truesee's Blog

San Marcos Couple In Big Trouble from Dr. Phil Appearance

San Diego 6

SAN DIEGO - A San Marcos couple who said on the "Dr. Phil" show last year that they were professional shoplifters pleaded not guilty Monday to conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.

Matthew Allen Eaton, 34, and Laura Renee Eaton, 26, told Dr. Phil McGraw on his nationally syndicated show that they made about $100,000 per year by shoplifting.

They were arrested Friday at their home on Leslie Court.

A federal indictment unsealed Monday alleges the Eatons stole merchandise, primarily toys, and then transported the shoplifted merchandise to their residence in San Marcos.

The Eatons then allegedly sold the stolen merchandise via the Internet to customers in and out of California, with Matthew Eaton falsely stating that the goods had been obtained from legitimate sources.

According to the indictment, as of March 26, the Eatons were storing more than 500 boxes of stolen toys at their residence.

The couple appeared on the Dr. Phil show last November, and a federal search warrant was served at their home four months later.

U.S. Magistrate Ruben Brooks set bail today for Matthew Eaton at $35,000 and $25,000 for his wife.

A status conference was set for Sept. 17 and a motions hearing for Oct. 19.

LINK TO DR. PHIL SHOW:

http://www.drphil.com/slideshows/slideshow/4784/?id=4784&showID=1171

                     WARNING --"GRAPHIC"

Hopkins student kills intruder with samurai sword, police say

Off-campus house was burglarized Monday; suspect recently freed from county jail

Liz F. Kay and Brent Jones

Baltimore Sun reporters

2:45 p.m. EDT, September 15, 2009

A Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword killed a man who broke into the garage of his off-campus residence early Tuesday, a Baltimore police spokesman said.

According to preliminary reports, a resident of the 300 block of E. University Parkway called police about a suspicious person, department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. An off-duty officer responded about 1:20 a.m. to the area with university security, according to Guglielmi. They heard shouts and screams from a neighboring house and found the suspected burglar suffering from a nearly severed hand and laceration to his upper body, he said.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Based on the initial investigation, the student killed the man with only one strike of the sword, according to Guglielmi. The medical examiner will make the final determination, he said.

The student told police that he heard a commotion in the house and went downstairs armed with the sword, Guglielmi said. He saw the side door to the garage had been pried open and found a man inside, who lunged at the student. There was no indication that the suspected burglar was armed, however, according to Guglielmi.

Burglars had already stolen two laptops and a Sony PlayStation from the student's home Monday, Guglielmi said.

Dennis O'Shea, a spokesman for Johns Hopkins, said all four residents of the house are undergraduate students at the university. Police had released three of the roommates by Tuesday afternoon. The student who wielded the sword remained in custody while investigators worked to corroborate his story with evidence and witness statements. Police have not released the name of the residents, but department sources identified the detained student as John Pontolillo, 20, of Wall, N.J.

The city state's attorney's office will determine whether to press charges, Guglielmi said.

                                        LINK TO VIDEO:

                                          http://wjz.com/                         

Police have also not formally released the name of the suspected burglar, but a department source identified the man as Donald D. Rice, 49, of the 600 block of E. 27th St. in Baltimore. Guglielmi said the suspect had 29 prior convictions for crimes such as breaking and entering, and had been released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center after he was arrested by county police in August 2008 for stealing a car in Baltimore. Rice was found guilty in December on one count of unauthorized removal of property, and he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Michael Hughes of the 3400 block of University Place, about a block away from the scene, said he was working at his home when he heard screams shortly after 1 a.m.

"I could hear the fear in the voice, and I could tell someone was scared," said Hughes, 43, who works for Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Hughes said he called police and could hear sirens as he was on the phone. He walked over to the crime scene shortly after.

"The body was near the garage. And I watched them carry the sword out. The whole thing was surreal and totally bizarre," Hughes said.

By Tuesday afternoon, two pools of blood remained on the ground a few feet away from the door to the garage, which is not connected to the home. A door to a wooden fence surrounding the back yard was broken, allowing the scene to be viewed from the sidewalk.

The three-story house has five bedrooms and two bathrooms, according to Diego Ardila, a junior at Hopkins. Ardila said he lived in the house during the summer and was a roommate of two of the people that currently live there.

Ardila, 19, said one of the roommates owned a samurai sword and generally kept it in his room. Ardila described the student as somewhat outgoing, although they did not speak frequently.

"He kept the sword on top of his cabinet," Ardila said.

Five people lived at the house during the summer, according to Ardila, who now lives a few blocks away.

"You don't expect to hear that someone you know killed a guy with a samurai sword. From what little I know of him, he wasn't some guy going out to kill," Ardila said.

Guglielmi said it is legal to possess a sword in Baltimore, and "individuals have a right to defend their person and their property." But the police spokesman said he was not in a position to comment on whether it was appropriate to use a sword, baseball bat or other means of defense.

Rice was arrested Sept. 25, 2006, for operating a stolen vehicle. Inside the vehicle, police found a camera bag with video tapes that had been taken from a home in the 200 block of E. University Parkway, which was ransacked a month before when someone broke in through a back window, according to court records. The intruder stole luggage, a laptop computer, a video camera, two digital cameras, and the black camera bag.

Rice was charged in both incidents, and received five months in jail -- or time served -- for the theft, court records show.

On Dec. 14, 2007, police on patrol in the 400 block of E. 27th St. saw Rice, who the officers wrote looked suspicious and was fumbling with something in his jacket pocket, court records show. When an officer approached, Rice pulled a loaded Rohm .22-caliber handgun, which the officer was able to grab.

Rice was charged with several weapons charges, but prosecutors dropped the case in Circuit Court in July 2008 after one of the officers -- who was deployed overseas with the military -- could not attend a court hearing, according to the state's attorney's office.

Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton contributed to this article.

Baltimore City police officers talking near the yard where a Johns Hopkins University student armed with a samurai sword reportedly killed a man who broke into the garage of his off-campus residence early Tuesday. (Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox / September 15, 2009)

Woman, 107, looking for 23rd husband

Malaysian woman, 107, fears hubby No. 22 will leave her

(CNN) -- Afraid that her husband will leave her for a younger woman, a 107-year-old Malaysian woman is looking to marry again -- for the 23rd time.

Wok Kundor has been happily married for four years to her husband, a man 70 years her junior.

But since he left their village in northern Terengganu state for a drug rehabilitation program in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, Wok has had a gnawing feeling.

"She said that she has been feeling insecure lately and she needs to find out whether he still loves her or not," said R.S.N. Murali, a reporter for The Star. The English-language Malaysian daily was among several local media outlets reporting on the lifelong romantic.

"She is worried he might not come back after his program and find himself a younger wife," Murali said.

If so, Wok has her eyes set on a 50-year-old man, but hopes it does not come to that.

"I realize that I am an aged woman. I don't have the body nor am I a young woman who can attract anyone," she told the newspaper.

"My intention to remarry is to fill my forlornness," particularly during the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, she said.

Malaysian media, which has previously reported on the woman, said Wok has been married 22 times. That would make her marriages last an average of four years.

Wok would not discuss past relationships, Murali said.

"Some of her better halves have passed away or have divorced, but she doesn't want to talk about them or her children," he said.

Wok and her current husband, Mohammed Boor Che Musa, hail from the same village and met there.

Muhammad, 37, was quoted in an earlier report as saying the couple fell for each other because it was "God's will."

On Monday, he told The Star that he is still very much in love with his wife and cannot dream of life with someone else.

But Wok wants to hear him say it, Murali said.

Soon, the centenarian plans to make the journey to Kuala Lumpur -- if she can find a neighbor to drive her there.

Fake Cop Arrested After Pulling Over Mayor

A motorist with a flashing red light -- but no police authority -- was arrested after allegedly pulling over the wrong fellow driver: Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover.

Police say they believe the suspect was using the in-dash red light to maneuver through traffic Monday night. Glover says he pulled over when the man came up behind him. He says the man sped away after seeing who he had stopped.

Glover says he followed the car and called police, who later booked 21-year-old Daniel Niederhelman of Shreveport with "false impersonation of a peace officer."

Police seized the emergency light and a handgun from Niederhelman's holster. Sgt. Dan Houghton said the man works for a private security company, but wasn't authorized to use the emergency light.

http://socyberty.com/society/mysterious-symbols-the-eye/

Boy left in car while stepdad hunts for drugs, police charge

Donald Vicente II of Coopersburg allegedly forgot where he parked in Philly

Tracy Jordan

THE MORNING CALL

September 15, 2009

31-year-old Coopersburg man went in search of drugs in North Philadelphia and left his 6-year-old stepson waiting in his vehicle for about two hours Sunday because he could not remember where he parked, according to police.

Donald Vicente II of 7300 Main St. remained in custody Monday under $4,000 bail on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment, according to court records.

Vicente went to Philadelphia to buy drugs and brought the boy with him, police said. Police said he parked the vehicle around 4:30 a.m. in the 200 block of E. Clearfield Street, and they discovered the boy about two hours later.

When they located Vicente he appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance, and he told officers he could not remember where he parked his vehicle, police said. The boy was taken to a hospital for evaluation and released to the custody of his mother.

According to court records, Vicente has pleaded guilty to charges in five separate cases involving illegal drugs or alcohol in Chester, Bucks and Lehigh counties since 2001. Three of the cases stemmed from charges of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and the remaining two included assault charges.

http://www.mbworld.org/forums/off-topic/312178-free-food-ruby-tuesdays-no-purchase-necessary-vol-recession-ftw-mmm-mmm-good-enjoy.html

Off-duty city officer shoots man in attempted home invasion

Suspect critically injured after being struck 'multiple times,' police say

Justin Fenton

Baltimore Sun

3:24 p.m. EDT, September 14, 2009

A man was shot and critically wounded by an off-duty police officer after an attempted home invasion Monday afternoon in Northeast Baltimore, police said.

Following a policy implemented earlier this year, police did not identify the officer other than disclosing that he is assigned to the Southwest District.

About 1 p.m., the officer was attempting to enter his home in the 3600 block of Glenarm Road in the leafy Glenham-Belford neighborhood when the suspect, a 19-year-old man, stuck a gun in his back and forced him inside the home, according to police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

The suspect forced the officer to lie down, and the officer was able to grab his service weapon. The officer chased the suspect two blocks before opening fire, striking the suspect "multiple times," Guglielmi said.

The suspect's weapon was recovered from the scene, according to Guglielmi. He was transported to Johns Hopkins Bayview Hospital in critical condition, and police declined to identify him until he was charged.

Several neighbors reported hearing two sets of four to nine gunshots but did not see the officer or the suspect. They said the shooting was rare for the neighborhood of single-family homes with well-kept yards.

"This is a very unusual situation," said Sylvester Macis, 63.

Baltimore police say an off-duty officer shot a man who pulled a gun on the officer during an apparent home invasion attempt.

September 12, 2009

Area schools may soon sell naming rights

By LINDA TRIMBLE
Education Writer

DELAND -- Football uniforms with a manufacturer's logo just like the Nike insignia Florida Gator star quarterback Tim Tebow wears.

A computer lab named for a bank that forks over big money to pay for upgraded equipment.

A high school theater named for a patron of the arts.

Any of those -- and more -- could be coming to Volusia County schools under an advertising and naming rights agreement the School Board will consider Tuesday.

It would give School Partnerships, a company founded last spring by longtime Volusia school supporter Nancy Holman, exclusive rights to sell naming rights for school facilities and advertising to appear on district property, uniforms, Web sites or printed materials.

"The idea is for a person to go out and solicit those opportunities that would bring in some significant dollars to the general fund for student activities and educational programs," said Superintendent Margaret Smith, who is recommending the board approve the agreement Tuesday.

"Everything would still be under our control. We could say no to a company, firm or vendor we thought would be inappropriate for an educational setting," she said.

The Volusia proposal is part of a growing trend around the nation as school districts struggle financially in the weak economy. Orange County schools, for example, hired a sales and marketing manager in July who will do much the same job as Holman would under the local contract.

"There was a wake-up call during the last budget cycle that we should look for supplemental sources of income wherever possible," said Dylan Thomas, public relations director for that Orlando-based school district. "It's a new field to plow."

But not everyone is a fan of allowing advertising in schools.

"Children are exposed to so much advertising these days. . . . They need a space where they can learn without exposure to this stuff," said Josh Golin, associate director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood in Boston.

"Parents are getting increasingly concerned about advertising," he said in a telephone interview. "When you have it in schools, you can't turn the channel. It's compulsory. That's why advertisers like to be in schools so much because they get a captive audience."

Volusia County School Board members, who still are studying details of the proposal, said they understand concerns about advertising on campus but most are leaning toward giving it a try.

"We do have to look at alternatives about how we're going to fund programs in our district," Chairwoman Diane Smith said.

"I'm hoping we can use this as a stepping stone to get sports back in middle schools and keep sports going," board member Al Williams said. "Advertisement is all around us. If you don't misuse it or abuse it, it's not a bad thing."

Holman, an Ormond Beach mother of two and former General Electric engineer and marketing manager, said it's too early to know how much money the proposed agreement could generate for the district. The school system would get 60 percent of the gross advertising revenue in the first year and 75 percent in the second and third years of the agreement.

Holman headed a political action committee that spearheaded the 2001 successful campaign for a half-penny sales tax to pay for school construction. She led a committee last spring that raised $100,000 to save junior varsity sports and academic competitions from elimination.

Holman floated the idea of launching an advertising and naming rights program to the superintendent in mid-2008. "This is really my forte. You combine it with my passion for the schools and it's the perfect thing for me," she said.

School Board member Stan Schmidt suggested the district may want to invite other interested parties to make proposals. "If we're going to have exclusive rights, should we not open it to other people?" he asked. "Maybe we can get a better deal."

But a majority of board members said Holman has proven her ability to deliver for the school system.

"I feel extremely comfortable this is in Nancy's hands," Diane Smith said. "Nancy is a strong advocate for education and our children."

Millions in stolen goods found at Houston home

Pasadena police said they recovered more than $2 million in stolen goods this week when they arrested a man suspected of hitting J.C. Penney stores in three states.

Pasadena police said they believe Ricky Orlando Garcia, 38, broke into a J.C. Penney store July 2 at 5120 Fairmont Parkway by cutting a hole through the roof.

One of the detectives said the case resembled another burglary in 2002.

Store officials also told detectives it was similar to another burglary a few days earlier at a J.C. Penney in Indianapolis. On July 26, another store in Rosenberg was burglarized in the same manner, Pasadena police said.

In August, burglars also struck two J.C. Penney stores in Louisiana. Detectives learned that some of the stolen items taken from the store in Covington, La., were later sold at a pawnshop.

After an investigation lasting about two months, detectives tracked Garcia down to a home in Houston, where he was taken into custody on Tuesday, police said.

Charges also are pending against Garcia for the burglaries in Rosenberg and Louisiana. Police in Dallas County and Hays County also issued warrants against him for burglaries in 2008.

38-year-old Ricky Orlando Garcia

Fast Food Marijuana Mix Up

WPRI CBS 12 Providence
Sep. 12, 2009. 07:26 AM EST

Two McDonalds Customers Receive a Gun and a bag of Marijuana in their order. The package was meant for the next people in the drive-thru line.

LINK TO VIDEO:

http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/5898/1094864

Police: Well-dressed elderly man robs Calif. bank

LA JOLLA — Authorities say a well-dressed elderly man carrying an oxygen tank has robbed a bank in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla.

San Diego police Sgt. Ray Battrick says the suspect on Saturday presented a note demanding money to a teller at the San Diego National Bank. He fled with an unknown amount of cash.

Battrick says it's unclear whether the suspect had a weapon.

The robber is described as a tall man in his 70s with white hair, a gray mustache and glasses. He was wearing a white beret, argyle sweater and brown sports jacket.

Battrick says the oxygen tank was in a black bag and connected to the man's nose with plastic tubing.

Men lie six times a day and twice as often as women, study finds

Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 9:59 PM on 13th September 2009

Men tell twice as many lies as women, it emerged yesterday.

Researchers found they tell six fibs a day on average to their partner, boss and work colleagues, but women come out with just three.

The study of 2,000 Britons also revealed that the most common lie told by both sexes was: ' Nothing's wrong, I'm fine.'

Fibbing: A study has found men tell 42 lies a week - twice as many as women

While men are likely to fib about having their last pint and claiming their partner's behind doesn't look too big, women avoid telling the truth about their latest shopping purchases.

Eighty-three per cent of adults of both sexes said they could easily tell if their partner was lying.

But body language expert Richard Newman said: 'Most people can't read the signals.

'They assume that if someone is hiding the truth, they would hide their face and avoid eye contact. In fact, the opposite is true.

'Liars usually do everything they can to convince you of the truth, sitting still and looking at you to watch your reaction.

'People simply overestimate their skills in this area.'

The findings emerged in a poll by 20th Century Fox to mark the DVD launch of TV series Lie To Me, starring Tim Roth as a deception expert who helps to solve crimes.

Top ten lies men tell:

1. Nothing's wrong, I'm fine
2. This will be my last pint
3. No, your bum doesn't look big in that
4. I had no signal
5. My battery died
6. Sorry, I missed your call
7. I didn't have that much to drink
8. I'm on my way
9. It wasn't that expensive
10. I'm stuck in traffic 

Top ten lies women tell:

1. Nothing's wrong, I'm fine
2. Oh, this isn't new, I've had it ages
3. It wasn't that expensive
4. It was in the sale
5. I'm on my way
6. I don't know where it is, I haven't touched it
7. I didn't have that much to drink
8. I've got a headache
9. No, I didn't throw it away
10. Sorry, I missed your call 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1213171/Men-lie-times-day-twice-women-study-finds.html#ixzz0R2pev0L3

SHAWNE K. WICKHAM
New Hampshire Sunday News Staff

September 12, 2009

A Westmoreland woman is now believed to be the oldest person in the United States -- and second-oldest in the entire world.

Mary Josephine Ray, who lives at Maplewood Nursing Home, turned 114 years old on May 17.

Ray, who was born on Prince Edward Island, Canada, became the oldest U.S. resident after the death Friday of a 115-year-old California woman who was considered the oldest person in the world.

Gertrude Baines' death also means Ray is now the second-oldest person in the world, behind a woman in Japan who is just one week older, according to the Gerontology Research Group, which verifies claims of extreme old age.

Ray's granddaughter, Katherine Ray of Westmoreland, said her "Gram" is nothing short of "amazing."

Aug. 4, 2009: NH woman thought to be world's third-oldest 

 LINK: 

http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Aug.+4%2c+2009%3a+NH+woman+thought+to+be+world%27s+third-oldest&articleId=26b3f02a-d3cc-4d8f-abf7-9e9467eec18a

"She's just spry for her age. Even though she's in a wheelchair, she's strong."

"She's very smart and sharp still," she said.

Ray said she stopped by to tell her grandmother the news Friday, but she was sleeping and Ray chose not to wake her up. But she said she doesn't expect her to get too excited.

Granddaughter Kathy Ray and son Donald Ray get a laugh from Mary Josephine Ray in July, shortly after she celebrated her 114th birthday. (BOB LAPREE)

"It doesn't faze her that she's that old," she said.

As for Kathy Ray, she finds the whole idea "sort of mind boggling."

Among her grandmother's favorite pleasures are the Boston Red Sox, Hershey's Kisses and ice cream, Ray said. And she plays cards on Thursdays with a friend who visits her at the nursing home.

Kathy Ray said her grandmother underwent medical testing that found something "very, very rare" in her DNA. "She'll never have cancer or heart problems," she said.

"She'll just die of old age."