Paradise News

Category: Metro

  • Lawfluencers face trolls and unwanted advances, research finds

    Research highlights LinkedIn’s dark side

    Nearly two-thirds of legal professionals report receiving harassing, negative or troll messages on LinkedIn, according to new research.

    The findings also reveal that 44% of lawyers, including lawfluencers with vast followings, have experienced sexual harassment or unwanted advances through private messages or comments on the professional networking site.

    When asked how they responded to unwanted advances, two-fifths said they reported the user, while one in five confronted the person about their behaviour. One in four spoke to a colleague about it.

    Two in five respondents said they were less likely to use LinkedIn as a result, while half reported being less likely to connect with new people.

    The research was based on survey responses from 100 lawfluencers, as well as the top 20 management team members, independent professionals, and barristers. The respondent pool had a gender split of 60:40, with more women than men participating

     The 2025 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

    TBD Marketing, the company behind the research, makes several recommendations based on the findings. These include implementing firm-wide social media safeguarding policies, providing training and mental health support for employees, and collaborating with LinkedIn to strengthen anti-harassment measures.

    Simon Marshall, CEO of TBD Marketing, said:

    “We’ve long celebrated LinkedIn as a powerful tool for networking and building personal brands, but this survey sheds light on a dark side of the platform. Legal professionals, encouraged to share their voices and engage authentically, are facing bullying and harassment that silences them and undermines their confidence. It’s time for change.”

    The post Lawfluencers face trolls and unwanted advances, research finds appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek

  • Magistrate reprimanded over ‘sweet dreams’ remark during sentencing

    Prompted angry response from defendant

    A magistrate has been issued with formal advice for misconduct after making an inappropriate remark while sentencing a defendant.

    The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) confirmed that Mr Edwin Hastings-Smith JP received formal advice following an incident in which he told a defendant, “You have had your day of freedom, now back to prison. Sweet dreams.”

    The comment, made upon sentencing, prompted an angry reaction from the defendant, putting the accompanying prison officer at “risk of injury”.

    The complaint, submitted by a custody suite manager, was reviewed by the South East Region Conduct Advisory Committee. The JCIO determined that the remark was unnecessary and fell short of the standards expected of magistrates, who are required to conduct themselves with patience, courtesy, and respect for all parties.

     The 2025 Legal Cheek Firms Most List

    Mr Hastings-Smith admitted responsibility, acknowledging that his comment was inappropriate, unnecessary, and unacceptable. He apologised to both the defendant and the prison officer for any distress caused.

    Following an expedited disciplinary process, Mr Justice Keehan — acting on behalf of the Lady Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor — agreed that the remark constituted misconduct. The decision-makers noted that the comment risked damaging the reputation of the magistracy and placed the prison officer in unnecessary danger.

    However, in issuing formal advice rather than a more severe sanction, consideration was given to Mr Hastings-Smith’s immediate apology and his previously unblemished record.

    The post Magistrate reprimanded over ‘sweet dreams’ remark during sentencing appeared first on Legal Cheek.

    Source: Legal Cheek

  • Alaska mother allegedly killed her 6-year-old son and fled with her daughter

    FAIRBANKS, Alaska (TCN) — Police recently arrested a mother on suspicion of killing her young son and fleeing with her other child.

    On Feb. 7, the Fairbanks Police Department responded to an apartment on University Avenue after a caller reported that she hadn’t heard from her client, Heather Alexie, for “quite some time.” Inside the home, officers found Heather Alexie’s 6-year-old son, Peter Alexie, deceased.

    Police determined the child died of homicidal violence. Heather Alexie and her 5-year-old daughter, Sara Alexie, were reportedly missing from the scene.

    Detectives tracked Heather Alexie’s cellphone and learned she was in the Anchorage area. Police also sought the public’s assistance in finding her and received multiple calls and emails to narrow down her location.

    Police responded to a home in the Mountain View neighborhood and located Alexie and her daughter unharmed.

    According to the department, Alexie admitted to authorities she caused injuries that led to her son’s death before fleeing to Anchorage with her daughter. Anchorage Police arrested her on a charge of second-degree murder. The state took custody of the suspect’s 5-year-old daughter.

    In a statement, Fairbanks Police Department Chief Ron Dupee said, “The death of a child is always devastating, and our hearts go out to Peter’s loved ones and everyone affected by this unimaginable loss.”

    MORE:

    • Press Release – Fairbanks Police Department
    • Press Release, 2/7/2025 – Fairbanks Police Department

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • SoCal man allegedly killed underage girlfriend’s pregnant teen sister in hit-and-run

    RIVERSIDE, Calif. (TCN) — A 19-year-old man was taken into custody for allegedly killing a pregnant 16-year-old with his car during a confrontation with the victim’s family.

    According to the Riverside Police Department, on Feb. 2 at 11:45 p.m., officers responded to the 1500 block of Gregg Place for a hit-and-run and found the teen victim suffering from severe injuries. Medics transported her to a nearby hospital, where she died. Doctors delivered her child, who is in critical condition.

    Police located the suspect, Isaac Blackhorse Garcia, in Moreno Valley and arrested him on charges of murder, hit-and-run resulting in death, and unlawful sex with a minor. Investigators learned Blackhorse Garcia has been in a “sexual relationship” with the victim’s underage sister. When he dropped off his girlfriend at her house, her family reportedly “approached his vehicle,” which caused him to drive away and hit the victim.

    Riverside Police believe Blackhorse Garcia may have sexually abused other minors.

    KTLA-TV reports Blackhorse Garcia’s girlfriend is 15 years old. The victim has been identified as Kaylie Corona, who was described in her GoFundMe as “eagerly looking forward to becoming a mother and meeting her baby.”

    Police said Blackhorse Garcia is being held without bail.

    MORE:

    • Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal Hit and Run of Pregnant Teen – Riverside Police Department
    • Teen killed sister of underaged girlfriend in hit-and-run, police say – KTLA

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • Florida man allegedly killed girlfriend in 'brutal' attack and said she flew to Jamaica

    AUBURNDALE, Fla. (TCN) — Authorities recently arrested a 46-year-old Florida man in Georgia on suspicion of killing his girlfriend and lying to police.

    According to the Auburndale Police Department, on Feb. 6, officials launched a missing person investigation after Stacy Powell failed to log in to her work computer since Feb. 4. Officers responded to her home, where they made contact with a handyman hired to perform cabinet repairs. The handyman told police no one was home at the time.

    During their conversation, Powell’s boyfriend, Andrew Ridgeway, reportedly called the handyman and asked about officers’ presence. In a press conference posted by WFLA-TV, Auburndale Police Chief Terry Storie said Ridgeway had installed security cameras so he could see they were there.

    An investigating officer then spoke with Ridgeway on the phone, and he claimed he was in North Carolina with Powell’s grandmother. According to police, Ridgeway also said his girlfriend flew to Jamaica on Feb. 5 to see her ill father and didn’t know when she would be back. Investigators soon determined Ridgeway had lied to authorities, as Powell’s father lives in North Carolina and her grandmother resides in Florida. The father also contacted law enforcement regarding his daughter because he couldn’t reach her for two days.

    While executing a search warrant at Powell’s home, police said detectives found “evidence indicating that Stacy had been brutally attacked and murdered.”

    According to Storie, investigators found Powell deceased in the residence, but the attack was so “savage” that they had to wait until the following afternoon to receive positive identification. Officials suspect she died on Feb. 4.

    On the morning of Feb. 7, authorities located Ridgeway driving his girlfriend’s vehicle in Augusta, Georgia, and arrested him. He faces charges in Florida of providing false information to law enforcement and homicide. Prior to his girlfriend’s death, Storie said Ridgeway had previously been charged with various misdemeanors.

    MORE:

    • Auburndale Police Department Homicide Investigation, Update – Auburndale Police Department
    • Auburndale woman ‘savagely’ murdered; boyfriend in custody, police say – WFLA

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • What it’s like being the ‘DWI King’

    “True Crime News” joins New Mexico State Police Sgt. Toby Lafave, who is also known as the “DWI King,” on a ride along as he explains how he keeps the streets and highways safe from drunk drivers.

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • 'Career criminal' arrested amid investigation into Super Bowl reporter’s death

    NEW ORLEANS (TCN) — A woman was arrested after a journalist who was in town to report on the Super Bowl was found dead in his hotel room last week.

    Telemundo Kansas City confirmed 27-year-old Adan Manzano died Feb. 5 while on assignment for the news station and Tico Sports. Manzano worked as Telemundo Kansas City’s sports anchor and reporter and was described as a “a true professional and a rising star who exemplified excellence in his work.”

    According to Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley, officers went to Manzano’s hotel room and learned that his cellphone and credit card, the same one he used to check into the hotel, were missing. Surveillance footage showed Manzano entering his hotel room with a woman at approximately 5 a.m. on Feb. 5. Investigators identified the woman as 48-year-old Danette Colbert, who Conley said has “quite the record and rap sheet” for multiple crimes, including robbery.

    The woman later left the room, but Manzano was not seen again on video.

    Colbert reportedly has drugged victims and stolen their cards in two previous instances. Police located her in New Orleans and arrested her as a fugitive as she awaits extradition to Kenner.

    During that time, officials executed a search warrant at Colbert’s house in Slidell, where they found Manzano’s credit card and phone. They also discovered narcotics and a stolen gun, but Conley doesn’t believe the gun is related to Manzano’s death.

    Colbert currently faces property crimes charges, though she could see additional ones. Conley did not reveal Manzano’s cause or manner of death.

    ABC News reports the Kenner Police Department said in a news release that the department has been receiving several calls from people “claiming to be victims or reporting suspicious deaths under similar circumstances.”

    According to CNN, Manzano’s wife died in a car accident in 2024. He leaves behind a 2-year-old daughter, who lives with his late wife’s family in Topeka, Kansas.

    Conley said of Colbert, “She plays the confidence game. She is definitely a career criminal.”

    MORE:

    • Adan Manzano 1997-2025 – Telemundo Kansas City
    • Kenner Police Continue Investigation Into Death of Super Bowl Media Member – Kenner Police Department
    • Police investigating whether sports reporter at Super Bowl was drugged before he died – ABC News
    • A sports reporter died before the Super Bowl. Police want to know whether someone they call a ‘career criminal’ is involved – CNN

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • Tenn. sex offender convicted of fatally strangling missing woman in motel in 2013 and hiding her body

    KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (TCN) — A 62-year-old man was recently convicted of killing a 58-year-old woman who had been missing for over a decade.

    On Feb. 7, the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office announced that Randall Rose entered a plea deal for first-degree murder and a judge sentenced him to life in prison. Rose is already serving another life sentence for first-degree murder in a separate case out of Madison County.

    According to the Knoxville Police Department, family members reported Sharon Leinart missing in March 2013. Leinart and her relatives spoke “nearly daily” until Jan. 23, 2013, when “all communication ended, as did all financial activity.” Police said Leinart was homeless and was last seen at Volunteer Ministries. A family member reportedly spoke with Leinart in late January and claimed she was staying at a Knoxville-area motel.

    Investigators submitted familial DNA to the National Missing and Unidentified Person System, but the case went cold.

    During an October 2023 interview about the Madison County slaying, Rose reportedly admitted to fatally strangling another woman at the Sunset Motel and hiding her body. The District Attorney General’s Office said his statement matched the description of Leinart, but her remains have not yet been found. Prosecutors said Leinart worked as an emergency nurse and volunteer with the Civil Air Patrol.

    District Attorney General Charme Allen stated, “After a decade of wondering what happened to their loved one, I hope the judgment in this case allows this family to find some measure of peace.”

    Tennessee Sex Offender Registry records show that Rose also has two rape convictions.

    MORE:

    • Randall Lee Rose Indicted for Murder of Woman Reported Missing in 2013, 12/2/2024 – Knoxville Police Department
    • Decade Old Missing Person Case Ends with First Degree Murder Conviction – Knox County District Attorney General’s Office
    • Tennessee Sex Offender Registry

    Source: True Crime Daily

  • CBP Agent Charged with Smuggling, Trafficking in City JW Exposed as Major Cartel Corridor Years Ago

    A federal agent in a border region long known as a major corridor for Mexican cartels smuggling narcotics and Islamic terrorists into the United States has been arrested and charged with alien smuggling and drug trafficking. The case involves a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer in El Paso, Texas, where Judicial Watch years ago uncovered an unprecedented partnership between Mexican drug cartels and jihadists as part of a decade-long investigation into crime, terrorism and corruption in the southern border. Back in 2017 Judicial Watch also produced an investigative documentary detailing an elaborate narco-terrorist cell operating out of El Paso, which the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) confirms is a primary hub for Mexican opioids and methamphetamine enroute to every corner of the U.S.

    Corruption within the law enforcement ranks has also been a problem in the region at both local and federal levels, Judicial Watch investigations show, with a number of federal agents caught taking bribes over the years. Back in 2014 Judicial Watch reported on the criminal indictment of Jesus Campa, the chief deputy of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPCSO), a Texas agency responsible for patrolling more than 1,000 square miles with a population of about 870,000. After nearly two decades with the agency, he left abruptly amid allegations of embezzling $5.6 million in Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) funds. His boss, Sheriff Richard Wiles, was embroiled in several scandals. Besides looking the other way as one of his trusted deputy chiefs embezzled millions of dollars, Wiles attended a fundraising event at the home of a convicted felon with connections to the illegal drug trade while serving his third term as sheriff.

    The recent CBP case involves an agent, Manuel Perez, who federal authorities say has helped smuggle illegal immigrants and cocaine for six years on the El Paso border. In multiple instances the disgraced 32-year-old agent admitted vehicles driven by illegal immigrants at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso as part of human smuggling operations, according to a statement issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Additionally, Perez conspired to possess cocaine from 2019 to February 2025 as part of an operation to distribute the drug throughout Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and elsewhere in the country. The officer is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States for financial gain, three counts of bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain, and one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He faces decades to life in prison, according to federal prosecutors.

    Perez’s case indicates that little has changed since Judicial Watch first traveled to El Paso over 10 years ago to expose the reality gripping a city long promoted by local officials as one of America’s safest. The truth is that the municipality, which sits along the Rio Grande across famously violent Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, is a key smuggling route for Mexican drugs, illegal immigrants, and Islamic terrorists. Cartels smuggle foreigners from countries with terrorist links into a small Texas rural town near El Paso by using remote farm roads—rather than interstates—to elude Border Patrol and other law enforcement barriers, Judicial Watch reported a decade ago. We also broke a story in 2015 about an ISIS training cell just a few miles from El Paso in an area known as “Anapra” situated just west of Ciudad Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Law enforcement and intelligence sources on both sides of the border confirmed to Judicial Watch that cartel-backed “coyotes” help smuggle ISIS terrorists through the desert and into the U.S. between Acala and Fort Hancock, Texas. The areas are targeted for exploitation by ISIS because of their understaffed municipal and county police forces and the relative safe havens the terrain provides for unchecked large-scale drug smuggling.

    With four years of open borders under the Biden administration and corrupt federal agents like Perez, there is no telling how many terrorists have entered the country to plan attacks. Afterall, in 2016 Judicial Watch uncovered an operation in which Mexican drug traffickers helped Islamic terrorists stationed in Mexico cross into the U.S. to explore targets for future attacks and among them was a Kuwaiti named Shaykh Mahmood Omar Khabir, an ISIS operative who at the time lived in Chihuahua not far from El Paso. Khabir trained hundreds of Al Qaeda fighters in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen, according to information provided to Judicial Watch by government sources.

    Source: Judicial Watch

  • NAFDAC Raids Onitsha Market, Confiscates Fake, Substandard, Expired Drugs

    NAFDAC Raids Onitsha Market, Confiscates Fake, Substandard, Expired Drugs

    By Ovat Abeng

    The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, had raided  the popular drug market at the Bridge Head, Onitsha, Anambra State, confiscating large quantities of suspected substandard, adulterated and expired drugs running into millions of naira.

    The operation, which was led by the Director, NAFDAC South East Zone, Dr Martins Iluyomade, took the traders by surprise as they moved from shop to shop and removed a wide range of drugs.

    Products found to have been faked and counterfeited include antibiotics, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-asthmatic, aphrodisiacs, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, herbal remedies and psychoactive drugs.

    There were also banned drugs such as analgin, tramadol (above 100 mg), gentamycin (280 mg), codeine and controlled substances, vaccines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, cosmetics, chemicals and unwholesome food, empty plastics, bags and cans, among others.

    Read Also: Gunmen k!ll two police officers in Yobe

    Iluyomade said the exercise was in line with the agency’s mandate of eradicating fake, banned and other spurious NAFDAC- regulated products from circulating in Nigeria and to prevent members of the unsuspecting public from falling victim.

    He said the agency was working in collaboration with the market task force, adding that the exercise was carried out simultaneously across all the five South-East states.

    He said: “What triggered the exercise is that over time, we have been collating data and gathering intelligence on fake and substandard drugs in the markets, and we discovered that people are repackaging and re-bagging fake and counterfeit drugs in the market.

    “The exercise is aimed at riding the markets of fake and substandard drugs and those that are made up of spurious, counterfeited and falsified medicinal products, unwholesome processed products and several other unsafe regulated drugs.

    “This is taking place simultaneously across the South-East states, and it is aimed at sanitizing the drug markets and safeguarding the health of members of the unsuspecting public.

    “Among the drugs are expired, banned, substandard, deflective, repackaged and recalled products. We found out that some of the drug dealers are in the habit of imitating some popular drugs and pouring it into containers of the original manufacturer in order to deceive unsuspecting members of the public.

    “And these drugs are very sensitive that can lead to death or permanent disability of the consumer. The confiscation of the products would eliminate the risk of their reintroduction into the market and a proof of the agency’s resolve to safeguard the health of the people.”

    He however advised members of the public to patronize only licensed and registered drug outlets, adding that security operatives and the investigative team of the agency, as well as other stakeholders, are on the ground monitoring and ensuring that the enforcement goes smoothly.