Tag Archives: investigators

Two people arrested during Mount Sinai massage parlor raid

In response to community complaints, Sixth Precinct Investigative Unit officers, in conjunction with Town of Brookhaven Investigators, Building Inspectors and Fire Marshall, investigated Lee Spa, located at 331 Route 25A, and arrested two employees. Tao Wang, 42, of Flushing, and Chao Ma, 41, of Port Jefferson were both charged with Unauthorized Practice of a Profession. The Town of Brookhaven issued summonses and issued a cease and desist to the business. Wang and Ma were both issued Desk Appearance Tickets and are scheduled to appear at First District Court in Central Islip on a later date.
https://tbrnewsmedia.com/two-people-arrested-during-mount-sinai-massage-parlor-raid/

JSO investigating woman found dead on 14th Street

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a woman was found dead Monday afternoon on the 1300 block of West 14th Street. JSO responded to a call about a possible stabbing around 1: 10 p. m. They found an unresponsive woman in her 50s. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. Investigators said the woman was last seen on Friday at her rooming house. Even though the call was about a stabbing, JSO says the circumstances around her death are still unclear. Detectives are working to piece together what happened. They encourage anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/jso-investigating-woman-found-dead-041036911.html

Jets player ‘clings to life’ after NYC shooting, report

Here’s the stories you’ll be talking about on the New Jersey 101. 5 Morning Show on Monday: The winds were whipping this weekend and much of that wind will stay with us as we start the new week. I did my best to get our Christmas lights up outside, but it seems like as soon as I got one decoration up, the wind tore it down. When do you put up your holiday lights and decorations? If we get a mild day ahead of Thanksgiving, I prefer to get the lights and other decorations up. Sunday would have been perfect, if not for the wind. There is some good news as we begin the week: Flights should be back to normal at Newark and the rest of the nations airports. The FAA lifted restrictions that had been imposed during the government shutdown because air traffic controllers were not reporting for work. A tragedy in Somerset County: A police officer and his family are safe, but lost all their possessions in a devastating fire. There are ways you can help. And will the House vote to release the Epstein files this week? President Trump now says they should. Even if the house approves the release, there may not be enough votes in the Senate. Keep scrolling for everything you need to know to start a new week in the Great Garden State. ⬛ Reward offered after Newark shooting leaves boy, woman dead 🚨Gunfire on a Newark street leaves a 10-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman dead 🚨Authorities offer a $10,000 reward as investigators search for the shooter 🚨Newark’s mayor calls it a “dark and devastating day” following the double killing NEWARK A $10,000 reward is being offered to find those responsible for firing the shots that left a 10-year-year old boy and 21-year-old woman dead on Saturday. Over a dozen shots were fired around 7 p. m. on the 300 block of Chancellor Avenue in Newark’s South Ward, according to Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II. The boy and the woman were pronounced dead at University Hospital. An 11-year-old male, a 19-year-old male, and a 60-year-old male were also injured. They were in stable condition as of Saturday night. At least 17 evidence markers were on the street and sidewalk following the shooting, according to a report from ABC 7 Eyewitness News. Stevens did not disclose the circumstances of the shooting or the identities of the victims. A $10,000 reward is being offered by the Essex County Sheriff’s Crime Stopper program for information leading to an arrest in the case. ⬛ New tickborne meat allergy kills NJ man in first confirmed death 🍔 New Jersey pilot becomes first confirmed fatality from alpha-gal syndrome 🍔 The man collapsed and died just hours after eating a hamburger 🍔 Lone star ticks are spreading, with established populations in 12 counties A pilot from New Jersey is the first confirmed death from a disturbing new meat allergy spread by the lone star tick, according to a study. It explains why the 47-year-old man died on his bathroom floor just hours after consuming a hamburger in September 2024, according to University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers. First documented fatality from alpha-gal syndrome in the U. S. The report was published According to the report, the man had no significant past medical history that would explain his death. Several details, including the victim’s name and where he lived in New Jersey, were not released in the study. It’s only been publicly released that his family lived in the suburbs. ⬛ Jets player ‘clings to life’ after NYC shooting, says report 🚨 NY Post reports Jet’s cornerback Kris Boyd was shot in NYC. 🚨 His injuries are said to be critical. New York Jet’s cornerback Kris Boyd was involved in a shooting early Sunday morning in New York City, the New York Post is reporting. The Post says the 29-year-old was shot in the abdomen and was “clinging to life” at a city hospital. Police have not confirmed any of the details of their investigation. A representative of the Jets said they were “aware of the situation” but offered no further comment. Boyd is in his first year with the Jets, but has not seen playing time since suffering a shoulder injury during a preseason game. According to the Post, Boyd was with two other Jets players at a trendy restaurant in Manhattan because he “felt the vibe was off.” The shooting took place just moments after the three players left. ⬛ Community rallies around local cop and his family who lost everything in a fire 🔥 Fire totally destroyed the home of a Somerset Count police officer 👮‍♂️ Officer Vito Spadea and his family are o. k. ♥ Community members rally around the family to offer help A devastating fire destroyed a home in the Martinsville Section of Bridgewater Township this weekend. The fire has left a Somerville Police officer and his family with nothing. The community has rallied around officer Vito Spadea, who lived with his wife and two young daughters in the home. The family is safe, but they lost everything in the fire. An online fundraiser has raised close to $100,000 for the Spadea family. There is no word on a cause of the fire. ⬛ FAA lifts order slashing flights ✈ Flight restrictions had been in place during the government shutdown. ✈ Commercial airlines are allowed to resume their regular schedules. ✈ Airline leaders expressed optimism operations would rebound in time for the Thanksgiving travel period. Airlines can resume their regular flight schedules beginning Monday at 6 a. m. EST, the agency said. The announcement was made in a joint statement by Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. Citing safety concerns as staffing shortages grew at air traffic control facilities during the shutdown, the FAA issued an unprecedented order to limit traffic in the skies. It had been in place since Nov. 7, affecting thousands of flights across the country. ⬛ In reversal, Trump says House Republicans should vote to release Epstein files ❎ After fighting it for months, President Trump says Epstein files should be released. ❎ Trump says, ‘We have nothing to hide.’ ❎ The House is expected to approve the release this week. There may not be enough votes in the Senate. WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump said House Republicans should vote to release the files in the Jeffrey Epstein case, a startling reversal after previously fighting the proposal as a growing number of those in his own party supported it. “We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party,” Trump wrote on social media late Sunday after landing at Joint Base Andrews following a weekend in Florida. Trump’s statement followed a fierce fight within the GOP over the files, including an increasingly nasty split with Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had long been one of his fiercest supporters. The New Jersey 101. 5 Morning Show airs from 6 10 a. m. on New Jersey 101. 5. Join the conversation by calling 1-800-283-1015 or download the NJ101. 5 app. You can reach him at eric. scott@townsquaremedia. com.
https://nj1015.com/jets-chris-boyd-shot/

NBA Expands Gambling Investigation, Requests Cell Phones From Multiple Teams

The NBA has requested documents, phones, and other electronic records from multiple franchises, including the Los Angeles Lakers, as part of its expanding investigation into illegal sports betting, according to The Athletic. This move comes amid growing scrutiny from Congress following federal charges filed last month against several individuals connected to NBA teams.

The investigation gained momentum after former NBA player and longtime LeBron James associate Damon Jones was arrested and accused of selling private injury information to gamblers involving two unnamed Lakers stars. Prosecutors allege that Jones used inside access—earned through his close relationship with James—to tip bettors on at least two occasions. Jones has pleaded not guilty to these charges.

As part of the ongoing probe, investigators from the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, which was hired by the NBA, have contacted multiple teams requesting access to devices and records. At least 10 Lakers employees are expected to be approached. Assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims, both longtime members of James’ inner circle, have already cooperated by voluntarily turning over their phones.

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass emphasized the league’s commitment to uncovering the full scope of the alleged scheme. “The NBA engaged an independent law firm to investigate the allegations in the indictment once it was made public,” the league stated. “Everyone has been fully cooperative.”

It is important to note that LeBron James, Mike Mancias, and Randy Mims have not been accused of any wrongdoing nor have they been named in any federal filings. However, their close proximity to Damon Jones has placed the Lakers at the center of the inquiry.

This scandal follows several recent gambling-related cases involving NBA personnel. Miami’s Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were arrested last month on federal charges linked to illegal betting activities. Rozier was accused of planning to manipulate his performance to influence betting outcomes in a 2023 game, while Billups was charged with defrauding players through illegal poker games—not for leaking injury information.

Additionally, the government has cited illegal bets connected to the Orlando Magic and Portland Trail Blazers. Among these allegations, a Magic player allegedly informed a gambler that the team planned to “tank” an April 2023 matchup. That unnamed player is no longer with the franchise.

The NBA has already banned former Toronto Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter for betting violations. In response to the widening scandal, the league is expected to implement stricter rules surrounding injury reporting to help prevent future misconduct.
https://www.complex.com/sports/a/markelibert/nba-requests-cell-phones-teams-amid-expanding-gambling-investigation

Mother of missing 9-year-old California girl is arrested. Authorities say it’s not related to her daughter’s disappearance

**Mother of Missing California Girl Arrested on Unrelated Felony Charge**

The mother of a missing 9-year-old California girl, Melodee Buzzard, was arrested Friday on a felony charge of false imprisonment. However, officials say the arrest is not directly connected to the ongoing search for her daughter.

Investigators looking into Melodee’s disappearance discovered that her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, had recently “prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will,” according to a news release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities stressed that “this crime is not connected to the search for Melodee,” and declined to share further details so as not to impede the investigation. The identity of the victim in the false imprisonment case has not been released.

The arrest comes about a week after the FBI served search warrants on Buzzard’s home, a storage locker, and the rental car in which Melodee was last seen. The high-profile search for Melodee has drawn national attention. Investigators have shared surveillance images showing the child in apparent disguise—a hoodie pulled over her head and a wig at a car rental agency last month.

According to officials, Ashlee Buzzard swapped wigs throughout the trip, possibly “to avoid recognition during travel.” Over the course of three days, Buzzard and her daughter traveled through Nebraska, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Kansas in a rental car, which was observed at times with “a false or switched” license plate.

The rental car returned to the family’s home in Lompoc, California—about 55 miles northwest of Santa Barbara—on October 10, with Ashlee Buzzard driving. Melodee was not seen in the car. The last confirmed sighting of the child was the previous day, captured on video surveillance near the Colorado-Utah state line.

Melodee was reported missing on October 14 by a school administrator concerned about her extended absence—not by a family member. When authorities visited the mother’s home, Melodee was not there and no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts was given. Officials also noted that Ashlee Buzzard has remained uncooperative and has not provided any confirmation regarding Melodee’s location or welfare.

While Ashlee Buzzard’s arrest occurred during the missing persons investigation, the sheriff’s office emphasized, “it is not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance.” Detectives remain focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety.

Anyone who has seen Melodee or has information about her whereabouts is urged to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office or leave an anonymous tip.

It is not immediately clear whether Ashlee Buzzard has an attorney. She will be booked at Santa Barbara County jail, where bail is set at $100,000, officials said.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/11/09/mother-of-missing-9-year-old-melodee-buzzard-is-arrested-authorities-say-its-not-related-to-her-daughters-disappearance/

Hospital police officer shot and killed in North Carolina emergency department struggle

**Police Officer Shot and Killed During Struggle at North Carolina Hospital**

**GARNER, N.C. (AP)** — A police officer was shot and killed during a struggle in the emergency department lobby at a North Carolina hospital on Saturday morning.

The incident occurred around 9 a.m. at the WakeMed Garner Healthplex. WakeMed Campus Police Officer Roger Smith was tragically killed, according to a statement from WakeMed.

A “person of interest” in connection with the shooting is currently in custody, the Garner Police Department said in a statement. Hospital officials are working closely with local police and state investigators as the emergency department lobby remains closed.

Further details about the circumstances of the shooting have not been immediately released.

“Law enforcement officers put themselves in harm’s way to keep us safe, and we are forever grateful for Officer Smith’s sacrifice,” North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said in a statement on X.

Garner is a city of about 31,000 people located just south of Raleigh in central North Carolina. The WakeMed police department oversees security at six facilities within the health care system, including the hospital in Garner. Officers are fully sworn law enforcement officials and receive all the police training required under state law.

This is a developing story, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
https://ktar.com/national-news/hospital-police-officer-shot-and-killed-in-north-carolina-emergency-department-struggle/5772907/

Federal Jury Deliberates In MS-13 Murder Trial Linked To Santa Clarita Killing, Tick Fire Remains

A federal jury has begun deliberations this week in the racketeering and murder trial of five alleged MS-13 gang members accused of carrying out a series of brutal killings across Los Angeles County, including one near Santa Clarita. These killings are tied to the discovery of human remains following the 2019 Tick Fire.

According to prosecutors, the defendants are part of the Fulton clique of the transnational street gang MS-13, which investigators have described as “particularly violent” and operating mainly in the San Fernando Valley. The group allegedly carried out multiple murders between 2017 and 2019 to advance within the gang’s hierarchy under what prosecutors described as “Salvadoran rules,” which required recruits to kill before becoming full-fledged members.

“In 2016, the Fulton clique decided to break from MS-13’s traditional program in Los Angeles in favor of a traditional Salvadoran Mara Salvatrucha program,” read a 2023 racketeering indictment filed by the Department of Justice. “The key difference between MS-13’s traditional Los Angeles program and MS-13’s Salvadoran program was that the Salvadoran program required a prospective member to have committed at least one homicide before becoming a homeboy,” or full-fledged member.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Mara Salvatrucha was formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s. The street gang is now comprised of tens of thousands of individuals in at least 10 states and several Central American countries, notably El Salvador.

In the mid-1990s, Mara Salvatrucha became associated with the Mexican Mafia and added the number 13 to its name (“M” is the 13th letter of the alphabet). To become a new member of a Mexican Mafia-affiliated gang, an individual underwent a 13-second beating by other members of the gang, officials said.

One of the murders at the center of the current case is that of 19-year-old Oscar Fuentes, an MS-13 member accused by leaders of using methamphetamine and missing gang meetings. On January 13, 2019, Fuentes was reportedly picked up by several MS-13 associates and driven to a remote area near Santa Clarita, where he was shot in the head.

Prosecutors said the order to kill Fuentes came from clique leader Walter Chavez Larin, who handed a revolver to a younger recruit and told him to “take care of it.” Fuentes’ complete remains have never formally been recovered.

However, on Saturday, October 26, 2019, nine months after Fuentes disappeared, deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department received a report of human remains near mile marker 0.62 of Sand Canyon Road.

“An L.A. County Public Works crew was here doing some post-fire clean-up, and they stumbled across what they thought was a human skeleton,” Lt. Derrick Alfred with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said at the time. The remains were a human skull with a bullet hole, unearthed after the Tick Fire burned through the area. Federal investigators later identified the remains as Fuentes.

The same defendants are also accused of murdering 22-year-old Osvaldo Hernandez in Van Nuys, as well as five other victims in Los Angeles County between 2017 and 2019. These victims include:

– An unidentified alleged rival gang member known as “J.S.,” killed March 6, 2017, in the Angeles National Forest (victim was dismembered).
– Elvin “Winnie Pooh” Hernandez, 20, killed June 4, 2017, in the Angeles National Forest.
– Brayan Andino, 16, killed October 2017 in Lopez Canyon near Sylmar.
– Roger Chavez, 19, killed July 21, 2018, in the Malibu Hills.
– Osvaldo Hernandez, 22, killed December 6, 2018, in Van Nuys.
– Oscar Fuentes, killed January 13, 2019, near Santa Clarita (remains later found after Tick Fire).
– Bradley Hanaway, killed hours after Fuentes’ death on January 13, 2019, in Whitsett Park, North Hollywood.

In total, prosecutors say the five men on trial are connected to seven murders, while the broader federal indictment against the Fulton clique alleges 11 killings across Southern California. If convicted, all five defendants face life in federal prison.

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https://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/crime/court/federal-jury-deliberates-in-ms-13-murder-trial-linked-to-santa-clarita-killing-tick-fire-remains-570742

Family displaced, 5 dogs killed in two-alarm central Fresno apartment fire

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — A devastating two-alarm fire broke out on Thursday afternoon in a central Fresno apartment, leading to the tragic loss of five dogs and displacing a family.

According to the Fresno Fire Department, the blaze started shortly after 3:45 p.m. at the Fresno Glenn Apartments, located at the intersection of Glenn and Voorman avenues. Fire crews quickly responded and requested additional assistance due to concerns that the fire could spread to neighboring units.

Thanks to their efforts, firefighters were able to contain the flames to a single apartment. However, several adjacent units suffered smoke damage. The family residing in the affected apartment safely escaped without injury.

Sadly, investigators confirmed that five dogs perished in the fire. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Authorities continue to assess the situation and provide support to those impacted by this heartbreaking event.
https://abc30.com/post/family-displaced-5-dogs-killed-alarm-central-fresno-apartment-fire/18122965/

Media Silent on Islamic Religious Roots of Dearborn LGBTQ Terror Plot

Two 20-year-old men who had acquired high-powered weapons and practiced at gun ranges were scouting LGBTQ+ bars in suburban Detroit in September for a possible Halloween attack, authorities said Monday in filing terrorism-related charges.

Mohmed Ali, Majed Mahmoud, and co-conspirators were inspired by the Islamic State group’s extremism, according to a 72-page criminal complaint unsealed in federal court. Investigators say a minor, identified only as Person 1, was deeply involved in the discussions.

The FBI said the men repeatedly referred to “pumpkins” in their conversations, a reference to a Halloween attack. The court filing states that Person 1, the minor, regularly consulted the father of a “local Islamic extremist ideologue” about when to commit a “good deed.”

The criminal complaint doesn’t specifically say why Ferndale was a target, though the man who attacked the LGBTQ+-friendly Pulse Nightclub, killing 49 people in Orlando, Florida, in 2016, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Ferndale, which is just north of Detroit, attracts tens of thousands of people to its annual Pride parade. Former Mayor Dave Coulter, who is gay, said it was “disturbing” to hear about the alleged plot.
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4350669/posts

Man held in death of 8-year-old Sophia Mason released from jail after plea deal

A man charged with murdering Sophia Mason, the 8-year-old Hayward girl whose gruesome death nearly four years ago highlighted numerous failings in Alameda County’s child safety net, accepted a plea deal earlier this month and was released from jail.

Dhante Jackson was released from Merced County jail on Oct. 6 after pleading guilty to an accessory charge in Sophia’s death, his attorney and the Merced County District Attorney’s Office confirmed this week. His release was a result of having spent nearly three years in jail—nearly two years longer than the maximum sentence to which he pleaded guilty, according to his attorney.

The resolution of Jackson’s case leaves Sophia’s mother, Samantha Johnson, as the lone person still facing murder and child abuse charges in the girl’s death.

On Tuesday, Jackson’s attorney criticized Merced County prosecutors and Merced’s police force for their investigation and their alleged reliance on Johnson’s statements, suggesting “they just took her word for it.”

Todd Melnik, Jackson’s attorney, said he undertook a “painstaking” investigation to prove Jackson’s innocence on the murder charge. His efforts included pulling license plate reader data, reviewing Bay Area toll records, and administering a polygraph test to Jackson.

“Justice was clearly done, but it was justice delayed,” said Melnik, whose previous work to exonerate a murder suspect was highlighted in the 2017 Netflix documentary *Long Shot*. “Dhante never should have been arrested.”

In March 2022, Sophia’s body was found decomposing in the bathtub of a Merced house after her relatives in Hayward—where she had spent much of her life—grew concerned about her well-being. The girl had been dead for at least a month before her body was discovered. She appeared extremely malnourished at the time of her death, which the Merced County coroner’s office ruled a homicide.

Police records show that Johnson, Sophia’s mother, had previously told authorities that Sophia was punished by being made to stay in a metal shed in their backyard. She also admitted to burning Sophia’s leg with a hot spoon as discipline and choking her on at least one occasion.

Johnson told investigators that she had removed Sophia from the shed after noticing the girl had “feces on her” and needed a shower. At one point, there was a “thud” in the bathroom, but Johnson did not investigate because Jackson said the girl wanted to be left alone, according to a police report.

The next day, Johnson assumed that Sophia had run away because the back sliding door was open. She did not notify authorities or ask for help looking for her daughter.

Subsequent investigations by the Bay Area News Group uncovered deep deficiencies in the response by the Alameda County Department of Children and Family Services to repeated concerns about Sophia’s well-being during the last 18 months of her life. County social workers appeared to repeatedly ignore evidence of danger under the mother’s care and failed to promptly report allegations of abuse to law enforcement.

Alameda County had jurisdiction over the case because Sophia lived most of her life in Hayward. The revelations underscored systemic issues within Alameda County’s child welfare agency regarding how quickly employees responded to reports of child abuse and neglect.

These concerns remain unresolved. Just last month, California State Auditor Grant Parks issued a report claiming the county agency failed to meet state deadlines to investigate alleged child abuse and provide necessary physical and mental health care.

In May 2023, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors commissioned an inquiry into the handling of Sophia’s case. However, nearly two and a half years later, the outcome of that investigation and any formal findings have not been announced.

Sophia’s grandmother filed a lawsuit against the county and multiple social workers involved in Sophia’s case, alleging violations of more than a dozen state child welfare regulations during the last 14 months of the girl’s life, along with falsification of records to cover up their failures.

In an interview Tuesday, Sophia’s aunt, Emerald Johnson, criticized the outcome of Jackson’s case, expressing she was “disappointed and disgusted,” and likened the resolution to “a slap in the face.” Emerald had called Alameda County’s child welfare agency multiple times while Sophia was still alive to raise concerns about the girl’s wellbeing under Jackson and Samantha Johnson’s care.

Jackson’s plea deal this month has reopened painful wounds regarding how Sophia’s case was handled.

“I feel like she was failed while she was alive, and now she’s being failed again in her death,” Emerald Johnson said.

Merced police quickly named Jackson as a suspect alongside Samantha Johnson—his girlfriend—after discovering Sophia’s body in their home. Authorities arrested Samantha Johnson swiftly; however, a manhunt for Jackson stretched across the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California.

Jackson was arrested in September 2022 following an extensive investigation, which included executing over 20 search warrants—often focusing on cell phone data—and spending hundreds of hours analyzing forensic information.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta personally announced Jackson’s capture at a press conference, expressing his outrage.

“This case left me damn angry that a girl had been subjected to so much abuse,” Bonta said.

“We shouldn’t be here; little Sophia should still be alive today. She should be playing. She should be learning. She should be growing up. She should be pursuing and chasing her dreams,” he added.

“Those accused of her murder must pay a steep price for their abhorrent crimes,” Bonta concluded.

The criminal proceedings against Jackson and Samantha Johnson have dragged on for years, with Jackson cycling through multiple attorneys and questions arising regarding Samantha Johnson’s mental wellbeing. Neither defendant has faced a preliminary hearing, where a judge determines if sufficient evidence exists to send the case to trial.

*Jakob Rodgers is a senior breaking news reporter.*
https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/10/29/man-held-in-death-of-8-year-old-sophia-mason-released-from-jail-after-plea-deal/