List of All Articles with Tag 'crime'

“Doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow has been indicted by a grand jury in Maricopa County, Arizona, for conspiracy to commit the murder of Brandon Boudreaux more than a year ago. The development comes just days after Vallow, 49, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy and grand theft over the deaths of her daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, seven, and of conspiracy to murder Tammy Daybell, 49, her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife, in Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho. Tylee and JJ were last seen in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried in a pet cemetary on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. Over six weeks, prosecutors argued that Vallow conspired with Mr Daybell and her brother Alex Cox to kill the three victims, motivated by greed and their doomsday cult beliefs. On Friday 12 May, jurors convicted her on all charges. She will be sentenced within 90 days’ time, where she faces life in prison. Judge Steven Boyce has now ordered a pre-sentence investigation to look into Vallow’s background including prior criminal record, social history, health, education and employment records. Read More Lori Vallow’s nephew-in-law says she’s not ‘inherently evil’ as she faces new charges for his attempted murder ‘Cult mom’ Lori Vallow appears to smirk in new mugshot after murder conviction Lori Vallow had two alleged accomplices in her children’s murders. One will never face justice Who is Lori Vallow? Mom-of-three, beauty queen – and now convicted killer

A former Apple engineer who fled to China five years ago has been charged with stealing the company’s self-driving car technology. The US Justice Department charged Weibao Wang, 35, for stealing large troves of data from Apple, including trade secrets and technology related to autonomous systems that are used to design self-driving cars. Mr Wang was charged with six counts of theft or attempted theft of trade secrets, according to a press release issued by the department. “Innovation is alive and well in Silicon Valley – indeed, throughout the Northern District of California,” said US attorney Ismail J Ramsey. “Unfortunately, there will always be some who cheat the system by stealing and profiting from the fruits of others’ labour. The Wang prosecution is but one example. We are pleased that the Disruptive Technology Task Force renews energy and focus on securing innovation for those who actually create it.” The former Apple engineer was a resident of Mountain View in California and began working with the tech giant in 2016. He had signed a confidentiality agreement for the project for which he was working on, and very few people at the company knew about it at that time. He began working as staff engineer with the US-based subsidiary of a Chinese company and was working to develop self-driving cars, the indictment said. The company was identified only as “Company One” in the indictment. Mr Wang was also accused of waiting for more than four months before telling Apple that he was resigning, after he signed a new employment agreement with “Company One”. After the last day of his employment at Apple, on 16 April 2018, Apple’s officials found in their logs that he had accessed large troves of confidential data in the final days of his stint at the tech giant. His Mountain View home was searched on 27 June 2018. Law enforcement agents discovered “large quantities of data taken from Apple prior to his departure” during the search, for which Mr Wang was present. After telling the agents that he had no plans to travel, he purchased a one-way ticket to Guangzhou, China, and boarded a flight that same night. In a press conference, Mr Ramsey said Mr Wang remained in China and he could face 10 years in jail, if extradited and convicted. This is the third incident of a former Apple employee being charged for stealing of documents for China. Two other Apple employees have previously been charged in similar cases involving theft of trade secrets, reported the BBC. Read More Elon Musk calls working from home ‘morally wrong’ How many more rapists and killers are in Met? Police force ‘institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic’ says damning report The Independent backs calls for jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai to be released

“Doomsday cult mom” Lori Vallow has been pictured with a slight smirk on her face in a new mugshot after she was convicted of murdering her two children and conspiring to murder her new husband Chad Daybell’s first wife. Vallow, 49, was found guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and grand theft over the deaths of daughter Tylee Ryan, 16, son Joshua “JJ” Vallow, 7, and conspiracy to murder Tammy Daybell, 49, in Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho. Tylee and JJ were last seen in September 2019. In June 2020, their remains were found buried on the Daybell property. Tammy died one month after their disappearance in October 2019. Over six weeks, prosecutors argued that Vallow conspired with Mr Daybell and her brother Alex Cox to kill the three victims, motivated by greed and their doomsday cult beliefs. On Friday 12 May, jurors convicted her on all charges. She will be sentenced within 90 days’ time where she faces life in prison. Judge Steven Boyce has now ordered a pre-sentence investigation to look into Vallow’s background including prior criminal record, social history, health, education and employment records. Read More Lori Vallow has been convicted of her children’s murders. What happens next? Lori Vallow’s indictment over Brandon Boudreaux murder conspiracy revealed days after Idaho conviction Lori Vallow had two alleged accomplices in her children’s murders. One will never face justice Who is Lori Vallow? Mom-of-three, beauty queen – and now convicted killer

Authorities in New Mexico have identified a gunman who killed three and wounded six others in Farmington on Monday as 18-year-old high school student Beau Wilson. The teenager was armed with three weapons including an AR-15-style rifle when he began firing randomly at passing cars in the suburb where he lived, said Deputy Police Chief Baric Crum said at a news conference on Tuesday. He was killed by police after wounding two officers. Police said the three victims included 97-year-old Gwendolyn Schofield, and her daughter Melody Ivie, 73, who died at the scene after their car was fired upon. A third women, 79-yearold Shirley Voita, died in hospital. Mr Crum said the shooter had also struck several homes while firing indiscriminately. Police said they had no knowledge of any link between Wilson and there three victims, and were “pretty confident it was completely random”. One of the weapons used in the shooting had been legally purchased by Wilson in November, Deputy Police Chief Kyle Dowdy said. Wilson obtained one of the other weapons from a family member. Mr Dowdy said that family members had told them that Wilson may have been suffering from mental health issues. “The amount of violence and brutality that these people faced is unconscionable to me,” Mr Dowdy said. “I don’t care what age you are, I don’t care what else is going on in your life, to kill three innocent elderly women that were just absolutely in no position to defend themselves is always going to be a tragedy.” Wilson, who wrestled competitively at high school, had minor brushes with the law as a juvenile, Mr Dowdy said. Wilson, a Farmington High School senior, roamed across a quarter mile area of the city near downtown just before 11am targeting “whatever entered his head to shoot at”, Police Chief Steve Hebbe said in a taped statement on Monday night. Police received the first 911 calls at about 10.57am. Officers arrived at the scene at 11.02am, and four officers fired 16 rounds at the gunmen, San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferrari said. Wilson was killed at about 11.05am. Farmington Mayor Nate Duckett praised three officers who had been at lunch and responded to the shooting without body armour during the press conference. He said that many examples of bravery by law enforcement officers had saved “countless lives”. He said he hoped the city could come together to heal, adding that the “community was shaken to the core.” Two officers wounded in the shooting, a Farmington officer and state police officer, had been released from hospital, Mr Duckett added. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 225 mass shootings in the United States in 2023. Read More New Mexico shooter, 18, roamed community armed with three guns firing randomly at cars and homes, police say A pregnant woman reported her boyfriend’s abuse. He wasn’t arrested until after her murder over an abortion Texas boy, 12, accused of fatally shooting Sonic employee with assault rifle after he asked friend to stop urinating in parking lot

A 12-year-old boy has been charged with murder after he allegedly shot and killed a Sonic employee in northern Texas, police said. The boy and a 20-year-old, Angel Gomez, visited a Sonic restaurant in Keene, Texas on Sunday night. Mr Gomez allegedly began acting unruly in the parking lot and began urinating near the restaurant, prompting an employee, Matthew Davis, 32, to confront him, according to CBS News. The confrontation between Mr Davis and Mr Gomez escalated into violence, at which point the 12-year-old allegedly grabbed an assault rifle the two had been traveling with and shot the Sonic employee several times, according to police. The boy fired at least six shots from the rifle, according to KTVT's reporting. Mr Gomez and the 12-year-old then fled the scene. Police were called in response to the shooting, where they found Mr Davis lying in the parking lot around 9:40pm. Mr Davis was reportedly struggling to breathe when they found him. He was rushed to a hospital for surgery but ultimately died from his injuries. Mr Gomez reportedly returned to the Sonic after the shooting and was arrested on murder charges. Police then tracked down the juvenile in Rio Vista, approximately 15 miles away, and took him into custody on murder charges. Law enforcement searched the home and located several firearms. A cross was erected and flowers have been left at the Sonic in memory of Mr Davis, who was the father to a 10-year-old son, according to NBC5. Jane Baggett, a local resident who stopped by the Sonic to contribute to the memorial, said she was regretful there was nothing more the community could do for Mr Davis. “I wish there was more that we could do, but right now if they could just see that support and love, and maybe, even if we didn’t know him, [know] his life mattered to many of us,” she told NBC5. A spokesperson for Sonic also released a statement acknowledging the attack. “We are saddened to learn about the tragedy involving a franchised team member in Keene, TX. The franchisee is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation.” A GoFundMe has been established to help pay for Mr Davis' funeral costs. Read More New Mexico shooter, 18, roamed community armed with three guns firing randomly at cars and homes, police say A pregnant woman reported her boyfriend’s abuse. He wasn’t arrested until after her murder over an abortion New Mexico gunman who killed 3 and injured 6 shot randomly at cars, houses, police say

A Pennsylvania man who has been accused of hiding in an OnlyFans model's attic told a judge that she wanted his attention, according to court documents. Mauricio Guerrero, 19, appeared for a hearing on Friday in Stafford County Superior Court in Dover, Pennsylvania, according to WMUR. Mr Guerrero was charged with four counts of burglary for allegedly breaking into a woman's house, photographing her while she slept and hiding in her attic. Mr Guerrero met the woman on the website OnlyFans in 2021. The defendant told the judge that the woman wanted him to be "obsessed" with her, and to act like "a stalker." He said that "she liked it," ascribing his actions to their dynamic. During testimony on Thursday, the victim said she was often drunk when she chatted with Mr Guerrero on the website, and said she does not remember many of their conversations. Mr Guerrero recounted his version of their conversations. “We talked about meeting up, about me coming up. Between that we talked about having intercourse,” he said. Prosecutors claim that Mr Guerrero traveled to her home in New Hampshire six times, and noted the victim refused to see him several times. She admitted that on one visit they did spend time together and had sex. She told the court she continued communicating with him because she liked the way their conversations made him feel. Mr Guerrero's defence team claim he believed the two were in a relationship based on the pair's conversations. When they asked him how he got into the house, he said he entered through the house's back door, and admitted he "tried to use the crowbar." Mr Guerrero was arrested on 9 February after the victim called police to report that she heard someone in her home. "Officers on scene located a male suspect on the roof of the residence. After an on-scene investigation, the male was taken into custody for the charge of Burglary. The investigation was furthered, and information was obtained that the suspect was known to the victim from online social media," the Somersworth Police Department said in a statement posted to its Facebook page. Police said at the time that Mr Guerrero had been staying at an Airbnb in Portsmouth, and that he was in the home "with the intent to commit theft and invasion of privacy." Investigators found a video on his phone of the victim sleeping naked in her bed. Mr Guerrero admitted to recording the video, and the victim said she never gave him permission to film her, according to a detective's affidavit. Police said the victim initially agreed to meet with Mr Guerrero because he had offered to buy her a TV and a fireplace for her apartment. “She said he seemed nice at first and she gave him her address because he wanted to buy her a TV and fireplace for her apartment in Dover,” a police affidavit explains. “She never really wanted to meet him, but he was very pushy.” Read More Pennsylvania man charged with hiding in OnlyFans model’s attic and secretly filming her OnlyFans star Christina Ashten Gourkani dies of heart attack after ‘medical procedure’, aged 34 OnlyFans model files $6.3bn revenge porn lawsuit against ex-boyfriend after he posted graphic images following split

A young girl who was abducted by her mother in Illinois has finally been found safe six years later after a North Carolina store owner recognised her from a Netflix show. Kayla Unbehaun was nine years old when she vanished without a trace while in the care of her mother Heather Unhebhaun. It was 4 July 2017 and Kayla had gone for a visit with her mother, who only had visitation rights and not full custody of her daughter. The next day, Kayla’s father – who had full custody – went to pick her up from her mother’s house in Wheaton, Illinois, to find his daughter and her mother missing. A search was launched to track down the abducted child but, for years, the trail went cold. But Kayla’s story wasn’t forgotten and the case was featured in an episode of Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries” series, titled “Abducted by a Parent”. Last month, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) then released an age-progression photo to show how Kayla may look now at the age of 15. Now, almost six years on, a chance sighting more than 600 miles away in North Carolina has finally led authorities to locate the missing child. An unidentified owner of a store in Asheville had spotted Kayla, now aged 15, in a local shopping centre and recognised her from the Netflix show, reported WSOC. The Good Samaritan called police who found Kayla and took her into protective custody. Ms Unbehaun was arrested and charged with one count of child abduction, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. She is being held on $250,000 bond and further charges are also possible. The NCMEC – which posted alerts to try to find Kayla over the past five-plus years – shared a message from Kayla’s father celebrating the news that his daughter had been found safe. “I’m overjoyed that Kayla is home safe. I want to thank the South Elgin Police Department, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and all of the law enforcement agencies who assisted with her case,” he said. “We ask for privacy as we get to know each other again and navigate this new beginning.” Over the years, Kayla’s father Ryan had continued to promote his daughter’s case on the Facebook page “Bring Kayla Home”. On 6 January, he posted a birthday message to his missing daughter and spoke of his hopes that they would be reunited soon. “Happy 15th birthday, Kayla. I love you and miss you so much. I can’t wait for the day that I get to see you again, hoping each day I wake up will be the day,” he said. “It could never come soon enough. I think of you every day hoping and praying that you are safe, happy and that you will come back into my life soon.” Read More Lori Vallow has been convicted of her children’s murders. What happens next? Missing boy, 4, found dead after search in South Boston Lori Vallow is facing life in prison for her children’s murders. We only know one side of the story

A Colorado man attempted to switch places with his dog to convince law enforcement officials that the pet was behind the wheel to avoid a ticket, police said. The driver, who was not named, was pulled over for speeding on Saturday before the man “attempted to switch places with his dog, who was in the passenger seat”, the Springfield police department said. The man, who was driving from Las Animas to Pueblo, got lost in Springfield and was stopped by the police around 11.30pm on Saturday night. An officer watched the entire episode of the driver maneuvering inside the car to swap places with the dog before the man himself got out from the passenger side. “The male party then exited the passenger side of the vehicle and claimed he was not driving,” the police said. The police said that the man showed clear signs of intoxication and when asked about his alcohol consumption then he ran from the officer before being nabbed again. “The male party was apprehended quickly within about 20 yards of the vehicle,” police said. The man was found to have two active warrants for his arrest out of Pueblo and was booked for his warrants and charged with drinking and driving, speeding and resisting arrest. “The dog was given to an acquaintance of the driver to take care of while the party was in jail,” the police said. “The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning,” they added. In January, the Wyandotte Police Department (WPD) of Michigan took to Facebook to share that a police dog was under investigation for allegedly stealing lunch from one of its colleagues. Sharing the mugshot of the dog named Officer Ice, the police department said the canine is “not cooperating with the investigation” and had a history of rummaging through trash cans. The cheeky post went viral on social media and was followed by other similar posts by the department. Read More World's oldest dog celebrates 31st birthday, according to Guinness World Records Puppy found with swastikas ‘drawn all over her body’ 40 monkeys killed in suspected case of ‘mass poisoning’ in India

The San Francisco district attorney has released the surveillance footage that showed the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old transgender activist accused of shoplifting by a Walgreens security guard. The video was released on Monday following a public outcry after it was announced that the district attorney won't file charges against the guard, identified as Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony. The footage shows the guard assaulting unarmed Banko Brown on 27 April before fatally shooting him outside a downtown Walgreens. Brown was a budding community organiser known for helping Black transgender youth and reportedly struggled with homelessness. Last week, the board of supervisors unanimously approved a resolution urging district attorney Brooke Jenkins's office to release more evidence. She cited self-defence in her decision not to charge the guard. The video, which does not have sound, shows Brown heading for the door with a bag in his hand when he is intercepted by the guard. He then pushes and repeatedly punches Brown in the head before pinning him to the ground. The scuffle continues when after a point, the guard lifts Brown into the air. When Mr Anthony lets Brown go, he picks up the bag and moves to exit the store. He turns around and appears to step toward Mr Anthony, at which point the guard lifts his gun and shoots once, sending Brown falling back onto the ground. Mr Anthony, who was initially arrested and later released, told the police that he asked Brown to put the items back, but Brown was aggressive and fought to keep them. He said he told Brown he would let him go if he calmed down, and that Brown kept saying he was going to stab him. However, a knife was not found on Brown. Mr Anthony argued that he let Brown go, but he drew his gun and kept it pointed at the ground just in case Brown attacked. He said he shot when Brown advanced. The case was discharged by the district attorney on 1 May. The guard in interviews also misgendered Brown, referring to him as “she” and “her”. San Francisco supervisor Shamann Walton said in a statement that the video does not show justification for the shooting. Mr Walton said he plans to join board president Aaron Peskin in calling on the state attorney general for an independent review of the prosecutor’s decision. But Ms Jenkins, who has been criticised for handling the case, said that even after seeking more evidence, there was nothing to rebut the guard’s claim of self-defense. She pleaded with viewers to review all the evidence, including witness and police reports, given that the video footage lacks sound. "There will be a temptation, as human beings, to only view the video footage of this incident and nothing else," Ms Jenkins said. "We are accustomed to seeing videos online, and that often is what captures our attention rather than going the extra step to look deeper." Community members on Monday afternoon gathered outside Walgreens to protest against Ms Jenkins's decision to not file charges. Activists, politicians and others who reviewed the released footage of Brown’s death alleged that the video proves the security guard did not act in self-defence as suggested by the district attorney. Demonstrators with banners that read ”Justice for Banko Brown” demanded that Ms Jenkins press charges against the guard. "I was sad, but now I'm mad. I'm so mad. He was on the way to the centre the day he died," Tumani Drew, a friend of Brown's, told The San Francisco Standard. "All we know is that Banko was leaving the store. Anthony had no right to take his life." Brown worked as a community organiser for the Young Women’s Freedom Center – a nonprofit that provides support for young women and trans youths. "We do not need to see the video to know that Banko Brown’s killing was unjustified. Armed force is not a justified response to poverty,” said Julia Arroyo, the centre’s co-executive director. "We must live with the sobering reality that he was killed for no other cause but $14." Read More Transgender woman jailed for rape sent to male prison Payback? Project funds axed after Kansas lawmaker defies governor on abortion, trans rights Wave of anti-transgender bills in Republican-led states divides US faith leaders