Army vet learns daughter got attacked, but she's at college 1,000 miles away. So he's on a plane that day and settles things.



Bill Steinkirchner and his wife, Melanie, got a call Sunday morning from their college-student daughter that no parent wants to receive.

Melanie Steinkirchner wrote on Facebook that their daughter was walking to breakfast when a male assaulted her, took swings at her, said he had a gun, and threatened to kill her. She was able to duck down, run, and avoid getting hurt, but she was still shaken during her phone call home.

But Dad was undeterred, recalling to the station that he told police, 'No! I'm not gonna stop following him. This is my daughter. I’ve got to get this guy.'

But her home is in Southern California — and KIRO-TV noted that the Steinkirchners' daughter is a student at the University of Washington in Seattle. That's about 1,000 miles away.

But that distance was no barrier for Dad.

"As soon as we got that call, Bill booked a flight and was on his way to Seattle," Melanie wrote on Facebook. "I truly didn't want him taking this into his own hands, but I couldn't stop him."

Steinkirchner — owner of Stone Church Brewing in Corona — told the station he booked the next flight to Seattle with the intention of confronting the male who threatened his daughter.

“I think any father would’ve done the same thing," he told KIRO. "It’s my baby girl."

Oh, and by the way, Steinkirchner told Blaze News his previous profession was Army colonel.

Melanie wrote on Facebook that her husband landed in Seattle around 2:30 p.m. that same day and arrived at the university district around 3:30 p.m. Steinkirchner had descriptions of the male and received photos of him from his daughter and her fellow students, KIRO said, adding that students reported on a UW message board being harassed by the same male throughout the weekend.

Steinkirchner told KIRO he was retracing his daughter's steps — and around 4 p.m. he spotted the assailant, Melanie wrote.

"And I looked at him, and I said, 'Hey!'" Steinkirchner recounted to KIRO, adding that he yelled a few expletives at the male, who immediately ran away.

Steinkirchner added to the station that despite the fact that he turns 60 next month and was wearing a backpack, he chased after the male.

What's more, Steinkirchner added to KIRO that he was on the phone with police during the chase through an alley, noting that authorities ordered him to "stop following" the male and insisted that "you can’t chase him."

But Dad was undeterred, recalling to the station that he told police, "No! I'm not gonna stop following him. This is my daughter. I’ve got to get this guy."

KIRO said Steinkirchner finally cornered the male, and police soon arrived and handcuffed him.

Image source: Bill Steinkirchner, used by permission

Officers then brought Steinkirchner’s daughter to the scene to identify the suspect, the station said. Here's video from Steinkirchner of that moment:

Police then took 23-year-old Ryan Dileo into custody, KIRO said.

"A nearby security guard identified Dileo as the suspect in other similar incidents involving swinging a broom. Officers arrested Dileo for investigation of felony harassment. Dileo was booked in the King County Jail," Seattle police said in a statement to the station.

Melanie added the following to her Facebook post, "Dad to the rescue!! Bill finally got to see Kyra back on campus after the police dropped her back, and she ran to him and gave him the biggest hug."

You can view KIRO's video report and interview with Steinkirchner here.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Video: College student wants to buy meal for homeless man, but Popeyes manager refuses to allow sale — and police are called on student



A Georgia State University student tried to buy a meal for a homeless man from an Atlanta Popeyes, but a manager at the fast-food restaurant refused to allow the sale — and police even were called on the student.

The GSU senior, Jo Ortega, recorded the incident on video and posted it last month on TikTok, where it's been viewed over 5 million times, according to WAGA-TV.

What are the details?

Ortega told WAGA she was picking up a DoorDash order from the Popeyes near Ponce de Leon Avenue when she noticed a man who looked hungry.

Image source: WAGA-TV video screenshot

But when she tried to order him a meal, no dice.

According to Ortega's video, she was in a vehicle in the drive-through lane when she asked for a manager — who eventually appeared and refused the transaction.

"No ma’am, you can’t do it," the manager says.

"Why? He’s asking for food," Ortega protests.

"Ma’am, you can’t do it," the manager repeats before adding, "I don't ... care about you recording me, baby."

And that was that.

But then it got even worse. Police were called on Ortega.

Image source: WAGA-TV video screenshot

"At that moment I was terrified," she later revealed to WAGA. "I thought I was gonna get arrested. I was like, 'Maybe I should just call my family, and I might not be coming home tonight.'"

Image source: WAGA-TV video screenshot

Atlanta police confirmed to the station that officers responded to a call about a woman refusing to leave the drive-through, but police didn't do anything since Ortega didn’t break any laws.

Not only that, she told WAGA that officers complimented her.

"The officer pulled me to the side and was like, ‘I really thank you for doing that; thank you for buying him food. I appreciate that,’" Ortega noted to the station.

Common sense prevails

Ortega told WAGA that a store general manager soon was contacted, and he felt terrible about what happened and then let Ortega and the homeless man order anything they wanted that night for free.

"My name's Jazz and thanks," the homeless man was heard saying as he waved to the camera outside Ortega's vehicle.

Popeyes told the station in a statement that it's "committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect" and that it has "ensured all employees at this restaurant have been provided with retraining to help navigate a range of guest interactions, such as the situation highlighted in the video."

Ortega told WAGA she started an online fundraiser to help Jazz find permanent housing: "Oftentimes the homeless are treated like stray animals, stray cats. 'If you feed them, they’re gonna keep coming back, and we don't want them to keep coming back.' In all of this, I believe that people deserve to be treated like people."

Philly college student refuses to give his keys to armed carjackers, fights them, gets shot in knee, hit in head with gun. Crooks take off without victim's SUV.



A Saint Joseph's University student who refused to give up his keys Tuesday night to a pair of carjackers in the Overbrook section of Philadelphia fought them and ended up getting shot in the knee and hit in the head with a gun, WPVI-TV reported.

The carjackers got away — but without the student's SUV, the station said.

What are the details?

The student — whose 21st birthday is Wednesday — was returning home from campus and had just pulled up to his apartment on Upland Way by Drexel Road in his blue Subaru Outback around 10:40 p.m., WPVI said.

Two masked men then exited a dark-colored minivan — possibly a Dodge Caravan — along the dark, tree-lined street and approached the student, Capt. John Walker told WCAU-TV. The pair also were wearing black hooded sweatshirts, WPVI said.

They announced the robbery to the student, who had just exited his vehicle, WPVI added, and the suspects tried to take the student's keys and get into his vehicle.

But the student fought back, Walker told WCAU.

The student was struck in the head with a handgun, Walker added to WCAU, and at least one of the would-be carjackers fired two shots, striking the student in the knee.

Image source: WPVI-TV video screenshot

Police told WCAU the suspects got back in the minivan and fled toward Woodbine Avenue.

However, authorities added to KYW-TV that the suspects had the victim’s keys to his vehicle.

The victim was taken to Lankenau Medical Center in stable condition, WPVI said.

Investigators are checking for surveillance video, WCAU added.

Anything else?

Walker told WPVI police haven't seen similar crimes in the area.

"It's a relatively quiet area of Overbrook Farms, no instances here, just concerned obviously because this kid was at the school this evening, coming home ... for the rest of the evening," he added to the station. "He had an event at the school in the morning, and he gets shot over the course of this attempted carjacking."

U. of Rhode Island may expel student who allegedly posted racist message to NFL player; school has offered counseling to all students



The University of Rhode Island may expel a student accused of posting a racist message on social media directed toward an NFL player, the Providence Journal reported.

What are the details?

The Instagram message was posted Sunday after a game in London between the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the paper said. The Jaguars won the game 23-20 on a 54-yard field goal as time expired.

The Journal added that the post has since been taken down and — citing sports websites — a tweet from Dolphins defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah, which shared the message directed toward him, also has been taken down.

"I normally ignore stuff like this but this is uncalled for!" Ogbah said in his tweet regarding the message directed toward him, according to the Palm Beach Post.

According to ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques, Ogbah said he deleted the tweet containing racist message because he didn't want to be a distraction: "I just wanted to show those keyboard warriors that you can't do that, we're still human."

'Deeply committed to anti-racism'

Marc Parlange, URI's president, issued a statement Sunday saying "the university learned today of an offensive, unacceptable, and racist comment posted to social media today, allegedly by one of our students. This language is abhorrent and has no place in a community that is deeply committed to anti-racism."

The University learned today of an offensive, unacceptable and racist comment posted to social media today, alleged… https://t.co/Azybs4G5S9

— URI (@universityofri) 1634523831.0

Parlange's statement added that "given the significance of this issue, the university has taken immediate action and referred the matter to the University student conduct process for review."

Kathy Collins, URI's vice president of student affairs, told the Journal the school can't share information about the student pending the results of its investigation.

However, she added to the paper that the accused can accept responsibility for the act — but if that doesn't happen, a hearing is held which may involve a panel of university members which will rule on whether policies were violated.

The Journal said sanctions can range from a warning to expulsion.

Counseling offered to students

Mary Grace Almandrez, URI's chief diversity officer, told the paper her office has invited all students to contact her department if they need counseling or any other types of support.

"We heard that students appreciated that our most senior leader issued a statement so quickly," Almandrez added to the Journal. "They understood this was a campus who took these kinds of things seriously."

Are You Proud to be an American?

Are You Proud to be an American?