Apartment Manager Indicted For Stealing Rent Payments From Tenants
ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – An area property manager was charged for allegedly stealing rent money from hundreds of tenants, keeping it for herself, and then sending those tenants eviction notices for not paying up.
A federal grand jury has indicted 32-year-old Jasmine Outlaw for fraud.
She’s the former assistant property manager at Lucas Hunt Village Apartments in north St. Louis.
Federal court documents show she started her scheme in 2014. Outlaw “requested tenants of Lucas Hunt to submit all rent payments to her and to make all money orders payable to her.” She’d then deposit the money orders into her personal bank and use the money for her own personal benefit “and proceed to evict tenants from Lucas Hunt while knowing she had actually stolen these tenants rent payments and that these tenants had indeed paid their rent in full and in a timely manner.”
At the schemes peak in 2016, the apartments filed 355 cases against tenants for not paying rent. That’s compared to 89 cases in 2013, the year before the scheme began.
Outlaw has not been yet been arraigned.
Fox 2 News discovered Outlaw was sued in the City of St. Louis last year for not paying her own rent. Rent-A-Center also sued her in 2015 for not paying for her leased furniture.
via: http://fox2now.com/2017/03/17/apartment-manager-indicted-for-stealing-rent-payments-from-tenants/
St. Louis boy, 12, shot to death while playing with gun; parents charged with involuntary manslaughter
ST. LOUIS • The parents of a 12-year-old boy who was shot to death while home alone with his younger brother were charged Wednesday with involuntary manslaughter.
Damian Holmes, 12, and his brother, 9, were left home alone Tuesday night in the 3300 block of Michigan Avenue when they found a gun and started playing with it, police said.
A round struck Damian in the head about 10:35 p.m; police are not saying who fired the shot.
The boys’ father came home and took the 12-year-old to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Donnie L. Holmes, 41, was charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and four counts of marijuana possession.
The probable cause statement said Holmes and his wife, Yolanda Jackson, had left the boys home alone. A handgun and shotgun both were in the house, along with ammunition for both. The handgun was not secured, and the boys got to it.
Lab tests of substances that officers found in the house showed the presence of drugs, including amphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.
Donnie Holmes has previous convictions for drug possession in 1993, drug dealing in 1996 and failure to pay child support in 2009.
Jackson, 40, was charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child endangerment.
A neighbor, Brenda Harger, 62, said the boys were often left alone.
“Most of the time they are there by themselves,” she said. “The mother would leave for work, and the dad would leave after she left.”
Damian was a sixth-grade student at Monroe Elementary School in St. Louis. A spokesperson for the district said a crisis response team was at the school Wednesday for students and staff.
“A couple of weeks ago they helped me clean up the alley,” Harger said of the boys. “I gave them a pack of cookies. They were sweet little boys.”
This is the second fatal shooting of a child who was playing with a gun in just more than a month in St. Louis.
On Feb. 13, Mi’Kenzie Bostic, 6, was shot and killed by one of her three siblings in their apartment in Walnut Park West while her parents slept in the next room. Mi’Kenzie’s parents were later charged with involuntary manslaughter.
4-Month-Old Baby Stabbed In Chest by Mother With Scissors at South L.A. Home
A 4-month-old baby was stabbed with a pair of scissors by her mother at a home in South Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department reported.
Officers were called to a home in the 2100 block of Park Grove Avenue around 3:30 p.m. where they found the baby suffering from one stab wound to the chest. LAPD Sgt. Eduardo Mercado told KTLA the baby’s father was at the home at the time of the stabbing and called police.
He was not injured, Mercado said.
The baby was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, according to Mercado.
The mother was taken into custody at the home and was being interviewed by detectives.
The motive for the stabbing was not immediately released.
Custodian accused of unlawful videotaping at Crest Hill school
A school custodian at Chaney Monge School in southwest suburban Crest Hill is charged with unlawful videotaping and being held on $25,000 bond, police said Tuesday.
Some parents expressed shock and anger after learning of the arrest from school administrators, who called parents and posted a message on the school’s website.
Ryan Thompson, 27, has been charged with one count of unauthorized videotaping, which is a felony.
Chaney-Monge is a combined elementary and middle school. In court, prosecutors said Thompson used his phone to videotape eight grade girls in a locker room from under the door of a supply closet. Police said they have discovered video of only one incident but they are investigating Thompson’s other electronic devices.
“It’s currently under investigation. We’re going to keep looking and searching electronic media to find any more images, if there is any more images, or any further criminal activity,” said Interim Chief Ed Clark, Crest Hill Police Department.
Investigators have declined to say in detail what the images show and how the images came to light. But they say they were taken between February 1 and March 11.
“We’ve been in contact with the administration from Chaney Monge, and they’re working hand and hand with families to make sure that the children are still safe. We’ll continue to work with them. This case will continue to be under investigation. There is a lot of work to be done,” Clark said.
“The school district has to do a better job in sifting through who should be working at the public schools with these kids,” said parent Erick Rice.
The district superintendent in a statement said: “…we are cooperating with the police in every way possible. Please be assured that the safety and security of our students is and always has been our top priority.”
School officials say Thompson has been removed from the district.
via: http://abc7chicago.com/news/custodian-accused-of-unlawful-videotaping-at-crest-hill-school/1800691/
Mother abandons 2 year old child after paying for groceries at a Riverside Food 4 Less
Riverside police are searching for a woman who they say intentionally abandoned her child at a Food 4 Less.
Authorities said around 5:55 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to the grocery store in the 4200 block of Van Buren Boulevard over reports of a child found. Investigators determined the mother had abandoned her 2-year-old daughter in the store.
In surveillance footage, the woman is shown entering the store with the child by her side. While inside, the toddler wanders off and the mother never looks for her.
The woman continues shopping and at one point, a Good Samaritan brings her the little girl. Authorities said the Good Samaritan was told to “just leave her.” The mother eventually abandons the little girl after paying for groceries, police said.
Police believe the mother intentionally left her child in the store. The young girl was able to identify her mother in surveillance footage, police said.
As of Monday evening, police said the little girl has not been reported missing and has been placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.
The mother is described as being between 20 and 30 years old, with dark hair. She may have tattoos covering portions of her right arm. She was last seen wearing a black or dark tank top and denim shorts.
Anyone with more information on the mother’s identity is urged to call Detective Paul Miranda at (951) 353-7945.
via: http://abc7.com/news/mom-abandons-toddler-at-riverside-food-4-less-police-say/1799416/
O.C. Restaurant Manager Beaten Unconscious After He Refused to Give 2 Men Free Pizza, Friend Says
The Huntington Beach Police Department confirmed two men were booked into jail in connection with the assault, which left the man unconscious and with a serious head injury.
Officers located the victim in the 300 block of Pacific Coast Highway just before 1 a.m. Sunday after being contacted about a fight in the area, according to a police news release.
The victim, a 33-year-old man who managed Thunder Burgrz Pizza at 126 Main St., suffered a serious head injury and was rushed to a local hospital, the release stated.
His condition was not immediately known, but a friend told KTLA he had been placed in a medically induced coma. The friend, who wanted to remain anonymous, identified the restaurant manager only as Garret.
Two men who were detained at the scene were booked into city jail after police interviewed them and other witnesses in the case, according to the release.
Bryce Anthony Mezich, 21, of Anaheim, was booked into on suspicion of assault with serious bodily injury — a felony — and fighting in public; Austin Wright Callan, 22, of Anaheim, was booked on suspicion of fighting in public, the release stated.
Police would not confirm how the fight started, but the friend — who witnessed the incident — said it began when two men demanded free pizza, which Garret refused to give them. The friend said when the victim left the restaurant later, the pair jumped Garret and beat him unconscious.
A GoFundMe has been set up to pay for the victim’s medical bill and rehab.
“Garret’s just kind of that downtown Huntington Beach staple. He’s always down here, he’s always cheery, running around, saying ‘hi’ to everybody. High energy, super nice guy,” the friend said. “The fact that these guys did this, utter disrespect. I’m just glad we got them.”
The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call Huntington Beach police at 714-536-5951.
Mother Beats Man When He Allegedly Pulls Toddler’s Diaper Down, Tries to Sodomize Her at Missouri Playground
A Missouri man is in custody and faces multiple charges after he allegedly assaulted a 2-year-old girl at a playground in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday.
William L. Bates Jr., 24, of Kansas City, is charged with first-degree attempted sodomy, and attempted statutory sodomy with a person less than 12 years old, according to KTLA sister station WDAF.
A 2-year-old girl was playing on a swing at Kemp Playground near Ninth and Harrison streets when Bates began “eyeballing” her children, the girl’s mother told police. The mother said Bates then walked up behind the girl and snatched her off the swing before grabbing the toddler by the hips and pulling her diaper down.
The mother said she saw Bates lift his shirt, take his pants down and begin thrusting against her daughter. Police said the girl’s mother ran at Bates and knocked him to the ground, pummeling him with her fists while he was down.
Bates eventually managed to get away and run from the park, but the child’s mother ran to reStart, a nearby homeless shelter, and called police.
Officers arrested Bates near the playground, and found he was carrying marijuana and an unidentified white vile of fluid with a chemical odor, according to the arrest report.
The mother later identified Bates from a police photo as the attacker.
At the Jackson County Detention Center, Bates told police he had gotten a cigarette from someone near the park and doesn’t remember anything of the incident until he awoke inside a fenced in area and was taken into custody by police.
Bates’s bond is set at $150,000 cash only. He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Mother admits poisoning and burning nine-year-old daughter to death
A Canadian woman who murdered her nine-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 18 years.
Laura Coward confessed to the second degree murder of Amber Lucius in a Calgary court last month.
A jury heard how she said she was taking the child stargazing following a bitter divorce from the girl’s father in which he won full custody. She then drove Amber to a remote Alberta location 60 miles north of Calgary, drugged her with sleeping pills and set fire to her car with her daughter inside.
A postmortem found Amber died of a combination of hypothermia, smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Coward was arrested two days after her daughter was reported missing, in August 2014, when she was found by police standing outside the burnt-out SUV, with Amber’s body still inside.
The 50-year-old had placed a handwritten note on the outside of the car’s driver-side door which read: “Help me. It was an accident. Locked keys in.”
Justice Scott Brooker sentenced Coward to life in prison on Friday, saying her punishment must “reflect society’s disgust and outrage”.
The judge said it was “the ultimate betrayal for Ms Coward to kill her own daughter”.
He described the killing as “vile, random and senseless” and said it appeared Coward did it “to get back at” her former husband, Duane Lucius.
However Mr Brooker said despite the severity of her crime, Coward deserved credit for pleading guilty to the murder and for appearing to demonstrate remorse.
The court had earlier heard that Coward, who had custody of Amber for the weekend only, gave her a toxic but non-lethal dose of a prescription sleeping medication. She mistakenly thought Amber was dead and filled the truck – while Amber was unconscious inside – with paper and plastic bags before setting it on fire with a propane torch and closing the door.
At her sentencing hearing last week, Coward begged the girl’s father and her own family and friends to forgive her.
“I want to say to the father, my family, friends that I’m responsible for my choices and I beg for their forgiveness and I plead for your mercy,” she told Mr Brooker.
Mr Lucius read a victim impact statement at that hearing saying he would never forgive Coward for the pain she has caused.
Fighting back tears, he said: “Since the moment Amber was born, she was the light of my life.
“She was energetic, talkative and full of joy. I will never get to watch my daughter grow up, but I know she would have done great in life.
“No sentence will do justice for what has happened to Amber. As a father, I have had to bury my child and nothing will bring her back. I can only hope that other children are not being used as bargaining chips in a divorce or used to hurt the other parent.
“Amber was my life and I will miss her every day until my end. I will never forget her.”
Coward’s life sentence was automatic following her confession, but the court was asked to decide how long she had to serve before being eligible for parole.
The Crown was asking for 20 years in custody before Coward could apply for parole, while the defense suggested 10 to 12 years would be sufficient.
via: https://www.yahoo.com/news/mother-admits-poisoning-burning-nine-153046767.html
Elfen’s Neo-Soul Hip-Hop Album pick of the week Gas-Lab Fusion
Gas-Lab Fusion Release date March 8th 2017
Hey my Neosoul Hip hopheads have I got an album with some hip hop jazz beats and some dope featuring artists that will have you listening for days. I bring to you producer beat maker Gas-Lab who has come out with his 5th album Fusion. All 13 tracks are jazz hip hop fused with Latin-Spanish speaking lyrics that blows your mind, spirit and soul. My favorite joint is Chemistry. You can find this album on iTunes and Bandcamp. TURN IT UP!! ((d^-^b))
Bandcamp https://gas-lab.bandcamp.com/
Texas man arrested for allegedly ‘having sex with a fence’
They had an emotional link.
Giving new meaning to the term “hopping the fence,” a resident of Austin, Texas, was arrested after his neighbor claims she saw him making love to the chain link fence that separates their two properties.
According to the Smoking Gun, Diana Vazquez spotted Eliodoro Estala begin the chain link courtship by urinating on the fence late Wednesday morning.
Vazquez then began recording Estala as he started yard-working it by taking off his clothes.
Proving that chivalry isn’t dead, the 32-year-old North Austin man “put his mouth inside the chain link fence and stuck his tongue out, moving it up and down,” the police report states.
Finally, Vazquez told authorities that she saw her neighbor “stick his erected penis into the chain link fence” and then began to “have sex with the fence.”
Police arrived to find Estala coming out of his apartment, apparently intoxicated.
He maintained he had been inside his home during the alleged link-loving, but police were able to identify him on the video shot by Vazquez.
“Due to the glare and shadows of the house, I was unable to see the penis on the video on her small cell phone,” the officer noted.
Charged with indecent exposure, he has been set free on a personal recognizance bond.
via: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/texas-man-arrested-allegedly-sex-fence-article-1.2991903