Murrieta Couple Charged With Torture, Child Abuse; 5-Year-Old Boy Is Comatose, in Grave Condition: DA
A Murrieta couple have been charged with child abuse and torture after a 5-year-old boy was hospitalized with severe injuries and is now comatose, authorities announced Thursday.
Benjamin Matthew Whitten, the boy’s biological father and a U.S. Navy sailor, and his live-in girlfriend Jeryn Christine Johnson appeared for arraignment in Murrieta on Thursday afternoon, but the hearing was postponed, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.
The couple were arrested Tuesday, about 10 hours after Johnson called 911 to report the child being in medical distress, police said Wednesday.
Police officers found the unidentified boy frail and extremely malnourished, a Murrieta Police Department lieutenant said. He had “severe injuries requiring immediate medical” care, the DA’s office said.
A neighbor said she saw paramedics doing chest compressions on the child.
The boy was taken by ambulance to an area hospital and then airlifted to another hospital in San Diego County. He remains in grave condition Thursday, according to the DA’s office.
Dozens came out for a vigil outside the family’s home early Wednesday’s evening. Neighbors said they didn’t see the family outside very often, though the father was sometimes heard yelling at the boy.
Whitten, 33, and Johnson, 25, were charged Thursday with one count of torture, and one count of child abuse with an allegation of causing the child to become comatose.
At Thursday afternoon’s appearance, their arraignment was posted until Aug. 24 and the judge kept their bail at $1 million each. A public defender was appointed for Whitten and a defense attorney will be appointed to represent Johnson because the public defender’s office said it cannot represent two defendants in the same case, a DA’s spokesman said.
After getting a warrant, investigators searched the couple’s home in the 24000 block of Verdun Lane, where police said they found “extremely unsanitary” conditions. Eleven dogs, four cats and two fish were taken from the home.
Administration code enforcement violations have occurred at the home, but no emergency calls were made after the family moved there in April 2016, police said.
Whitten serves as a machinist’s mate nuclear first class stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Detachment in San Diego, the U.S. Navy confirmed. Whitten enlisted in 2009, with his home state listed as Texas, and he was stationed on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier from 2011 to February 2016, naval records show.
Police Warn of Increase in Crimes Involving Paintball Guns; Public’s Help Sought ID’ing Perpetrators
Police are asking for the public’s help in providing information on individuals who may be behind a recent increase in crimes involving paintball guns in South Los Angeles.
Compressed-air guns normally reserved for use at a recreational paintball range are increasingly being used in robberies, aggravated assaults and vandalism, Los Angeles Police Capt. Lee Sands said in a Friday press conference.
So far this year in the area policed by LAPD’s South Bureau, 68 people have been assaulted in attacks involving paintball guns, Sand said. That number represents an increase of 183 percent over last year, when only 24 people had been involved in such attacks between January and August.
That compares with 33 people shot with pellet guns this year citywide, according to LAPD.
Sands believes the increased use of paintball guns is tied to an overall rise in the popularity of recreational paintball.
“When paintball guns are taken out of those venues, and brought to the streets of the city and used to commit crimes, this is when a problem occurs,” he said.
Officials cited an incident involving 9-year-old Aron Marrujo, who was playing football with about 15 other kids outside a home where a family party was being held when someone drove by and fired several rounds from a paintball gun.
Marrujo was struck in the face, just above his eyeball, police said. His 16-year-old cousin was also struck after he dove in front of Marrujo to block the paint-filled pellets, thinking at the time that they were real bullets, his family said.
“Many of you know that paintballs travel at 300 feet per second and Aron is very lucky that the paintball did not hit his eye,” Sands said. “He could have been very seriously injured as a result of that.”
Aron has slight autism and was already afraid of being outside, his mother said.
Four people were arrested following the incident, three of whom are juveniles, and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, according to LAPD Detective Arnold Castellanos.
Two other recent arrests involving paintball guns being fired from cars were made along Figueroa Street, said LAPD South Bureau Chief Phil Tingirides. In one of the cases, the gun resembled an assault rifle, he said.
“We’re highly concerned that we’re going to end up with an officer-involved shooting of somebody who does not have a firearm but yet a paintball gun,” Tingirides said. “When you see the weapons, they look very real. When you hear them…they sound very much like a bullet.”
Officials emphasized that charges will be pursued in such cases, despite compressed-air guns being considered less dangerous than actual firearms. Charges would be based on the amount of bodily harm inflict and could be felony charges, Tingirides said.
Girl found ‘brutally murdered’ at home after texting mother about someone knocking at door
A 12-year-old girl was “brutally murdered” in her house after texting her mother to tell her there was someone knocking at the door.
Yhoana Arteaga was found bludgeoned to death in her family’s mobile home with her clothing “in disarray”, police said.
Detectives believe the killer may have been known to the girl, who was on crutches after being injured roller-skating the previous day, but they have few leads.
There was no evidence of forced entry to the trailer in Nashville, Tennessee.
“This is a horrible, brutal thing. I’ve never seen anything this brutal in my entire career,” said Sergeant David Kautzman, of Nashville Police Department.
Yhoana was last seen by her mother at 12.30pm on August 10. She was left at home alone and sent a text at 5.30pm saying someone was at the door.
She was found dead when her mother returned home from work with two of her other children at 6.45pm.
The girl had suffered blunt force trauma to her body, police spokesman Don Aaron told a press conference. She had not been shot or stabbed.
Despite police appeals investigators said they have “very limited” information to follow up, reported news channel WKRN.
“She was brutally murdered, and if anyone has any information whatsoever that could help in this investigation, please contact us,” Mr Aaron said.
“We believe there are persons in this community who have knowledge of a person who may be responsible for this.
“Please, for the family’s sake, for the sake of this 12-year-old deceased girl, let us know.”
He said the absence of signs of forced entry “would seem to indicate she would know the person responsible”.
“We haven’t confirmed that yet, but it’s a good possibility,” the spokesman added.
Officers have been questioning neighbours about any suspicious activity in the area. A detective said police had some persons of interest but declined to elaborate.
Yhoana’s school, Liberty Collegiate Academy, paid tribute to the “treasured” seventh-grade pupil.
“Our hearts are broken as we mourn the loss,” the school said on Facebook.
“Our thoughts are with Yhoana’s family during this incredibly difficult time. Grief counsellors will be on site at Liberty next week to support teachers and students. We love you, Yhoana.”
via: https://www.yahoo.com/news/girl-found-apos-brutally-murdered-144049612.html
White supremacist cries on camera as he describes ‘terror’ over arrest warrant
“Sips white tears”
A white supremacist who helped organise the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has appeared on camera crying as he describes his fear of arrest.
Chris Cantwell, a racist who previously claimed he and others would “f***ing kill” anti-fascist demonstrators for interfering with their right to express their views, sobs uncontrollably in the clip.
He claims to be the subject of an arrest warrant, and says he is “terrified” of the prospect of being detained.
READ MORE……https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-supremacist-cries-camera-describes-120333153.html
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Netflix Co-Founder’s Crazy Plan: Pay $10 a Month, Go to the Movies All You Want
SOME of us 20th century folks never thought it possible to watch movies or tv shows on our computers and before that we never thought about being able to watch movies at home. So would you pay for this going to the movie service? You would have to get dressed and jump in your car, take a bus a train to get to the movie theater. NAW THIS AIN’T GONNA WORK!
As movie theaters struggle with tepid sales, Mitch Lowe has an extreme proposal for how to get more people into seats: Let them come to all the showings they want for about the price of a single ticket each month.
Lowe, an early Netflix Inc. executive who now runs a startup called MoviePass, plans to drop the price of the company’s movie ticket subscriptions on Tuesday to $9.95. The fee will let customers get in to one showing every day at any theater in the U.S. that accepts debit cards. MoviePass will pay theaters the full price of each ticket used by subscribers, excluding 3D or Imax screens.
More from Bloomberg.com…..
READ MORE…
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/netflix-co-founder-crazy-plan-100506677.html
Son arrested after allegedly strangling mother in Orange CA, police say
A man was arrested Monday afternoon after he called 911 and said he had strangled his mother during a domestic dispute, authorities said.
The call was made at 2:45 p.m., prompting officers to respond to the 5800 block of Ridgemont Court, where they found the suspect’s mother dead, according to a news release from the Orange Police Department.
The son was taken into custody at the scene, the statement said. Police homicide detectives assumed the investigation.
The names and ages of the victim and suspect were not immediately released.
via: http://abc7.com/son-arrested-after-allegedly-strangling-mother-in-orange/2308131/
Houston TX Hours-old baby found covered in ants
Good Samaritans discovered a newborn baby in the bushes early Thursday at an apartment complex in northwest Harris County.
“Bro…that’s crazy. Somebody left their baby out here…you gotta call 911, bro,” John Baldwin said as he recorded the moments after the discovery:He was among two men walking to work around 5 a.m. at the complex off Red Oak Drive.
“It’s like they just left the baby out there like it was trash,” said Baldwin.
Another passerby first heard the baby’s muffled cries.
“I heard like a baby, like a cat cry, like, meow…”, said eyewitness Albert Peterson. He said he yelled for his wife to call 911 as he ran to find something to get the baby warm and clean.
He told Eyewitness News the newborn was covered in afterbirth and insects. “I saw ants and stuff all over. I picked her up, cleaned her off, put her in a sheet and took her in my house,” he said.
Authorities said the newborn was less than an hour old, full-term and healthy with the umbilical cord still attached. Investigators were able to track down the woman they believe to be the mother at a nearby apartment.
Detectives said if it were not for the Good Samaritans, the baby girl might not have survived.
“I just did my job. That’s what God wanted me to do,” said Baldwin.
The mother has been detained and is undergoing a psychological and medical evaluation. As things stand, no one has been arrested or charged, though the investigation is still underway.
Child Protective Services said they will try to place the infant with a relative or close family friend, at least temporarily. If none can be found, the baby could eventually be placed up for adoption.
Child Protective Services will hold a hearing on Friday to request temporary custody of the baby.
There is a Texas law that allows new parents, under certain conditions, to give up their child. The Safe Haven or Baby Moses law gives parents who are unable to care for their child the right to leave the child somewhere like a fire station or hospital without prosecution.
Anybody who would like to offer assistance should visit adoptchildren.orgor call Marty Votaw at 832-454-4163.
via: http://abc7chicago.com/hours-old-baby-found-covered-in-ants/2293111/
Bullies Leave Plank of Wood Nailed to 9-Year-Old Boy’s Head in England
A mother in England says a group of bullies threw a wooden plank with a nail in it at her son, who has autism.
According to the Daily Mail, as 9-year-old Romeo Smith was trying to get away from the bullies, they threw the plank with a nail sticking out of it at him. The nail embedded in the back of the boy’s skull.
“As Romeo was walking away one of the lads came running up behind him and threw a bit of wood with a nail in it,” the boy’s father, Craig Smith, told the BBC. “I saw it just stuck there, in the back of his head, and then Romeo started screaming and running towards me.”
The boy was rushed to the hospital where doctors gave him morphine and removed the nail, that bent when it hit his skull, his mother said.
Doctors also gave Romeo antibiotics because the nail was dirty.
Remarkably, the 9-year-old appears to already be on his way to a full recovery, according to the Daily Mail. His mother, however, said she’s concerned about the long term effects of the attack on her son.
Nottinghamshire police continue to investigate, but said they may pursue “restorative justice” rather than criminal charges.
“In cases such as this, where genuine remorse is shown and there is an understanding of the consequences of their actions, we try to mediate between both parties to avoid progressing down the criminal justice route,” police said in a statement obtained by the BBC.
via: http://ktla.com/2017/08/11/bullies-leave-plank-of-wood-nailed-to-9-year-old-boys-head/
Girl severely burned by boiling water poured on her at sleepover
NEW YORK — An 11-year-old girl has been severely burned after another girl poured boiling water on her during a sleepover, police said.
Jamoneisha Merritt was at a sleepover at a friend’s home in the Bronx early Monday morning when the attack occurred, police said.
Police said a 12-year-old girl at the sleepover boiled water and then poured it on Merritt while she slept on a couch.
Merritt was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition. Authorities said the 11-year-old victim suffered second-degree burns to her face, shoulders, neck and chest.
Police said the 12-year-old girl who is accused in the attack has been charged with felony assault.
Merritt’s family is devasted. They said her burns are so bad, they are life-changing and doctors and family members don’t want the child to see herself yet.
Merritt’s cousin said she couldn’t spend too much time in the girl’s hospital room without crying.
“Her and her friend got into an argument and she told her if she go to sleep, they were going to do something to her,” Merritt’s cousin said. “She said she was screaming that she was burning.”
A so-called “hot water challenge” has been proliferating online, apparently pushing people to boil water and toss the scalding liquid on unsuspecting victims.
Last week, an 8-year-old girl in Florida died from her injuries five months after she drank boiling water through a straw on a dare.
via: http://pix11.com/2017/08/10/girl-severely-burned-after-boiling-water-poured-on-her-at-sleepover/
‘I have a rotting corpse inside of me’. ‘Pump Doctors’ offer cheap and dangerous injections
“Here I am walking and breathing, not knowing that I have a rotting corpse inside of me.”
For ten years, transgender woman Taliyah Cassadine got silicone injections once every other week. Despite crippling medical issues, she kept going back.
Cassadine says illegal silicone injections have become widely available in Atlanta. The so-called “pump doctors” offer a cheap and dangerous alternative to traditional plastic surgery.
It was a risk Cassadine was willing to take.
“I always felt like I had to be better in my looks. I didn’t think I could accomplish my goals if I didn’t look the part,” she said. She started getting the injections in her breasts, buttocks, and cheeks in 2004.
Despite near daily fevers, and almost losing her left leg, she kept going back.
“I was so used to feeling bad that it became normal,” she said.
She drove to Albany, Ga. weekly to get injections from Miesha Santiago, her “pump doctor”.
“I laid across her bed, and received the injections there.” There was no sanitation, no anesthesia, no aftercare. Santiago was no doctor.
While she was still a customer, Santigo went to prison for murder after another woman she injected died. Cassadine testified against her, and eventually stopped getting the injections.
Real doctors have been able to remove 90% of the silicone in her body, but it wasn’t pretty. The substance was clear when it went in, but was like black tar when it came out. Cassadine said doctors and nurses were gagging and had to leave the room during the removal procedures.
Even the high-profile trial wasn’t enough to stop a close friend and mentor, who died last week after getting silicone injections in Tampa.
“If she only knew there were people who thought she was perfect,” Cassadine said. “She was perfect to me.”
Cassidine started a Facebook group to speak out against the illegal practice, and she talks to people considering getting it done honestly. She contacts police every time she has information to help them track down an illegal ‘pump doctor’. Every time one is arrested, another one goes into business. She calls it an epidemic in Atlanta.
“I’ve gotten to the point of removing my shirt and showing people my scars,” she said. “Because people need to see the ugly side.”
She wants to see police crackdown on the practice, and for people to stop getting these illegal silicone injections.
“It’s time for people to stop dying to be beautiful,” she said.