Latest news with #JuanRangel
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Rape trial underway in Auglaize County
Apr. 28—WAPAKONETA — Jurors in the trial of a St. Marys man charged with rape, gross sexual imposition and child endangerment viewed a videotaped interview with the alleged victim as the trial of Juan Rangel got underway Monday in Auglaize County Common Pleas Court. During that interview, the junior high-aged girl told a forensic interviewer from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus that Rangel engaged in vaginal intercourse with her on two occasions — once when she was 8 and again when she was 13 — and also forced her to fondle his genitals, took nude photos of her and on another occasion "put his mouth on my private parts." In her opening statements to jurors, Assistant Auglaize County Prosecutor Laia Zink said testimony in the trial will show that Rangel sexually assaulted the underaged girl victim on multiple occasions. The most recent incident took place at a St. Marys residence, the prosecutor said. Another of the rapes is alleged to have taken place at a migrant camp that featured a shared shower. The alleged victim is heard on video telling the forensic interviewer that Rangel "touched my private spot with his thing. It hurt." The young girl told of another sexual episode when she was 13 "when he put his thing in me." Annette Santa Maria, the Nationwide hospital interviewer, described the alleged victim as "quiet" and said the girl "appeared nervous" during the Oct. 30 interview. She said representatives of law enforcement and Children Services watched the interview on video from an adjacent room. The alleged victim is expected to take the witness stand later in the trial. "This is something the victim finds difficult to talk about, but you will hear from her directly during the trial," Zink said. Auglaize County Public Defender Nick Catania, who is representing Rangel, told jurors the state's case consists of "a mother persuading her daughter to make up a story about my client. There is no physical evidence whatsoever, and we contend that these alleged incidents did not happen. You will hear a lot of inconsistencies during the trial, and I ask you to find my client not guilty." Rangel, 35, was indicted by a grand jury in November in two separate cases. In one case, he faces three first-degree felony counts of rape and four fourth-degree felony counts of gross sexual imposition. In the remaining case, Rangle is charged with single counts of endangering children, disrupting public service and domestic violence. Spanish-speaking attorneys approved by the Ohio Supreme Court assisted during the case to ensure there was no language barrier between participants. Testimony will resume on Tuesday. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Homeschooling, transit reform hot button issues as Springfield faces May deadline
CHICAGO (WGN) — Lawmakers in Springfield continue to debate hot button measures before their session ends in May, including a proposal that would change homeschooling in Illinois and another to bail out Chicago-area transit agencies. Among the most controversial bills this session has been House Bill 2827, which would require home school parents to report information to regional offices about academic progress and, in some cases, health and vaccination records. Bill would create Illinois framework to regulate homeschooling Advocates in favor of regulation argue it could prevent abuse and educational neglect, but some home schooling parents for months have slammed the proposal. 'HB2827 criminalizes parents for doing the right thing on behalf of their children and their education,' said Juan Rangel, CEO of The Urban Center. The bill would require the State Board of Education create a home school 'declaration' form and set requirements for homeschool administrators. 'A person who is, for some tragic reason, hellbent on abusing a child would decide not to do that because they have to fill out a declaration form,' said Chris Butler. 'Nothing about what we know of the human experience suggests there's that kind of easy solution to these big problems.' Lawmakers are also considering a bailout of Chicago-area transit agencies. Set to run out of federal COVID relief money, the Regional Transportation Authority, Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace need nearly one billion dollars combined, but lawmakers are demanding reforms. 'I agree, completely agree, money can't come unless you've got real reform, Gov. JB Pritzker said. 'I would add: Whatever we do with regard to transit, there has to be a component that focuses on downstate transit. This can't just be about Chicago and surrounding areas.' Proposal would merge Chicago's four transit agencies into one Chicagoland transit heads push back on proposal to combine agencies A plan to merge all four transit agencies has so far stalled at the statehouse. Instead, a coalition of labor groups and lawmakers are throwing support behind a separate bill that would put the RTA in charge of streamlining transit fares. There's also a push to create a transit police force. 'We come across individuals who are mentally unstable or who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol and simply struggling with every day life issues,' said CTA employee Cassie Collins. State Rep. Marcus Evans has said her mother would not ride the CTA's Red Line 'under any circumstances,' citing safety concerns. 'Ask yourself: Are you putting your daughter or sister on the Red Line south and riding it? You're not doing it. Correct?,' he said. Chicagoland transit agencies detail 'doomsday' scenarios without state help Transit riders decry potential cuts to CTA, Metra, Pace at RTA board meeting The RTA says 40 percent of local train and bus routes could be cut if Springfield doesn't act by the end of May, but state money is already tight. And ss lawmakers negotiate a final state budget behind closed doors, the governor says any additional spending will have to be matched with cuts. 'I'm happy to discuss how we might change the balanced budget that I introduced, but again you're got to just figure out how to make the numbers work,' Pritzker said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
