Submitted by Kevin Wuzzardo on Tue, 04/27/2010 - 11:16am.
BEULAVILLE, NC (WWAY) -- A domestic dispute turned deadly last night Duplin County. 45-year-old Beverly Knowles is dead after police say her boyfriend shot and killed her around 9 p.m.
Right now, investigators have the suspect, 42-year-old Carlus Langston, behind bars with no bond. Beulaville police say the woman's 14-year-old child made the 911 call to get help from police.
An autopsy was was scheduled for this morning.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Oceanside, CA: Couple dead in apparent murder-suicide, police say
By MORGAN COOK mcook@nctimes.com | Posted: April 27, 2010 4:08 pm | (5) Comments | Print
A couple were found dead inside their Fire Mountain home Tuesday in what appears to be a murder-suicide, an Oceanside police sergeant said.
Records show the home at 2464 Fire Mountain Drive belonged to John A. and Barbara C. McWorthy, and neighbors confirmed the two lived there.
A co-worker of one of the residents called police Tuesday concerned because the person had not come to work, Sgt. Jeff Brandt said. Police went to the house at 12:45 p.m. and entered to find the deceased pair, Brandt said.
After speaking with investigators, neighbor Traci Newcomb said she was surprised and saddened by what they told her.
"They were wonderful neighbors," Newcomb said as tears began to fill her eyes. "It's just a terrible loss."
Sgt. Karen Laser would not give any identifying information about the victims, including their genders, ages or relationship. She said police were not searching for other suspects and did not believe a suspect was at large.
Oceanside homicide detectives obtained a search warrant for the home and were investigating Tuesday evening, Brandt said.
Felicity May, a neighbor, said the couple were in their 60s.
A couple were found dead inside their Fire Mountain home Tuesday in what appears to be a murder-suicide, an Oceanside police sergeant said.
Records show the home at 2464 Fire Mountain Drive belonged to John A. and Barbara C. McWorthy, and neighbors confirmed the two lived there.
A co-worker of one of the residents called police Tuesday concerned because the person had not come to work, Sgt. Jeff Brandt said. Police went to the house at 12:45 p.m. and entered to find the deceased pair, Brandt said.
After speaking with investigators, neighbor Traci Newcomb said she was surprised and saddened by what they told her.
"They were wonderful neighbors," Newcomb said as tears began to fill her eyes. "It's just a terrible loss."
Sgt. Karen Laser would not give any identifying information about the victims, including their genders, ages or relationship. She said police were not searching for other suspects and did not believe a suspect was at large.
Oceanside homicide detectives obtained a search warrant for the home and were investigating Tuesday evening, Brandt said.
Felicity May, a neighbor, said the couple were in their 60s.
Plantation, FL: Plantation police: Dead woman was likely victim of murder-suicide
Guilouse Cenatus, 37, thought to have been shot by estranged husband
April 27, 2010|By Alexia Campbell and Sofia Santana, Sun Sentinel
PLANTATION — A woman who was shot dead at an apartment complex Monday night was likely killed by her estranged husband who later committed suicide, police said.
Guilouse Cenatus, 37, was found dead on the sidewalk outside an apartment building in the Plantation Gardens complex, located in the 7600 block of Northwest Fifth Street, Police Detective Phil Toman said.
Several people at the complex said it looked like Cenatus was shot as she ran out of an apartment in her underwear about 9 p.m.
At about 9:24 p.m., authorities were called about a suicide at the Pompano Beach Cemetery at 400 S. Federal Highway. Cenatus' estranged husband, Wilbert Lormeus, 39, had shot and killed himself, police said.
It appears that the estranged couple died in a murder-suicide, Toman said.
Detectives are awaiting autopsy and ballistic test results.
The couple were married in March 2003, according to state records.
Lormeus was facing trial Aug. 6 for a child abuse charge in Boynton Beach, records showed. The charge stemmed from Lormeus striking his 9-year-old son Feb. 26 with a belt on the inside of his arm, leaving a welt, police said. Lormeus, arrested two days later, admitted to the beating, saying it was a form of discipline, according to his arrest report. His son told police it wasn't the first time Lormeus struck him with the belt.
Lormeus told police he struck his child for "horsing around with a younger sibling" that ended up with that sibling being hurt, the report said.
The couple had recently lived with three children at the picturesque townhome community of Parkside Village in Boynton Beach, where neighbors recalled a spat within the last month between Guilouse Cenatus and Wilbert Lormeus.
Cenatus came by to drop off two of her children with Lormeus, then sped off after arguing outside their home. It seemed she had moved out with two of the three children about a month ago, said a neighbor, Katarina Lucas, who was shocked to learn about the murder and suicide.
"Oh, my god, I can't believe it. So, what's going to happen to the kids now?" she said.
Another neighbor said he saw Lormeus cleaning his car and talking on the phone Monday and he seemed fine. He said the husband and wife usually kept to themselves.
Staff Writers Erika Pesantes and Jerome Burdi contributed to this report.
April 27, 2010|By Alexia Campbell and Sofia Santana, Sun Sentinel
PLANTATION — A woman who was shot dead at an apartment complex Monday night was likely killed by her estranged husband who later committed suicide, police said.
Guilouse Cenatus, 37, was found dead on the sidewalk outside an apartment building in the Plantation Gardens complex, located in the 7600 block of Northwest Fifth Street, Police Detective Phil Toman said.
Several people at the complex said it looked like Cenatus was shot as she ran out of an apartment in her underwear about 9 p.m.
At about 9:24 p.m., authorities were called about a suicide at the Pompano Beach Cemetery at 400 S. Federal Highway. Cenatus' estranged husband, Wilbert Lormeus, 39, had shot and killed himself, police said.
It appears that the estranged couple died in a murder-suicide, Toman said.
Detectives are awaiting autopsy and ballistic test results.
The couple were married in March 2003, according to state records.
Lormeus was facing trial Aug. 6 for a child abuse charge in Boynton Beach, records showed. The charge stemmed from Lormeus striking his 9-year-old son Feb. 26 with a belt on the inside of his arm, leaving a welt, police said. Lormeus, arrested two days later, admitted to the beating, saying it was a form of discipline, according to his arrest report. His son told police it wasn't the first time Lormeus struck him with the belt.
Lormeus told police he struck his child for "horsing around with a younger sibling" that ended up with that sibling being hurt, the report said.
The couple had recently lived with three children at the picturesque townhome community of Parkside Village in Boynton Beach, where neighbors recalled a spat within the last month between Guilouse Cenatus and Wilbert Lormeus.
Cenatus came by to drop off two of her children with Lormeus, then sped off after arguing outside their home. It seemed she had moved out with two of the three children about a month ago, said a neighbor, Katarina Lucas, who was shocked to learn about the murder and suicide.
"Oh, my god, I can't believe it. So, what's going to happen to the kids now?" she said.
Another neighbor said he saw Lormeus cleaning his car and talking on the phone Monday and he seemed fine. He said the husband and wife usually kept to themselves.
Staff Writers Erika Pesantes and Jerome Burdi contributed to this report.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Anchorage, AL: Soldier killed wife, daughter, police say
Preliminary autopsy findings have determined Spc. Kip Lynch, a 21-year-old military policeman, was responsible for the double homicide at the family's South Anchorage apartment, police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said.
Lynch also shot himself and remains hospitalized in critical condition, Parker said. Police have not been able to talk to him, he said.
Authorities went to look for Lynch on Monday morning after he failed to report for duty. Two military police officers knocked on the door of his home in the 9900 block of William Jones Circle and got no answer, so a landlord let them in about 7:30 a.m. Monday.
They found the bodies of Lynch's wife, 19-year-old Racquell Lynch -- who goes by Kellie -- and their daughter, 8-month-old Kyirsta Lynch. They had been shot to death, police said.
Anchorage police arriving on the scene later discovered Kip Lynch critically injured with a gunshot wound in another part of the apartment in an eight-plex. He was rushed to Providence Alaska Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery for life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Kip Lynch, of Jacksonville, Fla., serves with the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, at Fort Richardson and just two months ago returned from the brigade's yearlong deployment in Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border.
According to the Army, Lynch enlisted in September 2007 and went to boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He got to Fort Richardson in March 2008, and his unit deployed to Afghanistan in February and March of 2009.
Lynch returned from war in February, according to the Army.
Kip Lynch's mother, Terri Lynch of Jacksonville, Fla., on Monday said she was coming to Anchorage this week. The family released a short statement Tuesday through a family friend, Elizabeth Scarborough, in which they said they are still in shock at the deaths and trying to figure out how to deal with the tragedy.
"Kip proudly served his country in the Army in Afghanistan and had just returned home," the family said. "His family remembers him as a strong, spirited, good-humored and sweet young man. He loved his beautiful wife and daughter with all his heart. Words cannot express how much we will miss them."
The family declined to answer questions.
Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.
Lynch also shot himself and remains hospitalized in critical condition, Parker said. Police have not been able to talk to him, he said.
Authorities went to look for Lynch on Monday morning after he failed to report for duty. Two military police officers knocked on the door of his home in the 9900 block of William Jones Circle and got no answer, so a landlord let them in about 7:30 a.m. Monday.
They found the bodies of Lynch's wife, 19-year-old Racquell Lynch -- who goes by Kellie -- and their daughter, 8-month-old Kyirsta Lynch. They had been shot to death, police said.
Anchorage police arriving on the scene later discovered Kip Lynch critically injured with a gunshot wound in another part of the apartment in an eight-plex. He was rushed to Providence Alaska Medical Center, where he underwent emergency surgery for life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Kip Lynch, of Jacksonville, Fla., serves with the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, at Fort Richardson and just two months ago returned from the brigade's yearlong deployment in Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border.
According to the Army, Lynch enlisted in September 2007 and went to boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. He got to Fort Richardson in March 2008, and his unit deployed to Afghanistan in February and March of 2009.
Lynch returned from war in February, according to the Army.
Kip Lynch's mother, Terri Lynch of Jacksonville, Fla., on Monday said she was coming to Anchorage this week. The family released a short statement Tuesday through a family friend, Elizabeth Scarborough, in which they said they are still in shock at the deaths and trying to figure out how to deal with the tragedy.
"Kip proudly served his country in the Army in Afghanistan and had just returned home," the family said. "His family remembers him as a strong, spirited, good-humored and sweet young man. He loved his beautiful wife and daughter with all his heart. Words cannot express how much we will miss them."
The family declined to answer questions.
Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.
Toledo, OH: Jury finds husband not guilty in wife's death
By ERICA BLAKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER
After deliberating nearly 20 hours over three days, a Lucas County Common Pleas Court jury Monday found Johnnie Johnson not guilty of charges related to the death of his wife.
Johnson, 42, of 2030 Ashland Ave. was charged with two alternate counts of murder for the strangulation death of his wife, April Nicole Johnson. Ms. Johnson, 24, had been found unconscious and unresponsive in a central-city alley on May 23. She died four days later.
After the verdict, Judge Linda Jennings released Johnson from custody. He was led from the courtroom by deputies who transferred him back to the jail, where he was to be released.
Defense attorney Myron Duhart was out of town and unavailable for comment. Assistant county prosecutors Andy Lastra and Rob Miller declined comment.
Julie and Roger Bradford, Ms. Johnson's mother and stepfather, were angry and distraught after the verdict and declined to comment.
Several witnesses testified during the trial, including law enforcement officers, medical personnel, and residents of the neighborhood around the alley near Bancroft and Fulton streets, where Ms. Johnson's body was found. Ms. Johnson died of complications caused by strangulation.
Assistant prosecutors presented a case of opportunity, saying that Johnson was the one who had the chance to cause the injuries based on witness statements. The defense countered that Ms. Johnson was a known drug user and prostitute who was known to ply her trade in the alley where she was found.
Mr. Duhart asked about the many other people Ms. Johnson could have encountered as part of her dealings with drugs and prostitution. He asked jurors to question the state's case and consider the "other side of the story," which included Johnson looking for his wife on the night she was attacked and finding her unconscious in an alley.
The jury of seven women and five men began deliberating Thursday afternoon and worked late Friday before returning yesterday to reach the verdict.
The trial was the second time Johnson put his fate before a jury. Judge Jennings declared a mistrial Feb. 25, on day three of the trial after it was discovered that a piece of evidence had mistakenly not been given to the defense prior to the trial's start.
After the mistrial, Mrs. Bradford shared some thoughts about her daughter, saying there was more to the young woman than what was heard in court. Acknowledging her daughter had problems with drugs and had been "influenced by bad people," she said Ms. Johnson was someone who did not care for material possession but instead cared about helping others.
"[April] is a kind and gentle person," Mrs. Bradford wrote in a statement she had hoped to read one day to the judge. "She loved everyone unconditionally and everyone that knows her loved her."
Contact Erica Blake at:
eblake@theblade.com
or 419-213-2134.
BLADE STAFF WRITER
After deliberating nearly 20 hours over three days, a Lucas County Common Pleas Court jury Monday found Johnnie Johnson not guilty of charges related to the death of his wife.
Johnson, 42, of 2030 Ashland Ave. was charged with two alternate counts of murder for the strangulation death of his wife, April Nicole Johnson. Ms. Johnson, 24, had been found unconscious and unresponsive in a central-city alley on May 23. She died four days later.
After the verdict, Judge Linda Jennings released Johnson from custody. He was led from the courtroom by deputies who transferred him back to the jail, where he was to be released.
Defense attorney Myron Duhart was out of town and unavailable for comment. Assistant county prosecutors Andy Lastra and Rob Miller declined comment.
Julie and Roger Bradford, Ms. Johnson's mother and stepfather, were angry and distraught after the verdict and declined to comment.
Several witnesses testified during the trial, including law enforcement officers, medical personnel, and residents of the neighborhood around the alley near Bancroft and Fulton streets, where Ms. Johnson's body was found. Ms. Johnson died of complications caused by strangulation.
Assistant prosecutors presented a case of opportunity, saying that Johnson was the one who had the chance to cause the injuries based on witness statements. The defense countered that Ms. Johnson was a known drug user and prostitute who was known to ply her trade in the alley where she was found.
Mr. Duhart asked about the many other people Ms. Johnson could have encountered as part of her dealings with drugs and prostitution. He asked jurors to question the state's case and consider the "other side of the story," which included Johnson looking for his wife on the night she was attacked and finding her unconscious in an alley.
The jury of seven women and five men began deliberating Thursday afternoon and worked late Friday before returning yesterday to reach the verdict.
The trial was the second time Johnson put his fate before a jury. Judge Jennings declared a mistrial Feb. 25, on day three of the trial after it was discovered that a piece of evidence had mistakenly not been given to the defense prior to the trial's start.
After the mistrial, Mrs. Bradford shared some thoughts about her daughter, saying there was more to the young woman than what was heard in court. Acknowledging her daughter had problems with drugs and had been "influenced by bad people," she said Ms. Johnson was someone who did not care for material possession but instead cared about helping others.
"[April] is a kind and gentle person," Mrs. Bradford wrote in a statement she had hoped to read one day to the judge. "She loved everyone unconditionally and everyone that knows her loved her."
Contact Erica Blake at:
eblake@theblade.com
or 419-213-2134.
Springfield Township, OH: Husband admits he killed wife
By Kimball Perry
kperry@enquirer.com
A Springfield Township man admitted Monday he drove a vehicle that backed over and killed his wife in the couple’s driveway July 26, 2008.
Michael Barnes, 36, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide in exchange for prosecutors dropping murder and felonious assault charges in the same incident.
“He was drunk,” Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Kevin Hardman said.
Barnes told police he and his wife, Tawnya Barnes, 32, were arguing because he had been drinking and was getting into his 2002 Ford Explorer to drive away. Knowing he had been drinking, his wife tried to stop him.
As Michael Barnes backed out of his driveway in the vehicle, he apparently ran over and killed his wife. He told police he backed out of the driveway as he routinely did and knew nothing was wrong until he returned later and saw a shadow in the driveway. That shadow was his wife’s body.
The couple was married four years and had no children.
The plea agreement, which was approved by the dead woman’s family, will result in Barnes serving a minimum of two years in prison, but Common Pleas Court Judge Jody Luebbers can send him for as much as eight years at the May 27 sentencing. The pleas allowed Barnes to avoid a murder charge and the accompanying potential life sentence.
The conviction also carries a lifetime driver’s license suspension.
Tawnya Barnes was a graduate of Lakota High School and was attending Miami University-Middletown and working at a Middletown bank branch.
kperry@enquirer.com
A Springfield Township man admitted Monday he drove a vehicle that backed over and killed his wife in the couple’s driveway July 26, 2008.
Michael Barnes, 36, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide in exchange for prosecutors dropping murder and felonious assault charges in the same incident.
“He was drunk,” Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Kevin Hardman said.
Barnes told police he and his wife, Tawnya Barnes, 32, were arguing because he had been drinking and was getting into his 2002 Ford Explorer to drive away. Knowing he had been drinking, his wife tried to stop him.
As Michael Barnes backed out of his driveway in the vehicle, he apparently ran over and killed his wife. He told police he backed out of the driveway as he routinely did and knew nothing was wrong until he returned later and saw a shadow in the driveway. That shadow was his wife’s body.
The couple was married four years and had no children.
The plea agreement, which was approved by the dead woman’s family, will result in Barnes serving a minimum of two years in prison, but Common Pleas Court Judge Jody Luebbers can send him for as much as eight years at the May 27 sentencing. The pleas allowed Barnes to avoid a murder charge and the accompanying potential life sentence.
The conviction also carries a lifetime driver’s license suspension.
Tawnya Barnes was a graduate of Lakota High School and was attending Miami University-Middletown and working at a Middletown bank branch.
Jackson, TN: Murder case against Woods will likely go to trial
The case of a Jackson man accused of killing his girlfriend more than a year ago is likely to go to trial, the assistant district attorney general told a judge Monday morning.
Jeremiah Woods, 22, who was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the slaying of Sherry Cook in August, appeared in Circuit Court.
Assistant District Attorney General Shaun Brown told Judge Don Allen that, after talking to Cook’s family, it looks as if the case will go to trial June 1. Woods’ plea cut-off date was reset to 8:30 a.m. May 24.
Cook, 28, of Jackson, was reported missing by her family Jan. 10, 2009. She had been missing for 13 days before Woods led police to her body in a field in the 1600 block of Dr. F.E. Wright Drive.
Investigators have said Woods told them he stabbed Cook with a box cutter and that he planned the slaying because he was tired of her.
Woods is being held at the Madison County Jail without bond.
Jeremiah Woods, 22, who was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder in the slaying of Sherry Cook in August, appeared in Circuit Court.
Assistant District Attorney General Shaun Brown told Judge Don Allen that, after talking to Cook’s family, it looks as if the case will go to trial June 1. Woods’ plea cut-off date was reset to 8:30 a.m. May 24.
Cook, 28, of Jackson, was reported missing by her family Jan. 10, 2009. She had been missing for 13 days before Woods led police to her body in a field in the 1600 block of Dr. F.E. Wright Drive.
Investigators have said Woods told them he stabbed Cook with a box cutter and that he planned the slaying because he was tired of her.
Woods is being held at the Madison County Jail without bond.
Las Vegas, NV: Family overcome with emotions at scene of apparent murder-suicide
Updated: Apr 27, 2010 3:02 AM EDT
North Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) - Family members couldn't contain their anguish at the scene of an apparent murder - suicide in North Las Vegas. Police discovered the bodies of a male and female, both identified by authorities as in their 30's, on Monday afternoon in the 300 block of Copper Pine Avenue. That's near 5th Street and El Campo Grande Avenue.
Police received a 911 call from the home at 1:19pm about an argument at the house. When police arrived at the home they knocked on the door and nobody answered. Police then left.
At 2:06pm police received another 911 call from the home about a fight in progress. Shots were reportedly fired during the call. When officers arrived, they went into the home and found two people dead.
Family members identify the two as boyfriend and girlfriend.
"We know he shot her then turned around and shot himself," said Patricia Reeves, aunt of the woman killed. "Jealousy. He loved her so much that I guess he killed her."
Patricia Reeves identifies her niece as a mother of three. She says two children were inside the home as this violence was unraveling.
"I'd advise any woman that's out there, leave those jealous mans alone," Reeves went on to say.
Several relatives broke down at the scene and were treated by arriving ambulances for emotional distress.
It's unclear who placed both 911 calls from inside the home. Police also say a third 911 call was made from outside the home.
While it's confirmed that shots were fired in this dispute, police will not say what injuries led to these two deaths.
Autopsy results are pending from the Clark County Coroner's Office.
North Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) - Family members couldn't contain their anguish at the scene of an apparent murder - suicide in North Las Vegas. Police discovered the bodies of a male and female, both identified by authorities as in their 30's, on Monday afternoon in the 300 block of Copper Pine Avenue. That's near 5th Street and El Campo Grande Avenue.
Police received a 911 call from the home at 1:19pm about an argument at the house. When police arrived at the home they knocked on the door and nobody answered. Police then left.
At 2:06pm police received another 911 call from the home about a fight in progress. Shots were reportedly fired during the call. When officers arrived, they went into the home and found two people dead.
Family members identify the two as boyfriend and girlfriend.
"We know he shot her then turned around and shot himself," said Patricia Reeves, aunt of the woman killed. "Jealousy. He loved her so much that I guess he killed her."
Patricia Reeves identifies her niece as a mother of three. She says two children were inside the home as this violence was unraveling.
"I'd advise any woman that's out there, leave those jealous mans alone," Reeves went on to say.
Several relatives broke down at the scene and were treated by arriving ambulances for emotional distress.
It's unclear who placed both 911 calls from inside the home. Police also say a third 911 call was made from outside the home.
While it's confirmed that shots were fired in this dispute, police will not say what injuries led to these two deaths.
Autopsy results are pending from the Clark County Coroner's Office.
Orange County, CA: O.C. Man Shoots Wife In Face, Kills Himself
Police say Joseph Jacobo shot his wife in the face and then turned the gun on himself.
CBS
This home in Orange was the scene of a deadly domestic dispute Sunday night. Today, contractors were seen cleaning up the crime scene here on the 1600 block of north Fern Street.
Police say the man who lived inside was 43 year old Joseph Jacobo. Investigators say Jacobo got in an argument with his wife.
The 9-year old daughter called 911. And that's when dispatchers heard gunshots.
"There was cops everywhere, they said to get back in the house. There were shots fired and so we ran back inside," says a neighbor named Misty.
Misty lives across the street. She didn't want to show her face, but she said the commotion lasted for several hours.
"Police officers kept coming through the backyard and kind of stationing themselves on the roof and other places," said Misty.
Jacobo's wife and his two children were able to escape through a side gate. SWAT officers entered the home around 3 and found Jacobo dead from a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
"When I found out it was domestic, which was this morning, I was surprised, really surprised," says neighbor Valerie Naef.
Some neighbors told us, the couple didn't create any problems in the community. Police say they weren't aware of any previous disturbance calls to the house.
"It's just a really quiet, everybody knows everybody type neighborhood. Just a really nice neighborhood," says Naef.
The two children, ages 5 and 9, are staying with relatives.
Jacobo's wife is still recovering from the gunshot wounds to her face and her arm.
Police say she's in stable condition and it's not known when she'll be released form the hospital.
In Orange, I'm Melissa Mecija reporting for cbs2.com.
CBS
This home in Orange was the scene of a deadly domestic dispute Sunday night. Today, contractors were seen cleaning up the crime scene here on the 1600 block of north Fern Street.
Police say the man who lived inside was 43 year old Joseph Jacobo. Investigators say Jacobo got in an argument with his wife.
The 9-year old daughter called 911. And that's when dispatchers heard gunshots.
"There was cops everywhere, they said to get back in the house. There were shots fired and so we ran back inside," says a neighbor named Misty.
Misty lives across the street. She didn't want to show her face, but she said the commotion lasted for several hours.
"Police officers kept coming through the backyard and kind of stationing themselves on the roof and other places," said Misty.
Jacobo's wife and his two children were able to escape through a side gate. SWAT officers entered the home around 3 and found Jacobo dead from a self-inflicted gun shot wound.
"When I found out it was domestic, which was this morning, I was surprised, really surprised," says neighbor Valerie Naef.
Some neighbors told us, the couple didn't create any problems in the community. Police say they weren't aware of any previous disturbance calls to the house.
"It's just a really quiet, everybody knows everybody type neighborhood. Just a really nice neighborhood," says Naef.
The two children, ages 5 and 9, are staying with relatives.
Jacobo's wife is still recovering from the gunshot wounds to her face and her arm.
Police say she's in stable condition and it's not known when she'll be released form the hospital.
In Orange, I'm Melissa Mecija reporting for cbs2.com.
Fort Myers, FL: Woman gets 25 years for killing husband
Related Content
http://www.news-press.com
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A Lehigh Acres woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting her husband in 2008.
A Lee County judge sentenced 26-year-old Amber Roberts on Monday after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Authorities say Roberts shot her husband John Roberts in August 2008 several times. She then duct-taped herself and her children to make it look like someone else had attacked the family.
Roberts later confessed to shooting her husband.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/27/1599769/woman-gets-25-years-for-killing.html#ixzz0mIfLDZ15
http://www.news-press.com
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- A Lehigh Acres woman has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting her husband in 2008.
A Lee County judge sentenced 26-year-old Amber Roberts on Monday after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Authorities say Roberts shot her husband John Roberts in August 2008 several times. She then duct-taped herself and her children to make it look like someone else had attacked the family.
Roberts later confessed to shooting her husband.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/27/1599769/woman-gets-25-years-for-killing.html#ixzz0mIfLDZ15
North East, MD: Cecil Co. man charged with girlfriend's murder
Woman died Monday morning as a result of assault
April 26, 2010|By Liz F. Kay, The Baltimore Sun
A Cecil County man has been charged with murder after Maryland State Police say he assaulted his girlfriend who died Monday morning of her injuries.
David A. Barton, 23, of North East faces charges including second-degree murder and manslaughter as well as assault, according to state police.
Based on the preliminary investigation, police say Barton assaulted his girlfriend of six years, Tracy M. Weichert, 23, in the home they shared between Friday and Sunday.
He took her to to Union Hospital in Elkton with abdominal pain at about 6 p.m. Sunday. Later that night she was transferred to Christiana Hospital in Delaware, where she died at about 6 a.m. Monday. Christiana Hospital staff called police to report that she may have been assaulted.
According to police, there was no documented history of abuse or open protective orders. Barton is unemployed, police said.
The Wilmington, Del. medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
April 26, 2010|By Liz F. Kay, The Baltimore Sun
A Cecil County man has been charged with murder after Maryland State Police say he assaulted his girlfriend who died Monday morning of her injuries.
David A. Barton, 23, of North East faces charges including second-degree murder and manslaughter as well as assault, according to state police.
Based on the preliminary investigation, police say Barton assaulted his girlfriend of six years, Tracy M. Weichert, 23, in the home they shared between Friday and Sunday.
He took her to to Union Hospital in Elkton with abdominal pain at about 6 p.m. Sunday. Later that night she was transferred to Christiana Hospital in Delaware, where she died at about 6 a.m. Monday. Christiana Hospital staff called police to report that she may have been assaulted.
According to police, there was no documented history of abuse or open protective orders. Barton is unemployed, police said.
The Wilmington, Del. medical examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Roswell, NM: NM man arrested in 2003 slaying of estranged wife
Associated Press - April 26, 2010 10:55 PM ET
CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico authorities say an arrest has been made in a Chaves County cold-case homicide investigation.
Authorities say 37-year-old Ramon Bravo was taken into custody without incident Monday in connection with the 2003 slaying of his estranged wife in Roswell.
Roswell police say 27-year-old Susan Amos-Bravo was found dead at her home on April 26, 2003. Police later learned that the night before, she had asked Ramon Bravo to sign divorce papers.
Prosecutors say Ramon Bravo faces life in prison if he's convicted. He's jailed on a $500,000 cash bond and will be arraigned in a 5th Judicial District Court within the next 10 days.
CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) - New Mexico authorities say an arrest has been made in a Chaves County cold-case homicide investigation.
Authorities say 37-year-old Ramon Bravo was taken into custody without incident Monday in connection with the 2003 slaying of his estranged wife in Roswell.
Roswell police say 27-year-old Susan Amos-Bravo was found dead at her home on April 26, 2003. Police later learned that the night before, she had asked Ramon Bravo to sign divorce papers.
Prosecutors say Ramon Bravo faces life in prison if he's convicted. He's jailed on a $500,000 cash bond and will be arraigned in a 5th Judicial District Court within the next 10 days.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Dekalb County, IN: Inmate kills self in DeKalb County jai
l
Michael ZennieThe Journal Gazette
A man facing charges of domestic battery and methamphetamine suffocated himself to death with a plastic bag in the DeKalb County Jail early Saturday, authorities said.
Robert Warstler, 30, of Auburn, was found unresponsive in his cell with a garbage bag over his head about 2 a.m. during an hourly jail inspection, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said.
After trying to resuscitate him, DeKalb County EMS medics pronounced Warstler dead. DeKalb County Coroner Jeff Warner ruled his death a suicide.
Warstler was in jail awaiting jury trials on two cases from September. He was facing charges, among others, of dealing meth and domestic battery with a child present.
Michael ZennieThe Journal Gazette
A man facing charges of domestic battery and methamphetamine suffocated himself to death with a plastic bag in the DeKalb County Jail early Saturday, authorities said.
Robert Warstler, 30, of Auburn, was found unresponsive in his cell with a garbage bag over his head about 2 a.m. during an hourly jail inspection, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department said.
After trying to resuscitate him, DeKalb County EMS medics pronounced Warstler dead. DeKalb County Coroner Jeff Warner ruled his death a suicide.
Warstler was in jail awaiting jury trials on two cases from September. He was facing charges, among others, of dealing meth and domestic battery with a child present.
Orange County, FL: Man Kills Girlfriend, Kills Two Others During Chase
Posted: 8:51 am EDT April 25, 2010
Updated: 4:26 pm EDT April 25, 2010
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Three people are dead after a man stabbed his girlfriend and led police on a chase that ended in a deadly crash.
Just before 11:00 Saturday night Orange County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the intersection of Dean Road and Blanchard Trail. According to witnesses the victim said her boyfriend stabbed her and hit her with his car.
The victim, 35-year-old Berlitz Alvelo, was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center where she later died.
Deputies spotted the suspect, 25-year-old Jose Antonio Maisonet-Maldonado, at the intersection of University Boulevard and Goldenrod Road. Massanet sped off when he saw deputies, leading them on a chase into downtown Orlando.
Eyewitnesses along Colonial Drive said they saw deputies following a few seconds behind the suspect and then heard the crash.
"A white BMW X5 just flew by, well over 100 and then we just heard popping and I guess it went airborne after these tracks" said Luis Alva.
Maisonet-Maldonado crashed into two cars stopped on Colonial Drive at I-4. The drivers of both cars were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. 22-year-old Francesca Jeffery and 28-year-old Amanda Taylor, both passengers in one of the cars, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Maisonet-Maldonado was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. He will be charged with 1st degree murder and two counts of vehicular homicide.
Updated: 4:26 pm EDT April 25, 2010
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- Three people are dead after a man stabbed his girlfriend and led police on a chase that ended in a deadly crash.
Just before 11:00 Saturday night Orange County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the intersection of Dean Road and Blanchard Trail. According to witnesses the victim said her boyfriend stabbed her and hit her with his car.
The victim, 35-year-old Berlitz Alvelo, was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center where she later died.
Deputies spotted the suspect, 25-year-old Jose Antonio Maisonet-Maldonado, at the intersection of University Boulevard and Goldenrod Road. Massanet sped off when he saw deputies, leading them on a chase into downtown Orlando.
Eyewitnesses along Colonial Drive said they saw deputies following a few seconds behind the suspect and then heard the crash.
"A white BMW X5 just flew by, well over 100 and then we just heard popping and I guess it went airborne after these tracks" said Luis Alva.
Maisonet-Maldonado crashed into two cars stopped on Colonial Drive at I-4. The drivers of both cars were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. 22-year-old Francesca Jeffery and 28-year-old Amanda Taylor, both passengers in one of the cars, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Maisonet-Maldonado was taken to the hospital to be treated for his injuries. He will be charged with 1st degree murder and two counts of vehicular homicide.
Middle Township, NJ: I'm not 'a rapist or a murderer'
By JASON NARK
Philadelphia Daily News
narkj@phillynews.com 856-779-3231
ON THE ONE-YEAR anniversary of his wife's mysterious death, Michael Wayne Williams sat in the Atlantic County Jail with a wedding ring on his finger, a stack of investigative files under his arm, and a whole lot of trouble on his mind.
Wanted for allegedly raping a woman at knifepoint in Wildwood on April 21, 2009, Williams was arrested the following day outside a Middle Township, N.J., hotel. When police went inside his room, they found his wife, Ebony Flanders, dead.
Flanders' family blames Williams, a man authorities say has used 10 aliases and seven Social Security numbers while amassing a lengthy criminal record, but he's never been charged or named as a suspect. Williams said he loved his wife, despite his infidelities, and denies having anything to do with her death. His strongest denials centered on the rape charge, though, which could land him in prison for decades if he's convicted.
"There are two things that I'm not, and that's a rapist or a murderer," the 30-year-old said Thursday from jail. "I've lost my wife and my freedom. It's been pretty stressful."
The Cape May Prosecutor's Office told the Daily News that the cause and manner of death for Flanders remains undetermined and has said little else about the case over the last year.
"It's a pending investigation, it's an ongoing investigation, and that's really all we can say about it," said Capt. Eugene Taylor, of the prosecutor's office.
Williams was set to go on trial Monday in Cape May County for the rape case, but that's been pushed back because he was recently charged with witness tampering stemming from a letter he wrote in relation to the incident.
Police say that Williams posed as a social worker to gain entry to a woman's apartment in Wildwood on the afternoon of April 21, 2009. Once inside, they say he brandished a 12-inch kitchen knife, took the woman into the bedroom, and raped her.
Williams admits to having sex with the woman and said it happened on three other occasions, all consensually. He claims the woman invited him in, offered to make him spaghetti and meatballs, and led him into the bedroom. He thinks she fabricated the incident after her boyfriend showed up and grew suspicious.
"I'm being set up," he said.
According to investigative reports Williams obtained through discovery, the woman's young daughter said she witnessed the rape through a hole in a wall and by looking beneath the bedroom door. When investigators inspected the apartment, according to a report that Williams showed a reporter, a dresser was blocking the hole in the wall and nothing could be seen by looking through the crack between the floor and the door.
The girl also said she was screaming while Williams chased her around the apartment with the knife when she threatened to call police. At some point during the incident, the woman's boyfriend knocked on the apartment door and left when Williams answered and told him the woman wasn't available.
The boyfriend was also there later when Williams returned to retrieve a cell phone he had left. The victim's boyfriend never mentions in the report that he heard screaming when he knocked, Williams said, or that anyone had seemed upset when he returned to the home later.
"Wouldn't this little girl have been traumatized and sobbing after seeing mommy raped and having a guy chase her around the house with a big knife?" the father of four asked.
Williams also pointed to a letter, written in October, in which a neighbor said the alleged victim told him she had made the incident up. When investigators followed up on it though, the man said he had written the letter because Williams was going to help him get bailed out of jail.
Williams' attorney, Stephen Patrick, did not return multiple phone calls for comment over the last several months, but said in a prior hearing in Cape May County, that the rape case against Williams was not as "airtight" as prosecutors claimed.
Shelina Flanders, Ebony's sister, said she received a letter from Williams recently and she stared at it for weeks before getting up the nerve to open it.
"He said he was innocent, he asked how the kids were, and he was asking if I could send him pictures of Ebony," said Flanders, 31. "I made a copy of it and gave it to police. I believe he's guilty. I think he did it."
Flanders said neither investigators nor the Southern Regional Medical Examiner's Office seem to know how her sister died. Flanders said there were no visible signs of trauma found during the autopsy and toxicology testing found nothing in her sister's system.
"They said they've tried everything they could. They even sent specimens to the FBI," she said.
Lt. Lynne Frame, of the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office, said in an e-mail that the "manner of death is undetermined," but did not mention the cause. On Thursday, Williams said the prosecutor's office had cleared him of any wrongdoing in the death of his wife, claiming she had died of natural causes.
"I don't know what happened," he said. "She stopped breathing in her sleep."
When asked to respond to Williams' claim, Frame said "the investigation into the death of Ebony Flanders is ongoing and the cause of her death is undetermined."
The Southern Regional Medical Examiner's Office referred all phone calls to the state's Division of Criminal Justice. That office had not responded to a public-information request filed earlier this week to the cause and manner of Ebony's death.
Meanwhile, Shelina Flanders continues to raise three of her sister's seven children, and can't move past images of Ebony, dead in a hotel room, with a man Shelina said she wanted to divorce.
"It's really mind-boggling that we're on a year now and we don't have closure," she said. "We still have no idea what happened to my sister."
Philadelphia Daily News
narkj@phillynews.com 856-779-3231
ON THE ONE-YEAR anniversary of his wife's mysterious death, Michael Wayne Williams sat in the Atlantic County Jail with a wedding ring on his finger, a stack of investigative files under his arm, and a whole lot of trouble on his mind.
Wanted for allegedly raping a woman at knifepoint in Wildwood on April 21, 2009, Williams was arrested the following day outside a Middle Township, N.J., hotel. When police went inside his room, they found his wife, Ebony Flanders, dead.
Flanders' family blames Williams, a man authorities say has used 10 aliases and seven Social Security numbers while amassing a lengthy criminal record, but he's never been charged or named as a suspect. Williams said he loved his wife, despite his infidelities, and denies having anything to do with her death. His strongest denials centered on the rape charge, though, which could land him in prison for decades if he's convicted.
"There are two things that I'm not, and that's a rapist or a murderer," the 30-year-old said Thursday from jail. "I've lost my wife and my freedom. It's been pretty stressful."
The Cape May Prosecutor's Office told the Daily News that the cause and manner of death for Flanders remains undetermined and has said little else about the case over the last year.
"It's a pending investigation, it's an ongoing investigation, and that's really all we can say about it," said Capt. Eugene Taylor, of the prosecutor's office.
Williams was set to go on trial Monday in Cape May County for the rape case, but that's been pushed back because he was recently charged with witness tampering stemming from a letter he wrote in relation to the incident.
Police say that Williams posed as a social worker to gain entry to a woman's apartment in Wildwood on the afternoon of April 21, 2009. Once inside, they say he brandished a 12-inch kitchen knife, took the woman into the bedroom, and raped her.
Williams admits to having sex with the woman and said it happened on three other occasions, all consensually. He claims the woman invited him in, offered to make him spaghetti and meatballs, and led him into the bedroom. He thinks she fabricated the incident after her boyfriend showed up and grew suspicious.
"I'm being set up," he said.
According to investigative reports Williams obtained through discovery, the woman's young daughter said she witnessed the rape through a hole in a wall and by looking beneath the bedroom door. When investigators inspected the apartment, according to a report that Williams showed a reporter, a dresser was blocking the hole in the wall and nothing could be seen by looking through the crack between the floor and the door.
The girl also said she was screaming while Williams chased her around the apartment with the knife when she threatened to call police. At some point during the incident, the woman's boyfriend knocked on the apartment door and left when Williams answered and told him the woman wasn't available.
The boyfriend was also there later when Williams returned to retrieve a cell phone he had left. The victim's boyfriend never mentions in the report that he heard screaming when he knocked, Williams said, or that anyone had seemed upset when he returned to the home later.
"Wouldn't this little girl have been traumatized and sobbing after seeing mommy raped and having a guy chase her around the house with a big knife?" the father of four asked.
Williams also pointed to a letter, written in October, in which a neighbor said the alleged victim told him she had made the incident up. When investigators followed up on it though, the man said he had written the letter because Williams was going to help him get bailed out of jail.
Williams' attorney, Stephen Patrick, did not return multiple phone calls for comment over the last several months, but said in a prior hearing in Cape May County, that the rape case against Williams was not as "airtight" as prosecutors claimed.
Shelina Flanders, Ebony's sister, said she received a letter from Williams recently and she stared at it for weeks before getting up the nerve to open it.
"He said he was innocent, he asked how the kids were, and he was asking if I could send him pictures of Ebony," said Flanders, 31. "I made a copy of it and gave it to police. I believe he's guilty. I think he did it."
Flanders said neither investigators nor the Southern Regional Medical Examiner's Office seem to know how her sister died. Flanders said there were no visible signs of trauma found during the autopsy and toxicology testing found nothing in her sister's system.
"They said they've tried everything they could. They even sent specimens to the FBI," she said.
Lt. Lynne Frame, of the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office, said in an e-mail that the "manner of death is undetermined," but did not mention the cause. On Thursday, Williams said the prosecutor's office had cleared him of any wrongdoing in the death of his wife, claiming she had died of natural causes.
"I don't know what happened," he said. "She stopped breathing in her sleep."
When asked to respond to Williams' claim, Frame said "the investigation into the death of Ebony Flanders is ongoing and the cause of her death is undetermined."
The Southern Regional Medical Examiner's Office referred all phone calls to the state's Division of Criminal Justice. That office had not responded to a public-information request filed earlier this week to the cause and manner of Ebony's death.
Meanwhile, Shelina Flanders continues to raise three of her sister's seven children, and can't move past images of Ebony, dead in a hotel room, with a man Shelina said she wanted to divorce.
"It's really mind-boggling that we're on a year now and we don't have closure," she said. "We still have no idea what happened to my sister."
Hot Springs, AR: Trial at Hot Springs, Ark., ends with murder conviction, life sentence
By Associated Press
8:20 PM CDT, April 24, 2010
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — A Garland County jury has convicted a Hot Springs man of capital murder in the 2008 slaying of his ex-girlfriend.
Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty for 28-year-old Calvin Washington Jr. After his conviction Friday, Circuit Judge Marcia Hearnsberger imposed the only other sentence allowed under state law, life in prison without parole.
Washington was accused of killing 27-year-old Crystalle Jones, with whom Washington had been living until a falling-out a few weeks before her Oct. 4, 2008, death. She was slain outside the apartment they had shared.
8:20 PM CDT, April 24, 2010
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — A Garland County jury has convicted a Hot Springs man of capital murder in the 2008 slaying of his ex-girlfriend.
Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty for 28-year-old Calvin Washington Jr. After his conviction Friday, Circuit Judge Marcia Hearnsberger imposed the only other sentence allowed under state law, life in prison without parole.
Washington was accused of killing 27-year-old Crystalle Jones, with whom Washington had been living until a falling-out a few weeks before her Oct. 4, 2008, death. She was slain outside the apartment they had shared.
Lehigh, FL: Lehigh brothers killed in shootings, one after firing on deputies
By Evangelia Ganosellis
eganosellis@news-press.com
Two brothers died minutes apart early Saturday in separate shootings - one involving Lee County sheriff's deputies.
The deputy-involved shooting was the second this year.
According to the sheriff's office, deputies responded to a call shortly before 2 a.m. on La Plata Avenue in south Lehigh Acres, near State Road 82.
Upon arrival, they found a critically injured man, 44-year-old Alexander Alfonso, in the driveway. He died moments later.
After securing the scene, deputies entered the home and came across an armed man, 41-year-old Arnold Alfonso, who opened fire on deputies. Law enforcement shot and killed Alfonso. No deputies were injured.
The sheriff's office hasn't revealed where the two men were shot or how many deputies were involved.
The first deputy-involved shooting of the year happened earlier this month.
On April 1, a deputy, yet to be named, shot and killed Timothy Baum, 54, outside his Bonita Springs home. Deputies said Baum was armed.
John Sheehan, Lee sheriff's spokesman, couldn't confirm who was responsible for the shooting that resulted in Alexander Alfonso's death in the driveway.
One other adult, who hasn't been named, was in the home at the time of the shooting, he said.
The sheriff's office responded to a domestic disturbance call at the same address at 3:28 a.m. last Sunday, according to a crime incident database. A report of that incident wasn't available Saturday.
The neighborhood where the burnt-orange-colored, single-story house sits consists of vacant lots and a sprinkling of single-family homes, many of which are for sale or have been abandoned.
Valerie Wright, who lives one block west of La Plata, said a shooting in the neighborhood does not surprise her. Her home was broken into in 2004, before she even moved in, and again in 2006.
"You hate to be judgmental, but we don't seem to have a high-caliber of people who move here," said Wright, 29.
A sign posted on the garage where the Alfonsos lived reads, "Iya Mile Botanica," a Lehigh Acres business that sells alternative medicines, followed by two phone numbers. A woman reached at one of those numbers Saturday night said she knew the brothers, but declined to talk about them.
Alexander Alfonso had previous listed addresses in Homestead, while Arnold Alfonso had former addresses in Miami and Hialeah, according to a public records search.
Both Alfonso brothers had criminal records in the Miami-Dade area, but none in Lee County.
In November 2000, both men were charged with assault, but the charges were dropped.
Arnold Alfonso had a criminal record dating to 1987, with charges including theft and resisting arrest with violence - although he was never convicted on those charges. He was convicted on two counts of burglary in 1990.
More recently, he was charged with carrying a concealed firearm and cocaine possession in November 2006, and cocaine possession again in May 2007.
A hearing was scheduled June 17 in Miami for the 2006 and 2007 charges.
On Saturday evening, the Alfonsos' home remained taped off as a crime scene, with a deputy parked in the driveway.
The sheriff's major crimes unit is still investigating the circumstances of the shootings.
eganosellis@news-press.com
Two brothers died minutes apart early Saturday in separate shootings - one involving Lee County sheriff's deputies.
The deputy-involved shooting was the second this year.
According to the sheriff's office, deputies responded to a call shortly before 2 a.m. on La Plata Avenue in south Lehigh Acres, near State Road 82.
Upon arrival, they found a critically injured man, 44-year-old Alexander Alfonso, in the driveway. He died moments later.
After securing the scene, deputies entered the home and came across an armed man, 41-year-old Arnold Alfonso, who opened fire on deputies. Law enforcement shot and killed Alfonso. No deputies were injured.
The sheriff's office hasn't revealed where the two men were shot or how many deputies were involved.
The first deputy-involved shooting of the year happened earlier this month.
On April 1, a deputy, yet to be named, shot and killed Timothy Baum, 54, outside his Bonita Springs home. Deputies said Baum was armed.
John Sheehan, Lee sheriff's spokesman, couldn't confirm who was responsible for the shooting that resulted in Alexander Alfonso's death in the driveway.
One other adult, who hasn't been named, was in the home at the time of the shooting, he said.
The sheriff's office responded to a domestic disturbance call at the same address at 3:28 a.m. last Sunday, according to a crime incident database. A report of that incident wasn't available Saturday.
The neighborhood where the burnt-orange-colored, single-story house sits consists of vacant lots and a sprinkling of single-family homes, many of which are for sale or have been abandoned.
Valerie Wright, who lives one block west of La Plata, said a shooting in the neighborhood does not surprise her. Her home was broken into in 2004, before she even moved in, and again in 2006.
"You hate to be judgmental, but we don't seem to have a high-caliber of people who move here," said Wright, 29.
A sign posted on the garage where the Alfonsos lived reads, "Iya Mile Botanica," a Lehigh Acres business that sells alternative medicines, followed by two phone numbers. A woman reached at one of those numbers Saturday night said she knew the brothers, but declined to talk about them.
Alexander Alfonso had previous listed addresses in Homestead, while Arnold Alfonso had former addresses in Miami and Hialeah, according to a public records search.
Both Alfonso brothers had criminal records in the Miami-Dade area, but none in Lee County.
In November 2000, both men were charged with assault, but the charges were dropped.
Arnold Alfonso had a criminal record dating to 1987, with charges including theft and resisting arrest with violence - although he was never convicted on those charges. He was convicted on two counts of burglary in 1990.
More recently, he was charged with carrying a concealed firearm and cocaine possession in November 2006, and cocaine possession again in May 2007.
A hearing was scheduled June 17 in Miami for the 2006 and 2007 charges.
On Saturday evening, the Alfonsos' home remained taped off as a crime scene, with a deputy parked in the driveway.
The sheriff's major crimes unit is still investigating the circumstances of the shootings.
Miami, FL: Ex-con, girlfriend arrested in 'horrific' beating of Dade police
BY CHRISTINA VEIGA
CVEIGA@MIAMIHERALD.COM
An ex-con with a history of violence beat a Miami-Dade detective in the head with a cinder block, kicked him in the head and chest and ran him over with his unmarked police car, police said Saturday.
Miami-Dade Police Department Director James Loftus called the beating ``horrific.''
``Don't ask me to explain this, and don't ask me to understand this,'' Loftus told reporters at a press conference Saturday afternoon. ``Because I don't get it. It should horrify us all.''
Michael Paul Robertson was arrested Saturday morning for the attack Friday evening in Liberty City, which left Carlos Castillo with severe head and brain injuries and several broken bones. Robertson's girlfriend was arrested as an accomplice.
Robertson, 33, knew he was wanted by Miami police. That's probably why he fled after being pulled over Friday night in Liberty City, Loftus said. But Robertson, already wanted for shooting a gun during an argument with the mother of his child, returned -- with a cinder block.
Robertson came up behind Castillo, who had stopped Robertson and his girlfriend, and slammed the block into the uniformed officer's head with such force that police said it broke into pieces.
Castillo, 37, crumpled to the street, where police said Robertson kicked him in the head and chest. Then he jumped into Castillo's unmarked black Dodge Charger, and ran the detective over.
Monica Banks, 25, had been handcuffed by Castillo and watched as her boyfriend attacked the detective. She later was uncooperative and lied to police when questioned, Loftus said.
Robertson drove away in the Charger, leaving the detective in a pool of blood. Castillo was so covered in blood that officers who arrived at the scene minutes later thought he'd been shot, Loftus said.
Castillo, a 15-year veteran of the force and currently part of the robbery intervention unit, was transported to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami. The assault left him with multiple skull fractures, brain injuries, a liver laceration, seven broken ribs and a spine injury, among other wounds. Castillo remained in critical but stable condition Saturday evening.
Police found Robertson hiding in a nearby home soon after the incident. Someone told police where Robertson was hiding, Loftus said, and that he wanted to turn himself in.
He and his girlfriend were charged Saturday morning with attempted first-degree murder. Robertson also has been charged with robbery/carjacking, aggravated assault with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Robertson has served prison time and probation time for burglary, grand theft and other charges, Miami-Dade court records show.
``It goes to show the dangers of the streets,'' said John Rivera, president of the Police Benevolent Association. ``I just hope that not only the public, but the politicians, realize that cutting public safety only helps the criminals.''
Miami Herald staff writer Jennifer Lebovich contributed to this report.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/24/1596975/ex-con-girlfriend-arrested-in.html#ixzz0m7BibgEu
CVEIGA@MIAMIHERALD.COM
An ex-con with a history of violence beat a Miami-Dade detective in the head with a cinder block, kicked him in the head and chest and ran him over with his unmarked police car, police said Saturday.
Miami-Dade Police Department Director James Loftus called the beating ``horrific.''
``Don't ask me to explain this, and don't ask me to understand this,'' Loftus told reporters at a press conference Saturday afternoon. ``Because I don't get it. It should horrify us all.''
Michael Paul Robertson was arrested Saturday morning for the attack Friday evening in Liberty City, which left Carlos Castillo with severe head and brain injuries and several broken bones. Robertson's girlfriend was arrested as an accomplice.
Robertson, 33, knew he was wanted by Miami police. That's probably why he fled after being pulled over Friday night in Liberty City, Loftus said. But Robertson, already wanted for shooting a gun during an argument with the mother of his child, returned -- with a cinder block.
Robertson came up behind Castillo, who had stopped Robertson and his girlfriend, and slammed the block into the uniformed officer's head with such force that police said it broke into pieces.
Castillo, 37, crumpled to the street, where police said Robertson kicked him in the head and chest. Then he jumped into Castillo's unmarked black Dodge Charger, and ran the detective over.
Monica Banks, 25, had been handcuffed by Castillo and watched as her boyfriend attacked the detective. She later was uncooperative and lied to police when questioned, Loftus said.
Robertson drove away in the Charger, leaving the detective in a pool of blood. Castillo was so covered in blood that officers who arrived at the scene minutes later thought he'd been shot, Loftus said.
Castillo, a 15-year veteran of the force and currently part of the robbery intervention unit, was transported to Ryder Trauma Center in Miami. The assault left him with multiple skull fractures, brain injuries, a liver laceration, seven broken ribs and a spine injury, among other wounds. Castillo remained in critical but stable condition Saturday evening.
Police found Robertson hiding in a nearby home soon after the incident. Someone told police where Robertson was hiding, Loftus said, and that he wanted to turn himself in.
He and his girlfriend were charged Saturday morning with attempted first-degree murder. Robertson also has been charged with robbery/carjacking, aggravated assault with a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Robertson has served prison time and probation time for burglary, grand theft and other charges, Miami-Dade court records show.
``It goes to show the dangers of the streets,'' said John Rivera, president of the Police Benevolent Association. ``I just hope that not only the public, but the politicians, realize that cutting public safety only helps the criminals.''
Miami Herald staff writer Jennifer Lebovich contributed to this report.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/24/1596975/ex-con-girlfriend-arrested-in.html#ixzz0m7BibgEu
Denton, TX: Murder suspect’s fate subject of debate
12:05 AM CDT on Sunday, April 25, 2010
By Donna Fielder / Staff Writer
Daniela Coronado was 17 years old when she died in her bed with an electrical cord tight around her neck.
Courtesy photo
Daniela Coronado was found dead in her bed on Oct. 24, 2007, in Denton. Pedro Blancas is accused of killing her. His parents say he has died in Mexico.
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She left an 11-month-old baby boy who can’t remember her more than two years later. She left a grieving mother, two sisters and numerous other relatives who can’t forget the way she died and that the man accused of murdering her is free.
Pedro Blancas left the country.
Now Blancas’ parents, who live in Denton, say he has died, and his name has been read on a list of the dead during Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church the past two weeks. He was buried in Morelita, Mexico, his father told police, adding that he had been too busy to attend the funeral.
Daniela Coronado’s relatives don’t believe it.
“They are pretending he is dead,” said Daniela’s sister Brenda Coronado. “In Mexico, as long as you give money, you can get what you want.”
Pedro Blancas’ parents, Amalia Perez and Pedro Blancas Sr., could not be reached for comment.
Denton police say they are skeptical about Pedro Blancas’ alleged death. They are working with the FBI to try to prove or disprove his father’s story.
Pedro Blancas
“I find it hard to believe they would have these Masses here and yet not go down there for a funeral or bring his body back,” Capt. Lenn Carter said. “Some of his family members lied to us at the time of the murder to give him time to get away. We believe a family member drove him to Mexico.”
Carter said FBI agents will work with Mexican officials to determine the truth.
“If we find he is not dead, we will step up our efforts to find him,” Carter said. “We are not going to stop looking.”
The young couple knew each other in high school, Daniela’s sisters say. Then Blancas went to jail on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and fleeing police, and he began writing to her. She wrote back. When he was released, they began dating. She became pregnant.
Her sister Sandra Almaguer allowed Daniela to stay with her, and Blancas stayed there often.
“He didn’t act as mean as he was,” said her aunt Sandra Vallejo. “He was very quiet.”
“We treated him with respect because she liked him,” said her mother, Berta Vallejo. “We never saw him be mean to her.”
But they say they saw the results of his temper on Aug. 9, 2007, when Daniela came to a family get-together with bruises on her face and a mark around her neck. The family has a photograph showing the injuries. She broke up with Blancas and notified police.
A witness told police that he saw Blancas sitting on top of Daniela, strangling her with a television cord and screaming that he was going to kill her. The witness struggled with the man, trying to get him off the girl. He literally had to knock Blancas out, according to police, before he could rescue the unconscious woman.
Blancas was charged with misdemeanor family violence, and Daniela obtained a protective order.
But he wanted to see his child, her relatives said, so she dropped the protective order.
She made plans with a friend for the morning of Oct. 24, 2007. The friend was going to pick her up, and she called several times to see if Daniela was ready. No one answered the cellphone. Then Blancas called on her phone. Coronado was in the shower, he said, and he would tell her to call.
But she never did.
Blancas took the baby to his mother’s apartment. She later told police that he was crying but she didn’t know why. She said he left on foot. The family claims to have not seen him again.
Meanwhile, Daniela’s friend grew worried. She drove to the apartment on Eagle Drive. The door was unlocked, and she walked inside. There, in her bed, was Daniela Coronado with a cord around her neck.
Hysterical and crying, the friend began calling relatives. Brenda Coronado was at work. She was so upset that her supervisor was afraid to let her drive, she said. Police picked her up and took her to the apartment.
They all gathered in the parking lot, not sure what had happened. A detective came to talk to them. Daniela was dead, he said.
“Are you sure?” Sandra Vallejo asked.
It was true. Bright, pretty Daniela had been murdered.
In the days that followed, police searched Denton for the fugitive because of information provided by his family. He was not around. They learned that Blancas was angry because he wanted to take his son to Mexico and the child’s mother said no. He also was angry because Daniela had moved on. She was dating other men.
That November, police received tips that Blancas was at a relative’s house in Morelita Guerrero, Mexico. They asked for help from the U.S. Marshals Service, but the marshals could not find him there.
Coronado’s family members don’t know what to believe. They heard rumors that the relatives he was staying with kicked him out. They heard rumors that he was living in Coyuca de Benitez, deep inside Mexico in the state of Guerrero. They heard rumors that he never left North Texas, and one relative swore he saw Blancas driving a green car.
Now, Blancas supposedly is dead. No, members of Daniela’s family say — that is a ruse to make police stop looking for him.
They want proof. They want the grave — if there is a grave — dug up and DNA samples taken.
Coronado’s sisters attended the two services in Denton where Blancas’ name was read on a list of the dead. They plan to attend a service today and expect to hear a final reading.
That isn’t fair, they say. He is a criminal whose name should not be read in church. They want to attend a trial. They want Blancas to pay for his crime.
They want justice for Daniela.
Anyone with information about the crime or Blancas’ whereabouts should call Denton police. Or call Denton County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-388-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Tipsters will remain anonymous.
DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com.
By Donna Fielder / Staff Writer
Daniela Coronado was 17 years old when she died in her bed with an electrical cord tight around her neck.
Courtesy photo
Daniela Coronado was found dead in her bed on Oct. 24, 2007, in Denton. Pedro Blancas is accused of killing her. His parents say he has died in Mexico.
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She left an 11-month-old baby boy who can’t remember her more than two years later. She left a grieving mother, two sisters and numerous other relatives who can’t forget the way she died and that the man accused of murdering her is free.
Pedro Blancas left the country.
Now Blancas’ parents, who live in Denton, say he has died, and his name has been read on a list of the dead during Mass at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church the past two weeks. He was buried in Morelita, Mexico, his father told police, adding that he had been too busy to attend the funeral.
Daniela Coronado’s relatives don’t believe it.
“They are pretending he is dead,” said Daniela’s sister Brenda Coronado. “In Mexico, as long as you give money, you can get what you want.”
Pedro Blancas’ parents, Amalia Perez and Pedro Blancas Sr., could not be reached for comment.
Denton police say they are skeptical about Pedro Blancas’ alleged death. They are working with the FBI to try to prove or disprove his father’s story.
Pedro Blancas
“I find it hard to believe they would have these Masses here and yet not go down there for a funeral or bring his body back,” Capt. Lenn Carter said. “Some of his family members lied to us at the time of the murder to give him time to get away. We believe a family member drove him to Mexico.”
Carter said FBI agents will work with Mexican officials to determine the truth.
“If we find he is not dead, we will step up our efforts to find him,” Carter said. “We are not going to stop looking.”
The young couple knew each other in high school, Daniela’s sisters say. Then Blancas went to jail on charges of engaging in organized criminal activity and fleeing police, and he began writing to her. She wrote back. When he was released, they began dating. She became pregnant.
Her sister Sandra Almaguer allowed Daniela to stay with her, and Blancas stayed there often.
“He didn’t act as mean as he was,” said her aunt Sandra Vallejo. “He was very quiet.”
“We treated him with respect because she liked him,” said her mother, Berta Vallejo. “We never saw him be mean to her.”
But they say they saw the results of his temper on Aug. 9, 2007, when Daniela came to a family get-together with bruises on her face and a mark around her neck. The family has a photograph showing the injuries. She broke up with Blancas and notified police.
A witness told police that he saw Blancas sitting on top of Daniela, strangling her with a television cord and screaming that he was going to kill her. The witness struggled with the man, trying to get him off the girl. He literally had to knock Blancas out, according to police, before he could rescue the unconscious woman.
Blancas was charged with misdemeanor family violence, and Daniela obtained a protective order.
But he wanted to see his child, her relatives said, so she dropped the protective order.
She made plans with a friend for the morning of Oct. 24, 2007. The friend was going to pick her up, and she called several times to see if Daniela was ready. No one answered the cellphone. Then Blancas called on her phone. Coronado was in the shower, he said, and he would tell her to call.
But she never did.
Blancas took the baby to his mother’s apartment. She later told police that he was crying but she didn’t know why. She said he left on foot. The family claims to have not seen him again.
Meanwhile, Daniela’s friend grew worried. She drove to the apartment on Eagle Drive. The door was unlocked, and she walked inside. There, in her bed, was Daniela Coronado with a cord around her neck.
Hysterical and crying, the friend began calling relatives. Brenda Coronado was at work. She was so upset that her supervisor was afraid to let her drive, she said. Police picked her up and took her to the apartment.
They all gathered in the parking lot, not sure what had happened. A detective came to talk to them. Daniela was dead, he said.
“Are you sure?” Sandra Vallejo asked.
It was true. Bright, pretty Daniela had been murdered.
In the days that followed, police searched Denton for the fugitive because of information provided by his family. He was not around. They learned that Blancas was angry because he wanted to take his son to Mexico and the child’s mother said no. He also was angry because Daniela had moved on. She was dating other men.
That November, police received tips that Blancas was at a relative’s house in Morelita Guerrero, Mexico. They asked for help from the U.S. Marshals Service, but the marshals could not find him there.
Coronado’s family members don’t know what to believe. They heard rumors that the relatives he was staying with kicked him out. They heard rumors that he was living in Coyuca de Benitez, deep inside Mexico in the state of Guerrero. They heard rumors that he never left North Texas, and one relative swore he saw Blancas driving a green car.
Now, Blancas supposedly is dead. No, members of Daniela’s family say — that is a ruse to make police stop looking for him.
They want proof. They want the grave — if there is a grave — dug up and DNA samples taken.
Coronado’s sisters attended the two services in Denton where Blancas’ name was read on a list of the dead. They plan to attend a service today and expect to hear a final reading.
That isn’t fair, they say. He is a criminal whose name should not be read in church. They want to attend a trial. They want Blancas to pay for his crime.
They want justice for Daniela.
Anyone with information about the crime or Blancas’ whereabouts should call Denton police. Or call Denton County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-388-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Tipsters will remain anonymous.
DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
South Fayette, PA: Police accuse South Fayette man of killing wife
Domestic quarrel ends with victim beaten and stabbed and house set afire
Saturday, April 24, 2010
By Sadie Gurman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette
An Allegheny County Fire Marshall's detective investigates the scene of a house fire on Locust Lane in South Fayette, where a woman's body was found on Friday.
Police said a South Fayette man bludgeoned and stabbed his wife to death, then torched their house early Friday after they argued about him staying up late to watch the Penguins playoff hockey game.
Robert Dennis Abrams, 40, told detectives he pulled a hammer from their bedside table and struck his wife, Jeanette, several times in the head during a fight over "financial matters and his unemployment."
When she continued to yell and curse at him, he said, he grabbed a knife from a dresser drawer and stabbed her in the chest.
Allegheny County police Superintendent Charles Moffatt, whose homicide detectives investigated the case, offered few glimpses into what he called a "domestic argument," but he said Mrs. Abrams was upset that her husband was still watching the triple-overtime Penguins' game late into the night.
The dispute started in the living room about 1:30 a.m., then continued into a bedroom, where Mr. Abrams shoved his wife from behind, causing her to fall and strike her head on a bedside table, according to the criminal complaint. Mrs. Abrams got up and came toward her husband, swinging her fists.
He hit her in the head at least 10 times with the hammer, Medical Examiner Karl E. Williams said, fracturing her skull before stabbing her at least four times in the chest.
Mr. Abrams lingered in the bedroom as his wife lay dying on the bed, the complaint says, then decided to burn the house at 110 Locust Lane.
He told police he lit a dog's toy with a candle and threw it in a corner of the living room, where it spread to a couch and then to the rest of the room.
Mr. Abrams escaped out a second-floor window.
"He showed me his burned hands, and he said the dog must have knocked over a candle," said Ed Haskins, who lives near the opposite end of the street. He was watching TV about 3 a.m. when he noticed from his window that flames were shooting 20 feet in the air from his neighbor's house.
Firefighters arrived shortly after 3 a.m., just as Mr. Abrams was getting up off the ground, according to Superintendent Moffat. Mr. Abrams told firefighters his wife was still inside the home.
They found Mrs. Abrams' body in the second-floor bedroom, and investigators could tell almost immediately that the blaze was not to blame in her death, although police said Mr. Abrams tried to make it look that way.
"There was no indication she was alive at the time of the fire," Dr Williams said, adding that such a cover-up would be "very difficult" to accomplish.
Mr. Abrams was awaiting arraignment Friday night on charges of homicide, arson and abuse of a corpse. He remained at UPMC Mercy for burns to his hands and face.
The couple had lived in the home, near the end of a short dead-end street, for seven or eight years, and South Fayette police had no history of any domestic problems there, Chief Louis Volle said.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
By Sadie Gurman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pam Panchak/Post-Gazette
An Allegheny County Fire Marshall's detective investigates the scene of a house fire on Locust Lane in South Fayette, where a woman's body was found on Friday.
Police said a South Fayette man bludgeoned and stabbed his wife to death, then torched their house early Friday after they argued about him staying up late to watch the Penguins playoff hockey game.
Robert Dennis Abrams, 40, told detectives he pulled a hammer from their bedside table and struck his wife, Jeanette, several times in the head during a fight over "financial matters and his unemployment."
When she continued to yell and curse at him, he said, he grabbed a knife from a dresser drawer and stabbed her in the chest.
Allegheny County police Superintendent Charles Moffatt, whose homicide detectives investigated the case, offered few glimpses into what he called a "domestic argument," but he said Mrs. Abrams was upset that her husband was still watching the triple-overtime Penguins' game late into the night.
The dispute started in the living room about 1:30 a.m., then continued into a bedroom, where Mr. Abrams shoved his wife from behind, causing her to fall and strike her head on a bedside table, according to the criminal complaint. Mrs. Abrams got up and came toward her husband, swinging her fists.
He hit her in the head at least 10 times with the hammer, Medical Examiner Karl E. Williams said, fracturing her skull before stabbing her at least four times in the chest.
Mr. Abrams lingered in the bedroom as his wife lay dying on the bed, the complaint says, then decided to burn the house at 110 Locust Lane.
He told police he lit a dog's toy with a candle and threw it in a corner of the living room, where it spread to a couch and then to the rest of the room.
Mr. Abrams escaped out a second-floor window.
"He showed me his burned hands, and he said the dog must have knocked over a candle," said Ed Haskins, who lives near the opposite end of the street. He was watching TV about 3 a.m. when he noticed from his window that flames were shooting 20 feet in the air from his neighbor's house.
Firefighters arrived shortly after 3 a.m., just as Mr. Abrams was getting up off the ground, according to Superintendent Moffat. Mr. Abrams told firefighters his wife was still inside the home.
They found Mrs. Abrams' body in the second-floor bedroom, and investigators could tell almost immediately that the blaze was not to blame in her death, although police said Mr. Abrams tried to make it look that way.
"There was no indication she was alive at the time of the fire," Dr Williams said, adding that such a cover-up would be "very difficult" to accomplish.
Mr. Abrams was awaiting arraignment Friday night on charges of homicide, arson and abuse of a corpse. He remained at UPMC Mercy for burns to his hands and face.
The couple had lived in the home, near the end of a short dead-end street, for seven or eight years, and South Fayette police had no history of any domestic problems there, Chief Louis Volle said.
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