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Crime Files: Bodies of missing AZ girls found; 'Doomsday mom' wants case dismissed
Top stories this week, Jan. 22-28, include a woman with autism allegedly being killed by a teenage MS-13 gang member, the bodies of 2 Arizona girls being found in a basin, and a Hawaii-bound flight from Phoenix being diverted due to an 'unruly' passenger.
1. Teen MS-13 gang member arrested for murder of Maryland autistic woman, 20: Police said a boy became a person of interest and was later determined to be an "undocumented non-citizen" from El Salvador. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed he was also listed in that country as a member of Malva Salvatrucha, known as MS-13.
2. 'Blessed to be alive': Watch as couple escapes RV, runs into ditch to shelter from massive tornado: Zachary Peck-Chapman and his partner feel blessed to be alive after they were forced to run from their RV to seek shelter during the tornado storms in Orange, located about 30 minutes from Beaumont along the Texas-Louisiana border.
Zachary Peck-Chapman and his partner were forced to run from their RV to seek shelter during the tornadic storms in Orange, Texas.
3. Mother attacked, young son killed by pack of dogs: The four dogs involved in the attack were put down by tribal authorities. They were two rottweilers and two mixed breeds.
4. These baby names are reportedly ‘at risk’ of going ‘extinct’ in 2023: The list analyzed naming trends in the top 500 boy and girl baby names.
5. Abandoned dog found with handwritten note reunites with owner: An animal shelter has reunited an abandoned dog after she was found with a handwritten note. "My name is Lilo," the note read. "Please love me. My mom can’t keep me and is homeless with two kids. She tried her best but can’t get help. I cost too much for her. She really loves me and I’m a great dog and love to be loved on. Please don’t abuse me."
Lilo and the handwritten note found on her. (Credit: McKamey Animal Center)
6. Venice hit-and-run driver who plowed into mom, baby in stolen car is murdered after light sentence: A Los Angeles-area teenager who ran over a mother walking her child in a stroller in Venice in 2021 and received just a few months of diversionary camp as punishment was gunned down, according to FOX News.
Surveillance video recorded the entire Aug. 6, 2021 hit-and-run incident in Venice, California.
7. Lawyer of ex-officer charged in Tyre Nichols case responds to video release: The lawyer for Desmond Mills Jr., one of those five police officers who was charged with the murder said a "thorough investigation" of all available video angles is necessary before "providing context or comment."
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Tyre Nichols: Memphis Police release bodycam video of deadly incident
The footage shows Nichols, 29, being beaten by five police officers during a traffic stop back on January 7. He died three days later, and the officers involved in the case, all of whom are also Black, were fired and later charged with second-degree murder. (CAUTION: Due to subject matter and the graphic nature of the video, viewer discretion is advised)
8. 'What happened?': Bodies of 2 missing teen girls found in Mesa water basin: Police found the bodies of two girls: 17-year-old Sitlalli Avelar and 15-year-old Kamryn Meyers. Avelar and Meyers had both been reported as runaways on Jan. 7 from a group home in Mesa, police said.
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'What happened?': Bodies of 2 missing teen girls found in Mesa water basin
Mesa police are investigating after two missing teenage girls were found dead in a water retention basin near Superstition Springs Mall. Officers were called to an area near Southern Avenue and the Roosevelt WCD Canal Road on Jan. 21 at around 6 p.m. after someone reported seeing a body in the water.
9. Flight from Phoenix to Hawaii diverted to Los Angeles: According to the airlines, flight 692, with service to Honolulu from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, had to be diverted to Los Angeles due to a disturbance in the cabin involving an unruly passenger. Airline officials did not provide additional details as to the nature of the disturbance.
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Hawaii-bound flight from Phoenix diverted to Los Angeles due to 'unruly' passenger
According to the airlines, flight 692, with service to Honolulu from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, had to be diverted to Los Angeles due to a disturbance in the cabin involving an unruly passenger. Airline officials did not provide additional details as to the nature of the disturbance.
10. 'Trapped': Inside the world of sex trafficking in Arizona as Super Bowl approaches: Arizona's law enforcement continues to raise awareness of the dangers of sex trafficking as Super Bowl LVII approaches, but is the premier sporting event a driver for trafficking or is it a myth?
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'Trapped': Inside the world of sex trafficking in Arizona as Super Bowl approaches
Law enforcement continues to raise awareness of the dangers of sex trafficking as Super Bowl LVII approaches, but is the premier sporting event a driver for trafficking, or is it a myth?