Crime Time

Iowa animal rights activist faces animal cruelty charge

An Iowa animal rights activist faces a charge of animal cruelty after she was allegedly caught on video beating a dog with a club.

TV news station KCCI reports that a concerned resident in Ottumwa, Iowa videotaped 41-year-old Noelle Stanbridge beating her dog fifteen times with a club after she caught him digging in the backyard. 

Police told reporters that Stanbridge identified herself as an animal rights activist and an outspoken critic of the local police department's policy on euthanizing stray dogs after seven days.

A local veternarian accompanied police on a search of her home, which turned up 10 dogs in her care. None of the other dogs showed obvious signs of injury so they are allowed to stay with Stanbridge for now. 

Stanbridge faces up to a $500 fine if she's convicted. Investigators expect more charges to be filed against her.

-Chance Welch

1 person dead after Houston school football field shooting

A shooting at a Houston high school football field left one person dead and five others injured.

The Associated Press reports that a group of young men were watching their girlfriends play football Wednesday night at the Worthing High School field when a Ford Taurus full of young men drove onto the field.

A fistfight followed shortly after and just as the fight appeared to be over, someone started shooting. Police are still trying to determine whether one of the spectators fired back at the shooter.

Officers found a blood-stained Ford Taurus at an apartment complex about five miles away but there's no word on any suspects arrested.

Police could not confirm if the shooting victims were part of a gang but they believe that part of the shooter's motive appears to be gang-related.

The football game wasn't sanctioned by the school and the shooting didn't happen while students were in class.

-Chance Welch

Journalists have access to Texas' Death Row inmates every Wednesday

Every Wednesday is media day on Texas’ Death Row, which basically means that journalists have access to inmates who have been sentenced to death.

Yesterday morning, photographer Ron Ennis and I made the 4 ½ hour drive to the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, where I interviewed Cleve Foster, who is set for execution next Tuesday for his role in the rape and murder of two Fort Worth women.

Foster was minutes away from dying on Jan. 11 when he received a last-minute reprieve after eating his last meal and saying goodbye to his family.

He talked to me about that. He also maintained his innocence and told me he is upset that Texas will be trying out its new execution drug on him if it goes through next week. (His attorneys have filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to try and stop it.)

I’ll be writing about all that in a story for Sunday and I expect readers will also hear what this roller-coaster ride has been like for the family of Rachel Urnosky, 22, one of the women killed.

Until then, here’s a quick [and shaky] video of Michelle Lyons, spokeswoman with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, talking about Death Row media day.

 

- Melody McDonald

Fla. honors student pistol-whips mom, demands sports car

A Florida teen bound for an Ivy League school was arrested after she allegedly forced her mother to co-sign for a car loan at gunpoint.

Naples Daily News reports that Rachel Hachero, 17, is accused of pistol-whipping her mother and forcing her to drive to a local dealership to buy a Nissan 350Z convertible.

Her mother initially refused to co-sign for the car when she threatened to kill her and later that day, returned home with a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun to prove her point.

She pistol-whipped her mother in the head and pointed the gun at her head and stomach and demanded that they drive to the dealership.

While Hachero was in school at the exclusive Canterbury School in Fort Myers, her mother rummaged through her bedroom and found the gun and some drugs.

Hachero was arrested and faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, unlawful possession of a firearm and battery.

Hachero's mother declined to prosecute because of her honor student status and acceptance into several Ivy League schools with scholarships.

-Chance Welch

Sheriff's deputy killed by cow was a former Arlington officer

A Smith County Sheriff’s deputy who died Monday from injuries suffered last week when he was attacked by an injured cow while directing traffic had previously worked 13 years as an Arlington police officer.

Robert Britton had worked as an Arlington police officer between 1979 and June 1992, according to Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education records.

Britton was fired in 1992 after employees of two grocery stores accused him of shoplifting cigarettes, according to a Star-Telegram article about his termination. He had been commended nine times during his careers in Arlington and received the department’s safe-driving award, according to the article.

Story.

Deanna Boyd 

Mi. woman charged after offering 4-year-old daughter for sex

A Michigan woman allegedly offered her 4-year-old daughter for sex through a dating website.

Detroit TV news station WWJTV reports that 28-year-old Andrea Ziza sent a video of her and her daughter in a "compromising position" to a man she was chatting with on a dating website.

The man called police after seeing the video. The FBI became involved in the situation and detectives executed a search warrant at Ziza's home.

Ziza was arrested and charged with one count of sexually abusive activity with a child, two counts of using a computer in the commission of a crime and one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes.

She faces a maximum pentalty of 20 years in jail if convicted.

Ziza remains in jail with bail set at $50,000.

-Chance Welch

Motocross champ arrested for impersonating a police officer

A motocross champion has been arrested in Florida after police say he tried to impersonate an officer when he pulled over two off-duty Highway Patrol troopers.

TV news station WKMG reports that James "Bubba" Mark Stewart, 25, dubbed the "Tiger Woods of motocross," was arrested on suspicion of impersonating an officer after he used red and blue police lights in the dashboard of his 2008 Toyota Tundra truck to stop a vehicle in Osceola County.

The off-duty troopers in the vehicle had reason to believe that Stewart's pickup wasn't an undercover police vehicle and the driver identified himself as a police officer. That's when authorities say Stewart went back to his truck and sped off.

Police caught up with Stewart and the passenger in the truck at Orlando International Airport, where they were both arrested. Stewart's passenger, Thames Jehrrod Quinalt, 44, faces a charge of tampering with evidence after he allegedly hid the blue and red lights in his luggage.

Stewart bonded out of jail.

Stewart's list of accomplishments in motocross include 11 American Motorcyclist Association Amateur National titles and the AMA 125 Motocross National Championship he won in 2004.

He also stars in a reality TV show called "Bubba's World," currently airing on Fuel TV.

-Chance Welch

Videotaped brawl at Fla. Burger King leads to felony charge

At BK, you can't always have it your way.

A bikini-clad woman is facing a felony charge after a videotaped brawl at a Burger King in Florida went viral on YouTube.

The Associated Press reports that the woman, identified as Kimesa Smith, 31, from Montgomery, Alabama, is seen in the video hitting employees and even jumping on the counter to hit someone with a large container.

One of the restaurant's employees told police that the fight started when Smith complained about her order.

Smith was initially charged with misdemeanor battery but Florida authorities added charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and a felony criminal mischief charge.

-Chance Welch

Ind. middle school shooting victim stable, suspended student in custody

A suspended student at an Indiana middle school has been arrested in connection with a shooting of a 15-year-old boy.

The Associated Press reports that a gunman shot Chance Jackson in the stomach before class began Friday morning at Martinsville West Middle School about 30 miles south of Indianapolis.

A 15-year-old classmate who had been suspended from the school two days earlier was taken into custody.

Police have not declared him a suspect in the shooting but told reporters that they are not searching for any more suspects in the attack and do not know how the suspended teen got into the building.

The 15-year-old is not facing charges at this time.

The family of the injured teen told reporters he is in stable condition following surgery.

-Chance Welch

Fla. woman bites off coworker's fingertip

Some drama over an alleged affair at a south Florida Walmart ended with one woman biting off more than she could chew.

The Associated Press reports that Walmart employee Clodia Coicour, 43, told police she heard a rumor that a female co-worker was having an affair with her husband, who also works at the store.

The situation escalated when the victim walked to her car after her shift ended only to have Coicour douse her with a substance that burned her eyes. Push comes to shove and the two start fighting.

In the course of the fight, Coicour allegedly bit off the tip of the woman's ring finger.

Coicour has been charged with aggravated battery.

-Chance Welch