Latest news with #TulsaPoliceDepartment
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Slain Rachel Morin's mom not sure she'd believe apology from illegal migrant killer as he faces sentencing
The mom of slain Maryland woman Rachel Morin said she isn't even sure if she'd believe the illegal migrant convicted of killing her daughter if he chose to apologize during his sentencing hearing Monday. Victor Martinez-Hernandez, a 24-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, is set to be sentenced Monday morning after he was found guilty of raping and killing the mom-of-five while she was jogging in Baltimore in 2023. Ahead of the hearing, Morin's mother, Patty Morin, suggested to Fox News' 'Fox & Friends' that she was torn on whether she wanted to hear from the illegal immigrant. 3 Patty Morin also said that the family has been told to not address Martinez-Hernandez directly. Fox News 'To be honest, I don't know, because even if he spoke, would I believe what he said? If he said he was sorry, could I believe that he actually is or if he's just saying that to you know, to hope for a lesser sentence,' Patty said when asked if she wanted an apology. She added that the family had been urged not to address the brute directly when they delivered their emotional victim impact statements to the court. 3 Martinez-Hernandez is set to be sentenced Monday morning for the 2023 murder. Tulsa Police Department 'They have some protocols that they request that you follow. The two that I know of that they've requested is that we don't address them directly, that we make our address to the judge, and that we don't tell the judge what to sentence him,' she said. 'So I'm going to ask that the judge would honor Rachel's life and preserve her dignity by giving her the justice that she deserves — and in doing that protecting other lives.' Martinez-Hernandez, who was accused of entering the US illegally after allegedly killing another woman in his native country, was found guilty of snatching Morin off the running trail, bashing her head against nearby rocks, raping her and then hiding her body in a drainage culvert. 3 Rachel Morin was killed by Martinez-Hernandez while she was jogging in Baltimore. Facebook/Rachel Morin He is facing life in prison over the grim slaying that sent shock waves across the country and became a political flashpoint during the 2024 presidential election. Morin left behind five children. It wasn't immediately clear how many of her kids would address the sentencing hearing.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Miami Herald
Pastor tries filming up woman's skirt in Hobby Lobby 11 times, Oklahoma cops say
A pastor of a nondenominational church in Oklahoma followed a woman shopping in Hobby Lobby and repeatedly tried recording under her skirt, authorities say. Kendrick Oakley, who has been removed from leadership positions at DestinyLife Church in Claremore, was taken into custody Wednesday, Aug. 6, after a warrant was issued for his arrest earlier in the day, the Tulsa Police Department said. Oakley is accused of entering a Hobby Lobby in Tulsa on July 9, 2024, and following a woman who was shopping. 'Security observed the man ... using his cell phone to photograph/record underneath her skirt when she was not looking,' police said. 'For 16 minutes, the man followed the woman and attempted to record under the woman's skirt 11 times.' A loss prevention officer wrote down Oakley's license plate number after following him to his car, according to an affidavit obtained by KJRH. The officer also helped the victim file a police report. Oakley was charged with 11 counts of Peeping Tom with photograph/electronic equipment, according to police. Charges took more than a year to be filed because Oakley told prosecutors he is Native American and not able to be prosecuted under Oklahoma's McGirt law, the Tulsa County District Attorney's Office told KWTV. 'Mr. Oakley was afforded due process and it was determined by the court that McGirt was not applicable to his case, and that he did not meet the criteria for Cherokee citizenship,' prosecutors told KWTV. 'This ruling reinforced that the State did have proper jurisdiction to prosecute Mr. Oakley.' A day after Oakley's arrest, DestinyLife Church announced he had been removed from the church's board and its staff and dismissed from serving as an elder. He was a staff member at the church for three years. 'This is heartbreaking news,' lead pastor Glenn Shaffer said in a statement. 'Our greatest concern is for the victim and their family, as well as for those in our church and school communities who are impacted.'
Miami Herald
04-08-2025
- Miami Herald
Man slashes woman's throat on bus then walks off, Oklahoma police say
A man was arrested in Oklahoma after police say he slashed a woman's throat on a bus. Around 1:09 p.m. Aug. 3, police were called for reports of a stabbing, according to a Facebook post from the Tulsa Police Department. According to police, 42-year-old Robert J. Rhoades and a 43-year-old woman both got on the bus at a Walmart stop. Rhoades then sat in the seat behind the woman. The two had no interactions and didn't speak to each other, police said. When the bus arrived at the main station, Rhoades reached around and sliced the woman's throat before getting off the bus and walking away, according to police. When officers arrived, they found Rhoades close by with blood on his clothes and a bloody knife in his pocket, officials said. Homicide detectives were called to the scene because of how severe the woman's injuries were, but doctors remain hopeful she will recover after she underwent surgery. Rhoades was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon and false impersonation, as well as a warrant out of Missouri. Police have not said what led to the assault, but they are recovering surveillance footage from the bus and have spoken with multiple witnesses.
USA Today
23-06-2025
- USA Today
2 dead, 16 injured after shootings at Juneteenth celebrations in South Carolina, Oklahoma
Two people were killed and at least 16 others were injured after gun violence erupted in South Carolina and Oklahoma during Juneteenth celebrations, authorities said. Police in Anderson County, South Carolina, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, are investigating two separate shootings that occurred on the night of June 21 as hundreds of people gathered for Juneteenth events. Juneteenth is a federal holiday celebrated annually on June 19, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. One woman was killed and nine others were wounded during a shooting near a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Anderson County, the county sheriff's office said in a statement on social media. A large crowd had gathered in the area for the county's sixth annual Juneteenth celebration. Gunfire also broke out at the 2025 Tulsa Juneteenth Festival, according to the Tulsa Police Department. A 22-year-old man was killed in the shooting, and seven others were injured. No arrests have been reported in either of the shootings as of June 22, authorities said. Both incidents remain under active investigation. Minnesota lawmakers attacked: Minnesota shooting victims John, Yvette Hoffman detail 'horrific night' Police: Argument escalated into the shooting in South Carolina In an update on June 22, the Anderson County Sheriff's Office said detectives were continuing an extensive investigation into the shooting and have "pinpointed persons of interest." The sheriff's office said a large crowd gathered along Scarborough Road in Anderson County, located near the Georgia border, about 36 miles southwest of Greenville, South Carolina. The crowd was in the area throughout the day on June 21, where "it remained a peaceful event to celebrate Juneteenth," according to the sheriff's office. "However, as more people arrived, an argument ensued in the parking lot and multiple shots were fired with people scrambling throughout the area," the sheriff's office said in a statement on social media. Law enforcement responded to a report of multiple people shot on Scarborough Road at around 10 p.m. local time, according to Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. More than 100 emergency personnel arrived to find a chaotic scene as hundreds of people fled from the scene, leaving behind shoes and debris in the roadway, the sheriff's office said. Several people transported themselves to nearby hospitals, according to the sheriff's office, while one person was found dead at the scene "with debris and clothing scattered across the area." The victim was identified as Laporshia Janae Gray Cobb, 35, from Anderson, Greenville News reported. She died as a result of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, and the case has been ruled a homicide, according to Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore. Detectives were at the scene on June 22 to canvass and interview witnesses, the sheriff's office said. The agency has asked the public to contact the Anderson Area Crime Stoppers to provide any information related to the incident. The sheriff's office noted that while the shooting occurred "outside within feet" of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post, the post does not have any affiliation with the Juneteenth event. Tulsa police believe at least 2 suspects were involved in the shooting Officers were working at the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival when they heard gunshots at around 11 p.m. local time on June 21, according to the Tulsa Police Department. Police described the event as busy, adding that "chaos erupted as people began running in multiple directions." The festival took place in the city's Greenwood District, a historic freedom colony once known as "Black Wall Street" before it was destroyed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The neighborhood is now part of the Oklahoma State University–Tulsa campus and is located just north of downtown Tulsa. As officers attempted to regain control of the area, police said a 22-year-old man was struck and killed under an overpass. Seven other people, including a 17-year-old and an elderly woman, were also hit by gunfire, police added. The seven victims were transported to local hospitals for treatment. As of June 22, at least one person — identified as a 24-year-old man — was in critical condition, according to police. Police said officers cleared the Greenwood area as many people fled into other parts of downtown Tulsa and caused disturbances in the city's historic Blue Dome District. Numerous bars in the area exceeded capacity and requested assistance from police to manage overflow. Responding officers and the Tulsa Fire Department "were able to stabilize the downtown area," police said. Police noted that the crime scene extended over several blocks, and the entire Greenwood neighborhood was closed from the I-244 overpass to John Hope Franklin Boulevard. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was also called in to assist local police with the investigation. "Several individuals we interviewed were unwilling to provide much information about the shooters, and others were unsure where the shots had originated," police said in a statement on social media. "At this time, we believe there were at least two different shooters, and it remains unclear who the intended targets were." 'This pattern of violence must be stopped' The shooting at the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival occurred amid a "weekend of shootings at three other locations with numerous victims," police said. In response to the recent spate of violence, Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols said he directed the city's police chief and public safety team to "intensify their efforts downtown and across the city." Nichols added that local officials are investing in long-term strategies, such as youth outreach and community-based violence intervention, to "address the root causes of violence." "These events are showing a pattern of brazen lawlessness by individuals who don't respect the lives of others or the authority of those tasked to keep people safe," Nichols said in a statement on June 22. "This pattern of violence must be stopped as this city belongs to all of us, and we are strongest when we protect one another. We cannot and will not normalize this kind of harm in our community." The organizers of the festival acknowledged the incident in a statement, saying they are "actively cooperating" with the Tulsa Police Department and other law enforcement agencies as the investigation continues. "We have been made aware of a shooting that occurred this evening during the Tulsa Juneteenth Festival. Our on-site security and medical teams responded immediately, and we remain in close communication with the first responders," the organizers said. "Out of respect for those impacted, all programming is currently canceled. Please keep our community in your prayers." Report: Guns remain leading cause of death for children and teens in the US Contributing: Jose Franco, Greenville News
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect sought by police after spray-painting ‘Nazi' on Tulsa woman's Tesla
TULSA, Okla. (KFOR) — Police are searching for a suspect who was caught on video allegedly vandalizing both sides of a Tesla Cybertruck in Tulsa last week. The Tulsa Police Department says officers were called to the Residence Inn near the 4500 block of Skelly Drive on Tuesday, March 11, at 3:20 a.m. Beautifully Broken: Mother and daughters share eyewitness account of murder and survival days before killer's execution According to officials, once officers arrived, they met with the owner of the Cybertruck who said she had received a notification on her phone that someone was tampering with her vehicle. The suspect had fled the scene by the time she got to the parking lot. The culprit, wearing a mask or bandana to hide half of his face, was caught on video spraying the word 'Nazi' in red spray paint on both sides of the Cybertruck. There has been a surge of Tesla vandalism across the country, with protests having happened against Tesla owner Elon Musk. Anyone with information and can help identify the person of interest, contact Tulsa Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS with the reference number 2025-011539. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
