Latest news with #Frausto
Eater
5 days ago
- Business
- Eater
Malort Headquarters Serves Some of Chicago's Fanciest Sushi
Joto Sushi's beverage pairings for its sushi omakase meals do not include Jeppson's Malört. Chicago's famous bitter spirit, savored by the city's two-fisted drinkers, was made on premises at CH Distillery, where Joto opened this spring off Randolph Street in the West Loop. In recent months, the spirit's production has shifted to Pilsen. Still, the drink's connoisseurs visit CH as a pilgrimage, but their visits reveal a surprise. The home of the nation's most polarizing liquor also serves a 14-course omakase sushi feast featuring dry-aged bluefin tuna for a relatively affordable price of $125. There's also a 19-course variation Thursday through Sunday, and they've launched a more affordable Monday omakase for $100 aimed at drawing restaurant and bar workers who have the day off. There's feelings of anxiousness and curiosity for those who walk in, says CH Distillery General Manager Tony Frausto: 'They think we're just a bar, then they literally ask 'oh you guys do sushi?'' CH Distillery has no ties to Japanese cuisine or culture. The West Loop bar began serving sushi in March 2022 during the pandemic, using the name Jinsei Motto. It was one of those trademarked pandemic pivots to make use of its kitchen, left unused after COVID dining restrictions. After four successful years, building a strong following of regular customers, Jinsei closed in April. Co-founder and chef Patrick Bouaphanh plans on opening a new restaurant using the Jinsei name. Frausto calls the story of Jinsei a happy one, a tale of overcoming adversity and doing what he calls the best sushi in Chicago. The founders' departures gave CH an opportunity for a reset, to reimagine the space. They've added a kitchen for yakitori, donburi, and more veggie options: 'Our biggest challenge is that not everybody likes sushi,' Frausto says. Dry aging is the centerpiece of the menu. The process, about 32 days, imparts different flavors, and, as Frausto says, it also helps sustainability efforts. For folks who don't like salmon, Frausto estimates that about 40 percent of the population, dry aging can eliminate the oily texture some dislike, making it melt in your mouth. At Joto, they enjoy talking to customers about the process. The kitchen goes through about 250 pounds of tuna per week. The malört business was going so swimmingly with efforts to sell the liquor across state lines. Thus, CH needed to move production to a larger facility that could handle said success. Moving distillery equipment gave management the chance to redecorate a bit. They've taken steps to make it feel more like the streets of Tokyo. Joto Sushi , inside CH Distillery, 564 W. Randolph Street Sign up for our newsletter.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
A DNA technique is finding women who left their babies for dead
Advertisement Then, one day in 2023, his phone blew up. Former colleagues at the sheriff's department were calling to say that a 45-year-old woman, Maricela Frausto, had been identified as the baby's mother. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Frausto, a mother of two who owned a restaurant in nearby Hondo, Texas, with her family, had been identified using a relatively new technique known as forensic genetic genealogy. Using DNA data from thousands of volunteer donors, investigators can create family trees and use them to match DNA found at crime scenes. Frausto was arrested and charged with murder. Law enforcement investigators have been flummoxed for years by cases of newborn babies who were abandoned and apparently left to die. They are known as Baby Does: unidentified infants whose remains were discovered in wooded areas, garbage cans, or roadside ditches. Such cases historically have been hard to solve. Advertisement That changed around 2019, when police first used the enormous public DNA databases that have been created for amateur genealogists to trace their lineages as a resource to solve these crimes. Since then, law enforcement investigators have used the technique to identify nearly 40 women as the mothers of newborn infants who were found dead around the country, most of them decades ago. 'In the past, these cases were unlikely to be solved, and now it's very likely that they will be solved, and that's because of investigative genetic genealogy,' said Christi Guerrini, a professor of medical ethics at Baylor University. For police officers, these identifications help close cases that may have gone years without a resolution. But for the women being identified, many of whom have married, pursued careers, and given birth to other children, the new technology has brought the unearthing of long-hidden tragedies and the upending of their lives. At least two women among the dozens of cases reviewed by The New York Times took their own lives after being approached by investigators armed with DNA evidence. Others have been sentenced to years in prison. The circumstances that could have led a woman to abandon her newborn many years ago can be far more complicated than a simple DNA match can reveal, according to civil rights advocates, doctors, and defense lawyers. They say the new technique is raising questions that the courts are not yet prepared to answer. Some of the women who have been identified in these Baby Doe cases say they did not know they were pregnant until they went into labor. Some of the women who have been charged told police their baby was stillborn. Determining the truth of the matter can be difficult. Advertisement In the case of Frausto, who insisted that she had never heard her baby cry or take a breath, the medical examiner concluded that the baby was born alive on the basis of a lung test that has been widely criticized as unreliable. 'These women have been lumped in with other kinds of criminal cases, as though they're all the same,' said Diana Barnes, a psychotherapist who specializes in issues surrounding women's reproductive health. 'And I guess what I would say is that no, they're not all the same.' In the past, law enforcement officers working on Baby Doe cases relied on CODIS, the national DNA database run by the FBI, but that generally includes samples only from people who have been charged with crimes. Mothers of abandoned newborns typically have little, if any, criminal history, and thus are unlikely to appear in CODIS. Genetic genealogy now makes it possible to find them anyway. The breakthrough came in 2018 when police used the technique and the public DNA databases to identify a serial murderer known as the Golden State Killer. Less than a year later, police in Sioux Falls, S.D., announced that they had used genetic genealogy in a Baby Doe case, connecting a woman named Theresa Bentaas to the death of her newborn son in 1981. Frausto was 25 years old in September 2004, living in Hondo and married to an older man after growing up in an abusive household. According to what she later told her lawyers and an investigator who worked for them, she did not know she was pregnant. Advertisement One afternoon, she went to the bathroom and fainted, she told the lawyers. When she woke up in pain, she realized she was in labor. She gave birth, but never heard the baby make a sound. Confused and overwhelmed, she put the baby in a closet, her lawyers said. Two days later, she left the baby by the side of the road. After she was arrested nearly two decades later, she was adamant with her legal team: She did not kill her baby. But from the beginning, sheriff's deputies believed they were investigating a murder: The medical examiner had concluded that the baby was born alive. By the time genetic genealogy became a law enforcement tool, Springer had left the local sheriff's office, but other detectives had stayed on the case. In October 2022, working with a private forensic genetic genealogy company, Identifinders International, the detectives uploaded a DNA profile of the baby to two public genealogy databases. After a DNA analysis confirmed that Frausto was the baby's mother, she was arrested and charged with capital murder on Nov. 20, 2023. Frausto insisted that she had not killed her baby. Anthony Welch, one of the public defenders who represented Frausto, said that there was a strong case to be made that the baby had been stillborn, meaning that Frausto could not have been guilty of killing her. And the statute of limitations had long passed for any charges involving mishandling of human remains.
Chicago Tribune
07-04-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin News Digest: 7 DUI arrests made in St. Patrick's enforcement effort; Elgin Public Museum to offer young child activities Wednesday
Seven DUI arrests made in St. Patrick's enforcement effort Seven people were arrested on driving under the influence charges during the No Refusal Initiative conducted by the Kane County State's Attorney's Office and law enforcement agencies over the St. Patrick's Day weekend. The 11 agencies that participated the Aurora, Batavia, Carpentersville, Elburn, Elgin, Geneva, Montgomery, Pingree Grove and St. Charles police departments, Kane County Sheriff's Office and Illinois State Police Troop 3, according to a news release. Between 11 p.m. Saturday, March 15, and 3 a.m. Sunday, March 16, suspected drunk drivers were arrested, taken to a local police station and asked to submit to a Breathalyzer or other chemical testing. If they refused testing, they were told by an assistant state's attorney that a court order would be sought ordering them to comply and would face additional charges if they continued to refuse, the release said. During the initiative, three DUI-related arrests were made by police in Aurora, one by officers in Pingree Grove and one by the Kane County Sheriff's Office. Local arrests included Edgar Frausto, 33, of Elgin, who was stopped by East Dundee police at 7:20 p.m. March 15 and charged with aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol-fourth violation; aggravated driving under the influence with a suspended driver's license; and driving with a suspended driver's license, fourth to ninth offense, license suspended due to previous DUI charge. Frausto voluntarily submitted to chemical testing and his BAC was 0.175, the release said. Also, Toribio Acabal Oxlaj, of Elgin, who was arrested at 12:06 a.m. March 16 by Elgin police. He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol; illegally transporting open alcohol, changing lanes unsafely; and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash. He voluntarily submitted to chemical testing and had a BAC of 0.146. Elgin Public Museum to offer young child activities Wednesday As part off Week of the Young Child, Elgin Public Museum will be presenting stories, crafts, playtime activities and free vision screenings for children up to age 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 9. Admission to the museum at 225 Grand Blvd. in Lords Park is free, according to a Facebook page post. The event is being organized in conjunction with the Elgin Partnership for Early Learning. The free vision tests are provided courtesy of the Elgin Lions Club. For more information, call 847-741-6655 or email blazier_s@ Support group for parents, caregivers of children with disabilities Hanover Township is offering a new support group for parents, guardians and caregivers of disabled children, with the first meeting set for 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at Hanover Township Town Hall, 250 S. Route 59, Bartlett. The group will provide information and support so that participants have the necessary resources and referrals as their children transition to school, employment and beyond, a news release said. 'We understand that navigating the transition from child-focused to adult services can be a daunting and overwhelming experience for many parents of youth with disabilities,' Erin Brumfield Grima, director of Hanover Township Youth and Family Services, said in the release. 'This new group will help parents understand the available resources, clarify the often-complex process and ensure that their children have access to the services they need as they move into adulthood.' Meetings will be held every Thursday through May 15. For more information and to register, go to or call Hanover Township Youth and Family Services, 630-483-5799. Ordering deadline for Elgin Lions Club rose sale this Friday The Elgin Lions Club's annual rose sale is underway, and orders must be placed by Friday, April 11, according to a post on the club's website. Roses are $20 per dozen, with proceeds being used to provide free vision care for School District U46 students and adults in Elgin and to fund college scholarships for Elgin and Larkin high school students.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect arrested after malnourished dogs found in Riverside County home
A suspect was arrested for animal cruelty after 10 malnourished dogs were discovered at a home in Corona. On March 3, Corona police and animal control officers responded to reports of dogs who appeared to require medical attention at a home on East Grand Boulevard. Officers located several dogs on the property. Many appeared to be injured and in need of immediate medical care. No water or food was found nearby. Authorities contacted the dogs' owner, Joseph Frausto, 34, by phone. Frausto claimed a family member was supposed to be caring for the dogs. Officers transported 10 Mastiff breed dogs to a local veterinarian. Two of the dogs were in such poor health that they required euthanization, police said. Police discovered that Frausto was a convicted felon and was on probation in Los Angeles County for reckless evading. Ammunition was also found at the home which Frausto cannot possess due to his status as a convicted felon, police said. On March 19, detectives located Frausto leaving his home. He was arrested for animal cruelty and illegal possession of live ammunition and was booked at the Robert Presley Detention Center. Police said the veterinary expenses for the rescued dogs were largely covered by donations from community members. More information about the rescued dogs can be found online here or by calling the Corona Animal Shelter at 951-736-2309. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Angry clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups at Brooklyn demonstration draw condemnation
NEW YORK — Hundreds of pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters angrily confronted each other on the streets of a mainly Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn neighborhood Tuesday night as officials said Jews were targeted with antisemitic rhetoric. One person was arrested, police said. The hate-filled language drew swift condemnation from elected officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul. 'Last night we saw protesters in Boro Park targeting Jewish New Yorkers with hateful rhetoric and antisemitic chants,' Hochul wrote on X. 'This is unacceptable. We are grateful to @NYPDnews for their diligent work keeping all New Yorkers safe.' Members of the pro-Palestinian group Pal-Awda were demonstrating outside a Borough Park real estate event at 37th St. and 14th Ave. at which land in what they decried as 'occupied Palestine' was up for sale about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday when pro-Israel counterprotesters confronted them, officials said. The competing protests soon became heated with pro-Palestinian demonstrators chanting, 'Settlers, settlers go back home! Palestine is ours alone!' and 'Zionists go to hell!' according to the Times of Israel. During the chaotic scene, a 61-year-old man approached police and said he was punched in the face by a protester. Cops quickly arrested Anthony Frausto, 42, for the attack, charging him with misdemeanor assault. It wasn't immediately clear which group Frausto belonged to, cops said. Frausto's arraignment in Brooklyn Criminal Court was pending. The attack is not being treated as a hate crime, police said. No other arrests or injuries were reported to police, officials said. The Israel Real Estate Expo that Pal-Awda was protesting against was sponsored by The Getter Group, a Jerusalem-based real estate company that offers what it advertises as Israeli land to American Jews: 'Discover properties throughout the country,' a flier for the event said. When the expo learned that Pal-Awda was protesting, it moved the event from Lumiere Hall on 50th St. — which is close to several schools — to 37th St., which is in a more commercial area. The Getter Group didn't want protesters to intimidate students coming out of school, the group said on Instagram. 'We will not be intimidated,' the group said, noting that the anti-Israeli protest was in Borough Park, 'an almost exclusively Jewish neighborhood.' '[That] doesn't matter to them,' the group said on Instagram. 'In fact, it maybe made it all the more appealing. Perhaps they thought that they can come and intimidate the whole neighborhood.' Scores of anti-Israeli protests have been held in the city since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks but protests of this type are rare in Jewish neighborhoods. Pal-Awda also took to Instagram after the protest, affirming that they were not protesting a neighborhood, but the real estate event. Jewish counterprotesters, they said, kicked, spat on and assaulted Pal-Awda members during the demonstration and as they made their way home. 'They were threatened and chased for hours,' the group said. 'From inside the event, Zionists threw jugs of water from over 15 feet high to protesters below. Zionists engaged in blatant Islamophobia in an effort to incite violence.' --------
