Illinois father, son accused of selling diseased body parts on black market
CHICAGO (WBBM/CNN) – An Illinois father and his son are facing federal charges after they allegedly sold body parts on the black market from people who thought they were donating to science.
Prosecutors said the father-son duo sold the remains knowing they were diseased, but never disclosed that to buyers. Some of the bodies — which had HIV, sepsis and hepatitis — reportedly sold for up to $100,000.
Donald Greene Sr. is charged with wire fraud. His son, Donald Greene II, is charged with knowing about the scheme but failing to report it. They were associated with the Biological Resource Center of Rosemont, Illinois, which provided the remains to medical professionals for a fee.
In one instance, a mother claims she was told her son’s tissue would be donated to colleges and research centers. Instead, his remains were sold for $5,000.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Detroit, which is handling the case, called it “a scheme to defraud customers of the Biological Resource Center of Illinois.”
WBBM reports that it’s not illegal to sell body parts, per se, but it is illegal to knowingly sell remains that are known to have infectious diseases.
The Greenes are accused of running the operation from 2008 to 2014.
A guilty plea is expected, according to the Associated Press. The names of lawyers representing the Greenes weren’t immediately known.
Shots fired into East St. Louis gas station erupted over the price of a cigar
EAST ST. LOUIS, ILL. (KMOV.com) — An argument inside a Metro East gas station lead to shots being fired Monday, police say.
Police say Derrick T. Orr, 52, of East St. Louis allegedly went into the Citgo gas station on Louisiana Blvd and began arguing over the price of a cigar with the clerk. He then pointed a handgun at the clerk while making threats.
Orr then left the store while shooting a round into the air before getting into his car and driving away.
With surveillance video, detectives were able to identify and take Orr into custody Wednesday.
Orr has been charged with one count of Reckless Discharge of a Firearm, Class 4 Felony, one count of Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Class 4 Felony, and one count of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Class A Misdemeanor.
His bond was set at $40,000
Man caught stealing copper wire said he needed it to support his meth addiction
LINCOLN COUNTY (KMOV.com) — A man was arrested after being caught stealing from a Lincoln County resident’s shed on Wednesday afternoon, police said.
28-year-old Nicholas Schell was found siphoning gasoline from a vehicle on a property located at the 700 block of Ridge Road when police responded to a call about a man stealing from a shed. Schell allegedly said he was stealing copper wire from the shed on the property because it was “old.” In addition to the copper wire, Schell was said to have stolen a Hitachi 10-inch compound saw from the shed.
The deputies searched his vehicle and found a bag of methamphetamine and the copper wire. Police say that Schell’s reasoning for stealing the wire was to support his methamphetamine habit and to afford gas for his truck which he also lives in.
Schell has been charged with Second Degree burglary, Stealing and Possession of a Controlled Substance, and has a bond set at $25,000 cash only.
UK man with a sick obsession for publicly masturbating near horses has been arrested twice within 24 hours for the same lewd offense
Malcolm Downes, 61, who has a “long, long history” of pleasuring himself in front of the mammals, was arrested on Feb. 18 after he was spotted touching himself in a field in the city of Hull, England, Metro UK reported.
A witness initially thought that Downes was urinating but it “soon became clear he was in fact masturbating,” prosecutor Neil Coxon said, according to the news outlet.
“This activity went on for three or four minutes. His penis was exposed for about 10 minutes,” Coxon said.
When police grilled Downes about the illicit act, he told detectives: “I was sat on a bench. I was feeling sexy so I started to…”
Downes told cops he knew what he was doing was wrong, according to the news site.
The suspect was then released on bail after saying he had been planning to see his doctor for libido-suppressing drugs.
But within 24 hours, Downes could not resist his urges and was back at the same field, where he was caught by an off-duty cop.
The offender ultimately was jailed for eight months.
Downes admitted he has a problem, but that he got a thrill out of pleasuring himself, according to Metro UK.
According to the news outlet, Downes, who recently reconnected with his family after being exiled, had 12 similar busts on his record.
He also had nine breaches of an antisocial behavior order for masturbating in public, the news site reported.
The court order had barred Downes from entering any field, stable or area that may have equine animals across the northern English county of Humberside.
“The defendant is very disappointed to be back before the courts again for precisely the same sort of behavior he’s been convicted of in the past,” Downes’ lawyer, Stephen Robinson, told a judge.
“The defendant was of the view he’d been doing quite well,” Robinson said.
Robinson added: “He can’t really explain it. He said he felt he was starting to conquer his demons. He believes this was some sort of lapse he can’t explain. He is, he insists, very sorry for his actions.”
Judge David Tremberg told Downes: “You know you are doing wrong, but you appear either unable or unwilling to stop yourself.”
via: https://nypost.com/2019/04/10/man-with-bizarre-horse-fetish-busted-twice-in-24-hours/
Murdered teacher’s kids rode in car with her body as their dad and his new girlfriend allegedly drove to hide the remains
The children of murdered Staten Island teacher Jeanine Cammarata rode in a car with their mom’s charred body as their dad and his new girlfriend allegedly drove to hide the remains, according to a report on Wednesday.
The kids, a 3-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl, were packed into the car by their father, Michael Cammarata and his live-in girlfriend, Ayisha Egea when the couple went to a storage facility last month to conceal their alleged crime, law enforcement sources told the Staten Island Advance.
Three other children, belonging to Egea, were also in the car, according to the report.
Surveillance footage shows the couple accompanied by the five children, who were “oblivious” to what was inside a plastic bin in the car, the sources said.
Days later, investigators would find Cammarata’s burned remains in a storage unit in Arden Heights, along with air fresheners in an attempt to mask the smell of her decaying flesh.
Michael, 42, and Ayisha, 41, who is six-months pregnant, were charged last week with second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and concealing a human corpse in Jeanine’s death.
Following their mother’s death and the incarceration of their dad, the two children are staying with Michael’s sister, the report said.
Jeanine, 37, also had an 11-year-old son who lives with his father on Long Island.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/04/10/murdered-teachers-kids-rode-in-car-with-her-remains-report/
Texas bill would allow women who have abortions to suffer the death penalty
(Meredith) — For the first time in state history, this week a Texas House committee held a public hearing on a bill that would allow criminal prosecution of women for their abortions.
The bill currently makes all abortions a crime, with no exceptions. Prosecutors could even bring the charge of homicide for abortions, a crime that in Texas could carry a sentence of the death penalty.
State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, a Republican, first introduced the bill in 2017, and again this year. The bill has many legislative hurdles to clear before becoming law, but this week’s hearing marked the most progress yet by Tinderholt’s proposal.
The bill was still pending on Tuesday after Democrats decried the argument made by the bill’s supporters as contradictory.
“I’m trying to reconcile in my head the arguments that I heard tonight about how essentially one is okay with subjecting a woman to the death penalty for the exact — to do to her the exact same thing that one is alleging she is doing to a child,” Democrat state Rep. Victoria Neave said.
Tinderholt told the Texas Observer the bill is meant to “force” women to be “more personally responsible with sex.”
“Right now, it’s real easy. Right now, they don’t make it important to be personally responsible because they know that they have a backup of ‘oh, I can just go get an abortion,” Tinderholt said.
Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard criticized Tinderholt’s statement telling the Observer she was “baffled” he could have such a “lack of compassion and understanding.”
The bill makes no exceptions for individual cases involving rape or incest. Tinderholt said he’s “a firm believer that God creates children in his own image, regardless of how that child is brought into the world, it’s created in his image, and how can someone want to destroy that?”
The bill is also receiving push back from abortion opponents. Republican Rep. Jeff Leach, the committee chair, said he would not support any bill on abortion that makes women civilly or criminally liable and the antiabortion group Texans for Life also expressed their opposition to the bill.
Youth Leader at Santa Ana Church Arrested After Allegedly Sexually Assaulting 2 Girls, 1 During Services
A youth leader at a Santa Ana church was arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting two girls, one of whom was attacked during services, police announced Wednesday.
Jesse Francisco Hernandez Perez, 22, was a member of Iglesia De Restauracion church for three years and was involved in the church’s music program.
One of the victims, 11, told police that Perez lured her into a restroom during church services on March 5 and sexually assaulted her. The victim did not report the incident and continued to attend mass with her family, police said.
Another girl, 14, said she was assaulted by Perez while he was leading a youth program from his Anaheim home. The assault also took place in the bathroom. She reported the incident to the Anaheim Police Department sometime this month.
Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said detectives believe Perez lured both victims after establishing a relationship with them and after exchanging text messages.
“Eventually he does what predators do: he takes advantage of that relationship and that’s when the assault occurs,” Bertagna said.
The corporal said the fact that one of the assaults took place during church services is “extremely disturbing.”
Though he didn’t elaborate on the nature of the assaults, Bergtagna called them “violent sexual acts on two very young little girls.”
Santa Ana police arrested Perez Wednesday morning at his home. He faces multiple child abuse charges, police said. His bail was set at $100,000.
Police in Santa Ana worked closely with the Anaheim Police Department during the investigation.
Detectives believe Perez may have victimized more people and anyone with information about him can call Detective Corporal Johanna Perez at 714-245-8351.
Store withdraws chocolate ducklings over racism complaint
(CNN) — UK grocery chain Waitrose has apologized after being accused of racism over the names of three chocolate ducklings.
The “Waitrose Trio of Chocolate Easter Ducklings” contains a white, milk and dark chocolate version, which were named “Fluffy,” “Crispy” and “Ugly” respectively.
A Twitter user questioned why Waitrose had chosen to call the darkest duckling “Ugly.”
“Overheard women saying ‘this is not right,’ I agree, doesn’t look good at all,” wrote Livia A. Aliberti on March 7.
Waitrose has since apologized in a short statement seen by CNN.
“We are very sorry for any upset caused by the name of this product, it was absolutely not our intention to cause any offence,” reads the statement.
“We removed the product from sale several weeks ago while we changed the labeling and our ducklings are now back on sale.”
One possible explanation for the naming is a reference to the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale “The Ugly Duckling.”
The story features an unfortunate young duckling who is bullied by all of those around him before turning into a swan.
Aliberti thanked Waitrose for changing the packaging in another tweet Tuesday.
Father beat 5-year-old daughter to death after she refused to do homework, police say
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A man was arrested Friday in the beating death of his 5-year-old daughter, Albuquerque police said, noting the girl had bruising patterns consistent with the tread of a shoe.
Brandon Reynolds, 36, was charged with child abuse resulting in death in a criminal complaint that says he told police he became upset with his daughter and started spanking her before “blanking out.” He said he had become angry when she told him she did not want to do her homework.
The death marks the latest in a series of brutal cases in recent years linked to household child abuse in Albuquerque, including the 2014 death of 9-year-old Omaree Varela, who died from internal bleeding after authorities said he was beaten by his mother.
The cases have sparked calls from politicians to enact reforms.
“How many times do we have to talk about this?” Officer Simon Drobik said outside police headquarters. “It’s unfortunate. It’s horrific.”
Online court records did not list an attorney for Reynolds who could comment on his behalf.
Drobik said authorities responded to a 911 call early Friday reporting that a child was not breathing. Reynolds had initially told police that his daughter had stopped breathing as the two were falling asleep and that he had taken her to the living room of their residence, according to the complaint.
Police said they found blood stains on the wall of the living room and carpet. The victim had suffered bruising all over her body, including her back, neck, stomach, left arm, chest, ear and legs, according to the complaint.
After his arrest, Reynolds said he did not know what came over him after he started spanking his daughter with a water slipper around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to the complaint.
He said he tried to cradle her after she became lethargic and then placed her in bed, where he put his ear on her chest to make sure she was still breathing. He called authorities while trying to render aid, he said.
Police said they believed only the father and daughter lived at the residence in southeast Albuquerque, and that they had moved to New Mexico from California several weeks ago.
NJ High school principal dies after donating bone marrow to help 14-year-old boy in France
WESTFIELD, N.J. (AP/Meredith) — A New Jersey high school principal has died after slipping into a coma while donating bone marrow to a 14-year-old boy in France.
Family members tell NJ.com that Westfield High School Principal Derrick Nelson underwent the donation procedure at a hospital in February. They say the 44-year-old couldn’t speak or move afterward, and remained in that condition until he died Sunday.
“His final act was one of selflessness,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy tweeted Tuesday.
Nelson’s mother says her son went into cardiac arrest during the donation process and that doctors haven’t explained why.
Friends say Nelson, who had a 6-year-old daughter, didn’t know the French teen he was trying to help.
Nelson also served as an officer in the Army Reserve for more than 20 years and had recently re-enlisted. His military service included an assignment in the Middle East.
Devastated by the loss, Nelson’s students remembered him as a “good and caring person.”
“He was so nice. He always had a huge soft spot for all his students,” sophomore Brynne Burke told PIX11 News.
Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle also offered her condolences to Nelson’s family, friends and “all who were lucky to have known him.”
“This is a tremendous loss for our community, and I know that our children, and we as parents, will struggle with coming to terms with this over the coming days and weeks,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “He was a man of immense character and kindness, and his legacy will live on in the generations of students whose lives he touched.”