Category: Metro

CHARLESTON, S.C. (TCD) — Two women are facing felony charges after they allegedly got into an altercation with a 17-year-old and attacked her with a bayonet.

According to WCSC-TV, on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Charleston Police Department officers were called to a residence on Justin Avenue regarding a woman with a knife. When officers arrived, they reportedly found 24-year-old Terrene McGee on the ground with blood on her face and an old bayonet next to her.

The arrest report cited by WCIV-TV alleges McGee and 24-year-old Mikalah Scott went to the residence on Justin Drive because they wanted to speak with a 27-year-old man who has three kids with McGee and one with Scott. The children were with them when they went to the house.

The women reportedly learned two female teens, ages 17 and 19, and a 21-year-old man were also at the home.

McGee and Scott allegedly went into the man’s house via a side window and started fighting with the people inside. During the altercation, McGee allegedly began hitting the 17-year-old. Scott reportedly picked up the bayonet and used that to strike the teen. The 19-year-old contacted police when she saw what was happening.

WCIV reports Scott and McGee drove off when the 19-year-old called 911, but they returned.

According to WCSC, McGee and the 17-year-old, who sustained blunt force trauma-related injuries, were taken to the hospital.

WCSC reports Scott and McGee are being charged with first-degree assault and battery and first-degree burglary.

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EL MONTE, Calif. (TCD) — Officials have arrested and charged a 25-year-old woman accused of stabbing her mother to death over the weekend.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Tuesday, Oct. 24, that his office charged Kimberly Gonzalez with one count of murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the stabbing death of her mother, Jacqueline Perez, at her home.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, on Sunday, Oct. 22, shortly before 5 p.m., El Monte Police officers responded to the 11000 block of Ranchito Street to a report of a stabbing. The District Attorney’s Office said officers found Gonzalez outside the home “covered in blood,” and they apprehended her at the scene.

Police entered the residence and found Perez suffering from multiple stab wounds. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

The District Attorney’s Office alleges Gonzalez used a knife to kill her mother.

The victim’s brother told KABC-TV he did not know what led up to the stabbing. He reportedly heard a scream and observed his 11-year-old nephew come out yelling for help with his shirt covered in blood.

KABC reports that neighbors said the family was celebrating a small child’s birthday that weekend, and a “Happy Birthday” banner was still outside the home with bloody footprints on the driveway.

In a statement, Gascón said, “This was an extraordinarily violent act which has had a profound impact on our community. We are fully committed to seeking justice on behalf of the victim and our dedicated team will work tirelessly to bring clarity and closure to this heartbreaking case.”

Gonzalez’s bail was set at $2 million, and she faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted.

According to KABC, Gonzalez allegedly struggled with drugs, and her mother was raising her two grandchildren.

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MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (TCD) — A 62-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault and other charges for allegedly shooting someone in his home and giving conflicting stories about what happened.

According to WPMT-TV, on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at approximately 5:30 a.m., Mechanicsburg Police officers responded to the 300 block of West Allen Street after receiving a call about a shooting victim. The victim, who was not identified, was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Police at the scene looked through the residence and located Timothy Zidik, who reportedly claimed he did not shoot the victim. WPMT reports Zidik told officers he did not keep guns in the house and that he had headphones on when the gunshot went off. Officers reportedly discovered blood at the scene, some of which had already been cleaned up, and a Smith & Wesson handgun.

As officers continued to make their way through the home, they allegedly discovered notebooks in Zidik’s room with “exorcism spells, prayers and writing in an unknown language.”

WPMT, which cites the affidavit, reports one of the entries says, “Forgive us, criminals of purpose, for the sins that we are force to commit. Mother the merciful, Bless our firearms with your hand, our knives with your foot, and guide our bullets and stabs with the finger that is closest to your heart. May we earn your need and be your wrath amen.”

According to WPMT, the victim sustained the gunshot wound at around 1 a.m. She reportedly asked Zidik for help, so he allegedly rendered aid and cleaned the scene. Three and a half hours later, he drove her to the hospital. Police learned about the shooting once she was already admitted to the hospital.

Police reportedly do not believe the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. The victim reportedly told investigators she does not own a gun, nor did she know of any in the home.

On Oct. 12, one day after the shooting, Zidik was hospitalized with a self-inflicted stab wound. Three days after that, he allegedly contacted the victim and confessed to shooting her but said it was an accident because he put the gun under her mattress.

Zidik allegedly provided conflicting accounts of what happened, including that he was loading the gun and it fired. He also allegedly said the gun went off while cleaning it.

Court records show Zidik ia being charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count of attempted homicide. He’s currently in custody at the Cumberland County Prison with bail set at $100,000.

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CHICAGO (TCD) — Police arrested a 34-year-old man this week for allegedly lighting local Halloween displays on fire and decapitating other ones.

A slew of Halloween decoration-related arsons had been occurring in the area since Oct. 4, according to Chicago Police. Of the eight incidents, half were reported within a few blocks of each other on Lincoln Avenue. Police said the suspect “ignited several sidewalk autumn/Halloween displays and street corner garbage cans.”

All the instances reportedly occurred between 1:50 a.m. and 4:13 a.m.

Three of the fires reportedly involved decorations that had been placed on front porches. One fire broke out Oct. 11 at 3:10 a.m. on the 2100 block of West Agatite Avenue, while a second occurred the same day at 3:43 a.m. on the 2200 block of West Roscoe Street. On Oct. 16, at 3:27 a.m., there was a fire at a home on the 3600 block of North Hoyne Avenue, which sustained damage from the flames, but no one was injured.

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, Chicago Police officers took Mario Munoz into custody on the 3900 block of West Fullerton Avenue for his alleged involvements in the fires on West Roscoe Street and an Oct. 12 incident on the 4100 block of Maplewood Avenue.

Munoz was arrested on one felony count of arson and one misdemeanor count of criminal damage to property.

According to CBS Chicago, Ring doorbell video allegedly showed Munoz beheading a large decoration outside the Maplewood Avenue residence. Additionally, two scarecrows in a “Scarecrow Showdown” competition were incinerated.

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MILLEN, Ga. (TCD) — Using genealogy technology, investigators recently identified a woman whose remains were found in a suitcase in 1988.

According to a news release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), on Sunday, Feb. 14, 1988, the Jenkins County Sheriff’s Office requested the GBI’s assistance in a death investigation after discovering a victim encased in plastic and duct tape. The person had been left inside a large nylon suitcase in a dumpster. Investigators determined she died of asphyxiation and had been deceased for approximately four to seven days.

The GBI compared the victim’s fingerprints and dental records to missing people nationwide and created a forensic sketch for public release. The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System initiated an investigation and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children used computer generation to create another sketch. Despite these efforts, the case went cold.

The victim became known as “Jane Millen Doe” and “Jenkins County Jane Doe,” according to Othram Inc.

Police resubmitted evidence to the GBI Crime Lab for further testing. Thanks to advancements in DNA technology, analysts successfully detected DNA on the submitted items, but the profiles did not meet the criteria for entry into the Combined DNA Index System Database.

In 2023, the GBI partnered with Othram, a Texas-based company that utilizes forensic-grade genome sequencing and DNA technology to solve cases. Scientists at Othram generated a profile of the victim using a DNA sample, which helped investigators locate potential relatives.

Using the new DNA profile, a genealogical search led investigators to identify the woman as Chong Un Kim, of Hinesville, Liberty County, Georgia. She was reportedly 26 years old at the time of her death and had moved to the United States from Korea in 1981.

Kim’s family was notified this month.

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ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (TCD) — Officials arrested a couple this week for allegedly assaulting a man, stealing his car, and throwing him into a river.

According to a news release from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the victim and Natalie Fonseca met on social media, and they arranged to go on a date. During the date, the victim and Fonseca allegedly went to her house, where she introduced him to her “uncle,” Nafis Reynolds.

The three reportedly drove to the victim’s home and continued what the Sheriff’s Office called an “unorthodox date” before leaving the house again.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, while they were on the road, “Fonseca and Nafis both hit the victim several times and told him he was going to die.”

The pair allegedly stole the victim’s shoes, phone, money, and car.

Fonseca and Reynolds reportedly “took turns cutting his throat before throwing him over the bridge rail and into Escambia River.”

Afterward, the couple fled the scene in the stolen car, but the vehicle was later spotted on West 98 after it had been set on fire.

The Sheriff’s Office said the male victim survived the cuts, “unbeknownst to our would-be killers,” as well as the fall from the bridge. He managed to swim to safety on the bank of the river and flagged down a deputy for help.

Escambia County detectives arrested Reynolds and Fonseca on charges of attempted murder, armed carjacking, armed robbery, and kidnapping. They were booked into the Escambia County Jail on Oct. 23.

According to records, Fonseca’s bond was set at $852,000, while Reynolds’ was set at $851,000.

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FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. (TCD) — A 54-year-old former assisted living facility employee faces a murder charge for allegedly assaulting and killing an 88-year-old resident last month.

According to a news release from the Fuquay-Varina Police Department, on Sept. 24, officers responded to the Windsor Point Retirement Community on Broad Street to a report of an altercation. Police learned Cynthia Sellars, an employee at the facility, allegedly pushed resident Lillie Cooper onto the floor.

As a result of the assault, Cooper suffered critical injuries and was transported to WakeMed-Cary for medical treatment. According to an arrest warrant obtained by WNCN-TV, Cooper broke her left hip bone.

Sellars was initially charged with one count of assault on individuals with a disability.

Cooper eventually died from her wounds, and the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide due to assault.

Investigators reviewed the Medical Examiner’s report and consulted with the District Attorney’s Office. On Tuesday, Oct. 24, police said they obtained a felony warrant for Sellars on one count of murder. Officers booked her into the Johnston County Detention Center, and she remains held without bond.

Sellars was scheduled to appear in court Wednesday, Oct. 25.

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ROCHESTER, Minn. (TCD) — A 30-year-old former Mayo Clinic resident was charged with murder this week for allegedly poisoning his wife over the summer amid marital struggles.

According to KAAL-TV, on Aug. 16, Betty Bowman went to the Mayo Clinic emergency room due to dehydration and diarrhea. She became sicker over the course of several days as her organs failed and her cardiac issues worsened. She died Aug. 20. In her obituary, her family listed her cause of death as a “sudden onset autoimmune and infectious illness.”

Investigators, however, now allege her husband, Connor Bowman, poisoned her with a gout medication even though she did not have the ailment, Minnesota Public Radio reports. Connor Bowman reportedly told doctors his wife most likely died from hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, known as HLH.

According to Johns Hopkins Hospital, HLH occurs when white blood cells attack other blood cells, causing swelling of the spleen and liver. HLH is a rare disease, though it occurs more frequently in infants and young children than adults.

KAAL reports Betty Bowman did not have an HLH diagnosis in her chart.

Minnesota Public Radio reports Bowman allegedly tried to have his wife’s remains cremated as soon as possible and asked not to have an autopsy completed. Around the time of her death, the Bowmans were reportedly experiencing marital problems and thinking about divorcing. Connor Bowman was on his wife’s life insurance plan and would have received $500,000 following her death.

Rochester Police Department investigators learned Connor Bowman previously worked as a poison expert at the University of Kansas. He allegedly used his university-issued computer to look up colchicine, the gout medicine. KAAL reports Bowman often fielded calls for the university about poison, but he never consulted on any calls regarding colchicine.

According to KAAL, the Mayo Clinic released a statement regarding Bowman’s arrest, saying, “We are aware of the recent arrest of a former Mayo Clinic resident on charges unrelated to his Mayo Clinic responsibilities. The resident’s training at Mayo Clinic ended earlier this month.”

Olmsted County Jail records show Bowman was booked Oct. 20 on a charge of second-degree murder with intent — not premeditated.

According to her obituary, Betty was a pharmacist who loved traveling, her Corgi, Sir Crumpet II of Mayberry, and traveling.

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