FL- Dad finds naked boy in daughter's room, hits him with pipe

9-13-2008 Florida:

A Deltona father ended up in jail Thursday after finding his daughter's teenage boyfriend naked in the girl's bedroom and hitting him with a pipe, sheriff's officials said.

Raul Colon, 45, didn't even know his daughter had a boyfriend -- or that the youngster had been sneaking into the home for more than a year. So when he heard noises coming from his daughter's room early Thursday and saw a naked stranger standing on the girl's bed, he swung a metal pipe he had taken from the garage, hitting the 15-year-old, according to a Volusia County sheriff's report.

Colon was charged with aggravated battery on a child but was released from jail later Thursday on $10,000 bail, a booking officer said. No one answered the phone at Colon's residence Thursday for comment.

According to the report, Colon heard the noise in his daughter's room when he got up at 4 a.m. to let his dog out, as he does every morning.

Colon told deputies he chased Lucas Contreres through the kitchen, living room and through the front door and out into the street and called 9-1-1.

Colon's daughter later told deputies she had been seeing Contreres for 18 months but did not tell her father about the relationship. Contreres had sneaked in through a bedroom window at 3 a.m. Thursday to have sex with her, the 15-year-old girl told deputies.

Contreres was found at Florida Hospital Fish Memorial in Orange City where he received staples to close cuts on his head. His injuries were not life-threatening, deputies said.

Contreres told deputies a similar account to Colon's. He said Colon came into the room and started swinging at him with the metal pipe. He jumped out of the bed and began running through the home to get away from Colon. Once outside, he jumped on his bike and went home. His sister later took him to the hospital, deputies said.

Although Contreres' father said he wasn't sure whether he wanted to press charges, deputies took Colon to jail anyway. ..News Source.. by PATRICIO G. BALONA, Staff Writer

CA- Sex Offender Protests Called Troubling Trend

8-30-2000 California:

Did Monrovia police go too far by distributing fliers that warned of a registered sex offender moving into a neighborhood, inciting panic and daily protests?

That was a lingering question as residents along West Olive Avenue declared victory Tuesday, convinced that their pickets and catcalls had forced Aramis Dominguez Linares, a twice-convicted child molester from Nevada, to move from his sister’s Monrovia home.

Supporters and critics agree that Monrovia police acted in accordance with California’s so-called Megan’s Law. The 4-year-old law allows agencies to inform the public when high-risk sex offenders move into town.

But Monrovia’s effort may do little good in the long run: Relatives booted Linares from the family home and authorities temporarily lost track of him, a common consequence of high-profile protests, said experts.

“We’re just trying to protect our kids,” said Monrovia Police Capt. Terry Dochnahl. The department passed out fliers to Neighborhood Watch leaders earlier this month showing Linares’ picture, his home address and the license plate number of the car registered to his family.

Linares, 49, had notified police that he was moving into his sister’s home after completion of his prison sentence on Aug. 10.

NY- After two fires in three days, homeowner says he's "a target"

9-6-2008 New York:

MOHAWK, N.Y. (WKTV) - A Mohawk man says that after two fires on his property in just three days, and a police investigation into those fires ongoing, he feels as though he is being targeted.

Herkimer County fire investigators have ruled both fires at 30 North Street - one that occurred on Tuesday afternoon to a storage shed, and early Thursday morning to a house - as suspicious.

Lloyd Strobeck owns the home on 30 North Street in Mohawk, which has several bedrooms. Living by himself, Strobeck rents out the spare bedrooms in his house to other people. However, Strobeck says he is worried because of the types of people he rents to - former prison inmates - and he is afraid that it could lead to more attacks on his property.

Neighbors in the area were concerned about the clients Strobeck was renting to, and then rumors started swirling that Strobeck was set to take in a Level Three sex offender.

"I'm working within the law," said Strobeck. "I'm not doing anything illegal."

Strobeck says he has heard several complaints from his neighbors on North Street, and even some threats. While he says that will not stop who he takes in, he says two fires in three days will.

"I'm 80 years old and after having been in this business for 43 years, I think it is time that I can go around without being harassed all the time", Strobeck said.

Several of Strobeck's neighbors declined to comment Friday night.

"If you don't try to help somebody and fail that's different," Strobeck said in regards to those he rents to. "But if you try and can do something...it's worth it." ..News Source.. by PAT BAILEY

KY- Six Inmates Appear Before A Judge

9-2-2008 Kentucky:

Six of the ten Floyd County inmates accused of beating another inmate nearly to death went before a judge this afternoon.

The six say they did not participate in the alleged beating that left Terry Fisher unconscious and paralyzed, but police disagree.

Police say the inmates are pointing fingers at each other.

Detectives took the stand Tuesday and say none of the inmates in court admitted to hitting Terry Fisher, but say each one accuses the others of beating Fisher.

The detective who interviewed the inmates thinks they all did it together.

The six in court are all charged with first degree assault.

Police say the group labeled Fisher a child molester and picked on him for three days before beating him unconscious.

However, attorneys for two of the men, say their clients did not participate in the attack.

“He does not have a criminal history that depicts any violence in his nature. Mr. Jervis will maintain his innocence and will defend this case as long as he has to,” Kent Varney said.

“Newsome has no history of violence. He was a social worker who unfortunately had a drug and alcohol problem, but has more of a history of helping people,” Gerald DeRossett said.

The judge sent the six cases to the grand jury and set their bond at $50,000 cash.

Four other inmates are also charged. They're expected to be in court later this month.

Terry Fisher remains in very serous condition at Cabell-Huntington Hospital.

Those appearing in court on Tuesday were:
• Chris Newsome
• Kevin Woods
• Matthew Ritchie
• Michael Rowland
• Ivan Gunnels
• Stephen Jervis

..News Source.. by Angela Sparkman

---

KY- Family Defends Man Nearly Killed In Jail Beating

8-29-2008 Kentucky:

He admitted being guilty of a terrible crime, but the family of a man beaten nearly to death says he should have received his punishment in a courtroom, not at the hands of inmates in jail.

Terry Fisher remains unresponsive in the hospital after police say he was attacked by 10 inmates. He plead guilty to sexually abusing a child earlier this month.

Jail officials say when they found 44-year old Fisher lying in his cell they thought he'd had a seizure. Then they realized he'd been beaten. His family says even though he pleaded guilty, he didn't deserve this punishment.

"Just to see him... The way he is now... Tears me to pieces," explains Fisher's older sister, Marilyn Johnson.

Even though he pleaded guilty to unlawful transaction with a minor and third degree sexual abuse charges, her younger brother should have been dealt with in court.

"It shouldn't have happened. He didn't deserve this."

"I don't think inmates should be allowed to decide who they whip and who they don't. Even if they're behind bars--- they still have rights," explained Tina Green, Fisher's niece.

She describes her uncle is a good, humble person who shouldn't have been charged with those crimes.

"I'd stake my life he didn't do it. I trust him completely with my children."

Green says right now Fisher is unresponsive and still bleeding from his brain. She says doctors at Cabell Hospital say he ma never make a full recovery.

"We pretty much know we'll never get our Terry back.... The jail time they would have given him is nothing compared to this. They've given him a life sentence. They've given us one. For the rest of our lives we'll have to take care of him."

Jailer Roger Webb says Fisher was separated from the general jail population and placed in an area with inmates charged with similar crimes.

Three of the ten inmates charged with beating Fisher have not been arrested because they were released from the Floyd County Detention Center before charges were filed. ..News Source.. by WKYT

---

KY- Police Investigating Assault Of Inmate

8-28-2008 Kentucky:

An Eastern Kentucky inmate is in the hospital after police say he was nearly beaten to death in jail.

Ten inmates are accused of throwing the kicks and punches. It happened in the Floyd County Detention Center earlier this month. Thursday, the inmates were all charged with assault.

Police say 55 year old Terry Fisher is in very serious condition in Cabell-Huntington Hospital in West Virginia, but he's non-responsive and may not survive. Officers say he was in jail, accused of molesting a child, and investigators say that's no excuse for the attack.

Investigators believe ten inmates began hazing accused child molester, Terry Fisher, on his first day in jail. Three days later, police say it turned into major fighting.

"Some of the inmates went into a rage and Mr. Fisher was the target," said Det. Steve Little with the Prestonsburg Police Department.

He says the inmates beat Fisher almost to death, including stomping his head into the concrete floor.

"I am very upset that this happened," said Floyd County Jailer Roger Webb.

Jailer Webb says it happened in less than 30 minutes, during a shift change. He says officers did their midnight walk-through and Fisher was fine. At the 12:30 check, he was bloody and unconscious.

"You know, on occasions, tempers do flare, but this was beyond a flared temper," Webb said.

Webb says the cell is actually where he puts non-violent inmates. The ten accused are in jail on mostly theft or drug possession charges.

"Really, in this dorm, this should have never happened. Sometimes you can get one bad apple stirring up the dorm and cause a lot of serious problems," Webb said.

Police say one of the men involved is former social worker, Chris Newsome. He and six others, Ivan Gunnels, Matthew Ritchie, Stephen Jervis, Michael Rowland, Kevin Lee Woods and Larry Adkins are all accused of throwing the worst punches and are charged with first degree assault. David Johnson, Ronald Spurlock, and Keith Page are charged with fourth degree assault.
Police are still investigating how the hazing got out of hand.

"It is obvious to me, that Mr. Fisher was very scared to speak up about his safety," Det. Little said.

"Godspeed that he gets well," Webb said.

Police say the ten accused won't be getting out anytime soon.

Six of the inmates were arraigned Thursday afternoon. Keith Paige pleaded guilty. Chris Newsome, Matthew Ritchie, Stephen Jervis, Michael Rowland, and Kevin Lee Woods pleaded not guilty.

Jailers say three others were in the cell, but they did not participate in the alleged beating. ..News Source.. by Angela Sparkman

MO- Poplar Bluff police: Stabbing was vendetta

9-3-2008 Missouri:

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — Local authorities believe a Poplar Bluff man was carrying out a vendetta when he stabbed another man 10 to 12 times early Tuesday.

Steven Wayne Gowen is accused of stabbing Clement B. White.

"None of White's wounds were fatal. They were punctures; they did not hit any organs," said Poplar Bluff Police Detective Leigh Raymer.

White, 48, reportedly was stabbed at his residence sometime before 12:20 a.m.

Gowen, 39, of the 1200 block of Fairmount, was arrested at 5 a.m. at his residence on suspicion of first-degree assault.

Raymer said Gowen had been told by a relative that she had allegedly been raped by White. He also told Raymer he had a vendetta against White.

Gowen was released from a 120-day institutional treatment center April 22 and placed on probation through Butler County on the same date on a criminal nonsupport charge. Gowen also was placed on probation Jan. 29 in Franklin County on a charge manufacturing a controlled substance.

White was charged Friday with rape. The charge reportedly stems from an investigation by the police department into a March 25, 2007, incident. ..News Source.. by Daily American Republic