been competitive, Mack says.
“Her goal was to do everything times two that her brother did,” Mack said. “So she wanted more merit badges. She wanted more leadership position. She wanted to do her project bigger. That was always her goal.”
She also had to hold leadership positions and organize a large service project to earn the rank.
For her Eagle Scout project, Jackson set up an all-day seminar and a resource guide to help high school seniors in the class of 2021 prepare for life after high school — whether they planned to go to college or learn a trade, join the military or go into the workforce.
Mack says her son, who’s also an Eagle Scout, is incredibly proud of his sister and got to present her medal at her Feb. 7 ceremony.
Jackson’s first merit badge was Traffic Safety and she says it was also one of her favorites because she was just learning to drive and the lessons she picked up have been a big help on the road.
She says she picked up a lot of skills — like money management — that will help her throughout her life and even tried paper making, which is something she wouldn’t have done outside of Scouting.
Jackson is still active in her troop and hopes to encourage more girls to get involved in Scouting.
“I’ve made some really close friends, and we just enjoy being around each other and being able to learn the skills that will help us be better prepared for life,” she said. “We can also do those things while having fun.”
The decision to admit girls to the organization was controversial at the time, but the Scouts are celebrating these young women’s achievements.
“In earning this rank, young people gain new skills, learn to overcome obstacles, and demonstrate leadership among their peers and in their communities,” the group said in its statement. “These benefits are invaluable, and we are elated that they are now available to even more youth.”
Jackson will be featured in their upcoming “Be the Change” virtual event that will honor the first class of female Eagle Scouts, according to the organization.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/an-indiana-teen-is-one-of-the-first-black-female-eagle-scouts/article_6e76b0ab-5310-5957-89b1-7750e268806f.html
Photo Credit: Kellauna Mack
Man, woman charged with stealing funeral home van with body inside
ST. LOUIS COUNTY (KMOV.com) – A man and woman are charged with stealing a funeral home van that had a woman’s body inside of it.
Brian Schaake, 38, is charged with stealing a motor vehicle and Christina Kalb is charged with misdemeanor tampering with a motor vehicle. Both suspects are from Springfield, Illinois.
A white 2012 Nissan NV1500 van was transporting a body when it was stolen off the parking lot of the QuikTrip at 12110 Lusher Road just before 10:30 a.m. Thursday. According to police, the van was running and left unattended on the parking lot at the time. Authorities said the van has “William C Harris Funeral” decals on its side and green wreaths with an “H” inside of them on the back. The driver went inside the gas station to use the restroom.
Police say surveillance footage showed Schaake and Kalb walk across the street from Walgreens and get into the van and drive off. Schaake was spotted getting into the driver’s seat while Kalb was observed getting into the passenger’s seat.
The stolen van and woman’s body were found around 10 a.m. Friday. According to authorities, two suspects were arrested in Festus in relation to the theft. A concerned citizen called police after recognizing the van, Festus police said.
Police say both suspects admitted to stealing the van. Authorities believe Schaake is currently homeless. He has a history of stealing-related offenses. Schaake is being held on a $40,000 cash-only bond. Kalb has been released.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/man-woman-charged-with-stealing-funeral-home-van-with-body-inside/article_62a8d6d6-6c93-11eb-8a20-dbbe00a472fd.html?block_id=990844
Photo Credit: St. Louis County Police
Shipment bust in Ohio reveals $1.2 million worth of Viagra was headed to MO
FLORISSANT, Mo. (KMOV.com) — A shipment was headed from Ohio to north St. Louis County and a bust revealed it was more than $1 million worth of Viagra.
The shipment was headed to a person in Florissant when the bust happened in Cincinnati. Agents say they found more than 17,000 pills and the boxes were labeled as “herbal pasta.”
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/shipment-bust-in-ohio-reveals-1-2-million-worth-of-viagra-was-headed-to-florissant/article_1b090bfa-6cdb-11eb-8c1e-f73fc685e046.html
Photo Credit: kmov.com