Here's what makes 16-year-old Florida convicted felon feel 'like Superman': Sheriff



Jonathan Granados — a 16-year-old from Lakeland, Florida — is not an unfamiliar face to law enforcement in the area.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said the youngster has a carjacking conviction under his belt and was on a conditional release when he recently perpetrated a number of new felonies.

'If he’s Superman, then my detectives are his kryptonite.'

The sheriff's office said it got a call on April 2 from a roofing business indicating that employees found spent shell casings on the ground.

Officials said a review of the company's security video showed a silver Chevrolet Malibu arriving and parking, after which an unidentified male approached the car on foot and shot at it multiple times until the driver fled in the vehicle. The suspect then ran away, officials said.

Detectives were able to identify the driver of the Malibu as a 19-year-old from Lakeland, officials said.

On April 9, deputies stopped the Malibu, and detectives responded to the traffic stop to interview the 19-year-old, who lied and said his car was shot when it was parked at his home while he was sleeping, authorities said.

The 19-year-old made several inconsistent statements regarding why his car was hit with so many gunshots, until he was told about the roofing business' security video, officials said, adding that he admitted to being at the roofing business when the shooting occurred.

He told detectives that he arrived in the area to fight with someone but wouldn't divulge the name of the individual, officials said.

RELATED: Thug with long rap sheet attacks 64-year-old ex-girlfriend in convenience store; when good Samaritan tries to intervene, attacker beats him unconscious: Authorities

Image source: Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office

Investigating detectives obtained search warrants for the Malibu and the 19-year-old’s cell phone and social media accounts, officials said, adding that authorities determined that on the date of the shooting, the victim was headed to Granados' house before diverting due to a law enforcement presence. Instead, the victim went to the roofing company and told Granados to meet him there, officials said.

Granados also was identified as being part of an Instagram chat that law enforcement said was related to meeting up for the fight.

The sheriff's office said an affidavit indicates Granados used "ambush tactics" while approaching the victim's car and firing a gun "in an attempt to kill" the victim; in addition, the affidavit adds that Granados' shots hit the silver Chevrolet Malibu which the victim "occupied," according to authorities.

With that, detectives went to Granados' home to take him into custody on a warrant and during a search found a loaded Glock model 19 9mm handgun with an extended magazine containing 28 rounds — and modified with a "switch" that illegally gives it a fully automatic firing capability, officials said.

Granados admitted to owning the gun, ordering the switch online, and installing it himself, authorities noted, adding that the affidavit also says Granados told detectives he "felt like Superman" when he fired the gun.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd had the following to say about the teen's "Superman" reference: "If he’s Superman, then my detectives are his kryptonite."

RELATED: Florida Sheriff Grady Judd blasts squatters as 'dopers and freeloaders,' warns they're in for a 'one-way ride to the county jail'

Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff Grady JuddImage source: Polk County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office

Officials said Granados was charged with the following felonies:

  • Attempted first-degree murder
  • Shooting into an occupied vehicle
  • Shooting into a building
  • Possession of a machine gun
  • Possession of a firearm/ammunition by an adjudicated juvenile
  • Giving false information to law enforcement

Authorities added that Granados also was charged with two misdemeanors: discharging a firearm in public and violation of probation.

The sheriff's office on Friday told Blaze News that Granados is being housed in a section of Polk County Jail reserved for juveniles — or "pre-adjudicated youth."

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'Drop the gun! I will f**king kill you!' Bodycam video shows cop shooting fleeing teen suspected of attempted murder



Denver Police bodycam video shows an officer shooting a fleeing teen suspected of attempted murder, the Denver Post reported.

Police on Monday released the bodycam video from last week's encounter in Paco Sánchez Park, the Post said, adding that the teen was shot at least once in the leg.

A second teen seen running in the video was arrested on suspicion of weapons charges. The paper, citing police, said the second teen 'was carrying a Glock with an extended magazine and auto sear, which modifies it into an automatic weapon.'

Officers responded to a pair of ShotSpotter reports from the 1300 block of Lowell Boulevard around 10:40 p.m. Feb. 24 and located three shell casings in the area, the paper said, citing Denver Police Department Cmdr. Matt Clark.

More from the Post:

A resident who called 911 about the gunshots reported seeing a group of people on scooters and bikes fleeing on Lowell, and officers later found a group of four juvenile males on scooters near West 13th Avenue and Knox Court and followed them into the park, Clark said.

One officer recognized one of the teens as a suspect in a shooting in southwest Denver in early February where someone shot into a home while people were inside.

The officer saw the 17-year-old holding a gun in his right hand and ordered him to drop it. The officer then saw him “turn his shoulder toward him” and began shooting at the teen, Clark said.

The bodycam video in question shows the teen running away and the officer yelling at him to “drop the f**king gun, I will shoot you!” before the officer opens fire a total of 10 times.

Image source: Denver Police bodycam video screenshot

Video shows police soon catching up to the teen — whose face is redacted in the video — lying on the ground with a pool of blood visible on a walkway.

“Drop the gun! Drop the gun! I will f**king kill you! I will f**king kill you!" the officer hollers as he approaches the suspect.

“I don’t have a gun, sir!” the teen replies in an agitated tone. “You guys shot me for nothing!"

Image source: Denver Police bodycam video screenshot

Officers applied a tourniquet to the teen’s leg, and he was taken to a hospital where he was still being treated Monday; he's expected to recover, the Post reported, citing Clark.

Investigators found a Glock along the park path with one round in the chamber as well as a magazine elsewhere in the park, the paper said.

The wounded teen is in custody on suspicion of attempted murder in the early February shooting, the Post reported, adding that a second teen seen running in the video was arrested on suspicion of weapons charges. The paper, citing police, said the second teen "was carrying a Glock with an extended magazine and auto sear, which modifies it into an automatic weapon."

Police Chief Ron Thomas said during the news briefing that he was comfortable with the officer’s actions because “he perceived a significant threat to our community” and responded appropriately, the Post added.

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15-year-old student allegedly bashes HS staffer in head with laptop; victim, 54, hospitalized, has trouble breathing



A 15-year-old student allegedly hit a high school staff member in the head with a laptop — and the victim, 54, was hospitalized and reportedly had trouble breathing.

The incident took place last Monday at Northwest High School in Germantown, Maryland, which is part of Montgomery County Schools, WTTG-TV reported.

'He'll probably get in-school detention followed by a transfer to another school.'

Principal Scott E. Smith confirmed the incident in a letter to families and staff, the station said, adding that emergency services were called to the scene, and the Montgomery County Police Department was investigating.

The staff member was taken to a hospital for treatment, district's spokesperson Liliana López told WTTG.

"We can confirm that a student struck and injured a staff member," López said in a statement, according to the station. "The staff member was transported to the hospital by emergency services."

Citing police radio transmissions, MoCo360 reported that the student allegedly hit the staff member in the head with a laptop.

The dispatcher said the staff member — a 54-year-old man — was conscious but having trouble breathing after the alleged assault, the outlet added.

MoCo360, citing radio transmissions, said the 15-year-old student in question was taken to the school’s office and was with the school’s security staff following the alleged incident.

“It is important to note that any student who chooses to commit an act of violence will be subject to progressive discipline in alignment with the MCPS Code of Conduct up to possible expulsion," Smith wrote in his letter, according to the outlet. "Police will determine whether criminal charges may apply."

How are observers reacting?

As you might expect, some observers on various Facebook posts from news sites weren't thrilled with the incident:

  • "He'll probably get in-school detention followed by a transfer to another school," one commenter wrote.
  • "Sue the parents," another commenter said.
  • "Oh, how awful," another commenter reacted. "I hope the teacher/staff member is okay, and that the student is removed from the school."

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Teen uses fake gun while trying to rob man. The painful problem for kid? His victim has a real gun — and uses it.



A 16-year-old male used a fake gun while trying to rob a man on a Philadelphia street late Sunday night.

However, the victim had a real gun and fired it at the teen boy, wounding him and sending him to a hospital, WPVI-TV reported.

The victim remained on the scene and was cooperating with police.

The incident occurred just after 11 p.m. in the 2200 block of Emerald Street in the city's West Kensington neighborhood, the station said.

The teen pressed what he told the 21-year-old victim was a gun to his back and added that he was robbing him, police inspector D.F. Pace told WCAU-TV. The teen was with another would-be robber, the station said.

The 16-year-old told the victim to turn over his keys, his wallet, and any other valuables that he had on him, Pace added to WCAU.

"At that point, the victim began to produce the items that were demanded by the robber, but he was also in possession of a legal firearm," Pace explained to the station.

With that, the man turned and shot the boy once in the leg, Pace added to WCAU, adding that the other would-be thief escaped on foot.

The wounded teen was taken to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children where he was in stable condition, WPVI said.

The victim remained on the scene and was cooperating with police, WPVI added, while also noting that officers said a nearby Ring camera recorded video of the incident.

Pace also told WCAU that the victim — who was uninjured — took back his belongings he had handed over after the teen dropped them.

Responding officers also recovered a toy handgun that Pace said was used in the attempted robbery, WCAU reported.

"After the victim opened fire on the robbers, that gun was dropped, and it was recovered by police, and it is now in police custody, and we now know it to be a fake gun," Pace also told WCAU. "But again, having been pressed into the victim's back, there would have been no way for the victim to have known that."

Police also said they took the teen into custody, WCAU reported.

According to WTXF-TV, the victim was with his girlfriend at the time of the incident.

- YouTube youtu.be

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Male, 15, tries to carjack sheriff's deputy as swarming crowd kicks, punches patrol vehicle amid street takeover, police say



A 15-year-old male tried to carjack a sheriff's deputy as a swarming crowd kicked and punched the deputy's patrol vehicle amid a street takeover earlier this month, police said.

The teen allegedly opened the driver’s door of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department vehicle and attempted “to overtake the deputy and his patrol unit” at a Highland intersection, the Associated Press reported, citing a Thursday sheriff's department statement.

'These individuals are not afraid of law enforcement, and their behavior is very disturbing.'

The deputy was able to close the door and drive away from the melee shortly after midnight May 11, the AP reported, adding that video detectives obtained shows an "unruly" crowd pounding on the deputy’s window and kicking the vehicle, leaving a cracked front windshield.

The outlet, citing the sheriff's department statement, said about 100 gathered at the intersection for an illegal street takeover, and a fire hydrant was opened in order to give easier skids to participating vehicles.

The 15-year-old male was arrested at his home in Menifee on suspicion of attempted carjacking and felony vandalism, the AP reported.

Gloria Huerta, a department spokesperson, told the outlet the deputy’s decision to drive away likely was the safest choice: “These individuals are not afraid of law enforcement, and their behavior is very disturbing."

How are observers reacting?

Over 1,000 comments and counting are underneath the AP story in Yahoo News, and as you might expect, the comment authors are none too pleased with the teen in question — nor with the direction American society is heading:

  • "Charge him as an adult, don't release him without a high bail, don't go easy on him by taking him by the hand and walking him out of jail," one commenter wrote. "Teens nowadays don't worry about any consequences because the DAs pamper them. If they're willing to do the crime, then they should be willing to do the time with harden[ed] felons."
  • "It's California," another commenter stated, adding that "charges will be dropped, and this behavior will continue until laws are changed where people will face consequences for breaking the law. Wouldn't be surprised if [the] officer in [the] car wasn't used as a scapegoat and accused of starting all the trouble. Sad at how our laws have changed to where criminals have more rights than people who obey the law."
  • "Has anyone noticed that the kids went [off] the deep end once our government said they couldn't be hit/spanked anymore?" another commenter asked. "Same time school shootings started to happen? I was punished with the belt numerous times, we had guns in the truck when we went to school, we all had pocket knives, nobody was ever stabbed. I really don't believe any of this is a coincidence."

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Teenage anti-Israel protester learns actions have consequences after arrest for allegedly defacing WWI memorial



New York City police have arrested a teenager for allegedly vandalizing a World War I memorial in Central Park.

On Monday, a group of anti-Israel protesters desecrated the 107th Infantry Memorial that sits on the edge of Central Park on the Upper East Side. Protesters defaced the memorial by spraying "Gaza" and "Free Palestine" on it, while another protester burned an American flag near the memorial.

"These people are just nuts and violent."

The group of anti-Israel protesters reportedly tried to disrupt the Met Gala, but police blocked them from doing so. They apparently settled for vandalizing the war memorial instead.

On Thursday, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry announced the arrest of the one of the alleged vandals, a 16-year-old boy, according to the New York Post.

"The despicable vandalism we saw earlier this week on the WWI Memorial will not be ignored, and will not go unpunished. One of the culprits was placed in handcuffs today thanks to the World’s Greatest Detectives. This isn’t simply juvenile hijinks — it’s an act of desecration that undermines the freedoms our heroes fought and died for," Daughtry said on social media.

— (@)

Investigators were able to identify the teenager with the help of a "school safety agent," Fox News reported.

The teenager is charged with four crimes: two counts of criminal mischief in the third degree, a felony, and two counts of making graffiti, a misdemeanor.

Fortunately, a cleanup crew was able to wash the graffiti from the war memorial the day after the incident.

Meanwhile, Upper East Side residents who live near the memorial did not hide their feelings about the anti-Israel protesters.

"These people are just nuts and violent," Michael Skol told the New York Post. "There’s not much thinking going on on the part of these Palestinian supporters. It's pure violence; it's pure stupidity."

"In this country, you have a right to voice your opinion, but not destroy memorials that pay tribute to heroes who died for our country," added Ron Zucher. "The protesters don't know our history and are ignorant of the sacrifices people made before them."

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Cops charge 16-year-old for allegedly shoving elderly woman down church steps as she was headed to Mass, fracturing her skull



New York City police have arrested a 16-year-old male for allegedly shoving an elderly woman down church steps as she was headed to Sunday Mass, reportedly leaving the victim with a fractured skull.

The suspect also stole her purse, which had $300 cash in it, as well as her cell phone and car keys — which he promptly used to steal her car, WNYW-TV reported. The juvenile is facing charges of robbery, assault, grand larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property, the station said.

What's more, police told WNYW the 16-year-old suspect has multiple felony arrests, including robberies of women, on his record.

What's the background?

Surveillance video shows the victim just feet from the front door of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in the Briarwood section of Queens, WNBC-TV reported. The suspect is seen on video following the 68-year-old woman up the other side of the steps before meeting her on the top step, then shoving her backward. The victim landed on her head, the station said, after which the assailant appeared to rifle through her pockets and take off with her valuables.

"Horrible. I could not believe my eyes, seeing what he did to this lady," Rev. Konstantinos Kalogridis of St. Demetrios told WNBC. "She was coming to church to pray, to participate. I don’t know what kind of a person this is but evil. Pure evil.”

The family of the victim — identified as Irene Tahliambouris — told the New York Daily News she was so badly injured that she didn’t recognize her loved ones for days.

While in a hospital intensive care unit, Tahliambouris is showing signs of improvement, the Daily News added.

“She’s still recovering. Yesterday she started recognizing us,” Daniel Coffaro Hill, 19, whose brother and Tahliambouris’ niece share a child, told the paper Thursday. “She was brushing her hair today, really slow, but she’s in her right mind. She knows who we are now.”

Hill added to the Daily News that her stolen car — a 2006 Nissan Altima — was recovered about three miles away.

'This lowlife is off our streets for now'

Coffaro Hill also took to social media to express his outrage.

— (@)

"This lowlife is off our streets for now, and we are hoping the system will actually do its job this time. We’re tired of seeing criminals walk free because of our soft on crime laws," he wrote. "This thug is another example of how petty criminals feel bold enough to escalate their crimes, knowing they’ll likely get off with a slap on the wrist. Despite this, there seems to be a lack of urgency from both Albany and NYC to implement the necessary legal reforms to ensure these individuals are held accountable."

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell shared similar sentiments: "Why is this happening? This was avoidable! What part of the process broke down and allowed this to happen???? More to come on this, trust me. To all the stakeholders, now is the time, enough already!!!!"

Anything else?

There are conflicting reports in regard to the victim's condition. WNYW reported she was in stable condition, while the New York Post, citing her family's GoFundMe page, indicated she was in critical condition.

NYC church attack: Teen arrested for allegedly shoving woman down stairs youtu.be

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Drunken 17-year-old with vodka bottle in his backpack gets violent — then actually spits in deputy's face, authorities say



A drunken 17-year-old who had a vodka bottle in his backpack got violent at a Florida tennis court last week — then actually spit in a deputy's face amid his arrest, according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office.

What are the details?

Deputies arrived at the tennis courts on North Winston Lane in Santa Rosa Beach on the evening of March 25 to find tennis patrons physically holding down a 17-year-old after he tried to fight those around him, officials said. Santa Rosa Beach is on the Florida Panhandle about an hour west of Panama City Beach.

The Mountain Brook, Alabama, teenager had arrived at the tennis courts and began verbally harassing players, after which things escalated into violence, officials said.

At one point a patron asked the teen to leave, and the teen responded by shoving the patron to the ground on the court, officials said.

To defend himself, the individual the teen had shoved pinned down the teen until deputies arrived on the scene, officials said.

Deputies observed that the teen was exhibiting signs and behaviors of intoxication, officials said, adding that he was found with a 1.75 liter of vodka in his backpack.

While deputies tried putting the teenager into custody, the suspect shouted profanities at his mother and multiple deputies — and then spit in a deputy’s face, officials said.

The teen now faces charges of battery on an officer, battery, obstruction without violence, and possession of alcohol by a person under 21 years of age, officials said.

He was taken to the Walton County Jail and then transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Crestview, officials said.

Walton teen arrested for battery on officer youtu.be

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17-year-old dies 'suddenly and unexpectedly' after suffering cardiac arrest: 'No explanation as to why'



A Las Vegas family is mourning the loss of a teenager who died "suddenly and unexpectedly" after suffering from cardiac arrest.

Jordan Brister, 17, was at school on Jan. 3 when he experienced sudden cardiac arrest. He was found inside one of the school's bathrooms after gym class, his family told KSNV-TV.

School officials provided lifesaving support, and Brister was transported to a nearby hospital. But he died on Sunday, five days after his medical emergency.

A GoFundMe set up in Brister's honor said there was no explanation for Brister's sudden death.

"The Brister family has suffered a tremendous loss, a loss none of them were prepared for," the GoFundMe explains. "Jordan Tyler Brister suddenly and unexpectedly suffered cardiac arrest while at school with no explanation as to why."

Brister's mother, Savanna, said in a statement that her son planned to join the military.

Jordan was a selfless, respectful, Southern gentleman who was kind to everyone. He was witty and charming. He wanted to join the military to become a para rescue jumper to save others. In the end, he saved others through donation of organs, so his dream was somewhat fulfilled. He was a wise, older brother who cared deeply for his brother and sister. Jordan was truly everything you could ask for and more. He had a heart of gold.

The Clark County Coroner's Office is investigating Brister's death. An official cause of death has not yet been announced.

High school student found unresponsive remembered with honor walk at Las Vegas hospital www.youtube.com

Brister's sudden medical emergency happened just two days before another Las Vegas teenager, 16-year-old Ashari Hughes, suddenly died after she suffered a "medical emergency" while playing a game of flag football.

The corner said Hughes "died from anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from left coronary sinus of valsalva," KVVU-TV reported. The death was reportedly declared "natural."

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'We still have no idea what caused his cardiac arrest': Seemingly healthy 18-year-old suddenly loses consciousness during tennis practice but ultimately survives after friend takes action



Drew Strasser, a seemingly healthy 18-year-old, survived after a sudden cardiac issue left him unconscious at tennis practice on August 5.

Today reported that Strasser's teammate and friend Jake performed CPR and that Coach Jesse Atkinson went to get an automated external defibrillator (AED). ABC57 reported that the friend's name is Jacob Freeman.

"I never would have thought it would be my kid," Laneia Strasser of Rochester, Indiana, told Today. "His friend, his 18-year-old teammate who works as a lifeguard — luckily he handled the situation right. Nobody knows how you're going to react to a situation like that, and he did what he needed to do."

An ambulance transported the young man to a hospital. "They told us, 'No he didn’t have a heart attack. It was that he was in sudden cardiac arrest," the mother said, according to the outlet. "It was very traumatic. Scary, scary, scary morning."

"We were just shocked. It didn't seem real. He's never had any passing-out moments before," she said. "He's never had any signs of heart issues. It just completely came out of the blue."

Strasser was moved to Riley Hospital for Children. "By Sunday, he had developed a lung infection, and he took a turn for the worse," Laneia Strasser noted. "His blood pressure kept dropping really low. They (gave) him really strong antibiotics."

Doctors were unable to determine the reason for the young man's sudden cardiac arrest and suggested that he get an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, Today reported.

"If there is a reversible cause or something that we can treat, we do not need the ICD," said Dr. Adam Kean said, according to the outlet. "His diagnosis is what’s referred to as idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, which basically means we don't have another diagnosis."

Drew Strasser went home the day after receiving the ICD.

He eventually recovered enough to play a doubles tennis match with his friend Jake — but the duo lost. "I was hoping we would win, but I was more grateful that I got to play before the end of the year, especially since I was with Jake, the person who gave me CPR," Drew Strasser noted. "That's a really special bond."

"It would be good if there was obviously (a diagnosis of) what his heart condition (is)," Drew's father Andy Strasser noted, according to the outlet. "We still have no idea what caused his cardiac arrest. It would be good (to learn) more about what causes kids to have cardiac arrest."

Freeman was honored for his action to help his friend:

NI Rochester City Board of Works with Jake Freeman Presentations 10 20 22 www.youtube.com