WebProNews

Tag: Crime

  • Inherit Some Expensive Jewelry? Don’t Post It on Facebook

    Since the beginning of the social media craze, police have been warning people that criminals use Facebook too, and they can stalk you just the same as a crazy ex-boyfriend. Sure, you think you’re being cute with your wooo-hooo, goin to Jamaica! posts, but to someone who really wants to steal your shit – it’s an open invitation.

    Police say that some dumb Facebook and Instagram activity likely contributed to a home invasion in northeast Philadelphia.

    After recently inheriting some expensive jewelry, some teens decided to slap it up on Facebook and Instagram – you know, for the likes. Apparently, the wrong people were watching.

    At about 2:30am this past weekend, three masked men forced their way into the victim’s apartment by busting down the front door. From CBS Philly:

    Police say the robbers demanded jewelry. They got away with a Rolex watch and several gold chains, jumping out of the second floor window before police arrived.

    Authorities say another teen inside the home was quickly able to call police on his cell phone from the bathroom, but the suspects escaped through a back window with a Rolex and a several gold chains as officers arrived.

    “Definitely somebody who was affiliated with him. It had to be. It had to be one of his friends or friends of a friend. I think it was a setup to be honest with you,” said the victim’s roommate.

    If you come into some money or inherit a bunch of Rolexes, you might want to keep the news off Instagram. You never know who’s following you.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Teen Took Snapchat Selfie with Classmate He Shot in the Face: Police

    In true wtf news of the day, a Jeannette, Pennsylvania teen is facing first-degree murder charges after he reportedly confessed to shooting his classmate in the face. Police say they were able to link 16-year-old Maxwell Morton to the crime with a gruesome Snapchat selfie.

    According to police, Morton shot his classmate, 16-year-old Ryan Mangan, in the face with a 9mm handgun. Shortly after, he took a selfie with the body and sent it to another classmate via Snapchat.

    Here are some of the chilling details, via the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

    “(Police) received a copy of the photo which depicted the victim sitting in the chair with a gunshot wound to the face,” a police affidavit states. “It also depicts a black male taking the ‘selfie,’ with his face facing the camera and the victim behind the actor. The photo had the name ‘Maxwell’ across the top.”

    Morton also allegedly sent text messages that read, “Told you I cleaned up the shells,” and “Ryan was not the last one.”

    Police were alerted to the existence of the photo by the boy’s mother. Her son had managed to take a screenshot of the image before it disappeared, as Snapchat photos eventually do. Police confronted Morton at his home and found a 9mm and a discharged casing. Morton later confessed to the murder.

    According to the Review, Morton is being charged as an adult.

    Image via Maurizio Pesce, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Mom Turns in Son After Spotting Him on Police Facebook Page

    This is going to be an awkward Thanksgiving.

    Police in Casselberry, Florida, like many police departments around the country, have taken to Facebook and Twitter over the past few years to get help in solving crimes, locating fugitives, and getting general information out to the public. Over the years, I’ve seen story after story about criminals commenting on their own Facebook wanted posters, taunting the police on Facebook, and more general stupidity.

    But this is a first.

    According to WFTV, an 18-year-old has been arrested and charged with retail theft and shoplifting after his mom saw his photo on the local police department’s Facebook page and turned him in.

    This was the post she saw, which claims that the man on the surveillance video stole approximately $670 worth of PlayStation and Xbox controllers from a local Target.

    Post by Casselberry Police Department.

    From WFTV:

    According to police, a woman contacted them to say she had seen the Facebook post and the young man they were looking for was her son.

    Police said they went to the home of Joel Brown, 18, where they found him wearing the same sweatshirt seen in the surveillance photos. Brown was arrested.

    Even your mom thinks stealing Xbox controllers from Target is a douchey thing to do. I guess it’s just tough love. Really, really tough love.

    Image via Casselberry Police Department, Facebook

  • Florida Man Used Fake Facebook Accounts to Lure Minors for Sex, Brought Baby Along for Meetup

    A Florida Man is facing charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor after police say he used Facebook to convince underage girls to meet him for sex.

    The scheme was a bit more elaborate than just contacting young girls on Facebook and making a pass. 44-year-old Tadd Link Clukey reportedly created multiple fake profiles on the social network, posing as young, attractive girls with names like ‘Amanda Panzone’ and ‘Kaitlyn Beth’.

    According to reports, Clukey would then send out random friend requests and once he got a few girls to bite, he’d begin establishing a relationship with them over Facebook.

    Eventually, the conversations moved from Facebook to the telephone.

    After that, Clukey, posing as the girls, would gauge their interest in having sex with an older man for money. According to WSVN, Clukey was successful in convincing at least two young girls, aged 15 and 16.

    For his first actual meetup, Clukey apparently brought a baby with him.

    From WSVN:

    One of Clukey’s victims was a 15-year-old girl who said she accepted a random Facebook friend request from another girl named Kaitlyn Beth. The girl agreed to meet an older man. The girl said she entered Clukey’s car where he asked her to remove her panties then penetrated her digitally. She told police Clukey did not do anything else because he had a baby boy “in a car seat in the rear seat of the truck.”

    Months later Clukey contacted the 15-year-old again, this time taking her to a motel where they had sex. According to a police report, Clukey drove to a pharmacy to purchase an emergency contraceptive pill and told the girl to take it.

    The Sun-Sentinel has the info on the other case:

    On August 10, Clukey again posed as a girl, this time named “Amanda.” When a 16-year-old girl answered his friend request on Facebook, he asked her if she was interested in having sex with an older man for money, police said.

    Clukey picked her up near her home. He drove her to a hotel in Margate where they had sex, then paid her and dropped her off, investigators said. They repeated the encounter a week later, according to police.

    We’ve seen this exact M.O. play out in other cases of sexual misconduct involving Facebook. Usually, the predator will create multiple fake profiles – oftentimes pretending to be people closer to the targets’ age – and use them to gain some level of trust with the victims. After that, they’ll swing the idea of sex. We’ve seen this before – an older man pretending to be a young girl, who then brokers a sex-for-cash deal with an “older man”.

    Image via WSVN

  • Jessica Chambers: No Suspect, Investigators’ Fault?

    Jessica Chambers’ family and friends gathered on Saturday in Sardis, Mississippi to celebrate her birthday.

    Even without her, they seemed to be in fairly good spirits as they shared stories of her and released balloons into the sky in her honor.

    Jessica Chambers was burned to death in her car in a horrific attack that shook her family, friends, and all of those who live near her nearly two months ago.

    Jessica Chambers’ family had lovely things to say about her.

    Chambers’ Aunt, Deborah Sanders, said, “Here she was fixing to be 20, but she was still a young child at heart.”

    She added, “She would love all the balloons, whatever you did to makeover her, she would be ecstatic over it.”

    Jessica Chambers’ family may be coping with their loss, but they will likely have to wait for closure.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0JCBggLu-g

    Investigators say they still have no leads as to who may have done this horrible thing to Jessica Chambers.

    “We’re still not getting anywhere with it,” District Attorney John Champion said. “As far as who did it, that is the big question.”

    That is the big question, indeed, and some people have taken to the web to air their concerns and to criticize the investigators on the case.

    A petition on change.org has been set up to attempt to get the attention and support of the governor.

    Part of it reads, “Since this tragedy occurred the investigation seemed botched. Her car was also set on fire, she was found near her burning car. Instead of the crime scene being blocked off and secured the car was on a tow truck and taken to the gas station Jessica was last seen at on December 6th around 6:25 pm. The owner/worker at the gas station was allowed to photograph the car.”

    The petition accuses local law enforcement of corruption and tries to suggest that some gang members might be involved.

    Champion disagrees with the petition. He said, “I don’t have any concerns whatsoever about the way the crime scene was handled.”

    He added that he doesn’t think towing Jessica Chambers’ car to a gas station first had any effect on evidence at all. He said, “The car was burned so bad, we don’t know at this point what was in there.”

    Locals who were directly affected seem to think that the investigators are doing a fine job on Jessica Chambers’ case.

    “I think they are doing their job,” Chambers’ cousin, Windy Melton, said. She added, “These wannabe detectives [online] need to leave it alone and let the real people do their jobs and find justice for Jessica.”

    What do you think? From where you’re sitting, does the handling of her burned out car seem ethical?

  • Uber Sued by Woman Who Accused Driver of Rape in Delhi

    In December, an Uber driver in India was arrested after a female passenger accused him of rape.

    Now, that passenger is suing Uber – in a US federal court.

    The woman, who is still unidentified, is demanding unspecified damages. She also wants Uber to institute some passenger safeguards in India, including mandatory in-car video cameras.

    From Reuters:

    In the lawsuit, the woman, who resides in Delhi and was not named, called Uber the “modern day equivalent of electronic hitchhiking.”

    “Buyer beware – we all know how those horror movies end,” the suit stated.

    Uber was quick to express its disgust when reports of the crime emerged.

    “This is an abhorrent crime. Our thoughts remain with the victim who has shown tremendous courage under the circumstances,” said Uber’s Saad Ahmed at the time. “Safety is our #1 priority and in India.”

    Uber was then suspended in New Delhi.

    “We are sorry and deeply saddened by what happened over the weekend in New Delhi. Our hearts go out to the victim of this horrible crime. We have been and will continue to do everything in our power to assist the authorities to help bring the perpetrator to justice,” said Uber. “The events of this week have made us reflect on our operations in India and we are immediately undertaking a number of important actions. During this review, we will suspend operations in New Delhi.”

    Uber was later reinstated after applying for the required taxi licenses.

    Shortly after, Uber pledged to work on making to service safer worldwide.

    “We believe deeply that, alongside our driver partners, we have built the safest transportation option in 260 cities around the world,” said Philip Cardenas, Head of Global Safety, in a blog post. “But we have more work to do, and we will do it. Uber is committed to developing new technology tools that improve safety, strengthen and increase the number of cities and countries where background checks are conducted and improve communication with local officials and law enforcement.”

    This promise came about 24 hours before an Uber driver was charged with rape in Boston.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Man Turns Himself in After Facebook Promise to Police

    In Canadian news, a Canadian man has gone full Canada and turned himself in to police after assuring them he would on Facebook.

    CTV News says that Rodney Constantine was wanted on four warrants, including failing to appear in court and breaching court orders. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, who operates rather prolific social media accounts, took to both Facebook and Twitter solicit help in nabbing Constantine.

    “Everybody is innocent until proven guilty in court; however police base charges on reasonable probable grounds. In other words, ‘was it reasonable and probably that an offense occurred?’ We commend Mr.s Constantine for acknowledging these charges and hopefully he will contact us to have the matter dealt with properly in court,” wrote police on Facebook.

    Soon after, Constantine replied to their post, saying “See you Monday morn!!!”

    “Look just letting everyone know this ain’t a joke or intended !!!! I was just been honest about turning in Monday morn that’s all !!!!” he said.

    Sure enough, come Monday morning, Constantine showed up to turn himself in.

    The police took to Facebook to announce his arrest.

    Post by Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.

    Gotta love Canada. In the U.S, when police post wanted criminals on Facebook, they usually just taunt police until they’re eventually apprehended. They’re always apprehended.

    Image via Facebook screenshot, CTV

  • Emoji-Laden Facebook Threat Against Police Lands Teen in Jail

    Don’t threaten the police. Don’t threaten the police on Facebook. Don’t use a bunch of gun emojis when threatening the police on Facebook, which you’re not supposed to be doing anyway. In fact, at this point, I’d advise against Facebook altogether. And emojis.

    A 17-year-old Brooklyn teen was been arrested after police saw that he’d been making threats against police on Facebook – many of which contained various emojis. The ones that caught the police’s attention featured the cop emoji and the gun emoji. It wasn’t just the emoji that was threatening, however. Aristy posted plenty of plain-text threats as well.

    DNAinfo has the specific tweets, which have since been deleted.

    At 9:52 p.m. on Jan. 15, Aristy posted a photo of him with a revolver and rounds of ammunition with the caption “feel like katxhin a body right now.”

    Shortly after, Aristy posted “N***a run up on me, he gunna get blown down,’ followed by an emoji of a police officer with three gun emojis pointed at it, according to a criminal complaint.

    And at 11:05 p.m., Aristy posted “F**k the 83 104 79 98 73 PCTKKKK,” followed by the police officer emoji with two gun emojis pointed at it, the DA’s office said.

    He then wrote “U know how I rock skrap.”

    It appears this is a trend. On January 4 Aristy posted this. It’s yet to be deleted.

    Aw, isn’t that just the cutest little terroristic threat you’ve ever seen?

    Upon Aristy’s arrest, police found a .38 caliber handgun and a significant amount of pot. He’s been booked on charges of making terrorist threats, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal use of drugs, and criminal possession of marijuana.

    According to police, Aristy has a lengthy record – 12 prior arrests.

  • Feds Settle Facebook Impersonation Suit

    The U.S. Justice Department is about to pay a New York woman $134,000 over investigative tactics it once described as “legitimate law enforcement”.

    In October of 2014, the story of Sondra Arquiett hit the web. Arquiett claimed DEA agents stole her identity and gave it new life on Facebook after commandeering her cellphone upon her arrest in 2010. She was subsequently sentenced to probation for a small role in the sale of drugs.

    According to reports, the agents created the fake Facebook account, posed as her, posted photos, sent a friend request to a fugitive, accepted other friend requests, and used the account for law enforcement purposes. In other words, the DEA tried to trick suspects into revealing information by making them think they were communicating with Arquiett.

    This all went down in 2010, and in 2013 Arquiett sued the federal government for the online impersonation. The DOJ defended the DEA’s actions at first, saying they were initiated for “legitimate law enforcement purposes” and that Arquiett “implicitly consented” to the use of the information in her cellphone when she granted agent access.

    But it looks like they don’t want to take that argument to court. According to the AP, the feds are rushing to make this all go away. The Justice Department has reportedly reached a $134,000 settlement with Arquiett. The DOJ did not admit to any wrongdoing.

    “This settlement demonstrates that the government is mindful of its obligation to ensure the rights of third parties are not infringed upon in the course of its efforts to bring those who commit federal crimes to justice,” said Richard Hartunian, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, in a statement. “It also takes into account emerging personal privacy concerns in the age of social media, and represents a fair resolution of plaintiff’s claims.”

    So, the Arquiett case is one case in which the feds are happy to cut its losses and run. But what about the future? Will federal agents continue to set up fake social media accounts and impersonate people online?

    The latest settlement doesn’t address that specifically, but a DOJ spokeswoman addressed it, albeit vaguely.

    From the AP:

    The settlement does not specifically prohibit the DEA from using similar undercover tactics in the future, but a Justice Department spokeswoman said in a statement that department leadership had already met with law enforcement agencies to “make clear the necessity of protecting the privacy and safety of third parties in every aspect of our criminal investigations.”

    Unsurprisingly, nothing concrete here.

    For Facebook’s part, the company really would like the feds to stop impersonating people on the site. Last October, when details of the Arquiett case came to light, Facebook sent a strongly-worded letter to the DEA, asking that the agency “cease all activities on Facebook that involve the impersonation of others.”

    “Facebook is a community where people come to share and interact using their authentic identities. As our Chief Product Officer recently explained, this core principle is what differentiates Facebook from other services on the internet. And requiring people to use their real identities on Facebook is ‘the primary mechanism we have to protect millions of people every day, all around the world, from real harm.’ The DEA’s deceptive actions violate the terms and policies that govern the use of the Facebook service and undermine trust in the Facebook community,” it read.

    “Most fundamentally, the DEA’s actions threaten the integrity of our community. Facebook strives to maintain a safe, trusted environment where people can engage in authentic interactions with the people they know and meet in real life. Using Facebook to impersonate other abuses that trust and makes people feel less safe and secure when using our service.”

    Image via DEA, Twitter

  • Florida Man Posts Stolen Nude Photos to Victim’s Mom’s Facebook Page

    Florida Man, the world’s worst superhero, is at it again. This time he’s engaging in some real top-shelf creepster activity, “hacking” Facebook accounts and posting nude photos to his victim’s mom’s wall.

    30-year-old Michael Rubens has been arrested on 31 counts, including hacking and stalking, for a series of attacks that spanned multiple victims.

    The Tallahassee Democrat details Rubens’ exploits, which are lengthy and sordid.

    One woman said the password to her Florida State University email account was hacked five times over a period of five months. The unknown person would then send emails to the woman’s sister and boyfriend asking for “sexy pictures,” court documents said.

    and …

    Authorities tracked down another victim who said her Facebook page was hacked and that the suspect posted a picture of one of her friends performing a sexual act. The detective found evidence that Rubens’ laptop and iPad had logged into the woman’s Facebook account, court documents said.

    But the weirdest of Rubens stunts involved another victim and her mom. Apparently, Rubens obtained a woman’s nude photos from her hacked email account and wound up posting some of them on her mother’s Facebook wall. Police say they found images of his handiwork – the nude images residing on the Facebook page.

    He also sent the victim’s nude photos to her mom’s friends, which he obtained via her email contacts.

    In other news, ‘123456’ is still the most common password.

  • ‘Disrespectful’ Facebook Post Could Land Parolee Back Behind Bars

    If you ever happen to find yourself in a situation where you’re out of prison on parole, it might be a good idea to stay off Facebook – or at least watch what you say.

    A Cuyahoga county, Ohio parolee my have to go back to prison after a judge decided his recent Facebook activity was disrespectful to his victim’s family.

    In May of 2013, 22-year-old Ryan Fye was speeding – doing thrice the limit – when he lost control of his car and hit a tree. Unfortunately, he was carrying four passengers at the time – and one of them died as a result of the crash. Fye pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular assault and was sentenced to three years in prison.

    Fye was granted parole in December, and it didn’t take him long to run afoul of the court.

    According to a judge, this Facebook post could be enough to send him back:

    “Prison didnt break me. It MADE me. Im free. Im a new man. Dont come at me like before. Yes im skinny and muscular now. 7 months of working out everyday. Love my real friends an fam. Shout outs to my fam behind bars. Ill see ya when youre time is near! Miss you brothers!” it read.

    According to FOX 8 in Cleveland, the judge called this post a “a violation of the community control sanctions of Fye’s parole”.

    It’s a violation that could reverse his early release. Fye’s hearing is scheduled for January 15. According to his lawyer, he wasn’t trying to be disrespectful and he feels the Facebook post does not constitute a parole violation.

    If you’re going to commit a crime, stay off Facebook. If you’ve just committed a crime, stay off Facebook. And now, we know, even if you’ve been granted parole after serving time for your crime – stay off Facebook.

    Image via Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office

  • Florida Man Has Drugs, in Case You Were Wondering – the Police Sure Were

    I’ve never tried to give someone a bag of meth in a Kmart, so I’m no expert on the matter. I have to imagine, however, that if I did decide to make that life decision – I’d wear the most literal T-shirt imaginable for the occasion.

    50-year-old John Balmer sure did.

    According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Balmer was arrested in a Hudson Kmart on Monday after he attempted to hang “a bag of green leafy substance” to the person behind him in line. When the person refused to take the bag, Balmer reportedly laid it down on the ground as he approached the cash register. It was then when deputies approached Balmer, after store employees notified them of the strange activity.

    Police found meth and marijuana in the bag.

    Why is this news? I mean, it is Florida after all.

    Well, here ya go:

    Post by Pasco Sheriff's Office.

    Seriously, he had drugs.

  • Jermaine Cunningham, Jets Linebacker, Arrested for Revenge Porn

    New Jersey has one of the oldest and harshest laws on the books regarding revenge porn, and New York Jets linebacker Jermaine Cunningham is currently feeling its effects.

    Cunningham was reportedly arrested on December 29th and charged with a number of offenses, including third-degree criminal mischief and third-degree invasion of privacy for the unlawful spreading of sexual images. He was also charged with fourth-degree unlawful weapons transport after police found a gun in his car.

    According to The Daily Dot, “the charge stems from alleged ‘dissemination of images of a sexual nature to another person’ without that person’s consent.” The victim in the case was apparently dating Cunningham.

    Revenge porn has been in the news as of late as state clamor to pass specific laws targeting the practice. As of today, 13 states have laws on the books the specifically deal with revenge porn – Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. A handful of other states, including Washington, New Mexico, Florida, Kentucky, and Alabama have had bills introduced in their state legislatures.

    Before these laws were enacted, victims of revenge porn rarely found recourse against exes who had published sexual imagery without their consent.

    Cunningham injured his Achilles’ tendon in training camp before the start of this season and hasn’t played all year. A Jets spokesman has given a curt statement, saying, “We are aware of the situation. This is a pending legal matter and we will have no comment.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Boston Cop Reportedly Assaults Uber Driver

    Something something man bites dog?

    An Uber driver is claiming that he was the victim of a beating – at the hands of a Boston police officer.

    The driver says that he was dropping of 40-year-old Michael Doherty, a 16-year veteran of the force, at his determined destination. But according to the driver, Doherty became enraged – claiming he was dropping him off at the wrong location.

    Things got pretty ugly from there. From Boston.com:

    The driver said when he exited the vehicle, the passenger got into the front seat and drove off, according to the statement

    The driver was assisted by a passing motorist and the two followed the victim’s vehicle to E. 1st Street and Farragut Road where the suspect stopped and exited the victim’s car, according to the statement.

    At that point, according to a police report … the suspect yelled racial slurs at the man who provided help to the Uber driver then knocked the Uber driver to the ground and kept hitting him.

    Doherty has a different recollection of the events, and according to the Boston Globe, claims that he was in fact the victim in the altercation.

    From the Globe:

    Doherty, who had a black eye and wore a sling on his left arm, pleaded not guilty in South Boston District Court to charges of assault and violating his victims’ civil rights. His lawyer, Kenneth Anderson, said he “disputes these charges vigorously.”

    “I suggest he was really the victim in this matter,” Anderson said of his client. Anderson said Doherty had torn a tendon in his bicep in the altercation.

    Doherty has been placed on paid administrative leave.

    This marks the first time in a while that an Uber driver is in the news for being the victim of an assault, instead of the perpetrator.

  • Uber Driver Charged with Rape As Company Promises to Make Service Safer

    Yesterday, Uber made a promise to make the service safer, by focusing more attention of background checks for drivers and employing new technology to make sure customers get the safest ride possible.

    Today, another Uber driver has been charged with rape.

    Police say 46-year-old Alejandro Done has been arraigned in Boston on assault and battery and rape charges after he allegedly picked up a woman, took her to a secluded area, and beat her before sexually assaulting her.

    From CBS Boston:

    Authorities say on December 6, the victim was waiting for a ride-sharing driver at a residence on Tremont Street in Boston. When the victim got into the car, the driver told her that he would need a cash payment for the ride, so he brought her to an ATM. The driver then allegedly drove to a location the passenger was not familiar with, pulled over in a secluded area and jumped in the backseat where she was sitting.

    “He allegedly struck her with his hands, strangled her, locked the car doors so that she could not escape and covered her mouth so she could not scream,” according to the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office. “During an ensuing physical struggle, the defendant allegedly sexually assaulted the woman.”

    Uber has issued a statement via a spokeswoman, saying “This is a despicable crime and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim during her recovery. Uber has been working closely with law enforcement and will continue to do everything we can to assist their investigation.” And according to Uber, Done was not the driver scheduled to pick up the victim – he picked her up while she was waiting for her real driver. It is possible that Done was able to find the victim based on his prior Uber activities.

    “We believe deeply that, alongside our driver partners, we have built the safest transportation option in 260 cities around the world,” said Philip Cardenas, Head of Global Safety, in a blog post from less than 24 hours ago. “But we have more work to do, and we will do it. Uber is committed to developing new technology tools that improve safety, strengthen and increase the number of cities and countries where background checks are conducted and improve communication with local officials and law enforcement.”

    According to Uber, Done had passed a background check.

    Image via Uber, Facebook

  • Alysa Suguro Bathrick Mugshot Latest To Go Viral

    A North Carolina teen’s mugshot has gone viral after she posted it to Twitter following her arrest on felony drug charges.

    Alysa Suguro Bathrick, of Cary, was arrested on charges of possession with an intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a Schedule IV controlled substance on November 19. Bathrick tweeted her arrest information, along with her mugshot on December 1.

    Bathrick, 18, added the caption, “Surrendered myself at 7 a.m., got released at 11:30 a.m. Fuck what you heard. And my mugshot’s cute.”

    Now Bathrick has almost 11K Twitter followers, and her mugshot has been retweeted over 1,700 times.

    Bathrick’s “beauty shot” courtesy of the Wake County Jail:

    According to the Raleigh/Wake City-County Bureau of Identification, Bathrick had also been booked for simple assault and assault with the intent to inflict serious injury in the past, so her latest portrait is now part of a small collection.

    Bathrick has been accommodating to her new fans, explaining that the controlled substance in question when she turned herself in was Xanax:

    Today Bathrick is reading her horoscope, and possibly alluding to the notion that the gravity of her situation might be sinking in:

    Regardless, her new fans gush:

    Sexy mugshots have become somewhat of a “thing” of late. Back in June, convicted felon Jeremy Meeks’ arrest portrait garnered over 100K likes on Facebook:

    Post by Stockton Police Department.

    Meeks was soon supplanted by Sean Kory, another sexy mugshot person:

  • Man Killed With Hammer Near Ferguson; Was This A Hate Crime?

    Just 20 miles away from Ferguson where protests and riots started after the tragic police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, a small group of people gathered in St. Louis to protest the most recent hate crime that shook the town.

    32-year-old Zemir Begic, an immigrant from war-torn Bosnia was allegedly killed last Sunday by a group of hammer-wielding teenagers. According to a police report, the incident occurred while Begic was driving with his fiancé, Arijana Mujkanovic and a friend in St. Louis. Five teenagers began pounding Begic’s vehicle with the hammer prompting the Bosnian to confront the teenagers. Instead of stopping, the group struck him with hammers, causing his death at a nearby hospital.

    “The last thing he did before he actually died was pull me out of the way and put himself in front of me, basically giving up his life for me,” Mujkanovic tearfully recounted in an interview with KSDK. Begic was called by his younger brothers as a “role model and a hero,” and his family believes that the incident was part of a string of previous crimes that involved poor minorities and Bosnians in the southwest side of the city.

    The police believes that the attack was not racially motivated, but Begic’s family thinks otherwise. The victim’s family is calling on authorities to investigate all possible motives for the crime. Three suspects have been caught by the authorities and a fourth one remains at large. Robert Joseph Mitchell, a 17-year-old has been slapped with first-degree murder and armed criminal charges the morning after the attack. Two teenagers aged 15 and 16 are also in custody.

    In a statement released by St. Louis Police spokeswoman Schron Jackson, she mentioned that the crime had no “connection to [Begic] being of Bosnian descent.” She added that the crime was not in any way connected to the riots that happened in Ferguson.

  • West Virginia Shooter Jealous Of Ex, Her Boyfriends

    A West Virginia gunman who went on a shooting spree Monday, before killing himself, took to Facebook to express his jealousy of his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend.

    Towing company proprietor Jody Lee Hunt, 39, shot and killed ex-lover Sharon Kay Berkshire, 39, her latest partner Michael David Frum, 28, and Frum’s cousin Jody Taylor, who had also been romantically involved with Berkshire. Also killed was Doug Brady, owner of a competing towing company situated less than a quarter-mile from Hunt’s company.

    Court records reveal that Berkshire had filed two protective orders against Hunt, one in 2013, and one in October, though she failed to follow through with either of them before they became official.

    After the shootings, authorities issued an alert for Hunt’s black Ford F-150 truck. Hunt was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a wooded area near Westover, approximately 12 hours later.

    According to State Police Lt. Michael Baylous and Monongalia County Sheriff Kenneth “Al” Kisner, the shooting spree began early Monday when Hunt shot Brady twice in the head. Hunt had become disgruntled in his belief that Brady had been getting towing jobs illegally. Hunt had been outspoken at county meetings regarding illegal towing activities in the preceding months before his death.

    Hunt went on to shoot Berkshire, Frum and Taylor. Berkshire had been dating both of the men.

    In a Facebook post Monday, which has since been removed, Hunt expressed his heartache over Bershire being unfaithful. Hunt wrote, “I except (sic) my actions were wrong but in my eyes just. So I will leave this world as others did. May your saddened hearts be replaced with love for me. Please take care of my dogs!”

    Hunt added, “I’m sure I will be remembered by not what good I did but the devastation I caused to a few people lives.”

    On November 27th, Hunt posted a note of Berkshire’s Facebook wall reading, “Love doesn’t judge love excepts (sic) you as you are. Missing u!”

    Incidentally, on November 7, Berkshire posted a picture of the Ford F-150 Hunt had driven during the slayings, with a caption reading, “New ride for this girl !!!!”

  • Miss Honduras Accused Killers Refuse to Testify

    The man, along with three accomplices, accused of killing Miss Honduras and her sister, refused to testify during their first court appearance on Tuesday.

    Miss Honduras and Miss World contestant Maria Jose Alvarado and her sister were found buried near a riverbank roughly 12 miles from the northwestern city of Santa Barbara on November 19. The two had disappeared while attending a resort hotel party on November 13. The sister Sofia Trinidad’s boyfriend has been charged with murder.

    Plutarco Ruiz, 32, while donning a bullet-proof vest, refused to testify during a brief hearing before a judge, along with three others accused of helping him cover up the crime – his friend Aris Maldonado Mejia, resort owner Ventura Diaz and Diaz’s wife, Elizabeth Alvarado.

    Alvarado was shot 12 times and Trinidad was shot 10, in what investigators initially believed to be the result of a fit of jealous rage on Ruiz’s behalf, after he saw Trinidad dancing with another man. New evidence revealed that the women might have been shot while trying to leave the party, as they were weary of the amount of drugs and alcohol being served.

    Alvarado, 19, who was crowed Miss Honduras in April, was set to fly to London last week, in order to compete in the Miss World beauty pageant.

    Miss World pageant chairwoman Julia Morley said in a statement, “We are devastated by this terrible loss of two young women, who were so full of life. We will be holding a special service with all of the Miss World contestants on Sunday, where we will be honoring the lives of Maria Jose Alvarado and Sofia Trinidad, and say prayers for them and their family.”

    Chief detective Leandro Osorio said the bodies of Alvarado and her 23-year-old sister were unearthed along the banks of the Aguagual River, near the town of Arada, which lies in a region plagued by violence.

    In a comment to the Daily Mail, Ruiz denied shooting the sisters.

    Honduras presently hold the world’s highest murder rate, at 90.4 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2012.

  • Florida Man Phuc Kieu Charged in Attempted Rape, Robbery

    A Florida man, legal name Phuc Kieu, has been charged with robbery, kidnapping, and sexual battery after attempting to rape another man in a Gainesville parking lot.

    58-year-old Phuc X. Kieu allegedly waited for the victim to finish making a withdrawal from an ATM before attacking him and dragging him into his car – where Kieu had been busy watching porn.

    If you’ve taken the time to carefully repeat the accused name out loud and think this is totally fake here’s what the official police report has to say:

    On the above date and time the victim conducted a withdrawal from the walk-up ATM and when done walked north through the bank parking lot. The defendant parked his vehicle, laid the driver’s seat all the way back and proceeded to watch homosexual pornography on a portable DVD player. As the victim passed the driver’s side of the vehicle, the defendant exited, grabbed the victim, punched him in the mouth and grabbed the bag containing the money …

    The defendant then pulled the victim into the driver’s side seat, straddled the top of him, and began to pull of his shirt, belt, and pants.

    The victim was eventually able to fight off Kieu, who chased him through the parking lot. Back to the report:

    The defendant then grabbed the backpack of the victim, attempting to pull it off … The victim the ran across the street to a nearby shopping center yelling “rapist”.

    The arresting officer says he observed Kieu running across the parking lot and detained him.

    Kieu

    According to WESH Orlando, Kieu is a nail specialist.

  • Oklahoma Police Officer Charged with Rape

    Oklahoma Police Officer Charged with Rape

    Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw has been charged with sexual assault, after allegedly raping 13 women while on duty. Court officials said Wednesday that prosecutors have tallied 35 felony counts against the 27-year-old.

    Holtzclaw, who is presently on paid leave, and under house arrest at his parents’ home, could face life imprisonment. During a pretrial hearing this week, 13 women alleged that Holtzclaw threatened them with jail time, if they didn’t have sex with him. Of the 35 charges, six counts are of first-degree rape.

    Holtzclaw has denied any wrongdoing, from the house he is confined to in Enid, roughly 70 miles north of Oklahoma City.

    One of the alleged victims said during her pretrial testimony, “he was an officer. And I was scared. And I knew he could hurt me.” Another 17-year-old victim said that Holtzclaw raped her on her mother’s front porch, after picked her up and threatening to jail her on outstanding warrants. DNA samples taken from Hortzclaw’s uniform pants correlate with the teenager’s testimony.

    Holtzclaw, who remains free on bond, is due back in court on January 21. The officer, who had been on the police force for roughly three years, is thought to have committed the assaults between February and June, before being arrested in August. He somehow was able to post a $609,000 bail.

    Hortzclaw’s specific charges include sexual battery, rape, forcible oral sodomy, burglary, stalking, indecent exposure and procuring lewd exhibition. Prosecutors have asserted that Hortzclaw once sexually abused a woman at a hospital and took her to jail, then went so far as to befriend her on Facebook and go to her house looking for sex.

    Hortzclaw’s sister Jenny said in a statement, “people do believe in Daniel’s innocence and not into the media hype that everyone is believing into!!!!”