May 15, 2012
Mom Helped Daugther, 13, 'Sext' Her Boyfriend
Would you want your mom to help you sext? Probably not. And even if you did, it's doubtful that your mom would even give you sexting help, right? Right. Which is why this story is so disturbing. A 35-year-old Utah woman has been arrested for helping her 13-year-old daughter take nude photos with her cell phone. She allegedly did this knowing that the photos were to be sent to her daughter's older boyfriend. That boyfriend is 30-years-old and lives in Oregon. Read more...
May 11, 2012
Student Tries to Kill Baby With Rat Poison
A California high school student has been charged with attempted murder after admitting to trying to feed rat poison to her two-week-old baby, police said. Cashel Phin, 18, was questioned by police after they were tipped off by one of her friends who allegedly heard her talking about dumping her baby in the trash, KTLA-TV reported. "The suspect admitted to trying to give the baby rat poison, also hitting it with a purse," Modesto Police Department Lt. Jeremy Young said. Read more...
May 04, 2012
Grandmother, Daughter Arrested for Prostitution
A 43-year-old grandmother and her 25-year-old daughter are accused of selling sex inside their Greeley apartment with a 2-year-old toddler present. The investigation began on April 22 when Greeley Police received a tip. Investigators, according to police, found the women were advertising their services on backpage.com, so an undercover agent arranged an "appointment." "The investigator arrived and saw the child in the living room of the apartment as the investigator was escorted to the bedroom," said Greeley Police Sgt. Susan West. "Additional officers and investigators entered the home at this time and arrested a 43-year-old female and a 25-year-old female, the mother and grandmother of the child in the apartment." Read more...
April 25, 2012
Baby Found in Ohio Freezer, 2 Charged
An Ohio couple accused of putting a newborn in a freezer have been charged with murder. Authorities on Tuesday upgraded the charges against the pair, who have been in jail for about a week on child-endangering charges. Kenisha Pruitt and Antonio Cervantes, of Toledo, both appeared in court where a judge set bond at $1 million for each. Both have asked for court-appointed attorneys. Read more...
April 06, 2012
Mom Arrested in Death of 2-Year-Old Daughter
A 37-year-old Roseville woman remained jailed, charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter. Police arrested Denise Wilder after they found her intoxicated and her daughter McKinley Wilder dead. Wilder's 5-year-old daughter, who also was in the home, was first sent to Child Protective Services, but was reunited Thursday with her father, Mark Wilder. Read more...
March 27, 2012
Missing 4-Year-Old Found Dead After Dog Attack
The search for a missing four-year-old Texas boy ended when his body was found near his home, his family confirmed. Kylar Johnson was found dead in Victoria -- about 130 miles southwest of Houston -- from injuries he sustained in a dog attack. He was reported missing Sunday night after he wandered away from his front yard as his father cleaned his car. Read more...
March 24, 2012
Dog Saves Florida Girl From Attack
A shelter dog is being hailed a hero for saving a Florida girl from an alleged attack by a sex offender. The 17-year-old girl was volunteering for the Friends of Strays animal shelter in St. Petersburg a few weeks ago when she was assaulted. The girl was walking with Mabeline, a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, down a path behind the building when the attacker allegedly grabbed her by her hair and pinned her to the ground, according to the station. The teen was able to break loose from her assailant when the 38-pound dog reportedly scared him away. Read more...
March 20, 2012
Parents Sought After 3-Year-Old Boy Found Wandering
Police in Florida were searching for the parents of a 3-year-old boy found wandering the streets alone. The boy, who gave his name as Josaya, was found alone and barefoot in Princeton, Miami-Dade County. "Once a child is involved, I've got to do something, I can't turn my eye," said Christopher Smith, who said he saw the boy and called police. Read more...
March 19, 2012
Mom Slahsed Son's Throat to Release 'Demons'
A Texas woman was arrested after allegedly slashing her five-year-old son's throat because she believed there were demons inside his body. Daphne Spurlock, 45, now faces a charge of attempted capital murder, the Magnolia Police Department said. Officers made the discovery shortly after 12:00am while conducting a welfare check on the boy at Spurlock's mobile home in Magnolia, about 45 miles northwest of Houston. Read more...
March 17, 2012
Daycare Owner Locks baby in Crawlspace
A Connecticut daycare center owner was arrested after police said she locked a 6-month-old girl in a crawl space so a health inspector would not see the center was over capacity. Police in Waterbury arrested 54-year-old Catalina Reyes after an inspector found the baby, crying, inside the crawl space, according to the newspaper. Authorities claim the baby was confined in the space for up to four hours, with no supervision, food or drink. Read more...
Couple Kept 12-Year-Old Boy Locked in Closet
A Florida couple locked up an extremely malnourished boy inside a closet as punishment for stealing food they were keeping from him, according to a police report. The 12-year-old boy also had been strapped to a bed or locked in a bathroom for days or weeks at a time over the past year, the police report said. He was treated at a hospital for malnutrition and dehydration. Read more...
March 15, 2012
Police Say Sibling Shooting Was Not Accidental
Police said that a 9-year-old girl pulled the trigger in the fatal shooting of her 7-year-old brother while their parents were briefly away from their Arkansas apartment. The shooting on Monday afternoon was not an accident, Little Rock Police spokesman Lt. Terry Hastings said, but he declined to comment any further. Hastings' remarks come a day after a police spokeswoman said the girl shot her brother and then backtracked to say only that the girl was responsible for the shooting. Read more...
March 09, 2012
Florida Passes 'Caylee's Law'
The Florida legislature has passed a bill aimed at protecting missing children that was inspired by the Caylee Anthony case. 'Caylee's Law' is awaiting the signature of Gov. Rick Scott. Basically, it increases the penalty for not reporting a missing child. Caylee Anthony was missing for 31 days before law enforcement was notified. Read more...
March 06, 2012
Mother Charged in Case of Third-Grade Shooting
The mother of the third-grade boy who brought a gun to school that went off, injuring a classmate, has been charged, as has her boyfriend. Prosecutors say Jamie Lee Chaffin, 34, and Douglas L. Bauer, 50, of Bremerton, Wash., are responsible for Chaffin's son obtaining the .45-caliber handgun. The boy, 9, had told his friends he planned to run away from his uncle's house, where he lives, and that he planned to bring a gun with him for protection. Read more...
February 24, 2012
Stabbed Bus Driver Suspended
A bus driver who was stabbed in the face with a pen while trying to resolve a dispute with a passenger has been suspended, a county spokesperson said. Cobb County spokeswoman AikWah Leow said the driver, Damian Haney, 39, was suspended with pay for not following protocol during the altercation that led to his stabbing. Leow says that instead of getting involved when suspect Taniesha Nicole Twyne allegedly got into an argument over a cell phone with another passenger, the driver should have stayed in his seat and called dispatch, which would have called 911. Read more...
February 23, 2012
2 Charged in Girl's Running Death
At the end of a dirt road leading to a double-wide trailer in rural Alabama, authorities say 9-year-old Savannah Hardin was being forced to run for three hours as punishment for having lied to her grandmother about eating candy bars. The severely dehydrated girl had a seizure and died days later, her death ruled a homicide. Her grandmother and stepmother who police say meted out the punishment are in jail, facing murder charges. Read more...
February 21, 2012
Parents Arrested After Teen Dies of Malnutrition
The parents of a 13-year-old Summerville boy were arrested Sunday after the coroner determined the boy died of malnutrition and neglect. Police were called to 1925 Bacons Bridge Road Feb. 10, according to Summerville Police Capt. Jon Rogers. The boy, whom officials have not publicly identified, was dead. An autopsy showed that he died of malnourishment and neglect, Rogers said. Read more...
February 17, 2012
Couple Gets 8 Years in Son's Cancer Death
The parents of an 8-year-old boy who died from Hodgkin lymphoma after suffering for months from undiagnosed swollen glands were sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to denying him medical treatment. Attorneys for Monica Hussing, 37, and William Robinson Sr., 40, had said the parents had financial problems and tried to get checkups for their son but could not afford it. Read more...
February 16, 2012
Couple Accused of Starving Daughter, 15
A Madison man and his wife have been arrested for allegedly torturing and starving the man's 15-year-old daughter, who told authorities she was forced to live in the basement of their home on the city's Southeast Side for years. The girl, who weighs about 70 pounds, told authorities she was forced to drink her urine and eat her feces, according to a police affidavit. Chad G. Chritton, 40, and Melinda J. Drabek-Chritton, 42, were being held Tuesday in Dane County Jail. Read more...
February 10, 2012
Pregnant Teen Held 9 Days, Beaten by Boyfriend
Police say a pregnant teenager was held captive nine days in a California home, where she was bound with tape and beaten by a jealous boyfriend. Investigators say the 18-year-old victim was allowed to leave the San Joaquin Valley home and she called police. She says 21-year-old Richard Garibay became enraged when he found a text message from another man on her cellphone. Read more...
February 08, 2012
FBI Arrests Teacher on Child Porn Charges
The FBI arrested a teacher's aide in Brooklyn, New York, after they say he made child pornography videos in an elementary school classroom. Parents of the school where Taleek Brooks worked say they rarely saw him without a camera. Officials say Brooks admits to having more than 1,000 images of young children on his computer. He worked at the elementary school for 10 years. Read more...
February 03, 2012
Babysitter Sexually Assaults Young Girl
A Norristown man arrested last year for child porn is now facing new charges of sexual assault. Last year, Gary Romano, 56, was arrested for allegedly possessing child pornography. After further investigation, police found a picture on his computer of him touching a child, according to investigators. Police say Romano took the picture himself and was advertising himself online for Sitter City, a babysitting website. After being hired by a family, police say he molested the 2-year-old girl that he babysat. Read more...
February 02, 2012
Woman Accused of Killing Baby Says She Lied
A Springfield woman accused of killing her newborn son has taken the stand to testify that her pregnancy was a charade and she confessed to the crime to avoid exposing the lie. Angelica Swartout testified that she wore baggy fleece all summer long in 2010. She demonstrated from the witness stand how she pushed out her belly to fake a pregnancy that was bringing her attention from her family. Read more...
February 01, 2012
No Lower Bond for Missing Boy's Mom
A judge has denied a request to lower the bond for the mother of a South Carolina boy missing since Thanksgiving. Circuit Judge Casey Manning on Tuesday ordered that 22-year-old Zinah Jennings continue to be held in the Richland County jail on $150,000 bond. Jennings has been in jail since late December, when police say they arrested her for lying about the whereabouts of her son, Amir. Read more...
Man Charged With Death of Baby Sitter
Prosecutors charged a man with child abuse homicide in the overdose death of his teenage baby sitter in Utah. Weber County Attorney Dee Smith said Eric Millerberg also faces additional charges of having sex with a minor, obstructing justice, unlawful sex with a minor and desecration of a body. Millerberg's wife, Dea, has been charged with desecration of a body. Read more...
January 31, 2012
Somer Thompson Suspect's Trial Delayed
The man charged with the kidnapping and murder of 7-year-old Somer Thompson was supposed to go on trial this week for an unrelated child molestation charge, but that trial has been delayed. Attorneys for Jarred Harrell were granted a request for more time to prepare their case. The trial for molesting a 3-year-old girl is now scheduled to begin May 7. Read more...
January 30, 2012
Blood of Missing Maine Toddler Found
Some of the blood found in a Maine home where a missing toddler was last seen six weeks ago belonged to the little girl, an official said. State Police spokesman Steve McCausland would not say how much of Ayla Reynolds' blood was found in her father's home in Waterville, where exactly it was found or how long it might have been there. But investigators told Ayla's mother's family that the amount of blood was "more blood than a small cut would produce," according to family-run website. Read more...
January 28, 2012
Day Care Worker Tapes Toddler to Mat
A northern Kentucky day care worker has been arrested and fired from her job for allegedly taping a toddler to a mat during nap time. Police arrested 20-year-old Alicia Lyons on Wednesday and charged her with first-degree criminal abuse. She was released from the Kenton County jail. Read more...
January 27, 2012
Trial Delayed for Jarred Harrell
The trial in the child molestation case against Jarred Harrell has been delayed. Harrell is accused of kidnapping, assaulting and killing 7-year-old Somer Thompson in October 2009. He hasn't been in court since he was arraigned in 2010. Harrell is also charged with child molestation of a 3-year-old and possession of child pornography in cases unrelated to Somer's killing. His trial on the child molestation charges was schedule to start in two weeks, but on Tuesday, a Clay County judge granted a defense request for more time to prepare for that trial. It was pushed back to May 7. Read more...
Officials Call Off Search for Missing SC Toddler
The mother of a South Carolina toddler missing since Thanksgiving is pregnant and mentally ill and should be released from jail because she needs medical care, the woman's attorney argued in court papers filed this week. Hemphill Pride II says Zinah Jennings has been ordered to have treatment for her mental illness for a year and has been told to take Risperdal, which is used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia. He also said she needs prenatal care. Read more...
January 26, 2012
Mom Missing After Abandoning Her Young Kids
New Hampshire authorities issued an arrest warrant for a 25-year-old mom accused of abandoning her three young children earlier this month. On Jan. 14, Miranda Rifenburgh reportedly alerted her fiancé in a text message that she was going to leave him and their three children. When the fiancé returned home, it appeared she made good on her promise. She was gone, and her children, all under 2 years old, were home alone. Read more...
January 23, 2012
Day Care Provider Charged in Child's Drowning
A 37-year-old Illinois woman is facing a felony charge in the August drowning death of a 2-year-old girl. The Will County state's attorney's office charged Tracy Kennedy with felony endangering the life of a child and misdemeanor operating a child care facility without a license. Prosecutors said Kennedy left 2-year-old Abigail Holland in an unsafe environment, which caused the girl's death around 10:40 a.m. Aug. 2. Abigail drowned in the backyard pool at Kennedy's home. Read more...
