Paradise News

Category: Metro

  • Teen allegedly fatally stabbed mom after writing in diary about how much she hated her

    WASHINGTON CITY, Utah (TCN) — Prosecutors charged two juveniles, including the victim’s daughter, on suspicion of fatally stabbing a woman at a vacation rental and fleeing to Los Angeles County last month.

    According to a probable cause affidavit posted by the Washington County Attorney’s Office, on March 23, Washington City Police responded to a home after cleaning staff employed by VRBO found an unresponsive person. Officers entered the residence and located 47-year-old Andreea Mottram deceased with 14 stab wounds. Police also reportedly discovered two cellphones and a purse in a toilet.

    According to the affidavit, two juveniles were staying at the vacation rental home with Mottram. Authorities later identified them as the victim’s 16-year-old daughter, Mihaela “Bella” Gabriala Sorescu, and 17-year-old Abigael “Jay” Paige Flanagan.

    Investigators believe the phones in the toilet belong to Sorescu and Flanagan, and the purse contained Mottram’s ID. The affidavit alleges the items were placed in the toilet in an attempt to flush and conceal evidence.

    The victim’s daughter was reportedly in a residential treatment facility for the past three years and is currently enrolled in a Washington County residential treatment facility. Flanagan was allegedly in a residential treatment facility for at least a year, but her parents recently took her out.

    According to the affidavit, an individual referred to as Frank said that in November, he located a diary allegedly written by Sorescu. Frank reportedly said that in the diary, “She had indicated how much she hated her mother and wrote that she wanted to kill her.” Frank also said that Sorescu “will often cut herself with sharp objects” and “has a history of violent behavior.”

    Authorities recovered several knives in the home, including one in the sink that had been washed but still contained trace amounts of blood.

    The probable cause affidavit says evidence technicians found a pair of pants that had several spots of apparent blood, including a bloody imprint of a knife blade on the left leg. Investigators believe the pants belong to Sorescu.

    Authorities identified the juveniles as suspects in Mottram’s stabbing death and believe they stole her rental vehicle to flee. On March 26, Washington City Police posted a bulletin seeking the public’s help in finding Sorescu and Flanagan. In an updated release posted the following day, police said Sorescu and Flanagan were located in Los Angeles County.

    On April 4, the attorney’s office announced that they charged Sorescu and Flanagan each with one count of first-degree murder, obstruction of justice, and theft of a motor vehicle. Prosecutors noted that in Utah, when a 16- or 17-year-old is charged with murder, they’re charged as an adult in district court.

    • Murder Charges Filed Following Vacation Rental Stabbing – Washington County Attorney’s Office
    • Person of Interest, 3/26/2025 – Washington City Police Department
    • Updated Media Release, 3/27/2025 – Washington City Police Department

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • California man sentenced to 480 years for molesting multiple children

    VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (TCN) — A 68-year-old man was sentenced to nearly five centuries behind bars for sexually abusing children he knew through a familial relationship.

    The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced that on April 7, Marcelino Arca received a sentence of 480 years to life in state prison. A jury previously convicted him in March on six felony counts of lewd acts upon a child and found true a special allegation that there were multiple victims. Arca had a previous conviction for child molestation from 1988.

    According to the district attorney’s office, Arca molested two victims under 14 between 2005 and 2014 in multiple locations. The victims told their family members about the abuse years later. Prosecutors noted that Arca “gained access to the victims through a familial relationship.”

    Senior Deputy District Attorney Ben Moreno said, “Decades ago, this defendant went to prison for sexually abusing a child. When given a second chance, he chose not to change — instead, he went on to sexually abuse two more children, this time within his own family.”

    • Oxnard Man Sentenced to 480 Years to Life for Child Molestation – Ventura County District Attorney’s Office

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • Skeletal remains found in Washington in 1997 recently identified

    WILKESON, Wash. (TCN) — Investigators recently identified the skeletal remains of a homicide victim found nearly 28 years ago.

    According to a news release from genetic genealogy company Othram Labs, in October 1997, an individual walking through the woods found a woman’s remains on Gale Creek Road. Despite their efforts, authorities were unable to identify the victim at the time, and she became a Jane Doe.

    In October 2023, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office sent forensic evidence to Othram Labs to help identify the victim, and scientists built a comprehensive genealogical profile. Investigators reportedly obtained DNA samples from potential relatives and compared them to the victim’s DNA profile. As a result, Othram said in an April 8 news release that they identified the victim as Laurie Krage. Her death is being investigated as a homicide.

    According to the sheriff’s office, Krage’s husband, Ronald Martin, died in 2020 from natural causes. Deputies said Krage was “known to travel in all parts of Pierce County,” and they are seeking any information from people who may have known her. Krage was last known to be alive in January 1996.

    • 1997 Cold Case Human Remains Identified – Pierce County Sheriff’s Office
    • Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Teams with Othram to Identify a 1997 Homicide Victim – Othram Labs

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • Florida man accused of living with the decomposing body of his 92-year-old mother

    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (TCN) — A 67-year-old man stands accused of living with his 92-year-old mother’s decomposing body.

    According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, on April 6, a landlord requested a welfare check for his tenant, Susan King, because they had not heard from her for several months. Responding officers made contact with King’s son, Michael Moulton, who claimed his mother was “visiting a friend’s home and would be back in a day or two.”

    Police went back to the residence the following day to see if King had returned. However, officers searched the home and reportedly located King’s body in an “advanced stage of decomposition.” An autopsy showed no signs of trauma or foul play.

    Police said they arrested Moulton for a 2013 warrant for failure to appear on a theft charge. Additional charges are pending. Moulton was booked into the Pinellas County Jail.

    • Man Lived with Mother’s Decomposing Body – St. Petersburg Police Department
    • Pinellas County Jail

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • Missouri foster mother allegedly abused and planned to trade teenage girl for a monkey

    LINCOLN COUNTY, Mo. (TCN) — A woman who has reportedly fostered more than 200 children over the years allegedly abused a teenage girl she was supposed to care for and abandoned her in a dirty Texas house.

    According to an April 6 news release from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Prosecuting Attorney, the investigation began after the victim disappeared and was later located in Texas. Authorities arrested and charged a suspect, Brenda Deutsch, on charges of neglect, child abuse, and child endangering as a result.

    Per a probable cause statement reviewed by KSDK-TV, the young victim told police Deutsch allegedly struck her with a paddle, wooden trim, shoes, and her hand. The victim alleged that in one instance, someone held the girl down while Deutsch hit her bare buttocks.

    The victim reportedly claimed that as punishment, Deutsch would take her clothes and give them away, and the suspect once had her transported to a psychiatric hospital and then admitted to a residential facility for nine months.

    According to the probable cause statement, Deutsch had the girl stay with one of the suspect’s friends in Texas, where she was allegedly abandoned with exotic animals in unclean conditions. Deutsch allegedly told her friend she could keep the victim, but she would “be keeping the check.”

    In a statement obtained by KSDK, Lincoln County Prosecutor Mike Wood said, “Two things that really stood out was the number of children that had been fostered through that home and then the allegations that these types of abuse and emotional neglect had been going on for what seemed to be perhaps a decade.”

    Wood reportedly said investigators are looking into allegations claiming Deutsch traded the victim for a monkey. The prosecutor added, “A witness who had come forward with some information regarding the systemic abuse that was going on in the home had said that they had been asked to bring the child down to Texas and bring the monkey back in return. Obviously we have to do more investigation to see if that’s actually credible or if that’s true.”

    The girl was reportedly transported to Child Protective Services in Texas.

    Deutsch was booked into the Lincoln County Jail on $250,000 bond on April 6.

    • News Release – Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office/Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
    • Woman who has fostered more than 200 children facing ‘particularly heinous’ abuse charges – KSDK

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • Millionaire’s alleged murder plot; Criminal cop’s death reveals dark secrets

    In this episode of “True Crime News,” Sergio Pino, a well-known Miami real estate developer, allegedly hired hit men and schemed to have them kill his wife amid their contentious multimillion-dollar divorce. Plus, Joe Gliniewicz was a beloved police lieutenant, youth mentor, and Army veteran. But he and his wife harbored a secret that led to his death.

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • Police Inspector slumps, dies in Calabar after watching Arsenal trash Real Madrid

    Police Inspector slumps, dies in Calabar after watching Arsenal trash Real Madrid

    By Anthony Uwadiegwu

    An Arsenal Fan, one Inspector Stephen Enang, tragically gave up the ghost Tuesday evening shortly after watching the London side trashed Spanish giant, Real Madrid 3 goals to nil.

    The Arsenal fan, simply identified as an indigene of Ekori in Yakurr Local Government Area, Cross River, was until his death, an Inspector of Police attached to the Akim Police Division, along IBB Way in Calabar.

    According to eyewitnesses accounts, Stephen, a staunch Arsenal fan, was overtly excited during the match between Arsenal and Real Madrid.

    One of the eyewitnesses who is also a friend to the deceased, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that they were all watching the game at a viewing centre at Abang-Aseng Street, when the tragedy struck.

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    “Before the match, he was hail and hearty, there was no issues whatsoever, that we know of, because he is a very quiet and soft spoken guy, who loves football, and a die hard Arsenal fan.

    “He is an Inspector of Police also with Akim Police Division, we were all watching the game, his team scored the first goal and he was so excited.  Same with the second, and third goal.

    “He jumped up all in jubilation, we didn’t know that as he sat back in his chair  waiting for the final whistle, Stephen  was gone, because after the game, everyone was leaving the viewing center, but he couldn’t stand up like everyone else.

    “That was when we discovered he was no longer conscious, he was rushed to the Police Hospital, Akim, where the health professionals did everything  they could to revive him, but all their efforts proved abortive, and he was confirmed dead,” the eyewitness said.

    Efforts to get the comments of the Cross River State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Irene Ugbo on the matter as at press time, were futile as she kept busying calls and could not respond to the messages sent to her.

  • Judicial Watch Sues for Emails of Anti-Trump FBI Executive Accused of Harassing Whistleblowers

    (Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for emails of Dena Perkins, a section chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), regarding whistleblower retaliation (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Justice (No, 1:25-cv-00891)).

    Perkins was identified by Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, as an official who retaliated against whistleblowers who were considered pro-Donald Trump:

    So, now I’m going to spend some time sharing statements from the whistleblowers who were retaliated against by some of the FBI officials Trump has recently fired.

    ***

    A third FBI whistleblower said, “On January 6, 2021, I took leave and went to see the President speak on the Ellipse. Later, my wife and I were among a crowd southwest of the Capitol. Even though we were involved in no violence, never set foot on the steps leading to the Capitol building, and never entered it, I self-reported my presence to the FBI after seeing the violence in news reports. The FBI did nothing at first, but more than a year later suspended my security clearance. Under the supervision of Jeff Veltri and Dena Perkins, investigators questioned my co-workers about whether I ever vocalized support for President Trump or objections to the COVID-19 vaccine. I was forced to take early retirement to pay bills and have essentially been sidelined from employment opportunities due to FBI abuse of the clearance system to target me for my political beliefs.” 

    A fourth FBI whistleblower and a registered Democrat said, “As a Security Division employee, I witnessed abuses committed against multiple employees by FBI senior leaders, particularly by Jeff Veltri and Dena Perkins. I also saw Security Division retaliate against five of its own employees for protesting these unlawful practices. Because I spoke out against these abuses, Perkins and Timothy Dunham suspended my security clearance, costing me my job and continuing employment, totaling approximately $700,000 in lost wages and retirement benefits.”

    A fifth FBI whistleblower said, “Although some FBI leaders who abused the clearance process like Dena Perkins and Jeff Veltri have already left, they weren’t alone. Timothy Dunham approved Perkins’s wrongdoing and engaged in his own. While most Security Division employees are fantastic, some FBI leaders still remain within the Security Integrity and Investigations Section who’ll continue this abuse of the process.” 

    From FBI whistleblower Marcus Allen, “Jeff Veltri and Dena Perkins caused the suspension of my security clearance because I questioned whether the FBI Director was truthful to Congress and whether the FBI was obeying the law and Constitution in the January 6, 2021 investigations. Their actions left me without pay for over two years while other FBI officials prevented me from having other income. Although the FBI ultimately reinstated my clearance and settled my lawsuit, my career at the FBI was over and the financial and emotional damage to me and my family will never be completely restored.”

    Another FBI whistleblower said, “After I was assigned to review Marcus Allen’s security clearance case, I noticed the file was missing relevant communications of Jeff Veltri, who ordered the opening of the case, Dena Perkins and FBI attorney Tasha Gibbs. Allen was entitled to those communications, which were evidence that his clearance suspension was retaliatory. Shortly after I completed the vast majority of work on the communication recommending Allen’s reinstatement, the Allen case was reassigned to another adjudicator and I was transferred to a different unit, apparently in reprisal for reporting the wrongdoing in the Allen suspension. I soon resigned from the FBI to avoid further retaliation. I believe Veltri, Perkins and Gibbs were responsible for retaliating against Allen, and that Giulio Arseni, Perkins and Gibbs were likely responsible for the retaliation against me.” [Marcus is represented by Judicial Watch.] 

    From FBI whistleblower Garret O’Boyle: “I faced retaliation from junior, mid and senior level ‘leaders’ in the FBI. More than 29 months later, I’m still indefinitely suspended without pay and benefits. Other whistleblowers have since confirmed that the FBI intentionally stranded me in the middle of a move and withheld our possessions to maximize the pain of my suspension. A new era of accountability and true whistleblower protection at the FBI is long overdue. FBI officials like Sean Clark, Sean Fitzgerald, Jeff Berkebile, Dena Perkins, Jeff Veltri, Jennifer Moore, Michael Schneider, Timothy Dunham and other leadership up to Christopher Wray are responsible for what happened to me and my family. Ensuring that they no longer work at the FBI isn’t retribution, its responsible leadership.”

    Judicial Watch sued after the Justice Department failed to respond to a May 10, 2024, FOIA request for: 

    1. All emails sent to and from Section Chief Dena Perkins regarding “whistleblower”, “whistleblowers”, “O’Boyle”, “Veritas” and/or “Trump”.

    2. All SF-50s and SF-52s for SC Perkins.

    SF-50s and SF-52s are documents recording personnel actions such as promotions.

    Perkins was among several FBI officials reportedly fired by the Trump administration.

    “Our lawsuit shows elements of the FBI are still in cover-up mode about its mistreatment of agents who indicated support of Donald Trump or opposition to FBI abuses,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said. “Transparency and accountability can’t come soon enough.”

    Judicial Watch is perhaps the nation’s leading FOIA litigant against the FBI on its corruption issues, as well as lawfare against President Trump.

    In March 2025, Judicial Watch filed suit against the Justice Department for details of any investigations, inquiries, or referrals concerning potential misconduct of any person working for Special Counsel Jack Smith.

    In September 2024, Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department for messages among top leaders of the FBI referencing social media posts of Special Agent Jeffrey Veltri, head of the Miami Field Office, which is investigating the September 15 assassination attempt against Donald Trump.

    In May 2024, Judicial Watch uncovered a recording of a phone message left by an FBI special agent for someone at the Secret Service in the context of the raid on President Trump’s home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

     In April 2024, Justice Department records showed that the FBI opened a criminal investigation of Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt after her killing and listed four “potential violations of federal law,” including felony rioting and civil disorder.

    Judicial Watch in January 2023 sued the Justice Department for records of communications between the FBI and social media sites regarding foreign influence in elections, as well as the Hunter Biden laptop story.

    In November 2023, Judicial Watch, along with CatholicVote Civic Action, received FBI records showing top officials rushing to craft a public response to the leaked FBI intelligence memo that revealed its targeting of Catholics who adhere to traditional beliefs on church issues. In December 2023, heavily redacted records from the FBI showed that the agency’s Office of General Counsel reviewed the controversial targeting of the Catholics by the Richmond field office of the FBI. 

    In his book Rights and Freedoms in Peril Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton details a long chain of abuses officials and politicians have made against the American people and calls readers to battle for “the soul and survival of America.” 

    ###

    Source: Judicial Watch

  • Judges to receive new guidance on emotional support animals in court

    Following reports of disruptions

    Judges and court officials are set be issued with new guidance on allowing emotional support animals in court, following reports of disruptions caused by barking, growling, and even defecation.

    An alert on the handling of emotional support animals was recently circulated to judges and will be followed by an official update to the court officials’ rulebook.

    According to The Telegraph, the alert notes that emotional support animals are “not regulated, have not necessarily undergone any training nor serve a specific function, and in some instances may be little more than family pets; there have been examples of people bringing cats and lapdogs into courts and tribunals, without making any advance requests.”

    The newspaper also reports incidents involving dogs jumping at or ‘attacking’ witnesses, while other parties have been affected by allergies and phobias. In one case from 2017, a defendant’s Staffordshire terrier reportedly urinated and defecated in the court’s foyer after sentencing.

    Currently, the Equal Treatment Bench Book includes rules on guide, hearing, and other medical dogs — which are covered under equality legislation — ensuring they are allowed into courtrooms and given breaks and access to water. There is no guidance on emotional support animals, however.

    A district judge, Clare Jane Hockney, recently wrote “there is concern that allowing the court users to bring in potentially untrained pets, claiming them as ESAs, could cause disruptions and significantly impact on the fairness of the hearing and the rights of others”. Hockney further noted “untrained pets” could “interfere with genuine assistance dogs by barking, jumping at or even attacking them. There is of course no requirement [for the court] to admit a regular pet.”

    Until the Equal Treatment Bench Book’s next edition addresses this situation, court officials have been advised to follow Hockney DJ’s advice. Judges will ask parties to explain how the emotional support animal might assist their mental health and participation, usually via a medical or psychological report, plus request evidence of training – such as certificates.

    Even then, the bench will balance this need with all the parties’ rights in the courtroom, retaining the right to exclude any animal not protected under equality law. Hockney DJ added: “A pet that is untrained and meets no evidenced mental health needs should not be permitted. Judicial oversight is vital as abuse of the use of ESAs could impact on those with genuine needs, and even lead to a general scepticism of genuine assistance dogs.”

    Legal Cheek has previously reported on animals being brought to court, from an accused man stroking his cat whilst in the dock, to a small horse which defecated in a courtroom.

    The post Judges to receive new guidance on emotional support animals in court appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek

  • Legal exec faked letter claiming defendant’s liability

    Barred by regulator

    A chartered legal executive has been barred from the profession after fabricating documents — including a medical report, a witness statement, and even a letter that falsely claimed a defendant had admitted liability in a case she was handling.

    Personal injury outfit Hodge Jones & Allen (HJA) launched an investigation into Claire Sadler while she was on annual leave amid concerns of “dishonesty”. This related to both documents and entries on the firm’s case management system (CMS). She resigned three days later.

    The SRA’s decision highlights misconduct by Sadler in relation to four client matters.

    In the first case, Sadler is said to have “fabricated” a letter and medical report, allegedly from a medico-legal company, and “falsely recorded” both documents in the firm’s case management system.

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    In a second matter, the SRA found that Sadler uploaded to the CMS a letter that was “not genuine”, purporting to be from a defendant admitting liability in a claim. The decision notes that Sadler then informed her client about the letter. In an “apparent follow up”, she also falsely recorded in the CMS that she had sent a request for medical records from the client’s GP.

    A third matter is highlighted, where she “recorded false information” in an attendance note uploaded to the CMS, stating a defence had been received from a respondent’s solicitors — even though the firm had not been instructed on the matter and had not filed a defence. Sadler later recorded false information on the CMS showing court proceedings had been posted to the firm — when it had not been instructed.

    Sadler also fabricated a witness statement based on correspondence — of which there is “no record” — which had never been approved or signed, and disclosed it to a defendant, in a fourth matter.

    The decision provides no explanation nor mitigation for Sadler’s conduct.

    The SRA said Sadler “breached relevant duties”. Given she was not a solicitor, she could not be struck off, but has been barred from being employed by any law firm. She was directed to pay £3,375 in costs.

    The post Legal exec faked letter claiming defendant’s liability appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek