Woman fatally shoots man while trying to dine and dash in Colorado
A 28-year-old woman was arrested for killing a man who stepped in to intervene after she opened fire while trying to dine and dash at a Colorado restaurant, according to a report.
Jacqueline De Paz was charged with second-degree murder in the Dec. 22 shooting of 18-year-old Rudy Arguello-Rios outside the Mariscos El Rey 2 restaurant in Aurora, the Sentinel reported.
Police said De Paz and several others had berated a waitress and refused to pay for their meals, claiming an open door at the restaurant left their food too cold to eat.
The group, which included children, left the restaurant without paying — and were followed by the waitress and several diners who had witnessed the argument, including Arguello-Rios, cops said.
A brawl broke out in the parking lot between the two groups, according to multiple witnesses.
At one point during the melee, De Paz allegedly pointed a gun at Arguello-Rios as he bent down to help a person injured in the fray, the report said.
“Back the f–k up … I got the strap now,” the unhinged woman yelled.
Arguello-Rios tried to wrestle the gun away from De Paz, and she shot him, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the newspaper.
The waitress described the young hero as “a peacekeeper who was yelling at the others to stop being rude and to be respectful,” the court documents state.
Officers arrested De Paz two days later during a traffic stop. She was being held at the Arapahoe County jail on $1 million bond.
She’s due back in court Jan. 28.
A GoFundMe page set up by Arguello-Rios’ brother to help pay for his funeral described him as “a young and loved soul.”
“He passed away to [sic] young and now he’s looking after all of us.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/12/30/woman-fatally-shoots-teen-while-trying-to-skip-bill-at-colorado-restaurant/
Photo Credit: GoFundMe
Quaint home is a steal at $149K — and comes with horrifying jail cells
This one’s for home buyers who want to be put under “house arrest.”
A Vermont realtor redefined “jailhouse” after listing a New England cottage that manages to look picturesque on the outside — but utterly horrifying inside: The house features a real-life clink.
According to the listing on Realtor.com, the 2,190-square-foot “Single Family Home” in Guildhall, Vermont, originally served as a “Jailer’s residence” when it was constructed in 1878.
As such, “attached to the north wall of the house is the former Essex County Jail (discontinued in 1969)” complete with “the original prison cells with barred windows & the Jailers Office,” per the historic property’s description. Indeed, accompanying photos depict heavily rusted floor-to-ceiling cages and busted bathroom fixtures, which evoke something straight outta Alcatraz.
And the hoosegow holdovers aren’t just for show. The listing invites prospective buyers to “bring your own ideas on what this 28′ x 40′ wing could be!”
We might suggest a pandemic-proof “lockdown” bunker or a timeout room in which to place certain credit card-swiping 6-year-olds under house arrest.
Naturally, some might balk at the prospect of living in a real-life Sing Sing (especially since it’s yet unclear if the defunct jail is up to code). Fortunately, the quaint, four-bedroom abode features a host of more appealing features, from a covered porch to a detached barn for “additional storage.”
Best of all, the jailhouse-cum-cottage is practically a steal at the $149,000 asking price.
The house was last bought for $75,000 in 2018.
Also, eagle-eyed social media viewers spotted one of the home’s more unusual bedrooms on the popular Instagram account Zillow Gone Wild, which entertains its 279,000 followers with oddball real estate listings.
“Nothing like waking up here and thinking you slept through an earthquake,” one commenter quipped of this cockeyed bedroom window in the home at 43 Courthouse Drive.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/12/29/cottage-with-a-freaky-jail-inside-on-sale-for-149k/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Mom-to-be conceives a third baby — while pregnant with twins in a rare case of superfetatio
A mom-to-be has conceived a third child — a little over a week after learning she was pregnant with twins.
It’s a rare case of superfetation, when a separate egg is fertilized by sperm in the womb days or weeks after a pregnancy has already occurred.
The TikTok star known only as @TheBlondeBunny1 — something of a Britney Spears lookalike who entertains her more than 235,000 followers with belly-baring bump updates — is 17 weeks along with her “triplets.”
In one viral video, which had 5.2 million views as of Tuesday morning, the growing mama explains what’s going on inside her belly.
“We knew it was two separate pregnancies,” she said to the camera. “When you ovulate, you ovulate for 24 hours. And sperm can live in your body for up to three to five days. So our first two babies are 10 and 11 days older than our third baby.”
Her doctors wanted to confirm it was in fact superfetation and not twin absorption or a malnourished baby, so she’s been receiving ultrasounds every two weeks.
“Sure enough, it’s been hitting every single milestone like it’s supposed to, growing at a healthy rate, just 10 to 11 days behind the first two babies we have,” she said.
In 2016, Self reported that superfetation is so rare that “there are only a handful of documented cases.” The next year, The Post told the story of a surrogate mother who thought she was carrying identical twin boys — when in fact superfetation had caused her to conceive her ownchild with her husband during the same cycle in which the intended parents’ embryo was transferred to her uterus.
“This happened to us because my hormones didn’t stop me from ovulating, I ovulated another time,” said @TheBlondeBunny1 in one TikTok clip. In another video, she explained that her mucus plug had yet to form, which allowed a second pregnancy to happen. She was not taking any fertility drugs at the time and does not have a bicornate uterus.
“We’re lucky enough that they’re close enough, they will all have the same due date, we just need to get the third baby past the 28-week mark, and hopefully carry them to 32, maybe even 35 [weeks],” she said.
In some cases, superfetation can occur months after the original pregnancy, according to multiple case studies.
Despite the surprise, the TikToker is excited to become a mom for the first time.
“We wanted to be parents, and God said, ‘Watch out what you ask for,’ and gave us three at once,” she said with a laugh. “Scared, excited, so many different emotions but I can’t wait for them to be here.”
via: https://nypost.com/2020/12/29/mom-to-be-conceives-a-third-baby-while-pregnant-with-twins/
Photo Credit: TheBlondeBunny1 / Tiktok
Charged with murder, stabbing? In NYC, you’re free to go
Criminal-justice “reform” in New York has turned our courts into a merry-go-round, with violent offenders free to jump off at will.
The latest outrage took place in The Bronx, where 16-year-old Jordon Benjamin allegedly stabbed Amya Hicks in mid-December. Arrested a few days later, he was charged with felony assault and assorted lesser charges. Amya Hicks needed surgery and spent several days in the hospital. Benjamin was less inconvenienced: He only spent a few hours in a holding cell before being released on his recognizance, without having to post bail.
It’s bad enough that an alleged knife-wielding thug who slashes neighborhood women got to gallivant out of jail. But the story becomes downright enraging when we learn that Benjamin was already facing manslaughter charges — and the same judge let him out twice.
On Christmas Eve 2019, young Benjamin and some of his mates allegedly took time out from their holiday festivities to assault Juan Fresnada, a 60-year-old Bronx man. They stomped on him and brained him with a garbage can. Fresnada died, and Benjamin and his crew got away with $1.
In his brief career, Benjamin is already the beneficiary of multiple aspects of New York state’s criminal-justice “reform” measures, which our progressive leaders and professional activist class have hailed as “monumental” steps to “create a fairer and more humane” system, in the words of Mayor de Blasio.
Benjamin was originally held in a youth correctional facility until he was released in March because of the pandemic. This was part of a massive drawdown in the city’s jail population, which dovetailed with the push to free as many inmates as possible in expectation of closing Rikers Island.
“The number of New Yorkers held in NYC jails has plummeted, shrinking by 27 percent in 10 weeks, a steeper population decline than in all of last year,” boasted the mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice in May. “The jail population is at a number not seen since 1946.”
This would be fantastic news — if the decline in the inmate population was a function of a lower crime rate. But when it’s artificially imposed, it’s hardly cause for celebration. And while it may make sense to let certain nonviolent, older prisoners out of jail for health concerns, there is no evidence that teenagers like Benjamin, being held at juvenile correction facilities, are especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
The extent to which the mass release of juvenile prisoners in March was a political decision, and not driven by “the science,” can be seen by the fact that as violence spiked throughout the spring, the city hesitated to release teenagers arrested for serious crimes. After balancing their low medical vulnerability against public-safety concerns, the number of detained youth rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by May.
This means that letting an alleged violent offender like Benjamin out in March was a big mistake, and one that the city quickly stopped making as shootings and stabbings spiked rapidly.
One would think that after allegedly committing another vicious assault this month, Benjamin would have at least been locked up. But Bronx County Supreme Court Acting Justice Denis Boyle decided to let him go, though he now faces separate charges of manslaughter and felony assault.
Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the state Office of Court Administration, defended Boyle’s move, stating, “Judges follow the law, and the law clearly states that the least restrictive alternative should be the preeminent driver in bail consideration.”
The law Chalfen references is the infamous state bail “reform,” which eliminated cash bail for most non-violent offenses, which even de Blasio has cited as a contributing factor to the rise in violent crime. But the law doesn’t actually mandate “least-restrictive” alternatives for people accused of committing violent felonies, nor for individuals under probation or supervision or for “persistent offenders.”
But the current climate is permissive and encourages judges, cops and prosecutors to operate under the assumption that confinement is always the worst option. So they err in favor of criminals. Surely Jordon Benjamin is happier to be out of jail than in it while he awaits his trials for manslaughter and serious assault. Meanwhile, best of luck to the next person who has an unpleasant encounter with him.
Seth Barron is associate editor of City Journal. Twitter: @SethBarronNYC
via: https://nypost.com/2020/12/29/charged-with-murder-stabbing-in-nyc-youre-free-to-go/
Photo Credit: nypost.com
Israeli man reportedly dies of heart attack hours after getting COVID vaccine
A 75-year-old man was lucky enough to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Israel, only to die a few hours later from a heart attack that officials believe is unrelated to the shot.
The unidentified man got the Pfizer shot at 8:30 a.m. Monday, and within hours had lost consciousness and died at home in Beit She’an, the Jerusalem Post said.
Health Ministry director-general Chezy Levy has launched an investigation, but early findings suggest the vaccine was not connected to the death, the report stressed.
The dead man had a history of numerous pre-existing conditions, including cancer and heart problems, including earlier heart attacks, the Times of Israel said.
He also showed no signs of adverse reaction after being vaccinated, and was only allowed home following a period of observation when he said he felt fine, the reports said.
“We share in the grief of the family,” Levy said in a statement.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/12/29/israeli-man-dies-of-heart-attack-after-getting-covid-vaccine/
Photo Credit: AFP
Feds decline to charge cops in Tamir Rice case
The Justice Department announced Tuesday that it will not file any federal charges against two Cleveland cops in the controversial 2014 killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.
Officials said Tuesday that video footage of the incident was inconclusive and did not warrant federal charges against the two officers.
Rice was playing with a pellet gun near a recreation center when a man waiting at a nearby bus stop called 911 to report someone brandishing a firearm.
He told the dispatcher that the person was likely a minor and that the weapon was possibly a toy — but that information was never relayed to responding cops.
Officer Timothy Loehmann, who came to the scene with partner Frank Garmback, fatally shot Rice soon after their arrival.
Both men argued that they ordered Rice to show his hands and that he was drawing the apparent weapon before being shot.
The footage, the Justice Department said, did not confirm or disprove those assertions.
The boy’s slaying set off protests and fueled ongoing national tensions over the use of police force against minorities.
A state grand jury previously declined to charge Loehmann with a crime.
In order to bring fresh federal raps, the Justice Department would have had to determine that he purposefully broke the law rather than exercised poor judgement.
Loehmann was fired from his department in 2017 after investigators learned that he had lied about his job history.
In his application, Loehmann obscured the fact that he was allowed to resign after a six-month probationary period with another department instead of being fired.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/12/29/cops-in-tamir-rice-case-will-not-be-charged-by-feds/
Photo Credit: AP
A homeless man rescued all the animals at a shelter after it caught on fire
(CNN) — A homeless man risked his life to save several cats and dogs trapped at an Atlanta animal shelter after it caught fire, the facility’s founder said.
Keith Walker, 53, rushed into the W-Underdogs shelter on December 18 after a fire engulfed its kitchen.
“I was nervous as hell, I’m not going to lie. I was really scared to go in there with all that smoke. But God put me there to save those animals,” Walker told CNN. “If you love a dog, you can love anyone in the world. My dog is my best friend, and I wouldn’t be here without him, so I knew I had to save all those other dogs.”
While the shelter was not completely destroyed, the fire left it uninhabitable, according to W-Underdogs founder Gracie Hamlin.
Luckily, W-Underdogs was only a week away from moving into its new facility in Atlanta, where the animals now reside.
“He is my guardian angel,” Hamlin told CNN. “Even the firefighters didn’t want to handle the dogs. They called animal control, but Keith was already in the building pulling out the cats and dogs until they were all safe.”
Hamlin previously knew Walker, who has been homeless since he was 13 years old, because she lets him keep his dog, a pitbull named Bravo, at the shelter every night.
Walker was on his way to pick up Bravo and take him for a walk when he saw the fire. He was able to rescue all the animals — six dogs and 10 cats.
“I can’t thank him enough for saving my animals,” Hamlin said. “I’m still in disbelief, because I’ve been around a fire and I know how fast they flare up. He is my hero.”
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/a-homeless-man-rescued-all-the-animals-at-a-shelter-after-it-caught-on-fire/article_eb074d1c-8f1f-5b45-ad5c-1f13c960448b.html
Photo Credit: Grace Hamlin
190,000 ceiling fans recalled because the blades detach and fly off
(CNN) — More than 190,000 ceiling fans have been recalled because the fans’ blades can detach while in use.
King of Fans, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based company that makes the 54-inch Mara ceiling fans, announced the recall on Wednesday after receiving 47 reports of blades detaching, according to a statement from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The fans had been sold at nationwide Home Depot stores.
Two of those reports indicated a detached fan blade hit someone, the commission said. Four reports said a blade caused property damage.
King of Fans noted that not all of its Mara ceiling fans are being recalled. The CPSC said the recall applies to the company’s Mara ceiling fans with matte white, matte black, black and polished nickel finishes. The commission instructed consumers who have purchased these items to “immediately stop” using them.
“If consumers observe blade movement or uneven gaps between the blades and fan body or movement of the clip during inspection, consumers should immediately contact King of Fans for a free replacement ceiling fan,” the commission said.
King of Fans said the ceiling fan malfunctions were caused by “an isolated manufacturing defect with the assembly of the fan blade’s locking clip to the fan flywheel.”
“One of the two screws retaining the locking clip is not adequately secured to the flywheel,” the company said in a statement posted on its website. “If this occurs, the blade may detach from the fan during use, posing an injury hazard.”
The CPSC said the recalled ceiling fans cost about $150 and were sold exclusively at nationwide Home Depot stores and on the company’s website from April 2020 through October 2020.
Home Depot confirmed via email that it sold about 80,000 of the fans before the recall order was issued pulling them from stores. When it discovered the issue, the retailer said it “voluntarily recalled the product and stopped sales.”
“We’re committed to the safety and quality of our products,” a Home Depot spokesperson said via email.
via: https://www.kmov.com/news/190-000-ceiling-fans-recalled-because-the-blades-detach-and-fly-off/article_93ab81c2-e7f6-5320-9c2c-aa81724ad240.html
Photo Credit: From US Consumer Product Safety Commission
Dispute over dipping sauce leads to shooting of Wendy’s employee in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS — An argument over dipping sauce led to the shooting of a fast-food worker in St. Louis early Tuesday, authorities said.
The incident occurred at about 1 a.m. at a Wendy’s restaurant, KTVI reported.
According to police, the employee, a 31-year-old man, had been shot in the arm and torso, KSDK reported.
The victim told police he got into an argument with a customer in the drive-thru window, the television station reported. Workers told KTVI that the customer had asked for extra dipping sauce with his order, and when he did not receive it, he pulled up to the front of the store.
The employee told police he went outside to speak with the customer, but as he turned to go back inside the restaurant, the customer allegedly fired shots at him and left in a dark-colored Nissan, KSDK reported.
The victim was conscious and breathing when he was taken to the hospital, KMOV reported. Police did not release the man’s condition but said his vital signs were stable, the television station reported.
An investigation is ongoing.
via: https://www.boston25news.com/news/trending/dispute-over-dipping-sauce-leads-shooting-wendys-employee-st-louis/IVFJ5FGZMRE7LGSSFVP63CCS6E/
Photo Credit: www.boston25news.com
Indiana woman fatally shot herself while sitting in police car
A 32-year-old woman involved in a car crash in Indiana on Saturday morning fatally shot herself as she waited inside a police cruiser, authorities said.
Amanda Elbert, 32, was a passenger in a 2007 Chevrolet Impala that crashed into a utility pole in Grant County at about 8:15 a.m., according to a release from the Indiana State Police.
The driver of the car allegedly fled the scene on foot, police said.
As police were investigating, Elbert took up their offer to sit inside a police car in order to stay warm, the release said.
Once inside the vehicle, police say Elbert shot herself with a gun she had in her purse.
She was declared dead on scene.
Indiana State Police are investigating the woman’s death at the request of the Grant County Sheriff’s Department, which responded to the crash, along with officers from the Gas City Police Department and the Upland Police Department.
via: https://nypost.com/2020/12/21/indiana-woman-fatally-shot-herself-while-sitting-in-police-car/
Photo Credit: EPA