School staff member dies after getting kicked by 14-year-old female student



A staff member at a Massachusetts school was killed after she was hit in an altercation with a female 14-year-old student, police said.

The student was trying to leave a dorm at the Meadowridge Academy in Swansea on Wednesday night without permission when staff members confronted her and tried to prevent her from leaving.

She collapsed and was transported to a hospital. She died a day later.

During the altercation, she kicked 53-year-old Amy Morrell in the chest, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.

Shortly after Morrell was kicked, she collapsed and was transported to a hospital. She died a day later.

The student was charged with assault and battery causing serious bodily injury.

The academy released a statement about the incident.

"The Meadowridge Academy community is deeply saddened by the passing of direct care staff member Amy Morrell," read the statement. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to Amy’s family during this difficult time. Support services and resources are available to assist students and staff as we grieve this tragic loss."

RELATED: Former teacher who mocked conservatives over grooming claims has been sentenced to 17 years prison for child porn

The girl was arraigned in Fall River Juvenile Court on Thursday.

A family friend named Andrew Ferruche spoke to WCVB-TV about the incident.

"It's a horrible accident. You get in a horrible fight, you don't think you're going to hit someone and they're going to die right there — especially if you're a kid. So that child's life is probably ruined. Her life is gone. It's just a tragic situation," Ferruche said. "She did tell me she loved what she was doing."

The academy was described as a residential school for youth.

Swansea is a town of about 17,000 residents located on the southern part of Massachusetts.

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Portland’s Socialist City Councilors Pledge To Probe City's Ties to 'Apartheid' Israel as Violent Crime Remains at 'Historic Highs'

As violent crime figures remain at "historic highs" in Portland, Ore., four socialist city councilors are pledging to launch an investigation—into any "complicity the city may have with Israel's illegal occupation, apartheid, or genocidal violence against Palestinians."

The post Portland’s Socialist City Councilors Pledge To Probe City's Ties to 'Apartheid' Israel as Violent Crime Remains at 'Historic Highs' appeared first on .

Florida mom accused of vile child porn crimes against her daughter — could face death penalty for sexual battery charges



A Florida mother has been hit with more than 40 charges related to "grotesque" child pornography and sexual battery involving her 11-year-old daughter. The mom could face the death penalty if she is convicted of the horrific crimes.

On Monday, a 34-year-old woman from St. Petersburg was arrested by detectives and hit with 41 total charges, including 13 counts of transmission of child pornography, 13 counts of sexual performance by a child, four counts of capital sexual battery, four counts of aggravated child abuse, three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation, three counts of sexual activities involving animals, and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

'This is nuts. I don't know how else to describe it.'

The mother could face the death penalty if convicted of capital sexual battery of a person under 12 years of age.

The suspect was transported to the Pinellas County Jail and remains in custody without bond.

Police urged that the name of the female suspect not be released to protect the child’s identity. A 38-year-old male was also not identified because the investigation is ongoing.

Police said the man involved in the child sexual abuse material case is facing several felony charges, including child pornography and traveling to meet a minor to engage in sex.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, "Detectives began their investigation after learning that a 38-year-old male subject was involved in obtaining child pornography and meeting with young children."

Police said detectives determined that the male obtained child porn from the female suspect.

"Detectives learned that the woman had been forcing her 11-year-old daughter to perform sexual acts on the suspect, herself, and the family dog," police stated. "Detectives say that the suspect would record and photograph these incidents, sharing them with a 38-year-old male."

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a press conference, "The things that the mother did to the daughter are graphic, and they are grotesque."

"During March and April of this year, the mother created at least 14 videos of her 11-year-old daughter posing at the mother’s direction and engaging in various sex acts, including bestiality with the family dog," Gualtieri stated.

Gualtieri noted that the mother used sex toys on her daughter.

"These acts constitute sexual battery or, as commonly referred to as rape, and because of the child’s age, the mother’s crimes are capital offenses punishable by death," Gualtieri said.

Sheriff Gualtieri said the mother admitted to forcing her daughter to perform sex acts on video and sending the videos to the man when she was interviewed by detectives.

Gualtieri added, "These cases are the worst cases of child abuse, and in this case, it’s not just sexually abusing a child; it’s gross sexual abuse of a young girl by her mother to satisfy an adult with a perverse craving for watching kids engaged in sex acts."

Investigators are attempting to determine whether money was exchanged for the illicit videos.

Gualtieri said investigators are looking into whether the mother sent explicit videos to others.

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The sheriff said the victim's father and a sibling lived in the same home. He added that investigators do not believe the father was involved in the alleged child sex crimes. The victim is being taken care of by the father, but the Department of Children and Families is "very involved" in the case.

Gualtieri said there are no indications so far that the sibling was sexually exploited by the mother.

The mother made her first court appearance on Tuesday, when a judge ordered the suspect not to have any contact with her daughter.

WTVT-TV reported that the father was at the hearing, and he was "visibly upset and appeared to be praying at one point."

Gualtieri stressed that there is a significant issue with child pornography crimes.

The sheriff noted that 84 different people have been booked into the Pinellas County Jail on child pornography charges since January, resulting in approximately 900 charges of possessing or distributing child pornography.

"Think about that: That's 900 different videos of kids, mostly in the 5- to 12-year-old range, engaged in perverse sex acts for the pleasure of adults who seek, obtain, and watch these videos," Gualtieri said.

"This is nuts. I don't know how else to describe it. It's ruining kids' lives," Gualtieri said of the outbreak of child porn crimes.

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Texas cop caught on video punching male in face, knocking him flat on his back reportedly is named, taken off street



An Austin, Texas, police officer who was caught on video last week punching a male in face and knocking him flat on his back has been named by the department and taken off the street, KVUE-TV reported.

Earlier this week, Blaze News highlighted a video showing what appeared to be that officer seeming to throw a single punch — and a male crumpling to the ground and lying flat on his back a second later.

'I know that Chief Davis will take appropriate action, including action that leads to termination.'

But that clip from a KXAN-TV story about a "crowd control" incident last Friday night on Sixth Street shows just one angle of the officer's apparent single punch.

The KVUE video report, however — which ran Thursday night — shows a much closer view of the incident from a front-facing angle. It clearly shows the officer throwing a face punch at a male dressed in an orange shirt, blue jeans, and a backward white baseball cap — and that male falling to the ground and lying flat on his back.

Austin police didn't tell KVUE what led up to that punch, but the station said police confirmed it was the incident that resulted in one officer being placed on restricted duty and taken off patrol. The department identified him as Officer Garcia but did not release his first name, citing policy, KVUE reported.

You can view that punch at the 24-second mark in the below KVUE video report.

RELATED: Video: Texas cop appears to throw single punch — and a male is flat on his back a second later

The KVUE video report also notes another incident that same night involving Austin police throwing punches.

A KVUE story that ran earlier this week indicated the station received a pair of videos of a second incident "from witnesses at the scene. Both videos show an officer on top of a person, appearing to punch them numerous times. Another officer, who is holding a separate person down, then assists the first officer, putting his knee on the back of the person being held down and appearing to throw a punch at him."

Interestingly, a KVUE video report of that second incident shows a male dressed in an orange shirt, blue jeans, and a backward white baseball cap — apparently the same one who was knocked flat on his back in the video of the single-punch incident — standing off to the side and watching the officers punch the male on the ground:

RELATED: Texas murder suspect's bail reduced from $800,000 to $200; he's released after paying cash. Gov. Abbott is not happy.

In another KVUE story, the station said it obtained documents from the District Court of Travis County revealing more information about what took place in the second incident caught on video.

The station said Austin Police Officer Leger was working in the downtown area when he heard a radio call reporting a "physical altercation" outside the Voodoo Room nightclub. With that, Officer Leger and Officer Garcia responded to the scene, where two men reportedly were fighting, KVUE said.

The station, citing court documents, reported that Officer Leger tried to break up the fight when he was struck in the back of the head, after which he "executed a controlled takedown maneuver" on one of the men, who allegedly resisted. KVUE noted that the court documents indicate Officer Leger struck the man in the face several times in response.

Documents added that a crowd reportedly formed around the officers, and people began throwing objects and pushing and kicking, the station said.

KVUE reported that the male accused of attacking Officer Leger was identified as 19-year-old Johnny Acuña-Jacobo, and he was arrested on a charge of assault on a peace officer, a second-degree felony, and booked into the Travis County Jail on a $10,000 bond. The Austin-American Statesman on Tuesday reported that Acuña-Jacobo had been released on bond.

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Police previously indicated that an officer was placed on restricted duty but did not state which officer and for which incident.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis in a statement to KXAN early Saturday said "last night, an Austin police officer struck an individual during a crowd control incident on Sixth Street. After reviewing the video footage, I share the community's concern and take this matter very seriously. The officer has been removed from patrol and placed on restricted duty pending a thorough investigation."

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson (D) released the following statement Saturday to KXAN: “I have seen the video of an Austin Police officer on Sixth Street last night. The action is inexcusable and indefensible. There is no room in APD for such violent behavior or for someone who claims to be a public servant and acts that way. I know that Chief Davis will take appropriate action, including action that leads to termination. Again, there is no room for such offensive, ridiculous action."

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'There's blood everywhere': Man brutally mauled to death by his own dogs



A Texas man was mauled to death by his own dogs despite the help of a neighbor who tried to stab at the dogs with a machete, police said.

The horrific incident unfolded at the home of Jose "Eddie" Padron Castillo on Louisiana Avenue in Bacliff, an unincorporated area near Galveston, according to his neighbor.

'He was crying, pleading, pleading and crying. ... That dog was not letting go.'

Jesus Excontitta told KHOU-TV that he rushed to help the 45-year-old and hacked away at the dogs, but they would not let go of their owner, who was pleading for help.

"It was just a horrific experience, for sure. I've never seen anything like that before," Excontitta said.

"He was crying, pleading, pleading and crying, and I'm just, 'Sorry, Eddie,' and stabbing the dog and poking and poking and poking, slicing him, slicing him and poking him, poking him," Excontitta said. "That dog was not letting go."

The KHOU report described the dogs as pit bulls.

Neighbors said that Castillo was trying to keep his dogs from attacking passersby on a golf cart when they turned on him in his driveway. Excontitta ran over with a machete to help him but said that the machete broke during the incident. He had to run back and grab a butcher knife.

The Galveston County Sheriff's Office said the attack did not stop until a deputy responded and shot one of the dogs.

Castillo was rushed to a hospital in Clear Lake but was later pronounced dead.

RELATED: Arizona mom nearly mauled to death by pit bull she rescued from homeless person and nurtured to health for 4 years

The two dogs were euthanized. Other police arrived at the home apparently to try to find a third dog.

"The dogs grew up with him, you know what I mean?" Excontitta added. "They've always been fed, fed good, and I don't know why something like this would happen."

Neighbors in the area told KHOU that they avoided going near Castillo's residence because of his dogs.

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Award-winning nurse torpedoes her job after vowing to let cops die during twisted DWI stop caught on bodycam video



An award-winning nurse in Texas has been fired after she was caught on police bodycam video telling officers she would let them die if they needed medical treatment at the hospital where she worked.

Officers with the Magnolia Police Department pulled over a female driver just after midnight Saturday on suspicion of erratic driving.

'I'm a f**king nurse, and when you come through my hospital, don't worry, I'll let you die.'

Citing the arrest report, KTRK-TV reported that police observed 35-year-old Crystal Tadlock speeding and running a red light. Police said it took Tadlock 40 seconds to pull over and that while doing so, she hit a piece of concrete.

Police noted that Tadlock had "bloodshot, glassy eyes and slurred speech" and added that Tadlock admitted to having two alcoholic beverages — a beer and a wine mixer — at a concert before the traffic stop.

Police also said Tadlock refused to undergo a breathalyzer test at the traffic stop, so officers administered a field sobriety test. According to officers, Tadlock "almost fell over backwards" during the field sobriety test, which she blamed on a recent eye injection.

Police bodycam footage shows Tadlock yelling at officers: "I couldn't walk straight because I had a f**king eye injection yesterday! Because my perception is permanently off!"

Tadlock was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

While being transported to the Montgomery County Jail, police video shows Tadlock appearing to verbally attack an officer over his heritage: "You can't speak straight because you have an accent from another country,"

Additionally, police footage indicates that an officer attempts to inform Tadlock of her rights, but she interrupts and says, "That's because ICE hasn't picked you up yet" — a reference to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Tadlock told the officer she had worked at the Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital for the last seven years, according to police.

Police said in a Facebook statement that "the female, who is a nurse, stated that if any of us came to her hospital, that she would make sure we died."

"Greater Heights, bitch. Don't go there," she is heard saying on video.

"I'm a f**king nurse, and when you come through my hospital, don't worry, I'll let you die," Tadlock also is heard telling the officers on video.

The nurse adds, "All your family members."

She then asks if she is being recorded.

The officer is heard telling the nurse, "You really just said you don't want me there 'cause you're gonna let me die.'"

Tadlock is heard replying, "Well, yeah. I mean, you're not that great of a person. You think you can just treat me like this?"

Tadlock is heard on police video saying, "You're going to be so embarrassed. Ha. And I'm white. Yeah."

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Tadlock has been bonded out of jail.

Police added in the Facebook post, "Unfortunately we couldn’t charge her with not being a very nice person."

Police said they're still waiting for the results of a blood draw.

Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital reportedly fired Tadlock, releasing the following statement to KTRK:

Immediately upon learning of this incident on Saturday, we took swift action to suspend the employee, pending investigation. She has subsequently been terminated. The safety and privacy of our patients, visitors, and workforce are our top priority, and we take such matters very seriously.

Tadlock previously won a nursing award.

In 2021, Tadlock was the recipient of the DAISY Award for "Extraordinary Nurses" for being "compassionate" and going "above and beyond" during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Crystal is an exceptional ICU nurse who always goes above and beyond when providing care for patients as well as assisting the healthcare team," the DAISY Foundation stated. "Crystal always demonstrates a compassionate, caring, positive attitude towards patients, family, colleagues, and all healthcare disciplinary teams."

The DAISY Foundation has a mission to "meaningfully celebrate extraordinary, compassionate nurses, capturing those moments unique to nursing that make a profound difference in the lives of people around the world."

Police did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

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Elon Musk may be helping Tommy Robinson, prompting leftist British lawmaker to demand MI5 investigation



The British establishment has long sought to put Tommy Robinson away. The independent journalist has, after all, spent decades raising hell about the fallout of mass migration, the detachment of British elites, the failure of multiculturalism in England, the threats posed by radical Islam, and the cover-up of the Pakistani rape-gang scandal.

Once again, Robinson is facing the prospect of prison; however, this time around, the world's richest man appears to be in his corner.

On July 28, 2024 — a day after organizing a political rally slightly smaller than the historic, 100,000-strong "Unite the Kingdom" march that he led on Sept. 13 of this year — Robinson was detained by Kent police under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act while attempting to travel to Spain, where he now lives.

Robinson was charged with "frustrating" police's counterterrorism powers by allegedly refusing to give them access to his phone, which police confiscated at the time of his detention, Sky News reported.

Under the Terrorism Act, detainees are required to provide law enforcement with access to their mobile device.

Robinson allegedly told police, "Not a chance, bruv. ... You look like a c**t, so you ain't having it," adding that his phone contained sensitive "journalist material" regarding "vulnerable girls."

In a video statement on Monday, Robinson said, "Just imagine that I am facing terrorism charges under terrorism legislation because I didn't want to give the state my sources of information as a journalist — and not one single journalist has commented on that in the U.K."

RELATED: Britain’s Big Brother ID law is the globalist dream for America

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Mitchell Thorogood, the arresting officer who apparently recognized Robinson ahead of pulling Robinson over, told the Westminster magistrate's court this week that he stopped Robinson as he attempted to enter the Channel Tunnel in a friend's car partly because the vehicle was not Robinson's, the BBC reported.

Thorogood suggested further that he pulled Robinson over because he thought it "unusual" for someone to drive a luxury car alone from Britain to Spain.

'It's an attack against me based on my political view, nothing else.'

Sky News indicated that Alisdair Williamson, Robinson's lawyer, characterized the counterterror stop as a "fishing expedition," and told the court that Robinson was targeted based to a "significant degree on a protected characteristic," namely his right-wing political views.

"We say it is obvious," Williamson said. "He was stopped unlawfully, detained unlawfully for 40 minutes, and asked questions that were something to do with his political beliefs."

Robinson told reporters outside the courthouse this week that the arresting officer "absolutely did not follow his protocol, did not follow the law. This is a total abuse of the legal system. It's an attack against me based on my political view, nothing else. There was no suspicion of terrorism, no suspicion of a crime. ... I'm now in court for being Tommy Robinson."

Jo Morris, the prosecutor in the case, claimed that the officer was justified in questioning Robinson on account of his "notoriety for associating with far-right activists."

If convicted, Robinson — who has pleaded not guilty and is presently in Israel at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's invitation — could face several months in prison and/or receive a $3,355.80 fine. The trial is set to conclude on Nov. 4.

Robinson claimed on Monday that Elon Musk was financially helping with his legal defense.

The beleaguered journalist's team claimed in a statement earlier this year that Musk was providing support for Robinson in this case as well as for his unsuccessful legal challenge earlier this year over his prolonged solitary confinement in prison.

"Why is Tommy Robinson in a solitary confinement prison for telling the truth? He should be freed and those who covered up this travesty should take his place in that cell," Musk tweeted on January 1. Four days later, he tweeted, "Once again: FREE TOMMY ROBINSON NOW."

Blaze News has reached out to Robinson and Musk for comment.

Daisy Cooper, a leftist lawmaker who serves as deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats in parliament, demanded on Wednesday that MI5, the United Kingdom's domestic counterintelligence and security agency, to investigate Musk, even though the Guardian indicated that Musk has yet to provide them with confirmation that he is in fact covering the bill.

"On Monday, the far-right, racist hate-preacher Tommy Robinson, who is currently on trial for allegedly refusing to comply with counterterror police, claimed that his legal costs are being paid by Elon Musk," Cooper said. "It is outrageous that a man who has so much control over what people read online every day could be funding someone who stokes far-right extremism on our streets. If this was Putin, the government surely would act."

"So will the prime minister commission the Security Services to assess the threat that Elon Musk poses to our democracy and recommend measures to this house that we can take to stop it?" Cooper said to Britain's liberal prime minister, Keir Starmer.

"I can tell her we do look across the board at threats to our democracy and must continue to do so," Starmer replied, according to the National. "I won't comment on the particular case given the state of legal proceedings."

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Florida teen accused of abduction hoax faces justice — and alleged ruse appears even more elaborate than initially thought



Late last month, Blaze News reported about a Florida teen who authorities said carried out a jaw-dropping hoax featuring his own supposed kidnapping as well as texts to his family claiming he'd been shot and was being followed by four Hispanic men.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office and surrounding agencies pulled out all the stops, committing personnel and resources over the course of about 24 hours to find 17-year-old Caden Speight.

'While continuing the investigation, detectives additionally learned that Speight had mentioned running away before, and they located ChatGPT searches on his laptop about collecting his blood without causing pain and Mexican cartels.'

But things began looking suspicious with every update, and finally the kid was found. But it was far from a happy reunion.

Turns out authorities said Speight shot himself in the leg. And his claim about Hispanic men following him? Made-up. But that was just for starters.

It now appears that his alleged hoax was even more elaborate than authorities first thought.

How it began

An Amber Alert was issued on the night of Sept. 25 stating that Speight was last seen about four hours earlier in the 12800 block of SW Highway 484 in Dunnellon, which is about an hour south of Gainesville.

RELATED: Racist signs found above water fountains in Georgia high school. Turns out student of color is behind hate hoax.

Image source: Marion County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office

As time wore on and the crisis heightened, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods noted that he had dedicated all of his available resources in an effort to find the teen, and his personnel worked through the night of Sept. 25 and through most of the next day on the case. In fact, Woods later said "federal agencies" as well as reinforcements "from around the state" turned out to help.

Many observers also were worried; one replied to the alert on Facebook with the following: "Oh, dear Jesus, please bring this young man back to his family safe and unharmed."

But after the Hispanic men claim was debunked, authorities combed the scene where both Speight's truck had been found and a shooting had been reported. The teen wasn't there — but a bullet hole in the truck reportedly was.

The dominoes kept falling. An updated alert added that it was possible Speight "left the incident location on a black bicycle with a red and grey tent, which he purchased at Walmart on SW 19th Avenue Road in Ocala just prior to this incident being reported." Ocala is about 40 minutes northeast of Dunnellon.

Finally the sheriff's office said on the afternoon of Sept. 26 that Speight had "been located safe in Williston," which is about 35 minutes northwest of Ocala.

Authorities say it was a hoax

Sheriff Woods a few days later announced in a video update that Speight made it all up.

Woods said, "We had witnesses that contradicted the initial information. Caden simply rode away towards Williston while the rest of us were left to think the worst, and my team was working in overdrive to solve this case."

As for the teen's claim that he'd been shot, the sheriff said, "Content to continue the ruse, Caden — who had a handgun with him since the beginning of all of this — chose to shoot himself in the leg, causing a non-life-threatening injury just prior to walking out to the roadway where he would be located by citizens in Williston. There is zero chance that Caden's gunshot wound came from any type of an assailant."

Woods added that numerous people asked if Speight would face consequences, and this week that has come to pass.

RELATED: 'Noose' found at Obama Presidential Center building site in Chicago — but some conservatives are skeptical: 'I’ll take 'hate crime hoaxes' for $3,500, Alex'

Facing justice

The sheriff's office said Major Crimes Detective Jason Williams on Tuesday arrested Speight for presenting false evidence, shooting into a conveyance, making a false report of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a minor.

In its announcement, the sheriff's office added that during the all-out search for Speight, crime scene technicians noticed a bullet hole through the windshield of his vehicle, suspected blood, Speight's severely damaged cell phone, drag marks in the dirt, and bicycle tracks leading away from his truck.

But authorities soon said he went much further than that in an attempt to solidify the hoax:

Further investigation and testing revealed that Speight had fired the shot through the windshield, splattered a mixture of blood in the truck, and destroyed his cell phone. Speight then fled the area on a bicycle with camping supplies he purchased at Walmart just before reporting this incident. An eyewitness also advised that he saw Speight leaving the area on a bicycle.

While continuing the investigation, detectives additionally learned that Speight had mentioned running away before, and they located ChatGPT searches on his laptop about collecting his blood without causing pain and Mexican cartels. On September 26, 2025, Williston Police Department (WPD) officers located Speight during a call for service at 727 W Noble Avenue in Williston. Speight was found with a handgun and the bicycle still in his possession. He attempted to continue the ruse and had a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his leg, which shattered his femur and required medical treatment.

The sheriff's office said that after Speight's arrest, he was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice.

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Florida sheriff's office under fire for posting 9-year-old male's mug shot on Facebook after his felony arrest



Florida authorities arrested a 9-year-old male last Thursday after they say he brought a knife into his elementary school the day before and threatened classmates with it.

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said during one incident the suspect got into a fight with a victim during recess at Middleton-Burney Elementary School in Crescent City, and the victim told deputies the suspect said he was going to stab him and pulled a pocketknife from his backpack. The victim told deputies he ran and told a teacher.

'We have not had any repeat offenders since we have put this in place.'

Another victim told deputies that the suspect tapped him on the shoulder on the playground, and when the victim turned around, the suspect had an open knife in his hand. The victim told deputies he ran away out of fear and tripped, after which the suspect stopped chasing him and walked away.

Another student told deputies the suspect walked over to her and showed her a knife and asked her not to tell teachers; she added that the suspect walked over to another child and "flicked open the knife" and pointed it at the child’s stomach. Authorities said that child was unable to be identified.

In the end, the sheriff's office said deputies arrested the 9-year-old suspect and took him to the Putnam County Jail. He was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, officials said, adding that he was booked and then released to a parent until his court date.

However, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office is getting backlash for posting the suspect's mug shot on Facebook. The sheriff's office also named the young arrestee in the post.

About 48,000 comments have followed as of Thursday morning. Here's what some opponents of the mug shot posting have had to say:

  • "I don’t agree with this at all," one commenter said. "While I absolutely do not support his behavior or bringing a weapon to school, this is still a 9-year-old child. Arresting him, taking a mugshot, and publicly posting it like this can cause lasting psychological harm. At this age, the focus should be on intervention, counseling, and protection, not criminalizing him in a way that could follow him for life. There should be statutes in place to protect children this young, this feels more like trauma and child abuse than justice."
  • "Posting a 9 YEAR OLD'S mugshot?!" another commenter exclaimed.
  • "Yeah. I'm all about shaming criminals. But that's a little far," another commenter noted. "He's still a baby and needs guidance not [shame]. That will only reinforce forms of hate and mistrust. Post his parents and get him help and positive encouragement."
  • "Since when does law enforcement [show] pictures of a 9 yr. old child and [give] their name?" another commenter wondered. "What the child did I'm not condoning, but still he's a very young child."

But the sheriff's office, for now, is not budging. In fact, it told WTSP-TV that the decision to post the child's mug shot is a policy the agency has upheld since 2018, and it won't remove the post.

“We have not had any repeat offenders since we have put this in place," Allison Merritt with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office added to the station.

In fact, just a week earlier, the sheriff's office posted a 10-year-old male's mug shot for the same charge and circumstance. Officials said this child brought a pocketknife to school and threatened another student.

WTSP said state law doesn't protect the confidentiality of juveniles charged with felonies, and their names, photos, and arrest reports legally can be released.

But the station added that the statute allows families to request that photos be taken down from websites — and if they're not removed within 10 days, the posters can face civil penalties.

"Just because we can post a mug shot of a 9-year-old doesn’t mean we should," attorney Shannon Schott, a legal expert in juvenile law, told WTSP.

Schott added to the station that posting a child’s mug shot online can have lasting consequences, including an impact on the child’s mental health, future schooling, and chances at rehabilitation.

“The juvenile justice system really is intended to keep things behind closed doors so a family can privately heal and move forward and help their child move forward," she told WTSP. "It’s really just a conflict between the way the sheriff thinks that things should be done and how the system actually works.”

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Woman accused of horrific child abuse said  cylinder on her belt held 'baby daddy's ashes' — cops say it was meth



A Texas mother was arrested for allegedly abusing her 11-year-old autistic son by locking him up in horrific conditions at her mobile home on Homan Street in Baytown.

The Baytown Police Department said a police officer was called to the home of 41-year-old Rachel Nicole Blaylock in May and reported the strong smell of fecal matter and the presence of numerous flies.

The son reportedly had dried fecal matter under his nails and on his face, arms, and hands.

She said the smell was "bad enough she nearly threw up."

Blaylock reportedly told the officer that her son had trouble going to the bathroom and would often toss his "poop" in his room and into the hallway.

The officer said she saw dried fecal matter on the floor of the home.

Blaylock began locking her son in his room after he ran out of the home naked several times. She took the door off his room and replaced it with a screen door so she could keep an eye on him but have him locked away.

The officer reported seeing a mattress described as "filthy" and said there was fecal matter on the screen door and in the room.

The son reportedly had dried fecal matter under his nails and on his face, arms, and hands. He also suffered from rotting teeth and had dried urine on his legs.

The officer recorded Blaylock's response when she told her that her son needed to go to a hospital.

"I just can't drop everything I'm f**king doing and take him to the hospital so a quack-ass doctor can say, 'Oh, I don't know what's wrong with him,' so we can see another one," she reportedly said.

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Police also spoke to the boy's grandmother, who said Blaylock was not a good mother and confirmed many of the accusations of neglect.

The boy weighed 46 pounds, according to police, who said a boy of his age should weigh about 88 pounds. Officials said he was placed in foster care.

On Oct. 7, police arrested Blaylock and found that she had a cylinder container with contents inside on her belt. She claimed that they were her "baby daddy's ashes," but police said they determined the contents were actually crystal methamphetamine.

She was charged with injury to a child as well as possession of methamphetamine. She was booked into the Harris County Jail.

Baytown is a city of over 84,000 residents on Galveston Bay about 30 miles east of downtown Houston.

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