Man Found Trapped in Chimney of Home

Police said the suspect never made it into the house, but firefighters still had to tear into the fireplace to pull him out before officers arrested him. HOUSTON, Texas — A Houston couple who woke before dawn on Easter to noises in their fireplace instead found a man trapped in their chimney, a discovery that ended with firefighters breaking open the hearth and police arresting the 33-year-old on a burglary charge. The case drew attention …

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Mother Uses Bear Spray on Young Children

Police said a child ran through a Leeds neighborhood for help before officers took two siblings to a Birmingham hospital and opened a felony abuse case. LEEDS, Ala. — An Alabama mother is accused of spraying her two young children with bear spray, sending them for hospital treatment after one child ran down a Leeds street crying for help on March 8, police and court records show. Christie Lashay Williams, 36, of Leeds, was arrested …

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Deadly Collapse at Hospital Garage Site

Officials shifted from rescue to recovery after dogs found no signs of life in the unstable structure. PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — City crews prepared to begin demolition after a parking garage under construction for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia partially collapsed in Grays Ferry, killing one ironworker and leaving two others presumed dead after a roof section gave way earlier this week. The move marked a painful turn in a disaster that quickly became both a …

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Nancy Guthrie Case Takes Dark Turn With New Ransom Notes

The messages, reportedly sent to TMZ, surfaced as detectives and the FBI continued a two-month search with no public breakthrough. TUCSON, Ariz. — Investigators in Arizona are reviewing two new purported ransom messages tied to the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie, as the search moved deeper into its third month with no arrests and no public proof that the latest claims are real. The development has renewed attention …

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Woman Fatally Shot on Couch as Friends “Played” With Gun

Police said Louis Jenkins Jr. was handling a loaded handgun during a late-night gathering when Rebecca Carter was shot inside an east-side home. INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A 20-year-old Indianapolis man has been charged with reckless homicide after police said he fatally shot his 21-year-old girlfriend while the two sat on a couch inside a home on the city’s east side on April 1. The charge against Louis Jenkins Jr. grew out of a case that …

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Mom Let Drunk 14-Year-Old Drive Before Fatal Crash

Jurors convicted Erika Martinez-Ramirez after prosecutors said she let her 14-year-old son drive despite earlier warnings from police. BELLMEAD, Texas — A McLennan County jury convicted Erika Martinez-Ramirez of endangering a child, and a judge sentenced her to two years in prison after prosecutors said she sent her intoxicated 14-year-old son to drive his younger sister on a late-night errand that ended in a fatal crash. The verdict closed the public part of a case …

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Groom Kills Friend at Bachelor Party

Investigators say Nolan Engel fired a 9 mm handgun after reporting a shadow outside a Broken Bow cabin, and 21-year-old Braden Uhlmann later died at a hospital. BROKEN BOW, Okla. — Oklahoma authorities say a 22-year-old groom on a bachelor party trip shot and killed a friend outside a rental cabin before dawn Saturday, leading to a second-degree murder charge in a case that has left major questions about the moments before the gunfire unanswered. …

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Woman Found Gunned Down in Neighborhood

Police said Lori Ann Perez, 47, was discovered in a Nissan Rogue before 2 a.m. April 9, and detectives later named Richard Benjamin Charles, 46, as the suspected shooter. PHOENIX — Phoenix police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 47-year-old woman found inside a Nissan Rogue in the Maryvale area before dawn Thursday, then turned to her boyfriend as a suspect after he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a search of his …

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Man Kills 2 Firefighters Searching for Missing Woman

Prosecutors say witnesses saw the car swerving on Route 222 before it struck the firefighters’ utility vehicle and the driver ran from the crash scene. RICHMOND TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 26-year-old man faces homicide and DUI charges after police said his car swerved onto the shoulder of Route 222 and hit a utility vehicle carrying two volunteer fire chiefs who were helping search for a missing woman Saturday evening. The deaths of Chief Jeffory L. …

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4-Year-Old Found Dead After Day-Long Delay

Police say the boy, who had autism, had likely been dead for more than 24 hours before his mother called 911 on Tuesday in Franklin County. WAYNESBORO, Pa. — A 40-year-old Waynesboro woman is charged with felony child endangerment after police said her 4-year-old son was found dead inside their Pratt Court home and a coroner concluded the boy had likely been dead for more than 24 hours. Amie Ruleman was charged Wednesday with one …

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