Latest news with #WashoeCountySheriff'sOffice
NDTV
14-07-2025
- NDTV
US Teacher Charged With Multiple Counts Of Sexual Abuse Against Minors
A former US teacher has been charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse after a female relative came forward to report her to the police. Taji Hillson was arrested on July 2 on one count of sexual assault against a minor under the age of 14, one offence of sexual assault, and three charges of lewdness with a minor under the age of 14, according to public records from the Washoe County Sheriff's Office (WCSO). Hillson, a 62-year-old former substitute physical education teacher at Roy Gomm Elementary School in the Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada, was employed there from September 2022 through June 2025. She admitted to drugging the victim and touching at least a dozen youngsters inappropriately over the years. The Reno Police Department released an arrest report against Ms Hillson on Friday and set her bail at $5 million, KOLO News 8 reported. On April 30, an adult female relative reported Hillson to authorities, alleging the former PE teacher had drugged her using Benadryl and sexually abused her for decades. The sexual abuse allegedly started when the victim was a youngster and continued into adulthood. "Throughout her childhood and adulthood, she would feel sexual pleasure while sleeping and often wake up with... (Hillson) hovering over her," the sexual assault report said. The relative provided police several text exchanges in which Ms Hillson acknowledged "drugging her and touching her inappropriately." In the two months that followed, she submitted four more complaints, each including more text disclosures from the defendant about Ms Hillson "inappropriately touching other children." Hillson eventually admitted to drugging and harassing her cousin, including incidents of penetration around the age of 8, in a police interview on June 25, according to PEOPLE. She also told police that she continued doing the same when a relative came home from college in 2014. She also admitted that she had sexually touched a neighbour's two-year-old child in a public pool in the past few years, as well as at least a dozen other children, most of whom were family. According to the report, the defendant claimed she carried out "all of the actions because she has never felt 'seen' and desired to be close with another person."
Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Mum who 'dumped minutes-old baby in bin' tells police it was 'best option'
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: Taylor Sierra Dickinson, 28, is accused of tying her newborn baby boy in a bin bag and leaving him in a waste container just minutes after she gave birth A mum has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly placing her newborn son in a bin just minutes after giving birth - later telling police she believed abandoning the child in the rubbish was her 'best option.' Taylor Sierra Dickinson, 28, is accused of tying her baby boy in a bin bag and leaving him in a waste container in the town of Sun Valley, Nevada, US, where he was discovered nearly 10 hours later by a passer-by who heard crying and climbed into the bin to rescue him. The baby was taken to Renown Regional Medical Center and is now in a stable condition, according to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. 'This child is alive today because of the swift and selfless actions of a community member who didn't hesitate to help,' said Sheriff Darin Balaam in a statement. 'We're incredibly grateful for their courage and quick thinking. I also want to remind our community that there are safe and legal options for anyone in crisis, no baby should ever be left in danger.' Dickinson, who is married and already has two other children, was arrested on Sunday and is now facing multiple charges including attempted murder, child abuse, and neglect or endangerment. She is being held on a $1million cash-only bail (£740,000). During a bail hearing on Wednesday, Washoe County Sheriff's Detective Claire Hoops-Adams gave testimony outlining Dickinson's alleged account of the incident. 'She had no knowledge of the gender, whether the child was breathing or moving,' the detective said. 'According to her, the infant was wrapped completely in the towel and placed in the garbage bag. In her panic, she thought that was her best option.' Hoops-Adams also said Dickinson claimed she didn't realise she was pregnant when she gave birth in a nearby bathroom on July 5, and reacted in a state of 'panic and shock.' The detective told the court that Dickinson admitted she did not want any more children and had hoped someone would find the infant. 'She stated that she had no desire to have any more children, stating her family financially was living paycheck to paycheck at that point and they could not support an additional child,' Hoops-Adams said. She added that Dickinson had previously miscarried in 2023 and admitted to leaving the foetus in a garbage can. Police are reminding the public that Nevada's Safe Haven Law allows parents to legally and safely surrender infants up to 30 days old at any hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency - no questions asked. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing.
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Crying in parking lot leads to discovery of newborn in dumpster, Nevada cops say
A passerby discovered a crying newborn in a dumpster in Nevada, deputies said. The worried person called 911 at about 1 p.m. July 5 in Sun Valley, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. They had been in a parking lot when they heard crying, deputies said. The witness followed the cries to a dumpster where they found the abandoned child, climbed in and removed the infant, the sheriff's office said. Deputies said the baby was taken to a hospital where the child was listed in 'good condition.' In the post, the sheriff's office reminded individuals of Nevada's Safe Haven Law, under which 'a parent may legally surrender an infant, no questions asked at any hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency within 30 days of birth,' deputies said. The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to McClatchy News' request for more information on July 7. Authorities are investigating the incident and ask anyone with information to call the sheriff's office at 775-785-9276, the detective division at 775-328-3320 or Secret Witness at 775-322-4900. The case number is #25-3244. Sun Valley is about a 5-mile drive northeast from downtown Reno.
San Francisco Chronicle
04-07-2025
- Climate
- San Francisco Chronicle
Lake Tahoe fireworks show cancelled, beaches closed due to sinking barge
Those headed to Lake Tahoe for the Fourth of July may be disappointed to find out officials cancelled a major fireworks show and closed several beaches. A barge carrying fireworks for the Incline Village fireworks show was damaged in a storm Thursday night and began sinking, according to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. The incident prompted officials to cancel the fireworks show and close Ski Beach, Incline Beach and Incline Boat Ramp. Burnt Cedar Beach remained open Friday afternoon, the sheriff's office said. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office, North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District and Incline Village General Improvement District are working to secure the area. Anyone who comes across fireworks debris or unexploded materials around Lake Tahoe was advised to avoid touching it and report it to the sheriff's office at 775-785-9276.
San Francisco Chronicle
27-06-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Lake Tahoe boat capsize: Life jackets saved mother and daughter
The two passengers who survived last weekend's fatal Lake Tahoe boating capsize were wearing life jackets when they were rescued, officials confirmed. The two survivors were identified as Amy Friduss and her mother, Julie Lindsay. 'The two passengers who were wearing Personal Flotation Devices were rescued by responding emergency personnel and transported to the hospital,' the Washoe County Sheriff's Hasty Team wrote in an update. 'Sadly, the remaining eight passengers drown.' The incident, among the deadliest in the lake's recent history, occurred last Saturday afternoon when a 27-foot Chris-Craft powerboat capsized near D.L. Bliss State Park. A sudden summer storm with 45 mph winds and 8-foot swells upended what had begun as a celebratory outing. The group had gathered to celebrate the 71st birthday of Paula Bozinovich, who died along with seven others. The deceased included her son, Joshua Pickles, 37, a San Francisco-based executive at DoorDash; her husband, Terry Pickles, 73; and her brother, Peter Bayes, 72. Other victims hailed from California and New York, including Timothy O'Leary, 71, Theresa Giullari, 66, James Guck, 69, and Stephen Lindsay, 63. Six victims were recovered Saturday from the surface near the overturned boat, according to the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. The bodies of two other victims were later located after recovery efforts resumed. According to a GoFundMe page organized by Friduss' high school classmates, both women are recovering physically but are 'dealing with the heartbreaking loss of their beloved husband and father, best friends, and dear family who perished.' Julie Lindsay's husband, Stephen 'Zippy' Lindsay, was among those lost. He was described as the 'unofficial mayor of Honeoye' in New York and was known for his quick wit. Julie had recently retired and was planning to spend her years with her husband, their lifelong friends Giullari and Guck, and extended family in California. 'Now, it's just Amy and her mom left to face the unthinkable — broken hearts, unanswered questions, and the difficulty of life with only memories to hold onto,' the post reads. Amy Friduss, a nurse practitioner, is known for treating people living in homeless encampments during her spare time. Julie Lindsay, her classmates wrote, 'would quite literally give the shirt off her back if someone needed it.' On Sunday, at the request of El Dorado County authorities, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office deployed its Search and Rescue Hasty Team along with Marine 9 and Marine 10 crews. By late Sunday afternoon, the first missing victim was recovered from a depth of just over 300 feet using a remotely operated vehicle equipped with sonar and cameras. The final victim was located and retrieved Monday at a similar depth. The two passengers who survived were both hospitalized for hypothermia and other injuries. Water temperatures on Lake Tahoe hovered just above 58 degrees at the time of the incident — cold enough to induce fatal hypothermia in minutes. 'This incident is an unimaginable tragedy for the family and friends of the people involved, and the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the Washoe County Sheriff's Office are with them,' the agency added.
