Latest news with #D.A.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
San Francisco district attorney charges two in multiple cold case shootings
The Brief The men were charged in connection with at least four killings that stretch back as far as 2002. The SFDA alleged one of the killings was "committed for a criminal street gang and was an act of street terrorism." The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned at the San Francisco Hall of Justice on June 6. SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco District Attorney's Office on Thursday announced it has charged two men in connection with at least four killings that stretch back as far as 2002. Shaun Britton, 48, was charged with one count of murder, while 44-year-old Sauntek Harris – who is also known as Sauntek Kincaid – was charged with four counts of murder, according to the SFDA. The cold cases The D.A. alleged Britton and Harris shot Perry Bradstreet to death on Jan. 18, 2002. The district attorney's office further alleged that Britton used "a 9MM MAC 11 assault firearm" to kill Bradstreet, and that the murder was "committed for a criminal street gang and was an act of street terrorism." Harris' alleged role in the killing was not specified. The Oakland Police Department previously reported Bradstreet was robbed and carjacked before being fatally shot while he was running away from the scene. His car was set on fire and abandoned in the Oakdale Housing Project. The D.A.'s office also alleged that a little over a month later – on Feb. 24, 2002 – Harris shot and killed Lorenzo Richards inside an apartment complex on George Court in San Francisco. Then, on July 28, 2002, Harris allegedly shot and killed Gerald White, who the SFDA claimed was murdered in order to prevent his testimony as a witness to an undisclosed crime. Claims of bad blood The final alleged murder connected to Harris occurred nearly 20 years after the others. On the night of August 10, 2019, Dietrich Whitley was fatally shot outside a community center near Griffith Street and Oakdale Avenue. Whitley died at a hospital, and Harris was arrested in connection to the killing three days later. The D.A.'s office alleged Harris ambushed Whitley, and court documents from 2019 alleged Harris shot Whitley in retaliation for a fistfight between the two that occurred at the community center two months prior. Harris' attorneys argued that he shot Whitley in self-defense. Harris was ordered to stand trial for the killing in November 2019, but that case was eventually dropped. What's next Britton and Harris are scheduled to be arraigned at the San Francisco Hall of Justice on June 6. The Source San Francisco District Attorney's Office, San Francisco Police Department, previous KTVU reporting
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Crypto Torture, Kidnapping Suspect's Bathrobe Came Undone During Arrest
The man suspected of kidnapping and torturing an Italian man over a crypto dispute suffered his own indignity when he was arrested -- his bathrobe came undone. Photographer and street vendor Ciaran Tully was minding his own business Friday when John Woeltz was removed from his fancy NYC apartment wearing only a robe. As he was escorted down the stairs, Tully says his robe came undone, so cops spared him the embarrassment and bundled him back up. Woeltz -- a 37-year-old man from Kentucky -- was arrested Friday in New York City after Michael Valentino Teofrasto Carturan -- a crypto trader worth millions -- had escaped from his apartment, flagged down a cop and told the harrowing story of being held captive for 2 weeks. Woeltz reportedly was trying to get Carturan's password to his crypto account and used brazen tactics to get his way. He was also allegedly tased while his feet were in water and threatened with an electric chainsaw. A woman was reportedly taken into custody as a possible accomplice, but the D.A. declined to file charges pending a further investigation. As for Woeltz, Tully says he's disgusted that the guy allegedly did this over money. As Tully said, if he could afford to rent the apartment for $40K a month, he didn't need money that badly to do what he's accused of doing.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Child dies after reportedly falling out of window in Central Mass.
A child died after reportedly falling from a third-story window on Saturday in Southbridge, according to the Worcester County District Attorney's office. The death is under investigation by the Southbridge Police Department and Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the D.A.'s office, according to a spokeswoman for the office. The Office of the Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner is expected to perform an autopsy, the spokeswoman said. No further information is being provided at this time, she added. A spokesperson for the Massachusetts State Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Southbridge Chief of Police Shane Woodson also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Here's which Mass. beaches are closed on Memorial Day Mass. weather: Slight chance of showers Monday afternoon, warm temps on Tuesday What it's like living in luxury apartments overlooking Polar Park in Worcester Read the original article on MassLive.
Los Angeles Times
21-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Cop busted partying at Stagecoach while claiming $600,000 for fake injury, officials allege
A former Westminster police officer claimed over $600,000 in workers' compensation for a head injury that allegedly prevented her from working, but meanwhile was hitting the slopes at Mammoth Mountain, visiting Disneyland and dancing at Stagecoach, prosecutors allege. Nicole Brown, 39, of Riverside was charged with 15 felonies related to workers' compensation insurance fraud, according to the Orange County district attorney's office. If convicted of all charges, she faces up to 22 years in prison. She could also lose pension credits she accrued after the date the felony was committed if she's convicted. Prosecutors said Brown suffered a minor cut to her forehead while attempting to handcuff an uncooperative suspect in March 2022. An emergency room doctor released her to work without any restrictions the same day. But Brown did not return to work for more than a year. Several days after the injury, she was was diagnosed with severe concussion syndrome and placed on total temporary disability leave, prosecutors said. 'Ms. Brown is not guilty of this what the prosecution has alleged,' her attorney, Brian Gurwitz, told The Times. 'She was seriously injured on duty and intends to fight these allegations.' Brown is accused of fraudulently collecting more than $600,000 from the city while out on leave, which included her full salary — tax-free — and medical expenses. Prosecutors allege her stepfather, 57-year-old Peter Gregory Schuman, worked with Brown to orchestrate the fraudulent workers' compensation scheme. Schuman is a Buena Park-based attorney who practices workers' compensation defense on behalf of insurance companies, prosecutors said. He is in the process of obtaining legal representation, Gurwitz said. Schuman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. During her time on disability, Brown said she was unable to work due to headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, problems processing thoughts and words and an inability to work on a screen, prosecutors said. However, authorities allege that in April 2023, she was seen dancing and drinking at the Stagecoach Music Festival — alongside more than 75,000 festival attendees, with loud music and bright lights and temperatures in excess of 100 degrees. Her presence at the festival was reported to the Westminster Police Department, which referred the case to the district attorney's office for investigation. The D.A.'s office says it then discovered that, while on leave, Brown allegedly went snowboarding or skiing at Mammoth Mountain and Big Bear, ran two 5K races, went to three soccer conferences, visited Disneyland, played golf and took online courses with a local university. Three days after prosecutors say she was at Stagecoach, Brown had a Zoom meeting to discuss what duties she could perform as a police officer. During the meeting, Brown was sitting in a dark room and claimed she could not look at the screen, prosecutors said. Schuman did all of the talking and stated she was unable to do paperwork and may not be able to do phone calls. After the meeting, Brown was admitted to an in-patient center for traumatic brain injuries, prosecutors said. She has been charged with nine counts of making a fraudulent statement to obtain compensation, six counts of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and one enhancement of committing an aggravated white collar crime over $100,000, all felonies. Her stepfather has been charged with one felony count of making a fraudulent insurance benefit claim and one felony count of assisting, abetting, conspiring with and soliciting a person in unlawful act, according to court records. Brown attended the police academy at Rio Hondo College and was sworn in as a Westminster Police Officer in February 2019, according to reporting by Behind the Badge. During her time at the department, she worked as a homeless liaison officer helping connect people experiencing homelessness to resources, the outlet reported.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
Menendez Brothers' Parole Hearing Delayed by Two Months
Erik and Lyle Menendez are going to have to wait a little longer for the decision on their potential release from prison. The infamous brothers — who have been incarcerated for 30 years for the 1989 murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez, at their Beverly Hills home — were resentenced earlier this month to 50 years to life, making them eligible for parole. Despite LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman's doubts, Judge Michael Jesic determined Erik and Lyle did not pose 'an unreasonable risk' if they were to be released from prison. More from The Hollywood Reporter After Tuesday's Resentencing, What's Next for the Menendez Brothers? Menendez Brothers Resentenced for 1989 Murders of Parents, Clearing Major Hurdle to Regaining Freedom Menendez Brothers Attorney Suddenly Nixes Request for D.A.'s Recusal From Resentencing While their next hearing was initially scheduled for June 13, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced that the brothers' parole hearing dates have been pushed back to Aug. 21 and 22. Lyle addressed the hearing postponement on Facebook, noting that 'it's a good thing' as it gives their attorneys more time to prepare. 'Given the fact that first time parole seekers statistically have a much harder time being granted parole, this gives the guys and their attorneys more time to prepare and gives them the best opportunity to be the exception to the rule! It's a good thing,' the statement read. The June 13 hearing was initially for Gov. Gavin Newsom's clemency review, serving as a piece of the risk assessment exam that would aid in his ruling; however, the hearing was shifted to a parole suitability hearing following the resentencing decision. 'Since the ruling makes them immediately eligible for parole consideration as youth offenders, it is the Board's intent to convert the June 13, 2025, clemency hearings to initial parole suitability hearings,' Scott Wyckoff, executive officer of the Board of Parole Hearings, said in a statement, per the L.A. Times. Newsom's clemency consideration was one of multiple avenues to freedom for the Menendez brothers. Erik and Lyle also saw renewed public interest in their case thanks to Ryan Murphy's Netflix series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, which released last September and starred Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez as the brothers, respectively. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
