Inmate escapes into woods, manhunt commences; 3 days later, gun owner encounters fugitive outside his home



A Georgia homeowner on Thursday detained at gunpoint an inmate who had escaped into the woods and had been on the run for three days.

The Towns County Sheriff's Office said 39-year-old inmate Bruce Douglas Partin Jr. was on work detail Monday at the county dump when he escaped into the woods on Highway 288 around 2:30 p.m.

But Kirby had a gun on him, and authorities said he drew his weapon and ordered Partin to the ground. Partin complied.

The sheriff’s office deployed a drone and K-9 tracking dog with no success. Authorities said Partin was being housed in the Towns County Detention Center and was awaiting a court appearance on the following charges: purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution or sale of marijuana; theft by taking; probation violation; and burglary.

Authorities added that Partin was spotted on a trail camera at the end of Ivy Mountain Road in the Fodder Creek area Tuesday around 1:20 p.m. The sheriff's office Facebook post includes a pair of images showing Partin in the woods.

The sheriff's office added that Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Natural Resources all utilized every resource, including aerial patrol and K-9 units, to assist with the search for and capture of Partin. Authorities added that he was still at large as of 4:40 p.m. Tuesday.

Captured

The sheriff's office said a resident on Fodder Creek Road in the Gander Gap area spotted Partin in his orange jail uniform around 5:15 p.m. Thursday and called 911. With that, authorities said sheriff's deputies saturated the area in search of the suspect.

About two hours later, the sheriff's office said Steven Kirby — a resident who lives on Vester Road — was inside his home when Odie, his labradoodle, began aggressively alerting him to someone outside the residence.

The sheriff's office said Kirby went outside, and Partin — who's 6 feet, 4 inches tall — confronted him. But Kirby had a gun on him, and authorities said he drew his weapon and ordered Partin to the ground. Partin complied.

An image on the sheriff's Facebook page shows Kirby pointing a gun at Partin, who's facedown on the ground with his ankles crossed and his hands behind his back.

Authorities said Kirby’s wife, Amy, called 911, and sheriff’s deputies quickly arrived on the scene to take Partin into custody just after 7 p.m. Online maps indicate Partin was captured around six miles southwest of the area where he made his escape.

The sheriff's office said Kirby noted that he's committed to protecting his family and property from harm.

Authorities said Sheriff Ken Henderson expressed gratitude toward the Fodder Creek community for their vigilance and assistance, but most of all to Kirby for his courage and willingness to act: “It is truly a pleasure to work in a community where we can count on the ongoing support of citizens like Mr. Kirby to stand behind us and, in cases like this, even physically aid us when necessary."

What's more, the Kirby family on Friday received the $500 reward offered for information leading to Partin's arrest — and Steven Kirby and his dog Odie got a commendation.

Image source: Towns County (Ga.) Sheriff's Office

"Sheriff Henderson strongly supports the 2nd Amendment and the right to bear arms and was thankful that Mr. Kirby's instincts kicked in, and he went above and beyond to not only protect his family and property but his community as well," the sheriff's office Facebook entry said.

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Illegal alien wanted for murder abroad arrested in Texas: Report



A fugitive murder suspect believed to be living in the U.S. illegally was recently apprehended near Houston, Texas.

Leo Acosta Sanchez, a 21-year-old Mexican national, has apparently been on the radar of local and federal law enforcement for some time. A statement from ICE indicated that she entered the U.S. "as a nonimmigrant" last August and ever since has reportedly been shuttling back and forth between Splendora, Texas, and Terrenos, a controversial land development better known as Colony Ridge, which in recent years has attracted many illegal-immigrant buyers because of its lax lending policies.

'She remains in ICE custody pending disposition of her immigration proceedings.'

Sanchez is also wanted for murder by Interpol, an international law enforcement organization, though where and when the alleged murder took place have not been reported.

On Friday, officers with the City of Splendora Police Department spotted Sanchez "behind the wheel of a vehicle" during "routine traffic patrol," a police press release said. The officers immediately called for backup. Once that backup arrived, they then conducted a traffic stop on the suspect, who was subsequently arrested.

Sanchez was taken into custody "in a joint effort with the Department of Homeland Security" and now faces "charges related to the alleged crimes committed," said the police press release, which likewise described Sanchez as a "dangerous individual."

The statement from Splendora PD did not clarify whether Sanchez is wanted in connection with any crimes committed inside the U.S., but ICE indicated that she has "violated the terms of her admission" since entering the country last year.

"She remains in ICE custody pending disposition of her immigration proceedings," the ICE statement said.

The police press release implied that the suspect is married, referring to her as "Mrs. Sanchez" (emphasis added). Whether she is married and, if so, whether her spouse is an American citizen are both unclear.

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Texas yoga teacher who murdered love rival and fled country seeks retrial, pushing victimhood narrative



Kaitlin Armstrong, 36, killed pro cyclist Anna Moriah Wilson on May 11, 2022. The Austin woman tried to escape the consequences, fleeing to Costa Rica, where she got a new nose, changed her hair, and took up a short-lived career as a yoga instructor.

American authorities ultimately managed to track her down and drag her back to face justice. Following her failed attempt to flee, a Texas jury convicted Armstrong of first-degree murder, slapped her with a $10,000 fine, and awarded her a 90-year prison sentence.

Once again, the 36-year-old killer appears keen to avoid accountability for her callous crimes.

Armstrong is now seeking a retrial, hoping a new victim narrative and dubious claims about being pregnant after the slaying might prompt a more sympathetic response from a jury.

Green-eyed jealousy

Blaze News previously reported that Wilson, a 25-year-old Vermont native and world-class cyclist, was in Austin on May 11, 2022, to compete in a cycling race. Hours before her slaying, she went out for a bike ride and a meal with Colin Strickland, a fellow cyclist and former boyfriend.

Strickland also happened to be an on-again, off-again boyfriend of Armstrong's.

Strickland told the Austin-American Statesman that he and Wilson "had a brief romantic relationship from late October-early November 2021 that spanned a week or so while Wilson was visiting Austin. At the time, she and I had both recently ended relationships. She returned to her home in California and about a month later, Kaitlin Armstrong and I reconciled and resumed our relationship."

Strickland noted that his subsequent encounters with Wilson were "platonic and professional."

Prosecutors revealed during the trial that Armstrong had access to Strickland's texts and also used a geolocation app to track Wilson. In addition to obsessing over the victim's social media profile in the days leading up to her trigger pull, she also made note of Wilson's address.

Authorities later learned that ahead of the slaying, Armstrong acquired a firearm and expressed indignation upon learning Strickland had been romantically involved with Wilson.

A fleet-footed murderer

On the night of the murder, surveillance video caught Armstrong pulling up in her black Jeep Grand Cherokee to the residence where Wilson was staying — just moments after Strickland dropped the cyclist off following their platonic get-together.

Prosecutor Rickey Jones told the jury, "The last thing Mo did on this Earth was scream in terror."

Surveillance footage caught the sound of the victim's screams, "followed by pow! Pow! Two gunshots – one to the front of the head, one to the side of the head that hits the index finger as it passes. You won't hear any more screams after that," said Jones.

Caitlin Cash, Wilson's friend whose apartment Armstrong transformed into a crime scene, returned home to find Wilson unresponsive and bleeding on the bathroom floor. She reportedly performed CPR, but to no avail.

Police later pronounced Wilson dead at the scene, three days before she was scheduled to compete in the 157-mile Gravel Locos bike race.

After murdering Wilson, Armstrong solder her Jeep for $12,200, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. This appears to have provided her with sufficient cash for her exodus.

Armstrong went on the run for 43 days. During this time, she changed her appearance, searched news reports about the murder investigation, and researched how to burn off her fingerprints.

Finally, U.S. and Costa Rican authorities tracked her down to a hostel on Santa Teresa Beach in Provincia de Puntarenas and busted her on June 29, 2022.

The murderer attempted to dodge consequence again on Oct. 11, 2023, faking an injury to go to a doctor's appointment outside the prison, then running away from corrections officers. Deputies were able to catch up with her before she could flee to another Latin American destination.

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Armstrong was found guilty of murder on Nov. 16. She elected for the jury to determine her sentence, which turned out to be 90 years in the slammer.

Another attempt to avoid accountability

The murderer's attorney filed a motion for a new trial in the District Court of Travis County, Texas, on Dec. 15.

In the filing obtained by the Daily Mail, Armstrong's attorney argued a jury might otherwise have given her a lighter sentence had they known she was supposedly pregnant — a claim not once made during her trial, which some now find hard to believe.

Austin attorney Adam Loewy told the Daily Mail, "There's many problems with the theory."

For starters, while evading justice in Costa Rica, Armstrong got a nose job, a brow lift, and filler injections. Such surgeries require medical professionals to inquire about a woman's health status, including whether they are pregnant. According to testimonies heard in court, Armstrong was cleared for surgery after providing her surgeons with the requisite lab work, which apparently omitted any mention of her being with child.

"The fact is she's just trying, or her new lawyers are trying, any kind of desperate move to try to overturn the conviction," said Loewy. "You try everything in these situations and you hope that the appellate courts bites on something."

The filing also tries to paint the cold-blooded killer as a victim whose dad abandoned her and her alcoholic mother.

"As her family struggled during her childhood, her childhood friend also recalled Kaitlin was the victim of multiple instances of (actual or attempted) sexual violence," claimed Armstrong's lawyer.

On the basis of the pregnancy and victimhood allegations, the filing states, "Considering the sentence here was for 90 years and a maximum fine, there should be no question that this mitigating evidence would have resulted in a more lenient punishment."

It appears Armstrong's lengthy sentence is her own doing — and not just because she's guilty.

The George Soros-backed Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza who set a serial sex offender free reportedly offered Armstrong a plea deal ahead of her trial, which would have meant a prison sentence less than half of what she ultimately received.

A legal source told the Daily Mail, "Against the advice of her attorney, she rejected the plea deal."

Reaction after Kaitlin Armstrong found guilty of murdering Moriah Wilsonyoutu.be

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Video shows the fatal 100 mph crash that drove a Chinese national to flee the country



A Chinese national facing vehicular homicide charges in Bellevue, Washington, has fled the United States, leaving a body, a wrecked sports car, and an international scandal in her wake.

The Bellevue Police Department responded to a single-vehicle crash on 108th Avenue NE near the interchange with State Route 520 on Sept. 30. First responders found a dead male at the scene, 27-year-old Chinese national Yabao Liu.

Ting Ye, 26, identified as the driver, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to charging documents, both police and firefighters at the scene said Ye's breath reeked of booze, reported the Bellevue Reporter.

Ye appears to have been driving recklessly and speeding well over 90 mph in a 35 mph zone when she lost control of the 2020 Porsche 911 around 3:45 a.m., slammed into a concrete barrier, then went airborne.

BPD spokesman Seth Tyler suggested that the car was likely going in excess of 100 mph, reported the Daily Mail.

Footage of the incident captured by traffic cameras show the Porsche whip by at a breakneck speed, then begin to issue clouds of rubber dust while skidding perilously through an intersection. The Porsche slams sideways into a concrete barrier, then cartwheels through the air and into a ditch.

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After allegedly flouting the laws of the land and putting her passenger in the ground, Ye refused to cooperate with detectives. This refusal, coupled with the apparent inability of investigators to talk to the medics until a week after the incident, delayed efforts to establish probable cause for the Chinese national's arrest.

Although an investigator put in a request with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office on Oct. 6 for Ye's arrest, she apparently was already scheming to get out of the country. That same day, she got out of the hospital, although it remains unclear whether she had help in doing so.

On Oct. 9, Ye had an acquaintance get her out of state and into Vancouver, Canada.

Although prosecutors filed the case on Oct. 10, requesting a $2 million bail and demanding that Ye turn over her passport and stay in Washington, she had already caught a flight back to China, reported the Seattle Times.

"At that point, she was not free to leave, but she had already left," said BPD spokesman Seth Tyler.

A conviction for vehicular homicide could land Ye up to 8.5 years in jail should she ever be brought back to face justice.

There is presently a national warrant for Ye's arrest, meaning that if she returns to the U.S., she will be flagged. However, unless she attempts to do so, she'll likely get off scot-free, as China and the U.S. do not have an extradition treaty.

Tyler indicated police are applying for an Interpol Red Notice so that countries that do have extradition treaties with the U.S. would flag her if she passes through.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke said, "The story is not over," reported the Daily Mail.

"Yes, she was able to elude the arrest warrant, but if she were to ever travel to another country, let's say to Europe on business or pleasure to an area, to a country that does have an extradition treaty with the United States she'll be flagged when she enters that country by Interpol and subject to extradition back to the United States if the United States government so desires," said Locke.

Tyler suggested that "this case has gained an intense interest in China," adding he expects "we'll hear more on that."

"Our plea to [Ye] is that she return and realize that there’s a grieving family involved here," said Tyler. "They really need closure on this. ... She can bring this matter to a close by returning to the United States."

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Chainsaw-wielding fugitive walks toward deputy, who orders him to put it down. Instead, fugitive grabs shotgun, points it at deputy — who then opens fire on suspect.



An Indiana sheriff's deputy shot a fugitive last week who authorities said raised a shotgun at the deputy who was attempting to serve warrants to him.

What are the details?

Three fully uniformed Harrison County sheriff's deputies in marked patrol vehicles traveled Friday to a residence on North Tobacco Landing Road in Laconia to serve active felony warrants out of Kentucky and Indiana to 28-year-old Michael W. Kerns, authorities said.

The deputies arrived at the location around 11:40 a.m. and went to a detached garage in the rear of the residence — and that's where Kerns' white pickup truck was seen in front of the garage.

Deputy Sean O’Sullivan saw Kerns inside the garage — and after the deputy made contact with the fugitive, Kerns began approaching O'Sullivan while holding a chainsaw.

O'Sullivan ordered Kerns to put the chainsaw down and come outside, but Kerns wouldn't comply and instead walked toward a room in the garage.

With that, the deputy entered the garage and continued to order Kerns to come outside, but Kerns walked into the room in question and grabbed a shotgun.

O'Sullivan ordered Kerns to put the shotgun down, retreated out of the garage, told his fellow deputies that Kerns was armed, and took cover behind Kerns' pickup truck.

Kerns then ran out of the garage and raised the shotgun toward the deputy, who responded by firing three 9mm rounds at Kerns, striking him once in the right shoulder, authorities said.

Kerns was immediately taken into custody, and the shotgun was secured. No deputies were hurt, WAVE-TV reported.

What happened next?

Kerns was taken to a hospital, after which the sheriff's department asked detectives and crime scene investigators from the Indiana State Police to process the scene and investigate the shooting. All body camera and in-car videos were given to the state police, and O'Sullivan was placed on paid administrated leave amid the investigation.

Kerns was charged with possession of over 10 grams of methamphetamine with a firearm, intimidation, criminal recklessness, resisting law enforcement, and pointing a firearm — all felonies, Harrison County Sheriff Nick Smith told TheBlaze on Wednesday. Smith added to TheBlaze that Kerns is behind bars.

(H/T: The Police Tribune)