Texas elementary school teacher admits to filming explicit videos in classroom, contends she's the victim, has yet to be charged



A former Texas elementary school teacher admitted to filming sexually explicit videos of herself inside her classroom, but contends that she is the victim in this situation.

The woman – who has not been identified because she has yet to be charged with any crimes – confessed that she filmed sexually explicit videos in her classroom and bathroom at the Gray Elementary school in Fort Bend County near Houston.

The former music teacher told KHOU 11, "It was a poor judgment on my part. I would never do it again."

The teacher – who reportedly resigned in February for undisclosed reasons – claimed she recorded the videos on a Sunday when she had stopped by the school to pick something up and nobody was on campus.

The illicit videos show the teacher stripping naked and flashing her bare breasts and buttocks, according to reports. The teacher's school identification card was allegedly visible in the videos.

The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District said it was not made aware of the shocking videos until Wednesday. The school district has since launched an investigation into the allegations.

Police have yet to charge the former teacher with any crime.

The former teacher said that she is a victim of revenge porn.

The woman claimed to have sent the videos to a man she was dating at the time. She said they had a nasty breakup and then he leaked the sexually explicit videos online.

The former teacher explained, "I've never sent this out to thousands of men. Like, I’m not that type of person. This was just a relationship, a private matter, and he released it."

She has allegedly filed a police report for revenge porn in Harris County.

Quanell X – Houston activist and former New Black Panther Nation leader – claimed to have made the school district aware of the illicit videos.

The activist delivered an eyebrow-raising press conference on Wednesday, where he said the video shows the former teacher "stripping down naked, bending over and showing you everything on the video and all you could see was cellulite and pubic hair."

"This woman obviously had lost her damn mind. She needs psychotropic medication. She pulls out her breasts and she’s juggling them — look like she’s about to fall over. Then she bends over and pulls down her panties," he added.

X suggested that authorities could "find something criminal to bring her into a courtroom for."

He added, "If we can put Donald Trump in the courtroom and find something to prosecute him for, don't tell me we can't find something to prosecute this woman for."

KHOU attempted to reach out to the unnamed ex-boyfriend for comment but was unsuccessful.

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

Texas teacher admits to filming explicit videos at school www.youtube.com

6-week-old 'angel in heaven' mauled to death in crib by family dog, grieving mom grateful her baby will help other boys and girls



A 6-week-old baby was mauled to death by the family's dog in Tennessee. The grieving mother of the mauled baby remarked that the one thing that she is grateful for in the heartbreaking tragedy is that her deceased son will be able to help other little boys and girls.

Just six weeks after Ezra Mansoor was born, he was involved in a dog attack at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee.

While Ezra was taking a nap in his crib, the family's dog attacked the newborn baby out of nowhere.

Ezra died on Thursday afternoon – six days after fighting for life with brain swelling and bleeding inside his skull from the animal attack.

The parents are bewildered by the deadly dog attack since the dog had never shown any signs of aggression in the past.

You can never be too careful, no matter how big or small the dog

Mark Mansoor, the 28-year-old father, had the husky dog since he was a teenager.

The heartbroken mother, 25-year-old Chloe Mansoor, told WBIR-TV, "You just think it would never happen to you. But it can happen to anyone, with any dog breed, no matter how long you've had the dog."

She added, "I think you can never be too careful, no matter how big or small the dog, or how long you've had them or how good they've previously been with kids. You can never be too careful."

The family decided to donate Ezra's organs to help other babies in need.

"He's just going to get to bring families the most amazing news they've ever gotten and I'm so grateful that he will get to live on through so many other little boys and little girls," Chloe said.

"He will always be remembered as a hero on Earth and an angel in heaven," Mark said of Ezra.

The family dog responsible for the deadly attack was taken to the Young-Williams Animal Center.

The animal center said in a statement: "Young-Williams Animal Center is holding an adult dog following an incident in which an infant was reported to have been injured in Knoxville on May 24, 2024. The dog is under a 10-day bite quarantine as required by state law."

The Knox County Sheriff's Office is still investigating this case.

"Being his mom was the biggest honor and the best thing I've ever done," Chloe said. "I didn't realize until this happened, just how supported we are and just how many people he had that loved him already."

The grief-stricken mom added, "All the sleepless nights and the dirty diapers — looking back, I would take a million sleepless nights and dirty diapers and all the fussiness, you would take it all back in a second and never take any moment or second for granted."

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

6-week-old boy dead after family dog attacked him in the crib, family says www.youtube.com

Video: 4 Baltimore airport workers suspended after all-out brawl at Spirit Airlines ticket counter



Wild video shows the moment that four employees of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport brawl with a fifth man at the Spirit Airlines ticket counter. The airport workers were suspended for their part in the nasty fight.

Officers with the Maryland Transportation Authority responded to the brouhaha late Tuesday afternoon, according to TMZ.

Video shows four airport employees fighting a fifth man at the Spirits Airlines ticket counter around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

The man was in a fighting stance as four airport employees confronted him. Suddenly, a worker wearing a white button-down shirt charges at the man and takes a wild, flailing punch. The workers gang up on the man.

He falls to the floor and workers punched, stomped, and kicked him. Another employee walked over and socked the man in the face while he was being held on the ground.

The Maryland Transportation Authority said one person suffered minor injuries.

The four ticket agents reportedly worked for a vendor of Spirit Airlines, but are not actual employees.

The vendor said all four employees have been suspended pending the results of the investigation.

Spirit Airlines said in a statement, "We are aware of an altercation that occurred in Baltimore (BWI) on May 28. Our vendor has suspended four of their employees involved pending an investigation into the matter. We do not tolerate violence of any kind, and we will take appropriate action as necessary following the completion of the vendor's investigation."

The Maryland Transportation Authority said in a statement, "All involved parties were provided with victims’ rights and services information, including information about filing criminal charges at the local commissioner’s office."

Neither the Maryland Transportation Authority nor Spirit Airlines responded to requests for comment about the all-out brawl by the Baltimore Banner.

(WARNING: Graphic video)

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



Ohio mother sentenced to prison for death of 4-year-old daughter who was fed Mountain Dew in baby bottle, causing her teeth to rot



An Ohio mother has been sentenced to prison after her 4-year-old diabetic daughter died from being mainly fed a diet of baby bottles filled with Mountain Dew.

Tamara Banks, 41, was sentenced on Friday to at least nine years in prison for the young girl's death and up to 13 and a half years. Banks, of Clermont County, had pleaded guilty in March to involuntary manslaughter for the death of her daughter – Karmity Hoeb.

Karmity's father, 53-year-old Christopher Hoeb, also pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He is set to be sentenced in June.

Karmity was found unresponsive on Jan. 21, 2022. The couple called 911 and the girl was rushed to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The 4-year-old girl was declared to be brain dead and died four days later after being taken off life support.

Karmity died in 2022 of a diabetes-related brain injury.

The Clermont County coroner determined the girl's cause of death was diabetic ketoacidosis. Prosecutors said the girl's condition "was left undiagnosed and untreated over a long period of time."

Dr. Chris Peltier – President of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics – told WCPO-TV, "Diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, is an extreme complication of untreated diabetes."

Prosecutors claimed Banks and Hoeb mostly fed their daughter a baby bottle that was filled with baby formula and Mountain Dew soda. Prosecutors noted that the 4-year-old girl should have been weaned off bottles long before her death.

A 20-ounce bottle of Mountain Dew reportedly contains 77 grams of sugar.

WXIX-TV previously reported the girl's teeth had rotted out and she had almost none left.

Karmity suffered from a "serious medical issue" days before her death, but her parents failed to call for help or take her to the hospital, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Karmity suffered neglect, child abuse, denied proper nutrition, lacked medical care, and there was no evidence that she had been taken to a dentist in her short life.

Clermont County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Clay Tharp told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "This is one of the most tragic cases I have ever encountered."

Tharp also pointed out, "This child did not have to die."

Our guardian angel now

Karmity – nicknamed "Boogie" – "loved to be silly" and "loved looking at herself in the mirror because she knew how beautiful and special she was."

"Each day she woke up full of joy and love," the girl's obituary read. "Every day she was playing with her Mickey buddies and racing her cars. She touched everyone that ever laid eyes on her or spent any time with her. She will always be remembered as our daughter, our guardian angel now."

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

6 stabbed, including 4 girls at Mass. movie theater, in separate attacks by alleged wig-wearing suspect linked to Connecticut murder



A knife-wielding man went on a stabbing rampage in Massachusetts on Saturday evening. Police believe there were two separate stabbing attacks by the same suspect, including the assault of young girls at a movie theater. Law enforcement sources said the suspect is also connected to a murder investigation in Connecticut.

Around 6 p.m. on Saturday, a man entered the AMC movie theater in Braintree, Massachusetts. He allegedly walked straight past the ticket booth and entered one of the theaters without paying.

Without any warning, the suspect reportedly stabbed four young girls inside the AMC Braintree 10. The four girls stabbed in the unprovoked ranged in age from 9 to 17, according to a statement from the Braintree Police Department. The victims were rushed to Boston-area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

An AMC employee who was working at the concession stand at the time of the stabbings described the man as wearing "an oversized trench coat, sunglasses, and a long blonde wig," according to WBZ-TV.

The suspect fled the crime scene in a black SUV, according to police.

— (@)

After fleeing from the movie theater, the suspect allegedly drove over 30 miles to Plymouth, Massachusetts.

At approximately 7:04 p.m., police responded to 911 calls of two people being stabbed at the McDonalds in Plymouth. Inside the fast food restaurant was a 21-year-old female and a 29-year-old male with stab wounds, according to a press release from the Massachusetts State Police. The victims were transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Braintree Police Department said a "vehicle matching the description was reportedly involved in a similar assault in Plymouth."

Troopers attempted to pull over the suspect, but he refused to yield, and led the officers on a police chase.

The suspect was pursued by Massachusetts State Police, he crashed his vehicle, and he was taken into custody.

He was finally apprehended in Sandwich, Massachusetts – roughly 50 miles from the AMC theater.

The suspect was taken to an area hospital for treatment from his injuries in the car crash.

"Preliminary investigation suggests a likely connection to an earlier incident at a movie theatre in Braintree resulting in non-life threatening injuries to four juveniles," the Massachusetts State Police said.

Citing a law enforcement source, WFXT reported that the suspect is Jared Ravizza.

Sources informed WBZ-TV that Ravizza is also connected to a murder investigation in Deep River, Connecticut.

Connecticut State Police said troopers responded to a "disturbance" on Saturday afternoon and discovered a "deceased individual." Police did not reveal the identity of the individual.

"A suspect in this investigation has been taken into custody in the State of Massachusetts and there is no active threat to the public," Connecticut State Police stated in a news release.

Deep River is approximately 120 miles from Braintree.

Investigations are active and ongoing on all three incidents.

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

Horrifying bodycam video shows Missouri police officer shooting, killing non-aggressive deaf and blind 13-pound dog, city defends cop



Extremely disturbing police bodycam video shows the moment that a cop shot and killed a "non-aggressive" deaf and blind 13-pound dog.

On Tuesday morning, a Sturgeon Police Department officer responded to a report of a missing dog.

Nick Hunter, 35, reported his fluffy, 13-pound white Shih Tzu mix missing. Most concerning for the owner, is that the 5-year-old dog was deaf and blind. Hunter reportedly informed the dispatcher that the dog was "not at all" aggressive.

Sturgeon Police Department Officer Myron Woodson reportedly responded to the missing dog report.

Within minutes of attempting to locate the disabled dog, Officer Woodson reportedly fired two shots into the 13-pound pup.

Officer Woodson located the small Shih Tzu dog.

Bodycam footage shows Woodson approaching the small dog, and he is armed with a catch pole.

According to bodycam footage, the dog named Teddy is seen aimlessly trotting around. The officer is seen attempting to lasso the distressed dog, but is unsuccessful. The dog continues to walk randomly around the grass yard.

The dog is seen on video playing with a vine on a tree.

Suddenly out of nowhere, the officer is seen shooting the dog only three minutes after encountering the small dog without the animal being aggressive toward the cop.

Police bodycam video shows the officer shooting the dog at the 5:35 mark and firing another shot at the 5:41 mark.

Bodycam footage shows the officer walking back to his cruiser to retrieve a bin, walking back to the scene of the death, and putting the lifeless body of the dog into the receptacle. He places the bin with the deceased animal in the back of his cruiser.

The owner of the slain dog – a very distraught Nick Hunter – is seen confronting the police officer before he can drive away. According to the video, he is recording the officer as he questions him.

Hunter tells the officer that his dog was "completely blind and completely deaf."

Officer Woodson attempts to defend his fatal actions by saying that he saw a "dog walking around blindly," and he only can respond to situations with "information at hand" and claimed he had spent 10 minutes dealing with a dog that was "walking around blindly."

Woodson claims that he doesn't "enjoy shooting dogs."

"I'm not happy that I had to shoot a dog," Woodson says on video.

Hunter informs the officer that there are numerous non-lethal alternatives to making a dog respond.

Woodson states, "I'm sorry I had to do it. That's all I'm saying."

Hunter declares, "I can handle a dog dying if the dog was put down for a proper reason."

He adds, "He was not aggressive to a person, and not a harm to anyone."

Hunter accuses the officer of not attempting "to do anything properly besides lethal force."

The dog owner claims the dog escaped from its kennel after its collar slipped off.

The city of Sturgeon defended Officer Woodson's fatal actions with a statement that reads:

The city has reviewed the dispatch report and body camera footage regarding the recent dog at large incident. The city believes that the officer acted within his authority based on the information available to him at the time to protect against possible injury to citizens from what appeared to be an injured, sick, and abandoned dog. The dispatch indicated that the person calling in did not want to be contacted, and had reported that the dog, though not in her view dangerous, was injured, maybe blind, and had mud and dried blood in its fur. The dog’s strange behavior appeared consistent with the dispatch report of an injured or possibly sick dog. In order to better equip officers for future animal at large call outs, the city will be sending all officers to Boone County Animal Control for training and education, in hopes that this unfortunate situation does not occur again.

Hunter told KMIZ, "I filed a complaint formally with the city of Sturgeon and requested to speak with the mayor. The mayor did not contact me, instead posted a statement contradicting everything that me and the officer spoke of, saying the officer's fear was Teddy having rabies."

Hunter proclaimed that his dog was updated on its rabies vaccines.

"The officer was going strictly based off the fact that the dog walks with his head sideways due to him being deaf and blind," Hunter alleged.

He added, "I'm hoping these officers and future officers can find a way to follow the the fourth continuum, our levels, correctly versus going straight to lethal force. That should always be a last resort in dealing with any life."

Hunter told the news outlet that he plans on suing the city of Sturgeon over the shooting death of his dog.

(WARNING: The following police bodycam video is extremely disturbing and graphic)

Bodycam video shows Sturgeon dog shooting www.youtube.com

Missouri lawmaker's missionary daughter, son-in-law 'went to Heaven together' after murdered, set on fire by gang in Haiti



The daughter and son-in-law of a Missouri lawmaker were murdered and set on fire by a gang while serving as missionaries in Haiti, according to reports.

The young couple, as well as a third victim, were killed in a brutal attack that reportedly took place on Thursday night in the community of Lizon in northern Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.

The three victims were identified as 23-year-old Davy Lloyd, 21-year-old Natalie Lloyd, and 45-year-old Jude Montis. All three victims were members of the Missions in Haiti, Inc. The organization was founded by David and Alicia Lloyd – Davy’s parents. The compound – which educated roughly 450 children – included an orphanage that housed about 50 kids, a school, and a church.

Davy grew up on the Missions in Haiti compound.

Hannah Cornett, Davy's sister, told the Associated Press, "Davy spoke Creole before he spoke English. It was home. Haiti was all we knew."

Natalie joined the organization in August 2022 after the couple got married that June. The pair were "full-time missionaries" in Haiti, according to her father – Missouri State Rep. Ben Baker.

Montis was the group's Haitian director for two decades and a pastor with a wife and two young children.

Gang members allegedly ambushed the trio at the compound on Thursday.

David Lloyd, 48, told the Wall Street Journal, "They tied up my son and beat him. They got three vehicles. They got a bunch of equipment, money, I had my payroll in there for the week."

The distraught father said that Davy was able to untie himself, and the trio managed to flee to a small house on the compound.

Davy called his father during the chaotic scene.

"As they were going down there [to the house], he was telling me what was stolen and what had been done to him," Lloyd explained. "And as he’s talking to me, he says, 'Dad, something is going on. There a bunch more guys and I think they may be back.' He thought it was the same gang that was coming back and he didn’t know what was going on."

The couple and Montis barricaded themselves in the house. However, the gang members allegedly "ended up shooting all the windows out and shooting the house up."

The gang members allegedly infiltrated the house and murdered all three missionaries by shooting them.

The news outlet reported that there is a video of the grisly crime scene showing "three bodies sprawled on the floor, with those of Davy Lloyd and Montis having been burned."

The Oklahoma-based Mission in Haiti said Davy, Natalie, and Jude were "shot and killed by the gang about 9 o'clock" on Thursday.

My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I've never felt this kind of pain.

Representative Baker shared a photo of the slain couple on Facebook with the heartbreaking caption:

My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain. Most of you know my daughter and son-in-law Davy and Natalie Lloyd are full-time missionaries in Haiti. They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to Heaven together. Please pray for my family we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well. I have no other words for now.

Baker said "things are looking very positive" for the transport home of the bodies of Davy and Natalie.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the two U.S. citizens killed by gangs in Haiti," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.

Miller added, "Unfortunately, this serves as a reminder that the security situation in Haiti cannot wait – too many innocent lives are being lost."

As of Saturday evening, a GoFundMe campaign for the Baker and Lloyd families had raised more than $53,000. Another GoFundMe campaign for the funeral expenses of the young couple had reached over $45,000.

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

'Everything they've done is illegal': Watch Nicki Minaj film her arrest at Amsterdam airport for allegedly 'carrying drugs'



Rapper Nicki Minaj was arrested by police in the Netherlands due to an incident involving her luggage, according to multiple news reports. The rapper was reportedly arrested at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on Saturday because of possession of drugs. Minaj documented the entire incident involving Dutch authorities on video and posted it to her social media accounts with millions of followers.

Minaj – whose real name is Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty – was traveling from Amsterdam to Manchester, England. Minaj is scheduled to perform a concert at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester on Saturday night as part of her "Pink Friday 2 World Tour."

Minaj wrote on the X social media platform: "They’re trying to keep me from MANCHESTER."

The hip-hop music artist said that authorities "found weed" and took her bags "without consent."

She added, "My security has already advised them those pre-rolls belong to him."

Minaj, 41, recorded the encounter with Dutch authorities.

"They didn’t know I was planning for them just like they were planning for me. Me filming every single thing made them really mad," she tweeted.

This is what it looks like when people are paid big money to try to sabotage a tour.

The 12-time Grammy nominee posted a video of the law enforcement confrontation on her Instagram account – which has nearly 230 million followers.

An airport official informed the celebrity rapper that her luggage needed to be searched, adding, "I'm so sorry to say that."

Minaj responds, "But isn't that what you planned on doing from the get-go? Why didn't you guys search it before it went on the plane?"

An official said that Minaj would be taken into custody for "carrying drugs."

The "Bang Bang" rapper replied, "I'm not going in there. I need a lawyer present."

As far as the Manchester concert, the official is heard telling the entertainer that they would "try to get [her] there" as soon as possible.

"They’ve been trying to stop me from coming to every show," the "Super Bass" rapper claimed. "They took my bags before I could see them. Put it on the plane. Now saying they’re waiting on customs. This is what it looks like when people are paid big money to try to sabotage a tour after all else failed. Everything they've done is illegal."

The Dutch Military Police confirmed to ABC News that a 41-year-old woman was arrested for trying to leave the country while in "possession of soft drugs, which is prohibited."

Marijuana is legal in Amsterdam as long as an individual has no more than 5 grams of cannabis, according to the Netherlands government website.

The Co-op Live arena announced that the doors opening for Minaj’s concert would be delayed by 30 minutes to 7 p.m. local time.

The hashtag #FREENICKI was trending on X on Saturday afternoon.

This is not Minaj's first brush with law enforcement.

She and her husband, Kenneth Petty, were ordered to pay $500,000 to a German security guard over an alleged backstage assault two months ago.

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

Illinois HS senior killed in 'fast and furious' crash before graduation by alleged drunk driver racing 131 mph: 'Most genuine human'



A high school senior's promising future was tragically cut short three weeks before graduation after he was involved in a devastating car crash that split his car in half. Authorities say the Illinois teen was killed in a "fast and furious" accident caused by a drunk driver racing at 131 mph and had his lights off.

Around 11 p.m. on May 12, 21-year-old Taeyoung Kim was reportedly racing his 2021 Ford Mustang at speeds exceeding 130 mph in Glenview, Illinois – a suburb approximately 20 miles northwest of Chicago.

Police said Kim's own dashcam captured him speeding, aggressively passing other vehicles, and running a red light.

Witnesses claimed to have observe Kim driving with his headlights off, according to court documents. Kim allegedly turned his headlights back on as he was entering an intersection. However, it would be too late.

Kim's Mustang plowed into a Mercedes being driven by 17-year-old Marko Niketic.

The impact of the crash was so immense that it split Niketic's car in half – the front half was on the road and the back half flew into a nearby fence of a backyard.

Citing the bond court proffer, WMAQ-TV reported that Kim's vehicle was traveling at 131 mph just 2.5 seconds before the crash and 122 mph at the time of impact, according to the vehicle's black box.

The speed limit on Lake Avenue at that location of the car accident is 35 miles per hour.

Niketic was pronounced dead at the crime scene.

Niketic's 16-year-old girlfriend, who was in the passenger seat at the time of the car crash, suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage, hematoma of the brain, a fracture of the pelvis vertebrae, and hyper-density of the left frontal lobe of the brain with loss of consciousness and seizure.

A passenger in Kim's vehicle also sustained significant injuries, including a fractured back and a severed artery.

Niketic's unnamed girlfriend and Kim's passenger were both rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

The girlfriend was reportedly released from the hospital on Friday.

Kim allegedly sustained a broken femur in the car crash.

A blood test revealed that Kim had a blood alcohol level of .088 – above the legal limit. The test also found that he had cannabis in his system, according to court docs.

Police found a bong, rolling papers, a one-hitter cannabis pipe with residue, and two plastic containers with cannabis residue inside Kim’s vehicle during their investigation.

Kim was arrested on Friday and charged with two counts of aggravated DUI causing death, reckless homicide, aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm, DUI of alcohol, DUI of drugs, and several traffic violations, including speeding 35 mph over the limit.

Kim is being held without bond.

Kim made his first court appearance on Saturday, when the judge said the "fast and furious deadly accident" was a "brazen disregard for human life."

His next court date is scheduled for May 24.

Niketic's heartbreaking death happened exactly three weeks before he was set to graduate from Glenbrook South High School on June 2. The teenager's funeral was held two days before he was to attend his senior prom.

Last week, a vigil was held near the crash site with Niketic's heartbroken family in attendance.

Preston Shute, a friend of Niketic, told NBC Chicago, "He's one of those people, you meet him, and he’s glowing. The most genuine human ever. He had a lot of stuff ahead of him. I can’t really process it."

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

Northbrook man charged with DUI in crash that killed teen in Glenview www.youtube.com

Mom asks for prayers for daughter's Turks and Caicos arrest for 2 rounds of ammo in luggage, 5th American facing 12 years in prison



A U.S. citizen is facing up to 12 years in prison after she was arrested in Turks and Caicos for having stray ammunition in her luggage. The mother of the detained American is speaking out and asking others to pray for her daughter – who was arrested on the Caribbean island for allegedly having two rounds of ammo in her luggage.

Sharitta Shinise Grier – a 45-year-old woman from Orlando, Florida – is currently being detained in Turks and Caicos. Grier was on vacation on the Caribbean island and attempted to fly back to Florida on Monday.

However, two rounds of ammunition were reportedly discovered in her luggage during a routine security search at the Howard Hamilton International Airport, according to the Royal Turks & Caicos Islands Police.

Grier was arrested and charged with one count of ammunition possession.

Turks and Caicos has strict gun control laws.

Last month, the U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas issued an emergency advisory to Americans regarding bringing ammo to Turks and Caicos.

"If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI [Turks and Caicos Islands], even inadvertently, we will not be able to secure your release from custody," the advisory states. "You are subject to TCI laws and must follow local law enforcement procedures."

The advisory comes after several Americans were detained in Turks and Caicos for having stray ammunition in their luggage.

Grier is the fifth American to have been arrested and detained in Turks and Caicos after being caught with ammo in an airport since February. The other U.S. citizens are Ryan Watson of Oklahoma, Tyler Wenrich of Virginia, Bryan Hagerich of Pennsylvania, and Michael Lee Evans of Texas.

As Blaze News previously reported, Watson was arrested in April after authorities discovered four rounds of ammo in his luggage. Watson said the ammunition was "unknowingly left in a duffel bag from a deer hunting trip." He also contended that he had been subjected to "terrifying interrogation" and exorbitant living fees after his arrest.

The five Americans face up to 12 years in a Turks and Caicos prison because of the Caribbean country's strict firearm laws.

Last week, three U.S. governors this week sent a joint letter to the governor of Turks and Caicos to request mercy on the five Americans arrested after bringing ammo to the island.

The governors of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Oklahoma wrote: "Like thousands of Americans each year, these individuals traveled to your beautiful territory for leisure. We humbly ask that your government – in its wisdom – temper justice with mercy and recognize that these men made mistakes but had no apparent malicious intents."

Chanchy Willis, Grier's cousin, said Grier moved into a rental property on the island with the other detained Americans after posting bail.

"Watching the others and how they are close-knit, and reaching out to her, showing her that she's not alone, they are all in this together, that brings joy to my heart," Willis told WOFL.

Willis added, "Whew. Just for two bullets? It was just a horrible mistake for all five."

Willie Lucas, the mother of Grier, is asking others to pray for her daughter.

"Be safe when you go out of town. Just be safe. Be careful and keep us in your prayers, cause God knows we sure gonna need it," Lucas told the news outlet.

Grier is scheduled to appear in court on July 5.

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

American woman arrested in Turks and Caicos for ammunition www.youtube.com