Latest news with #CriminalInvestigationsUnit
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man shot, killed in Santa Fe park entangled in 2021 killing; police mum on investigation
Santa Fe police have mostly kept mum on the details of the deadly shooting late Friday of a homeless man in a downtown park. The victim, 49-year-old Alvin Crespin, was accused in a different killing in the city several years ago, and he had been released from the Santa Fe County jail less than six months before he was shot several times at De Vargas Park. The police department declined to provide an interview about the ongoing investigation into Crespin's slaying, and Capt. Jimmie Montoya of the Criminal Investigations Unit declined to answer a list of questions sent via email Tuesday, writing only that officers are "in the early stages of the investigation" and "at this time, we do not have any further information for release." Crespin was from Santo Domingo Pueblo but was known to be homeless in Santa Fe for years before he was charged with murder in 2021, when he was found in a Cerrillos Road motel room with the body of a man police alleged he had stabbed to death days earlier. He eventually pleaded guilty to lesser charges and was most recently released from jail in December, records show. Officers responding to a report of shots fired Friday night arrived at De Vargas Park around 11 p.m. and found him with "multiple gunshot wounds," according to a news release. It wasn't clear where he was shot or where he was found in the park. Crespin was "in and out of consciousness" when police arrived, and he was pronounced dead later at a local hospital, Chief Paul Joye said Saturday. Montoya said members of the public are encouraged to contact police if they have any video that captured the incident or if they observed anything before or after it. He did not say whether investigators had found any footage or how many witnesses officers have interviewed. Murder case hit snags Crespin's troubles with the law began in early January 2021 when a man being treated for an anxiety attack at Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center told police there was a body in the bathtub of Room 237 at the GreenTree Inn. Officers arrived at the motel for a welfare check that evening and found Crespin and another man in the room, along with the body of 50-year-old Virgil Tortalita, who was also from Santo Domingo Pueblo. Police believed his body had been in the bathtub for about four days and was in "varying stages of decomposition." Crespin initially was charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors alleged he had stabbed Tortalita during a struggle on New Year's Day and then wrapped his body in bedsheets and kept it in the bathtub. Later that year, a judge declared Crespin incompetent to stand trial, and he spent about six months at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, N.M. A public defender told the court Crespin wasn't able to understand his charges or "rationally or effectively" communicate with his attorney, according to reports from the time. The case hit other snags. Prosecutors said they had difficulty maintaining contact with witnesses — who were all homeless — and they faced the "catastrophic failure" of a hard drive containing surveillance footage from the motel. Crespin pleaded guilty in April 2023 to two counts of tampering with evidence and served the remainder of his sentence in jail. He was released in September 2023, court records indicate, but he failed to report to his probation officer several times. He checked into the Santa Fe Recovery Center for rehabilitation in March 2024, a report says. The following month, he was booked into jail again after probation officers said they had found him on the streets of the city's south side with an open bottle of alcohol at his feet and a knife in his pocket, violating the provisions of his probation. The last court record pertaining to Crespin was an order for his release from jail filed Dec. 19.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Yahoo
Police: Port Orange man arrested on charge of sexual activity with a minor
A Port Orange man is facing multiple felony charges, including sexual activity with a minor, after his arrest on Thursday. The Ormond Beach Police Department's Criminal Investigations Unit arrested Kyle Lambert, 19, of Port Orange, after an "extensive investigation," according to the police department. Police found that "the defendant had been communicating with the victim via social media apps Snapchat and TikTok and had exchanged lewd photos through text and FaceTime," according to a police department news release. "Detectives also found that the defendant met with the victim in person and engaged in unlawful sexual activity." Jail records indicate the victim was between 12 and 15 years old. Police Chief Jesse Godfrey said in a prepared statement that "Criminal acts, especially those involving the exploitation of minors, will NOT be tolerated. We will pursue charges to the fullest extent of the law.' Godfrey urged parents and guardians to watch over their children carefully. 'Stay informed about who your children spend time with, especially online,' he said. Parents who believe their child has been exploited should contact law enforcement right away. "Your vigilance and involvement could protect them," according to the department. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Port Orange man arrested on charge of sexual activity with a minor
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
28-year-old man dead after crash on busy interstate
One person is dead after a crash on Interstate 70 in Wayne County Saturday night, according to Wayne County Sheriff Randy Retter. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The crash occurred in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near the 149-mile marker before 9 p.m. TRENDING STORIES: Loose dogs an ongoing problem neighbors say after man attacked Musk sends federal employees email saying they must document their work or resign Pope Francis is in critical condition after a long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene and found a 2007 Toyota Corolla in the median. Cedric Wolter, 28, of Green Forks, Indiana was driving at the time of the crash. He was pronounced dead on scene, according to Retter. I-70 E was shut down at the 145-mile marker for about three hours while Wayne County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Unit and Crime Scene Technicians processed the scene. 'The family and loved ones of Cedric Wolter are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. We extend our deepest condolences to those affected by this tragic loss,' Retter said. This crash remains under investigation. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
NY man arrested after 90-year-old CT man was defrauded out of nearly $50K in phishing scam
A New York man was arrested Thursday in connection with a phishing scam that duped an elderly South Windsor resident out of tens of thousands of dollars. Qiao Zheng, 42, of Brooklyn, New York faces one count of conspiracy to commit second-degree larceny, according to the South Windsor Police Department. Police said they began investigating on Monday when a 90-year-old man told authorities he gave $49,900 to a courier purportedly acting on behalf of PayPal. The man claimed that he had received an email from someone claiming to work for PayPal who indicated that a Bitcoin purchase had flagged the elderly man's account. The man claimed that he contacted the support number in the email before he was directed by the individual on the phone to a fraudulent link, requesting that he transfer his money into a separate account, according to police. When the transfer was not successful, the man claimed that he went to several bank branches and withdrew cash to give to a courier who would pick up the money at his home. After police were notified, the individual allegedly asked the elderly man for another $20,000 and told him a courier would come by to pick it up in the afternoon hours on Thursday, according to police. Investigators with the police department's Criminal Investigations Unit waited in the area until an individual who was identified as Zheng arrived, police said. Zheng was arrested and held on a $100,000 bond. He was scheduled to appear in Manchester Superior Court on Friday.
