Latest news with #OttawaCountyProsecutor'sOffice
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Deputies: GVSU student shot, killed through floor at house party
TALLMADGE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A teenager has died after being shot in the head at a party on May 9 in Tallmadge Township, according to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. Deputies on Thursday identified him as Connor Lotterman, a 19-year-old from Tallmadge Township. He was a student studying at Grand Valley State University. It happened just after 11 p.m. Friday at a residence in the area of 2nd Avenue near Lake Michigan Drive. Deputies say that a 20-year-old male was in an upstairs bedroom at the house. Lotterman was downstairs with others at the party. 1 hospitalized following Tallmadge Township shooting The 20-year-old found a gun somewhere in the home, and shot multiple rounds through the floor, deputies say. They say those bullets traveled through the floor and one of them hit Lotterman in the head. Lotterman was taken to the hospital. He later died. The sheriff's office was notified that an autopsy was completed on May 14 and that the death was ruled as accidental. Alcohol is also believed to be a factor, deputies say. All of the people in the residence at the time of the shooting knew each other, according to deputies. Investigators are still working on gathering details and are working with Ottawa County Prosecutor's Office to review potential charges for the 20-year-old, whose name is not being released at this time. Anyone with additional information is urged to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office or Silent Observer at (745368). 'The Grand Valley community is saddened by Connor's tragic death,' GVSU Dean of Students Aaron Haight said in a statement. 'On behalf of President Mantella, the Laker community extends our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Students may utilize the Care referral process and the University Counseling Center for support and resources during this difficult time. Faculty and staff can access mental health services via the Employee Assistance Program.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Local K-9 tracks down electronic devices to solve child sex crimes
PORT CLINTON, Ohio (WJW) – We have become familiar with police K-9s capable of tracking down suspects, as well as sniffing out drugs and bombs. A K-9 assigned to the Major Crimes Unit in the Ottawa County Prosecutor's Office, however, has the unique ability to sniff out electronic storage devices as small as a cell phone sim card. 'The devices we are looking for continue to get smaller and they continue to be everywhere. There's more and more of them everyday, so search warrants were getting more and more complicated to be able to obtain and get everything we needed to get,' said Ottawa County Prosecutor James Vaneerten. Local police warn of credit card skimmer found at gas station The dog, named Oak, is being used primarily for investigations involving sex crimes against children. The prosecutor said during searches of suspects' homes, it is not unusual for human investigators to miss electronic storage devices on which suspects have stored illegal images. Many of them have been intentionally hidden so they cannot easily be found. 'After law enforcement agents have searched a home and attempted to locate every device or every electronic storage device, 70% of the time the dog will go in after and still find something even after it has been searched by multiple law enforcement officers,' said Vaneerten. Oak is trained to sniff out a unique, but very faint smell associated with such devices. 'We abbreviate it as TPPO. It's an adhesive glue that's put on any device that can store data to keep it from overheating,' said Oak's handler, who we are intentionally not identifying. 'Those can include USBs, cell phones, flash drives, micro USBs, anything that can store data,' he said. During a demonstration for FOX 8 on Thursday, we intentionally had a case of electronic earbuds concealed along with other devices in a law library. Oak ignored the earbuds but focused on a cell phone that was also hidden among the books. His handler said the scent Oak is focusing on is extremely difficult to detect, registering in parts per billion. Oak has been used in cases including an investigation that lead to the indictment of 24-year-old Christian Silva in Ottawa County last month. Silva faces trial next month on 70 counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving children in Ottawa County to which he has pleaded not guilty. 'I can say Oak was utilized in that search and ultimately there were numerous devices found utilizing Oak in that search warrant,' said Vaneerten. Popular laundry detergent recalled over bacteria concern Oak is a gift from an organization called OUR, whose mission is to combat human trafficking. The organization not only provided him to Ottawa County but also provides food and veterinary care for him. But Oak also has another purpose: to help facilitate a relationship between the public, and particularly school kids, with law enforcement as they try to educate children about internet safety. 'They help make that connection between us and the kids and what we are doing as we are teaching them about digital security and safety online,' said Vaneeten. OUR has also provided small stuffed toys created in the image of Oak that are passed out to kids to help retain the lessons about safety online. While Oak and her handler work for the Ottawa County prosecutor's office, he is made available to other Northwest Ohio counties to help them combat child sex crimes as well. Vaneeten says two similarly trained dogs are also working in the Cleveland area. 'It's here, but it's everywhere,' said Vaneeten. 'This is a nationwide problem and it's something that, as technology advances, we have to address and we have to take seriously.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
