Man Engages Police in Car Chase, Crashes into Hotel

(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) -- Police filed charges against a man who stole a vehicle and crashed it into the Peabody Hotel during a police chase on Tuesday.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Quinton Ford, 20, was charged with carjacking, evading arrest and reckless driving.

Police say the incident began when Ford, claiming to have a gun, carjacked a man at 1659 Poplar Avenue. Police located Ford quickly, but he refused to pull over. The Commercial Appeal reports that he ultimately crashed the car into the hotel causing minor damage.

No one was injured in the crash. Ford was taken into custody at the scene without further incident.

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State to Use Live Video Streaming to Combat Wild Hogs

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- On Tuesday, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announced a new plan to help landowners deal with wild hogs.

The new system uses live streaming video to monitor hog-traps 24 hours a day, decreasing the number of man hours needed to trap hogs. Verizon Wireless provided the TWRA with the means to keep constant tabs on the hog-traps, using the provider’s data network.

Wild hogs, which the Tennessee Wildlife Federation describes as the state’s “single most destructive animal,” cause $1.5 billion in damage each year across the United States.

“Before Verizon deployed 4G LTE in 2010, no data service had the speed to transmit live HD video from remote areas,” said Verizon Wireless Carolinas and Tennessee region president in a statement. “Verizon is proud that our network is able to assist the Tennessee Wildlife Agency in better controlling menacing hogs while saving taxpayers money."

The cameras will be powered mainly by solar batteries, further reducing the cost of combating hogs.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Grand Jury to Hear Case of Massage Therapist Accused of Sexual Battery

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- The case of a Nashville massage therapist accused of sexual battery will go before a grand jury, the Tennessean reports.

Wei Dong Wan, 45, speaking through an interpreter, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Monday.

Wang was arrested in March following allegations that he groped and stripped one of his clients at O’Chi Reflexology, a massage parlor at the Opry Mills Mall.

The client told police that he refused to let go of her, and was rubbing his face on her body. She managed to fight him off and escape the room. Police say the woman tried to get the other employees to call the police, but they refused, forcing her to go to a neighboring store.

Wang is currently in jail. His next court date has yet to be set.

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Consumer Affairs Warns of AC Repair Scams

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- As summer approaches and temperatures continue to rise, Tennesseans are being warned to look out for scam artists posing as air conditioning repair technicians.

The Tennessee Consumer Affairs Division says scammers tend to use the summer period to take advantage of consumers by charging them for unnecessary repair work on air conditioning units.

The division has provided the following tips to help consumers avoid falling victim to scams:

• Always research the company/contractor before agreeing to have work performed.   

• Ensure the company or contractor lists a physical address.

• Be wary of advertisements with quoted prices that seem too good to be true.

• Get multiple quotes for repairs.

• Never pay money upfront.

• Ask for written statements.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Greater Risk of Sexual Victimization in Tenn. Juvenile Correction Facilities

(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) -- Youths in Tennessee juvenile correction facilities face a greater risk of being sexually victimized than the national average, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Tennessean reports that 13 percent of youths in Tennessee juvenile correction facilities were sexually victimized between 2011 and 2012. Nationally, 9.5 percents of youths are victimized.
Nearly 8,700 youths from 326 facilities across the country responded to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ survey. Four Tennessee facilities were surveyed for the study.

The John S. Wilder Youth Development Center in Somerville, Tenn., was the most alarming of the Tennessee facilities that were surveyed, with 19.5 percent of youths victimized, an increase from the already-high figure of 16.3 percent from a similar study in 2010.

Woodland Hills Youth Development Center showed a marked improvement, however. Three years ago a similar study found the facility to have one of the worst rates in the county with some 26 percent of youths being victimized. Thanks to efforts by the facility, the number was down to 6.7 percent in the most recent study.

Rob Johnson, spokesman for Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services, said his department was committed to improving the situation across the state.

Nationally, 2.5 percent of youths are victimized by other youths, while 7.7 percent are victimized by a correctional facility staff member.

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