Driver Admits on TV Leaving Retired Teacher to Die in a Hit-and-Run: ‘I’m Not Worried’
A 23-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested on Wednesday after admitting on TV that he was the driver in a hit-and-run earlier in the day — leaving behind an 80-year-old retired art teacher to die.
“Right now I’m not worried about nothing, man, like I said I’m not a stone-cold killer. I didn’t do nothing on purpose,” Phocian Fitts told local news station WFXT, arguing, “People hit and run people all the time.”
The crash was first reported Wednesday afternoon. Boston authorities responded to a 911 call about a pedestrian struck by a vehicle about 12:50 p.m. in the area of 1316 Commonwealth Ave., according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE.
The victim, Theodore Schwalb, was found suffering life-threatening injuries at the scene and was transported to St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, but he did not survive.
Fitts was first questioned in the hit-and-run before being approached by a TV reporter. However, when speaking to investigators, he gave only limited answers and was released without being charged, prosecutors said.
In the hours between his police interview and his arrest — all on Wednesday — Fitts agreed to speak about what happened, telling WFXT the crash was unintentional.
“I was listening to my music, but as I’m driving, I’m driving too quick,” he said. “So I’m driving too quick to the point where it’s like I couldn’t really stop, but it was a green light. So as the guy was walking — the light is green, I’m driving, and I’m pressing the horn, pressing the horn, ‘beep, beep, beep, beep.’ It was either I was going to die and crash into a pole. So when it came down to it, man — accidents happen, man.”
After obtaining footage from a Jeep dashboard camera traveling behind Fitts at the time of the crash, the DA’s office concluded that he did not “brake before or after the fatal collision” while Schwalb was walking in the crosswalk.
Authorities said that based on Fitts’ admissions — along with additional physical evidence, witness interviews and other information — he was taken into custody about 10:30 p.m.
He was arraigned Thursday on charges of motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a collision causing death, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Under state law, a plea of not guilty was entered for him.
Bail was set at $10,000 and, if released from jail, he was ordered to wear a GPS monitor and not drive. He had been on probation for beating a mail carrier in 2014, according to WBZ.
Patrick Sheehan, Fitts’ attorney, had no further comment on the case when reached by PEOPLE on Friday.
He is scheduled to return in court on June 25 for the appointment of permanent counsel, according to prosecutors.
Speaking to the Boston Herald, Schwalb’s nephew described him as someone who “loved good humor, good food and good conversation,” with a determination “to make life as entertaining as possible.”
He “made a splash wherever he went,” his nephew said.
Argument over honey bun leads to shooting death of Tennessee teen
FAYETTE COUNTY, Tenn. — A teenager is dead after he was shot by his half-brother during an argument over a honey bun, according to authorities in Fayette County, Tenessee.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department said Marcus Jones, 18, was found dead from a gunshot wound around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday at a house on Feathers Chapel Drive.
His half-brother Jerome Howse, 34, was arrested. He’s been charged with second-degree murder and illegal gun possession, according to WREG.
The sheriff’s office said the two were arguing over “a small sum of money and a honey bun.”
Jones’ Facebook account indicated he had recently graduated from Fayette Ware High School.
via: http://pix11.com/2018/06/07/argument-over-honey-bun-leads-to-shooting-death-of-tennessee-teen/
White restaurant manager pleads guilty to abusing, enslaving mentally disabled black worker
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A white South Carolina restaurant manager has pleaded guilty to abusing and enslaving a mentally challenged black employee, according to federal prosecutors.
Bobby Paul Edwards of Conway pleaded guilty Monday to one count of forced labor, according to Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and South Carolina U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon.
Between 2009 and 2014, prosecutors said that he admitted using violence, threats, isolation and intimidation to compel a man with an intellectual disability to work for more than 100 hours a week without pay.
Authorities have said Edwards used force and threats to force John Christopher Smith to work as a J&J Cafeteria cook from 2009 until 2014. Court documents describe beatings with a belt, choking, slapping, punching with a closed fist and burning with tongs used in hot grease.
Smith has been diagnosed with delayed cognitive development resulting in intellectual functioning significantly below average. In a lawsuit against Edwards and the restaurant owner, who is Edwards’ brother, Smith said he wasn’t paid or given time off or benefits.
The suit also accused Edwards of repeated abuse, saying he hit Smith with objects including a frying pan and forced him to work, to the point that the man was so weak he had to be carried home.
Records show Edwards was later dismissed from the lawsuit.
Edwards faces up to 20 years in prison and $250,000 in fines when he’s sentenced later, as well as mandatory restitution to Smith. His attorney didn’t respond to an email seeking comment on the case.
Couple accused of killing baby, leaving body in hotel freezer
BRONSON, Fla. – A man wanted in connection with the murder of a 6-month-old infant from Georgia was tracked to a hotel in Florida where he was shot by law enforcement.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said Carlton Mathis, 28, was shot early Monday morning while trying to flee in a vehicle. They said Mathis is in custody and receiving treatment at an area hospital.
According to the Dothan, Alabama Police Department, Mathis and Amanda Oakes, 36, are charged with murder in connection with the death of their 6-month-old son, Curtis Oakes.
The baby’s body was found in a freezer at a hotel in Dothan where the couple had been staying. Investigators believe the body had been in the freezer for 5 – 6 days.
Last Friday, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia alerted Dothan police about a “possible infant death.”
Investigators in Alabama learned that the couple, who was from Georgia, had been in Dothan but were possibly in Florida.
On Monday, the couple was tracked to an apartment complex in Bronson, Florida, police said.
Police said they tried to make contact with Mathis as he left the apartment. SWAT team member shot him four times after he pulled out a handgun and tried to flee, police said.
He was in stable condition at a Florida hospital and in the custody of the Levy County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators said Mathis and Oakes lead them to the InTown Suites in Dothan where they had been staying. A search warrant was executed and their baby’s body was found in a freezer. Police believe the boy was killed prior to his body being put in the freezer. Foul play is suspected in his death.
Mathis and Oakes are charged with one count of abuse of a corpse. They are being held on $15,000 bond.
Murder charges are expected to be filed once an autopsy is completed and investigators learn how the baby was killed.
via: http://pix11.com/2018/06/06/couple-accused-of-killing-baby-leaving-body-in-hotel-freezer/
Teen accused of trying to rape his friend’s mother during sleepover
ARLINGTON, Tenn. — A Tennessee mother says she fought back after her son’s teenage friend allegedly sexually assaulted her during a sleepover.
Jordan Corter, 18, is charged with attempted rape and sexual battery.
Shelby County deputies said Corter was staying at a friend’s house for a sleepover. The mom brought all of the family’s alcohol into her room and locked the door, according to WREG.
Around 2:30 a.m., however, Corter knocked on her bedroom door, deputies said.
When she opened it he allegedly forced himself inside, locked the door and touched her inappropriately. When she fought back, he forced her onto the bed, according to deputies.
She told investigators that she kneed him in the groin, grabbed a pistol and forced him to leave.
The victim went to the authorities the next day.
Arrest records show Corter told police he, “forced the victim to do the things she didn’t want to do.”
He then began crying and said he, “should not be forgiven.”
At Corter’s Bartlett home on Tuesday, Corter’s step-grandfather defended him, and said, “He’s a good kid. He just graduated high school.”
But others said it’s a tough lesson.
“You have to watch who you let in your house, I guess. You can’t be too careful these days,” a resident said.
via: http://pix11.com/2018/06/05/teen-accused-of-trying-to-rape-his-friends-mother-during-sleepover/
Man wanted for running over ex three times, killing her
An enraged Texas man mowed down four people, including his ex-girlfriend — who was killed after she was struck three times — outside a Houston club before he peeled away from the scene, police said.
Rigoberto Alexander Escobar had not been charged in Sunday’s fatal vehicular assault on 38-year-old Dixa Rios as of Monday, but investigators want to question him in the woman’s death, Houston police announced following the 2 a.m. incident at 5200 Telephone Road.
Police responded to the scene over reports that several people had been run over by a pickup truck. Rios was later pronounced dead while three male victims — identified by police as Adan Salgado, 36, Celso Velasquez, 32, and Maneesh Roberts, 46 — were transported to hospitals with possible broken bones. Their conditions were unclear early Monday, police said.
Escobar may have spotted Rios crossing the street as she was about to enter JoJo’s Club with the men and drove directly into her, dragging her body a short distance.
“Apparently the suspect did not care, put the vehicle in reverse and ran her over again,” Sgt. Joshua Horn told reporters Sunday, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Investigators believe Escobar then drove off and turned back around to hit Rios a third time before fleeing the scene in a silver or beige Ford F-150 pickup truck, which is believed to be a 2002-2005 model with Texas license plates GTJ-7424.
Rios and Escobar — who is believed to be in his mid-30s — knew each other for about five years and had a history of domestic violence, her relatives told KTRK. Rios, who was identified to the station as Dixa Yamilet Rios Serbellon, is survived by four children, according to the report.
Rios’ body will be returned to her native Honduras for burial, KHOU reports.
Police ask anyone with information to call (713) 308-3600.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/06/04/man-wanted-for-running-over-ex-three-times-killing-her/
Man set kitchen on fire to force roommate to move out
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Maine authorities say a South Portland man set his kitchen on fire in an attempt to force his roommate to move out.
City and state officials said Monday that police and firefighters responded to the South Portland home to investigate a reported fire Sunday night. The Portland Press Herald reports the 52-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with arson Monday.
Fire Marshal’s Office spokesman Sgt. Ken Grimes reports the man lit a small fire on his kitchen table in an effort to force his roommate to move out. The roommate fled the house as the fire was happening and is unharmed.
Grimes says arson carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/06/05/man-set-kitchen-on-fire-to-force-roommate-to-move-out-officials/
Texas Woman Said She Fatally Shot Her Husband Because He Was Abusing Their Cat
A Texas woman accused of murdering her husband told police she shot him Saturday because he was beating their cat, police say.
Dallas Police who answered the shooting call about 6:45 a.m. at a residence on Fall Manor Drive say they were met by 47-year-old Mary Harrison, who told them she shot her husband, the department announced with a statement on its Facebook page.
She told police that she and her husband, 49-year-old Dexter Harrison, were arguing “as he was beating the family cat,” and she shot him, police say.
Dexter Harrison was taken to Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. He was pronounced dead from his injury.
Mary Harrison was taken to police headquarters, where she waived her Miranda rights told detectives what allegedly happened in the home, police say.
“During the course of the interview, she admitted to her role in the offense and confessed to shooting the victim,” according to the police statement.
She is being held on a $100,000 bond at the Dallas County jail, into which she was booked at 3 p.m. Saturday, according to jail records.
She is facing a single charge of murder, according to the records.
An attorney who might speak on Mary Harrison’s behalf was not immediately identified, nor was it clear whether she has yet entered a plea.
Proposal would add ‘X’ category to NYC birth certificates
NEW YORK — People born in New York City who do not identify their gender as either male or female would have the option of choosing a third category for their birth certificates under a new proposal.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said the new category of “X” would be available through the proposal, which is expected to be introduced by Johnson on Thursday with public hearings to be held later this month.
Currently, if parents of a newborn do not want to identify a sex, they can say the sex of the child is undetermined or unknown. The “X” category would be something adults could choose for their own birth certificate.
If it passes, New York City would join California, Oregon and Washington in having the third category on birth certificates, while Washington, D.C. allows it on driver’s licenses.
Both elected officials noted that June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.
“Pride Month is a time to celebrate how far we’ve come in the fight for equality, and re-affirm our commitment to protecting all New Yorkers from discrimination,” de Blasio, a Democrat said.
“This proposal will allow transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers to live with the dignity and respect they deserve, and make our City fairer.”
Johnson said, “This is about making it easier for people to be who they truly are and letting them know that New York City understands them and has their backs.”
The change also is expected to be considered on June 5 at a meeting of the Board of Health, with a hearing in July and a vote in September if the board agrees. T
he legislation in the City Council will match the language of the proposal that the Board of Health is considering.
“Transgender New Yorkers, like everyone else, should have birth certificates that reflect their true gender identity,” said Dr. Mary Bassett, the city’s health commissioner.
“We know that being able to live your authentic gender and gender expression is critical to physical and mental health. Now more than ever, we must ensure that all people can live their best and healthiest lives.”
Johnson, a Democrat, also introduced legislation in 2014 that removed a requirement for a person looking to change his or her gender designation on a birth certificate to have undergone sex reassignment surgery.
But even after that, the process still required a medical or mental health professional to fill out an affidavit or affirmation saying the applicant’s gender identity was more accurately reflected by changing the gender designation.
The legislation being introduced this week also would remove that requirement, and allow people filing for the change to submit their own affidavit saying it was to affirm their gender identity.
via: http://pix11.com/2018/06/04/proposal-would-add-x-category-to-nyc-birth-certificates/
LI man with 6.6 million images of child porn, including rape, faces 20 years
AMITYVILLE, N.Y. — A Long Island man accused of having 6.6 million images of child pornography, including rape, is behind bars and now faces 10 to 20 years in prison, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.
David Johnson, 58, of Amityville, is the “obviously sick individual” charged with 200 counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, the DA said.
“These images included rape,” District Attorney Timothy Sini said. “This is very important to emphasize: The crime of possessing child pornography directly fuels the rape of children.”
The 6.6 million images of child pornography were discovered after the Amityville Village Police Department received an MP3 player on April 25, the DA said. Investigators analyzed the device, and found it contained child pornography.
Upon further investigation, additional child pornography was discovered on dozens of electronics, including laptops, hard drives, memory cards and USB storage devices, at Johnson’s residence, the DA said.
“This individual not only collected child pornography, but had the disturbing practice of organizing this child pornography by age, race, and by particular characteristics, like whether or not the child victims were wearing glasses,” Sini said. “Obviously when you have a case that involves 6.6 million or more images you’re not dealing with someone who accidentally downloaded or stumbled upon child pornography.”
Johnson is being held $75,000 cash bail or $150,00 bond. He is due back in court June 18, and faces 10 to 20 years in prison.
via: http://pix11.com/2018/06/01/li-man-with-6-6-images-of-child-porn-including-rape-faces-20-years-da/