Cheap Gas, Less Crime, Lives Saved, And 4 Other Victories Dems Refused To Cheer At SOTU
'Look, nobody stands up,' Trump said. 'These people are crazy, I'm telling you. They're crazy.''Look, nobody stands up,' Trump said. 'These people are crazy, I'm telling you. They're crazy.'Confrontational State Of The Union Speeches Help America And Should Be The New Norm
There were rumors that President Trump’s first State of the Union address was going to run two hours and anyone would be forgiven for dreading it, but it turns out it was a politically confrontational spectacle that this country needed and deserved. Trump used his nationally televised speech Tuesday to draw attention over and over […]12-year-old Florida girl posts 'detailed manifesto' about conducting mass shooting at middle school over bullying: Cops
A 12-year-old Florida girl was arrested after she posted online a "detailed manifesto" about carrying out a mass shooting at a middle school due to bullying, authorities said.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said it got word overnight Monday about the manifesto "describing at length a plan to carry out a mass shooting at Southwestern Middle School due to bullying. Deputies acted quickly to investigate the threat and identify the student responsible."
When detectives spoke with the suspect, she first denied any involvement but later admitted to making the plan and posting it online, the station said.
The school is in DeLand, which is about 45 minutes north of Orlando.
The student was "placed under arrest for making written threats to kill and misuse of a 2-way communications device," the sheriff's office added.
Blaze News is not naming or showing the face of the suspect due to her age.
RELATED: 2 Florida 15-year-olds accused of threatening to shoot up high schools
According to WOFL-TV, a friend gave the tipster the information about the manifesto, and the tipster wanted to report the information.
The station said the mass shooting plan was posted to a website — but while the plan had been taken down, the comments and username remained, the station said.
Investigators traced the IP address to DeLand and identified the suspect — a student at Southwestern Middle School, WOFL said.
Citing the arrest affidavit, the station noted that the mass shooting plan detailed when to arrive at school, where to meet up, what time to start the shooting — and even identified a teacher who "gave me an F- on my test" and named students.
WOFL said that when investigators spoke with the teacher in question, she looked at her grades to see which students had received an F, and investigators verified that the suspect was one of those students.
The station, citing the affidavit, said investigators also asked the student named in the plan if there were any students who made fun of him or didn't like him — and he recalled the suspect, who was in his math class.
Investigators also spoke with the boy whom the suspect said would help her with her plan, WOFL said, and the boy later admitted his friend — the suspect — was the one who made the plan to shoot up the school.
When detectives spoke with the suspect, she first denied any involvement but later admitted to making the plan and posting it online, the station said.
Deputies arrested the suspect around 1:30 a.m. Monday, WOFL reported, adding that she soon was taken to the Volusia Family Resource Center.
Blaze News over the last several months has reported about Florida authorities accusing teens — and those even younger — of making similar threats and arresting them. What's more, law enforcement agencies frequently have released the names and images of the young suspects, a decision that hasn't made every observer happy.
- Earlier this month, a pair of 15-year-olds were arrested after being accused of threatening to shoot up high schools, police said.
- In late October, an 11-year-old girl was arrested after writing a "kill list" at her desk at school, police said. Then just two weeks later, an 11-year-old boy from the same school district was arrested after allegedly creating a "kill list" at school, police said.
- Also in October, a Florida sheriff's office came under fire for posting 9-year-old male's mug shot on Facebook after his felony arrest for allegedly bringing a knife into his elementary school.
- Just a week prior, that same sheriff's office said a 10-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, a third-degree felony, after bringing a pocketknife to school and threatening another student. The sheriff's office posted the suspect's name and mug shot.
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Former teacher's aide gets crushing prison sentence after her conviction of sexually abusing 4 boys: 'Justice was served'
A former teacher's aide in Wisconsin has been sentenced to more than half a century in prison after her conviction of committing child sex crimes against four boys, according to authorities.
The Kenosha County District Attorney announced last week that Judge David Hughes sentenced 34-year-old Anna Marie Crocker to 51.5 years in prison and 32 years of extended supervision. Crocker — a mother of four — will not be eligible for release until she is approximately 85 years old.
'Her betrayal of trust, victim-blaming, and efforts to intimidate the victims only deepened the harm.'
In December, Crocker pleaded guilty to first-degree child sexual assault, child sexual exploitation (filming), second-degree sexual assault of a child, use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, intimidation of a victim, and child enticement-sexual contact, according to WITI-TV.
Before being sentenced, Crocker claimed to have taken "full responsibility for what has taken place," WISN-TV reported.
"I am disturbed by the harm and distress, along with the trauma that you have to endure," Crocker continued. "I am deeply sorry that this has caused confusion, pain, and anger, and that you have to live with this the rest of your lives."
WISN reported that Judge Hughes said during sentencing, "She sought out children, she used children, and she took advantage of children."
Kenosha County Deputy District Attorney Rosa Delgado prosecuted the case and proclaimed, "Justice was served today for the four children this defendant groomed and sexually abused."
Delgado also declared, "Her betrayal of trust, victim-blaming, and efforts to intimidate the victims only deepened the harm."
Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis said in a statement, "This case represents a profound breach of trust."
Solis added, "When an adult connected to our schools exploits our children, the harm is severe and lasting."
As Blaze News reported in October 2024, officers with the Sensitive Crime Unit of the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department began an investigation into Crocker after she was suspected of sexual misconduct involving a "current and former student of the school."
At the time, Crocker had been a teaching assistant at Riverview Elementary School.
According to a criminal complaint, Crocker sexually assaulted a 12-year-old boy in the winter of 2023-2024.
The victim told investigators that Crocker removed his pants and was on top of him and noted that she was "naked."
"She then began making him do things that she wanted," the complaint read.
According to the complaint, the victim repeatedly told Crocker "to get off of him, but she would not listen," and that he "also tried to push her off."
The criminal complaint stated that the victim told investigators that he was "scared and traumatized."
The complaint noted that the victim said Crocker told him to apologize for the sexual abuse and that she was trying to "make him feel guilty."
A detective with the Twin Lakes Police Department interviewed a 13-year-old boy who "reported to a school staff member that he received inappropriate material and messages" from Crocker, the complaint stated.
The victim told police that he had received sexually explicit videos from Crocker, according to court documents.
Court docs said the second victim was "scared" about interacting with the educational assistant because the first victim, who is his friend, told him that Crocker raped him.
A 14-year-old male victim told police that he had been "exchanging sexual chats and pictures via Snapchat with the defendant," according to the criminal complaint.
The court documents said the victim told investigators that Crocker "sexually assaulted him in a parking lot in Racine County in August of 2024."
Detectives searched Crocker's Snapchat and discovered a conversation between her and a 16-year-old that the former school staffer made sexual, according to the complaint.
Court docs noted that the boy's younger brother is "friends with the defendant’s son," and Crocker told the victim not to tell his younger brother "about them having sex, if it were to happen."
The teen said Crocker "sent him pictures in which sex was 'inferred,'" according to court records.
The court docs said the victim told police that Crocker "wanted to have sex with him at her residence and that they agreed upon a day, but that he never went through with it."
The criminal complaint said Crocker invited the boy to her home on Oct. 11, 2024, even though the underage victim divulged his age.
WITI reported that Crocker was taken into custody on Oct. 11, 2024.
According to WISN, the school board terminated Crocker on Oct. 14, 2024.
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'Despicable attack': Brazen mob pelts NYPD officers with snowballs, multiple cops reportedly injured — and it's all on video
A snowball-throwing mob was caught on video pelting New York City Police Department officers Monday afternoon in Manhattan's Washington Square Park, and multiple officers were injured as a result, WABC-TV reported.
Police told the station that officers responded to the park around 4 p.m. for a report of a number of people atop a roof.
'This is the environment that NYC police officers are up against.'
Police added to WABC that the officers were then hit with snowballs, and multiple officers were taken to a hospital with facial cuts.
RELATED: DA Bragg offers plea deals to illegal aliens charged in vicious mob attack on NYPD cops
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Monday night wrote on X that she's aware of the videos and that "the behavior depicted is disgraceful, and it is criminal."
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Tisch added that detectives are investigating.
The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York called the incident "unacceptable and outrageous," WABC added.
"This is the environment that NYC police officers are up against. Our police officers are being treated for their injuries, but the case CANNOT end there," the PBA said in a statement on social media, according to the station. "The individuals involved must be identified, arrested, and charged with assault on a police officer. And all of our city leaders must speak up to condemn this despicable attack."
Scott Munro, president of the NYPD Detectives' Endowment Association, called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted, WABC reported.
RELATED: 'Who would have thought?': Mamdani takes side of knife-wielding suspect — not the cops
"No free pass. No get out of jail free card. Make no mistake: Detectives will do what they always do. They will identify those involved, and they will apprehend them," Munro said in a statement, according to the station. "Our men and women in blue deserve to be safe. They deserve to be protected. And they deserve to be respected. They earn it every single day."
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Virginia man allegedly used meat cleaver to 'butcher' his family before being shot to death by police
Virginia police said a meat cleaver attack in Virginia left a scene described as a "bloodbath" after they shot and killed the alleged attacker.
Fairfax County Police responded to a call Monday from inside a residence at the Margate Manor apartment complex in Mantua, as well as from a neighbor.
'I can't imagine anything would compel anyone to butcher a family.'
The alleged attacker was described as a man in his fifties who used a 10-inch knife similar to a meat cleaver to attack his wife as well as his daughter, according to Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis.
The man's son-in-law was outside clearing snow from the top of his car when he heard the commotion coming from inside the residence, according to police.
When he responded, he found his father-in-law stabbing his wife and then turning to attack the son-in-law.
Davis said officers found the man attacking the son-in-law when they arrived, and he ignored commands to stop.
"Our officer gave repeated commands — one after another after another — to this perpetrator, the father-in-law, to drop the knife, drop the knife," he said. "Not only does he not drop the knife, but he proceeds to stab the son-in-law."
An officer opened fire on the man and killed him.
All three victims were transported to a hospital, where the two women were later declared dead. The injured son-in-law remains in critical condition.
Police also found a child in the residence, but the 1-year-old baby of the younger couple was unharmed. The baby is under the care of child protective services while police seek to identify family members.
"To describe this scene as bloody would be an understatement," Davis said.
RELATED: 19-year-old drove for 22 hours straight to kidnap 2 underage girls he met on Roblox game, police say
Davis said there had been no previous domestic violence calls at the residence, or any other calls. He defended the actions of his officer and said the bodycam footage supported that he followed use-of-force policies.
Police have not yet released the names of the alleged assailant or of the victims.
"We don't know yet what turmoil, what strife is happening in their lives, but I can't imagine anything would compel anyone to butcher a family," Davis added.
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Rob Reiner's 32-year-old son Nick — accused of fatally stabbing his parents — enters plea
Rob Reiner's 32-year-old son Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal stabbing of his parents in December, the Associated Press reported.
Nick Reiner’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene, entered the plea on her client's behalf as he stood "behind glass in an enclosed custody area of the packed Los Angeles courtroom," the AP said.
'We will be looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances.'
Nick Reiner has been held without bail since his arrest after his famed Hollywood director father and his mother, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead Dec. 14 at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, the AP said.
The outlet added that Reiner appeared in court with his head shaved and wearing brown jail clothes — but notably not the suicide prevention smock he donned in his first court appearance in December.
The judge told Reiner to return to court April 29 for the scheduling of a preliminary hearing where prosecutors will present evidence — and a judge will decide if there's enough of it to proceed to trial, the AP said.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office hasn’t decided if it will seek the death penalty for Reiner, the AP said.
Hochman added that the death penalty decision "goes through a very rigorous process. We will be looking at all aggravating and mitigating circumstances," the outlet noted.
Notably, Reiner's not guilty plea is common for criminal defendants at this stage of a case, the AP said.
Reiner's high-powered former attorney, Alan Jackson, said last month he had to quit the case due to "circumstances beyond our control — but more importantly beyond Nick's control."
Jackson added at the time that he was "legally and ethically prohibited from explaining all the reasons why" he withdrew from the case but noted that he and his team "remain deeply, deeply committed to Nick Reiner and his best interests."
Jackson also told reporters that "we're not just convinced — we know — that the legal process will reveal the true facts of the circumstances surrounding this case, Nick's case" and that "we've investigated this matter top to bottom, back to front. What we've learned — and you can take this to the bank — is that pursuant to the laws of this state, pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that! Print that!"
Deputy District Attorney Habib Balian said Monday that his office is still awaiting a full autopsy report in the case, but all other evidence has been turned over to the defense, the AP noted.
Rob Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, died from "multiple sharp force injuries," the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said in initial findings, the outlet also reported, adding that authorities said they were killed hours before the bodies were discovered.
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Hero protects church full of kids: Off-duty cop disarms gun-toting suspect in Sacramento
An off-duty detective thwarted what had all the makings of a potential church massacre last week in Sacramento.
Brian Girardot Jr., 20, dropped off a younger relative at St. Mary Parish School on Wednesday morning, then allegedly returned around 9:30 a.m. when St. Mary Catholic Church was in the process of holding an all-school Ash Wednesday Mass next door.
Amy Hale, the principal of the school, indicated that "all church doors were locked per our standard procedure" and "parent observers were positioned outside and inside the church."
'F**k you die!'
One of the parent observers, an off-duty detective, intercepted a suspicious man who approached the front of the church and claimed that he wanted to enter and attend the Mass.
According to Hale, the parent observer "located and removed a loaded firearm, concealed on the man's person." The observer then detained the suspect until officers from the Sacramento Police Department arrived on the scene.
Principal Hale assured parents that their children remained in the church throughout the Mass and that "no students came into contact with the man."
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Girardot, a former student at St. Mary Parish School, was arrested without incident and slapped with felony charges for allegedly having a concealed firearm on his person and bringing a firearm into a school zone.
U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced on Thursday that the former student has also been federally charged for allegedly possessing a firearm within a school zone.
The Justice Department alleged that additional ammunition and a camouflage jacket were recovered from Girardot's vehicle, which was parked nearby.
In their search of the suspect's home, law enforcement agents also found a series of handwritten notes that allegedly contained references to suicide and threats.
According to court documents reviewed by KTXL-TV, one of the notes listed three family members and stated, "All of you are the reason I've done this."
Another note reportedly said, "Suicide Note f**k you," on one side, and the reverse stated, "Rest of y'all ... f**k you die!!!"
The gun allegedly taken from Girardot outside the church was a Taurus Tracker .44 Magnum. Prosecutors claimed that police found four more firearms in Girardot's garage including a 12-gauge shotgun and a Winchester Model 670 .30-06 rifle.
Girardot, who is apparently ineligible for bail, is presently being held at the Sacramento County Main Jail.
The Diocese of Sacramento joined Bishop Jaime Soto and the Department of Catholic Schools in expressing gratitude both for the parent observer's "vigilance" and that the incident was "resolved safely and that no students, teachers, or staff were harmed."
The diocese added, "May the Lord Jesus, our rock and our refuge, watch over the schools and bless our children with peace and security."
Girardot's arrest comes several months after a hate-filled 23-year-old trans-identifying man opened fire on a full Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring 29.
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School secretary caught by husband with student, faces child seduction charges for sex with second student: Police
A married employee of an Indiana high school was arrested after allegedly sexually abusing a student, according to police. Authorities were tipped off to the damning child sex crime accusations after her husband found his wife with a second student, police said.
The Union City Police Department — located in Western Ohio near the border of neighboring Indiana — announced in a statement the arrest of Alicia Hughes "following an investigation into allegations involving inappropriate conduct with a minor."
'It will be interesting to see the school’s policies, how this individual was screened and trained, and what "red flags" were overlooked or ignored.'
Hughes — a 31-year-old employee of the Randolph Eastern School Corporation in Indiana — was caught with a student by her husband on Feb. 14, police said.
"During the course of the investigation, officers learned that Hughes’ husband had discovered her with an 18-year-old student of Randolph Eastern School Corporation and confronted the individuals," police stated.
The press release revealed, "It is alleged that Hughes was battered during that altercation. The alleged battery is being investigated by the Randolph County Sheriff's Department."
Police did not reveal the husband's name.
Investigators said they "uncovered evidence that Alicia Hughes had also engaged in a sexual relationship with a separate high school student who was 17 years old at the time."
The Union City Police Department noted that Hughes and the student "engaged in sexual intercourse on at least five occasions."
Hughes was arrested and charged with five counts of child seduction related to the sexual relationship with the minor student, according to police.
Police said Hughes was being detained at the Randolph County Jail on a $25,000 cash-only bond.
According to Indiana law, child seduction is when a "person used or exerted the person's professional relationship with the child to engage in sexual intercourse, other sexual conduct, or any fondling or touching with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of the child or the person under this section."
Those in a position of power include employees of a school corporation.
Cleveland.com reported that Randolph Eastern School Corporation Superintendent Neal Adams said that Hughes "has been removed from all duties with students pending the outcome of the legal process." The outlet added that Hughes is a high school secretary.
The staff directory for the Union City Jr/Sr High School does not show the name of the suspect; however, an archived version of the school's website shows an attendance secretary named "Alicia Hughes."
Adams did not specify if Hughes had been terminated.
"We recognize that situations of this nature are deeply concerning for our families, staff, and the broader community,” Adams added. "Please know that we share those concerns and are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness, care, and urgency."
Tom Blessing, an attorney for survivors of sexual abuse, said of the accusations, "Usually, we see abuse claims involving teachers and coaches, but any school staff with access to children could use their position of authority and trust to take advantage of them: custodial and maintenance staff, counselors, office staff, even administrators."
Blessing continued, "It will be interesting to see the school’s policies, how this individual was screened and trained, and what ‘red flags’ were overlooked or ignored."
Blessing noted that many times "institutional failures enabled the abuse" in sexual misconduct cases by school employees.
The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment. The Union City Police Department did not have any updates on the case.
Those with information about the case are urged to contact the Union City Police Department at 937-968-7744.
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14-year-old car thieves slam stolen vehicle into Baltimore cop who opens fire as he's hit — and the crooks get away
A trio of 14-year-old car thieves slammed a stolen vehicle into a Baltimore police officer who opened fire as he was hit — and while the teens managed to get away from the scene, police said they arrested them days later.
Officer William Cole responded around 12:05 a.m. Sunday to an attempted break-in call, WBAL-TV reported.
'I need a medic!'
Police released Cole's body-worn camera video, which showed the officer arriving at the location on West Lombard Street; he soon encountered multiple people in a Kia sedan that backed up and struck a parked vehicle, the station said.
When Cole ordered the driver to stop, the driver backed up again and struck the officer, WBAL said, citing the video.
Police said Cole fired his gun once at the car as he fell, the station said, adding that the driver fled the scene and hit another vehicle as well as the officer's patrol car in the process.
Video then shows an injured man approaching the officer from across the street and collapsing.
The officer is heard saying on the bodycam video, "I need a medic! You good, bro? I got you. What's wrong, bro, you OK?"
Police said the officer rendered aid to the 21-year-old injured man who was assaulted by multiple people before the officer's arrival at the scene, WBAL reported; the victim wasn't taken to a hospital.
However, the officer at the scene injured his ankle and was treated and released from a hospital, the station said.
Police told WBAL that officers found the Kia in question abandoned on South Arlington Avenue and that the vehicle was reported stolen Saturday from East Chase Street.
More from WBAL:
Police said detectives were able to identify two of the Kia's occupants as two 14-year-old boys who have prior charges of robbery and auto theft and were on electronic monitoring as a result. Detectives arrested the boys Monday on aggravated assault and auto theft charges. They remain detained at Juvenile Booking.
Police said detectives later identified the driver of the Kia as a 14-year-old girl. During her arrest on Tuesday, police said officers learned the girl had been treated at a hospital on Sunday for a wound to her right wrist. The girl's mother told detectives that the injury may be a gunshot graze wound; police said further investigation is needed to determine the cause of the injury. The girl was taken to Juvenile Booking, where she was charged with aggravated assault and stolen auto. She was later released on electronic monitoring.
Teen crime in Baltimore despite electronic monitoring is not a new phenomenon. Last summer, a 13-year-old with a GPS ankle monitor who had been arrested 18 times for felonies was charged in connection with a violent city crime spree.
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