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Crime And Courts

All articles tagged with #crime and courts

Escondido veteran dies after assault outside MAGA-themed home; murder charge possible
crime-and-courts2 hours ago

Escondido veteran dies after assault outside MAGA-themed home; murder charge possible

A 69-year-old Escondido Army veteran, Kerry Sheron, died days after a brutal beating outside his Trump-themed home. The suspect, Thomas Butler, 32, was charged with attempted murder and elder abuse and could face a murder charge as prosecutors weigh the case. Investigators are examining potential motives, including a political angle, though no definitive motive has been established. A bystander was injured in the incident; Sheron’s wife says threats related to the decorations had occurred previously. Butler remains jailed without bail ahead of a June 3 court appearance while the medical examiner determines the cause of death.

Estranged Husband Convicted in Brazil Killing of NYC Art Dealer
crime-and-courts3 days ago

Estranged Husband Convicted in Brazil Killing of NYC Art Dealer

Daniel Sikkema, a 55-year-old estranged husband and U.S./Cuban citizen living in New York, was convicted in Manhattan federal court of murder-for-hire conspiracy for hiring a hitman to kill his husband, Brent Sikkema, a prominent New York City art dealer, in Rio de Janeiro in January 2024. The hitman was arrested in Brazil and remains jailed. Sikkema faces a mandatory life sentence, and his lawyers plan to appeal. Brent Sikkema had built a multimillion-dollar art gallery business in Manhattan.

Miami Lawyer, Influencer Daughter, and Surf Instructor Charged in LA Murder-For-Hire Plot
crime-and-courts7 days ago

Miami Lawyer, Influencer Daughter, and Surf Instructor Charged in LA Murder-For-Hire Plot

A Miami attorney, Francisco Gonzalez, his influencer daughter Gabriela Gonzalez, and Kai Cordrey are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, and solicitation to commit murder for allegedly plotting to hire a hit man to kill ex-boy band member Jack Avery through the dark web; the FBI, in an undercover sting, intervened after about $14,000 was paid. Gabriela and Avery have a custody dispute, Avery is the target, and Gabriela was arrested with Francisco in Florida while Cordrey’s status remains unclear.

Former McDonald’s manager charged with tainting fries for ex-girlfriend in Massachusetts
crime-and-courts8 days ago

Former McDonald’s manager charged with tainting fries for ex-girlfriend in Massachusetts

A 22-year-old Southbridge McDonald’s night manager, Kaylie Santos, is charged with distributing food with a harmful substance after allegedly placing her saliva on fries served to her ex‑girlfriend; police say a Snapchat video captured the act, and arraignment is set for June 5. Authorities say no other customers were affected and there were no public health concerns.

Undercover sting foils Iran-linked terror plot targeting U.S. Jewish sites
crime-and-courts9 days ago

Undercover sting foils Iran-linked terror plot targeting U.S. Jewish sites

Federal authorities arrested Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, an Iraqi national tied to Iran’s IRGC-QF and Kata’ib Hizballah, for allegedly plotting attacks on Jewish institutions in New York, Los Angeles and Scottsdale. An undercover sting disrupted the plan to target a Manhattan synagogue, and Al-Saadi discussed using an explosive or arson. He faces multiple terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations and conspiracy to bomb a place of public use; he is jailed in Brooklyn pending further proceedings.

Vancouver Woman Granted $300K Bail in Mult-Defendant Child-Molestation Case
crime-and-courts13 days ago

Vancouver Woman Granted $300K Bail in Mult-Defendant Child-Molestation Case

Anna May Hug Hartley, 41, of Vancouver, was ordered held on $300,000 bail in a Clark County child-molestation investigation involving her husband and a Clark County pediatrician who died by apparent suicide; the case also involves a third suspect and centers on allegations of trafficking and possession of explicit material, with Hartley accused of transporting the victim to the doctor’s La Center residence where nude photos were exchanged.

D4vd Faces High-Stakes Hearing in Gruesome Teen Murder Case
crime-and-courts14 days ago

D4vd Faces High-Stakes Hearing in Gruesome Teen Murder Case

David Burke, the 21-year-old singer known as D4vd, will undergo a late-June preliminary hearing on murder and sex-abuse charges in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whom prosecutors say he stabbed, dismembered and disposed of in his garage after a year of alleged abuse; the body was found in the trunk of a Tesla linked to Burke. His defense had sought an immediate hearing but paused as prosecutors provided extensive digital evidence. A status conference is set for June 17, with the full hearing expected to last several days.

Arcadia Mayor Charged as Chinese Government Agent in Propaganda Scheme
crime-and-courts14 days ago

Arcadia Mayor Charged as Chinese Government Agent in Propaganda Scheme

Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang is charged with acting as an illegal agent of the PRC, admitting to working for the Chinese government on U.S. soil and not notifying U.S. authorities, and directing the pro-China U.S. News Center to publish propaganda, including a Xinjiang-related piece; she resigned, faces up to 10 years in prison under a plea deal, while co-defendant Yaoning Sun is already serving a four-year sentence.

Arcadia Mayor Resigns After Plea in China-Linked Foreign Agent Case
crime-and-courts15 days ago

Arcadia Mayor Resigns After Plea in China-Linked Foreign Agent Case

Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang reached a federal plea agreement to plead guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent for China, admitting she posted Chinese government–directed propaganda and did not disclose its source; she resigned after the plea was unsealed. The case is linked to her ex-fiancé Yaoning “Mike” Sun, who was sentenced to four years in federal prison for similar charges. The conduct occurred before her 2022 City Council election, and the charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Former HIMYM actor convicted in ex-girlfriend stabbing case
crime-and-courts15 days ago

Former HIMYM actor convicted in ex-girlfriend stabbing case

Nick Pasqual, a background actor known for How I Met Your Mother, was found guilty after a jury trial of attempted murder and related charges for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Allie Shehorn in May 2024, breaking into her Shadow Hills home; prosecutors say he fled California and was stopped at a Texas border checkpoint. He also faces counts of injuring a spouse or partner, first-degree burglary and rape, with sentencing set for June 2 and a potential life prison term.

Notorious Betty Broderick dies in prison at 78
crime-and-courts17 days ago

Notorious Betty Broderick dies in prison at 78

Elisabeth 'Betty' Broderick, the La Jolla socialite who killed her ex-husband Daniel Broderick and his wife Linda Kolkena in 1989, died in prison at 78 from natural causes; after a 1990 mistrial and a 1991 conviction for two counts of second-degree murder, she was sentenced to 32 years to life and denied parole in 2010 and 2017, with her case inspiring books, a TV movie, a podcast, and an eight-episode miniseries.

Feds Strike MacArthur Park Drug Market in Major Sweep
crime-and-courts19 days ago

Feds Strike MacArthur Park Drug Market in Major Sweep

Federal agents and LAPD arrested 18 people and charged 25 defendants with federal drug-distribution offenses in a crackdown dubbed Operation Free MacArthur Park, targeting an open-air drug market along the Alvarado corridor by MacArthur Park. Authorities say fentanyl and methamphetamine were supplied by a network tied to the 18th Street Gang, with six warrants served at storefronts as officers cleared the area; seven fugitives remain at large as the operation aims to reclaim the park for residents.

Patterson ICE shooting leads to federal indictment of suspect
crime-and-courts24 days ago

Patterson ICE shooting leads to federal indictment of suspect

A Salvadoran man, Carlos Iván Mendoza Hernández, was indicted on two counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon and one count of destruction of government property after an April 7 ICE operation in Patterson, California, where prosecutors say he used his vehicle to threaten and strike officers; his attorney says officers opened fire first. The case, part of a series of California immigration-agent shootings, could carry up to 20 years on each assault count and 10 years on the destruction charge, with arraignment scheduled forthcoming.

Teens accuse 'looksmaxxing' star Clavicular of battery and fraud in Miami
crime-and-courts26 days ago

Teens accuse 'looksmaxxing' star Clavicular of battery and fraud in Miami

Aleksandra Mendoza, a teen influencer known as Alorah, is suing Miami-based streamer Braden Peters (Clavicular) for battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, fraud, and unauthorized publication of her name/likeness. The suit alleges that in 2025, when Mendoza was 16, Peters paid her to film videos and planned her as the “female face” of looksmaxxing, took her to Cape Cod, served her alcohol to intoxication, and had sex with her without consent; he allegedly injected her with Aqualyx without licensing or FDA approval. The lawsuit also claims he later undermined her sponsorships in 2026. Mendoza, now 18, seeks damages over $50,000. Peters denies the allegations and says he will vigorously defend himself.