DA rips Gavin Newsom for 'soft-on-crime policies' after thugs charged with murdering 68-year-old woman at posh shopping mall



The district attorney of Orange County, California, blasted far-left Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers for their "soft-on-crime policies" after a trio of thugs were charged murdering a 68-year-old woman at a posh mall in Newport Beach last week.

The DA's office said New Zealand tourist Patricia McKay and her husband were waiting for a ride after finishing shopping at the Fashion Island mall Tuesday when a white Toyota Camry pulled up next to the couple and two masked males jumped out and attacked McKay’s 69-year-old husband, putting a gun to his head and demanding his watch as they forced him to the ground as bystanders ran away.

'Our shopping centers and malls have become hunting grounds for criminals who are stalking innocent shoppers to rob them blind because our Governor and our Legislature refuse to hold anyone accountable for their actions.'

When the suspects — later identified as Malachi Darnell and Jaden Cunningham, both 18 — couldn't get his property, Cunningham is accused of throwing McKay to the ground, stealing her shopping bags, and dragging her into the street in front of the getaway car, which 26-year-old Leroy Ernest Joseph McCrary was driving, the DA's office said.

With McKay lying in front of the Camry, McKay’s husband jumped in front of the vehicle in an effort to stop his wife from being run over, but McCrary is accused of accelerating forward with Darnell in the vehicle, pushing McKay’s husband out of the way, and running over McKay and dragging her body 65 feet, the DA's office said.

While McCrary was dragging McKay under the car, Cunningham was running to try to catch up to the getaway car, the DA's office said, adding that a good Samaritan tried to stop Cunningham from getting back into the vehicle. Darnell is accused of shooting from the getaway car at the good Samaritan, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary is accused of slowing down to allow Cunningham to jump back into the getaway vehicle, after which McCrary drove away.

Cunningham was arrested after bailing out of the vehicle in Cypress, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary and Darnell were arrested in South Gate after a police pursuit; all three defendants were being held without bail.

Orange County DA Todd Spitzer did not hold back in his comments against Newsom and state lawmakers.

“Our shopping centers and malls have become hunting grounds for criminals who are stalking innocent shoppers to rob them blind because our Governor and our Legislature refuse to hold anyone accountable for their actions," he said in a Friday statement. "Actions have consequences, and it shouldn’t have to result in the death of an elderly woman just enjoying a day of shopping with her husband for our elected leaders in Sacramento to realize that this is the product of their soft-on-crime policies which encourage criminality while sacrificing public safety. This is Orange County, and we refuse to accept this is the new normal. Criminals will be held accountable and violence will never be acceptable.”

The DA's office said the three suspects are eligible for the death penalty if they are convicted of the special circumstances murder charges in the commission of a robbery with a felony enhancement for causing the death of an elder over the age of 65.

McCrary faces additional felony charges of attempted second-degree robbery and evading while driving recklessly, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary has prior felony convictions for residential burglary in 2018, criminal threats in 2020, and robbery in 2023, all in Los Angeles County.

Darnell has also been charged with second-degree attempted robbery, attempted murder, and felony enhancements of personal use of a firearm and personal discharge of a firearm, the DA's office said, adding that Cunningham also been charged with one felony count of attempted second-degree robbery.

You can view a video report about the incident here.

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Girl, 13, who  witnessed deadly traffic cone beating of 73-year-old man is shot in the face



A 13-year-old girl who witnessed last month's deadly traffic cone beating of a 73-year-old man in Philadelphia was shot in the face Friday, WTXF-TV reported.

What are the details?

The girl was shot in the back of her right ear around 6:45 p.m. in the 5800 block of Osceola Street in Philadelphia, the station said. The bullet traveled through her jaw, and she was said to be in stable condition, police added to WTXF.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a Monday press conference that the girl was present when a group of juveniles attacked James "Simmie" Lambert Jr. in the 2100 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue on June 24, the station reported. Lambert died the next day.

Sources told WTXF the girl wasn't charged in the attack, and they don't believe her shooting is related to or connected to the attack.

"If the evidence indicates that there's some sort of retaliation here or some kind of witness intimidation, something of that sort, we will act on it swiftly," Krasner said.

Image source: WTXF-TV video screenshot

The station said sources indicated the girl was supposed to talk to the homicide department Friday morning about Lambert's traffic cone beating, but she never showed up. The girl was shot later that evening.

WXTF, citing sources, said the shooting happened when the girl was with two juvenile boys and another girl who was visiting the area — and both of the boys had guns. The station added that investigators are looking into the possibility that the boys were showing off their guns at the time of the shooting.

Anything else?

A 14-year-old girl, Gamara Mosley, and a 14-year-old boy, Richard Jones, are being charged with murder in connection with Lambert’s death, WTXF reported.

The following are images police provided in order to identify suspects:

Image source: Philadelphia police

Image source: Philadelphia police

Police said if you spot teens from the video of the attack on Lambert or from the above images, call 911 immediately, WCAU-TV reported. Those with information about the attack can submit anonymous tips by phone or text to 215-686-8477 or online, the station added.

4 teens charged as adults for dragging elderly woman to death in gruesome carjacking plead not guilty



The four teens in Louisiana accused of dragging a 73-year-old woman to her death in a grisly carjacking have pleaded not guilty.

The teens, who are being charged as adults in the heinous crime, are each being held on a $1 million bond.

What are the details?

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said that the suspects — identified as 17-year-old John Honore, 15-year-old Lenyra Theophile, 15-year-old Marquel Curtis, and 15-year-old Briniyah Baker — all face charges of second-degree murder in the dragging death of 73-year-old Linda Frickey, who died during a carjacking in New Orleans.

Second-degree murder charges in Louisiana carry a penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

"Four or five years is just not enough," Williams said in a late April statement on the charges. “The juvenile sentencing limits would be inadequate to ensure that these young people are appropriately held accountable for taking a life.”

He continued, “This was one of the most violent carjackings we’ve ever seen; these young people dragged Mrs. Frickey, severing her arm as they all fled the scene in her car. Today’s grand jury decision to indict these young people for second-degree murder is fair and ensures they are appropriately held accountable.”

Frickey was leaving her job at an insurance agency when the teens stormed her vehicle as she was putting an item inside it. The teens then reportedly sped off with Frickey still tangled in the seatbelt and dragged her for more than a block. She was only freed from the vehicle when her arm detached from her body. The teens reportedly took off, leaving Frickey's body lying in the road. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to a report from the Titusville Herald, all four teens have pleaded not guilty in connection with Frickey's death.

Ex-Philadelphia cop charged with first-degree murder after shooting 12-year-old boy who was 'essentially facedown on the sidewalk'



A former Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, police officer has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy, CNN has reported.

What are the details?

Authorities say 26-year-old Edsaul Mendoza — one of four plainclothes officers in an unmarked police car on March 1 — fatally shot 12-year-old Thomas Siderio, who was reportedly riding his bicycle the wrong way down a street while accompanied by a 17-year-old only identified by initials "N.K."

According to CNN, the officers pulled up to speak with Thomas and the 17-year-old, at which point Siderio was said to have "likely" fired at the officers' vehicle. A bullet, according to the report, entered the car's rear window.

"Three of the officers took cover, but Mendoza engaged in an 'tactically unsound' foot chase of the boy and shot at him three times," the report added. Two of the shots, according to authorities, were fired after Mendoza dropped his weapon. Mendoza, authorities stated, fired the third — and fatal — shot from a "half-car length away" while the 12-year-old was lying facedown on the ground.

On Monday, District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that Mendoza was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the boy's death, and said that the boy was both unarmed and on the ground when the Mendoza fired on him.

Krasner added Mendoza shot the teen in the back despite knowing that he was no longer in any danger.

“The gun was sitting on the street below the curb line nearly 40 feet away,” Krasner said. “That’s when Officer Mendoza fired the third and fatal shot. He knew the 12-year-old, 5-foot tall, 111-pound Thomas Siderio no longer had a gun and no ability to harm him, but he fired a shot through his back nonetheless that killed him.”

According to a report from the Washington Post, Krasner said that audio and video also indicates that Mendoza knew the teen was unarmed when he fired the third and fatal shot.

“It is certain that Thomas Siderio, when he was shot, was essentially facedown on the sidewalk in a position that approximates a push-up, turning back toward where the officer was pursuing him,” Krasner added.

Mendoza was charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and possession of an instrument of crime with intent to use it criminally, Krasner added.

The ex-cop was remanded to jail on Monday and is being held without bail. He is due in court on May 16.

Fired Philadelphia officer charged with murder in shooting of 12-year-old boywww.youtube.com

California AG tells state prosecutors not to charge drug-abusing mothers with murder in stillbirths, even if drugs directly contributed to the baby's death



With the backing of abortion advocates in his state, Democratic California Attorney General Rob Bonta has instructed law enforcement not to charge women with murder or manslaughter after their babies die during pregnancy or birth, even in cases where the mother's actions contributed to the baby's death.

What are the details?

In a statewide alert issued Thursday, Bonta offered guidance on how state law enforcement officials — including district attorneys, police chiefs, and sheriffs — should interpret state law regarding fetal death.

The alert came after two women in Kings County were charged with "fetal murder" after using drugs like methamphetamine during pregnancy, resulting in their babies' stillbirths. A stillbirth is generally defined as the death of a baby after roughly 20 weeks of pregnancy through delivery.

In the alert, Bonta argued that under his interpretation of California law, a pregnant woman should not be charged with murder or manslaughter, though he made no comment about lesser charges such as child endangerment.

According to the Associated Press, Bonta said he issued the alert at the request of the California Future of Abortion Council, a contingent of more than 40 abortion providers and advocacy groups in the state. Some of the abortion advocates were present alongside Bonta as he announced the news during a Thursday press conference.

At the press conference, the attorney general further argued that fetal death is "an experience that should be met with an outreached hand, not handcuffs and murder charges." He also suggested that harsh prosecution could cause women suffering from addiction not to seek help when they get pregnant for fear of legal consequences.

Under California law, murder is defined as "the unlawful killing of a human being, or a fetus, with malice aforethought." In 1970, state lawmakers broadened the definition to include fetuses, though Bonta argued Thursday that it was in the context of "criminalize[ing] only third-party violence against pregnant persons resulting in fetal death," not "to extend criminal liability to pregnant persons."

What else?

In response to Bonta's announcement, Philip Esbenshade, Kings County's executive assistant district attorney, argued that the two cases in question "are not about abortion nor women’s reproductive rights in any way."

He added that the attorney general's alert “fail[ed] to include important and relevant specific facts” about a 2017 case that showed the mother's repeated methamphetamine use “directly resulted in the death of a viable fetus."

In that case, the mother reportedly pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Esbenshade noted that her conviction was upheld on appeal.

In the other case, a woman was charged with murder after prosecutors similarly argued that her methamphetamine use directly resulted in her child's death. A judge reportedly dismissed those charges in May, however.

Mother reportedly made 13-year-old daughter help bury 4-year-old sister in backyard after horrific torture



A North Carolina woman reportedly forced her 13-year-old daughter to help bury her other daughter, a 4-year-old child who died after purportedly enduring horrific abuse and torture at the hands of her own mother.

What's the history here?

In May, authorities arrested 31-year-old Malikah Bennett of Charlotte, North Carolina, and charged her with first-degree murder, felony child abuse, inflicting physical injury, and felony concealing a death in connection to the disappearance and murder of her daughter, 4-year-old Majelic Young.

The Associated Press reported that Bennett also has three pending misdemeanor child abuse charges stemming from an undisclosed February 2020 incident.

The 4-year-old's body was discovered in May, buried in the family's backyard after having been missing for nearly a year.

The child was last seen alive in August or September of 2020, according to recently released court documents, and was previously considered a missing person.

Mom charged after remains of 4-year-old found behind N CLT homewww.youtube.com

What's happening now?

Recently released documents state that Bennett reportedly forced the child to stand for three straight days in the family's laundry room as punishment after the child soiled herself. The girl reportedly became so weak at day three that she fell over backward out a door, suffering fatal injuries in the fall.

When she discovered Majelic unconscious, Bennett reportedly attempted to administer CPR, but was unsuccessful in reviving the child.

After determining she was dead, Bennett then reportedly wrapped the 4-year-old's body in two plastic bags and placed the child's lifeless body in the trunk of her SUV.

Majelic's body rested there in the SUV for five days before allegedly Bennett decided to bury the child's body in the family's backyard. According to court documents, she forced her unnamed 13-year-old daughter to help bury the child.

Authorities said the 13-year-old girl confirmed that Bennett did direct her to help bury the child's body, corroborating information provided to authorities from a social worker.

Authorities also arrested Bennett's mother, Tammy Moffett, in connection to the child's death and charged her with concealing human remains and accessory to murder after the fact.

Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department Lt. Bryan Crum said of the death, "I've worked homicide most of the last 10 years and I can tell you this case is deeply disturbing. It's disturbing to everyone who's worked it. Crime scene investigators, detectives, everyone involved in this case — many of us are parents, and it's very difficult to understand how someone could do this to their child, kill their child and bury them and move on with their life as if nothing happened."

He added that the child's death was a direct result of living in an "abusive environment."

Prosecutors want to change Kyle Rittenhouse's bail conditions after he was reportedly seen legally drinking with 'Proud Boys,' flashing 'white power' sign



Kenosha County prosecutors are seeking a modification to Kyle Rittenhouse's bail conditions after he was reportedly spotted out and about with members of the Proud Boys.

During the outing, the 18-year-old also reportedly flashed the "OK" hand sign, known as the "white power" gesture in certain circles.

Though prosecutors have admitted that none of these things are bail violations, they are moving to modify the bail to ensure he's not able to engage in such behaviors or fraternize with certain people again.

Rittenhouse posted a $2 million bail in November after facing charges of killing two people during an August riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

What are the details?

Kenosha County prosecutors filed a Wednesday motion seeking to modify the 18-year-old's bail conditions.

The move comes on the heels of witnesses reportedly seeing Rittenhouse drinking at a bar with his mother. It is legal to drink in the company of one's parents in Wisconsin.

Witnesses, however, are now saying that Rittenhouse wasn't just in the company of his mother — but with members of the Proud Boys, according to WTMJ-TV.

Business Insider reported, "Footage taken from security cameras at Pudgy's Bar also appears to show Rittenhouse flashing the 'OK' hand sign favored by white supremacists."

Rittenhouse — who was sporting a T-shirt that read "Free as f***" — reportedly flashed the sign while posing for pictures with other patrons at the bar. You can view one of the photos in question here.

WTMJ reported that he "drank several beers and was 'loudly serenaded' with the Proud Boys' official song at a Mount Pleasant bar."

Prosecutors are now arguing that while these things are not violations of Rittenhouse's bail conditions, they should be.

"In a motion to modify Rittenhouse's bond Wednesday, the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office details Rittenhouse's Jan. 5 visit to Pudgy's Pub with his mother," the station reported. "Rittenhouse stopped at the Mount Pleasant tavern shortly after pleading not guilty to homicide charges in connection to the Kenosha shooting. Rittenhouse's attorneys argue he fired his rifle in self-defense."

WTMJ obtained a copy of the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office, which requested the Rittenhouse be prohibited from consuming alcohol or being present in any establishment where alcohol is served, prohibited from displaying "white power" signs, and prohibited from having any contact whatsoever with members of violent or extremist groups.

You can read more on the filing here.

Rittenhouse is due back in court on March 10.

14 Fort Hood soldiers and officers fired, suspended after lurid allegations of murder, sexual assault, harassment



The Army has announced that it fired or suspended 14 officers and soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, after allegations of murder, sexual assault, and harassment.

According to a Tuesday report from the Associated Press, the firings and disciplinary actions come after an investigation into the bludgeoning death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen as well other disturbing reports.

Guillen was missing for approximately two months before her remains were discovered. The AP reported that the news comes in the "aftermath of a year that saw 25 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood die due to suicide, homicide, or accidents."

What are the details?

In remarks from the Pentagon, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that an independent investigation concluded that the violence at Fort Hood is "directly related to leadership failures."

Those fired or suspended include Army Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt and Maj. Gen. Jeffery Broadwater.

Officials say the independent investigation found a "deficient climate at Fort Hood, including ineffective implementation of the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program that resulted in a pervasive lack of confidence, fear of retaliation, and significant underreporting of cases, particularly within the enlisted ranks."

Fox News reported, "Of 93 credible accounts of sexual assault at the base, only 59 were reported. In total, there were 217 unreported accounts of sexual harassment discovered, and many women said they feared retaliation or ostracism and felt that reporting the instances would derail their careers."

A portion of the report added, "Fort Hood leadership knew or should have known of the high risk of harm to female soldiers."

The AP also reported that McCarthy handed down a new directive that would change how commanding officers deal with reports of missing soldiers, including "requiring them to list servicemembers as absent-unknown for up to 48 hours and do everything they can to locate the servicemembers to determine if their absence is voluntary or not before declaring anyone AWOL."

"When one of our teammates does not report for duty, we will change their duty status to 'absent-unknown' and take immediate action to find them," McCarthy added.

Investigators say that Spc. Aaron Robinson — who allegedly confessed to the murder — bludgeoned Guillen to death. Robinson killed himself in July as police attempted to take him into custody in connection with the 20-year-old female soldier's murder. Guillen's family has said that Robinson sexually harassed her before killing her.

In Tuesday remarks, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville added, "Prior to coming here, we spoke with Vanessa Guillen's mother and told her we would change the culture. ... It is our sacred duty to protect our soldiers so we can protect our nation."