Man snaps woman’s neck for refusing marriage proposal
A Pennsylvania man on Halloween snapped the neck of a female friend and beat her with a hatchet after the woman refused his marriage proposal, The Morning Call reported, citing police.
Christopher R. Tucker, 34, was charged with murder and criminal homicide for allegedly killing Tara M. Serino, 19.
He reportedly asked Serino to marry him at his home in Berks County. She said no and told him that she was sleeping with other men, NBC Philadelphia reported. He allegedly told police that she told him that he should kill her.
Police said Tucker told them that he snapped and choked her. He poked her eyes out and snapped her neck, police said, according to the station. He allegedly wrapped her in a rug and left.
The NBC report said Tucker was caught at a truck stop in Champaign County, Illinois. He will be extradited to Pennsylvania.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/man-snaps-womans-neck-for-refusing-marriage-proposal-cops/
Brooklyn cafe ripped for depriving black children of Halloween treats, turning them away
A Brooklyn coffee shop has turned into a neighborhood pariah after it was accused of doling out Halloween treats to white children only.
The Strand Cafe on Nostrand Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant has come under fire on social media and at its location since a pair of prominent residents aired their account of discrimination.
“Tricks for some, treats for others,” read one sign plastered on a window Saturday, complete with a drawing of a crying pumpkin.
“It’s absolutely disgraceful when other people come into black communities and try to change the whole atmosphere of a community,” said Iman Essiet, 27, after she stopped to look at the signs. “I think this specific establishment needs to be shut down.” The furor erupted Tuesday afternoon after Oma Holloway and Michael Catlyn, both members of Community Board 3, stopped in to the cafe for a tea and coffee.
The pair were waiting online when they saw the lone cafe worker turn away three different sets of costumed black children out trick-or-treating with adults, Catlyn said.
But a pair of white kids, with an older woman, received a much different response. The man behind the counter pulled out a glass jar of individually-wrapped cookies and eagerly doled them out, Catlyn said.“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” said Catlyn, 54, who’s lived in the neighborhood for 32 years. “I was thinking there is no way this is happening right now.”
The pair weren’t having it and walked out without their beverages.
Holloway posted a brief account of the incident on Facebook, prompting a wave of angry replies.
Soon the Strand’s Yelp page was inundated with one-star reviews and scathing comments.
A man who identified himself as the owner eventually posted a message on Yelp, describing the incident as a misunderstanding.
The man said the cafe had nothing on-hand to give to trick-or-treaters. “If a child received an item, it was because it was purchased by a parent, not because we favor children over others,” he said. “That would be completely inappropriate as well as against our core values of decency.”
Catlyn said members of the community board had a productive Saturday meeting with the owner who told them the worker had since apologetically admitted to the act. “We’re trying to use this as a teachable moment and get a positive outcome,” he said.
Woman says T-Mobile store employee stole her nude photos during phone repair
OKLAHOMA CITY – A trip to get her iPhone repaired turned into a nightmare for an Oklahoma City woman after a worker allegedly stole her personal photos.
It happened at a T-Mobile in southwest Oklahoma City.
“The victim obviously felt that she was protected,” said Sgt. Megan Morgan with the Oklahoma City Police. “She wasn’t providing anybody with the photos. She had them in her own personal phone.”
The woman went to the store to get her iPhone fixed and an employee, Jesus Cardenas, took her phone, police say. After giving it back to her, she said she made a discovery – some messages had been sent from her phone.
“She said she noticed on her watch that there were some messages sent from her phone, that were no longer showing as sent from her phone,” said Morgan.
The woman then took a closer look.
“When she opened those up, she realized that they were some explicit photos that she had on her phone that appeared to have been sent to another phone. And she did not send these messages,” said Morgan.
Police say Cardenas sent himself the photos from the victim’s phone and then tried to cover his tracks.
“He did delete them from her phone, showing that he had sent the messages from that phone,” said Morgan. “Fortunately in this case, she had her watch on which showed that she had a record of those messages being sent.”
It’s a trust police say was violated.
“This person just abused the power that he was given by her presenting him the phone. He obviously went in there and took advantage of the situation,” said Morgan.
KFOR reached out to T-Mobile but haven’t received a response.
Cardenas is in jail charged with nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images and receiving and concealing stolen property.
via: http://pix11.com/2017/11/04/woman-says-t-mobile-store-employee-stole-her-nude-photos/
Man pulls gun on McDonald’s worker when restaurant doesn’t have steak bagel
WARREN, Ohio — Police say they’re looking for a man who pulled out a gun after being told by an Ohio McDonald’s drive-thru worker there were no steak bagels available.
Police say the incident occurred shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to WJW. Officials for the McDonald’s say the man wanted a steak bagel and was upset he couldn’t get one at that time of morning.
The worker who called 911 told police that two men inside the customer’s car appeared to be around 20 years old. She said the driver called her a vulgar name after pulling out the gun and then cursed at her again before driving away.
Police say the incident is one of the most unusual calls they have ever received.
“We have had people upset in drive thrus before because their orders are messed up, but I don’t remember anyone pulling a gun because they couldn’t get a sandwich they wanted,” said Detective Wayne Mackey.
There was no video from the restaurant security cameras, police said.
City Law Director Greg Hicks said police are hoping someone in the area may have noticed something early Wednesday morning.
“We want to get these guys and that gun off the street,” Hicks said.
Iowa Teen Mother Charged After 2 Naked Children Found Wandering Alone Near Highway
An 18-year-old mother was charged with child endangerment Friday, after two of her three young kids were found outside and alone in Adel, Iowa.
Jasmine Teed was apparently asleep in her apartment at the time the children were outside, according to KTLA sister station WHO in Des Moines. The two children were found unclothed in 43-degree weather near a busy stretch of Highway 6 and 169 in Adel.
Cindy Golightly, Teed’s next door neighbor, said she’s never seen Teed’s kids unattended.
“Everybody makes mistakes and we all need to be held responsible for what we do, but she is only 18 years old and she’s got three little kids,” Golightly said. “I think the twins are maybe 2 years old and then they’ve got a little girl.
While she agreed that the situation could potentially have been tragic, Golightly urged people to try to be empathetic.
“You know, she’s trying the best she is, I’m not saying we’re all perfect,” Golightly said, adding that she, too, has made this mistake in the past. “I’ve got grandkids, I’ve got 10 of them, and they got out of the house.”
Teed is now being held on a $2,000 bond and her children are being cared for by their grandparents.
via: http://ktla.com/2017/11/03/teen-mom-charged-after-children-found-naked-wandering-near-highway/
Former Louisiana Day Care Teacher Admits to Biting 2-Year-Old in the Face, Faces Cruelty Charges
A former Louisiana day care teacher is in jail after admitting that she bit one of her students, KTLA sister station WGNO in New Orleans reported.
Heather Marcotte, 28, of Covington, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of felony cruelty to a juvenile, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Shortly after 4:15 p.m. on Oct. 25, the parent of a 2-year-old student at Northlake Christian School called the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office to report an incident.
The mother told deputies that when she went to pick up her son at school the previous day, she observed what appeared to a bite mark on her son’s right cheek.
The mother said an administrator at the school informed her that her son’s teacher said she left the mark on the child when her mouth accidentally hit his face and that the teacher had been terminated following the incident.
The case was turned over to detectives.
During that investigation, Marcotte admitted to biting the child after she became frustrated and agitated with the child’s behavior.
A warrant was obtained for her arrest and she was taken into custody, officials said.
She was also fired from her job at Northlake Christian, where, according to the school’s website, instructors “are all highly trained and qualified, and more importantly, they love the Lord and they love their children.”
Tuition at the Early Learning Center is $7,600 a year, according to the school’s website,
via: http://ktla.com/2017/11/03/louisiana-day-care-teacher-accused-of-biting-2-year-olds-face/
Washington Parents on the Run After 16-Year-Old Found Weighing 54 Pounds, Unable to Talk or Use Toilet
Police are asking for the public’s help tracking down a Washington state couple after authorities found a 16-year-old weighing just 54 pounds last year, according to KTLA sister station KCPQ in Seattle.
Both 45-year-old Anthony Foxworth and 42-year-old Mary Foxworth are on the run after pleading guilty to a criminal mistreatment charge in Lewis County Superior Court in October. On Wednesday, they failed to show for their sentencing hearing and a no-bail bench warrant was issued for their arrests.
When authorities found the child, he didn’t know how to read or write and hadn’t been attending school, according to KCPQ. The 16-year-old had also never been taught to use a toilet.
Law enforcement first learned of the child’s condition when the Foxworths sought medical help in January 2016, telling doctors the boy hadn’t eaten in three weeks, according to court documents. He was eventually taken to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital for treatment.
Doctors found that the boy was unable to talk and couldn’t open his mouth far enough for a throat examination. He had multiple bald spots, was unable to stand on his own, had 24 teeth needing dental work and the skeletal age of a 13-year-old, among multiple other medical issues. Doctors initially thought he was between 8 and 10 years old.
A year later, the boy has reportedly put on 93 pounds and grown 3.5 inches while in the care of a foster family.
Anthony and Mary Foxworth were last seen in Grand Mound, Washington at a gas station with their green and silver 1998 Chevrolet Suburban (WA license DP25339).
They are also associated to a black 1999 Toyota 4Runner (WA license ASK0996).
Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the Centralia Police Department detective bureau at 360-330-7614 or call 911.
via: http://ktla.com/2017/11/02/parents-sought-after-16-year-old-found-weighing-54-pounds-unable-to-talk/
Virginia Couple Faked Wife’s Death, Fraudulently Bought at Least 20 Luxury Vehicles
Alexandra Hatcher pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal conspiracy and fraud charges in connection with an elaborate bank fraud scheme, according to KTLA sister station WTKR in Norfolk, Virginia.
According to court documents, the 49-year-old Portsmouth, Virginia, woman conspired with her husband, Albert Hatcher Jr., to collect on life insurance policies the two had obtained to insure her life.
In 2015, the couple submitted false death claims on at least two of them and then went on to buy at least 20 luxury vehicles by using counterfeit checks and forged documents.
Prosecutors say they even created fake death certificates and published a death notice in a newspaper to support the claims.
Hatcher traveled to Washington state and changed her legal name in August 2015, according to the court documents. Hatcher and her husband also re-titled the cars and used them as collateral for loans and other vehicles.
Documents show that the Portsmouth woman used the legal name she adopted just prior to faking her death to purchase, title, and resell vehicles.
Alexandra Hatcher and her husband both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possessing and uttering a counterfeit security of an organization, and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
They each face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, with sentencing for both set for early next year.
via: http://ktla.com/2017/11/02/woman-faked-own-death-to-go-on-shopping-spree-with-her-husband/
Woman killed autistic teen to cross murder off her ‘bucket list’
A British woman was “euphoric” to have ticked off an item from her “bucket list” – murder, prosecutors said.
Jemma Lilley was convicted Wednesday of killing autistic 18-year-old Aaron Pajich in Western Australia in June of last year, fulfilling her sick obsession to kill someone before her 25th birthday, the Independent reported.
Pajich was strangled, stabbed to death and then buried in a shallow grave covered with concrete and tiles.
Lilley, 26, who was found guilty along with her 43-year-old pal Trudi Lenon, was so “full of herself and euphoric” afterward, she bragged to a work colleague about the killing, prosecutors said.
The disturbed woman, who moved to Australia from Stamford in Lincolnshire, England, six years ago, also had a fascination with serial killers.
She penned a book called “SOS” — and assumed the identity of the main character, a killer in the storyline, prosecutors said.
“The book was a big problem with me. At the beginning I was, ‘Fair enough you want to write a horror story’, but I didn’t like the contents of it,” her stepmother Nina Lilley told The Times in the UK.
“She had always had an obsession with serial killers but she said it was a way of venting her frustration of what happened when she was a child.”
Jemma Lilley and Lenon lured Pajich to their home in Perth and murdered him in a tarp-covered room with blacked-out windows. The two women blamed each other during the five-week trial.
Lilley sent Lenon a text in the hours after the murder, saying, “I am seeing things I haven’t seen before, and feeling things I haven’t felt before. It is incredibly empowering, these images — thank you.”
Lenon answered, “You are welcome SOS.”
The jury deliberated for less than three hours before returning a guilty verdict. The pair is awaiting sentencing.
“They’re just disgusting animals,” Pajich’s mother, Sharon, said.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/02/woman-killed-autistic-teen-to-cross-murder-off-her-bucket-list/
Roommate from hell’s sick sabotage involved bloody tampons, licked utensils, smearing bodily fluids on backpack
A onetime student at the University of Hartford admitted licking her roommate’s dining utensils and secretly smearing bodily fluids on her backpack — a “deeply disturbing” case of alleged bullying that exploded on social media, prompted two messages from the Connecticut school’s president and police requesting that hate crime charges be filed on Wednesday.
Freshman Chennel Rowe posted a 103-minute Facebook Live video Monday about her roommate nightmare. Rowe said she had felt “unwanted in [her] own room” since being randomly assigned to bunk with Brianna Rae Brochu in late August. After moving in, Rowe said, she started getting sick, including throat pain that ultimately led her to see a doctor.
Rowe said she had requested a room change and had begun moving her belongings to another location on Oct. 17, when she was approached by one of her student neighbors who spotted “very concerning posts” on Brochu’s Instagram account, according to police reports obtained by the Hartford Courant.
One of the posts — which has since been deleted but was captured via screenshot by Rowe — appeared to confirm Rowe’s suspicions: Brochu had been covertly harassing her and tampering with her personal items for more than a month.
“Finally did it ya girl got rid of her roommate!” Rowe said, recalling Brochu’s post. “After 1½ months of spitting in her coconut oil, putting moldy clam dip in her lotions, rubbing used tampons [on] her backpack, putting her toothbrush where the sun doesn’t shine and so much more I can finally say goodbye to Jamaican Barbie.”
Brochu, who was arrested Saturday on charges of third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree breach of peace, has admitted licking Rowe’s plate, fork and spoon, as well as smearing her own bodily fluid on Rowe’s backpack, but denied the other actions she referenced on Instagram. She told West Hartford police that those statements were lies and a way to “appear funny” online.
Brochu, of Harwinton, claimed she had been reacting to a “hostile environment” created by Rowe, who allegedly posted Snapchat videos of Brochu snoring. Brochu also requested a room change last month but was unsuccessful, according to the Courant.
Rowe’s video prompted a nationwide response on social media, with many users posting in support of Rowe and calling for #JusticeforJazzy. (Rowe’s Facebook account identifies her as Jazzy Rowe, but a University of Hartford email directory lists her as Chennel Rowe.)
“I can’t believe someone would do this,” one Twitter post read. “Such a despicable human being. Sorry you had to go through that girl.”
Others on social media characterized the allegations as “absolutely disgusting and atrocious,” while some said Brochu could’ve killed Rowe by contaminating her lotion with mold.
The incident and its subsequent explosion on social media also prompted the university’s president to address students Wednesday, saying that the “deeply upsetting” incident doesn’t reflect the values of the school. President Greg Woodward also addressed the “accusations of racism” raised by Rowe and others in connection with the incident.
“Acts of racism, bias, bullying, or other abusive behaviors will not be tolerated on this campus,” Woodward said in a statement. “I pledge to do everything in my power to work with our community to address related concerns together.”
Woodward has also met with Rowe and has been in talks with her family.
“We will continue to offer support and assistance to her, as well as any other student that feels threatened, victimized, or uncomfortable on our campus,” his statement continued. “Let me repeat: racism and hatred will not be tolerated on this campus. Period.”
A judge ordered Brochu to stay off the University of Hartford’s campus and not to contact her former roommate during a brief court appearance on Wednesday, the Hartford Courant reports. Police in West Hartford also requested that Brochu face felony hate crime charges of intimidation based on bigotry or bias in addition to the breach of peace and criminal mischief counts she faces.
Brochu did not comment during the hearing and her case was transferred to Hartford Superior Court, where she’s expected to return on Nov. 15, the Courant reports.
Woodward also released a second statement Wednesday on the “deeply disturbing situation,” saying Brochu is no longer welcome at the 6,700-student university.
“She will not be returning to the institution,” Woodward said in a statement. “There has been an outpouring of concern for the victim of these acts from across the University and the country. In my meeting with her yesterday, I reiterated my personal commitment to ensuring she has all available personal and academic resources the University can provide.”
Rowe, who did not return a message from The Post seeking comment Wednesday, said she believes the incident would’ve been handled much differently if she had victimized Brochu.
“The fact that I’m black and my old roommate was white … If the roles was switched, I want to know if it would be handled the same way, right?” Rowe said during her Facebook Live video. “Because I damn well know it wouldn’t.”