List of All Articles with Tag 'erica'

Within minutes of it being released, it appeared on his website along with a call for campaign donations.

A woman has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly abandoning her dog at a Pennsylvania airport before boarding a flight to a resort in Mexico. Allison Gaiser, 44, allegedly ditched her brown-and-white male French bulldog at Pittsburgh International Airport on 4 August after she was denied boarding by the airline because it did not meet the criteria for an emotional support animal, the Allegheny county police said on Thursday. She also did not have a proper kennel required to bring the animal onto a flight, the authorities said. After leaving the ticket counter, Ms Gaiser was seen on surveillance cameras pushing the dog in the stroller back toward a moving walkway enclosure, next to glass exit doors in the airport's short-term parking lot. She later moved to an area where a county police officer found the dog unattended in the stroller about 40 minutes later at around 5.03am, authorities said. The dog, which was licensed and had an identification microchip, was found unharmed and turned over to an animal care facility. He was later sent to a foster home and is doing well, the police said. Authorities were waiting for Ms Gaiser when she returned to the airport about 12.30am on 10 August. She admitted leaving the dog behind because the airline wouldn't allow it on the plane but claimed to have made arrangements with her mother to pick up the animal at the airport, according to the Associated Press. She allowed the police to review text messages between her and her mother, but authorities said it was apparent that no immediate arrangement was made for Ms Gaiser's mother to pick up the dog. The mother said she only found out about the incident when Ms Gaiser's ex-husband shared a news story about the dog being left at the airport. Ms Gaiser has been charged with one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, summary violations of animal cruelty, animal neglect and abandonment of animals by owner. Her initial court hearing is scheduled for 16 October. "There are many pets still looking for a home, and we would encourage anyone interested in adoption to reach out to Animal Friends at 412-847-7000," the police department said on Facebook. Read More Dog owner documents rescued maltese’s ‘journey to walking again’ after she was suddenly paralysed Dogs being killed, poisoned, beaten and mutilated on massive scale, says RSPCA Britney Spears called out by PETA over her alleged decision to buy new puppy instead of rescue

The son of a Los Angeles County fire captain has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and murdering a California woman who was shot and abducted from a park. Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been charged with multiple felonies including murder, kidnapping and attempted rape of 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez. Mr Esparza entered a not-guilty plea when he made his first court appearance for the brutal slaying on Wednesday. Prosecutors have formally filed seven charges against the suspect, according to a criminal complaint submitted in Los Angeles Superior Court. These also include attempted murder, kidnapping to commit another crime, assault with intent to commit a felony, and two counts of attempted forcible rape. Vazquez was randomly kidnapped on Sunday while in a car with her boyfriend in a Whittier park. While Vazquez and her boyfriend were sitting in the parked car at Penn Park, an armed man approached them and began shooting. Vazquez’s boyfriend fled the scene and when he returned, he “discovered blood” near it and Vazquez was gone. Vazquez’s body was found the following day in Moreno Valley. Read More Andrea Vasquez: California woman shot and kidnapped from boyfriend’s car found dead Ambushed at an LA park, kidnapped and her body dumped in a field: What happened to Andrea Vazquez?

Prosecutors said new DNA results are expected in just a matter of weeks in their case against a Massachusetts man accused of murdering his wife, Ana Walshe. Ms Walshe, 39, was last seen at her home just after midnight on New Year’s Day. Her body has not been found, but prosecutors are trying to prove that her husband, Brian Walshe, murdered and dismembered the mother-of-three. In a court appearance on Tuesday, prosecutors said they are awaiting the results of DNA testing as they continue to build their case against Mr Walshe, WHDH reported. The convicted art fraudster was arrested on 8 January on charges for hindering the police investigation after prosecutors said that traces of blood and a knife were found in the basement of her family home. On 17 January, he was charged with his wife’s murder. While court proceedings continued on Tuesday, another search for Ms Walshe was conducted in a wooded area of Peabody, Massachusetts. The search location was less than a mile from the Peabody Transfer Station where investigators said they found evidence in this case back in January. But the search yielded nothing, according to Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrisey’s office. “Two persons in the Peabody community unconnected to the prosecution of Brian Walshe contacted State Police investigators with their belief that an area of that community may be of investigative interest in that matter,” spokesman David Traub said in a statement. “A search of that area by the Massachusetts State Police SERT team yielded nothing.” Police in Cohasset first announced that Ms Walshe was missing in a statement on 5 January and asked for the public’s help in finding her. Authorities said that she was last seen at her home shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day, and described her as being 5 feet 2 inches tall, 115 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and an olive complexion. They state that she speaks with an Eastern European accent. She had been due to take a ride-share car from her home to Boston’s Logan Airport to take a flight to Washington DC, where she works in real estate, police said. Tishman Speyer reported her missing on 4 January, and police in Cohasset performed a welfare check at the family home. A criminal affidavit in the case states that Mr Walshe told police that he last saw his wife at their home early on 1 January when she took an Uber or Lyft to the airport. He also told authorities that he went to a Whole Foods and a CVS in Swampscott, Massachusetts, 40 miles away, on 1 January and took his child to get ice cream the following day. The affidavit states that police did not find that any Uber or Lyft ride had taken place on New Year’s Day, and Ms Walshe never took a flight to DC or arrived in the city by any other means of transport. Prosecutors also say they reviewed video footage of Whole Foods and CVS and did not see Mr Walshe at either location. The search for Ms Walshe initially focused on wooded areas near the family’s home. Officials said that 20 troopers from a specialised search and rescue were joined by three police K9 teams and a police helicopter in the search. State police divers also searched a small stream and drained the home’s swimming pool. Ms Walshe lived with her family in Cohasset, Massachusetts, but worked in real estate in Washington DC during the week. Ms Walshe was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and was working at the Wheatleigh Hotel in Lenox when she met Mr Walshe in 2008. After their 2015 marriage, they had three sons between two and six years old. The couple’s three young boys were placed in the care of the Department of Children and Families following Mr Walshe’s first arrest. Read More Ana Walshe: Timeline of missing Massachusetts mother’s disappearance Desperate searches for two missing women who vanished days apart in Colorado resort town

It began just like any other Wednesday night at the popular biker bar. Motorcycle riders and enthusiasts had gathered for drinks, food and fun with friends at Cook’s Corner, one of the most famous biker bars and restaurants in southern California. But, this one night took a devastating turn when a gunman opened fire, leaving at least three people dead and many others injured. The mass shooting suspect – identified by authorities as retired police officer John Snowling– was then shot and killed by responding officers. Reports suggest that Snowling’s wife Marie Snowling, who is being treated in hospital for gunshot wounds, was the target of the attack. Now, the southern California biker community has been left reeling, as the latest community rocked by the effects of gun violence in America. Cook’s Corner has been met with an outpouring of love and support on its Instagram account in the wake of the mass shooting. “I’m still trying to process what happened tonight,” Diana Simon, who works at Cook’s Corner, wrote on Facebook. “The loss and what it has done to all I care about. We are a family at Cook’s Corner. Marie lights up every room she walks in. Her smile and enthusiasm for life… it’s just so wrong. It all doesn’t feel real.” Here’s what we know so far about the shooting: The deadly shooting At around 7.04pm on Wednesday 23 August, authorities received a 911 call about a shooting at Cook’s Corner biker bar in California’s Orange County. Police said that the gunman opened fire at the bar, killing at least three people. Another six victims were injured including five who were hospitalised with gunshot wounds. Witnesses told CBS and KCAL News that the gunfire began in the picnic area. They said they initially heard about five or six shots before a brief pause. Shortly after, the shooting continued with an increased volley of fire. One witness told the outlet that he and a cook barricaded themselves in the kitchen to hide from the gunman. They armed themselves with a frying pan and waited until it was safe to come out, he said. The cook had been shot in the arm during the encounter. The witness also claimed that a pregnant woman had begged the gunman to spare her, saying “please don’t shoot me, I’m five months pregnant”. The gunman allegedly told her to “get out of here” and let her leave. Another man was not so fortunate, however, with the witness saying his friend was fatally shot in the back by the gunman. Police said that officers arrived on the scene of the shooting around two minutes after the 911 call came in. There, they encountered the gunman who was fatally shot at the scene. Six victims were taken to Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo for treatment. Two are in critical condition while four others are in stable condition. The suspect The suspected gunman was identified on Thursday as retired police officer John Snowling. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said that Snwoling had been employed by the Ventura Police Department from 1984 until his retirement in 2014. According to an article published in 2012, Snowling led a patrol task force within the agency. Local media reports said that the incident began as a domestic dispute between the shooter and his wife, Marie Snowling. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said it was looking into reports that the suspect first shot his wife at the bar. Despite earlier reports that Ms Snowling had not survived, her father William Mosby told The Orange County on Thursday that she is recovering from her injuries at Providence Mission Hospital Mission Viejo. “Her friend in the bar said she was shot in the lower jaw,” Mr Mosby told the outlet. “I’m extremely relieved, what I heard was the worst.” Mr Mosby described Snowling as a “crazy husband” who couldn’t cope with Ms Snowling’s request for a divorce. Ms Snowling’s friend Betty Fruichantie also told NBC that the two were enjoying a live performance at the popular biker’s bar when the gunman entered the establishment. “We were sitting there listening to the band and all of sudden, from behind us, we hear shooting. A bunch of shooting,” Ms Fruichantie said. “I thought it was just firecrackers, she didn’t say anything. People were getting shot. People were getting shot.” Ms Fruichantie said that Ms Snowling had recently filed for divorce and was staying with friends. The reaction The devasting shooting has left many in shock, including community members, gun control groups and lawmakers. In a press conference, undersheriff Jeff Hallock described the night as “difficult” for everyone involved and for the community. “I want to start off by offering condolences to the families of the victims and to the entire Trabuco Canyon community,” he said. California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he was monitoring the shooting “and coordinating with local officials as more details become available”. Orange County supervisor Katrina Foley tweeted: “We must do more to protect survivors. Another domestic dispute led to another mass shooting. This as US v. Rahimi, being heard by SCOTUS following Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal decision ruling this lifesaving federal ‘red flag’ law unconstitutional. We must do more to protect survivors.” Senator Dave Min from Orange County said he was "devastated" by the news. “Our district is one of the safest areas in the country, and yet we too are repeatedly afflicted with the scourge of mass shootings,” he said. “An office park in Orange, a church in Laguna Woods, a bar in Trabuco Canyon. There is no place in America that is safe from the scourge of gun violence. There is no community not affected.” There have been more than 400 mass shootings in the US so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Read More Cook’s Corner shooting – live: Ex-cop John Snowling named as suspect who killed three in California biker bar Gunman in Cook’s Corner shooting identified as retired police officer John Snowling At least four dead in shooting at historic California biker bar

A three-year-old was struck by a stray bullet while jumping on a couch in New York on Monday night. Lovely Toney was at home in an apartment complex in the hamlet of Ridge, Long Island, when police arrived looking for murder suspect Gary Jones. Detectives were in the building to interview Jones’s friend, who is a resident in the same complex, and soon found that the suspect was there at that moment too. They subsequently instructed everyone to leave the apartment, before Jones came out of another room and began shooting. Of the multiple shots fired, three rounds went through the wall into the apartment next door and a bullet struck Lovely, causing her to bleed heavily. Describing the harrowing scene to CBS, Lovely’s father James Toney said: “No three-year-old, any child, should experience anything inside their home. She was fresh out of the tub, dripping wet from getting out of the bath.” “She just jumped on the couch, and she must have had her hand up, because the shot went through the hand, through the stomach,” he added, explaining: “I turned around and my daughter was standing there with blood running.” Lovely was rushed to hospital and underwent life-saving surgery. At a press conference Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison released bodycam footage of the incident and praised the “heroism” of apartment residents and the “quick action” of police officers and detectives at the scene, without whom the incident could have resulted in “horrific tragedy.” Mr Harrison explained that the “timely manoeuvre of getting that three-year-old child into a vehicle, rushing to a hospital” were what saved Lovely’s life. Referring to the family’s trauma, he said: “I have a grandson who is three years old. I can’t imagine going through that same situation.” “But I will say thank God for the men and women of this department,” Mr Harrison finished. Jones was found dead in the neighbouring apartment later, as a result of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. The murder suspect was wanted by police for allegedly killing his girlfriend in Central Islip in June. Read More Woman arrested and charged with threatening to kill judge presiding over Trump’s Jan 6 case Cook’s Corner shooting – live: Four killed, including gunman, and 6 injured at California biker bar Philadelphia officer to be fired over shooting death of Black man as new video contradicts police account Will Donald Trump go to prison?

Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis has requested a 23 October trial for all 19 defendants in the 2020 election subversion case, including former President Donald Trump. Ms Willis was responding to the request for a speedy trial from one of the defendants, lawyer Kenneth Chesebro. His filing didn’t get much attention on Wednesday as former New York Mayor and Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani stole the spotlight as he surrendered to the authorities in Atlanta and had his mugshot taken. Mr Chesebro made the filing as a legal gamble to throw a wrench into the proceedings in the hopes that Ms Willis wasn’t ready for it, but Ms Willis seemingly called his bluff, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The issue of the trial date is now up to the Judge in the case. More follows...

Six others have been wounded in the incident at Cook's Corner, a popular community hangout.

Newly-released bodycam footage shows the dramatic moment police arrested Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife for the Microsoft executive’s murder. Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, 36, was taken into custody in front of the couple’s children at her Washington state home just before 9am on 17 August 2023 after a year-long investigation. Bridegan, who was a father of four and a software developer at Microsoft, was ambushed and shot dead in Jacksonville Beach in February 2022 after driving his children home. More than a year later, half-a-dozen police officers descended on the ex-wife’s home and could be heard yelling “Warrant! Police,” as seen in a bodycam video obtained by Fox News. A frazzled-looking Gardner-Fernandez is handcuffed and brought out onto the porch in a black t-shirt and pink printed pajama shorts. Someone is heard asking if they should get her pants while the woman’s mother cries while waiting outside. She can be heard asking police about her 12-year-old twin grandchildren, “Can I be with the kids, or can you at least bring the kids out to me?” One of Gardner-Fernandez’s children can be heard asking her mother, “Where are your jeans, mom?” Another child responds, “I know where they are.” Gardner-Fernandez reappears in pants and is heard on the video telling her children “I love you” before she is escorted to the police car. The footage also shows Gardner-Fernandez to a police interview room. She later extradited to Jacksonville where she faces charges of first degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse. Gardner-Fernandez, her husband Mario Fernandez Saldana and Henry Tenon have all been charged in the death of the Microsoft executive. State Attorney Mellisa Nelson said the couple will be prosecuted together. They are seeking the death penalty. “Shanna’s arrest ends one horrific chapter of our pursuit for justice for Jared and now we opened a new one. This next chapter will be excruciating. We are confident in the ability of the State’s Attorney’s Office and law enforcement to bring truth to light we expect to see justice carried out to the fullest extent of the law.” Read More Jared Bridegan’s widow reveals last time she saw him alive as ex-wife fights extradition over murder – latest Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan was shot dead in a chilling ambush. Did his ex wife arrange it?

The suspected gunman in Wednesday night’s shooting at a biker’s bar in California has been identified as retired police officer John Snowling. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Snowling, a former officer from the City of Ventura, died during a confrontation with law enforcement. Undersheriff Jeff Hallock said he couldn’t confirm whether Snowling was killed by deputies but said it was “safe to assume” so, local news station KTLA reports. The violence broke out around 7pm at the Cook’s Corner bar. Four people, including the suspected gunman and his wife, were killed. Six others were wounded. This is a developing story ... check again for updates.

Elon Musk’s rebranded social media platform X took two days to suspend the account of a gunman identified by authorities as Laura Carleton’s killer. Travis Ikeguchi, 27, posted hate-filled screeds about the LGBTQ+ community and threatened law enforcement officers on the platform formerly known as Twitter. On 18 August, Ikeguchi fatally shot Carleton, 66, after yelling homophobic slurs about a Pride flag hanging outside her Mag.Pi fashion store in Glen Cedar, California. He was identified as the killer by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office on 21 August, when a spokesperson said a review of his social media accounts on X and Gab showed extremist anti-LGBTQ+ views and intense hatred for law enforcement. Ikeguchi had pinned an image of a burning Pride flag to the top of his X account. After numerous users reported him for violating the platform’s safety standards, X finally suspended his account on Wednesday (23 August). CNN reported that the account was suspended 30 minutes after it contacted the platform seeking comment. After Mr Musk purchased the platform last year, he fired roughly 80 per cent of its employees including most of its content moderators and compliance team. Under previous management, accounts associated with violent incidents were typically suspended straight away. On X, Ikeguchi posted anti-semitic statements, followed and boosted rightwing personalities Jordan Peterson and Matt Walsh, and expressed support for anti-vaxx presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr X did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Independent. Carleton, a fierce LGBTQ+ ally and mother of nine, had faced repeated threats for displaying a Pride flag from her clothing store, family say. The Lauri Carleton Memorial Fund has been set up to support community projects she was involved in in the Lake Arrowhead area. Read More Laura Carleton memorial fund set up to keep LGBTQ+ ally’s ‘spirit alive’ Laura Carleton’s murder over Pride flag captured on store surveillance camera Laura Carleton’s killer was the son of a decorated police officer

At least four people have been killed and others are being treated for gunshot wounds after a mass shooting at a popular bikers’ bar in California’s Orange County. The Orange County sheriff said those killed included the suspected gunman, with local TV station KCAL News reporting that the incident began with a domestic dispute between the gunman and his wife. Local media reports described the shooter as a retired law enforcement officer. California governor Gavin Newsom was monitoring the shooting “and coordinating with local officials as more details become available,” his office tweeted. Cook’s Corner is a popular, longtime watering hole for the biker community in Southern California. Many motorcycle riders and enthusiasts gather there on weeknights and during the weekend for live music, open-mic nights or just a cold beer after a long ride. Hours before the shooting, customers were stopping by for an afternoon drink and meal. Rows of motorcycles and bikes framed the gravel entrance as plaques described the storied history of the bar built in 1884.