BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese man dropped dead after playing Internet games for three consecutive days, state media said on Monday as China seeks to wean Internet addicts offline.
The man from the southern boomtown of Guangzhou, aged about 30, died on Saturday after being rushed to the hospital from the Internet cafe, local authorities were quoted by the Beijing News as saying.
"Police have ruled out the possibility of suicide," the newspaper said, adding that exhaustion was the most likely cause of death. It did not say what game he was playing.
China, worried about the spread of pornography and politically incorrect content, has banned the opening of new cybercafes this year and issued orders limiting the time Internet users can spend playing online.
In April, President Hu Jintao launched a campaign to rid the Internet of "unhealthy" content and make it a platform for Communist Party doctrine
Source Reuters
Monday, September 17, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Mugger Tries To Rob Blind Judo Champ
A German mugger who picked on a blind man had a shock when his 'victim' turned out to be a world judo champ.
Michael Esser, 33, a world champion last year in martial arts for the visually impaired, ended up pummelling his 17-year-old attacker into submission.
Mr Esser had just bought a packet of cigarettes outside the railway station in Marburg when the skinheaded, jobless attacker demanded them.
"Give me those, Stevie," he said in what police said was a reference to blind singer Stevie Wonder.
He lunged for the cigarettes and hit the man in the face. The blind man then seized his arm, shoved it behind his back and kneed him in the back of his legs.
Then he twisted him around and flung him face-first on to the pavement, pinning him to the ground with his body.
"The blind Judoka used some expert moves to wrestle the robber to the ground and pinned him down while he shouted for help," Marburg police said in a statement.
The champion had to be treated for a bloody nose following the incident but he said: "I may be blind but I am fit. I hope he thinks twice before he picks on people again.
"I didn't bother to go to the hospital because I was off to meet some mates to listen to a football match. At least I still had my smokes to enjoy!"
source Ananova
Michael Esser, 33, a world champion last year in martial arts for the visually impaired, ended up pummelling his 17-year-old attacker into submission.
Mr Esser had just bought a packet of cigarettes outside the railway station in Marburg when the skinheaded, jobless attacker demanded them.
"Give me those, Stevie," he said in what police said was a reference to blind singer Stevie Wonder.
He lunged for the cigarettes and hit the man in the face. The blind man then seized his arm, shoved it behind his back and kneed him in the back of his legs.
Then he twisted him around and flung him face-first on to the pavement, pinning him to the ground with his body.
"The blind Judoka used some expert moves to wrestle the robber to the ground and pinned him down while he shouted for help," Marburg police said in a statement.
The champion had to be treated for a bloody nose following the incident but he said: "I may be blind but I am fit. I hope he thinks twice before he picks on people again.
"I didn't bother to go to the hospital because I was off to meet some mates to listen to a football match. At least I still had my smokes to enjoy!"
source Ananova
Officer Suspended After Video Threat
ST. GEORGE, Mo. - A suburban St. Louis police sergeant has been put on unpaid suspension, accused of threatening to invent charges against a driver who caught the exchange on videotape.
The driver, Brett Darrow, 20, recorded Friday's exchange with Sgt. James Kuehnlein with a dashboard videocamera he installed after past run-ins with police. He posted the video online Saturday.
"I wanted everybody to see that this kind of stuff does happen," Darrow told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in Tuesday's edition. "I thought if I just go to the chief or whatever, it would just get swept under the rug."
In the video, Kuehnlein approaches Darrow, who was sitting in a parked car at about 2 a.m. in a commuter lot. Kuehnlein asks for identification.
When Darrow asks whether he did anything wrong, the officer orders him out of the car and begins shouting.
"You want to try me? You want to try me tonight? You think you have a bad night? I will ruin your night. Do you want to try me tonight, young boy?"
Darrow says no.
"Do you want to go to jail for some (expletive) reason I come up with?" the police officer says. Later, Darrow says, "I don't want any problems, officer."
After about 10 minutes, Darrow is allowed to go.
The recording, posted on YouTube.com, brought more than 300 protest calls to St. George Police Chief Scott Uhrig.
"I was very displeased when I saw the actions on the video," Uhrig said. "My officers are not trained and taught to act like that."
A listed number could not be found for Kuehnlein for comment.
Uhrig said Kuehnlein stopped to talk to Darrow because police have received reports of thefts from cars in the area. But Uhrig said the officer's actions and tone were inappropriate.
"Someone either violated the law or they didn't. You don't say, I'll lock you up and then come up with why afterward," Uhrig said.
source Philly.com
Anger Management Student Hits Man at Bus Stop with his Class Folder
A Saint Paul man - on his way to anger management class - allegedly assaulted a woman at a bus stop.
Justin Boudin is charged with fifth-degree felony assault in the August 29 incident.
Boudin was at the bus stop at Minnesota and East Seventh streets when, according to police, he began yelling at a 59-year-old woman and other people. He allegedly struck the woman when she tried to use a cell phone to call for help.
A man at the stop tried to intervene when Boudin allegedly hit him with a folder of class work for the anger management session Boudin was traveling to attend. Metro Transit police got his name for the materials and he was eventually arrested.
Boudin told police he was assaulted and dropped the folder when he fled.
Boudin has two prior convictions for domestic assault, he makes his next court appearance Friday.
source Kare 11 TV
Justin Boudin is charged with fifth-degree felony assault in the August 29 incident.
Boudin was at the bus stop at Minnesota and East Seventh streets when, according to police, he began yelling at a 59-year-old woman and other people. He allegedly struck the woman when she tried to use a cell phone to call for help.
A man at the stop tried to intervene when Boudin allegedly hit him with a folder of class work for the anger management session Boudin was traveling to attend. Metro Transit police got his name for the materials and he was eventually arrested.
Boudin told police he was assaulted and dropped the folder when he fled.
Boudin has two prior convictions for domestic assault, he makes his next court appearance Friday.
source Kare 11 TV
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Chef Ramsay Burns Balls on Stove
TV Chef Gordon Ramsay needed urgent hospital treatment after burning his meat and two veg.
The F-Word and Hell's Kitchen star rushed to London's private Cromwell Hospital after roasting his sensitive parts.
Ramsay, 40, said: "I burnt my right b*****k and I'm in absolute agony.
"You wouldn't believe how much this hurts."
Advertisement
He told of his painful kitchen accident before picking up his Best Chef gong at at the GQ Men of the Year awards.
He said at the glitzy event on Tuesday: "The other day I was standing too close to the hob when I was cooking.
"I was wearing cotton trousers and underneath I was going commando.
"Then suddenly I felt this searing heat - my b***s were burning."
Ramsay is not the first celebrity chef to suffer such a wound - Jamie Oliver burned himself where it hurts most while cooking a Valentine's Day meal for his wife in the nude in 2004.
Source Mirror.Co.Uk
Oversalted burger leads to charges
Sun Sep 9, 2:02 PM ET
UNION CITY, Ga. - A McDonald's employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges because a police officer's burger was too salty, so salty that he says it made him sick.
Kendra Bull was arrested Friday, charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and freed on $1,000 bail.
Bull, 20, said she accidentally spilled salt on hamburger meat and told her supervisor and a co-worker, who "tried to thump the salt off."
On her break, she ate a burger made with the salty meat. "It didn't make me sick," Bull told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
But then Police Officer Wendell Adams got a burger made with the oversalted meat, and he returned a short time later and told the manager it made him sick.
Bull admitted spilling salt on the meat, and Adams took her outside and questioned her, she said.
"If it was too salty, why did (Adams) not take one bite and throw it away?" said Bull, who has worked at the restaurant for five months. She said she didn't know a police officer got one of the salty burgers because she couldn't see the drive-through window from her work area.
Police said samples of the burger were sent to the state crime lab for tests.
City public information officer George Louth said Bull was charged because she served the burger "without regards to the well-being of anyone who might consume it."
Source Yahoo News
UNION CITY, Ga. - A McDonald's employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges because a police officer's burger was too salty, so salty that he says it made him sick.
Kendra Bull was arrested Friday, charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and freed on $1,000 bail.
Bull, 20, said she accidentally spilled salt on hamburger meat and told her supervisor and a co-worker, who "tried to thump the salt off."
On her break, she ate a burger made with the salty meat. "It didn't make me sick," Bull told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
But then Police Officer Wendell Adams got a burger made with the oversalted meat, and he returned a short time later and told the manager it made him sick.
Bull admitted spilling salt on the meat, and Adams took her outside and questioned her, she said.
"If it was too salty, why did (Adams) not take one bite and throw it away?" said Bull, who has worked at the restaurant for five months. She said she didn't know a police officer got one of the salty burgers because she couldn't see the drive-through window from her work area.
Police said samples of the burger were sent to the state crime lab for tests.
City public information officer George Louth said Bull was charged because she served the burger "without regards to the well-being of anyone who might consume it."
Source Yahoo News
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Truth stranger than fiction as author jailed
WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish crime writer has been jailed for 25 years after authorities found he had committed a murder that had been described in one of his thrillers, officials said Wednesday.
In his 2003 book "Amok," Krystian Bala described in detail the brutal murder of a Polish businessman.
Police found that the fictional crime had similarities with a case in 2000 when a body was fished out of the river Oder in the town of Wroclaw, near the German border.
Prosecutors said Bala had humiliated, tortured, starved and later killed his victim, who had a love affair with the writer's wife.
"The court has sentenced Krystian B. to 25 years in prison for the murder of his ex-wife's lover," said a spokesman for the court in Wroclaw.
Bala told authorities that he had taken details of the case from press reports and made up other aspects of the story.
source reuters Photo REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Jobless Japanese Live In Net Cafés
Tokyo, Japan (AHN) - In Japan, the Internet café has become a substitute for home. A survey of Japan's ministry of health indicated that the number of people who sleeps over at 24-hour Internet cafes for having no home or job total 5,400 nationwide, the Kyodo News reported.
A report by AFP said Internet cafes in Japan offer sofas and showers, serve food and drinks, and even sell underwear to businessmen on break or stranded commuters. But young day laborers have taken advantage of the cheap amenities and stay there round-the-clock instead of renting and living in apartments.
source All Headline News
A report by AFP said Internet cafes in Japan offer sofas and showers, serve food and drinks, and even sell underwear to businessmen on break or stranded commuters. But young day laborers have taken advantage of the cheap amenities and stay there round-the-clock instead of renting and living in apartments.
source All Headline News
Woman Set on Fire by Cancer Treatment
London: 74-year-old Francesca Ryder is recovering in hospital after being set alight by a laser designed to treat cancer. She suffered burns to her abdomen, chest, and arm. The burns were severe enough to require skin grafts.
The laser is thought to have overheated and ignited the woman's bandages after staff forgot to turn a cooling system on. Ryder is suing the hospital over the accident. St Mary's hospital has issued an apology to her.
"I have not heard of this happening on a patient before. For ignition to occur, there must have been a series of errors," said Professor Malcolm Sperrin from the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
Source The Sun.UK
The laser is thought to have overheated and ignited the woman's bandages after staff forgot to turn a cooling system on. Ryder is suing the hospital over the accident. St Mary's hospital has issued an apology to her.
"I have not heard of this happening on a patient before. For ignition to occur, there must have been a series of errors," said Professor Malcolm Sperrin from the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
Source The Sun.UK
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Monday, September 3, 2007
Teenager Eats Roommate
'I ate my roommate', says teen
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Police found half-eaten body parts on a plateA teenager claims to have killed his room-mate then eaten parts of his brain and internal organs.
The 19-year-old, named only as Robert A, has confessed to murdering the 49-year-old man he met in a homeless shelter, it was reported.
Robert crushed his room-mate's skull with a 9kg iron bar before using a butcher's knife to remove his intestines. Officers found the body lying in a pool of blood, with body parts spread around the room and half-eaten on a plate in the kitchen.
The murder was discovered yesterday when a cleaner went into the shelter. Robert allegedly told her about the murder and asked her to contact the police, according to The Times.
The man, known as Joseph S, is thought to have been killed about three days ago and his body was found at the ground-floor, two-bedroom flat in Vienna where the two men lived alone.
A police investigator said: "We are supposed to be prepared for situations like this, but this surpasses the limits of imagination.”
Robert was placed at the shelter, which was set up to provide accommodation for mentally ill people living on the street, this month. His room-mate was registered there since June.
Source: www.metro.co.uk
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Police found half-eaten body parts on a plateA teenager claims to have killed his room-mate then eaten parts of his brain and internal organs.
The 19-year-old, named only as Robert A, has confessed to murdering the 49-year-old man he met in a homeless shelter, it was reported.
Robert crushed his room-mate's skull with a 9kg iron bar before using a butcher's knife to remove his intestines. Officers found the body lying in a pool of blood, with body parts spread around the room and half-eaten on a plate in the kitchen.
The murder was discovered yesterday when a cleaner went into the shelter. Robert allegedly told her about the murder and asked her to contact the police, according to The Times.
The man, known as Joseph S, is thought to have been killed about three days ago and his body was found at the ground-floor, two-bedroom flat in Vienna where the two men lived alone.
A police investigator said: "We are supposed to be prepared for situations like this, but this surpasses the limits of imagination.”
Robert was placed at the shelter, which was set up to provide accommodation for mentally ill people living on the street, this month. His room-mate was registered there since June.
Source: www.metro.co.uk
Motorcyclist Hits Car: Driver Finds Dead Body in Car Upon Arriving Home
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
PERRIS, Calif. (AP) A suspected drunken driver left a Highway 74 crash with a motorcyclist lodged in the rear window of his car, investigators said.
Nicholas Justin Campbell, 20, of Moreno Valley was riding his motorcycle Saturday night when Tony Martinez, 54, of Perris pulled his car out of a parking lot in front of him, California Highway patrol spokesman Ron Thatcher said.
The motorcycle, traveling about 80 mph, crashed into the car and Campbell was thrown through the rear window, Thatcher said. Martinez then drove away and realized when he got home that Campbell was in his car, Thatcher said.
Martinez drove to a Riverside County fire station where Campbell was declared dead, according to the coroner's office.
Martinez was arrested and booked for investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run and driving under the influence. Bail was set at $75,000.
Three friends riding with Campbell frantically searched for his body after the crash. Vivian Gomez, whose granddaughter was a friend of Campbell, said she was called shortly after the crash and arrived moments later.
``They said, 'Nick, he crashed. And we can't find his body anywhere.' They were looking for Nick when we got there,'' Gomez said. ``These boys were running up and down ... trying to find his body. Then they got the call that he was at the Fire Department.''
Information from: The Press-Enterprise
PERRIS, Calif. (AP) A suspected drunken driver left a Highway 74 crash with a motorcyclist lodged in the rear window of his car, investigators said.
Nicholas Justin Campbell, 20, of Moreno Valley was riding his motorcycle Saturday night when Tony Martinez, 54, of Perris pulled his car out of a parking lot in front of him, California Highway patrol spokesman Ron Thatcher said.
The motorcycle, traveling about 80 mph, crashed into the car and Campbell was thrown through the rear window, Thatcher said. Martinez then drove away and realized when he got home that Campbell was in his car, Thatcher said.
Martinez drove to a Riverside County fire station where Campbell was declared dead, according to the coroner's office.
Martinez was arrested and booked for investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run and driving under the influence. Bail was set at $75,000.
Three friends riding with Campbell frantically searched for his body after the crash. Vivian Gomez, whose granddaughter was a friend of Campbell, said she was called shortly after the crash and arrived moments later.
``They said, 'Nick, he crashed. And we can't find his body anywhere.' They were looking for Nick when we got there,'' Gomez said. ``These boys were running up and down ... trying to find his body. Then they got the call that he was at the Fire Department.''
Information from: The Press-Enterprise
Drug Dealer 'Tarred and Feathered'
Belfast: An alleged drug dealer was attacked by two men while a crowd, including women and children, were watching.
The men proceeded to pour tar over him and sprayed him with feathers. He was then forced to carry a sign reading "I'm a drug dealing scumbag."
By the time police arrived, neither the attackers nor the victim were to be found.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
The men proceeded to pour tar over him and sprayed him with feathers. He was then forced to carry a sign reading "I'm a drug dealing scumbag."
By the time police arrived, neither the attackers nor the victim were to be found.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
70-Year-Old Woman Arrested for Having Dead Lawn
Betty Perry was arrested and taken to a holding cell for having a brown lawn. When an officer turned up at her house in Orem, Utah, Betty refused to cooperate and tried to go back inside the house. Betty tripped and fell injuring her nose.
Due to her failure to cooperate Betty is also charged with resisting arrest. Betty was released from her cell by embarrassed police, and the mayor and city council apologized for her treatment, although she will still have to appear in court in Sept.
Paul Johnson, a city attorney, says "There's a violation that needs to be corrected." He claims Betty failed to follow an Orem ordinance requiring lawn maintenance and 11 other cases for "the exact same thing" have been filed since April.
Due to her failure to cooperate Betty is also charged with resisting arrest. Betty was released from her cell by embarrassed police, and the mayor and city council apologized for her treatment, although she will still have to appear in court in Sept.
Paul Johnson, a city attorney, says "There's a violation that needs to be corrected." He claims Betty failed to follow an Orem ordinance requiring lawn maintenance and 11 other cases for "the exact same thing" have been filed since April.
Anti-Vandalism Campaigner Convicted After Vandalising Neighbour's House
A CAMPAIGNER against vandalism was secretly filmed smashing a neighbour’s window with bricks.
Liam Jordan, 52, was desperate for CCTV to be installed around his home after a string of attacks.
The dad of two even organised a residents’ meeting, wrote to his local paper and started a petition to persuade the housing association and police to act.
But unknown to him, cameras had already been installed and he was recorded hurling bricks at neighbour David Larkins’ flat.
A 21-second clip showed Jordan TWICE throwing missiles before sprinting back into his own home in Seacroft, Leeds. He admitted criminal damage when he appeared yesterday at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.
David, 60, had complained of 11 vandal attacks in a year.
After Jordan’s attack, grandad-of-ten David said: “I got in to bed recently and this massive brick came through the window. If it had hit my head, I would be dead now.”
The court heard Jordan broke the window to shock police and housing association Places For People after vandal problems.
Inspector Nick Smart, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “Mr Jordan has brought misery to his community, which trusted him.”
The retired shopworker was sentenced to a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £560.39 compensation. He said after the case: “I regret what I did.
“I thought if I made the damage to our houses seem worse, the housing people would sit up and take notice. They will try to evict me now — and who can blame them?”
David added: “I was dumbfounded when I found out. We were friends but the sooner the association gets him out the better.”
Source: www.thesun.co.uk
Liam Jordan, 52, was desperate for CCTV to be installed around his home after a string of attacks.
The dad of two even organised a residents’ meeting, wrote to his local paper and started a petition to persuade the housing association and police to act.
But unknown to him, cameras had already been installed and he was recorded hurling bricks at neighbour David Larkins’ flat.
A 21-second clip showed Jordan TWICE throwing missiles before sprinting back into his own home in Seacroft, Leeds. He admitted criminal damage when he appeared yesterday at Leeds Magistrates’ Court.
David, 60, had complained of 11 vandal attacks in a year.
After Jordan’s attack, grandad-of-ten David said: “I got in to bed recently and this massive brick came through the window. If it had hit my head, I would be dead now.”
The court heard Jordan broke the window to shock police and housing association Places For People after vandal problems.
Inspector Nick Smart, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “Mr Jordan has brought misery to his community, which trusted him.”
The retired shopworker was sentenced to a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £560.39 compensation. He said after the case: “I regret what I did.
“I thought if I made the damage to our houses seem worse, the housing people would sit up and take notice. They will try to evict me now — and who can blame them?”
David added: “I was dumbfounded when I found out. We were friends but the sooner the association gets him out the better.”
Source: www.thesun.co.uk
Man Embarassed by Penis Size Secretly Gets His Brother to Have Sex With Girlfriend
Manfred Schuh was so embarrassed about his penis size he got his brother Walter to step in and have sex with his girlfriend. Manfred, 26, insisted on turning off the lights and going to the bathroom. Walter would then enter the room and have sex.
The girlfriend found out after 2 months when she turned the light on. "She apparently had no idea. Both men look similar as they are brothers, and the older brother made a point of not speaking when he was impersonating his younger sibling," said police.
Manfred, from Germany, is said to have feared losing the 24 year old girlfriend if he did not "perform well."
Source: www.metro.co.uk
The girlfriend found out after 2 months when she turned the light on. "She apparently had no idea. Both men look similar as they are brothers, and the older brother made a point of not speaking when he was impersonating his younger sibling," said police.
Manfred, from Germany, is said to have feared losing the 24 year old girlfriend if he did not "perform well."
Source: www.metro.co.uk
Michael Jackson is Dead
LONDON, Sept. 2 (AP) — Michael Jackson, a leading beer critic who helped start a renaissance of interest in beer and breweries worldwide in the 1970s, was found dead on Thursday at his home in West London. He was 65.
The cause was a heart attack, said Paddy Gunningham, his partner. She said that despite having Parkinson’s disease he had continued writing and traveling, and that he had planned to write a book about the disease.
Mr. Jackson especially loved Belgian brews, which his books “The Great Beers of Belgium” and “The World Guide to Beer” introduced to many export markets, including the United States.
By identifying beers by their flavors and styles, and by pairing them with particular foods and dishes, he also gave impetus to the North American microbrewery movement.
His television documentary series, “The Beer Hunter,” a title that popularized his nickname, was filmed around the world and shown in 15 countries.
Mr. Jackson was a beer critic for more than 30 years, writing in newspapers and gastronomic magazines, holding seminars, giving speeches and appearing on talk shows. His many books about beer and whiskeys were published in 18 languages.
He is survived by Ms. Gunningham; a stepdaughter, Sam Hopkins; a sister, Heather Campbell; and two grandchildren.
On his Web site, Mr. Jackson acknowledged that his familiar name often led to confusion. “Hello, my name is Michael Jackson,” it said last week. “No, not that Michael Jackson, but I am on a world tour. My tour is in pursuit of exceptional beer. That’s why they call me the Beer Hunter.”
Source: NY Times
The cause was a heart attack, said Paddy Gunningham, his partner. She said that despite having Parkinson’s disease he had continued writing and traveling, and that he had planned to write a book about the disease.
Mr. Jackson especially loved Belgian brews, which his books “The Great Beers of Belgium” and “The World Guide to Beer” introduced to many export markets, including the United States.
By identifying beers by their flavors and styles, and by pairing them with particular foods and dishes, he also gave impetus to the North American microbrewery movement.
His television documentary series, “The Beer Hunter,” a title that popularized his nickname, was filmed around the world and shown in 15 countries.
Mr. Jackson was a beer critic for more than 30 years, writing in newspapers and gastronomic magazines, holding seminars, giving speeches and appearing on talk shows. His many books about beer and whiskeys were published in 18 languages.
He is survived by Ms. Gunningham; a stepdaughter, Sam Hopkins; a sister, Heather Campbell; and two grandchildren.
On his Web site, Mr. Jackson acknowledged that his familiar name often led to confusion. “Hello, my name is Michael Jackson,” it said last week. “No, not that Michael Jackson, but I am on a world tour. My tour is in pursuit of exceptional beer. That’s why they call me the Beer Hunter.”
Source: NY Times
Police Chief Charged With Sexual Assault of 2 Male Employees
ALTON — Alton Police Chief Jose Luis Vela was suspended Thursday after authorities charged the 10-year veteran with two counts of sexual assault against male employees.
City Manager Jorge Arcaute suspended the chief with pay Thursday afternoon, placing Lt. Eric Hernandez in charge of the department. Vela remained in Hidalgo County Jail late Thursday on a $200,000 bond.
Investigators have accused Vela of performing oral sex on a male employee after the man passed out drunk at a party about a year ago, court documents show. Vela also faces charges of violating a different male employee with an object while that man was passed out at a party in July, said Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño.
Both parties allegedly happened at the chief’s home on the 4300 block of La Homa Road in Mission.
Treviño withheld the alleged victims’ names, ages and positions within the department, saying he did not want to reveal their identities. He would not specify whether the victims worked as officers or dispatchers for the 18-employee department.
Neither Treviño nor Alton city officials knew whether Vela, 42, was married, but they did say he lives alone.
The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office plans to interview every employee of Alton’s police and fire departments. Treviño said the investigation will continue as long as necessary and future arrests are possible.
City Hall shocked by charges
Alton City Manager Arcaute got the news about Vela’s arrest about 4 p.m. Thursday when he received a call from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.
Less than an hour later, the police chief was taken out of City Hall in shackles and investigators swarmed through the building.
As Vela awaits trial for the pair of felonies, city staff must move past shock and continue to serve the city’s residents, Arcaute said.
“This will reflect poorly on us,” Arcaute said. “The challenge for us is to keep doing a good job and work harder. We’re up to the challenge.”
In one of his first duties as acting police chief, Lt. Hernandez met with department employees Thursday evening to explain the situation, city officials said.
Hernandez will serve as chief until Vela goes to trial, Arcaute said. The city manager said he will decide whether to remove Vela permanently after the police chief is tried.
Meanwhile, further scandal may already be brewing for the Police Department.
On the sheriff’s recommendation, Arcaute has ordered an investigation into whether Vela or other employees tampered with evidence.
Treviño said deputies had reason to believe booze and drug paraphernalia had been removed from the evidence locker and used at the alleged parties where the sexual assaults are said to have happened.
He would not rule out the possibility of future arrests.
‘Bizarre and off track’
The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the sexual assault allegations last week.
A friend of one of the victims told deputies about the alleged assault from last year.
The victim himself hesitated to report it because of his employment situation and feelings of embarrassment, Treviño said.
Sheriff’s deputies began interviewing department employees and found another man who also said Vela had assaulted him.
Investigators took their findings to a judge, who signed a warrant for Vela’s arrest and ordered a search of his home and office.
Vela went peaceably when taken into custody at City Hall and remains segregated from other inmates, a standard practice when incarcerating law enforcement officials.
The police chief said little at his arraignment and told the judge he would need a court-appointed attorney.
As he was led out of the courtroom, Vela denied the charges were true and said he did not who his accusers were.
If convicted of the charges, Vela will no longer be allowed to work as a peace officer in Texas.
Treviño called the case “bizarre and off track.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a chief of a police arrested for sexually assaulting his employees,” the sheriff said.
Source: www.brownsvilleherald.com
City Manager Jorge Arcaute suspended the chief with pay Thursday afternoon, placing Lt. Eric Hernandez in charge of the department. Vela remained in Hidalgo County Jail late Thursday on a $200,000 bond.
Investigators have accused Vela of performing oral sex on a male employee after the man passed out drunk at a party about a year ago, court documents show. Vela also faces charges of violating a different male employee with an object while that man was passed out at a party in July, said Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Treviño.
Both parties allegedly happened at the chief’s home on the 4300 block of La Homa Road in Mission.
Treviño withheld the alleged victims’ names, ages and positions within the department, saying he did not want to reveal their identities. He would not specify whether the victims worked as officers or dispatchers for the 18-employee department.
Neither Treviño nor Alton city officials knew whether Vela, 42, was married, but they did say he lives alone.
The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office plans to interview every employee of Alton’s police and fire departments. Treviño said the investigation will continue as long as necessary and future arrests are possible.
City Hall shocked by charges
Alton City Manager Arcaute got the news about Vela’s arrest about 4 p.m. Thursday when he received a call from the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.
Less than an hour later, the police chief was taken out of City Hall in shackles and investigators swarmed through the building.
As Vela awaits trial for the pair of felonies, city staff must move past shock and continue to serve the city’s residents, Arcaute said.
“This will reflect poorly on us,” Arcaute said. “The challenge for us is to keep doing a good job and work harder. We’re up to the challenge.”
In one of his first duties as acting police chief, Lt. Hernandez met with department employees Thursday evening to explain the situation, city officials said.
Hernandez will serve as chief until Vela goes to trial, Arcaute said. The city manager said he will decide whether to remove Vela permanently after the police chief is tried.
Meanwhile, further scandal may already be brewing for the Police Department.
On the sheriff’s recommendation, Arcaute has ordered an investigation into whether Vela or other employees tampered with evidence.
Treviño said deputies had reason to believe booze and drug paraphernalia had been removed from the evidence locker and used at the alleged parties where the sexual assaults are said to have happened.
He would not rule out the possibility of future arrests.
‘Bizarre and off track’
The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the sexual assault allegations last week.
A friend of one of the victims told deputies about the alleged assault from last year.
The victim himself hesitated to report it because of his employment situation and feelings of embarrassment, Treviño said.
Sheriff’s deputies began interviewing department employees and found another man who also said Vela had assaulted him.
Investigators took their findings to a judge, who signed a warrant for Vela’s arrest and ordered a search of his home and office.
Vela went peaceably when taken into custody at City Hall and remains segregated from other inmates, a standard practice when incarcerating law enforcement officials.
The police chief said little at his arraignment and told the judge he would need a court-appointed attorney.
As he was led out of the courtroom, Vela denied the charges were true and said he did not who his accusers were.
If convicted of the charges, Vela will no longer be allowed to work as a peace officer in Texas.
Treviño called the case “bizarre and off track.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of a chief of a police arrested for sexually assaulting his employees,” the sheriff said.
Source: www.brownsvilleherald.com
Ever feel like $#it
Me too, then I see how bad some people got it and my problems get smaller.
This site is dedicated to all the people whose life sucks and makes my grass greener on this side of the fence.
This site is dedicated to all the people whose life sucks and makes my grass greener on this side of the fence.
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