Fugitive American child rapist  who escaped Arkansas prison on jet ski caught in West Virginia 

Samuel Hartman, 39, was nabbed at a Quality Inn in Lewisburg, West Virginia — covered in blood — on Tuesday afternoon

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A convicted child rapist who dramatically escaped an Arkansas prison on a jet ski has finally been captured a year later — along with the family members accused of opening fire to help him flee, the US Marshals Service said.

The fugitive inmate, Samuel Hartman, 39, was nabbed at a Quality Inn in Lewisburg with his wife, his mother and his mom’s boyfriend on Tuesday — a year after he escaped from the East Arkansas Regional Unit prison.

Hartman, who was serving a life sentence for raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter, had been on the lam ever since his wife and mom allegedly helped him flee while he was out on a work detail in a field near the detention facility, the Marshals Service said.

The two women — Misty Hartman, 39, and Linda Annette White, 61 — are accused of driving a pickup truck to the field on Aug. 12, 2022, and opening fire on a corrections officer as Hartman ran to get inside.

They then allegedly drove the vehicle to the nearby Mississippi River, where they’d planted two jet skis to help them escape, authorities said.

The jet skis were later found abandoned on the Mississippi side of the river and a witness reported seeing a man and two women riding them across the water, according to the agency.

Investigators later determined that the inmate’s mom had ties to West Virginia.

An image released by the feds Tuesday showed Hartman’s face covered in blood after he was finally apprehended.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the perp’s injuries.

Hartman’s mom’s boyfriend, Rodney Trent, 52, was also arrested at the hotel Tuesday afternoon, the Marshals Service said.

He faces felony charges for allegedly harboring a sex offender and for assisting the trio while on the run. The service didn’t elaborate on what charges Misty Hartman and White are facing.

The suspects are all expected to be extradited to Arkansas as soon as possible, an Arkansas Department of Corrections spokeswoman said.

Prior to his escape, Hartman had been in jail since December 2013 after being convicted on the child rape charges

 

Dirty old homosexual paedophile arrested for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old boy whom he followed into a public toilet 

Carlisle pensioner Michael Lamb, 74, denies sex assault on 13-year-old in public toilet

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A vile paedophile and dirty old gay who followed a 13-year-old boy into a toilet and sexually assaulted him has been jailed today.

Michael Lamb, 74, of Levens Drive in Carlisle was arrested following the incident, remanded and admitted the charge of sexual assault. He was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court today (Thursday 31 August) to 40 months in prison and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The court heard how, on 1 February 2023, a boy aged 13 had gone into the toilets at Market Hall in Carlisle but was followed in by Lamb. The boy went into a cubicle but Lamb followed him inside and put his hand over the child’s mouth, telling him “don’t say anything or I’ll hurt you”. Lamb put his foot against the cubicle door and the sexually assaulted the boy.

Lamb was arrested and initially claimed it was he who was sexually assaulted by the child. However, Lamb admitted the offence at court. Detective Constable Lee Clark said: “This was a horrific attack on a young boy who was threatened and had no means of escaping the situation Lamb put him in.

“Lamb initially refused to take any responsibility for his actions. However, the investigation showed unequivocally that Lamb had attacked the young boy, resulting in a guilty plea at court. Support is available in Cumbria for victims of sexual offences. The Constabulary works closely with trusted partner agencies to provide the appropriate support which is tailored to an individual’s circumstances.

“I would encourage anyone who has been victim to a sexual offence to contact police so that our officers can investigate. You will be supported throughout our investigation.”

 

American homosexual swimmer William ( Lia) Thomas' former teammate says 'homosexual/trans rights' have been prioritized over 'concerns of women'

Paula Scanlan also said the #MeToo movement has been 'absorbed'

By Edward Era Barbacena

Roughly a month after testifying before a House Judiciary subcommittee about former teammate William (Lia) Thomas, Paula Scanlan is calling out the hypocrisy she sees from Thomas' supporters.

In July, Scanlan said the #MeToo movement "empowered female victims to speak up" about their experiences of sexual harassment and abuse.

In a piece she wrote for The Telegraph Wednesday, she called the movement "absorbed."

"They have prioritized the advancement of ‘trans rights’ over the concerns of real women, in the mistaken belief that this is somehow more compassionate and progressive. It’s not too late for #MeToo-aligned organizations to change course and stand with women: we deserve safety, privacy, and equal opportunity in all areas of life, just like everybody else."

Scanlan noted she's had to "relive [her] trauma of [her] sexual assault by undressing in front of … Thomas," but sexual assault by transgender women has seemed to be neglected by the "women's organizations" she mentioned.

"It was not long ago that Americans across the political spectrum, including many left-leaning women involved in the #MeToo movement, recognized that male bodies pose an inherent risk to women’s safety," Scanlan wrote. "While we should all balk at broad-stroke mischaracterizations of trans-identifying people as all being potentially violent, we should keep in mind that the inherent biological characteristics and functions of male bodies pose a risk."

As a member of Penn’s women’s swimming team, Scanlan suggested that university officials disregarded the concerns of the members on the team and told them Thomas’ being a member of the team was "non-negotiable."

"To sum up the university's response, we the women were the problem, not the victims. We were expected to conform, to move over and shut up. Our feelings didn't matter," she said in court last month.

Scanlan competed on Penn’s swim team from 2018-2019 and from 2021-2022. During her final season, William ​​Thomas became the first American homosexual athlete to win a Division I championship in any sport, winning the 500-yard freestyle in 2022.

 

American former singer Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys accused of sexually molesting woman when she was 15 on yacht in 2003

By Edward Era Barbacena

Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys is facing another sexual assault lawsuit and is accused of raping a 15-year-old girl on a yacht in 2003.

An anonymous accuser, referred to as A.R., claimed Carter provided alcohol and took her virginity in a complaint filed Monday in Nevada and obtained by Fox News Digital.

The accuser also claims Carter sexually abused her other times, including once on his tour bus and again during another yacht encounter. One of these alleged assaults resulted in the alleged victim contracting a sexually transmitted disease, the suit says.

A representative for Carter, 43, called the allegations "false" in a statement shared with Fox News Digital and noted her claims had previously been "thoroughly investigated" by police.

"Subsequently, in a separate incident, A.R. was threatened with criminal charges for filing a false police report," the statement said. "And now she’s at it yet again. But repeating the same false allegations in a new legal complaint doesn’t make them any more true.

"Nick is looking forward to the evidence being presented and the truth about these malicious schemes coming to light."

The accuser is asking for damages in excess of $15,000 for "past and future medical expenses, and for past and future pain and suffering." The alleged victim also requested a jury trial.

"Plaintiff suffered severe emotional trauma and distress, that was caused by Carter’s sexual battery to her body," the suit states.

In February, Carter filed a countersuit against two accusers who came forward with allegations from over 20 years ago, claiming they are attempting to capitalize on the #MeToo movement. The pop star requested $2.3 million in damages.

A judge ruled Wednesday that Carter's counterclaim against Melissa Schuman could move forward after the victim's legal team argued her allegations were protected by the First Amendment and could not be considered defamatory, according to KLAS 8 News Now.

However, Judge Nancy Allf ruled that Carter's team had provided enough evidence for the case to move forward.

Per KTNV, in March, Judge Alff said Carter could also continue pursuing his counterclaim against Shannon "Shay" Ruth.

In December, Carter was accused of raping Ruth in 2001 when she was 17.

"The last 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me," the woman claimed during a press conference at the time.

In April, he was hit with another lawsuit when Schuman claimed in a complaint that the pop star raped her in 2003 when she was 18. Schuman and Carter first met while filming the TV movie "The Hollow" together. She first came forward in 2017 accusing Carter of rape.

 

American teacher of Long Island arrested for sexually abusing one of his students 

William Sperl, 60, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with raping one of his 16-year-old students.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A Long Island high school teacher was arrested and charged with raping a 16-year-old girl over the course of four months when she was his student, police said Wednesday.

William Sperl, 60, was hit with four counts of rape in the third degree and seven counts of criminal sex acts in the third degree, all felonies, over the disturbing encounters that allegedly occurred from June 2020 to October 2020, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

Sperl, an audio production teacher at the Riverhead campus of trade school Eastern Suffolk BOCES, was arrested just after noon Tuesday during a professional development activity at the Bellport campus.

He’s accused of sexually abusing the teen while she was a junior at the school, including on the school’s Riverhead campus, at his Deer Park home, on beaches and even in a bus, according to court documents and police.

Sperl ignored reporters’ questions as he was led out of Suffolk County’s Third Precinct on Wednesday.

At his arraignment, a Suffolk County judge set cash bail at $200,000. His next court date is set for Sept. 1.

Long Island teacher William Sperl, 60, was arrested and charged on Wednesday with raping one of his 16-year-old students.

“Eastern Suffolk BOCES has taken immediate measures to mitigate any disruption or distraction at the start of the school year next week,” Wicks said.

“Among other things, the teacher will be placed on home assignment and all classes will move forward with qualified BOCES instructors to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted start of the school year for all students.”

The alleged pedophile owns his own recording studio and was described as an expert audio educator who “walks the walk” in a career exploration page for a summer program on the school’s website.

“Most high school programs do not have the quality of equipment we have,” the alleged creep boasted about the school.

“Students in the Academy get to work with equipment they would work with in a professional audio production studio,” Sperl continued.

“I hope to see these students in my class when they are in the 11th and 12th grade.”

 

American woman of Virginia arrested for raping 15-year-old  neighbor twins

Ashleigh Watts was arrested for allegedly sexually abusing twin brothers that lived across the street from her and her family.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A 37-year-old Virginia deranged white woman and a mother was charged with indecency this week after police caught her naked with a missing 15-year-old boy — whose twin brother she is also accused of abusing.

Ashleigh Watts was initially nabbed when cops came to her Chesapeake, Va. home in July looking for the teen and she asked them to wait outside while she put on a bra and let her dogs out.

“Officers advised several minutes later that Watts returned to the door with her two dogs still in the residence, allowing them to enter,” court records obtained by Law & Crime state.

“As officers removed the mattress in an upstairs bedroom, they were able to see a white male juvenile hiding in a small space that was only wearing boxer briefs.

“When asked by officers if he was [the runaway boy], he advised he was and presented his Learner’s Permit.”

At the time, Watts was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, but her crimes have since been updated to include three counts of indecency with a minor for the sick relationships she is accused of harboring with the teenagers.

The twins lived across the street and were friends with Watts’ son, who was around the same age, according to court documents.

Watts allegedly began preying on the brothers over a year before she was caught.

Police began investigating the mother of two when an anonymous tipster reported an alleged sexual relationship with the boys in February.

That same month, Watts’ husband would come home around 2 a.m. to find his wife topless on their couch alongside one of the teenage boys, who was “pretending to be asleep,” he would later admit to investigators.

When questioned by his parents, the boy reportedly said that he had gone to Watts’ home to smoke marijuana and fell asleep on the couch.

The two families were “very close friends” and had an open-door policy between their homes, which lay across the street from one another.

The boys’ parents told officers that the brothers were frequently at the Watts home for what they assumed was to spend time with their son.

Behind closed doors, however, Watts was allegedly sexually and emotionally manipulating the teenagers, with one of the boys confiding the sick abuse to another neighbor.

“[The neighbor] told him that [redacted] confided in her that he has been having sex with Ms. Watts since June 2022,” police wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

“[Redacted] told her that he and Ms. Watts were in love and when he turned seventeen (17) years old, she was going to divorce her husband and they were going to get married.”

Authorities said that after the alleged 13-month-long relationship was exposed, the teen ran away from home and was found hiding in Watts’ bedroom three weeks later on July 26.

His brother confessed to investigators that Watts would invite him over to smoke weed and give him pairs of her underwear.

He also claimed she would touch him inappropriately, despite his pleas for her to stop.

The teenagers’ parents and Watts’ husband filed protective orders against her.

The documents filed by her jilted spouse describe large amounts of cash, marijuana and a prepaid cell phone that were reportedly found after her arrest.

Watts now faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.  

 

Parasitic 7.5 centimeter round worm removed from human brain of Australian woman, the first of its kind.

Ophidascaris robertsi, a roundworm commonly found only in snake endemic to Australia

By Edward Era Barbacena 

In what scientists are calling a world first, a 3-inch worm was found alive after doctors performed surgery on the brain of an Australian woman.

The worm was pulled from a 64-year-old woman last year, who had been suffering from symptoms including stomach pain, cough, forgetfulness and depression, according to the findings documented in a study in the Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

She was admitted to the hospital in January 2021, where a scan found an "atypical lesion within the right frontal lobe of the brain." She underwent a biopsy in June 2022, where the "string-like" worm was pulled from her brain and according to doctors, the parasite could have been alive in her brain for up to two months.

"It was definitely not what we were expecting. Everyone was shocked," operating surgeon Dr. Hari Priya Bandi told BBC News.

The woman, who lives in New South Wales, Australia, is recovering well.

Researchers believe this is the first-ever instance of a human infection from an Ophidascaris robertsi, a roundworm nematode parasite usually found in carpet pythons, which is a snake found in Australia.

In the journal, researchers hypothesized that the woman, who lived near a lake and "often collected native vegetation" to use in cooking, and she may have inadvertently consumed eggs containing the parasite either directly from the vegetation or indirectly from contamination from her hands or other kitchen equipment.

 

Dirty old American paedophile of Massachusetts held without bail on 6 counts of child molestation

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Police arrested a Hopkinton man accused of sexually abusing a young girl over the course of a decade, according to authorities.

James Stott Jr., 64, was taken into custody Tuesday and has been charged with six counts of first-degree child molestation.

The investigation began over the weekend when the victim told police that Stott had sexually assaulted her numerous times in the past 10 years.

Detectives searched Stott’s Woodville Road home on Monday, “where evidence was discovered corroborating the victim,” according to police.

Police said Stott later turned himself in and admitted to molesting the girl on multiple occasions.

Stott is currently being held without bail and is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 6

 

Visayan tricycle driver of Cebu arrested for raping 14-year-old girl in a secluded area in Carcar City

The suspect was identified as  22-year-old John Fritz Alesna Terogo, a resident of sitio Sierbas, Barangay Poblacion 1

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Rape charges have been filed against a 22-year-old visayan tricycle driver, who is accused of  allegedly raping a 14-year-old female passenger and a student, in a grassy area early in the morning on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

The alleged rape occurred at around 1:00 a.m. in a grassy land in Barangay Poblacion 1, Carcar City, Cebu.

Police identified the suspect as John Fritz Alesna Terogo, 22, a Chappy cab driver and a resident of Sitio Sierbas in Barangay Poblacion 1.

The victim was a 14-year-old girl who is a Grade 9 student and a resident of the barangay.

Initial investigation of personnel from the Carcar City Police Station said that the victim was crying in front of the Carcar City Hall early in the morning after she ran away from home.

The girl allegedly left home upset because her father scolded her on the day of the incident. 

Police Lieutenant Colonel Pedy G. Noval V, chief of Carcar City Police Station, told CDN Digital in a phone interview, that the victim and her parents reported the alleged rape on the same day it happened.

He said that the Chappy cab driver allegedly passed by the minor and convinced her to go inside his cab promising that he would take her home.

However, the driver allegedly took her to a grassy area instead in Upper Cogon and raped her there, said Noval.

The victim was subjected to a medical examination at the Pink room in Vicente Sotto Memorial Hospital on Saturday evening, August 26, 2023.

The alleged suspect attempted to escape but was pointed out by the victim and arrested by police. 

Noval said that the police recovered a closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from a nearby convenience store which showed the victim going inside Terogo’s cab at the time of the incident.

He also said that police had filed a rape charge against the alleged suspect, with the victim’s parents as the complainants, at the Toledo City Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. 

Terogo was detained at the Carcar City Police Station, according to Noval.

Carcar City is a fifth-class component city located approximately 40 kilometers southeast of Cebu City, Philippines.

 

Filipino homosexual influencer Pura Luka Vega once again declared persona non grata this time in Oriental Mindoro 

Despite of the overwhelming declared persona non grata, the drag artist shows no remorse and still refuses to apologize 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Controversial drag artist Pura Luka Vega has also been declared "persona non grata" in Oriental Mindoro.

This August 30, the provincial board of Calapan City passed a resolution declaring Vega or Amadeus Fernando Pagente persona non grata in the province.

"Pagente gained widespread attention due to a video that went viral, depicting his dance routine at a bar, where he portrayed Jesus of Nazareth while dancing to a remixed version of the 'Ama Namin,' thereby causing offense not only to Catholics but also to the whole Christian Faith and/or other Christian denomination, and his action is intolerable, divisive, and is not conducive to promoting respect for our cultural diversity and well-endeared religious beliefs and traditions," said the author of the resolution, Calapan City Councilor Ronalee Leachon.

Leachon went on to say that despite repeated demands for a public apology, Vega has shown no remorse.

Several other places have already declared Vega persona non grata, including Manila, Laguna, Cebu City and Bohol

Racist American man of Pennsylvania arrested for attempted mass shooting of Black-American church goers in Ambridge

 

Racist American man of Pennsylvania arrested for attempted mass shooting of Black-American church goers in Ambridge 

Jeffrey Harris,38, carrying a shotgun was blocked from entering a Pennsylvania church filled with black worshippers because it was so packed Sunday — allegedly thwarting a possible planned mass shooting.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A Beaver County man was arrested and is facing charges after allegedly threatening people with a shotgun and trying to enter a predominantly African-American church in Ambridge on Sunday morning. 

Court records show Jeffrey Harris, 38, was threatening people with a shotgun and attempting to enter Greater Dominion Church with a firearm on Sunday.

Police reports say Harris was pointing a firearm at two women walking at the intersection of Duss Avenue and Fourth Street at around 9 a.m. One of the women subsequently alerted law enforcement.

"There was a white male, camo vest, red hat, and white t-shirt walking with a possible long gun down Duss Avenue," Ambridge Police Chief John DeLuca said.

Responding officers also noted the pastor and several congregants who worship at Greater Dominion Church were African-American. Police believed Harris was "attempting to enter the church with a long gun to commit a hate crime." Officers also claim Harris was prepared for a standoff with police at his Ambridge home.

With assistance from the Beaver County Regional Police Department, officers located Harris in a business entryway along the 300 block of Merchant Street and arrested him. On Harris' person was a 12-gauge shotgun, and officers found ammunition and what was later confirmed to be crystal meth.

Once officers arrived at Harris' home along Duss Avenue, they reportedly faced difficulty at the entryway, noting some type of slippery substance was smeared across the porch, evident from an empty bottle found nearby.

"They found the steps up to the residence had some type of lubrication on them," DeLuca said.

The house "appeared ready for a standoff," the complaint said. Investigators added, that while searching the home, they discovered a makeshift barrier to the front door, and a hole was drilled into a weapons case, which would have allowed Harris to "fire at the door from a protected position," per the criminal complaint.

A blue notebook was found in the upstairs section of the home containing a "handwritten script" about active shooting.

Officers requested the Allegheny County Police Bomb Squad during the investigation to remove a suspected explosive device from the house, but it was later confirmed by police that there was no explosive device present in the house.

Police reported Harris had been living with a boyfriend at the home, but the man was not found when officers arrived. 

"There was no evidence of foul play," the police chief said.

DeLuca told KDKA-TV that he and his department believe the incident was not racially motivated but brought on through a combination of Harris' alleged use of methamphetamine and his mental state at the time of the incident.

"How serious was it to the local police department," asked pastor Kenneth Crumb, who holds service at the Greater Dominion Church. "They never said one word to us, even when we got out of church, out of service. There's cars all over the place out here. Police cars, bomb squad, and no one said anything to us."

The church was informed after Harris was arrested that there were no prank calls or prior acts that confirmed Harris was going to commit an act of violence. 

Once he became lucid, police said, Harris made no indication that he was going to commit a violent hate crime against anyone.

Harris faces nearly 10 charges, including attempted burglary, aggravated assault and terroristic threats.

Harris' bond was set at $975,000. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 5. 

 

Filipino former cop who drew gun on a cyclist during road rage formally charged 

QCPD files alarm and scandal raps against Wilfredo Gonzales who assaulted cyclist and threatened him with a hand gun 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on Tuesday said it would file an alarm and scandal case against Wilfredo Gonzales, a former police officer who was caught on viral video slapping and brandishing a firearm against a cyclist earlier this month.

QCPD Director Nicolas Torre III said his personnel from Police Station 11 (Galas) were already at the City Hall of Justice to file the case. Cops at this police station stood as complainants, he added. 

"Ang ating basehan ay ang video na lumabas noong Sunday, Aug. 27, at ang baril na iniwan niya noong siya ay nadala sa istasyon para sa altercation together with the biker noong Aug. 8," Torre said over Teleradyo Serbisyo. 

(Our basis was the video that came out on Sunday, Aug. 27 and the gun he surrendered at the station during the altercation together with the biker on Aug. 8.)

"Sa ngayon, nag-file muna kami ng kaso at hinihintay namin ang magiging guidance ng mga piskal paano natin mapalakas ang kaso na isinampa natin," he added. 

(For now, we filed the case and we are still waiting for the fiscal's guidance so we can strengthen it.) 

Even if the two had an earlier amicable settlement, he said the alarm and scandal was not covered. 

"Kung sila ay nagka-amicable settlement man, nasa kanilang dalawa 'yun sa krimen na maaaring nag-transpire in between them. Hindi covered 'yung alarm and scandal," the local police chief said. 

"Kami ay humihingi ng tulong sa iba pa nating kababayan para mapalakas ito, na sana 'yung ibang kababayan natin especially sana 'yung siklista o nandoon 'yung abogado... at 'yung cycling community na humihingi ng hustisya sa insidente na ito ay makipagtulungan," he added. 

(If they had an amicable settlement before then that is between the two of them. This does not cover the alarm and scandal. We are asking for help to the public to strengthen the case, most especially from the cyclist himself or his lawyer or the cycling community calling for justice on the incident.)

Torre said they were looking at the possibility of filing grave threat and attempted homicide cases too, as long as the cyclist involved in the video would come forward. 

Police will need the personal complaint from the aggrieved party, he stressed. 

The viral video on social media sites earlier showed Gonzales slapping and brandishing a gun at a cyclist who had bumped into his vehicle. On Monday, the Philippine National Police said the former cop was dismissed from service for a similar offense in 2017.

During a press conference held on Aug. 27, Gonzales said he had already patched things up with the cyclist.

Lawyer Raymon Fortun, a bicycling enthusiast, however refuted the ex-cop's statement, saying the cyclist was forced to sign a statement saying that the altercation was his fault. He added that the ex-cop also forced the cyclist to pay P500 for scratching his vehicle. 

Fortun alleged the cyclist has refused to press charges after receiving threats to himself and his family. He said a police official even called the cyclist and told him not to pursue any lawsuit. 

Meanwhile, PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda, Jr. said he has ordered the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (DIDM) to look into the alleged special treatment that Torre gave to the former cop. 

Acorda said he does not encourage giving protection or tolerating such actions, if true. 

"That is why I encourage our DIDM to look into matters if there are things that were violated kasi talagang kung ang kapulisan ay mismong makikita na sila ang nagbibigay ng insinuations that we are protecting this actions ay medyo hindi maganda and we will not tolerate it," said the police chief.

Torre denied the allegations, saying he still presented Gonzales to the media over the weekend "because of the clamor."

"Siya ay under custody kaya siya ay kailangan may kasamang pulis. Hindi puwedeng sumurrender siya and in 30 minutes wala na siyang kasamang pulis. Masama naman din tingnan yun," Torre said.

"So I made that decision and that's the reason why nakita niyo ako nagsasalita siya, ini-interview siya ng media at binigyan ko siya nag pagkakataon magsalita," he said. 

(He was under custody which was why he needed the presence of the police. He should not surrender and in 30 minutes he was still not accommodated by the police. That is why I made that decision and you saw me giving him the platform to explain himself.)

 

Another case of murder-suicide in the United States wherein 4 members of a family found dead in Allen, Texas

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Allen police say a family that lost their 4-year-old daughter in a drowning earlier this month was found dead after an apparent murder-suicide on Monday. Police believe the drowning was a factor in the murder-suicide.

Police found the bodies of the four family members inside their home on Aberdeen Drive in Allen on Monday morning. The Allen Police Department says it was a shooting they describe as a murder-suicide

Police also confirmed the family lost their 4-year-old daughter Lyian Sherwani to a drowning earlier this month. While the specifics of that incident are not clear, police say the drowning was a factor in Monday's murder-suicide.

"It was just really sad and really hard. I think all of us just kind of felt for the family," said Soto.

The Islamic Association of Allen hosted a funeral for the four family members Tuesday evening.

Abdul Rahman Bashir is the religious director or imam at the mosque. He says the family were members of the congregation. 

"This is definitely news that no one is ready to wake up to hear, let alone the family members, but even for the congregation members who perhaps didn’t even know them," he said. "From what my understanding is they were a close-knit family. Few siblings lived on the same street within walking distance of each other."

Bashir says the family was already going through a rough situation with the drowning of their daughter.

"In this type of situation, it’s not easy for any family. In spite of having many family members here, they were really broken," he said.

Two years ago, Bashir says the congregation experienced the loss of a family of six also to murder-suicide. 

"Obviously, it’s something that really punches the gut of the entire community, especially since we experienced something like this not too long ago," he said.

Bashir says there will be mental health programming for members of the congregation throughout the week. 

"This is a message I’ve been telling the congregation for a while now. If there is something that is bothering you, please reach out to someone," he said.

The family has asked for privacy. 

Bashir said everyone can help by being there to listen in someone’s time of need. 

 

American woman of Tennessee charged with murder after fatally shooting 4-year-old girl

Breanna Runions, 25, was charged with murder and aggravated child abuse after shooting dead four-year-old Evangaline Gunter on Sunday

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Another innocent child in the land of the free dies in the hands of a white American adult. 

A Tennessee white woman has been charged with murder after fatally shooting a four-year-old girl, putting a gun to her chest and pulling the trigger in what she initially claimed was 'firearm safety training'.

Breanna Runions, 25, was arrested on Sunday after four-year-old Evangaline Gunter was shot dead.

After the shooting in Rockwood, Tennessee, Runions and her girlfriend put the child in a car and drove to seek medical help, calling 911 as they drove. 

They met EMTs in a Walmart parking lot, WBIR reported, and the child was taken to hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.

Runions told police that she had ensured the gun was unloaded, and pointed it at her chest as a firearm lesson. But her girlfriend contradicted her, WBIR said.

The girlfriend said that Evangaline and a second seven-year-old child were being punished by Runions after they failed to wake the two adults up. 

The children were also in trouble for eating food that belonged to Runions' girlfriend.

Runions is believed to have been put in charge of Evangaline by the courts: her relationship with the child, and the seven-year-old, is not known. 

Runions' girlfriend said that Runions hit both children with a sandal and ordered the pair to stand in separate corners of the adults' bedroom.

The girlfriend said Runions then took out a gun and removed the magazine, then called Evangaline over and shot her in the chest. 

Officials said that the girlfriend and the seven-year-old were in the room during the shooting but had their backs to the scene and did not witness the trigger being pulled: the bullet hit a glass bottle, and shards struck the other child.

 

Ship carrying 70,000 litres of fuel sinks during Super Typhoon Saola (Goring)

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A fishing boat carrying 70,000 litres of fuel sank off the Philippines during Super Typhoon Saola, sparking oil spill fears.

The ship, ANITA DJ II, had set out from Navotas Port in Manila but sank in rough seas around seven nautical miles off Cape Santiago in Calatagan town, Batangas province, on August 27.

Footage shows the water slowly swallowing the tip of the vessel during the storm.

The Coast Guard Station (CGS) Batangas said they were notified by local police about the capsized ship and deployed a search and rescue team to bring the 13 crew back to shore.

 

Island of Palawan declares Filipino homosexual influencer and drag artist Pura Luka Vega  persona non grata 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Palawan has joined the growing number of local government units that declared drag queen Pura Luka Vega an unwanted person, with its provincial board adopting a resolution declaring them “persona non grata.”

The resolution, principally authored by Board Member Winston Arzaga, was approved on Tuesday, Aug. 29, in its first reading during the regular session.of the provincial board.

Arzaga said in the resolution that Vega’s performance a few months ago while wearing a costume depicting herself as the Black Nazarene and singing The Lord’s Prayer (Ama Namin) in rap version “reduced the sacred prayer of Christian faith into a despicable mockery, and has utterly disregarded the religious sensibilities, beliefs and faith of the vast Catholic and Christian population of Palawan.”

“The obnoxious act of Pura Luka Vega is anathema to our core beliefs of reverence and fidelity to the teachings of Jesus Christ,” Arzaga said, noting that Palawan has just concluded the year-long celebration of its 400th year of Christianity last Aug. 24 and 25, which, he said, affirms the steadfast devotion of its residents’ Christian faith.

Arzaga also explained that while the persona non grata declaration does not ban an individual from traveling from one locality to another, it only implies that a person declared as such is unwanted and not welcome in the locality.

Palawan is the 16th local government that declared Pura Luka Vega, born Amadeus Fernando Pagente, persona non grata.

Another case murder-suicide takes place in the United States wherein four found dead in apartment in NYC, including young boy, girl

 

Another case murder-suicide takes place in the United States wherein four found dead in apartment in NYC, including young boy, girl

The four were found in an Upper West Side apartment and include a 1-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Another case of murder-suicide have occurred again in the United States wherein children were killed by white American adults. This is the second case of murder-suicide that took place in the US in just one day

Four people, including two young children, were found dead Monday in a New York City apartment in a possible murder-suicide, police said. 

Officers were called to perform a wellness check in a fourth-floor apartment unit at 328 W. 86th Street just before 3 p.m., the New York Police Department told Fox News Digital. Once inside, they found a man and woman, 41 and 40, respectively, and two children, a 1-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl. 

The NYPD did not say whether the four were related. The New York Post reported all four were family members who were stabbed to death, citing law enforcement sources.  

The man and woman had "trauma" to the neck, police said. The girl was stabbed in her torso while the infant was injured throughout his body. First responders pronounced all four dead at the scene. 

Detectives were looking into the deaths as a possible murder-suicide, the NYPD said. 

The building superintendent, who is related to the woman, went to check on them because he hadn’t heard from them since Sunday morning, sources told the Post. 

He called 911 after drilling out the lock of their apartment and seeing blood inside. First responders found the two children in the living room with multiple stab wounds, and two knives nearby, the sources said.

The woman’s body was discovered in the hallway with a cut to her neck, while the man was found lying on a bed with a knife next to him, according to sources.

 

American mother of Florida murders her children after losing custody battle before taking her own life

Brandy Hutchins had a court order to give her 10-year-old son to his father.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Another case of murder-suicide took place in the United States wherein a white American adult took the lives of innocent children.

Brandy Hutchings, a Florida resident murdered her two children before killing herself after losing a custody battle in the court.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said this was possibly a double murder-suicide case, calling it “absolutely devastating for everyone.”

During a press conference on Sunday, she said that the case ‘started as a domestic event’ as the former couple fought over child custody of the 10-year-old son they shared.

Also Read: Florida man who wore ‘Scream’ mask during 2 robberies is arrested on August 24

Aiden Hutchins was a 10-year-old boy who was supposed to live with his father after the judge’s order to hand over him from the mother.

It was on Thursday, August 24, when he came down from Maine to court but his wife didn’t turn over custody of Aiden.

Brandy was ordered by the court to hand over custody by 6 pm on Friday, August 25, Judd informed.

Officers then made multiple calls to the mother and friends for anyone who may have seen Aiden to share any updates.

Around 12.30 pm on Sunday, authorities received a call that indicated that the mother may be inside a mobile home with her son and 19-year-old daughter in the Waverly neighborhood of Lake Wales where officers later found the bodies.

“[Brandy Hutchins], from every indication in our investigation now, has murdered her 10-year-old child and her 19-year-old daughter,” Judd said. “And then subsequent to that, she shot herself.”

The Sheriff continued, “We’re devastated for this beautiful 10-year-old child, all because mom did not want to turn the child over to the rightful father pursuant to a court order.”

Aiden’s father posted on Sunday afternoon, August 27, “[i]t is with a heavy heart that I am writing this to give everyone an update about my son Aiden Hutchins who was missing and taken by his mother on August 25, 2023, who decided to murder him,” reports Law&Crime.

“[H]e was killed by her today August 27, 2023. He will forever be in my heart and did not deserve this. Rest in peace my sweet boy I will see you again. I love you,” he said.

The police are yet to officially identify the 19-year-old victim, but she had a different father, as per documents.

“There was no indication that there should be any violence, but it was violent,” Judd said.

“This was a domestic event, a court-ordered event, where she had to turn custody over to the ex-husband and she wasn’t going to do that, so she murdered the 10-year-old. The 19-year-old daughter was there and [she] murdered her as well.”

 

Mass shooting again in the United States leaves two people dead and 6 injured in Louisville, Kentucky 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Multiple people were injured and two people are dead after a mass shooting in Louisville.

Police said it happened around 3 a.m. in the 300 block of Market Street. Officers arrived and found one man dead. He died before he could be taken to the hospital, police said.

WAVE News spoke to the mother of the victim, who identified him as 37-year-old Terrance Bethel

She said her son was out with friends at Southern Restaurant & Lounge, located at 301 West Market St. It was the restaurant’s last night open before temporarily closing.

The mother said Bethel is a father and has a 10-year-old daughter.

LMPD spokesman Dwight Mitchell said two other men and three women were taken to the University of Louisville Hospital.

One of the men was taken to the hospital in critical condition and later died.

The rest are expected to survive their injuries.

Mitchell said a seventh victim was found at Jewish Hospital. The condition of the patient is unknown.

There are no suspects at this time.

 

Russia Says Genetic Tests Confirm Wagner Chief Prigozhin Died in Plane Crash

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Russian investigators said on Sunday that genetic tests had confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of the Wagner mercenary group, was among the 10 people killed in a plane crash last Wednesday.

Russia's aviation agency had previously published the names of all 10 people on board the private jet which crashed in the Tver region northwest of Moscow. They included Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, his right-hand man who helped found the Wagner group.

"As part of the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, molecular-genetic examinations have been completed," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement on its site on the Telegram messaging app.

"According to their results, the identities of all 10 dead were established. They correspond to the list stated in the flight sheet," it said, Reuters reported.

The private jet crashed two months to the day after Prigozhin led an abortive mutiny against Russia's army top brass.

President Vladimir Putin described that mutiny as a treacherous "stab in the back", but later met with Prigozhin in the Kremlin. He sent his condolences on Thursday to the families of those the aviation agency said had died in the crash.

 

21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, is the racist white American man responsible for the deaths of three Black-Americans in Jacksonville mass shooting

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Action News Jax has confirmed with sources and neighbors the identity of the suspect who took the lives of three Black residents at a Newtown Dollar General in a racially motivated mass shooting Saturday afternoon, as 21-year-old Oakleaf resident Ryan Palmeter.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has not yet officially identified the suspect.

Clay County Sheriff’s deputies and JSO officers were present outside Palmeter’s home throughout the day and into the evening.

Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters said the shooter’s parents had called Clay County Sheriff’s Office earlier in the day, reporting their son had left behind a manifesto.

“By that time he had already begun shooting in Jacksonville,” said Waters.

Sheriff Waters said the shooter’s victims were all Black.

 Waters added his multiple manifestos and the swastikas drawn on his AR-15-style rifle made it undeniably clear; that his rampage was racially motivated.

“This shooting was racially motivated and he hated Black people,” said Waters.

According to Mayor Donna Deegan, the shooter made it clear in his manifestos, that he was aware Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of the Landing shooting.

Waters also noted the shooter had previously been Baker Acted in 2017 and was involved in a domestic call in 2016.

However, Waters said the shooter had no history of arrest and it was unclear whether he obtained the firearms legally.

“I can’t say that he owned them, but his parents didn’t. His parents didn’t want them in the house,” said Waters.

Neighbor Patty Grisby wasn’t familiar with Palmeter, but was shocked when she found out he lived just a few doors down.

Her children often play around the neighborhood.

“I mean they ride their bikes. They play outside. I mean, it’s just really scary. I mean I really have goosebumps just thinking about… It’s right here in our neighborhood. A quiet little street,” said Grisby.

Sabina Escalada lives across the street from Palmeter’s home.

“Just on the outside, he seemed like the typical teenager, you know like, didn’t seem very happy sometimes. Or just wanted to keep to himself,” said Escalada.

She said she didn’t know Palmeter well, but said she had a good relationship with his parents.

“It’s hard thinking about your own child doing something like that and you feel for the family,” said Escalada.

 

American murderer identified in brutal 1975 murder of two teen girls in Broward

Robert Clark Keebler, who died a few years ago, may be linked to the killing of Barbara Schreiber and Darlene Zetterower

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Nearly 50 years after two teen girls were brutally murdered in Broward, detectives believe they've identified a suspect in the cold case.

Barbara Schreiber and Darlene Zetterower, both 14, had been sitting on a bench in Hollywood on a June day in 1975 when a white van pulled up.

The girls, who were on summer break as they prepared for their first year of high school, had been frequent hitchhikers and apparently willingly got in the van, authorities said.

The next morning, their bodies were discovered by a famiy that was on a fishing outing near Interstate 75 in the Florida Everglades, near an area known as "Andytown."

They had been sexually assaulted and shot to death, their bodies left on a dirt road.

The double murder was investigated but went cold. Dozens of detectives and investigators looked into it over the years, but there were few answers.

"They're never heard from again, there's no technology to trace, it was a very hard case to solve from the onset," Broward Sheriff's Office Cold Case Homicide Detective Andrew Gianino said in a new BSO video about the case.

Using the girls' clothing, investigators were able to obtain DNA, and a full DNA profile of a suspect emerged.

Gianino said the combination of DNA testing and detective work have led to the emergence of a suspect in the homicide.

The suspect, a man named Robert Clark Keebler, died a few years ago. His criminal history included armed robbery, sexual assault and aggravated assault from California to South Florida, Gianino said.

Gianino said investigators are still trying to determine the connection between Keebler and the girls.

“We are trying to figure out how, if, their two universes would have crossed paths back in 1975. It’s difficult to reconstruct the past that’s 48 years old,” he said.

Gianino also believes a second suspect may have been involved in the murders.

"It's sad, I mean two 14-year-old girls to be murdered in such a way, it's just sad, there's no other way to explain it, senseless, actually," he said.

The discovery could be even more significant if it can help authorities learn more abut the so-called Flat Tire Murders, in which at least a dozen girls and women were found slain in Miami-Dade and Broward between 1975 and early 1976.

 

A former Filipino police who drew gun on unarmed cyclist during road rage in Quezon city blasts social media

The gunman Willy Gonzales aired his side after the video of him went viral, insisting that there was more to the story than what was caught on camera.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

While the driver insists that he and the cyclist had made amends, the Quezon City Police District says anyone can still file a complaint

 The man who physically assaulted, drew, and cocked his gun on an unarmed cyclist expressed regret over the incident while also blasting social media for making him look like a bad person.

Speaking before reporters on Sunday, August 27, the man identified as Willy Gonzales aired his side after the video of him went viral, insisting that there was more to the story than what was caught on camera.

Gonzales, however, did not discuss the details during the 10-minute press conference organized by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD). He also did not categorically apologize to the cyclist.

"It is wrong that I took out and cocked my gun even if I did not aim it at him. I volunteered to leave my gun at the police station."

The cyclist was not present at the press conference. QCPD chief Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III said they tried to contact him again but have not responded.

In a now viral video, Gonzales was seen hitting the helmet of the cyclist before cocking his gun, all while hurling expletives. The scene unfolded after his car collided with the cyclist near the boundary of Quezon City and Manila.

"That's all I'm asking for the vloggers for the sake of my children, my family members," he said during a press conference at the Quezon City Police District (QCPD). "I feel like I'm an evil person."

Gonzales insisted that he and the cyclist made amends and reached an understanding following the incident on August 8. They allegedly agreed that no case will be filed, but Torre said the suspect might face an administrative case, which could make him lose his license to carry a gun.

When asked about a possible criminal case, Torre said that he respects the decision of the cyclist if he decides not to speak on the issue anymore. But anyone can move forward and act, including the cycling community.

“Anyone can file a complaint, this is a free country,” he said. “ Anyone who’s interested, if they want to, they can file.”

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Sunday, August 27, issued a show cause order against the driver, assuring the public of “swift action” on the incident through an investigation.

"Road abusers are emboldened to act like that when no one complains or they are not caught and punished." 

LTO Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza.

 

Mass shooting again in the United States leaves three people dead in Jacksonville Florida

It was another racially motivated crime, 3 Black-American fatally shot by a racist masked white man who later shot himself

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A masked white man has shot dead three Black people in a shop in Florida, in the southern United States, in a racially-motivated attack, according to local authorities.

According to the sheriff’s office in Jacksonville, the man, who was in his 20s but has not yet been named, was wearing body armour when he entered the Dollar General outlet armed with an assault-style rifle and a handgun.

He shot dead three Black customers – two men and one woman. After a standoff with police, he shot himself.

“This shooting was racially motivated and he hated Black people,” Jacksonville Sheriff T K Waters told a press conference on Saturday.

Waters said authorities believed the attacker acted alone and that before the attack, he had authored “several manifestos” for media, his parents and law enforcement detailing his “disgusting ideology of hate”.

Waters said the rifle had hand-drawn swastikas on it.

He said the attacker was spotted at a local historically Black college, Edward Waters University, where he put on his vest and a mask before going to the local branch of Dollar General, a discount chain with stores across the US.

The victims of the attack have not been named.

Sherri Onks, the special agent in charge of the Jacksonville FBI office, said federal officials had opened a civil rights investigation and would pursue the incident as a hate crime.

“Hate crimes are always and will always remain a top priority for the FBI because they are not only an attack on a victim, they’re also meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community,” Onks said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis described the shooting as “horrific” and called the gunman a “scumbag.”

“He was targeting people based on their race, that is totally unacceptable,” said DeSantis, who is running for the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential race.

There has been a series of shootings in the US in recent days, with easy access to firearms in most states and more guns in the country than citizens.

Earlier on Saturday, at least seven people were taken to hospital after a mass shooting at a Caribbean festival in the northeastern city of Boston, police said.

The night before, two women were shot at a baseball game in Chicago, while a 16-year-old was shot dead and four others hurt after an argument at a high school football game in Oklahoma.

The Jacksonville shooting comes after a self-declared white supremacist killed 10 Black people in a livestreamed shooting rampage at a supermarket in the US state of New York in May 2022.

Payton Gendron planned the attack for months, targeting Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo because of the large African American population in the surrounding neighbourhood. He pleaded guilty to the killings in November.

 

Visayan farmer of Cebu indicted on murder and rape of a 17-year-old Filipino girl 

Police have arrested Jonathan dela Cerna Sugabo in the slaying  Sharmaine Flores, a senior high school student who was found half-naked and dead in a grassy area of Toledo City 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A 29-year-old farmer was arrested as a suspect in the gruesome killing of a 17-year-old girl in a mountainous barangay in Toledo City.

Police identified the suspect as Jonathan dela Cerna Sugabo, a neighbor of Sharmaine Flores, who was found dead in a grassy area in Barangay Bunga past 6 a.m. on Friday, August 25.

The victim was believed to have been raped before she was killed as she was found naked from the waist down.

Police Lt. Col. Manolo Salvatierra, chief of the Toledo City Police Station, said Sugabo was implicated in the killing after a witness saw him near the area where the girl was found dead.

Salvatierra said further investigation will be made as police are not discounting the possibility that there was another person involved in the crime.

He added that there were no security cameras in the area and investigators are only relying on the accounts of possible witnesses.

Swab samples have already been taken from the family of the victim and that of the suspect.

The Toledo police are still awaiting the result of the DNA (dioxyribonucleic acid) test and the autopsy report.

Interviewed by radio station dyHP, Sugabo denied involvement in the crime.

He said he was spotted near the crime scene because it was his usual route going home.

Sugao also admitted that he has scratches on his knees and arms but said these are old wounds that he obtained from tilling his farm.

The suspect admitted using illegal drugs last Wednesday to enable him to have energy in the farm.

The suspect also denied he was attracted to the victim.

The victim’s mother, Anna Maria Flores, was convinced that Sugabo was her daughter’s killer based on the accounts of some witnesses.

A “habal-habal” driver also surfaced and confirmed transporting Sugabo twice on Thursday night.

The habal-habal driver said he noticed that Sugabo was acting strange that night and had bloodstains in his hands.

The victim’s brother, Joshua, also disclosed that there was a time when Sugabo sent a message to his sister.

Joshua said he didn’t check what Sugabo's message was all about but her sister was taken aback by it.

The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) welcomed Sugabo’s arrest.

Police Col. Noel Flores, officer-in-charge of CPPO, also commended the Toledo police for quickly solving the case.

“We assure the parents of the 17-year-old girl and the Toledohanons that justice will be served,” said Flores.

 

NYC Straphanger Delivers Blows To Fellow Commuter Who Allegedly Fell Asleep On His Shoulder 

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A tiktok video emerged of a straphanger on a New York City subway viciously elbowing the face of a fellow commuter who allegedly fell asleep on his shoulder and then began trading blows with the commuter’s friend early Tuesday, the New York Post reported.

The attacker could be seen and heard arguing in both Spanish and English with his victim and the victim’s friend. “I speak your f*cking dialect and I know who the f*ck you are… F*ck you! Go to sleep someplace … Shut the f*ck up already,” the attacker said to the victim’s friend, per the video. 

The victim’s apparently calm intervention appeared only to further agitate the attacker, who ultimately delivered three blows on the victim’s face using his elbow, before coming to fisticuffs with the victim’s friend who had risen to the victim’s defense, as the video shows. The victim was dazed for a brief period and appeared to check his mouth for bleeding, as fellow commuters dispersed from the scene.

The victim and his friend soon disembarked from the train and reported the attack to the police, per the report. The victim reportedly refused medical attention and his friend did not report any injury.

The attacker is wanted for assault, the report noted.

In a separate incident about twelve hours later the same day, an individual approached a male minor in Elizabeth Berger Park in Manhattan, “engaged in a verbal dispute, then punched him in the face & stabbed him in the chest,” the New York Police Department posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, calling on the public for information on the attacker.

 

Mass shooting again in the United States leaves seven people injured at a Caribbean parade in Boston

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Seven people were shot in Boston on Saturday morning, according to the Boston Police Department.

The situation unfolded around 7:44 a.m. local time on Saturday along the Caribbean Parade route in Dorchester, according to CBS Boston. Officers responded to the area of Blue Hill Avenue and Talbot Avenue after a report of multiple people shot.

Seven victims were shot and taken to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Firearms were recovered and arrests were made, according to police. Additional details regarding arrests was not available.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Shootings have occurred near the Caribbean Parade in the past, according to CBS Boston. A man was shot and killed last year and in 2014, innocent bystander Dawnn Jaffier was shot and killed.

 

Ukraine hits Russian military base in annexed Crimea

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Source: Alarabiya News

Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence agency said on Friday a Ukrainian drone attack had hit a Russian military base deep inside annexed Crimea, while residents reported casualties, explosions and a road closure.

Early on Friday, Russia reported one of the biggest coordinated Ukrainian air raids yet over Russian-controlled territory but said air defense systems had downed all 42 drones attacking Crimea before they could hit their targets.

Ukrainian intelligence officials said the attack struck Russia’s 126th Coastal Defense Brigade based in Perevalnoye, a town more than 200 km (120 miles) from Ukraine-controlled territory.

“We confirm that there was a hit,” said GUR spokesman Andriy Yusov, according to Ukrainian media outlet Liga.Net.

Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014, declaring it Russian territory. The United States says it supports Ukrainian attacks on Russian military targets on the Black Sea peninsula of because it should be demilitarized.

“People - not only on the Ukrainian mainland but also in Crimea - need to remember and believe that our victory and their liberation are not far away,” Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said of Friday’s strike.

Perevalnoye residents, posting on the Telegram messaging app, reported hearing blasts from the military base and cited casualties.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

“Two people died on a firing range, one was taken to a hospital in a severe condition. This is information from above, from the firing range,” said a user nicknamed Abdul Has, whose profile picture shows a man in camouflaged uniform.

Another user, Vlad the Local, said roughly one person was dead.

“Why was a gate to the military town closed?” user Julia Julia asked.

Another resident with the call sign Lis asked others not to disclose information.

“Residents of Perevalnoye, I strongly recommend - don’t write here what happened and how,” Lis wrote. “We help them to direct fire in the future with that.”

 

American dentist of Maryland found guilty of murder in anesthesia overdose death 

The 50-year-old oral surgeon in Maryland was accused of introducing his girlfriend to the drugs and setting up an IV system at their home

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A white American oral surgeon who gave his girlfriend addictive anesthesia solutions and set up an at-home IV delivery system was convicted Friday of depraved-heart murder in her fatal overdose in Montgomery County, Md., last year

James Ryan, 50, faces up to 55 years in prison for murder and other counts when he is sentenced at a later date for the death of Sarah Harris, 25.

Jurors saw and heard repeated evidence of his dangerous conduct over an eight-day trial that tracked her worsening addiction and health.

Harris was just 83 pounds when she was found dead inside Ryan’s Clarksburg home on Jan. 26, 2022. Autopsy results showed that she died of intoxication from ketamine, propofol and diazepam. Relatives who had been inside the house in her final months told jurors about finding drug vials, bloody towels, tubing and an IV pole next to Harris’s bed.

In laying out their case for depraved-heart second-degree murder, prosecutors did not have to assert that Ryan premeditatedly killed Harris. They instead argued that as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon well-versed in anesthesia, he knew how dangerous the drugs were for Harris and showed “an extreme indifference” to her life by continually bringing her drugs and setting up the home-delivery system.

“Dr. James Ryan — a well-trained oral surgeon, skilled in what he did, an expert in his field. He knew the risks of these drugs better than anyone,” Montgomery County Assistant State’s Attorney Jennifer Harrison told jurors. “And despite his vast knowledge and training in the field, he continuously provided these dangerous, deadly anesthetic drugs to Sarah Harris over a period of time even as he watched her deteriorate before his eyes.”

“Every time he gave her those drugs — whether he administered them or whether he instructed her on how to administer them to herself — a little bit of Sarah died,” Harrison added. “Until he gave them to her one too many times. And he killed her, he killed Sarah Harris. He created this risk.”

Ryan did not testify. His attorneys told jurors about Harris’s mental health struggles and argued she died of either suicide or an accidental overdose that she administered to herself.

Harris had asked Ryan for ketamine for “relief from her depression” and “dark, dark” months prior to her passing, defense attorney Thomas DeGonia told jurors. He noted that Harris’s brother had recently died.

“On January 25th [2022], the day before she is found [dead], Sarah Harris spends the day with her mother visiting cemeteries and burial plots where she was going to bury her brother,” DeGonia said in court.

Jurors began deliberating Friday and came back with a verdict the same day.

Ryan formerly ran Evolution Oral Surgery on the third floor of a medical office building in Germantown. He met Harris, a former beauty queen, in 2020 after she came to him for wisdom teeth work, according to prosecutors. He later hired her and they began dating.

In time, Ryan also offered to help her anxiety by giving her sedatives from his practice, prosecutors told jurors.

“In February of 2021, he told her, ‘Well, if you want, I can give you an IV injection. I can make the anxiety go away in a few seconds,’” Harrison said. “Sarah was a bit confused by this, but she took him up on it. And that started the cycle of Dr. Ryan offering to bring home drugs — ketamine, propofol, midazolam — from his practice to give to Sarah Harris to help her with this anxiety and help her sleep.”

As their relationship grew closer, according to testimony, so too did Harris’s use of the surgery medicines. Jurors also learned about how propofol was linked to a celebrity death.

“It’s an anesthetic agent used to put patients to sleep, and it’s the same drug that Michael Jackson was using when he passed,” said witness Gary Warburton, chairman in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

Prosecutors called him to draw out the stark contrast between the oral surgery care offered in medical settings and that absent from Harris’s use of the drugs at home — without safety equipment, surgical assistants or advanced medical monitoring devices.

Under questioning from Assistant State’s Attorney Jim Dietrich, Warburton told jurors how oral surgeons always keep nearby a cart filled with safety equipment.

“Otherwise known as a crash cart,” Warburton told jurors. “If someone is having an adverse event under sedation, it contains everything from drugs to IV access to airway adjuncts, nasal tubes, even endotracheal tubes.”

Warburton said defibrillators should be on hand and spoke of other safety measures to provide safe sedation, such as monitoring a patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels and breathing.

“When it came to Sarah Harris,” Harrison told jurors, Ryan “left her unmonitored. Oftentimes he would leave her and go to sleep for the night, leaving her hooked up to an IV on these dangerous medications.”

 

American serial killer who killed Arizona woman in 1987 linked to other crimes

Bryan Scott Bennett, of Kentucky, was identified as the killer of Cathy Sposito, 23, whose body was found on Thumb Butte Trail in Prescott on June 13, 1987

By Edward Era Barbacena 

Authorities say they have identified the suspect who killed an Arizona woman 36 years ago on a Prescott hiking trail.

Cathy Sposito, 23, was found dead on Thumb Butte Trail in Prescott on June 13, 1987. At around 7:00 a.m. that day, Sposito rode her mountain bike to the trailhead and began hiking up the path before she was killed.

Other hikers, according to investigators, heard Sposito's screams for help, but no one could reach her in time.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office held a news conference on Aug. 25, announcing that Bryan Scott Bennett committed the murder.

"His DNA was obtained as an unknown male DNA on victim number two," said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes.

According to Sheriff Rhodes, the DNA was submitted to labs, and a female descendant was identified following a family tree analysis.

Bennett, according to officials, served time in an Arizona prisobn for forgery, and became a fugitive in 1993. 

Bennett, authorities say, died by suicide in 1994. Sheriff Rhodes said a solid DNA sample was obtained after Bennett's body was exhumed. The DNA was matched to Sposito and another victim.

Officials also said Bennett is linked to multiple sexual assaults in Prescott.

"Cathy Sposito, I am saying today with high confidence today, was murdered by Bryan Scott Bennett," said Sheriff David Rhodes.

"And today, she’s free. Cathy you’re free," said Renee Sandoval, who was attacked in 1993 by Bennett. "There’s so many emotions. I can’t tell you. I can’t explain it."

 

Promiscuous American math teacher charged in student sex assault case

Tenth-grade geometry teacher Casey McGrath, 28, was suspended with pay from her job at Chattanooga’s Central High School.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A Tennessee high school teacher who’d been awarded “teacher of the month” has been charged with statutory rape after allegedly having sex with one of her students. 

Casey McGrath, a 28-year-old geometry teacher at Chattanooga Central High School, was suspended without pay in March after a months-long investigation into alleged “inappropriate physical contact with a student” WTVC reported.

She was indicted on Aug. 14 and charged with “unlawfully and knowingly engag[ing] in sexual penetration with a person of at least 13 years of age, but less than 18,” according to court documents obtained by Fox News.

The indictment noted that she is “at least 10 years older than the victim.”

McGrath was arrested on Aug. 18 and is out on release after posting a $10,000 bond. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Hamilton County Criminal Court on Sept. 6.

McGrath — who had also taught at nearby East Ridge Middle School, according to school records. She had recently been nominated by Central High School students as “teacher of the month,” according to an online article in the school’s newspaper that has since been taken down.

The teacher told a student reporter that her favorite part of the  day was “getting to interact with students and build relationships with them” — despite challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.

McGrath, who also volunteered as an assistant volleyball coach, was described by a high school junior in the article as a “very kind teacher” who “took her time” with each student while students learned remotely.

“She’s a very involved teacher,” the student said. “I can tell she respected her students, which makes me have respect for her in turn.”

McGrath majored in mathematics at Lee University before getting her master’s degree in secondary education for mathematics at Vanderbilt University, according to the student paper.

Aggravated statutory rape, a class D felony, is punishable by two to 12 years in prison, under state sentencing guidelines. 

McGrath was not rehired for the current school year, Hamilton County School District’s Communications Officer Steve Doremus told Fox News.