Easter Egg Party Goes Violent

     An Easter Egg decorating party that went very wrong led a Brookline, Pennsylvania man to pelt his girlfriend with hard-boiled eggs before attempting to stab Pittsburgh police officers with a sword….

     Aaron Goempel, 27, awaited his arraignment on charges of aggravated assault charges stemming from the disturbance shortly after midnight, Sunday, April 20, 2014. Police say they responded to reports of a fight inside a Wareman Avenue apartment and found a woman with a red and swollen eye. She told officers that when accusing Goempel of cheating on her, he became agitated and began hurling eggs. He barricaded himself in the bedroom with an exercise machine against the door….

     Once officers got through the door, Goempel reached for a row of knives and swords atop the dresser. Police got him under control and took him to a cruiser where he started yelling racist obscenities at one of the officers. Goempel allegedly kicked another officer in the groin.

     According to court records, Goempel's criminal record includes guilty verdicts for disorderly conduct and public drunkenness dating to 2008. He awaited trial on charges of harassment, prowling, assault and traffic violations.

Carl Prine, "Egg Decorating Turns to Fight, Charges in Brookline, Police Say," Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 20, 2014 

Judge Goes Easy on Rich Political Donor

     Multi-millionaire tech entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal was charged with 45 felony counts for a vicious incident where he allegedly punched and kicked his girlfriend 117 times and attempted to smother her. After a judge ruled the video footage taken from Chahal's bedroom inadmissible in court and Chahal's girlfriend withdrew her testimony, he pleaded guilty to two charges--one of domestic violence battery and one of battery.

     His punishment was a mere 25 hours of community service, three years of probation and a 52-hour education course on domestic violence….Chahal is a prominent donor to Democratic causes and has visited the White House on two occasions since 2011 to meet with President Obama….

     The California girlfriend beater has given over $108,000 to Democratic campaigns and causes since 2011….Chahal made his millions through online advertising start-ups and is currently CEO of RadiumOne, a company that reportedly earns $100 million a year. He was once named one of America's "most eligible bachelors," and was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in 2008….

Scott Greer, "Major Democratic Donor Pleades Guilty to Domestic Abuse, Only Receives Community Service," The Daily Caller, April 24, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Brent Taff: One Bad Dude

     A kidnapping suspect accused of threatening the judge overseeing his case faced new assault charges after he attacked a deputy during a failed escape attempt at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport…Brent Taff, 37, was being escorted from Utah to Oklahoma to face assault charges for verbal threats against the judge and others, when he made his bid for freedom during a layover Friday February 13, 2015 in Dallas…Taff told his deputy escorts that he needed to use the restroom and then attacked the deputy sheriff who took him inside.

     The officer's head was injured in the ensuing struggle, but he managed to shoot Taff in the hand before the other deputy and airport security captured Taff as he tried to flee the restroom…Investigators are trying to determine if the deputy had taken off the handcuffs to allow Taff  to use the facility.

     Taff was initially accused of stalking, kidnapping and domestic assault as well as violations of protective orders. Taff, of Sapula, Oklahoma, was free on bond when the authorities arrested him in Utah after he made threats against a prosecutor, his ex-wife, and the judge. After his escape attempt in Dallas, he was charged with assault on a public servant and escape causing bodily injury.

"Kidnap Suspect Faces Assault Charges in Texas Failed Escape," Associated Press, February 14, 2015 

Criminal Justice Quote: San Diego TV Sports Anchor Shot

     A San Diego television sportscaster was shot and wounded outside his home…Kyle Kraska, sports director and anchor for CBS affiliate KFMB-TV, was shot in the leg and stomach in the wealthy Scripps Ranch area of the city on Tuesday afternoon February 10, 2015. He is expected to recover from his wounds.

     Six hours after the assault, 54-year-old Mike Montana surrendered after a SWAT team surrounded a residence in El Cajon northeast of San Diego…Police said Montana had driven from the shooting scene in a white minivan with the logo "Superior Painting" on its side. The owner of the firm in San Diego said the van did not belong to his company and that he didn't know Montana…

     Kraska, a Boston native, appears on evening broadcasts and hosts the station's San Diego Chargers postgame show. He has worked at the station since 1999 and has been its sports anchor since 2003….

"Suspect Surrenders in Shooting of San Diego TV Sportscaster," ABC News, February 11, 2015 

Criminal Justice Quote: Girl Scout Hit By Random Drive-By Gunfire

     A 9-year-old girl who was selling Girl Scout cookies was shot in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sinai Miller was with her two younger sisters not far from their home when someone in a car that drove by fired shots in their direction. She was struck in the leg and taken to the hospital in stable condition, returning home later that day…

     Police responded to the victim's apartment complex at four-thirty in the afternoon of February 3, 2015 to investigate reports of the shooting. Witnesses said they saw someone stick their arm out of a SUV and shoot a handgun into the group of children…Investigators didn't believe the victim was targeted by the gunman. They were looking for a blue Ford Expedition….

"9-Year-Old Girl Shot in Indianapolis Selling Girl Scout Cookies," natmonitor.com, February 2, 2015

     

Criminal Justice Quote: Ex-NFL Player Warren Sapp Arrested

     Police arrested Warren Sapp on one count of solicitation of a prostitute and two counts of assault in Phoenix, Arizona Monday morning February 2, 2015. He was taken into custody in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Phoenix around seven in the morning. This was not Sapp's first arrest. He was arrested for domestic battery in 2010 and again in 2014…He was in Phoenix covering the Super Bowl for NFL Network.

     Sapp, age 42, played 13 seasons in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders. He was indicted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013….[Perhaps more importantly, he was once a contestant on "Dancing With The Stars."]

"Former NFLer Warren Sapp Arrested For Soliciting Prostitute, Assault," The Daily Caller, February 2, 2015 

Criminal Justice Quote: Female Cop Goes Nuts in New Jersey

     An Irvington, New Jersey police captain was arrested early Tuesday morning January 6, 2015 after allegedly trying to run over a city councilman with her car…Monique Smith, 43, was taken into custody on charges including aggravated assault, stalking, harassment, criminal mischief and multiple weapons charges related to the incident involving South Ward Councilman John Sharpe James…

     James was close to his home…when he was confronted by Captain Smith around 11 PM January 5, 2015. As she yelled at him, James got into his car and drove off. Smith climbed into her personal vehicle and followed the councilman, allegedly striking his vehicle several times. James proceeded to his parents' home where his father, former longtime Newark Mayor Sharpe James, intervened on his behalf…

     Police were called to the scene, but were unable to locate Captain Smith until early the next morning…The confrontation came just hours after Smith was promoted to captain during a ceremony at Irvington Town Hall….

"Irvington Police Captain Arrested," blognj.com, January 6, 2015 

Criminal Justice Report: Bonnie Without Clyde in Sacramento, California

     A woman wanted in a North Sacramento, California robbery was taken into custody after she led officers on a chase through the center of the city…Police identified the woman as Laroia Davis, 38. The pursuit started Wednesday evening January 7, 2015 when officers responded to a call of robbery at a Rite-Aid pharmacy…Davis and another woman, stealing merchandise in the store, assaulted a security officer. As police officers were investigating they spotted the Ford Explorer sought in connect with the robbery and tried to pull over Davis who refused to stop…

     Davis led officers from North Sacramento to the downtown section... At some point during the chase, officers put down spike strips which blew out the tires of the her vehicle. She continued driving on the SUV's rims, crashing into three patrol cars…

     When approached by police officers, Davis refused to get out of her vehicle. Finally, after twenty minutes, she climbed out of the Ford and was taken into custody…The other suspect had fled on foot before the police chase.

"Woman Arrested After Sacramento Police Chase," kcra.com, January 8, 2015 

Criminal Justice Quote: A Boston Cop Goes Off The Deep End

     A Boston police officer has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly assaulting an Uber driver. The driver for the ride sharing company told police he drove a passenger to the area of East 2nd Street in South Boston early Saturday morning January 4, 2015. That passenger was off-duty officer Michael Doherty, 40, of South Boston. According to the driver, when he reached the destination, Doherty accused him of trying to drop him off at the wrong location. Doherty then allegedly yelled at then hit the driver.

     When the driver got out of the car, Doherty got into the front seat and drove off. Police say a passing motorist helped the Uber driver follow Doherty until he stopped the car and fled.

     Doherty, who has been on the force for 16 years, was arrested at his home Sunday January 5 and charged with assault and battery and using a motor vehicle without authority.

"Off-Duty Boston Cop Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Uber Driver," CBS News, January 4, 2015 

Criminal Justice Quote: Former Pro Wrestler Kevin Nash and Son Arrested

     Former WWE star Kevin Nash and his 18-year-old son, Tristen Nash, were arrested on December 24, 2014 after getting into a scuffle at their Florida home. Kevin Nash, known as Diesel in the ring, was arrested after police say he got into a physical altercation with his son after the boy came home drunk. Father and son gave the police different accounts of the incident, each blaming the other.

     Tristen Nash claims he and his father got into an argument about the boy's girlfriend and the fact he came home drunk. The 6-foot-10 former wrestler pinned his son to the ground. Kevin Nash told officers that his son had been the aggressor and that he only pinned him to protect his wife…

     Police arrested the father at the scene, but deputies later returned and arrested Tristen after his mother and uncle said he tried to fight with them as well…The family lawyer told reporters that the son was "out of control."

     Kevin Nash and his son were released from the Volusia County Jail without bond.

"Former Wrestling Star Arrested on Battery Charge," CNN, December 25, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Over-The-Hill Sitcom Actor Stabs Man in Bar

     Dustin Diamond, who played Screech on the 1990s TV show "Saved by the Bell," was charged on Friday December 26, 2014 with stabbing a man during a fight on Christmas day. He faces charges of endangering safety, disorderly conduct, and carrying a concealed weapon…According to the criminal complaint, Diamond told police that he and his fiancee went out to several bars on Thursday night in Port Washington, a town thirty miles north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The couple got into a tussle with two men and another woman at the Grand Avenue Saloon…

     Port Washington police say they responded at 11:15 PM to a report of a stabbing. When officers caught up with the couple in their SUV down the road from the bar, Diamond said he had held a pen in his hand during the fight. In the vehicle, however, officers found a bloody switchblade knife. At this point Diamond admitted that he had accidentally stabbed the man while trying to defend his fiancee…The victim had been stabbed under the arm and was not seriously injured.

     Diamond appeared in Ozaukee County court where the judge set his bail at $10,000….His fiancee, 27-year-old Amanda Schutz, faces a disorderly conduct charge…

     Since his decade-long run on the TV show, Diamond has been sued several times for delinquent taxes and in foreclosure proceedings for missing mortgage payments. He has appeared on reality TV [the graveyard for career-dead celebrities] and most recently produced a tell-all documentary on Lifetime TV called "The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story."

"Saved by the Bell Star Arrested After Stabbing," Associated Press, December 27, 2014

Man Pushes McChicken Sandwich Into His Pregnant Wife's Face

     A picky eater in Des Moines, Iowa was jailed on December 2, 2014 for using a McDonald's McChicken sandwich as a weapon against his pregnant wife…Marvin Tramaine Hill II, 21, admitted to police that he threw the sandwich at his wife "because he doesn't like them." Hill was arrested for simple domestic assault and taken to the Polk County Jail.

     Des Moines police met with Hill at the couple's home where Hill told them it was actually his wife who assaulted him. Hill said his wife woke him up around one in the afternoon with a McChicken in her hand. He admitted that he became upset and threw the sandwich at her, then picked up some of the bun and threw it at her.

     The woman went to the bathroom to clean herself up but Hill followed and began recording her using his cellphone, which he later shared with the police. In the video, police saw the woman knock the phone out of his hand.

     Hill's wife had mayonnaise on her shirt and face when officers spoke to her. According to the woman, Hill had forcefully smashed the bun into her face. Police noted that the woman's nose was swollen and believed Hill was trying to entice the woman into knocking the phone out of his hand to make her appear aggressive.

"Man Assaulted Wife With McChicken Sandwich, The Des Moine Register, December 3, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Random Attacks on College Students by Roving Gangs

     Over the first two weekends in October 2014, groups of young men have been roving the streets and beating people completely at random near the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Police say the beat downs are consistent with initiations by big city street gangs--a phenomenon not typically seen on most Big 10 campuses…

     The attackers--described as black, perhaps 25 years old, wearing dark clothes--prowled aound an area in Champaign, tackling various innocent and unsuspecting victims to the ground and kicking them in the head. Police say five students suffered injuries in four different attacks. Three of the students received treatment for bruises, cuts and facial wounds…One student also had a cell phone stolen. 

     Some victims say their attackers asked them a question or threatened them before the pummeling began. Other victims say they just got attacked. Each incident occurred on a residential street in front of witnesses. There were six to eight attackers in total. They cruised around in a blue vehicle looking for victims. There have been 45 assaults reported in the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area since October 1, 2014….

Eric Owens, "Black Males Are Viciously Beating People at Random at the University of Illinois," The Daily Caller, October 17, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Knife-Wielding Degenrates Randomly Invade Home.

     Two young men broke into a randomly chosen suburban Seattle home and attacked an 18-year-old victim with knives. The assailants have been sentenced to more than 25 years each…Vincent Sisounong, 22, and 20-year-old Blessing Gainey earlier pleaded guilty to attempted first-dgree murder and first-degree burglary. They were sentenced Friday October 10, 2014.

     Prosecutors say the two were motivated by "pleasure and greed" when they attacked the teen who was staying at his family's Kirkland, Washington home on October 12, 2013. The victim, Deep Rewat, suffered severe cuts to his leg, shoulder and head and underwent surgery at Harborview Medical Center.

     Superior Court Judge Jean Rietschel called the crime "absolutely horrifying." A prosecutor told the judge the victim would have died had he not escaped and sought help from a neighbor. Outside the courtroom, Rewat said the sentencing was "definitely a big step in moving forward."

"2 Men Who Attacked Teen With Knives Gets 25 Years," chron.com, October 11, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Baby on Board (But in the Trunk)

     One mom faces child abuse charges after police found her 5-month-old child in her vehicle's trunk during a traffic stop. Police in south Florida tried to pull over her vehicle, but 19-year-old Breona Watkins kept driving. When she stopped, the deputy heard a baby crying in the trunk.

     According to the arrest report, the child was lying on top of a pair of hedge clippers and was surrounded by dangerous objects including a gas can and other debris. Watkins told authorities that she asked her 14-year-old passenger to slide the baby into the trunk through a back seat panel because she didn't want to get ticketed for not having a car seat. Watkins remains jailed on $7,000 bond.

"Mom Drove With Baby in Trunk to Avoid Ticket," theindychannel.com, September 29, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: The Boyfriend From Hell

     Police in Redding, California call the relationship "toxic." If the details of the police report are accurate, folks won't need much convincing. Bear, the Pomeranian, disappeared in early August 2014 after the dog's owner and her then boyfriend Ryan Eddy Watenpaugh had an argument. The woman fled her apartment after she was physically assaulted by Watenpaugh. She called the police. When she returned to the apartment her pet dog Bear was gone.

     The couple, which police say had a tumultuous dating relationship that included the woman being held against her will, briefly reconciled the first week in September. Watenpaugh, 35, cooked her a meal that included meat. Then the text messages began. He wrote: "How's your dog taste? I thought it was better with BBQ and those Hawaiian buns. I guess you could bury what you didn't eat. The smile on my face when you read this--priceless."

     Then early Tuesday, September 9, 2014, Watenpaugh showed up at the victims house and left a small bag by her front door. Inside was a note and two dog paws. "Burn in hell," the note said. "I hate you so much it hurts. Stay away from me. I want nothing to do with you." At the bottom of the note: a smiley face.

     Redding police officers arrested Watenpaugh two days later. They say he's admitted to sending the text messages and placing the dog paws at the victim's residence. He has denied killing or cooking Bear.

     A local prosecutor has charged Watenpaugh with domestic violence, false imprisonment, stalking, and animal cruelty. He's being held on $250,000 bond in the Shasta County Jail.
     

Criminal Justice Quote: 15-Year-Old Girl to be Tried as an Adult in Vicious Assault

     A 15-year-old Philadelphia girl will stand trial as an adult for her alleged role in the March 2014 beating with a brick of a Temple University student…Common Pleas Judge Benjamin Lerner said in his ruling that Zaria Estes' alleged use of a brick to bash the victim's mouth and face was "determined" and "vicious."

     Two other girls involved in the attack, Najee Bilaal, 15, and Kanesha Gainey, 16, will plead guilty to several charges in Family Court, and will be placed in a juvenile treatment facility. But judge Lerner said Estes' charges are too serious.

     "As horrible, as disgraceful, as disgusting was the conduct of those other girls, when you pick up a deadly weapon, when you add that element," Lerner said referring to the brick, "that's a whole different ballgame in my view than what those other girls were doing."

     The trio of defendants allegedly set out to attack random victims on March 21 when they came across victim Abbey Luffey and her boyfriend, Andrew Mazer. Judge Lerner said photographs of Luffey's teeth and face made it clear "how hard, how determined and how vicious this assault was."

     Luffey told the court she had emergency surgery to repair her face and teeth, and fear of walking around campus led her to move back home. "One act by a group of strangers has consumed my life," she said.

"Teen to be Tried as Adult in Brick Attack on Temple Student," Philly.com, September 10, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: The Touchy-Feely Psychiatrist

     A central Pennsylvania psychologist has been jailed on charges that the "touching therapy" he used on two female patients amounted to sexual abuse for which he fraudulently billed insurance companies more than $71,000.

     Police in State College, Pennsylvania arrested 53-year-old Richard Lenhart on August 11, 2014 on charges of insurance fraud and indecent assault. The charges by the state attorney general's office grew out of a misconduct investigation by the state Board of Psychology that had revoked Lenhart's license two years ago. The board fined him more than $68,000 for more than 100 counts of professional misconduct.

     According to prosecutors, Lenhart "treated" the two patients--who were both victims of previous sexual trauma--by caressing them and rubbing their genitals.

"Psychologist Jailed in "Touching Therapy" Case," Associated Press, August 22, 2014 

NYC Woman and Her Children Assaulted by Impostor Cabbie

     A fake cabbie violently flung children on the ground and battered a desperate 26-year-old woman in a brutal sexual assault that was caught on video. The impostor claimed to be a cab driver when he picked up the woman and her children on 207th Street in Manhattan on Sunday August 24, 2014. When the car arrived in Queens, the suspect began to sexually assault  the woman in the vehicle. Once she resisted the man can be seen going ballistic.

     He first elbows the 5-year-old in the head before forcibly removing the 3-year-old from the car. He then throws the other child to the ground before getting back into the car and driving off.

     The children were taken to Elmhurst Hospital with minor injuries. Police are searching for a man in his 40s. [Their mother was treated for more serious injuries and released.]

     [Update: On August 28, police arrested 48-year-old Pedro Vargas, an ex-con from Yonkers, New York. He has been charged with felony assault and three counts of endangering the welfare of children.]

Joe Tacopino, "Fake Cabbie Throws Kids, Sexually Assaults Woman," New York Post, August 27, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Skateboarder Attacks Park Ranger

     Philadelphia police are investigating a video that shows a skateboarder kicking a city park ranger while others stand by laughing. The attack took place in the city's Love Park.

     The park ranger warned several young men they had to stop skateboarding in the park because there were too many children in the area. As a result he was repeatedly kicked in the head by one of the skateboarders. The assailant's friends, during the attack, spit on the victim.

     The city renovated the park in 2002 and reopened it with a permanent ban on skateboarding. But there have been other reported incidents between skateboarders and the authorities.

"Skateboarder Attacks Ranger at Philly's Live Park, Associated Press, August 17, 2014