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American Military News
6 hours ago
- American Military News
Josh Klinghoffer, ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, takes plea deal in fatal collision
Josh Klinghoffer, the former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, accepted a plea deal after facing a vehicular manslaughter charge. Klinghoffer, 45, was charged in the death of Israel Sanchez in March after a collision last year in Alhambra. Klinghoffer was driving a black GMC Yukon at the corner of West Main Street and South Meridian Avenue when he turned left at the intersection while 47-year-old Sanchez was walking in a marked crosswalk. Klinghoffer then struck and killed Sanchez. On Wednesday in court in Alhambra, Klinghoffer pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence. He was sentenced to 60 days of community labor and one year of informal probation. He will also have to take a driver safety course and pay restitution. During the hearing, the prosecutor told Klinghoffer, 'If you continue to drive while distracted, and as a result of your driving someone is killed, you can be charged with murder.' Sanchez's family sued Klinghoffer for wrongful death after the incident, alleging that Klinghoffer was on his phone at the time of the collision. 'Video of the incident shows that defendant Josh Adam Klinghoffer made no braking or slowing motion until after he fatally struck Israel Sanchez, indicating that Defendant was likely driving while distracted.' 'This horrible outcome was foreseeable and demonstrates a willful disregard for the rights and safety of others,' the suit continued. Klinghoffer's attorney in the civil suit, Andrew Brettler, said in a statement to The Times last year, 'After Josh struck this pedestrian in the intersection, he immediately pulled over, stopped the car, called 911 and waited until police and the ambulance arrived. Obviously, he's cooperating with the police throughout the traffic investigation. This was purely a tragic accident.' Klinghoffer played guitar with the Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, when longtime guitarist John Frusciante returned. Klinghoffer was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 2012. He has since performed as a member of Jane's Addiction and Pearl Jam. ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
American Military News
6 hours ago
- American Military News
Video: Fmr. Delta Force operator shares dangerous hostage rescue story
Larry Vickers, a U.S. Army veteran and a former Delta Force operator, shared an account on Thursday of the Delta Force's Operation Acid Gambit hostage rescue of Kurt Muse from a prison in Panama in December of 1989. During a Thursday interview with podcaster Shawn Ryan, Vickers explained that Muse's rescue as part of Operation Acid Gambit was a dangerous hostage rescue attempt due to a prison guard threatening to kill the hostage if the United States attempted to rescue him from Panama's La Comandancia prison. According to The Army's website, Muse was imprisoned in Panama for leading opposition against Manuel Noriega, the former dictator of Panama. 'There was a guard that had told Kurt if there was a rescue attempt, he was going to kill him,' Vickers said. 'Because Kurt, I think, asked him, 'Hey, if there's a rescue attempt for me, what are you going to do?' And he goes, 'I'll kill you.'' 'This guy was in the room right across from Kurt,' Vickers added. 'So the priority was to get down to Kurt as soon as possible to beat this guy. You know, before this guy gets a situational awareness, figures out what's going on, goes over to Kurt's cell, and kills him.' READ MORE: Video/Pic: Last living American hostage released by Hamas During Thursday's podcast interview, Vickers shared details about how he was almost killed by his team's own 'C6 charge,' how the Delta Force Team entered the building after snipers disabled the prison's power, and how the team encountered one of the prison guards before reaching Muse's location. 'He was in a room across, and the G team went in and killed him. Yep, he's armed with a pistol,' Vickers told Ryan. 'I think the guy, I think he was in a shower, if memory serves me correct. G team found him in the shower. I think the guy went for his pistol, already had a pistol in his hand. They killed him.' 'Yep, they got Muse out. They brought in a little, you know, kit, aviator kit bag, and had body armor and a helmet, you know, a body armor and a Kevlar helmet. Peeled him out. I remember seeing him go up the stairs,' Vickers added. 'Couple things. We get up. We tell him, 'Hey, you know, PC secure to get the extraction birds out.' The reason the book's called 'Six Minutes To Freedom' was because from when we touched down to when we called, you know, PC secure, called for EXO was six minutes.'
American Military News
6 hours ago
- American Military News
California man charged after allegedly firing gun into car of teens who egged his house
It started with three Hillsdale High School students vandalizing a classmate's house and ended in gunfire. Now, a 54-year-old father has been jailed and faces multiple felony charges in what prosecutors describe as teenage mischief gone wrong. The father and homeowner – Craig Steven Miceli – was charged this week after firing a gun into a car containing three of his daughter's classmates after the boys egged his house, two days after pouring oil on his porch, prosecutors say. None of the teens were hit by the bullets. San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe on Wednesday said that Miceli's anger at the 'pranks' the boys pulled is 'understandable and justifiable.' 'But what is not justifiable … was when he chose to respond to it by taking out a gun and firing the gun at the car that the three boys were in,' Wagstaffe said Wednesday. 'The danger involved in that is so high that it's a felony crime to do so, and that's why he is now facing multiple felony charges for that overreaction to the situation.' Prosecutors charged Miceli with three felony counts of assault with a firearm with additional firearm enhancements, one felony count of firing at an inhabited vehicle, one felony count of illegal assault rifle and one felony count of possessing an assault rifle, prosecutors said. If found guilty, Miceli, who does not have a criminal record, could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment on Tuesday, where the court ordered him to not contact the three teenagers. The three boys – ages 16 and 17 – spent last weekend driving around San Mateo. On Friday, prosecutors say, they spread oil on the porch of Miceli's home on the 1000 block of Annapolis Drive, not far from Bay Meadows Park. Then, shortly after midnight on Sunday, they returned to the same home armed with eggs. They threw them at the house and got back in an SUV. As the boys drove away, Miceli went outside with a handgun and fired two shots, prosecutors allege. One of the bullets hit the passenger side of the SUV and got lodged in the side panel, authorities said. The boys didn't make it far. Arriving police officers stopped the SUV and later interviewed Miceli. The father said that his daughter has been a victim of bullying at the high school and expressed anger at having to clean the oil off his porch, authorities said. He told police he had fired his gun at the tires of the boys' car and later ditched the weapon in Water Dog Lake, prosecutors said. When investigators obtained a search warrant for Miceli's house, they located an illegal automatic rifle and ammunition, prosecutors added. As of Tuesday, Miceli remained in custody on $25,000 bail, prosecutors said. But jail records show he had since posted bail. Miceli will next appear in court June 9 for a preliminary hearing. The three boys will not face charges for the vandalism, but will be dealt with by the San Mateo Police Department, which has a diversion program for teenagers that focuses on education and public service, Wagstaffe said. The department did not submit the three minor's actions to the DA's office to be charged. The DA said the allegations of bullying against Miceli's daughter will be handled by Hillsdale High School. The school and the San Mateo Union High School District referred requests for comment to the DA's office but sent a message that was distributed to the high school community. 'This is an ongoing criminal investigation with law enforcement and in our school community, and I want you to know that we will continue to work with students to ensure their wellbeing,' Hillsdale High School Principal Jeff Gilbert said in the email. Wagstaffe added that this case is a 'tremendous' opportunity for parents to have discussions with their children and a 'good lesson' for teenagers. 'I'm sure the teenagers thought it was just laughing among themselves without being cognizant of how dangerous it could be,' Wagstaffe said. 'You never know who you might encounter, and it could endanger your life.' It is also a lesson for adults to 'act with some self-control and not engage in gun play,' Wagstaffe added. 'If that shot,' he said, 'had hit one of the boys and killed him, then he's looking at the rest of his life in prison for murder. Fortunately, that didn't happen.' ___ © 2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
American Military News
18 hours ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Trump admin unveils Constitution training course for top gov't employees
President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to launch a new 80-hour training course on the U.S. Constitution and the government's 'founding ideals' for Senior Executive Service employees. According to an Office of Personnel and Management memo obtained by Real Clear Politics, the syllabus for the Trump administration's new training course includes an emphasis on the U.S. Constitution, 'Founding ideals of our government,' and the 47th president's executive orders. Real Clear Politics reported that the U.S. Office of Personnel and Management's new training program will require individuals who want to become Senior Executive Service employees to complete 80 hours of video training. The outlet noted that the training will conclude with two days of in-person training in Washington, D.C. The Office of Personnel and Management's website states that Senior Executive Service employees 'serve in key positions just below top Presidential appointees.' The website describes Senior Executive Service employees as the 'major link' between presidential appointees and the rest of the government's workforce. The website adds, 'They operate and oversee nearly every government activity in approximately 75 Federal agencies.' READ MORE: Video: Canada 'considering' offer to become 51st state for free Golden Dome, Trump says According to Real Clear Politics, the new Office of Personnel and Management's training for Senior Executive Service employees is expected to launch in September and will affect agencies throughout the federal government under the Trump administration. The memo obtained by Real Clear Politics explained that the goal of the new training is to 'ensure that SES officials uphold the Constitution and the rule of law and effectively serve the American people.' Real Clear Politics reported that the memo outlining the upcoming training course for Senior Executive Service employees is part of the Office of Personnel and Management's 'Executive Core Qualifications.' The outlet noted that diversity, equity, and inclusion metrics have been removed by the Trump administration and that new Senior Executive Service employees will be selected on competence, merit, and 'dedication to our Nation's Founding ideals.' According to the memo, the Trump administration is also planning to require each agency's Executive Review Boards to add a majority of employees who have not served as career government employees. Real Clear Politics reported that the Executive Review Boards handle the hiring, assessment, and management of Senior Executive Service employees. The memo noted, 'These requirements ensure that effective implementation of the President's policies is at the forefront of agency executive management decisions.'
American Military News
18 hours ago
- American Military News
Human foot found by dog in Utah may be connected to major mystery
The remains of a dismembered human foot were discovered in a shoe by a dog in Sevier County, Utah, earlier this month, leading officials to investigate whether the human remains are linked to a missing persons case from 1997. According to Fox 13, the dismembered human foot remains were discovered on May 16 as a man and his dog were walking on the shore of Utah's Fish Lake. ABC 4 reported that Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis said that after picking up the shoe his dog discovered, the owner of the dog saw what 'appeared to be a bone in the shoe.' Curtis told ABC 4, 'Detectives responded and found the remains of what appeared to be the remains of a human foot inside the shoe.' According to ABC 4, the Utah Medical Examiner's Office has confirmed that the shoe discovered by the dog contained a dismembered human foot. ABC 4 reported that while a search was conducted along the shore of Utah's Fish Lake just one day after the discovery of the human remains, the Sevier County Sheriff's Office confirmed that 'no other evidence was found to indicate where the foot came from.' READ MORE: Pics: Coast Guard issues major warning after armed military flares lost in Lake Michigan Fox 13 reported that detectives have indicated that they believe the human foot remains could belong to David M. White, who went missing while fishing on Fish Lake in September of 1997. The outlet noted that law enforcement officials never found White's body. Deseret News previously reported that at the time of White's disappearance, police officials believed he may have fallen into the center of the lake while not wearing a life jacket. Following a failed attempt to locate White's missing body, Sevier County Sheriff's Lt. Delbert Lloyd told reporters, 'That whole lake is deep, and it was too deep for the three divers we sent in. It was just too dark, too black.' According to Fox 13, police officials have indicated that they have obtained a DNA sample from one of White's children and are going to have it tested to see if there is a connection with the recovered foot remains. The outlet noted that law enforcement officials have confirmed that there are no other known reports of people believed to be still missing near Fish Lake.
