List of All Articles with Tag 'us crime news'

Five teenagers were arrested in connection with the beating of three US Marines by a crowd of young people they had asked to stop lighting fireworks. The violent incident, which was captured on video, took place at Southern California‘s San Clemente Pier over Memorial Day weekend. The suspects, four of whom are boys and one girl, face felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The city also says that four other local students were identified and have been citied with misdemeanour assault charges. First responders gave medical aid to two Marines, who refused to go to the hospital, and investigators later found a third Marine who had also been attacked. The video seemingly shows that the incident started when a teenage male punched a man in the back of the head. The man then charged the teenager before being surrounded by a group of people who hit him until the fight was broken up by a man and woman. One of the Marines, Hunter Antonino, told KCAL that he and his two friends were at the pier when 30 teenagers arrived and began to set off fireworks He said that when he was hit in the face by debris he asked the group to leave. “They were lighting off fireworks, they were being belligerent, they were being obnoxious and annoying other people, so I went up to them and told them to stop,” he said. San Clemente mayor Chris Duncan told The Los Angeles Times that the incident was unacceptable. “The barbaric assault on off-duty Marines at the San Clemente Pier goes against everything we stand for in San Clemente, and it’s no excuse that teenagers were involved,” he said. “I want to assure our community, especially our military and veteran community, that we take this matter with the utmost seriousness and will not tolerate this kind of behavior in our city. The fact that this incident occurred over Memorial Day weekend is particularly tragic.” Read More Video shows mob attack US marines who asked them to stop lighting fireworks Highly decorated Marine officer nominated to be next commandant Critics say Biden is lying about how his son Beau died in Iraq – they are ignoring the full story

The gunman accused of murdering 11 in a mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 is now on trial in a federal courtroom in Pittsburgh. On 27 October 2018, Robert Bowers, then 46, entered the synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighbourhood armed with three handguns, an AR-15 rifle, and a trove of magazines and ammunition. Inside, he opened fire on congregants in what marks the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. Eight men and three women – aged from 54 to 97 – died in the massacre. After numerous delays, the now-50-year-old is finally standing trial for more than 60 federal charges including obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death and hate crimes resulting in death. During opening arguments on Tuesday, Mr Bowers’ attorneys admitted that he was responsible for the massacre but claimed that he acted on “an irrational motive” and had “misguided intent”. Prosecutors meanwhile pointed out that, in the months leading up the shooting, the suspect was spewing bigoted and antisemitic vitriol online. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Read More Who is Robert Bowers: Alleged antisemite on trial for Tree of Life synagogue shooting Police say Robert Bowers had an ‘unthinkable’ thought – then carried out America’s deadliest antisemitic attack

Police in Hollywood, Florida are searching for suspects wanted in connection to a mass shooting that left nine victims – including four children – injured on a beach boardwalk in Hollywood, 20 miles north of Miami. The shooting unfolded at about 6.15pm local time near the beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida, on Monday as families and friends gathered to enjoy the Memorial Day holiday. Police said a fight is believed to have broken out between two groups on the seafront, which then escalated into gunfire. Chilling video from the incident shows terrified crowds fleeing the busy boardwalk. At least nine people were injured in the mass shooting, including a one-year-old baby and a 17-year-old. Hollywood Police Department spokesperson Deanna Bettineschi said one victim was in surgery late on Monday while the others were stable. Several persons of interest were detained following the incident with two arrested for firearm charges. Now, police are searching for three people in connection to the shooting. Authorities released images of the three suspects and are asking the public for help identifying them. Read More Tourists flee Florida beach in terror as gunshots ring out in harrowing video of Hollywood shooting A sunny Memorial Day at the beach upended by gunfire: What we know about the shooting in Hollywood, Florida Ron DeSantis called out for ‘ignoring’ Hollywood beach shooting: ‘He doesn’t care’

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis faced criticism on Tuesday for failing to issue a statement about the mass shooting in Hollywood, Florida that left nine people, including four children, injured. Mr DeSantis, who announced his campaign for US president last week, made no mention of the victims or event on his social media nearly a day after the shooting. Five adults and four children, including a one-year-old, suffered gunshot wounds after two groups of people engaged in gunfire at the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk on Monday. The shooting is one of over 260 to occur in the US so far this year. It comes just one month after Mr DeSantis signed legislation that will loosen restrictions on concealed carry on 1 July. The Independent has reached out to Mr DeSantis for comment. Florida Senator, and former governor, Rick Scott tweeted that he was “heartbroken and angry to see this senseless violence” and indicated he would monitor the situation. Representatives Maxwell Frost, Lois Frankel, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Frederica Wilson all acknowledged the shooting on their social media pages. California Governor Gavin Newsom called out Mr DeSantis on Twitter for passing the legislation and contributing to “this kind of senseless violence.” “Until our leaders have the courage to stop bowing down to the NRA and enact common-sense gun safety this kind of senseless violence will continue,” Mr Newsom wrote. Mr DeSantis’ press secretary Jeremy Redfern replied to Mr Newsom “Hi Gavin, How does a law that doesn’t take effect until July 1st change this outcome?” Besides Mr Redfern’s response to Mr Newsom’s tweet, Mr DeSantis’ office had not issued a statement about the shooting leading to some criticsm on Twitter. “9 people were shot in Hollywood, Florida and it sure as hell wasn’t by Drag Queens,” one Twitter user said. A Twitter user named David tweeted: “I kind of appreciate Ron DeSantis not even bothering to offer thoughts and prayers to victims of the mass shooting in Hollywood Beach last night. He doesn’t care. It’s more honest.” “So is Governor DeSantis going to pretend that a mass shooting didn’t happen in his state so that he can have his rally in Iowa? Has he even made a public statement about the shooting yet?” Another Twitter user wrote. One Twitter user asked: “Does Ron DeSantis even offer thoughts and prayers when his state has another mass shooting or is it just another Monday in Florida?” Six of the nine shooting victims remained in the hospital on Tuesday, while three had been treated and discharged. Hollywood Police said they arrested two people but were still looking for three persons of interest connected to the shooting. Read More Hollywood beach shooting – live: Photos show suspects on the run after nine shot on Florida boardwalk One-year-old among nine people wounded in Memorial Day mass shooting at Florida beach boardwalk A sunny Memorial Day at the beach upended by gunfire: What we know about the shooting in Hollywood, Florida

On 27, October, 2018, Robert Bowers, then 46, allegedly walked into the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and began shooting at worshippers. He allegedly killed 11 people before he was shot and wounded and surrendered to police. Mr Bowers now faces 63 federal counts, including 11 counts each of obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death as well as hate crimes resulting in death. He could face the death penalty if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty. Nearly five years have passed since the shooting, but Mr Bowers' trial is only now kicking off in earnest. The trial began on Tuesday and is expected to last until late July. In the months leading up the shooting, Mr Bowers was allegedly spewing bigoted and antisemitic vitriol online, investigators say. He allegedly called immigrants "invaders" and posted racist memes, including some that accused Jewish people of being the "enemy of white people." On the day of the shooting he reportedly posted a message to a web forum, saying "I can't stand by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in." He then allegedly proceeded to murder 11 people at the synagogue. After his arrest, police learned that Mr Bowers had 21 weapons registered to his name. He was otherwise unknown to law enforcement. They then began to review Mr Bowers' online presence, finding an account on Gab — a supposedly free speech oriented, right wing social media alternative to the likes of Twitter — where he allegedly posted a steady slew of hate. His bio included the phrase "Jews are the children of Satan" and his posts consisted of anti-Jewish slurs and conspiracy theories, according to the New York Times. The conspiracy theories included allegations that Jewish people were smuggling Muslims into the US, and another showing an image of the Auschwitz concentration camp, with the photo doctored to make its infamous gate read "Lies Make Money." Days before the shooting he called then-president Donald Trump a "globalist" — often a term carrying antisemitic implications — and said "there is no #MAGA as long as there is a k*** infestation." The omitted word is a racial slur used against Jewish people. Police claim that after being shot and wounded at the synagogue, Mr Bowers said: “These people are committing genocide on my people. I just want to kill Jews.” His defence attempted to have that quotation barred from consideration at his trial, arguing he made the statement before he was read his Miranda warning. A judge denied the motion. The alleged gunman worked as a trucker before the shooting. Prosecutors are arguing that hate drove Mr Bowers' alleged attack on the synagogue. “The depths of the defendant’s malice and hate can only be proven in the broken bodies” of those killed, and through “his hateful words,” Assistant US Attorney Soo C Song said during her opening statement. Prosecutors claimed in an earlier filing that Mr Bowers allegedly “harbored deep, murderous animosity towards all Jewish people.” The defence — after unsuccessfully arguing against the use of Mr Bowers' statements to police and for a change of venue — have filed a notice of mental infirmity again his potential sentencing, according to court records. They claim Mr Bowers has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and epilepsy. His attorneys have also offered a plea deal in exchange for the removal of the death penalty. Read More Gab: Inside the social network where alleged Pittsburgh synagogue shooter posted final message Synagogue shooter 'listened to noise and noise told him his people were being slaughtered', says Jewish doctor who spoke to Robert Bowers Trial for accused gunman in Pittsburgh synagogue massacre slated to start

Elizabeth Holmes has surrendered to a federal prison in Texas to begin her 11-year sentence over the Theranos scandal which rocked the high-flying tech world of Silicon Valley. The 39-year-old disgraced tech entrepreneur reported to Bryan, the minimum-security federal prison camp in Texas, on Tuesday after exhausting all remaining legal avenues to cling onto her freedom. Holmes was convicted in January 2022 of four counts of fraud and conspiracy for lying about the capabilities pf her biotech company’s blood testing technology and conning investors out of millions of dollars. She was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison and ordered to pay $452m in restitution to investors – including $125m to media mogul Rupert Murdoch. Holmes had been given until 2pm local time to surrender to the prison camp where she will see out her 11-year sentence surrounded by other white-collar, non-violent female offenders. Her two children – two-year-old William and three-month-old Invicta – will be allowed to visit their mother in the facility. The prison camp, which runs a work-focused program where all inmates are required to hold a job for at least 90 days, is a marked difference from Holmes’ life years earlier when she was seen as the darling of Silicon Valley. The saga began two decades ago when Holmes dropped out of Stanford University in 2003 at the age of 19 to found Theranos. The blood lab company aimed to develop medical devices that could diagnose hundreds of diseases and medical conditions with just a pinprick of blood. Over the next 10 years, Theranos boasted about its capabilities to transform the healthcare industry and grew to a value of $9bn, attracting investments from the likes of Murdoch, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the heirs to the Walmart fortune. The company amassed an influential board of directors including former presidential cabinet members George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and James Mattis. Holmes, meanwhile, was catapulted onto magazine covers and became heralded as the next Steve Jobs while her personal fortune reached $4.5bn. But the technology didn’t do close to what Holmes claimed it could. In 2018, Holmes – Theranos CEO and founder – and Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani – Theranos chief operating officer and Holmes’ live-in romantic partner – were both indicted on fraud charges and the company was dissolved. She was allowed out on bail and while awaiting trial – which was stalled due to the Covid-19 pandemic – Holmes became pregnant with her first child with her partner, hotel boss Billy Evans. She became pregnant with her second child following her conviction. During her trial, Holmes sought to paint a picture that she had simply been under the control of Balwani, 57, and that she never intended to mislead investors about the technology’s capabilities. The jury didn’t buy it and she was convicted of four counts, which could have landed her with up to 20 years’ prison time. Balwani was also convicted of 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy at his trial and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison. He began serving his sentence in Southern California last month. Since her conviction, Holmes has fought to stay out of prison claiming that she was treated unfairly by prosecutors during trial and that she should be allowed to remain out of prison while she appeals the conviction. An appeals court denied her request and said she must report to prison where she can continue to appeal her conviction behind bars. She asked the judge that she be allowed to remain free through Memorial Day weekend so that she could sort out childcare for her two children, before surrendering to authorities on 30 May. Weeks before beginning her sentence, Holmes admitted that she had made “many mistakes” in a new interview with The New York Times. “I made so many mistakes and there was so much I didn’t know and understand, and I feel like when you do it wrong, it’s like you really internalise it in a deep way,” she said. Read More Elizabeth Holmes news – latest: Theranos founder to surrender to Texas prison today to begin 11-year sentence As Elizabeth Holmes heads to prison for fraud, questions remain about her motives Elizabeth Holmes requests May 30 as new date to report to prison after losing her bid to remain free

A chilling video of the mass shooting at Florida’s Hollywood Beach on Memorial Day has showed people panicking and scrambling for safety. Nine people – six adults and three children – were wounded in the shooting in 1200 block of N Broadwalk near the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, 20 miles north of Miami. Local reports said several victims were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. Live cam footage showed people frantically running from the scene after gunshots were heard. Chaos and the fear at the scene are palpable from the video showing beachgoers running away. According to police officials, the shooting was the result of an altercation between two groups. Reports said one person of interest was detained while the search for another continues. Eyewitnesses described the aftermath of the mass shooting. “I saw a young man that was on the ground bleeding and they were applying pressure to prevent the bleeding,” Vance Hendricks, who was visiting from Philadelphia, told CBS News. Police urged people to avoid the area where the shots were fired. “If you are looking to reunite with a family member, we have set up a reunification area at Johnson St and N Ocean bus loop,” said a tweet. Read More At least nine people wounded in Memorial Day mass shooting at Florida beach Police investigating shooting near beach boardwalk in Hollywood, Florida Police: Puerto Rico assailants targeting drug rival killed 2 and injured 13

The father of a three-month-old baby has been charged with murder after the little girl’s lifeless body was found dumped in a wooded area close to the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Genevieve Comager’s body was found at around 8.25pm ET on Sunday evening at West 161st Street and the Major Deegan Expressway, following a tip-off from the little girl’s grandfather. The NYPD said that emergency workers responded to the area – close to a transitional housing shelter where she lived with her parents – but the infant was pronounced dead at the scene. The little girl’s father Damion Comager, 23, was arrested and charged with murder and concealment of a corpse on Monday night, police said. Genevieve’s 20-year-old Ivana Paolozzi was also arrested and hit with charges of concealment of a corpse and obstructing governmental administration. It is not currently clear how the little girl died. However, Mr Comager’s father Donald Comager told The New York Post that his son told him he “shook” his daughter when she wouldn’t stop crying. He then later found her “stiff” and “cold” in her bed and panicked, before leaving her in the trash-strewn wooded area, he said. “He told me the baby was doing a lot of crying. She wouldn’t stop crying,” Donald Comager said. “He said he just shook her and lay her down, and he lay down and went to sleep. “He got up and reached for her and she was stiff and her body was cold. He panicked. He told his girlfriend, ‘I think she is dead.’” Donald Comager, 47, said it was him who then turned his son into authorities after speaking to a priest and deciding he needed to “do the right thing”, he told the Post.

At least nine people were wounded in a mass shooting at Florida’s Hollywood Beach on Memorial Day, according to reports. The incident, which saw a 15-year-old victim among the wounded, took place in the area of the 1200 block of N Broadwalk on Monday evening, according to CBS Miami. “Please avoid the area of Johnson to Garfield Streets, as well as the Broadwalk, due to an ongoing shooting investigation. Heavy police presence in the area. If you are looking to reunite with a family member, we have set up a reunification area at Johnson St and N Ocean bus loop,” tweeted Hollywood Polie Department. Witnesses posted online that the shooting took place outside Nicks Bar & Grill at around 7pm ET.

At least seven people were wounded in a mass shooting at Florida’s Hollywood Beach on Memorial Day, according to reports. The incident, which saw a 15-year-old victim among the wounded, took place in the area of the 1200 block of N Broadwalk on Monday evening, according to CBS Miami. “Please avoid the area of Johnson to Garfield Streets, as well as the Broadwalk, due to an ongoing shooting investigation. Heavy police presence in the area. If you are looking to reunite with a family member, we have set up a reunification area at Johnson St and N Ocean bus loop,” tweeted Hollywood Polie Department.

Nikki Alcaraz vanished without trace while on a roadtrip from her home in Tennessee to California with her boyfriend Tyler Stratton. Ms Alcaraz, 33, was last seen in the New Mexico town of Moriarty on 6 May. Authorities and her desperate family are appealing for information about her whereabouts. The missing person case has drawn comparisons to the Gabby Petito investigation after sheriff’s deputies in Torrance County pulled the couple over after receiving reports that Mr Stratton had assaulted Ms Alcaraz. The officers let them go without pressing criminal charges after Mr Stratton claimed he had also been hit. Here’s what we know about the case. The trip Nikki Alcaraz, a mother of two also known as Nikki Hernandez, left her home in Cheatham County, Tennessee, in her 2013 Jeep Wrangler with Tennessee plates in late April bound for Orange County, to visit family. Ms Alcaraz was travelling with her boyfriend Mr Stratton and a pet dog. On 4 May, sheriff’s deputies in Torrance County, New Mexico, pulled the couple over after receiving a report that he had struck Ms Alcaraz. Mr Stratton told authorities that he had also been hit, and both declined to press charges. Authorities have since released photos showing Ms Alcaraz with a black eye, cuts on her face and severe bruising on her arms after the alleged assault. “He beat her up pretty badly,” her brother Josh Alcaraz told Fox5. “A truck driver had to pull him off of her, call the police, the police picked him up, took him a couple exits down and dropped him off. She was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, and a broken hand or wrist.” Ms Alcaraz was taken to a Super 8 motel in the town of Moriarty. A friend travelled from California and stayed with her overnight at the motel. The plan was for the friend to take her back to California. On 6 May, Ms Alcaraz left the motel and told the friend she was going to try to find her boyfriend. This was the last time she has been seen alive, the woman’s family said. Her sister Toni Alcaraz told WKRN that she received a text on 8 May saying she was in Arizona, and planned to continue the trip to California. She hasn’t heard anything since then. Ms Alcaraz told the news site it was highly unusual not to hear from her for an extended period. Ms Alcaraz’s licence plate was picked up near Flagstaff, Arizona, on 9 May. But her phone has reportedly been switched off, and no further sightings have been reported. Missing person investigation Toni Alcaraz said she filed a missing persons report in New Mexico as that was where she was last seen. Josh Alcaraz said he feared that his sister’s vehicle might have broken down in the desert or come off the road. "We would like everybody to keep their eyes open, and if you see the Jeep, if you see him, if you see her, call somebody. Call the police," he told Fox5. Officials in Cheatham County, Tennessee, are working with law enforcement agencies in New Mexico and California to try to locate Ms Alcaraz. “Due to a history of domestic assault we believe she is in danger,” the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post appealing for information. District Attorney General Ray Crouch told WKRN his office had requested a nationwide extradition for Mr Stratton, who is also missing. Mr Stratton is wanted on an unrelated arrest warrant for theft and begged for the public’s assistance. Family say they are holding onto the hope of finding Ms Alcaraz alive. “If you see the Jeep, if you see him, if you see her, call somebody,” Josh Alcaraz told Fox5. “Obviously, worst-case scenario is very present in the back of my mind. I’m trying to hold out hope.” Ms Alcaraz, who is also known as Nikki Cunningham, is 5’6” with brown eyes and black/brown hair. She also has several distinctive tattoos. Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to call police in Moriarty on 505-832-6060 or 505-834-2705. Mr Stratton’s family have reportedly not filed a missing person report, according to online reports. Gabby Petito comparisons The allegations of assault on a cross-country road trip have been drawing comparisons to the 2021 disappearance and murder of vlogger Gabby Petito. Petito set off from her home in New York in July that year with her boyfriend Brian Laundrie. The couple was pulled over in Utah by officers from the Moab Police Department on 12 August after receiving reports that Laundrie had struck Petito. They were allowed to continue separately after Laundrie claimed he had been hit by Petito. After a nationwide search and international media attention, Petito’s remains were found in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming in September. Laundrie later shot himself in the head and left a suicide note confessing to killing Petito. Petito’s family is suing the Moab Police Department for failing to follow the law and protect her during the traffic stop. An independent review of the domestic assault incident found the officers had made several mistakes, and should have been classified as a domestic assault. Petito’s family are also suing Laundrie’s parents Chris and Roberta for emotional distress. Read More Search for missing woman who vanished on cross-country roadtrip with her boyfriend sparks Gabby Petito comparisons Bombshell letter where Brian Laundrie’s mother vowed to ‘dispose of body’ is given to Gabby Petito’s parents Louisiana high school graduate who fell off boat in Bahamas is lost at sea as Coast Guard calls off search

A wild shootout between a bus driver and passenger on a moving vehicle that left both injured was captured on security video. Officials in Charlotte, North Carolina, say that the shocking incident took place when a passenger got up while the bus was moving and asked to be dropped off between stops. The driver, David Fullard, told the passenger, identified as Omarri Shariff Tobias, he would have to wait until the next approved stop, according to the Charlotte Area Transit System. Transit bosses say that after a two-minute exchange between the pair, Mr Tobias pulled out a gun and pointed it at the driver. Mr Fullard then pulled out his own weapon and both men fired “in rapid succession”, although the company says it is unclear who fired first. The driver was struck in the arm, and the passenger was hit in the abdomen, says the transit system. Video of the event then shows the driver stopping the bus and firing from the aisle of the bus as the passenger crawled towards the back of the vehicle. Mr Tobias and another passenger got out of the bus by the rear exit, while the driver got out of the front door, firing his weapon again. Both Mr Fullard and Mr Tobias were taken to hospital in stable condition and are expected to recover, the transit system said. Mr Tobias was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries, communicating threats, and carrying a concealed firearm, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a statement. It is unclear if Mr Fullard will face criminal charges, but he was fired by his employer RATP Dev, which supplies bus drivers for the transit system. The system says its policy bans employees from possessing a firearm or weapon while on duty or on company property. Read More Man confesses to string of deadly Arizona shootings, blaming his hatred of drugs and homelessness Aderrien Murry called 911 to help his mom. A police officer shot the 11-year-old as he complied with commands ‘Malibu sniper’ convicted of murdering California dad shot dead in camping tent