Tag: Indiana
Teen won’t survive after trying viral ‘choking game’: mom
A heartbroken mother in Indiana is preparing for the death of her teenage son after he was gravely injured while replicating a “choking game” that he saw on social media, she said Sunday.
Joann Jackson Bogard, of Evansville, said something went “horribly wrong” when her son, Mason, tried to temporarily asphyxiate himself late Wednesday after seeing the practice of self-strangulation or assisted strangulation online.
“The challenge is based on the idea that you choke yourself to the point of almost passing out and then stop,” Bogard wrote in a Facebook post Sunday. “It’s supposed to create a type of high. Unfortunately, it has taken the lives of many young people too early and it will take our precious Mason.”
Bogard thanked doctors at Deaconess Hospital for doing everything they could to save her son, who was critically injured. The family is now preparing to donate the teen’s organs, she said.
“While we are devastated that we will never experience so many things with Mason again, we are able to find some comfort in the fact that Mason will save the lives of others,” Bogard’s post continued. “He would have wanted it this way. He was an extremely generous young man.”
Bogard also warned other parents to monitor what their children view on social media, despite concerns that they may be a bit overprotective.
“Unfortunately, we will not have the opportunity to experience so many things with our child because of a stupid challenge on social media,” Bogard wrote.
Bogard could not be reached for comment Monday. In a subsequent post late Sunday, Bogard said Mason still had fluid in his lungs.
“Please pray that he continues to improve his lung function to give his recipient the best lungs possible,” the post read. “He has already surpassed expectations and is almost there. He is still showing us how strong he is!”
A message seeking comment from Evansville police was not immediately returned.
Eighty-two children between ages 6 and 19 died after playing the so-called choking game between 1995 and 2007, according to the Evansville Courier & Press, citing a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report with the agency’s most recent statistics.
Seventy-one of the victims were male and the average age was just over 13, according to the 2008 report, which noted that serious neurological injury or death can result if strangulation is prolonged.
The earliest known death due to the stunt took place in 1995, with three or fewer deaths following in each year between 1995 and 2004. A total of 22 deaths were recorded in 2005, followed by 35 fatalities in 2006, according to the CDC report.
And among the 42 deaths in which sufficient details were reported, 92 percent of the victim’s parents said they didn’t know about the choking game until their child died, the report found.
“Hug your children, tell them you love them,” Bogard’s initial post concluded. “Enjoy every moment and let the little issues go.”
via: https://nypost.com/2019/05/06/teen-wont-survive-after-trying-viral-choking-game-mom/
Photo Credit: nypost.com/facebook
Sleeping man wakes up to wife cheating and stabs lover
Charges were filed against an Indiana husband who says he stabbed another man after he woke up to him having sex with his wife.
Michael Neil, 29, was arrested early Monday at his Elwood apartment, where he allegedly busted his cheating spouse, news station WXIN reported.
Neil told police he woke up in the apartment and discovered his wife engaged in sex with a male lover.
He then allegedly grabbed a knife from the bedroom and stabbed the man multiple times.
Officers arrived at the scene around 12:30 a.m. to find the victim outside suffering from multiple stab wounds.
Police arrested a bloody Neil on a felony charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, WXIN reported.
He is being held without bond at Madison County Detention Center.
The stabbing is still under investigation, officials said.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/02/19/sleeping-man-wakes-up-to-wife-cheating-and-stabs-lover-cops/
Photo Credit: Michael Neil – Madison County Sheriff’s Office
Boy, 13, arrested after telling Siri he wanted to shoot up a school
An Indiana middle schooler was busted for telling Siri he planned to open fire on a school — prompting the digital assistant to suggest possible ones nearby, police said in reports Friday.
The unnamed 13-year-old boy is accused of telling Siri, “I am going to shoot up a school,” the Valparaiso Police Department told the Northwest Indiana Times.
The voice-activated iPhone assistant then responded with recommendations for several schools in the Valparaiso area — an interaction the boy posted in a screenshot on social media, police told the paper. One of the kid’s friends saw the post and quickly called cops, according to police.
The boy, who attends Chesterton Middle School, was being held at Porter County Juvenile Detention Center on intimidation charges Friday.
But cops don’t believe he posed a real danger because he made no specific threat on a person or place, officers told the paper, saying it was likely meant to be a joke.
“The threat is not believed to be credible at this time; however, these types of communications are taken very seriously by the Valparaiso Police Department and our community,” police said in a press release. “We continue to work with the Valparaiso Community Schools to ensure the safety of the students and staff.”
The incident remains under investigation, police said
via: https://nypost.com/2019/02/01/boy-13-arrested-after-telling-siri-he-wanted-to-shoot-up-a-school/
Boy calls 911 for help with his math homework — and gets it
She’s ready for any emergency — even a math meltdown!
A 911 dispatcher in Indiana sprang to the rescue when a boy called, frantically needing help with his mind-numbing math homework, according to NBC News.
“I had a really bad day, and, I just don’t know,” the unnamed kid told Antonia Bundy, who works for the Lafayette Police, on Jan. 14.
Instead of blowing him off, Bundy asked him how she could help.
“What happened at school that made you have a bad day?” she said, according to a tape of the call, cited by the station.
“I just have tons of homework,” he said. One of the math problems — which centered on fractions — was “so hard,” he said.
When the dispatcher walked him through how to solve it, he thanked her, and apologized.
“I’m sorry for calling you, but I really needed help,” the boy said.
Lafayette Police Sgt. Matt Gard later said it had been a slow day.
“[Dispatchers] do receive some oddball requests,” he said. “But this situation of calling asking for homework help — I’ve been in law enforcement for 13 years and I don’t know I’ve ever heard of this happening.” He called her a “dedicated” worker with a big heart.
The only minus? There are better places to call for help with math, he said.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/01/28/boy-calls-911-for-help-with-his-math-homework-and-gets-it/
photo credit: 911 dispatcher Antonia Bundy Facebook
School bus driver fired for letting kids take the wheel
A school bus driver in Indiana was fired after a shocking video emerged showing her let students get behind the wheel, according to reports.
Joandrea McAtee, 27, faces charges for allowing kids as young as 11 years old drive the bus as they dropped off students Thursday from a Porter Township school, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Porter County Sheriff’s Department said at least three students got a turn driving short distances in Lake Eliza.
“Welcome to Boone grove where we let 6th graders drive a bus with children on it,” a student posted to Twitter, along with a video of the alleged incident.
Authorities launched an investigation Thursday after a parent reported the bus driver to the school resource officer.
“The students and parents that immediately came forward with this information should be commended for doing exactly what we teach, which is see something, say something,” Sheriff David Reynolds said in a statement.
McAtee was arrested Friday when she visited the school bus barn to pick up her final paycheck. She was booked at Porter County Jail on charges for neglect of a dependent.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/09/24/school-bus-driver-fired-for-allegedly-letting-kids-take-the-wheel/
Animal shelter workers: We were forced to freeze kittens to death
Indiana cops are investigating a disturbing case of animal abuse, in which shelter workers allegedly euthanized kittens by freezing them alive.
Several ex-employees have come forward and claimed to have witnessed the cruel and inhumane procedure being performed at the Spencer County Animal Shelter on at least two different occasions.
One former worker named Bridgett Woodson spoke to local media outlets about the horrific things she saw during her three and a half months working at the shelter. She told reporters that she was asked to participate in the kitty killings twice — with the most recent case coming on July 31.
“The first time I was given an option to either just put it in a bag and put it in the freezer with no sedation, nothing — because I’m not a vet, I don’t have the license to be able to do that,” Woodson explained, speaking to WEHT.
“The second time I was not given the option, and I was just told to go ahead and put it in the freezer,” she said. “I mean, this cat was still up and moving and I had told her, and I still got the same response.”
Woodson reportedly refused “both times” to put the cats in the freezer and eventually took it upon herself to call the vet. She was allegedly ordered to carry out the killings by a Spencer County Animal Control Officer, the Courier & Press reports.
“I had to do something,” Woodson told the newspaper, noting how she quit her job and eventually got cops to investigate.
“I’m super concerned about the animals,” she said. “If this is deemed as acceptable and no one is held accountable, what else will start to slip through the cracks.”
Spencer County Sheriff’s Office Detective Chris King, who is handling the case, told WEHT that a number of witnesses have come forward since Woodson first accused the shelter of animal abuse. They claimed to have seen at least two freezer killings — one of which included the deaths of four kittens at once.
County officials expect the investigation to be taken over by the Indiana State Police due to conflict-of-interest reasons.
The animal control officer allegedly involved in the kitty deaths, identified by WEHT as Christina Payne, refused to answer requests for comment over the weekend. Woodson has been sharing text messages they exchanged about the alleged abuse with local media outlets.
“Hey. I took the cat to the vet and had it put down,” the ex-employee wrote in one text to Payne, according to the Courier.
“You can take the cost out of my pay check if that’s a problem,” she said. “I will not be putting live animals in the freezer if there’s another option available, please don’t ask me to do that again.”
In response, Payne wrote: “That’s fine but so you know, the freezer option is no less humane. It’s fine though Bridge. I’m here for my employees. Always.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals considers the “slow chilling or freezing of unanesthetized animals” an unacceptable and inhumane method of euthanasia. It’s unclear when the investigation will be complete, but state police officials told the Courier that they expect to have an update in the coming days.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/08/13/animal-shelter-workers-we-were-forced-to-freeze-kittens-to-death/
Teen accused of killing dad who teased her for being fat
An 18-year-old woman from Indiana is accused of brutally killing her dad who teased her for being fat.
Ameera Stokes reportedly called 911 early Sunday to confess that she murdered her father, Donald Stokes, while visiting his home in Mt. Morris Township, Michigan, according to news station WJRT.
Police said the pair was fighting over “life issues” when the teen attacked her dad with a hammer then stabbed him, MLive.com reported.
Authorities arrived at the home to find the father’s body in the stairwell. He appeared to have suffered blunt force trauma, according to police.
The teen was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the Mother’s Day slaying. She is being held without bail.
Her mother, Gretchen Brasher, said she sent the teen to live with her dad as a child. However, the 18-year-old’s relationship with her father was fraught.
“He was very verbally abusive,” Brasher told news station WJRT. “She had a belly, so he would tease her about being fat.”
via: https://nypost.com/2018/05/18/teen-accused-of-killing-dad-who-teased-her-for-being-fat/
Police probe 1-year-old boy’s apparent beating at day care
INDIANAPOLIS — A 1-year-old Indianapolis boy was apparently attacked at a day care center, leaving his lips, eyes and face horribly swollen and sparking a police investigation.
The boy’s mother, Tiffany Griffin, said she was summoned to the day care Monday afternoon a few hours after dropping her two sons off there and was so outraged by her younger son Jesse’s scratched and bloody face that she punched a day care worker.
Griffin told WXIN-TV that her son was hospitalized for his injuries.
Indianapolis police spokesman Officer Aaron Hamer said Tuesday that detectives are investigating, but that no arrest has been made.
The owner of the Kiddiegarden day care, Haben Ghebremichael, told The Associated Press that a 2-year-old girl had attacked Griffin’s son and that girl had blood on her hands afterwards. While it’s not uncommon for that girl to act out, she said Tuesday that, “the extent of the injuries just blows our minds.”
Ghebremichael said a worker at the day care separated the two children during Monday’s attack but the boy had already been injured by that time. She said her business began receiving harassing phone calls following news reports of the boy’s injury and was closed Tuesday. She said she wasn’t sure when it will reopen.
Ghebremichael said in a prepared statement that her business has never faced any allegations of abuse or maltreatment and it is cooperating fully with police, child protective services and state agencies. “This was truly a sad, shocking and unfortunate event,” she said in an emailed statement. “Our hearts go out to Jesse and his family and are praying for his well-being.”
Kiddiegarden is a licensed day care and was last inspected in October 2017, WXIN-TV reported.
Griffin said she doesn’t believe the 2-year-old girl attacked her son, saying that child “was small and she didn’t look like she was the violent type.”
She said that when she showed a photo of her son’s swollen face to the girl’s mother, that woman “started crying and said her baby wouldn’t do anything like that.”
Griffin said she isn’t sure if she can ever leave her children in someone else’s care again.
“I couldn’t protect him and I was trying to do what’s best for my kids like going to the doctor, taking care of my health and going to school,” she said.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/05/01/police-probe-1-year-old-boys-apparent-beating-at-day-care/
An IN mother accused of leaving her three young children in a burning apartment
A Gary mother accused of leaving her three young children in a burning apartment was denied bond in a court appearance Wednesday morning. Two of the children died in the fire on Sunday.
According to court documents, 33-year-old Kristen Gober’s oldest son, 6-year-old Justen, said the fire started after he and his 4-year-old half-brother, Kristopher, put a blanket on the stove. Justen told police all three kids hid under a blanket before he ran away leaving Kristopher and 2-year-old Kailani alone in the apartment.
Police said their mother left the kids by themselves the night before to be with her boyfriend. She is now charged with three counts of neglect and one count of possession of marijuana
Just last week, Christopher Hardin was in court fighting for full custody of his son, Kris, who did not survive.
“It broke me apart to know that my son was actually calling out for help and she refused to do it,” Hardin said. “I felt like I failed him as a father, because I tried to do it the right way by going through the system and the system failed me and I failed him and it’s tearing me apart every day.”
The father shared his son’s last words with ABC7 Eyewitness News.
“The last words he told was, ‘Daddy I want to come, can I come with you? Daddy I come with you?'”
The court document also revealed that Gober told police she went back to apartment to try to save her children. She said she heard the kids, but the flames kept her back so she left.
Gober was found at a McDonald’s down the street. She said she never asked for firefighter’s help. Instead she told police that she thought it was a lost cause. Gober claims she was doing laundry.
This was the same fire where an 8-year-old boy jumped from his burning fourth floor apartment, ultimately saving his own life.
The fire displaced more than 100 people in the 5800-block of Forest Court.
The Gary Police Department asks that anyone with additional information contact the Lake County/Gary metro Homicide Unit at 219-755-3855 or the Crime Tip Line at 866-CRIME-GP (274-6347).
via: http://abc7chicago.com/mother-charged-after-fatal-gary-fire-denied-bond/3272582/
Indiana Teacher Arrested After Alleged Drug Use in Classroom Caught on Video, Reported by Students
A high school teacher in St. John, Indiana, was arrested Wednesday after students allegedly observed her doing drugs in an empty classroom and reported the incident to campus administrators, police said.
One student recorded the alleged act with a cellphone camera from a window looking into the locked classroom at Lake Central High School around 10:30 a.m., according to KTLA sister station WGN in Chicago.
“She’s in the corner, hiding with a chair and a book and what appears to be cocaine, putting it into lines,” junior Will Rogers told the station.
At first, he wasn’t sure what he had seen.
“I actually watched the footage, again and again, and I just realized that my English teacher just did cocaine,” Rogers said.
The video quickly circulated among the approximately 3,400 students at the school, according to WGN.
Students reported the incident to school administrators, who notified police about 11:30 a.m., according to a St. John Police Department news release.
As a result of the investigation, 24-year-old Samantha Cox was arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance, a felony, and possessing drug paraphernalia, which is a misdemeanor, the release stated.
Cox was described as a popular English teacher who was in her second year at Lake Central High, students said.
She was led out of the school in handcuffs, WGN reported.
Police praised the students for “very quickly” bringing the information to school administrators.
“Their actions showed a tremendous amount of fortitude and integrity and enabled staff to address this situation promptly,” the release stated.
Authorities are still investigating.