Hard Boiled News

True Crime and News of the Weird from around the Globe

Felon Hit With Gun Charge in Tragic Shooting of 7-Year-Old By Toddler

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Harmony Warfiled was fatally shot by her 2-year-old cousin using Anthony Sanders’ gun

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — A convicted felon has been charged with illegally possessing a gun that a 2-year-old boy got his hands on and used to accidentally shoot and kill his 7-year-old cousin in Tennessee.

Anthony Patrick Sanders, 27, was released from prison last year after serving eight years for kidnapping. As a convicted felon he is legally barred from owning a gun.

Federal authorities say Sanders had been carrying a gun when he came to stay in an apartment in the J.C. Napier Houses in Nashville on June 6, where the little girl, Harmony Warfield, was killed.

Sanders faces 10 years

The tragic incident unfolded when Sanders — who regularly carried a gun when he stayed in the public housing development — stepped outside of the apartment, leaving the firearm inside where a toddler picked it up, prosecutors said.

When he heard the gun go off, Sanders allegedly ran back into the apartment, saw Warfield lying bleeding on the kitchen floor, grabbed the gun and took off, saying he did not want to go back to jai.

“Another innocent child has died because the defendant, a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing a firearm, chose to ignore the law and arm himself with handguns, said Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith.

Sanders faces up to 10 years in prison for the gun rap.

 

Man Who Robbed Bank to Get Away from Wife Sentenced to House Arrest

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KANSAS CITY, Kansas — Sometimes, the punishment truly fits the crime.

A 71-year-old man who told authorities he robbed a bank because he preferred to spend the rest of his life behind bars rather than with his wife, has been sentenced to six months house arrest — in the home he shares with his wife.

Lawrence John Ripple  had faced up to 20 years in prison. He pleaded guilty in January but his attorneys had asked the judge for leniency, saying Ripple had been suffering from severe depression at the time of the robbery and had sought treatment and has undergone couple’s counseling with his wife.

They also argued that he has health problems and is unlikely to re-offend.

Ripple had walked into the Bank of Labor across from police headquarters in Kansas City, Kansas last September with a note stating, “I have a gun, give me money.”

But after the teller handed him $2,924 from the drawer, he went and sat down on a chair in the bank lobby. When a bank security guard approached Ripple, he said he was the guy they were looking for and handed back the cash, according to court documents.

While being interviewed by investigators, Ripple said he had gotten into a fight with his wife at home “and he no longer wanted to be in that situation.” He said he wrote the demand note in front of his wife and told he he’d rather be in jail than continue living with her.

His lawyers said the episode amounted to a “cry for help.” In court, Ripple apologized for scaring the bank’s employees, the Kansas City Star reported.

 

 

80 Ducks Killed by Parasite at Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool

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WASHINGTON — When Trump talked about “Draining the Swamp,” this  probably wasn’t what he meant.

A lethal water-borne parasite in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has left 80 ducks dead, authorities said.

The National Park Service said it would drain the pool after detecting the toxic condition.

The service said that on May 20 and 21, rangers discovered dozens of dead ducks and ducklings in and around the poll. An investigation yielded that a high level of a parasite that grows in snails that live in the pond was the likely cause.

Officials say the situation cannot be treated chemically and requires that the pool be completely emptied of water and cleaned.

Humans who come in contact with the parasite are at low risk for any trouble but could develop “swimmer’s itch,” an allergic reaction in the form of a skin rash. The condition is not contagious and rarely requires medical treatment.

The park service say the risk of contracting it at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is extremely low, as it is only contracted by sustained contact with affected water, such as by swimming or wading.

Meanwhile, officials say it will take approximately eight days to drain, clean and refill the pond. They say they will aggressively monitor the water for the parasite afterwards.

Dad Shot Dead After Scuffle Among Kids at Kindergarten Graduation Party

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Devon Brown was shot dead during a kindergarten party

HANOVER TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania — A scuffle between two kids at a kindergarten graduation party turned deadly when the fight spread to a group of adults and a man was fatally shot, cops said.

Investigators say Devon Brown, 29, was shot and killed by Tremaine Jamison on Wednesday after their kids got into a fight at the party.

“An altercation between two 6-year-old boys is the reason why I don’t have my kid’s father with me today,” Brown’s wife, Antionette Nimmons told WNEP-TV. “They were just rough playing like boys do.”

Cops are hunting for the 27-year-old Jamison, who hails from New York City. He has two prior robbery convictions in New York, records show.

According to the criminal complaint, Brown and Jamison got into a heated argument with several other adults after another resident of the complex accused Brown’s son of punching Jamison’s son, according to a criminal complaint.

Cops are on the lookout for Tremaine Jamison

The fight escalated when someone pulled a knife on Brown, the complaint said. He then retrieved a knife from his apartment, and Jamison pulled out a gun and fired a single shot at Brown, the complaint read. He was declared dead at the scene.

 

Worker Installing Cesspool Killed By Giant Sinkhole Collapse

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HUNTINGTON, New York — A worker helping install a cesspool was killed when a giant sinkhole ruptured the ground beneath him, burying him beneath 15-feet of dirt, police said.

It took rescue crews more than six hours to get to Edward Sinnott, 59, but by that time it was too late, the Suffolk County police said.

Sinnott had been directing a crane that was lowering the cesspool into a hole that had been dug out of the front yard of a home in Huntington on Long Island when the ground opened up underneath him. THe hole spread across much of the homeowners front yard and driveway.

As the hole opened, it pouted 15-feet of dirt on top of Sinnott, authorities said. A second worker managed to escape by grabbing onto some equipment and pulling himself free from the hole.

Rescue crews brought in another crane and machine that suction out dirt, but workers were unable to quickly find Sinnott.

Motorcyclist Thrown From Bike After Striking Alligator in Florida

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This was all that remained of the gator after crossing the road in front of a motorcycle

WIMAUMA, Florida — There is no later for this gator.

A motorcycle driver was seriously injured when he hit an alligator crossing a rural Florida road, throwing him from his bike.

Calun Ethan Nelson, 27, was riding his bike south of Tampa early Friday morning and didn’t see the 10-foot-nine-inch-long gator crossing the road in front of him until it was too late, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Nelson, who was wearing a helmet, was airlifted to a hospital in Tampa where he was listed in serious condition. He is expected to live.

A trapper was brought in to retrieve the alligator, but the animal died later in the day.

Earlier in the week, a driver narrowly avoided serious injury when she hit an alligator on the road near Sarasota, causing her car to flip several times, cops said.

Animal experts say a lack of rain in Florida has caused alligators to have to search farther for water, which may may explain why they have been turning up on roads more frequently.

89-Year-Old Florida Man Killed In Freak Fire Hydrant Mishap

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VIERA, Florida –An 89-year-old Florida was drowned in a freak accident after his car crashed through a fire hydrant and triggered a high-pressure gusher of water that pulled him under as he stepped out of the vehicle, police said.

Robert Dreyer, of Melbourne, was driving his 2016 Mercedes Benz in Brevard County early Wednesday, when he veered off the road and knocked over the pump, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The spraying water quickly ripped a six-foot deep hole in the ground under the vehicle.

“The water started erupting from the fire hydrant. As a result there was a divot in the space where the fire hydrant used to be and right adjacent to his driver’s door, he fell into that divot” Channing Taylor of the Florida Highway Patrol told Florida Today.

Bystanders said high-pressure water began shooting high into the air, hitting the tops of palm trees standing nearby, which made it difficult to get to Dreyer. By the time they managed to pull him free, several minutes had passed.

Dreyer was rushed to a nearby hospital but could not be saved.

Former NHL Star Given Probation on Drug Charge Following Years of Addiction

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Kevin Stephens played 17 seasons in the NHL

BOSTON — Former NHL star Kevin Stephens, who developed an addiction to painkillers after suffering a catastrophic injury on the ice, was sentenced to three years probation for conspiring to sell oxycodone.

Stephens, 52, won two Stanley Cup championships with the Pittsburgh Penguins and played on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team, had pleaded guilty in December to conspiring with another man to obtain and sell the powerful painkilling pills.

While federal prosecutors had asked for a one-year sentence, U.S. District Judge George O’Toole agreed instead to a sentence of probation and a $10,000 fine, and ordered Stephens to continue his drug treatment and give motivational speeches to others struggling with addiction.

A lightning-fast left winger who scored 726 points during his 17-season career, Stephens was first prescribed oxycodone after shattering most of the bones in his face in a collision during a playoff game in 1993, an injury some consider to be among the worst in the history of the sport.

Stephens returned to the ice the following season and retired in 2002 after stints with the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings.

But he eventually developed a dependency on pain killing drugs which ruined his marriage and ended his stint as a scout for the Penguins.

Last May, Stephens was arrested with 175 pills of oxycodone in his car that he intended to sell to his co-defendant, Christopher Alonardo, who allegedly planned to sell them to other users in the Boston area, prosecutors said.

Stephens told the judge that his addiction and arrest were deeply embarrassing and he was sorry for what he had done.

“I wish it never happened,” he said, according to the Boston Globe. “It’s something that hurts me. I hurt my family, my kids, I hurt my parents. I hurt everybody.”

Florist Busted Stealing Flowers From Cemetery

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PEQUANNOCK, New Jersey — A sticky-fingered florist has been arrested for repeatedly stealing graveside flowers and plants from a cemetery in New Jersey, cops said.

Lynda Wingate, 59, of Riverdale has been charged with theft of moveable property.

Pequannock Township police say that after receiving numerous complaints about stolen lowers at the First Reformed Church Cemetery in Pompton Plains, they decided to replace some pilfered plants and place surveillance cameras nearby to see what would happen.

Sure enough, cops say that within two days the plants were gone and a review of the surveillance footage revealed a woman driving up in a silver minivan and taking off with the plants.

Unfortunately for Wingate, officers recognized her as a former police dispatcher who now owned a flower shop in town.

Police say Wingate claimed she was just removing old flowers from graves of people she knew, but investigators didn’t buy her story. At the same time, they said there was no evidence that she attempted to re-sell any of the plants she allegedly stole.

Drunk Driver Suspected of Killing 2 Mini Horses in Hit and Run

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Scout and Big Red had to be put down following the crash

PENNGROVE, California — A man busted for drunk driving is believed to have earlier crashed his car through a corral, killing a woman’s beloved pair of miniature horses and then fleeing the scene.

The Sonoma County Sheriff’s office said the tragic hit-and-run occurred around 2 a.m. Saturday when a car ploughed through a Penngrove woman’s property, striking the two horses, Scout and Big Red. The animals were later euthanized.

Cops in nearby Cotati, California busted Ronald Rennert, of Oakland, after spotting him swerving all over the road in a Honda CRV that appeared to have damage to its front end, the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported.

After getting him back to the station house, word filtered back about the unsolved horse hit-and-run and officers put two and two together, cops said.

Further investigation revealed pieces of what appeared to be a Honda CRV on the grounds at the horse corral and traces of horse hair embedded in the front of Rennert’s car, police said.

The horse’s owner, Juanita Carrillo said the tragedy had left her deeply shaken.

“Even though this won’t bring my ponies back, it does give us a bit of relief to know that we have found him and he will have to pay the price for what he has done,” she wrote on her Facebook page.