FACT CHEK: Is This A Real Video Of A Macy’s Employee Getting Fired?
A statement from the company on their official X account denied the incident was real
'Migrant criminal activity is a real problem,' police chief says after 6 charged for 2 heists from same Macy's on same day
The police chief of Oak Brook, Illinois — a western suburb of Chicago — said that "migrant criminal activity is a real problem" after six people were charged with felony burglary and felony theft in connection with two separate incidents at a Macy's on Tuesday.
What are the details?
The DuPage County State's Attorney's Office on Wednesday said police responded around 1:45 p.m. to a call about retail theft at Macy’s in 1 Oakbrook Center.
Officials said it's alleged that Elvis Rodriguez-Rubio, 28, Gabriela Salzar-Vasquez, 30, Victor Sevilla-Arteaga, 33, and Danielis Vasquez-Arteaga, 27 — all of Venezuela and all staying in Countryside — entered the store and went to the Tommy Hilfiger section where Vasquez-Arteaga and Salazar-Vasquez grabbed merchandise and took the items to the second floor.
Officials said the two females grabbed shoes, entered a fitting room, and then exited the fitting room wearing the merchandise, after which the four individuals departed the Macy's without paying for the items that totaled almost $928. Officials said it's alleged that a loss prevention officer confronted them.
Police just before 6:30 p.m. responded to another call of a retail theft at the same Macy's, officials said.
Authorities said it's alleged that Nicolas Paillacan-Bravo, 20, and David Saez-Vega, 34 — both of Chile and staying in Chicago — entered the store, used a magnet to remove anti-theft devices from merchandise, and placed 54 items worth just over $10,000 into two suitcases they grabbed from the luggage department.
Police officers confronted the pair after they exited the store, allegedly without paying for the items, officials said.
Judge Joshua Dieden on Wednesday denied the state’s motion to detain all six defendants pre-trial, authorities said, adding that all six were charged with one count of felony burglary (Class 2) and one count of felony retail theft (Class 3).
'Migrant criminal activity is a real problem'
Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis said he believes "six felony arrests in one day illustrates that migrant criminal activity is a real problem" and that the number of such arrests "that we have had in the last couple of months is significant and would be taxing for any police department."
DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin added that "contrary to popular belief, retail theft is not a victimless crime" and that it causes "significant financial hardship to businesses and their employees, which results in higher prices for shoppers and loss of investment and tax revenue for entire communities."
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Thug allegedly stabs to death Macy's security guard — just minutes after guard caught him trying to steal hats and let him go
A suspect with a lengthy criminal history allegedly stabbed to death a Philadelphia Macy's security guard on Monday — just minutes after the guard caught him trying to steal hats and let him go.
What are the details?
Police sources told WPVI-TV store security stopped 30-year-old Tyrone Tunnell from trying to steal several hats.
The security guard who stopped Tunnell — 27-year-old Eric Harrison, according to family members — retrieved the hats and sent Tunnell on his way, the station said.
But WPVI said Tunnell came back about 15 minutes later and fatally stabbed Harrison.
Another guard whom police identified as a 23-year-old man intervened and suffered wounds to his face and arm, the station said.
Tunnell soon was arrested at the Somerset train station in the Kensington section of the city, WPVI said, adding that police said witnesses positively identified him.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office on Tuesday approved a murder charge against the suspect, along with other charges, the station said.
WPVI said authorities haven't officially named the charged individual.
Court documents indicate Tunnell has been arrested more than a dozen times for retail theft, robbery, and drug offenses across the region, including in Philadelphia as well as suburban Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties, the station said.
Victim's mother speaks out
Harrison's mother, Dawn Fobbs, told WPVI in a separate story that her son was her best friend.
"Just why? Why my baby?" Fobbs wondered in an interview with the station.
"It couldn't happen to a more innocent soul," she added to WPVI. "Just at work doing your job, you know, his second job at that."
The station said Harrison first worked overnight at the post office then went to Macy's where he'd worked as a security guard for two years.
Harrison's mother also works retail as a store manager, WPVI said, adding that she understands certain risks are involved — but that this crime was senseless.
"Over some merchandise, you came in and took my baby's life," Fobbs told the station. "He will never have children, he will never get married. All because of some hats."
WPVI added that she described her son as a Frankford High School graduate and a Philly kid through and through who leaves behind three younger sisters.
"Just pray for strength for my family because that's what we need," Fobbs noted the station, adding that she appreciates her son's fellow security guard who stepped in and tried to help him.
Security guard killed at Philadelphia Macy’s was an ‘innocent soul,’ mother says youtu.be
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Young girl tips drag queen at pride event sponsored by Nickelodeon: 'Nobody’s scaring anybody, and it’s a beautiful thing'
A drag queen in women's lingerie performed a dance at a recent so-called family pride event in California, and at some point during the suggestive dance, a young girl well below the age of majority handed the drag queen a tip.
Last Friday, Burbank Pride of Burbank, California, hosted its first-ever Family Pride in the Park night, an event which featured many high-profile guests and drag queen performers. During the evening, one such drag performer held a fan as he pranced about to Lady Gaga's "A-Yo" in a lacy red crop top, high-waisted underwear, and thigh-high red stiletto boots.
According to a video shared on Twitter, at some point during the performance, a young girl with a long braid who looks no older than 10 ran up and handed the performer money. The dancer accepted the money with a brief smile and then tossed the bill to the side as the girl scampered away.
\u201cNothing like children tipping a drag queen at an event sponsored by @Nickelodeon. #burbankpride\u201d— \ud83d\udc41 Inside The Classroom (@\ud83d\udc41 Inside The Classroom) 1664746113
It is unclear whether the dancer is one of the drag queens listed on many of the event advertisements: Ms. Knightley, Bohenne Arreaux, and Calla Faeria.
According to these same ads, the event also featured a "KIDS ZONE," though it is unclear what type of entertainment the "KIDS ZONE" offered.
Perhaps even more alarming is that the event, and indeed Burbank Pride in general, has been sponsored by Nickelodeon Animation Studios, a company ostensibly dedicated to telling "fun, playful, and sometimes quirky stories where kids can see themselves and laugh with [its] characters."
Nickelodeon did not respond to a request for comment.
Other sponsors and supporters of the event include the Trevor Project, Macy’s, Elevate Burbank and Linda Bessin, the Burbank Community YMCA, Warner Bros., Costco, Unique Vintage, Belmont Village Senior Living, the Colony Theatre, Senator Anthony Portantino, Isabel Omero, the Little White Chapel, Burbank Temple Emanu El, and Mocean.
Well-known "Big Bang Theory" actress and current "Jeopardy!" co-host Mayim Bialik, who claimed that she has been a member of the Burbank community for nearly her "entire life," also appeared at the event and addressed the audience.
"It’s a beautiful event, no matter how you identify or if you’re an ally," Bialik asserted. "I brought my kid, and we’re having a great time."
Omero, the chair of Burbank Pride Sponsorship, likewise argued that the event brought the Burbank community closer together.
"This was an opportunity to introduce the trans, LGBT community as a whole to Burbank as a whole," Omero said. “If you could get the two groups together – a lot of times people don’t know each other, they may not know their neighbor down the street – but now they can see who their neighbors are and that we can all be friends. Nobody’s scaring anybody, and it’s a beautiful thing."
To kick off the festivities, Isabella Meneses sang the national anthem. It is unknown whether anyone in attendance knelt during the performance.
A local high school drama club also made an appearance at the event, though how club members participated is unclear.
"Burbank is such a diverse community with a vibrant LGBTQIA+ population, and this is really the first time we are able to fully celebrate as a city," said Tracy Tabb, president of Burbank Pride.
"We hope this event will be the first of many more to come."
H/T: Not the Bee
Woman interferes with arrest of robbery suspect who escapes. Cops wrestle woman to ground, arrest her — and now she's looking to talk to a lawyer.
After a woman interfered in the arrest of a robbery suspect in San Jose, the suspect managed to escape from cops — and with that, police turned on the woman, wrestling her to the ground and arresting her.
And believe it or not, the woman says she's filing a complaint against police and will speak to an attorney.
What are the details?
Police said an organized retail crime mob had just robbed the Macy's at the Oakridge Mall on Saturday night, but two store security guards detained one of the suspects, KNTV-TV reported.
However, investigators told the station other suspects returned and "violently" beat up one of the guards, according to Sgt. Christian Camarillo of the San Jose Police Department, who said they "pulled her hair" and "punched her" and "kicked her in the head."
'Heartbroken' bystander helps crook
But after arriving officers handcuffed the robbery suspect, a "heartbroken" woman identified as Abeer Hamed decided to get involved, KNTV said.
“You just see two cops running toward him like crazy," Hamed recounted to the station, adding that police "just pushed him to the glass and throw him to the ground, like really slammed him hard. For me seeing this as a mother, I was like heartbroken.”
Cellphone video shows officers repeatedly telling Hamed to back off, KNTV said.
And while cops began dealing with Hamed, police said the robbery suspect got away.
One might say she paid for the decision.
“He slammed me really hard to the ground," Hamed told KNTV of the officer who went after her while she showed her bruised face to a video camera — along with her scraped elbow that she said "really hurts badly, too."
Police spokesman Camarillo didn't seem sympathetic, as he told the station "that female who inserted herself in that situation was subsequently arrested for aiding the escape of a person who was lawfully detained by a police officer, assault on an officer, and delaying an officer as well."
Hamed, 43, also allegedly resisted by swinging an arm at an officer, police told KPIX-TV, which added that Hamed was booked into Santa Clara County Jail.
Filing complaint? Talking to lawyer?
Despite what certainly appears to be an obvious error in judgment, Hamed told KNTV she's planning to file a complaint and talk to a lawyer.
Police told the station they welcome the scrutiny — and Camarillo emphasized how serious Hamed's actions were: “It took one person inserting themselves into this situation that allowed a suspect to escape."
He added to KGO-TV that "arresting this one suspect could've helped our investigation to identify the rest of these folks. That didn't happen, obviously, because this one person interfered with this arrest. We still don't understand what caused this person to go over there and interfere. If somebody sees something that they don't agree with or thinks is excessive, there's mechanisms for that, right? We have our internal affairs department, we have our internal police auditor. Please, please do not insert yourself into one of these arrest situations."
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