What Happened?!

Pizza cook who called in airplane bomb threat against rival gets prison time

Diann Hodges — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 18:31:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A Philadelphia pizza cook who called in a bogus airplane threat to get back at a romantic rival over a Facebook photo has been sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Kenneth Smith must also send written apologies to 38 passengers who watched as armed agents stormed the tarmac at Philadelphia International Airport last fall.

The 26-year-old Smith says he was angered over a compromising photo of his girlfriend that rival Christopher Shell had posted.

So Smith called authorities to report that Shell had explosives on a flight en route to Dallas.

U.S. Judge Gene Pratter told Smith he should spend more time looking in the mirror, and less looking at Facebook.

Defense lawyer William Brennan says his client understands the terror he caused - but had no terrorist intentions.

84-year-old woman accused of trying to hire hit man to kill Houston-area prosecutor

Diann Hodges — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:16:00 GMT

According to the Houston Chronicle:

An 84-year-old woman jailed in Montgomery County on an unrelated charge has been accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill a Montgomery County assistant district attorney and to injury the district attorney, officials said.

Dorothy Clark Canfield is charged with solicitation of capital murder and solicitation to commit aggravated assault on a public servant, said Brett Ligon, Montgomery County District Attorney.

Ligon said Canfield was an inmate at the county jail when she allegedly told other inmates she wanted to hire someone to kill Assistant District Attorney Robert Freyer, who is prosecuting an unrelated case for which she had originally been jailed.

She also allegedly said she wanted Ligon injured severely enough to put him in the hospital for two to three weeks.

Ligon said an informant told authorities about the request and an investigation into the case began in early April. An undercover officer met Canfield during a visitation at the jail and she allegedly agreed to pay him $7,500 for the attacks.

When the Texas Rangers interviewed Canfield about the plot, she confessed, officials said. The investigators had shown her pictures from an unrelated crime scene and pretended that Freyer had actually been killed. Canfield showed no remorse when she saw the photographs, officials said.

Ligon said Canfield was in jail awaiting trial because she allegedly posed as an immigration attorney and took about $51,970 from people seeking her help with their legal issues. However, Ligon said, Canfield is not an attorney and she did not help her supposed clients.

She was charged with theft between $20,000 and $100,000, court records show.

When she allegedly plotted the attacks on the prosecutors, Ligon said, she made it clear to the undercover officer that she wanted Freyer killed. Ligon said she wanted him injured so it would appear that the killing could be connected to the recent shooting deaths of Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, as well as Assistant District Mark Hasse.

The prosecutors' killers have not been found.

Ligon said it appeared she thought she could throw investigators off her trail if he was injured, suggesting the same person or people who killed the McLellands and Hasse were involved in Freyer's death.

Ligon said the Kaufman County prosecutors' killings have made law enforcement statewide even more vigilant and cases involving threats against law enforcement officials will be vigorously prosecuted.

"It's not open season on public servants," he said.

Canfield has lengthy criminal history. In 2009, she was convicted of Canfield was convicted of felony theft by check and served two years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, court records show. She was released in 2011.

She pleaded guilty to forgery and was sentenced to 10 year's probation in 1993.

In 1986, she was convicted of felony theft and sentenced to four year's probation.

Grad student charged with making bomb threats to avoid teaching class

Diann Hodges — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 18:40:00 GMT

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

A University of Pittsburgh graduate student was charged this week with making bomb threats to a campus building to get out of teaching a class.

Nancy Bruni, 34, of New Kensington told Pitt police that she has anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder and had recently ended her health insurance, forcing her to go off of her medication.

Campus police wrote in a criminal complaint that Ms. Bruni said her anxiety was heightened March 20 and she didn't feel as if she could properly teach the Health and Illness course she was overseeing, so she searched for a way to cancel it.

Pitt police received a call shortly before 5 p.m. March 20 from a woman who said, "This is kind of strange, but I received a message on my phone that two explosions were going to go off tonight at Posvar, one at 6:30 and again at 7:30."

Ms. Bruni, a graduate student in the School of Arts & Sciences, was scheduled to teach her class on the second floor of Posvar Hall from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. that day.

Shortly after the first call, police received a call from one of Ms. Bruni's students, who said she had found a note in a women's restroom that said "Two bombs will be detonated in Posvar hall on March 20th 6:30 pm 730."

Pitt police obtained warrants and traced the information on the first call to Ms. Bruni, whom they confronted outside of her class last week.

They wrote in the complaint that Ms. Bruni confessed to calling in the first threat. She became angry that the university did not send out an alert evacuating the building, police said, and wrote a threatening note and placed it in the women's bathroom, where one of her students found it. That student called the campus police while two others went to notify Ms. Bruni.

When the school did not send out an emergency alert evacuating the building, some of Ms. Bruni's students became upset and "she used this fact to cancel class," according to the complaint.

Ms. Bruni did not respond to a request for comment and did not have an attorney on file. She was not arrested but, rather, was charged via summons and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing June 12 on charges of making terroristic threats and threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Pitt spokesman John Fedele said that campus police have found no connection between the threats with which Ms. Bruni is charged and the dozens that disturbed the campus schedule last year.

"This was an isolated incident," he said.

He said Ms. Bruni is no longer teaching at the school and that he could not comment on her status as a student beyond confirming that she was an active student at the time of the threats.

He said Pitt police did not send out an emergency alert on the day of the threats because they determined that they were lower level, meaning they could search the building with a K-9 officer and explosive detectors. He said Pitt police did so that day and did not find any explosives.

Judge sets bond at $1 million for Atlanta educators involved in conspiracy to cheat

Diann Hodges — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:51:00 GMT

ATLANTA (AP) - Lawyers for some of the 35 defendants in Atlanta's school cheating scandal say their bonds are unreasonably high.

Hurl Taylor, who represents test coordinator Donald Bullock, says his client's $1 million bond amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Bullock was among the first defendants to surrender at the Fulton County Jail early Tuesday. All 35 defendants must turn themselves in Tuesday. Five had done so as of noon.

Warren Fortson, who represents testing coordinator Theresia Copeland, described her as a 56-year-old grandmother. Fortson says her $1 million bond is unnecessary.

In a chaotic scene outside the jail Tuesday morning, the lawyers said it wasn't clear when their clients would be able to request lower bonds.

The educators are named in a 65-count indictment that alleges a broad conspiracy involving cheating on standardized tests in Atlanta Public Schools.

Gun advocates criticize former astronaut after dog kills baby sea lion

Diann Hodges — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:53:00 GMT

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (AP) - Some gun advocates have been quick to criticize former astronaut Mark Kelly, after an incident involving his daughter's dog over the weekend.

Kelly, the husband of wounded former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, has been campaigning for gun controls, including background checks for gun buyers.

On Saturday, Kelly's daughter was walking her dog on a California beach when the dog bolted, ripping the leash from her hand and fatally attacking a beached baby sea lion. Video showed Kelly's daughter and two other women struggling for several minutes to pull the dog off the sea lion. Kelly then arrived and shook the dog's head until it released the mammal, which later died.

Laguna police said they wouldn't file charges because the dog had been leashed and was legally on the beach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also says it doesn't expect to take legal action. Marine animals are protected by federal law.

The gun rights advocates who have commented on Kelly's Facebook page today included several who suggested that background checks be considered for dogs whose owners can't control them, or those that are a threat to the public.

No charges to be filed against man who opened fire on two teens

Diann Hodges — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:23:00 GMT

MAYPEARL, Texas (AP) - A Texas sheriff says he does not expect any charges will be filed against a man who opened fire on two heavily armed Oklahoma teenagers during an attempted home invasion on his ranch.

Ellis County Sheriff Johnny Brown said Thursday that officials think both teens died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. But Brown said that the homeowner struck one of the teens.

Brown said the bodies of 17-year-old Kenneth Chaffin and 18-year-old Dillon King - both of Bethel Acres, Okla. - have been sent for autopsies.

The teens had driven hundreds of miles in a stolen pickup to the small town of Maypearl, south of Dallas, when they exchanged gunfire with the property owner on Wednesday afternoon.

Repeat drunk driver convicted of killing two teens sues restaurants and friend who served him

Diann Hodges — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:29:00 GMT

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A repeat drunken driver who was convicted in a crash that killed two teenagers is suing his drinking buddy and two New Mexico restaurants that served him alcohol.

The Albuquerque Journal reports that James Ruiz filed a lawsuit Wednesday and is seeking monetary damages from the former drinking buddy and Applebee's and the Blue Corn Cafe in Santa Fe.

According to the lawsuit filed by Ruiz without a lawyer, the restaurants and his friend caused Ruiz "emotional distress" when they served him booze in 2010. Ruiz says he was convicted as a result of a chain of events that were set in motion by the drinking buddy and the restaurants.

Ruiz was out on bond on his fifth DWI arrest when the fatal crash took place three years ago. Police say Ruiz rammed his truck into a car and killed two teenage sisters from the Navajo reservation.

He's serving a 40-year prison sentence after entering a guilty plea in 2011.

Both restaurants declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Cruise ship stranded in the Gulf of Mexico

Diann Hodges — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:08:00 GMT

HOUSTON (AP) -- Passengers aboard a cruise vessel stranded in the Gulf of Mexico had limited access to hot coffee, food and bathrooms on Monday as they waited for two tugboats to arrive to tow them to Mexico, Carnival Cruise Lines said in a statement.

The Carnival Triumph has been floating aimlessly about 150 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula since a fire erupted in the aft engine room early Sunday, knocking out the ship's propulsion system. No one was injured and the fire was extinguished. The ship has been operating on backup generator power since the incident, the statement said.

The ship, which left Galveston, Texas, on Thursday and was scheduled to return there Monday, will instead be towed to Progreso, Mexico, and the 3,143 passengers on board will fly back to the United States. There are also 1,086 crew members aboard the ship. They are to arrive in Mexico on Wednesday.

The tugboats are expected to arrive later Monday, Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said in an email. One is coming from Mobile, Ala., and a second is from Mexico, he said.

Carlos Vega, a spokesman with the U.S. Coast Guard, said Mexican authorities have been informed of the situation in their waters.

"The Coast Guard has touched base with them and informed them but other than that there hasn't been any other action," Vega said.

Another Carnival cruise, the Elation, rendezvoused with the stranded vessel on Sunday, supplying Triumph passengers with dinner and extra supplies. Another Carnival cruise, the Legend, is scheduled to do the same later Monday, the statement said.

Family members waiting for relatives to arrive home Monday were informed by Carnival about the situation. Some, like Melinda Ramos, said her father was laughing when he briefly called to update her on the situation.

"He might be completely joking, but he said they're sleeping in tents outside," the 19-year-old daughter of Mary and Matt Ramos told The Houston Chronicle.

But Brent Nutt, of Angleton, Texas, said his wife Bethany was crying when they spoke.

"They have no running water. They have no way to use the bathroom," Nutt told KTRK-TV in Houston.

A similar situation occurred on a Carnival cruise ship in November 2010. That vessel was also stranded for three days with 4,500 people aboard after a fire in the engine room. When the passengers disembarked in San Diego they described a nightmarish three days in the Pacific with limited food, power and bathroom access.

Carnival said in a statement that it had cancelled the Triumph's next two voyages scheduled to depart Monday and Saturday. Passengers aboard the stranded ship will also receive a full refund, the statement said.

Homeless man's dog saves the day

Diann Hodges — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:47:00 GMT

TUMWATER, Wash. (AP) - It's the kind of thing Lassie did.

A Tumwater, Wash., police detective says an ailing homeless man attached a note seeking help to his dog's harness and sent the animal out in hopes someone would read the message.

Detective Jen Kolb tells Seattle's KIRO-TV (http://is.gd/EhVhBQ ) that a woman walking her dog along railroad tracks on Wednesday spotted the dog with the note that read, "Send Help. No Joke. Cannot walk." It also said, "Medicine not working. Need doctor."

The note was unsigned, but police eventually found the man's camp.

Kolb says the man was immobile and was afraid he was going to die, so he sent his dog, Buddy, for help.

KIRO reports the man was treated at an Olympia hospital and released.

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Information from: KIRO-TV, htthttp://www.kirotv.com/index.html

Family sues Disneyland, over racist white "Rabbit"

Diann Hodges — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:36:00 GMT

SAN DIEGO - It's a memorable part of parenthood -- when your child gets to meet their favorite character at an amusement park. But a family in San Diego says they were robbed of that special moment because a Disneyland employee was racist.

This family has been battling with Disney since last August because they say the amusement park employee was racist -- and now they just want to make sure no other children go through this.

"I was going to hug him but he turned his back," said 6-year-old Jason Black.

"How'd that make you feel?"

"Sad," replied Jason.

The 6-year-old was shunned by his favorite character from Alice in Wonderland. All he wanted was a hug -- and his older brother Elijah just wanted to hold the rabbit's hand.

"The rabbit was turning his back on him like he didn't event want to touch him, I went up to try to hold his hand but he kept on flicking my hand off," said Elijah.

"Our first instinct was okay, maybe they have new policies, maybe they aren't supposed to touch the kids anymore so then we stood by and we watched," said father Jason Black Sr.

What they saw led them to believe that the person playing Rabbit was racist.

"This white boy. He started hugging on the little girl and kissing... then hugging the boy and they were white," said Elijah Black.

"There were two other kids that came up and the rabbit showered them, hugged kissed them, posed with them, meanwhile that made my kids feel horrible," said Black Sr.

The family immediately showed the photos to management and filed a complaint. Management offered VIP passes -- but the family turn down that offer, asking for an apology and termination of the employee instead.

"It's about the principle and what are you going to do to make the situation better so this doesn't happen to another family."

After months of battling with Disney, the family has been asked to sign a confidential waiver in exchange for $500. They hired an attorney and now demand that the company look at surveillance video of the interaction.

Disney has not yet responded to the family's request. Our affiliate in San Diego contacted Disney for comment and they emailed a statement saying "We cannot comment on something that we are not aware of -- and that we carefully review all guest claims."

Courtesy of FOX 10 News, Phoenix.