Latest news with #CountySheriff'soffice
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Phone scam using DEA agent alias targets elderly woman in Illinois
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Another phone scam is going around in central Illinois, this time with an alias of an agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration. On Friday, a 72-year-old woman got a call from a person saying she had a warrant for her arrest on account of her 'trafficking 22 pounds of cocaine,' according to the Peoria County Sheriff's office. 'We'd never call somebody and tell them [to pay the warrant] over the phone. Never, ever,' sheriff Chris Watkins said. 'No police agency does that in America. That's what we're trying to get out, but we still see people falling victim because they are very believable when they call.' The woman was told by the caller that she had to pay the warrant with scores of $500 gift cards. She drove to HyVee, purchased the gift cards which included Sephora, Lululemon, Target and Nordstrom totaling $17,000, and gave them to the man on the phone. 'It used to be five, six, seven thousand [dollars],' Watkins said. 'Now we're seeing ten, fifteen, twenty-thousand. They're going to take as much money as they possibly can from you when they're talking to you.' What to know about National Work Zone Awareness Week In some cases, the scammers are going past just getting information over the phone. 'They're taking it to another level where somebody did show up to someone's house,' Watkins said. 'So usually you don't get that.' Watkins said to make sure you spread awareness of the scams to your friends and family. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
S.C. Man, 80, Allegedly Murders 11-Year-Old Girl — Then Confesses that He Murdered His Wife as Well: Police
A South Carolina Man is accused of murdering his wife and then walking next door and murdering his neighbor's 11-year-old granddaughter. The Sumter County Sheriff's office alleges that Arthur Leonard, 80, walked into his neighbors' house with an assault rifle on the night of April 16 and began firing at the 10 or 11 people inside the dwelling at that time. Chief Deputy Hampton Gardner of the SCSO said at a news conference that an "11-year-old girl was shot and killed" in the gunfire. The Sumter County Coroner's Office identified the young victim to PEOPLE as Ashly McFarland. A GoFundMe set up for the family claims that the young girl's father was also shot while trying to take the shooter down after he opened fire. Police were called to the house just before 11 p.m. in response to the incident and found family members holding Leonard back, according to the SCSO. Life-saving measures were performed on the girl by emergency medical technicians, but she was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene, said Gardner. Things took an unexpected turn when deputies brought Leonard in for booking and he allegedly informed them that he'd also murdered his wife, according to the notified the Sumter Police Department, who went to perform a welfare check on Leonard's home and discovered his wife dead in their garage from an apparent gunshot wound. The Sumter County Coroner's Office identified that victim as 76-year-old Felicia Leonard. Gardner said at the press conference that there have been tensions between Leonard and the neighbors for some time because they often practice target shooting in their backyard, which is legal under state law. Leonard had called the SCSO on numerous occasions to complain about his neighbors, said Deputy Gardner, and many of the deputies were familiar with him and the situation involving his neighbors. The suspect was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries and the following day booked into the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center. Court records show that deputies had arrested Leonard just two days before the shooting on a breach of peace count. Leonard does not have a lawyer listed at this time. Meanwhile, the Sumter School District release a statement about Ashly, writing in part: "She was a bright and joyful student who made a lasting impact on her classmates, teachers, and school community. Her passing is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time." Sheriff Anthony Dennis said that his investigators are "working diligently to uncover all the details," and said that the SCSO will share more information on this "horrific incident" once it becomes available. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration to resume housing detained immigrants in controversial Florida facility
The Trump administration will resume housing detained immigrants in Glades County Detention Center, just three years after the facility's use was limited for what the federal government said were 'persistent and ongoing concerns' with detainees' well-being. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement Wednesday that the county-operated detention facility, located just west of Lake Okeechobee, will 'enhance the agency's ability to manage the region's growing enforcement and removal operation' by adding up to 500 additional beds. 'The central location streamlines logistics and helps facilitate the timely processing of illegal aliens in our custody that are subject to arrest, detention and removal from our country,' said acting Miami ICE Field Office Director Juan Agudelo. The decision to resume the use of the Central Florida facility comes as the Trump administration ramps up its mass-deportation efforts in Florida and across the country. The facility, which is operated by the Glades County Sheriff's office, is able to house immigrants on behalf of the federal government through a contract between ICE and the Glades County Board of County Commissioners. In recent years, local activists and community leaders have denounced the use of the Glades County facility, which faced numerous complaints of medical negligence, constitutional rights violations and sexual misconduct. Former detainees said that guards watched women while they showered. Other detainees also complained that a carbon monoxide leak at the facility once led to several people getting sick and being hospitalized. In response to the claims, members of Congress, led by Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, called for the Department of Homeland Security to terminate its contract with the detention facility. In 2022, the Biden administration moved to limit the use of the county facility due to 'persistent and ongoing concerns' related to detainee medical care, and described the facility as one of 'limited operational significance.' READ MORE: Feds will limit use of Glades migrant detention center in Florida after complaints It is unclear whether the Glades County facility has made changes to address the concerns that led the federal government to limit the use of the facility for several years. The Glades County Sheriff's Office did not respond to a request seeking comment. Federal authorities did not address it either in a Wednesday statement. 'What is missing from any decision to reopen Glades is whether they have even come close to addressing the gross deficiencies that required them to close in the first place,' said Katie Blankenship, immigration attorney and co-founding partner for Sanctuary of the South. 'ICE knows that Glades is unsafe for people. This is a level of inhumane treatment that the government has to be held accountable for.' The facility's reopening will offer more detention capacity in Florida as state officials work to figure out ways to help the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Its space could also alleviate overcrowding conditions at Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, one of the four ICE detention facilities in the state. In recent weeks, Krome detainees have complained about being forced to sleep on cement floors and being left in shackles and chains on buses overnight without access to bathrooms. Public records show that about 600 people are being held there — but detainees and their attorney say the population appears to be much higher, and far exceeds the facility's capacity. Last week, hundreds of people showed up outside the facility to protest the conditions. As of March 28, county detention facilities in Florida reported they had 1,984 beds available to lease to ICE, according to a report issued by State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Larry Keefe that was sent to the Legislature. Some facilities with space available report that they are currently understaffed, are in need of major repairs or are scheduled for future expansions, according to the report, which was provided to the Herald/Times by the Florida Senate.
Miami Herald
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Trump administration to resume housing detained immigrants in controversial Florida facility
The Trump administration will resume housing detained immigrants in Glades County Detention Center, just three years after the facility's use was limited for what the federal government said were 'persistent and ongoing concerns' with detainees' well-being. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement Wednesday that the county-operated detention facility, located just west of Lake Okeechobee, will 'enhance the agency's ability to manage the region's growing enforcement and removal operation' by adding up to 500 additional beds. 'The central location streamlines logistics and helps facilitate the timely processing of illegal aliens in our custody that are subject to arrest, detention and removal from our country,' said acting Miami ICE Field Office Director Juan Agudelo. The decision to resume the use of the Central Florida facility comes as the Trump administration ramps up its mass-deportation efforts in Florida and across the country. The facility, which is operated by the Glades County Sheriff's office, is able to house immigrants on behalf of the federal government through a contract between ICE and the Glades County Board of County Commissioners. In recent years, local activists and community leaders have denounced the use of the Glades County facility, which faced numerous complaints of medical negligence, constitutional rights violations and sexual misconduct. Former detainees said that guards watched women while they showered. Other detainees also complained that a carbon monoxide leak at the facility once led to several people getting sick and being hospitalized. In response to the claims, members of Congress, led by Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, called for the Department of Homeland Security to terminate its contract with the detention facility. In 2022, the Biden administration moved to limit the use of the county facility due to 'persistent and ongoing concerns' related to detainee medical care, and described the facility as one of 'limited operational significance.' READ MORE: Feds will limit use of Glades migrant detention center in Florida after complaints It is unclear whether the Glades County facility has made changes to address the concerns that led the federal government to limit the use of the facility for several years. The Glades County Sheriff's Office did not respond to a request seeking comment. Federal authorities did not address it either in a Wednesday statement. 'What is missing from any decision to reopen Glades is whether they have even come close to addressing the gross deficiencies that required them to close in the first place,' said Katie Blankenship, immigration attorney and co-founding partner for Sanctuary of the South. 'ICE knows that Glades is unsafe for people. This is a level of inhumane treatment that the government has to be held accountable for.' The facility's reopening will offer more detention capacity in Florida as state officials work to figure out ways to help the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Its space could also alleviate overcrowding conditions at Krome North Service Processing Center in Miami, one of the four ICE detention facilities in the state. In recent weeks, Krome detainees have complained about being forced to sleep on cement floors and being left in shackles and chains on buses overnight without access to bathrooms. Public records show that about 600 people are being held there — but detainees and their attorney say the population appears to be much higher, and far exceeds the facility's capacity. Last week, hundreds of people showed up outside the facility to protest the conditions. As of March 28, county detention facilities in Florida reported they had 1,984 beds available to lease to ICE, according to a report issued by State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Larry Keefe that was sent to the Legislature. Some facilities with space available report that they are currently understaffed, are in need of major repairs or are scheduled for future expansions, according to the report, which was provided to the Herald/Times by the Florida Senate.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Northern California diver finds body of missing toddler in Oregon river
( — A Northern California diver who has recovered the remains of several people from bodies of water recently found a missing toddler in an Oregon river. Two-year-old Dane Paulson was reported missing on March 1 in Siletz, Oregon. He was reportedly last seen in the yard of 20738 Siletz Highway around 4:30 p.m., according to the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. At the time of his disappearance, he was reportedly playing in his yard near the Siletz River. Deputies arrest man wanted for Stockton murder in Nevada Stockton-based diver Juan Heredia announced on March 9 that he was heading to Oregon to search for him. 'I'll be camping by the shore and diving as much as I can, doing everything possible to find him,' Heredia said on social media. 'His family is waiting for answers, and I won't stop until I've done everything in my power to bring him back.' On Tuesday, Heredia announced that he found the body of a baby in the river. The Lincoln County Sheriff's office confirmed the body belonged to Paulsen. 'Our thoughts are with the family, who are facing an unbearable sorrow,' said Sheriff Adam Shanks. 'We are deeply grateful for the support and dedication shown by the search teams and our communities throughout this difficult time, though we wish it was under different circumstances.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
