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Prosecutors widen child sex abuse case in polygamous sect

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Prosecutors have widened their case against members of a small polygamous group that resides near the Utah-Arizona border, detailing its leader’s sexual encounters with children he took as wives in new charges filed earlier this month.A grand jury accuses Sam Bateman of recording the child sex abuse in a superseding indictment filed recently and adds new counts to charges filed last year for kidnapping and impeding an investigation. The May 18 document provides new details about how Bateman — with the help of followers — took wives as young as 9 years old and created a sprawling network spanning at least four states as he attempted to start an offshoot group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.A call to one of Bateman’s lawyers seeking comment about the case wasn’t immediately returned Thursday.The FLDS is itself a breakaway sect of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints historically based in the border towns of Colo...

Denver weather: Severe storm warnings around the metro

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — Sunshine arrived early on Thursday to help highs reach the upper 70s, now storms are popping up during the evening hours in the Denver weather forecast.Around 3:45 p.m. a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the southern half of Denver, all of Glendale and parts of Englewood.Weather today: Scattered evening stormsPartly to mostly sunny skies are expected for the first half of the day Thursday, allowing highs to top out in the upper 70s. Main road through Cherry Creek State Park closed ‘indefinitely’ Pinpoint Weather: Daily forecast for May 25.Storms can form in the late afternoon and early evening hours, then push out across the plains through the early overnight hours. Denver is just at the top of a marginal risk for severe storms.Pinpoint Weather: Severe weather outlook on May 25. Weather tonight: Clearing skiesStorms will clear early Thursday night with clouds pushing out as well. Overnight lows will dip into the lower 50s with a slowing wind.Pinpoint Wea...

Woman detained in police car when hit by train asks for charge to be dropped

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A woman accused of flashing a gun at another driver while traveling in Weld County has requested the felony menacing charge she's facing be dropped.Yareni Rios-Gonzalez was accused by the other driver on Sept. 16 last year. The request to dismiss the charge filed by Rios-Gonzalez's attorney, Chris Ponce, said the other driver claimed she was tailgating him. He called 911 and the document said he “break [sic] checked her a little bit.” The description of the truck she was driving was relayed to the Platteville Police Department. Officers located the truck and took Rios-Gonzalez into custody at County Road 36, just east of U.S. 85 in Weld County. Woman in back of police car hit by train files lawsuit She was detained in the back of a police car on railroad tracks when a train struck the car. She suffered nine broken ribs, a broken arm and a fractured sternum, among other injuries, and spent more than a week in the hospital. Rios-Gonzalez has filed a lawsu...

Denver Police officer involved in 3-car crash

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- A Denver Police officer and another person were taken to the hospital after a three-car crash in Arvada, the Arvada Police Department said. The crash happened at 2:24 p.m. at West 66th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard, APD said. One of the cars involved in the three-car crash was a DPD vehicle. The extent of injuries is unknown and APD is investigating the crash.This is a developing story and updates will be added as they are received.

Tornado touches down in SW Miami-Dade as stormy weather batters South Florida

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

Wicked weather across South Florida ignited a tornado touchdown in Southwest Miami-Dade and triggered a flood advisory in parts of Broward.Just before 5 p.m. on Thursday, The National Weather Service confirmed a thunderstorm produced a short-lived EF-0 tornado near Southwest 196th Street and 147th Avenue at around 1:20 p.m.Meteorologists said the tornado that traveled south along Southwest 147th Avenue until just north of 200th Street.The intense winds knocked a tractor-trailer on its side, injuring the driver. He has been taken to an area hospital in stable condition.Multiple 7News viewers sent in video of the funnel cloud.Witness Julio Ramirez described what he saw while on the road.“Suddenly, I saw the tornado coming down, approximately about maybe a mile away from us,” he said. “I saw the tornado when it was hitting, and I decided to make a left turn just to avoid the tornado coming toward me. Thank God nothing happened. I just walked away from it.”Strong...

Jury recommends death for Florida man who killed girl, babysitter

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Jurors in southwest Florida have recommended the death penalty for a man convicted of killing an 11-year-old girl and her babysitter more than 30 years ago.The Lee County jury voted 10-2 in favor of death for Joseph Zieler on Wednesday night after about five hours of deliberations, according to court records. The same panel found Zieler, 60, guilty last week of two counts of first-degree murder.A judge will make the final decision in whether Zieler will be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison following a June 26 hearing. Florida law had previously required a unanimous jury recommendation for a convicted murderer to face the death penalty, but a new law signed last month by Gov. Ron DeSantis requires only an 8-4 vote in favor of execution.Zieler was jailed on an unrelated assault charge in 2016 when his DNA matched to the cold-case murders of Robin Cornell, 11, and Lisa Story, 32, authorities said.The girl and the woman were fou...

Motion denied to revoke bond of ex-Sunrise Police officer facing child porn charges after attending event with children present

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

A former South Florida police officer was back in court after he was accused of failing to follow a judge’s order.Former Sunrise Police Officer Carl Haller was previously arrested on child pornography charges and was ordered to stay away from children, but one day later, he was allegedly spotted at a party that included children.State prosecutors had concerns when Haller stayed at the party for a little over three hours. They believed he should have had some discretion for following the judge’s order to stay away from children. The judge had harsh words for Haller, Thursday afternoon. Haller is facing child pornography charges and was not suppose to be around minors. Haller was seen at an event last Friday where children were present. “The issue that I have, is what the court honed in on, is the fact that this was an outdoor event, crowds were coming in. I use the term crowd loosely, but people were coming and going, so we don’t know how many children were th...

Police commissioner calls for the public’s help following uptick in shootings in Boston this week

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

Boston’s police commissioner is speaking out from police headquarters after a recent uptick in violence this week that has left residents feeling uneasy. There have been three shootings in as many days, and one person has died.“We’re here and we care,” Police Commissioner Michael Cox said. “From our perspective, people need to understand this is a safe city. We can be safer with the public’s help”Wednesday night surveillance video captured shots ringing out along the sidewalk outside a liquor store next to Ramsay Park in Roxbury that left residents including young children running for cover.No one was hurt but this was nothing short of frightening for those who live and work here, said Sopaea Poca, the store owner.Tuesday surveillance video captures the terrifying moments when a gunman opened fire at the intersection of Dot Avenue and Gallivan Boulevard in broad daylight in Dorchester. One bullet ricocheted off a front door and others just missed a fire truck driving through the are...

Now-former project coordinator of Boston Reparations Task Force arrested for incident at City Hall

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

A now-former city employee is facing charges after allegedly resisting arrest and trespassing at Boston City Hall, according to police.George Williams, previously a part-time contractor who was a new hire for Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration, was fired after an incident in which police say he was exhibiting unusual behavior.Williams had served as a project coordinator of the Mayor’s newly-created “Take Force on Reparations” before May 18, when Boston police say they were called to City Hall last Thursday night after 9:30 p.m. According to Boston PD, building security informed them about an employee who was trespassing in an office. It was Williams, who security said had been staying in City Hall after-hours over the past three weeks, sometimes becoming aggressive and threatening staff.But on May 18, police said Williams was acting even more bizarre than usual. Officers say they found him burning sage and incense while appearing to be under the influence of ...

Trial date set for Steve Bannon’s fundraising fraud case

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 10:17:22 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Bannon, the conservative strategist and longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, will stand trial next May on charges that he duped donors who gave money to build a wall along the U.S. southern border, a judge said Thursday.Judge Juan Manuel Merchan set Bannon’s trial in the “We Build the Wall” case for May 28, 2024, amending his calendar after realizing that the date he announced in court — May 27 — is next year’s Memorial Day holiday, when courts will be closed.If the schedule holds, Bannon will stand trial soon after Trump is slated to do so in the same Manhattan courtroom in an unrelated criminal case.Bannon, 69, pleaded not guilty last September following his indictment on state money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg took up the case after Bannon’s federal prosecution was cut short by a Trump pardon. Presidential pardons apply only to federal crimes, not state offenses.Banno...