Five men were arrested after Schaumburg police say they posed as construction workers in an attempt to burglarize elderly residents’ home.
Alan Ely, 23, of Mount Prospect; Corky Miller, 40 of Chicago; Michael Miller, 40, of Niles; Lawrence Miller, 18, of Prospect Heights; and Rocky Reed, 23, of Mount Prospect, each are charged with felony residential burglary. Corky Miller also is charged with felony aggravated fleeing and eluding for driving away from detectives.
On Tuesday afternoon, detectives were conducting burglary surveillance on the east side of the village when they noticed a vehicle on Spring Creek Circle that matched the description of one involved in a burglary in another community.
Police then saw two men running from a home and get into that vehicle, which already had three people inside. Police then began to follow that vehicle, which took several “evasive actions in an effort to lose detectives,” police said.
After a short chase, including two minor accidents — one with a Schaumburg squad car — the five men were stopped and arrested, police said.
The investigation revealed two of the men approached two elderly residents at their home on Spring Creek Circle, wearing construction gear.
When the residents answered their door, the men allegedly forced their way in claiming they were doing construction work down the street and had struck something, police said. The men stated they had to check for a possible problem with lighting in the home.
The men then ran from the home without stealing anything when the others in the vehicle outside alerted them of police in the area, police said.
A Schaumburg police detective on Tuesday, Nov. 29 was conducting burglary surveillance on the east side of the village and reportedly observed a vehicle on Spring Creek Circle that matched the description of burglary suspects from another community.
The detective then observed two suspects run from a residence and enter a vehicle already occupied by three other suspects, police said. The detective followed the vehicle while calling for marked patrol units to assist.
Police said the vehicle took several evasive actions in an effort to "lose" the detective. When a marked patrol unit arrived, officers attempted to stop the vehicle. The vehicle fled from officers and was involved in two separate and minor traffic crashes, one with a civilian and one with a Schaumburg police car, at the intersection of Woodfield Road and Mall Drive.
All five suspects were taken into custody at that point. Only the driver of the civilian vehicle claimed a minor injury.
According to police, investigation determined that two of the suspects approached two elderly residents at their home on Spring Creek Circle, located south of Higgins Road and east of Meacham Road.
Police said one suspect wore a construction type hard hat while the second suspect carried a two-way radio. When the elderly residents answered their door, the two suspects allegedly barged in claiming they were doing construction work down the street and had struck something. The suspects stated they had to check for a possible problem with lighting in the home.
The suspects fled the home without stealing anything when alerted of the possible presence of police in the area by their partners waiting in the vehicle, police said.
Bond was set for Corky Miller at $50,000. Lawrence Miller, Reed, and Ely all received $20,000 bonds.
Michael Miller was taken into custody by the Cook County Sheriff's Dept. and is being held without bond for a probation violation.
LOS ANGELES—A retired commander says he was ignored when he warned Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca and other managers last year about problem jailhouse deputies.
Robert Olmsted, a 32-year sheriff's veteran who was the top jail commander when he retired late last year, tells the Los Angeles Times that he told superiors about shoddy deputy use-of-force investigations.
He also told them he was concerned about deputies forming aggressive cliques.
Olmsted says he was rebuffed by two superiors who told him it was impossible to change the deputy culture in the downtown jail.
The FBI is now investigating allegations of jailhouse brutality and misconduct.
Now, one of the department's top commanders says he did attempt to warn Baca that deputies were using excessive force against inmates, but was ignored. Robert Olmsted, a retired 32-year veteran, told The Times' Robert Faturechi and Jack Leonard that he tried to talk to Baca about his concerns twice in 2010 with little success. Olmsted was so troubled by the violence that he ordered an audit of use-of-force reports. He said he also alerted his bosses, but was told that jail culture couldn't be changed.
It's no surprise, then, that Baca is now blaming Olmsted for not doing more to address the violence. He didn't need to "ask for permission to solve the problem," Baca says. Never mind that a quasi-military organization like the Sheriff's Department is all about following the chain of command. Or that Baca is trying to have it both ways, suggesting that his command staff failed him by shielding him from the truth, and at the same time blaming Olmsted for not taking care of the problem on his own.
How many times can Baca plead ignorance? This is just the latest in a series of objectionable responses that calls into question whether he is capable of running, let alone reforming, the nation's largest jail system.
For the public to have confidence that Baca can improve the jails, he must take consistent responsibility for what goes on inside them. This is his crisis, not that of his subordinates. And its resolution will be his legacy, not theirs.
As Occupy L.A. protesters prepared last week to fight the city’s planned eviction of their camp outside City Hall – still on hold as they take the eviction fight to court - a list of demands drafted by the protesters solidified their sympathy for the immigrant rights movement.
A few days ago, the Los Angeles protesters posted a list of “grievances not addressed” that ranged from a moratorium on foreclosures to seeking a better public transit system to student debt relief, and this request:
Los Angeles to be declared a sanctuary city for the undocumented, deportations to be discontinued and cooperation with immigration authorities be ended – including the turning in of arrestees’ names to immigration authorities.
It’s a tall order in Los Angeles County, which has long had a partnership with the federal government that allows for jail inmates to be turned over to immigration officials. The city is already criticized by immigration restriction advocates as being a so-called “sanctuary city” for its Special Order 40, which bars Los Angeles police from inquiring about immigration status.
Still, it’s indicative of Los Angeles’ Occupy movement. Since the beginning, Occupy protests in other cities (including in New York, where Occupy Wall Street got the ball rolling) have been accused of being too white, with little black or Latino participation despite these groups having been hit hardest by the economic crisis that spurred the protests in the first place.
This hasn’t been the case so much in California, though, where Latinos have been involved in the protests since the start, among them immigrant rights activists and supporters. While the protesters’ grievances continue to revolve around the role of banks and other corporate entities in the economic crisis, immigration has made its way onto the list. Earlier this month, Occupy protesters in Oakland embarked on a campaign to free Francisco “Pancho” Ramos-Stierle, a former graduate student who was placed on a deportation hold after his arrest during a rally. And on Saturday, about 300 Occupy San Francisco protesters held an immigrant rights march.
Other groups have held Occupy-related immigration protests as well, including an Occupy ICE group in San Diego organized by the local janitors’ union and an Occupy Birmingham protest today in Alabama, with protesters picketing an immigrant detention center.
Chief Deputy City Atty. William Carter said he expects more protesters to be criminally charged, particularly those with criminal records. The length of protesters' jail stays was not unusual, he said.
"It's an unfortunate fact of life in this country," he said. "Perhaps this will sensitize people to what it means to get arrested."
But Carol Sobel, an attorney who has advised the protesters, said: "They're being punished for being a part of Occupy L.A."
Most of those arrested ultimately will qualify for the diversion program and will not face charges, she predicted. The arrestees face potential charges of failure to disperse and, in a few cases, resisting arrest. They faced a minimum bail of $5,000. About 40 had been bailed out Thursday.
The arrest records show that the median age of the group is 26, and men outnumber women nearly 3-to-1. Forty-eight are not old enough to legally drink alcohol. The oldest, 79-year-old Dorothy Sarnoff of Highland Park, turned 21 during the Eisenhower administration.
Most were local, although 20 arrestees told police they live outside the state, listing hometowns as far away as Roopville, Ga., and Ithaca, N.Y.
No occupation was reported for about 100 arrestees. Others listed varied jobs, including actor, architect, barista, pizza deliveryman, poet and taxi driver.
Twenty-eight-year-old Christopher French was among them. He was taken into custody for remaining in City Hall park even after police issued a dispersal order early Wednesday. He was holding a white rose in his hand — a scene captured by several photographers.
French said he was released from jail after a sympathetic bail commissioner reduced his bail. He has been given a Jan. 5 trial date. He complained about the way protesters were treated after they were arrested, saying he and others were kept in plastic handcuffs for seven hours.
In the days since their eviction, protesters have collected money for a bail fund. At least one protester, 35-year-old Tyson Header, was charged with battery and assault on a peace officer after he allegedly spit on an officer during his arrest, according to records.
City Atty. Carmen Trutanich has complained in the past about "career protesters," whose actions he says drain city resources and disrupt the lives of average citizens.
Trutanich, who may run for county district attorney, has said his office does not prosecute protesters' for the content of their demonstration, only their conduct.
Carter, the chief deputy city attorney, said Thursday that even though many city officials embraced the message of Occupy L.A., the city had not suspended a ban on overnight camping on City Hall grounds.
An Oakland man has been arrested and charged with murder, and three others are facing assault charges, in connection with the beating and shooting death of a man near the former Occupy Oakland encampment outside City Hall, police said Thursday.
Norris Terrell, 20, of Oakland was arrested last week in Lexington, Ky., and has been charged by Alameda County prosecutors with murder in the slaying of Kayode Ola Foster, 25, of Oakland.
Three other suspects - Joseph Anthony Gholston, 32, Excell McKinley, 20, and Carleon Roberson, 18, all of Oakland - have been charged with assault. Authorities say the three beat Foster on Frank Ogawa Plaza on Nov. 10 moments before Terrell opened fire.
Foster was killed, and an employee of a nearby credit union was grazed by a bullet that penetrated the building, authorities said.
Terrell is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center in Kentucky pending his extradition to Alameda County.
Police said Foster was shot in a fight, possible over alcohol, on the City Hall plaza. At least six gunshots were fired, creating chaos among occupiers and eyewitnesses and sparking community outrage that led police to shut down the camp four days later.
Police arrested three other men in connection with the attack.
Joseph Anthony Gholston, 32, Excell McKinley, 20, and Carleon Roberson, 18, all of Oakland, were charged Thursday with assault with a deadly weapon for beating Foster before the shooting, police said.
Jordan said cooperation from the public and surveillance video led to the arrests.
"We've been following a bunch of leads since that day, and we received a lot of calls from citizens who provided us with key information," Jordan said.
Terrell also was charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling when a bullet meant for Foster went through a window and grazed a worker inside, police said.
It was unclear whether Terrell has a lawyer. Attorneys for Gholston, McKinley and Roberson could not be reached for comment. The three men charged with assault are due in court on Dec. 7.
An investigation was ongoing.
WASHINGTON — FBI and IRS agents on Friday searched the home of D.C. Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr., who's been under investigation for several months since being accused of diverting more than $300,000 in city funds for personal use. Nearly two dozen law-enforcement personnel took part in the search.
Authorities did not arrest anyone, unseal any documents or make any announcements about the case Friday. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office said only that their activity was related to an ongoing investigation. But agents did load both a Chevrolet Tahoe and a motorcycle of Thomas' onto a tow truck. Agents also took out at least two small garbage bags of items as well as several cardboard boxes.
"From Day One, we've cooperated with the government's investigation of this matter. We'll continue to do that," Karl Racine, one of Thomas' attorneys, said late Friday afternoon outside the councilmember's home. "At the conclusion of the matter, we sincerely believe that there'll be no finding of any criminal violations."
Agents left Thomas' home around 5:20 p.m. One of his attorneys, Frederick Cooke, answered the door when reporters knocked and said neither he nor Thomas had any comment.
Federal authorities have been investigating Thomas, a Democrat who represents Ward 5, since at least June, when the District of Columbia attorney general filed a lawsuit accusing him of spending more than $300,000 in city funds on an Audi SUV, vacations and other personal expenses. Thomas agreed to repay the money but did not acknowledge any wrongdoing.
Thomas subsequently stepped down from his post as chairman of the Council's economic development committee. Three colleagues called on him to resign, but he has vowed to remain in office.
Council Chairman Kwame Brown hastily called a closed-door meeting of the Council on Friday afternoon to discuss "personnel matters," but postponed it until Monday because some councilmembers were sick or out of town, said Brown's spokeswoman, Karen Sibert.
Councilmember Mary Cheh confirmed that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss Thomas. The Council could reprimand him or strip him of committee assignments. It could also begin censure proceedings, but that would require the Council to launch its own investigation, which Cheh said would not seem to be a prudent course of action.
"This changes the complexion of things," said Cheh, one of the council members who had called on Thomas to resign, of Friday's raid. "I'm very, very concerned about how it reflects on the Council. It is a fairly grave situation for the institution."
FBI spokeswoman Jacqueline Maguire would only confirm that “law enforcement action was taken” Friday morning at Mr. Thomas’s home.
Mr. Thomas’s lawyer, Fred Cooke, was seen at the house throughout the day and at about 5 p.m. emerged with another lawyer, who read a brief statement on Mr. Thomas’s behalf.
“We certainly understand the interest of the public and respect that interest,” lawyer Karl Racine said. “From day one, we’ve cooperated with the government’s investigation of this matter and we’ll continue to do that. At the conclusion of the matter, we sincerely believe that there will be no finding of any criminal violation.”
Law-enforcement sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the raid said they did not expect to make any arrests or to make public any papers associated with the search. Mr. Thomas’s city hall office building was not expected to be searched on Friday.
Mr. Thomas, Ward 5 Democrat, agreed to repay $300,000 to the District after the city’s attorney general filed a $1 million lawsuit against him this year for funding lavish trips and a luxury vehicle with public funds earmarked for youth baseball.
Mr. Thomas said after the settlement was announced that he entered into it in the “best interest of the city” and denied “purposeful misuse” of public funds.
An investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office is ongoing.
Mayor Vincent C. Gray said Friday he hoped for a quick resolution to the probe.
“I continue to support the investigation into these allegations so that justice can run its course,” he said. “For the sake of the District, I hope the investigation is concluded quickly.”
D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh, who has already called on Mr. Thomas to resign, noted that the raid marks a ratcheting up of the probe. She said there is not a high standard for the evidence required to get a search warrant, but “it is a standard.”
D.C. police have released a composite sketch of a man suspected of a sexual assault in Northwest Washington, and they are asking the public to help identify him.
Around 2 a.m. on Nov. 1, police said, a woman was walking in the 100 block of Hamilton Street NW near Fort Totten Park when a man pulled her into an alley and sexually assaulted her. The suspect is described as a black male with a light complexion, 20 to 25 years old with a thin build, and last seen wearing dark colored pants and a red-and -black North Face style jacket.
The victim was walking in the 100 block of Hamilton St NW around 2 a.m.on Nov. 1 when a man pulled her into an alley and sexually assaulted her, police said.
The attack occurred near New Hamphire Ave NW, less then two blocks from an elementary school.
Police said the suspect wore a red and black North Face jacket and dark-colored pants at the time of the attack. They described him as about 20-25 years old with a thin build.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 202 727-9099 or 1-888-919-2746.
D.C. Superior Court jury Thursday found two Southeast Washington men guilty of numerous charges associated with the armed robberies of two check-cashing stores last year, one of which culminated in the fatal shooting of one of the store’s owners.
After about a day of deliberations, the jury found Gregory Trotter, 58, and Ernest Pee Jr., 51, guilty of felony murder, conspiracy, armed robbery and other charges in connection with the June 17, 2010, fatal shooting of Prabhjot Singh, 30, during a robbery of Singh’s store in the 2300 block of Benning Road NE.
Singh was killed trying to help one of the store’s customers during the robbery, said prosecutors Deborah Sines and Adam Schwartz. When Trotter grabbed a woman who was in the store, they said, Singh lunged from behind the counter and tackled him. The two men wrestled and rolled out onto the sidewalk, where Trotter allegedly yelled “get off me” to Singh before shooting Singh in the left eye.
“One shot was all Mr. Trotter needed,” Sines told the jury.
After the shooting, prosecutors said, Trotter went back in the store and helped Pee gather about $40,000 in cash.
During the scuffle with Singh, prosecutors said, Trotter’s baseball cap and cellphone flew. Detectives recovered the hat, and the phone was traced to Trotter.
To try to prove their case, prosecutors relied on grainy surveillance video from the store as well as Trotter’s DNA found on his cap.
Detectives testified that they could identify the men in the video by the shapes of their bodies and their complexions, although the men’s noses and mouths were covered by masks.
The men’s attorneys said that police arrested the wrong men. Five of the six witnesses identified the robbers as being 20 to 25 years old. Pee’s DNA was not found on the scene, his attorney said.
A jury on Thursday convicted 59-year-old Gregory Trotter and 50-year-old Ernest Pee Jr. The two were found guilty of an armed robbery of check-cashing store in the district last May. They were also convicted in a subsequent armed robbery in June 2010 at another store in Washington in which the store owner was killed.
Prosecutors say Trotter and Pee face maximum sentences of life in prison with no possibility of release. Sentencing is set for Feb. 10, 2012.
Investigators in the District are trying to determine who robbed a postal worker and locked him in his truck last evening near a busy intersection along the U Street NW corridor.
The mail carrier was leaving the Post Office located near the busy intersection of 14th and T Streets Northwest during rush hour. That's when a masked gunman approached him and demanded his cash, according to the U.S. Postal Police. The man then stuffed the money into a black backpack, locked the postal worker in the rear of the truck, and then took off.
The employee was able to call for help from his cell phone. Police arrived less than a half hour later and blocked off the street to investigate. Authorities also went to nearby businesses in search of witnesses.
The latest incident happened Thursday evening, when a postal worker was robbed of postal funds at about 6:30 p.m. at 14th and T streets Northwest at the T Street postal station.
"He was very brazen to walk up to our postal employee," U.S. Postal Inspector Lori McAllister said.
Police say that the postal worker was on his daily rounds, picking up packages, when an armed, masked man demanded cash, money orders and everything else the man had.
He then locked the worker inside the truck and got away. About 25 minutes later, after contacting authorities on his cell phone, the worker was freed.
Zach Callahan, a UPS driver who has been working in the area for more than a decade, called the incident scary.
A representative with the Washington Division of the US Postal Inspection Service says the postal worker was able to use his cell phone to call for help inside the truck. He was locked inside the truck approximately 30 minutes, but was unharmed.
The representative says the suspect grabbed bags which possibly contained postal funds, including cash, money orders, stamps, etc.
He also says there have been similar incidents in the DC area, including an August 2010 in Congress Heights. This case is still open.
If anyone has information about this incident or similar incidents please call 202-636-1479. You can remain anonymous.
Edward Jones was out looking for a job when he ran into an acquaintance at the Wheaton Metro station. The man, who Jones knew as a bagger at a grocery store, told him he was in luck.
The man told Jones he could get him a job as a school janitor. All Jones had to do was hand over $460 for a uniform and a background check.
The offer seemed too good to be true. And it was.
Jones, 44, is among four people who Montgomery County police said have been scammed by a man who detectives say targeted people with mental or physical disabilities.
Deshaune T. Johnson, 50, of Riverdale is accused of stealing about $10,000 from victims, police said. He has been charged with multiple counts of obtaining property of a vulnerable adult and carrying out a theft scheme.
Police said they think more people may have been scammed. Jones, who said he has a speech disorder that was the result of injuries he suffered in a car accident, told his story to reporters Friday to encourage potential victims to come forward.
In May, Jones said, Johnson approached him at the Metro station and they chatted. Jones, who was working part time as a file clerk assistant, said he told Johnson that he had been out looking for a second job to supplement his income.
Jones said Johnson told him “everyone meets for a reason” and that he could help Jones get a job.
According to Jones, Johnson told him that he was the second-in-charge of janitorial services at a local high school. Jones agreed to give him $460 for the uniform and background check, and they went to a nearby ATM.
From there, Johnson took Jones on the bus to the Mall at Prince George’s, where Jones was told he would get to meet his new boss, Jones said. When they arrived, Johnson told him to stay put and said he would return shortly with the man.
He has one part-time job and was searching for another when he says Johnson approached him and said he could get him a job as a school janitor. Jones just had to hand over money for a uniform and fingerprints.
"He said his boss would put a few uniforms aside. Also, I needed to have my fingerprints taken so he could do a background check," says Jones.
He says he now can't believe he handed over hundreds of dollars.
"The whole time red flags were going up, but I had spent the whole day looking for a job. I thought this was too good to be true and it was," says Jones.
Police say one of Johnson's other victims has Alzheimer’s. Another was mentally disabled and a huge Redskins fan. Investigators say Johnson offered him a job with the Skins.
"He saw that he was a diehard Redskins fan- Redskins hat, Redskins jersey. He knew that that was gonna be his niche," says Officer Sharif Hidayat, who handled the investigation. "It did have a little bit of an emotional impact on me personally," says the officer.
He was determined to solve the case. To Edward Jones, Officer Hidayat is "a guardian angel."
Police say most of Johnson's victims were in Maryland; at least one over the line in D.C.
Johnson is in jail tonight- locked up in Montgomery County.
A Crofton father pleaded guilty yesterday to slashing the throats of his wife and teenage daughters while having what state doctors described as a psychotic episode.
Julio Cesar Esquetini, 50, pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree assault and one count of child abuse in the county courthouse in Annapolis.
The plea was part of a deal that ensured Esquetini would not be sent to prison, but would be committed indefinitely to a state mental facility.
A state doctor found Esquetini not criminally responsible for the early morning attack, and Circuit Judge Philip T. Caroom had him committed to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Wearing brown slacks and a white button-up shirt, Esquetini, originally from Ecuador, spoke quietly in Spanish with his wife, Ximena, who was sitting nearby. Their two daughters, Paula, 19, and Andrea, 13, huddled in a vestibule leading to the courtroom, peeking in through a window throughout the hearing.
Although prosecutors came to court yesterday prepared for trial, they moved forward with a plea agreement at the urging of the victims, said Kristin Fleckenstein, a spokeswoman for the State's Attorney's Office.
At the time of the attack, Esquetini, an American citizen, was working as a civil engineer at the Reddy Ice packaged ice company, where he'd been employed for seven years, according to Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth Palan. He was in charge of production and distribution at the Landover office.
Prosecutors said that in the months leading up to the crime, staff had been cut back at the office, forcing Esquetini to work many extra hours and be on calldaily. He began having symptoms of anxiety and major depression, which worsened in the weeks leading to the stabbings.
The family said Esquetini seemed fine the night before. He had found someone to cover for him at work and took his wife and daughters out to dinner. When they got home, Paula went to bed and Andrea watched television with her parents in their bedroom. She said there were no problems when she went to bed around 10 p.m., said Assistant State's Attorney Anastasia Prigge.
At about 6:30 the next morning, Paula was leaving her bathroom when Esquetini said her mother was sick and vomiting. He asked Paula to get a trash can from the bathroom. Paula later told a detective she heard a gurgling in her parent's bedroom, and assumed her mother was getting sick.
Paula was walking out of the bathroom with the trash can when Esquetini slashed her throat with a box cutter, Prigge said. He slashed her a second time, almost knocking her into the bathtub, and then a third time. Paula ran into her bedroom, slammed the door and called 911.
Her younger sister awoke to the sound of Paula screaming. When she came out of her room, Esquetini slashed her throat.
Julio Cesar Esquetini, 50, admitted to an Anne Arundel County judge that he slashed the throats of his wife and two daughters on the morning of June 15 before cutting himself.
Today the judge accepted the psychiatrists' findings saying that Esquetini 'snapped' because of depression and anxiety relating to work pressures.
Esquetini was found not criminally responsible for his actions and was committed to the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Esquetini's wife and daughters have since recovered from their injuries.
Connecticut—MIDDLETOWN — The murder trial for the man who fatally shot a Wesleyan University student inside a college bookstore café more than two years ago is scheduled to begin Wednesday morning.
Stephen Morgan's attorneys say he was mentally ill at the time of the shooting. He will be tried before a panel of three judges.
The victim, 21-year-old Johanna Justin-Jinich, was working at the Red & Black Cafe inside Broad Street Books on May 6, 2009 when Morgan allegedly walked in and shot her.
On Tuesday, the presiding judge, Susan B. Handy, said she would allow a television news camera and a newspaper photographer to film and take pictures during the trial, against the wishes of Morgan's defense attorneys and the state prosecutor.
The trial was delayed partly because a mental health expert hired by the state to evaluate Morgan in August 2010 became ill and was unable to complete the evaluations. The mental health report was completed in September.
Morgan's lawyers have said that two physicians will testify during the trial about Morgan's mental disease or defect at the time of the slaying.
Morgan had allegedly threatened Justin-Jinich in 2007 when they attended a New York University summer program.
Justin-Jinich filed a harassment complaint on July 10, 2007, claiming that he was calling her repeatedly and sent her insulting e-mails for at least a week, according to a police report.
Morgan had apparently already left New York for Boston at the time the complaint was filed, and he was not arrested.
The shooting, at the Red & Black Cafe inside Broad Street Books, prompted a nearly two-day campus lockdown after police found a journal with anti-Semitic comments that they believed belonged Morgan, according to court records.
The journal contains writings about a killing spree targeting Jewish people and "beautiful and smart" Wesleyan students, according to court records. Justin-Jinich came from a Jewish family.
Morgan fled the scene on foot. He eventually turned himself in the night after the shooting.
The killing stunned and frightened the Wesleyan community over two days and caused a campus lockdown. After the shooting but before Morgan's arrest the next day, police found journals in Morgan's car and announced that he had written about killing Justin-Jinich, going on a shooting spree on campus and targeting Jews. Justin-Jinich's family is Jewish, and her grandmother was a Holocaust survivor.
The two apparently met in 2007 while attending a summer class at New York University. Justin-Jinich filed a harassment complaint with police that summer claiming she was getting unwanted phone calls and insulting emails from Morgan, but she didn't pursue criminal charges.
Morgan chose the three-judge panel over a jury for his trial, and his lawyer is pursuing an insanity defense. If convicted of murder, he could face up to 60 years in prison or be committed to a high-security state psychiatric hospital, depending on the judges' ruling on the insanity claim. He was also charged with two other felonies - intimidation due to bias and carrying a pistol without a permit.
Prosecutors have indicated that their first witnesses will include students, employees of the café where Justin-Jinich was working when she was killed and police officers. Both the prosecution and defense are expected to put psychiatrists on the witness stand to testify about Morgan's mental health.
On Tuesday, Judge Susan Handy, who will lead the panel, decided to allow one television camera and one newspaper camera in the courtroom. Both the prosecution and defense opposed the media's camera requests.
The case is being tried by prosecutor Timothy Liston and defense lawyer Richard Brown. Judges Julia Aurigemma and James Bentivegna will join Handy on the bench, Brown said.
"I think both sides are ready and the court's anxious to get this case ... in the rearview mirror," Brown said Tuesday.
Liston didn't return a message Tuesday. Justin-Jinich's mother, Ingrid Justin, declined to comment through a spokeswoman.
Justin-Jinich was working at The Red and Black Café inside Broad Street Books when Morgan allegedly walked in wearing a wig and shot her several times. An arrest warrant affidavit says a police officer questioned Morgan outside the bookstore shortly after the shooting but let him go. Morgan surrendered the next night about 10 miles away in Meriden.
In a journal entry before the killing, Morgan wrote, "I think it okay to kill Jews and go on a killing spree at this school," police said.
Police also said they found an infamous anti-Semitic book, "Protocols of the Elders of Zion," in Morgan's hotel room.
The announcement of Morgan's writings prompted Wesleyan officials to lock buildings on campus, tell students to stay indoors and tell staff members to stay home. A synagogue across the street from the bookstore closed its doors temporarily, and congregants considered canceling Sabbath services.
Firefighters attending the sentencing of a convicted arsonist in support of their brothers who had been injured in the fire were angered by the defendant’s lack of remorse, and not happy with the subsequent sentence.
Calvin Jones, a self-employed mechanic, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison by US district court Judge Corbett O’Meara in Ann Arbor yesterday afternoon. He had been convicted of helping Samson Wright set fire to a two-story commercial building on Jefferson Avenue on August 13, 2010.
Seven firefighters were injured by falling debris from the brick structure, among them Brendan Milewski, who is confined to a wheelchair with paralysis.
Co-defendant Wright pled guilty last May to malicious use of fire, and also received a 15 year sentence.
Wright claimed the owner of the principal business in the building, a Metro PCS outlet, agreed to pay him $15,000 to torch the property. The money was to come from an insurance payout to the business owner.
Jones, 41, a self-employed mechanic, apologized to the firefighters for his actions on Aug. 13, 2010, when he helped torch a cell phone store on East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit.
"I'm truly sorry for all the people who got hurt, especially the firefighters and their families. I have always looked upon them as heroes," Jones said. Still, he insisted that he was forced at gunpoint to take part in the fire and repeatedly argued that he was denied a fair trial because he wasn't allowed to give his version of events in court.
This outraged many firefighters who packed the courtroom of U.S. District Court Judge John Corbett O'Meara in Ann Arbor this morning to show support for their colleagues.
"To have a guy stand there and show no remorse that's the biggest insult," said Dan McNamara, president of the Detroit firefighters union.
McNamara and others felt Jones deserved the 30-year sentence recommended by prosecutors.
The Milewski family was equally frustrated.
"Thirty years wouldn't have been enough," said Sharon Milewski, Brendan's mother.
Brendan Milewski said he wasn't surprised by the 15-year sentence and said, "I still think he made out."
Jones and his codefendant, Samson Wright, were both convicted of gutting the Metro PCS store at the behest of the store owner who was looking to file a bogus insurance claim.
Records show Wright agreed to burn down the store for $15,000, which would come from the insurance payout.
Wright ended up getting $500 for the job, records show. He pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced Nov. 15 to 15 years in prison.
His codefendant, Calvin Jones, faces 30 years in prison when he is sentenced today.
The U.S. Attorney's Office would not comment on whether it plans to charge the store owner. The Free Press was unable to reach the owner.
Detroit fire officials said they won't rest until everyone is held accountable for the fire, which forced three firefighters into retirement -- including one who was left paralyzed.
"We will never be at peace until every person involved in this fire is brought to justice," said Dan McNamara, president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association.
When asked whether he knew about possible charges against the store owner, McNamara declined to comment.
He and several other firefighters plan to attend Jones' sentencing before U.S. District Judge John Corbett O'Meara. Among those expected to speak is Brendan Milewski, who was paralyzed after a wall collapsed on him and others during the blaze.
According to court records, tipsters led federal agents to Wright and Jones.
Wright testified at trial against Jones. He initially faced a 25-year prison sentence, but got 15 years instead because of his cooperation.
Jones, 41, a self-employed mechanic from Detroit, was convicted by a jury in July. He has requested a seven-year prison sentence, claiming he is less culpable than Wright.
Jones' lawyer, Sidney Kraizman, argued the point in court documents, saying it was Wright who cut the deal with the store owner to burn the business down.
"Samson Wright was the leader and was the most culpable," Kraizman wrote. "As per Mr. Wright, he entered into an agreement with the owner of Metro PCS for $15,000 from the insurance proceeds."
Kraizman did not return calls seeking comment. Neither did Rhonda Brazile, Wright's lawyer.
Friday December 2, 2011:
P200903015 Violation of Probation:
On Thursday December 1, 2011 South Windsor Police arrested Duane Austin, age 38, of 48 Edgewood Street, Hartford, CT. He was charged with Violation of Probation and was held on a $20,000 surety bond. Austin was presented at Manchester Superior Court later Thursday morning. Austin’s charge stems from a violation of his probation agreement for a 2009 motor vehicle burglary arrest.
P201103873 Criminal Violation of a Protective Order:
On Thursday December 1, 2011 South Windsor Police arrested Renato Almeida, age 38, of 3409 Sigourney Street, Hartford, CT. He was charged with Criminal Violation of a Protective Order and was later released on a $2500.00 surety bond. Almeida is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on Friday December 2, 2011.
Almeida was arrested after he went to a South Windsor home on Thursday evening, in violation of a Protective Order that prohibits him having contact with one of the residents. Officers located Almeida in his vehicle on Sullivan Avenue and arrested him for the violation.
P201103872 Breach of Peace/Criminal Mischief in the Third degree:
On Thursday December 1, 2011 South Windsor Police responded to the Little Taste of Texas restaurant on Oakland Road for a Breach of Peace complaint. Officers learned that an intoxicated customer was fighting with his friends and had damaged a vehicle by kicking it. Officers arrested the man, Carl Cone, age 29, of 550 Carl Ball Road, Leakesville, MS. He was charged with Breach of Peace and Criminal Mischief in the Third degree. Cone was held on a $2500.00 surety bond and will be presented at Manchester Superior Court on Friday December 2, 2011.
P201103393 Conspiracy to Commit Robbery/Criminal Attempt to Commit Robbery:
On Thursday December 1, 2011 South Windsor Police arrested Ronnell Hall, age 23, of 205 Plain Dr. East Hartford, CT. He was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Robbery in the First degree and Criminal Attempt to Commit Robbery in the First degree. He was arrest at Manchester Superior Court where he has other cases pending. Hall was held on a $300,000 surety bond for arraignment later Thursday morning.
Hall was arrested after investigators obtained arrest warrants for him for the robbery of the Ellington Road 7-11 store on October 19th and the attempted robbery of the Blimpie Sandwich shop on Route 5 October 18th. Hall was identified as the person responsible for these incidents following his arrest by East Hartford Police officers for a package store robbery on October 24th. Arrest warrants were later obtained for the South Windsor incidents, and were served Thursday.
Thursday December 1, 2011
2011 Torch Light Parade at Evergreen Walk:
The South Windsor Fire Department / Evergreen Walk TORCH LIGHT Parade takes place on Saturday, December 3rd, from 5:00 pm. to 7:00 p.m. at Evergreen Walk. This parade features many Fire trucks decorated in holiday lights and the firefighters march in fire gear or holiday attire. Santa will arrive on a fire truck and greet children near the Holiday Tree. Everyone is invited to this free event.
Wednesday November 30, 2011
Stuff-the -Truck Charity Event (Police-Fire-EMS):
The South Windsor Police, Fire and Ambulance staff will participate in the 2nd Annual Stuff – The – Truck Toy & Food Drive on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at the South Windsor Stop & Shop, 1735 Ellington Road.
The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will benefit the South Windsor Community. Please help us collect items for our neighbors in need this holiday season.
P201103852 Breach of Peace:
On Tuesday November 29, 2011 at about 6:00 p.m. South Windsor Police officers were dispatched to a Main Street home for a dispute. The officers learned that an intoxicated male had struck a female acquaintance and had swore at her. The man was located nearby and arrested. Officers arrested the man, David Wilson, age 52, of 93 Ellsworth Drive, Bloomfield, CT. He was charged with Breach of Peace in the Second degree and was held on a $1000.00 surety bond. Wilson will be presented at Manchester Superior Court on Wednesday November 30, 2011.
P201103854 Failure to Appear in the Second Degree:
On Wednesday November 30, 2011 at about 1:00 a.m. a South Windsor Police officer stopped a vehicle on Rye Street for a violation. Officers learned that the female operator was wanted on a re-arrest warrant. Officers arrested the woman, Stephanie Wilson, age 22, of K27 Mill Pond Road, Broad Brook. She was charged with Failure to Appear in the Second degree and was later released on a $4000.00 surety bond. Wilson is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 8, 2011.
P201103845 Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol:
On Tuesday November 29, 2011 at about 2:00 a.m. South Windsor responded to a single car accident on Niederwerfer Road. A vehicle had driven through a fence. Officers suspected that the female operator was under the influence of alcohol. Following a series of roadside sobriety tests officers arrested the woman, Courtney Burke, age 18, of 80 Lewis Drive, South Windsor, CT. Burke was charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle while Under the Influence of Alcohol and Failure to Drive in Proper Lane. She was later released on a $500.00 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 12, 2011.
Tuesday November 29, 2011
P201102641 Larceny in the Sixth degree:
On Monday November 28, 2011 South Windsor Police arrested Maritza Doyle, age 42, of 91 Gordon Drive, South Windsor. She was charged with Larceny in the Sixth degree and was later released on a $1000.00 non-surety bond. Doyle is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 8, 2011.
Doyle’s charge stems from an August 2011 investigation initiated by Stop & Shop, where Doyle was employed. Store staff had video surveillance footage of her taking items from the store without paying for them. An arrest warrant was later obtained for Doyle and it was served Monday afternoon.
P201103844 Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol:
On Tuesday November 29, 2011 at about 1:00 a.m. a South Windsor Police officer stopped a vehicle on Nutmeg Road South for a violation. The officer suspected that the operator was under the influence of alcohol. Following a series of roadside sobriety tests, officers arrested the man, James Schofield, age 48, of 40 Grant Hill Road, Tolland, CT. Schofield was charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle while Under the Influence of Alcohol. He was later released on a $1000.00 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 12, 2011.
Monday November 28, 2011
P201103825 Larceny in the Fifth degree/Interfering with an Officer:
On Sunday November 27, 2011 South Windsor Police were dispatched to the Target Store for a shoplifting in progress. It was reported that two women had TV’s and other items in shopping carts and had passed the points of sale without paying for them. The officers met with Target Security outside of the store. When the women exited the stored with the items an officer approached them and one of the women ran off. Officers caught the woman in the parking area and she resisted the officer’s efforts to handcuff her. Officers arrested the woman, Tanisha Woolcock, age 26, of 55 Madison St., Hartford, CT, for the theft of $693.00 worth of merchandise. She was charged with Larceny in the Fifth degree and Interfering with an Officer. She was later released on a $2500.00 non-surety bond.
A second woman who had a shopping cart containing $477.00 worth of stolen merchandise was arrested. That woman, Tara Crowe, age 20, of 36 Bolton St. Hartford, CT was issued a Misdemeanor Summons for Larceny in the Fifth degree. Both Crowe and Woolcock are scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on Thursday December 8, 2011 at Manchester Superior Court.
Road Work Clark Street -November 28th through December 1st:
South Windsor Pollution Control staff and contractors will be conducting a wastewater force main pipe evaluation on Clark Street, between Chapel Road and Stanley Drive, November 28-30th. The work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the 28th and 29th, and from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on November 30th into December 1st. Some roadway excavation will be necessary and lane and road closures will occur. Clark Street traffic will be detoured at Rugby Lane. Additional information is available from Fred Shaw at South Windsor Town Hall, 860-644-2511.
Wednesday November 23, 2011:
P201103105 Interfering with Officer/ Evading Responsibility:
On Tuesday November 22, 2011 South Windsor Police arrested Kenneth Grucci, age 31, of 72 Candlewood Drive, Enfield, CT. He was charged with Interfering with an Officer, Falsely Reporting an Incident, Evading Responsibility, Operating a Motor Vehicle without a License, and Failure to Drive a Reasonable Distance Apart. Grucci was later released on a $5000.00 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 1, 2011.
Grucci’s charges stem from a September 24th motor vehicle accident on Buckland Road. Grucci struck another vehicle, then fled on foot. A police canine team was unable to locate him. Officers contacted Grucci on his cellphone but he refused to return to the scene, was uncooperative and at one point alleged that his car had been stolen. The investigating officer later obtained an arrest warrant for Grucci and he turned himself in on Tuesday evening.
South Windsor Police “Click It or Ticket” Campaign Results:
On Monday November 21, 2011 officers from the South Windsor Police Department, as well as officers from the regional Traffic Unit, Metro Traffic Services, conducted seatbelt enforcement in South Windsor. The officers monitored seatbelt usage, and conducted roaming patrols looking for violations.
Stuff-the -Truck Charity Event (Police-Fire-EMS):
The South Windsor Police, Fire and Ambulance staff will participate in the 2nd Annual Stuff – The – Truck Toy & Food Drive on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at the South Windsor Stop & Shop, 1735 Ellington Road.
The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will benefit the South Windsor Community. Please help us collect items for our neighbors in need this holiday season.
Wednesday November 30, 2011
Stuff-the -Truck Charity Event (Police-Fire-EMS):
The South Windsor Police, Fire and Ambulance staff will participate in the 2nd Annual Stuff – The – Truck Toy & Food Drive on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at the South Windsor Stop & Shop, 1735 Ellington Road.
The event will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will benefit the South Windsor Community. Please help us collect items for our neighbors in need this holiday season.
P201103852 Breach of Peace:
On Tuesday November 29, 2011 at about 6:00 p.m. South Windsor Police officers were dispatched to a Main Street home for a dispute. The officers learned that an intoxicated male had struck a female acquaintance and had swore at her. The man was located nearby and arrested. Officers arrested the man, David Wilson, age 52, of 93 Ellsworth Drive, Bloomfield, CT. He was charged with Breach of Peace in the Second degree and was held on a $1000.00 surety bond. Wilson will be presented at Manchester Superior Court on Wednesday November 30, 2011.
P201103854 Failure to Appear in the Second Degree:
On Wednesday November 30, 2011 at about 1:00 a.m. a South Windsor Police officer stopped a vehicle on Rye Street for a violation. Officers learned that the female operator was wanted on a re-arrest warrant. Officers arrested the woman, Stephanie Wilson, age 22, of K27 Mill Pond Road, Broad Brook. She was charged with Failure to Appear in the Second degree and was later released on a $4000.00 surety bond. Wilson is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 8, 2011.
P201103845 Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol:
On Tuesday November 29, 2011 at about 2:00 a.m. South Windsor responded to a single car accident on Niederwerfer Road. A vehicle had driven through a fence. Officers suspected that the female operator was under the influence of alcohol. Following a series of roadside sobriety tests officers arrested the woman, Courtney Burke, age 18, of 80 Lewis Drive, South Windsor, CT. Burke was charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle while Under the Influence of Alcohol and Failure to Drive in Proper Lane. She was later released on a $500.00 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 12, 2011.
Tuesday November 29, 2011
P201102641 Larceny in the Sixth degree:
On Monday November 28, 2011 South Windsor Police arrested Maritza Doyle, age 42, of 91 Gordon Drive, South Windsor. She was charged with Larceny in the Sixth degree and was later released on a $1000.00 non-surety bond. Doyle is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 8, 2011.
Doyle’s charge stems from an August 2011 investigation initiated by Stop & Shop, where Doyle was employed. Store staff had video surveillance footage of her taking items from the store without paying for them. An arrest warrant was later obtained for Doyle and it was served Monday afternoon.
P201103844 Operating a Motor Vehicle Under the Influence of Alcohol:
On Tuesday November 29, 2011 at about 1:00 a.m. a South Windsor Police officer stopped a vehicle on Nutmeg Road South for a violation. The officer suspected that the operator was under the influence of alcohol. Following a series of roadside sobriety tests, officers arrested the man, James Schofield, age 48, of 40 Grant Hill Road, Tolland, CT. Schofield was charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle while Under the Influence of Alcohol. He was later released on a $1000.00 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 12, 2011.
Monday November 28, 2011
P201103825 Larceny in the Fifth degree/Interfering with an Officer:
On Sunday November 27, 2011 South Windsor Police were dispatched to the Target Store for a shoplifting in progress. It was reported that two women had TV’s and other items in shopping carts and had passed the points of sale without paying for them. The officers met with Target Security outside of the store. When the women exited the stored with the items an officer approached them and one of the women ran off. Officers caught the woman in the parking area and she resisted the officer’s efforts to handcuff her. Officers arrested the woman, Tanisha Woolcock, age 26, of 55 Madison St., Hartford, CT, for the theft of $693.00 worth of merchandise. She was charged with Larceny in the Fifth degree and Interfering with an Officer. She was later released on a $2500.00 non-surety bond.
A second woman who had a shopping cart containing $477.00 worth of stolen merchandise was arrested. That woman, Tara Crowe, age 20, of 36 Bolton St. Hartford, CT was issued a Misdemeanor Summons for Larceny in the Fifth degree. Both Crowe and Woolcock are scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on Thursday December 8, 2011 at Manchester Superior Court.
Road Work Clark Street -November 28th through December 1st:
South Windsor Pollution Control staff and contractors will be conducting a wastewater force main pipe evaluation on Clark Street, between Chapel Road and Stanley Drive, November 28-30th. The work will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the 28th and 29th, and from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on November 30th into December 1st. Some roadway excavation will be necessary and lane and road closures will occur. Clark Street traffic will be detoured at Rugby Lane. Additional information is available from Fred Shaw at South Windsor Town Hall, 860-644-2511.
Wednesday November 23, 2011:
P201103105 Interfering with Officer/ Evading Responsibility:
On Tuesday November 22, 2011 South Windsor Police arrested Kenneth Grucci, age 31, of 72 Candlewood Drive, Enfield, CT. He was charged with Interfering with an Officer, Falsely Reporting an Incident, Evading Responsibility, Operating a Motor Vehicle without a License, and Failure to Drive a Reasonable Distance Apart. Grucci was later released on a $5000.00 non-surety bond and is scheduled to appear at Manchester Superior Court on December 1, 2011.
Grucci’s charges stem from a September 24th motor vehicle accident on Buckland Road. Grucci struck another vehicle, then fled on foot. A police canine team was unable to locate him. Officers contacted Grucci on his cellphone but he refused to return to the scene, was uncooperative and at one point alleged that his car had been stolen. The investigating officer later obtained an arrest warrant for Grucci and he turned himself in on Tuesday evening.
South Windsor Police “Click It or Ticket” Campaign Results:
On Monday November 21, 2011 officers from the South Windsor Police Department, as well as officers from the regional Traffic Unit, Metro Traffic Services, conducted seatbelt enforcement in South Windsor. The officers monitored seatbelt usage, and conducted roaming patrols looking for violations.
