Tag: Crime and Incidents

Tesla Driver Killed After Plowing Into Firetruck on Freeway

WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—A Tesla driver was killed and a passenger was critically injured Saturday when the car plowed into a fire truck that was parked on a Northern California freeway to shield a crew clearing another accident, fire officials said. Four firefighters who were in the truck when it was struck on Interstate 680 were…


3 Teenage Girls and Gunman Dead in Texas Shooting

GALENA PARK, Texas—Authorities say three teenage girls, including one who was pregnant, were fatally shot by man who also sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl who later escaped then fatally shot himself. No names have been released. The killings occurred at the home of the gunman’s girlfriend in the Houston suburb of Galena Park at about…


Prostitution, Exploitation Worsening on Los Angeles’s Notorious ‘Blade’ After New California Law

LOS ANGELES—At Figueroa and 69th Streets girls appearing as young as 15 stood in G-Strings and unbuttoned blouses, one Wednesday evening earlier this month, as cars idled in a small traffic jam under the weak glow of faded street lights. Even on a weeknight, Los Angeles’s busiest area for sex work—known colloquially as “The Blade”—has…


Catholic Bishop Appointed by Pope Francis in 2015 Shot and Killed in LA

A long-serving Catholic bishop was shot and killed in Los Angeles on Saturday, according to the church and officials. Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell, 69, ” has passed away unexpectedly,” said Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez in a statement. “It is a shock and I have no words to express my sadness.” The LA County…


18-Year-Old Arrested in Slaying of Temple University Police Officer

PHILADELPHIA—An man is facing murder and other charges in the death of a Temple University police officer shot and killed near campus Saturday night, authorities said. The Philadelphia district attorney’s office said 18-year-old Miles Pfeffer will face charges of murder, murder of a law enforcement officer, robbery, carjacking, and weapons crimes in the death of…


Temple University Police Officer Shot Dead Near Philadelphia Campus

A police officer of Temple University was killed after he was shot in the head while responding to a robbery near the Philadelphia campus on Saturday night, according to officials. The university said the officer was trying to arrest a suspect linked to the robbery of a convenience store near the campus, at 1700 W….


Officials: Arizona Spill Likely Not Due to Speed or Alcohol

TUCSON, Ariz.—The deadly truck accident this week that caused a hazardous materials spill southeast of downtown Tucson this week did not appear to be caused by high speed, drugs or alcohol, Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said Thursday. The authorities said at a news conference that truck driver Ricky Immel, 54, was traveling from…


Kansan Charged in Wreck That Killed Officer, Pedestrian, K-9

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—An 18-year-old Kansas man has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after a crash that killed a Kansas City police officer, a pedestrian and the officer’s K-9 police dog, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday. Jerron Allen Lightfoot, of Tonganoxie, was speeding and ran a red light at an intersection…


US Prosecutors Ask for 25 More Years in Prison for R. Kelly

CHICAGO—Federal prosecutors Thursday asked a judge to give singer R. Kelly 25 more years in prison for his child pornography and enticement convictions last year in Chicago, which would add to 30 years he recently began serving in a New York case. The 56-year-old wouldn’t be eligible for release until he was around 100 if…


Texas Death Row Inmate Who Cut out His Eyes Seeks Clemency

HOUSTON—Plagued by mental illness, Texas death row inmate Andre Thomas started hearing voices when he was 9 years old and first attempted suicide when he was 10, his attorneys say. Thomas’ psychosis, filled with religious delusions and hallucinations, became worse as he grew older. His family—beset by a long history of mental illness, addiction, and…