Mississippi Highway Shooting Suspect Caught After Rape and Kidnap

Tunica County Sheriff's Office(TUNICA COUNTY, Miss.) -- The man arrested in connection with two Mississippi highway murders was linked to the crimes after he allegedly kidnapped and raped a woman who managed to get away and contact police.

James D. Willie, 28, was arrested Tuesday morning on rape and aggravated assault charges when Tunica County police responded to an apartment where a disturbance was reported. When they arrived, a woman said that Willie raped her.

Police found a Ruger 9mm, semi-automatic handgun in his possession during the arrest, which investigators later determined matched the weapon used in last week's shootings.

The motive for the alleged shootings were "drugs and robbery," authorities said at a news conference Friday. Cops would not confirm or deny if Willie was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crimes.

Willie was charged with kidnapping, rape, felony possession of a firearm and the murder of Lori Carswell, police said. Charges for the murder of Tom Schlender are still pending.

Authorities initially thought the shooter was posing as a police officer to get people to stop on highways on the northern part of the state, but have since backed away from that theory.

"We can't confirm or deny if the car was already parked, if he ran across her or if he flashed her [with lights] to get her to pull over," Tunica County Sheriff K.C. Hamp said referring to Carswell.

Schlender, 74, from Nebraska, was found in his car on Interstate 55 in Panola County on May 8 about 1:30 a.m. Three days later, Carswell, 48, from Mississippi, was found near her car on Highway 713 in nearby Tunica County about 2:15 a.m.

"We did interview [Willie] last night and in the early morning hours," Hamp said. "He's been cooperative to a certain extent. We didn't get a confession directly, but we got a lot of information."

Schlender's family told ABC News that his wallet was missing. Police will not say whether Carswell was robbed, but said her purse, cell phone and wallet were in her car, but the wallet was empty.

Willie, who has an extensive criminal record, has previously spent eight years in prison for burglary charges.

The fear that a killer was posing as a cop to get his victims to pull over had prompted police in Mississippi to warn motorists to not stop if being flashed by police late at night. Instead, the department advised they call 911 to help decide whether the call behind them was really a police car.

If it wasn't a police car, the cops would send help.

Willie is being held in jail without bond and is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

New Documents Detail Witness Accounts, Police Reports of Trayvon Martin Shooting

George Zimmerman is shown with lacerations to his face and the back of his head on Feb 27, 2012. (Florida State District Attorney's Office)(SANFORD, Fla.) -- Two police reports written the night that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin said that Zimmerman had a bloody face and nose, according to police reports made public Thursday.

The reports also note that two witness accounts appear to back up Zimmerman's version of what happened when they describe a man on his back with another person wearing a hoodie straddling him and throwing punches.

It has been such a contentious case that even the evidence is being disputed. The documents start with a criticism of Zimmerman's decision to follow the teenager, who Zimmerman said was looking suspicious.

"The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement," an investigating officer wrote.

Zimmerman claims he got out of his vehicle to find a house number to let police know where he saw the allegedly suspicious person, and while returning to his car was knocked down by a punch in the nose and attacked by Martin.

The new information is part of a trove of documents released by the Florida State Attorney Thursday in the case against Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder for the Feb. 26 killing of Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old African-American male.

Zimmerman, 28, is a multi-racial Hispanic man who volunteered for the neighborhood watch committee and who claimed that he shot Martin in self-defense after the 6-foot tall, 160-pound teenager knocked him to the ground, banged his head against the ground and went for Zimmerman's gun.

Two police officers reported that when they arrived at the scene of the shooting, Zimmerman seemed to have a battered nose and bloodied face. One wrote that his "facial area was bloodied," and the back of his clothing was soiled with wet grass.

"Zimmerman was also bleeding from the nose and the back of his head," Officer Ricardo Ayala wrote.

Another officer wrote, "I saw that Zimmerman's face was bloodied and it appeared to me that his nose was broken."

Witnesses, whose names were redacted from the report, also lent support to Zimmerman's version of what happened.

"He witnesses a black male, wearing a dark colored 'hoodie' on top of a white or Hispanic male and throwing punches 'MMA (mixed martial arts) style,'" the police report of the witness said. "He then heard a pop. He stated that after hearing the pop, he observed the person he had previously observed on top of the other person (the male wearing the hoodie) laid out on the grass."

A second witness described a person on the ground with another straddling him and throwing punches. The man on the bottom was yelling for help, the witness told police.

The documents state that Zimmerman can be heard yelling for help 14 times on a 911 call recorded during the fight. Yet another witness described the confrontation in emotional terms. The witness heard "someone yelling, almost crying. Then I heard a gunshot." The witness wrote that he or she "saw a man on top of a guy laying on the ground. He was putting his hands on his neck or chest." The man asked the witness to call 911.

"He stood up and took a couple steps away and put his hands on his head and then walked back over to the guy on the ground. He looked at him for a minute, then started to walk away toward the road. That is when the police walked up," the witness wrote.

The lead investigator on the case, Officer Christopher Serino, wrote that Zimmerman could be heard "yelling for help as he was being battered by Trayvon Martin."

The police report also states that Trayvon Martin's father told an investigator after listening to 911 tapes that captured a man's voice frantically calling for help that it was not his son calling for help. But Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, claims that is not true. The Martin family lawyer Ben Crump told ABC News that Tracy Martin initially listened to a distorted version of the 911 calls and said he could not identify the voice. But when he listened to a second tape that had been "cleaned," "he immediately broke down in tears because he knew it was his son calling for help," Crump said.

Martin's death sparked public outrage after police released Zimmerman without any criminal charges for the killing. Zimmerman was later charged with second-degree murder, and the killing provoked widespread debate about racial profiling.

The autopsy also shows that Zimmerman shot Martin from a distance of between 1 inch and 18 inches away, bolstering Zimmerman's claim that he shot Martin during a close struggle.

Martin's autopsy report also revealed that there was a quarter-inch by half-inch abrasion on the left fourth finger of Martin, another indication of a possible struggle.

The teen, who lived in Miami, was in Sanford while serving a suspension for a bag of marijuana being discovered in his possession. Martin had THC, the drug found in marijuana, in his blood on the night of his death, according to the autopsy. His family told ABC News that it was "trace amounts" of THC.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

After Mississippi Killings, Man Questioned Following Apparent Fake-Cop Highway Stops

Thinkstock/Getty Images(HUMPHREYS COUNTY, Miss.) -- Authorities are questioning a man over suspicious highway stops in central Mississippi after two fatal shootings last week that apparently occurred during phony police stops in the northern part of the state.

As of late Thursday, the man being held in Humphreys County, Miss., James Lucas, was merely "under investigation," being questioned on two Wednesday-night incidents and not charged with a crime, a Humphreys County sheriff's official said. Police could not say whether the two recent incidents were related to the earlier fatal shootings.

"We're just going to say these are isolated incidents in our county and we're going to deal with that first," Sam Dobbins, an investigator with the Humphreys County Sheriff's Office, told ABC News.

However, Dobbins added, other police agencies in the state, including the Mississippi Department of Investigation, also were investigating, apparently giving the case a broader scope.

At least one detail may not match up to those reported in the fatal shootings from last week: Wednesday's incidents involved a blue Mercury Grand Marquis, possibly the one Lucas was driving when he was pulled over around noon Thursday in Yazoo City, Miss., according to ABC News affiliate WAPT in Jackson, Miss. The fatal incidents, however, were believed to involve a gold Ford Crown Victoria.

The Humphreys County incidents occurred after Mississippi authorities urged drivers to question whether anyone pulling them over really was a police officer.

"We urge everyone to be cautious while driving, especially at night," the Tate County Sheriff's Office posted on its Facebook page. "If someone attempts to pull you over with flashing lights and you feel unsure of stopping, DON'T PULL OVER. Use your cell phone and dial 911 and if it's a real officer then the dispatcher will confirm it for you and if it's not a real officer they will send help to you."

"Our deputies have been told not to overreact if someone does not immediately pull over," the sheriff's office wrote. "Your safety is our primary concern."

Two drivers were killed on northern Mississippi highways within days of each other and investigators in multiple counties and federal officials were working to find out who may be behind the killings.

The recent cases occurred along U.S. 49 in Humphreys County, which is in central Mississippi, between 9 p.m. and midnight Wednesday night.

"We received some calls last night for a blue car similar to a police car, a Mercury Grand Marquis, that attempted to stop two vehicles," Dobbins said.

Although Dobbins believed the person in the Grand Marquis approached the victims' cars in plain clothes, the suspicious car's occupant evidently made indications his was an official vehicle.

"He displayed flashing blue lights, yes he did," Dobbins said. "That's what we call impersonating a police officer."

Both pulled-over drivers grew suspicious and sped off toward Yazoo City in neighboring Yazoo County, where Lucas and the car later were found being brought back to Humphreys County.

One of the two victims grew frightened and fired a gun when he saw the Grand Marquis following him, Dobbins said.

Later, one of the victims identified the seized car as the one involved in the highway stop, Dobbins added.

Dobbins would not comment on whether or not Lucas or the occupant of the Grand Marquis displayed a weapon.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Cops to Be Tried in Alleged Fatal Beating of Homeless Man Caught on Video

Thinkstock/Getty Images(FULLERTON, Calif.) -- Two Fullerton, Calif., police officers will be tried in the death of a mentally ill homeless man whose apparent beating by police was captured on video, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Officer Manuel Ramos, 38, and Cpl. Jay Cicinelli, 40, are charged in the death of Kelly Thomas, 37. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Attorneys for the officers have questioned whether medical treatment, not the actual beating, could have resulted in Thomas' death.

"The grainy but gripping video of a homeless man being beaten to death was the key evidence in the prosecution's successful effort to convince the court to force a police officer to stand trial for murder in the second degree," said Royal Oakes, an ABC News legal analyst.

"The video of the beating conjured up memories of the Rodney King police beating of two decades ago," Oakes said. "The videotaped evidence will no doubt be the centerpiece of the D.A.'s case in the upcoming murder trial, where one officer could be facing 15 years to life behind bars."

The July 5, 2011, surveillance video, taken from a publicly mounted camera, coupled with an audio recording device worn by an officer, stunned a packed courtroom of Thomas' supporters when it was shown for the first time Monday.

"I can't breathe man," and, "sorry," Thomas could be heard telling officers as he allegedly endured punches to his left ribs and blows to his face from an officer's knee.

Thomas, who is reportedly schizophrenic, repeatedly cried out for his father.

He was also Tasered three times with the stungun applied directly to his skin for five-second periods. He was hit a fourth time with two darts connected to the gun by wires, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office. The entire time he could be heard screaming in agony.

The apparent beating lasted nine minutes and 40 seconds and ended with Thomas' limp body in handcuffs.

Thomas was transported to St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton, Calif., for intubation to help him breathe. He never regained consciousness.

Five days later, Thomas died. The coroner's office ruled the death a homicide.

"You have 1,500 pounds of trained cop on my one little son, but they have to bring this out like they were just so overpowered by this brute to make themselves look innocent and that they're the victims," Ron Thomas, the victim's father, said outside of court Monday.

The officers had responded to the Fullerton Transportation Center after receiving a call that a homeless man was seen looking into car windows and pulling on door handles.

Six officers arrived at the scene for backup, but the district attorney determined that there was only enough evidence to charge Ramos and Cicinelli in Thomas' death.

The video began with Ramos approaching Thomas and asking him to sit with his legs and hands in front of him. Thomas had trouble complying with the order and appeared to have cognitive difficulties, according to the D.A.'s office.

Fed up, Ramos made fists and asked Thomas if he saw them. Thomas replied that he did.

"They're getting ready to f--- you up," Ramos told him.

When a shirtless Thomas, who had earlier forgotten his name and said he didn't speak English, stood up, Ramos and his partner were shown swinging at him with their batons.

Thomas took off and was tackled, setting off the nearly 10-minute beating that allegedly led to his death.

Ramos is a 10-year veteran of the Fullerton Police, while Cicinelli has been an officer in Fullerton for 12 years.

The video ended with paramedics carrying Thomas' body to an ambulance, revealing a large blood stain on the spot where the altercation took place.

Thomas had no illicit drugs or alcohol in him at the time of the incident, according to the toxicology report.

If convicted, Cicinelli could face a maximum sentence of four years in prison and Ramos could be sentenced to life in prison.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Philadelphia Cop Has Sex With Teen, Offers Her $100

Photodisc/Thinkstock(PHILADELPHIA) -- A veteran cop on the Philadelphia police force has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 14-year-old girl in a motel room in a nearby town.

Anthony Dattilo, a 12-year veteran cop, was arrested Thursday on charges relating to the sexual assault of a teen girl whom he allegedly offered $100 to have sex with him.

Police were first directed to the Bensalem, Pa., motel room early Wednesday morning when relatives of the 14-year-old girl reported that she was sending text messages saying she was being held against her will by a man who was forcing her to have sex with him.

When police arrived at the motel in search of the possibly-abducted girl, Dattilo answered the door and identified himself as a Philadelphia cop.

Police found two women inside the motel room with Dattilo, including the 14-year-old and her cousin, a 21-year-old woman who had previous sexual relations with Dattilo in exchange for money, according to Bensalem Police Sgt. Andrew Aninsman.

While interviewing the women, police found that the 21-year-old had coerced the teenager to go with her to the motel room with Dattilo, telling her that she would be paid $100 for sex with him. The girl repeatedly said no, but was brought to the motel anyway, Aninsman said.

Dattilo allegedly had sex with the 21-year-old while the teen was forced to watch, and then proceeded to fondle the girl, which he was doing when police arrived, police said.

Dattilo was detained by police Wednesday and then released during the investigation. He was later arrested on Thursday and is being held on $500,000 bail.

He faces charges including sexual assault and promoting prostitution, Aninsman said.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey confirmed Dattilo's arrest Friday to ABC News affiliate WPVI. He said authorities are working to remove Dattilo from the force.

Calls to the Bensalem and Philadelphia police departments were not returned.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Police Officers Shot by Armed Suspect in New Hampshire

ABC News(GREENLAND, N.H.) -- One police officer was killed and four other officers were injured in New Hampshire Thursday evening in a standoff with a suspect armed with a rifle, authorities said.

The shooting occurred in Greenland, outside Portsmouth, N.H., on the coast.

The police officer fatally killed was Chief Michael Maloney who was reportedly scheduled to retire in eight days. Two officers are listed as critical, according to emergency services, while two others are wounded with their condition unknown.

Reports of three civilians shot have not been confirmed.

Early reports from the crime scene indicated "sniper rifle," though questions at a later press conference suggested an "automatic weapon" was used.

The incident may have been the result of a drug bust gone south, according to reports.

The shootout is the latest in the rising toll of officers shot by suspects, a trend that counters a decline in many other crimes around the country.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Man Lies to Police, Gets Manslaughter Charge After Police Shoot Suspect

Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(PASADENA, Calif.) -- An alleged robbery victim has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter after his 911 call falsely claiming he was robbed at gunpoint led police to shoot an unarmed suspect, prosecutors charged.

Oscar Carrillo, 26, of Pasadena, Calif., admitted to police he lied about two suspects being armed when he called 911 to report the robbery of his laptop.

"Two guys just stole my backpack and put a gun in my face right now," Carrillo told the dispatcher in the 911 recording.

Carrillo said he made the allegation to speed up police response.

Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez called for an independent review into the shooting on Wednesday. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's officer-involved shooting team is also investigating the incident.

"The actions of the 911 caller set the minds of officers," Sanchez said at a press conference.

Carillo called the cops last Saturday and told the dispatcher he was following the suspects in his car. When police arrived, both teens took off in different directions.

One of the teens, Kendrec McDade, reached toward his waistband and police, fearing he had a gun, opened fire and killed him. McDade, 19, was unarmed.

"When you gun him down from inside your patrol car like he's a dog in the street, the community is outraged," Caree Harper, who is an attorney representing McDade's family, told ABC News.

She said she couldn't rule out racial motivations in the shooting.

The two officers involved in the shooting, whose names have not been released, are on paid administrative leave. The race of the officers was not immediately known.

The alleged second suspect, a 17-year-old, was arrested and charged with two counts of commercial burglary and one count of grand theft.

Police have not recovered the alleged stolen backpack. However, KABC reported police said surveillance video shows the teens were involved in a theft.

Harper said that with much of the attention on Carrillo's arrest, the actions of the officers deserve more scrutiny.

"They're held to a higher standard. They are the ones whose fingers are on the trigger," she said. "Those officers are independently in control of people who they shoot."

Harper said she believes police need to be working much more swiftly.

"I want my client, the minor client who is being held in custody to be released immediately. I want the surveillance tapes to be released immediately," she said. "And I want the chief to stop accusing my dead client of allegedly being involved in any criminal activity."

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio 

Surveillance Video Apparently Shows Man Dragged Face-Down by Police

ABC News(OKLAHOMA CITY) -- Authorities in Oklahoma City are investigating an incident in which surveillance footage shows police officers apparently dragging a man face-down out of the Will Rogers World Airport.

The incident occurred on Feb. 20, when James Jay Heidebrecht was arrested following a “disturbance at a security check point,” according to the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Heidebrecht was allegedly trying to get past security to speak with Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, according to ABC News’ Oklahoma City affiliate KOCO.

Gingrich was in Oklahoma but was not at the airport at the time, according to police.

“The gentleman had some mental discord. He was claiming to be the head of the CIA. He claimed he was head of the Green Berets. He claimed a lot of things,” Oklahoma City Police spokesman Capt. Dexter Nelson told ABC News. “He was not in a normal state of mind. Communication with him was not going well.”

Officers used a Taser to subdue him.  And from the surveillance footage, “I can’t tell if his face is in contact with the ground,” Nelson said.

Whenever there is an arrest that involves any force other than routine handcuffing, there is an administrative and criminal investigation of the situation, said Nelson. He conceded that the incident was “more than routine handcuffing.”

One of the officers in the video has been placed on “restricted duty status,” while the others have kept their regular duties. Nelson said no action will be taken until the investigation is complete.

“[Heidebrecht has] made no complaints whatsoever. His criminal charges have been dismissed,” Nelson said. Police say the information about the internal investigation was released “in the interest of disclosure and transparency.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Houston 'Enchilada Queen' Shot, Boyfriend on the Run

Sylvia Casares and Michael Warren in an undated photo. (ABC News)(HOUSTON) -- Houston's "Enchilada Queen" is in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to her abdomen while her boyfriend, the manager of a taco truck she owns, is on the run.

Sylvia Casares, 59, was shot in the stomach Monday at her home in Fulshear, Texas. Police believe her boyfriend of three years, Michael Warren, 58, was responsible for wounding the popular chef.

Warren fled the scene in a black SUV and might have been heading for his hometown of Lafayette, La., Bob Haenel, spokesman for the Fort Bend Sheriff's Office, said.

Haenel said he was unaware of a motive, but added that the shooting was not "a willy-nilly act."

Casares has cooked for foodies for 20 years and gained a loyal following at her two restaurants, which are both named "Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen" and boast 18 variations on the popular entree. Her Mexican food empire also includes popular cooking classes, a DVD guide to tamale making, a cook book and a taco truck, which Warren managed.

Her cousin, Nadia Casares, who is a manager at one of her restaurants, said she couldn't talk about what led to the shooting, but said her cousin is talking and trying to focus on her recovery.

The restaurateur's three children released a statement to the Houston Chronicle, saying they expect her to make a full recovery.

The "Enchilada Queen" is expected to be released from the hospital next week, but won't be back in the kitchen for at least a few months, Casares said.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Pittsburgh Police Identify Hospital Gunman, Try to Determine Motive

Giorgio Fochesato/Vetta/Getty Images(PITTSBURGH) -- Pittsburgh police released the identity of the suspected gunman in a shooting that left two dead, including the shooter, and injured seven others at in the psychiatric clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Pittsburgh Police Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki named John Shick, 30, of Pittsburgh, as the suspected gunman Friday, according to ABC affiliate WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh. Stangrecki said they have been unable to determine a motive.

Shick allegedly fatally shot two people, including their suspect, and injured seven others in the psychiatric clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Police say the shooter walked in the front entrance of the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, located in the Oakland neighborhood, around 1:40 p.m. Thursday, armed with two semi-automatic handguns and wearing a tan colored trench coat. Evidence shows the shooter may have then tried to exit the facility unsuccessfully after entering a stairwell that lead to the parking garage.

Stangrecki said as the shooter returned to the first floor, he was met by University of Pittsburgh police officers entering the front doors. He engaged the officers in gunfire, and was fatally shot by police.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio