List of All Articles with Tag 'ca'

An Instagram "mom influencer" in California who falsely claimed a Hispanic couple were trying to kidnap her children has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for making a false report, according to prosecutors. Katie Sorensen, 30, was convicted in April of a misdemeanour for making a false report, according to the New York Times. District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said 60 of the 90 days could be served as part of a work-release program. In addition to jail time, Sorensen was sentenced to 12 months of informal probation during which she is prohibited from appearing on social media. She will also be required to complete a four-hour implicit bias training program as well as paying various fees and fines. The incident that led to Sorensen's conviction began on 7 December, 2020, when the Instagrammer visited a Michaels craft store in Petaluma, California, around 40 miles north of San Francisco. She went to the store with her four-year-old son and one-year-old daughter, according to prosecutors. She shopped, left the store, returned to her car, and loaded up her children. Then, she called the police. “A few minutes later Ms Sorensen called the Petaluma Police Department and reported that a couple had tried to kidnap her children,” prosecutors said. A week after the report, Sorensen published an Instagram video in which she described the "near abduction of her young children," according to prosecutors. They said she included "significant details" in the video that she had not given to the Petaluma Police Department. She says in the now-deleted video that she wanted to raise awareness and "just encourage parents to be more aware of their surroundings". Sorensen also described being followed by a couple who she said made comments about kidnapping her children. The video garnered more than four million views and was featured on local news programs. Police eventually followed up with Sorensen who identified the couple she claimed were stalking her children from security footage obtained from the retailer. The individuals she identified were Sadie Vega-Martinez and her husband, Eddie Martinez. Police tracked down the couple, and they "fully cooperated" with the investigation. The couple "denied the allegations," according to the department. Police ultimately determined the couple were innocent, and charged Sorensen with three misdemeanour counts of making a false report of a crime. A jury acquitted the first two counts against her but convicted her on the third. “Ms Sorensen has been held accountable for her crime, and we believe the judge handed down a fair sentence,” District Attorney Rodriguez said in a statement following the sentencing. “Our hope is that this measure of accountability will help provide some closure to the couple that was falsely accused of having attempted to kidnap two young children.” Read More Instagram mother charged after falsely accusing Latino couple of trying to snatch her kids ‘Mom influencer’ investigated for making kidnap claims against Latino couple Colleen Ballinger: Everything we know about the ‘grooming’ allegations against YouTuber Miranda Sings

Another wave of wildfire smoke has drifted into the US, dimming blue summer skies and igniting troubling concerns regarding the increasing frequency of fires, and what they have to do with climate change.

A rabid bobcat attacked a children's camp leader as he slept in a hammock at a state park, according to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The body of Mary Elizabeth Isbell was discovered by police at the foot of a cliff in Alabama after she was reported missing in 2021. A mother and daughter have been arrested in connection with her death. Police arrested Loretta Kay Carr, 45, and her daughter, Jessie Eden Kelly, 21, this week. Both women have been charged with capital murder. Ms Kelly is in custody in Pennsylvania and is awaiting extradition to face felony charges. According to Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office investigator Nick Brown, the department received a tip on Tuesday that the department deemed credible which lead to the women’s arrests. Two days later, law enforcement discovered Ms Isbell's body at the bottom of a cliff, according to Law & Crime. A chilling photo from 2019 shows Ms Carr standing at the edge of the cliff in the Little River Canyon National Preserve where police allege that she shoved Ms Isbell to her death. The selfie, taken at a high angle, shows the distance between her and bottom of the cliff. "Day trip to Little River Canyon and Falls" Ms Carr wrote in the photo's caption. She noted that the nature preserve was "beautiful and only a little ways from the house". Ms Carr is accused of kidnapping Ms Isbell before shoving her from the cliff, according to prosecutors. Attorneys representing Ms Carr argued that the prosecution does not have enough evidence to hold their client, according to AL.com. Police said the case broke open recently after the DCSO received new information. “Investigators immediately checked the lead and determined it to be credible,” the sheriff's office said in a statement. Shortly after receiving the new information, Ms Carr and her daughter were taken into custody. “This tip, we actually received names that we had been looking at in the beginning,” Mr Brown said, accoridng to WHNT. He said that one of the women was “cooperative” and allegedly provided police with instructions for finding Ms Isbell’s remains. “One of the co-defendants was very cooperative and helped us to lead to Mary’s remains where we recovered them Wednesday,” he said. Human remains were found on 28 June at the nature preserve. They were identified as Ms Isbell's on Friday, which would have been her 39th birthday. She leaves behind a teenage son. The detective noted the brutality of the alleged killing. “It’s very inhuman and brutal what these ladies did to Mary,” he said. “It’s terrible.” It's unclear how, or if, Ms Carr and Ms Kelly knew Ms Isbell before the alleged murder.The events leading up to the alleged abduction are unclear. Before she disappeared, Ms Isbell was a suspect in a theft that occurred in DeKalb County, according to the Daily Mail. The theft involved an apartment where she lived with her boyfriend, James Allen Wright. When Mr Wright was arrested in September 2021 and later released to a rehab facility, Ms Isbell reportedly began drifting, moving from friend's house to friend's house throughout DeKalb County, the Daily Mail reported. Read More Titanic sub update: Presumed human remains recovered from Titan debris to be analysed as new details emerge Murder probe launched as mother ‘dived into sea to save son’ after fall from ferry Girl, 2, found dead at home as man and woman ‘known to victim’ arrested on suspicion of murder

Carowinds amusement park in North Carolina closed a roller coaster Friday after discovering a crack in a support pillar, park officials said.

Esther Wang disappeared in Golden Ears Park, Canada, sparking 16 search teams into action.

The Department of Justice is prepared to seek indictments against multiple figures in former president Donald Trump’s orbit and may yet bring additional charges against the ex-president in the coming weeks, The Independent has learned. According to sources familiar with the matter, the department has made preparations to bring what is known as a “superseding indictment” — a second set of charges against an already-indicted defendant that could include more serious crimes — against the ex-president, and could do so in a number of different venues, depending on how prosecutors feel the case they have brought against him in a Florida federal court is proceeding. Mr Trump’s other legal troubles also appear to be hotting up, with former campaign official Mike Roman reportedly cooperating with investigators probing his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Sources told CNN on Thursday that Mr Roman, who was involved in the fake electors scheme, has reached a proffer agreement with special counsel Jack Smith’s office. Rudy Giuliani is also said to have taken such an agreement. Meanwhile, three investors in the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that took the Trump Media & Technology Group public have been indicted for insider trading. Read More Kevin McCarthy knows he crossed the line with Donald Trump Trump's GOP support dips slightly after his indictment over classified documents, AP-NORC poll finds ‘Any Republican not named Trump’: Paul Ryan says former president is only candidate who would lose to Biden

Prosecutors could seek the death penalty against a Mexican national charged with fatally shooting five people in a Texas home, after a grand jury indicted him for capital murder, the district attorney told CNN on Friday.

A January 6 fugitive had two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van when he was arrested close to the home of former President Barack Obama this week, federal authorities said. Taylor Taranto, 37, was arrested on Thursday outside the Obamas’ Washington DC home hours after he shared a social media post from former president Donald Trump which revealed his predecessor’s address. Taranto was arrested on charges stemming from his activities during the Capitol riot two years ago. Law enforcement also discovered materials for a Molotov cocktail in his vehicle. The matter is being reviewed by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr Taranto was detained by the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement, and charged with being a fugitive from justice. “Arresting officers requested MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest,” MPD said in a statement, according to CNN. “There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation.” Mr Taranto reposted a Truth Social post by Mr Trump which included an article containing the address of the Obamas as well as a number of other Democrats. Mr Taranto added his own comment: “Got them surrounded!” The 2017 article shared by Mr Trump was a piece in The Phyllis Schlafly Report, named after the conservative activist who passed away in 2016. It included the home address of the Obamas. In a live stream, Mr Taranto told his audience that he also had a “detonator,” according to Mediaite. The shocking scene played out in the wealthy neighbourhood of Kalorama on Thursday. Mr Taranto was chased by police and Secret Service while he ran towards the home of the Obamas and warned authorities that he had an explosive device. CBS News reported that he fled after being spotted by Secret Service, who had apparently been alerted to his intentions after Mr Taranto made “threats during recent live streams on social media”. Mr Taranto had an active arrest warrant related to the attack on the Capitol when he was captured near the former president’s home, according to CBS. DC police confirmed to The Independent that Mr Taranto had been charged with being a fugitive from justice pursuant to another arrest warrant and that officers had conducted an explosives sweep of his vehicle. “This afternoon, MPD and our federal law enforcement partners arrested 37-year-old Taylor Taranto, of no fixed address, in the 2400 block of Kalorama Road, Northwest. He has been charged with Fugitive from Justice, pursuant to an arrest warrant. Arresting officers requested MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest. There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation,” wrote an MPD spokesperson. It wasn’t immediately clear if Mr Obama or any members of his family were home at the time of the incident. The former president was in DC earlier this week for lunch with his former VP, incumbent President Joe Biden, as the latter begins the long work of running for re-election. Read More Biden's Iran envoy placed on unpaid leave pending a review of his handling of classified documents Gun advocates challenge Biden administration rules on handgun braces at appeals court Biden is wrapping a campaign fundraising blitz aimed at making a bold early statement

A January 6 fugitive had two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van when he was arrested close to the home of former President Barack Obama this week, federal authorities said. Taylor Taranto, 37, was arrested on Thursday outside the Obamas’ Washington DC home hours after he shared a social media post from former president Donald Trump which revealed his predecessor’s address. Taranto was arrested on charges stemming from his activities during the Capitol riot two years ago. Law enforcement also discovered materials for a Molotov cocktail in his vehicle. The matter is being reviewed by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr Taranto was detained by the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement, and charged with being a fugitive from justice. “Arresting officers requested MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest,” MPD said in a statement, according to CNN. “There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation.” Mr Taranto reposted a Truth Social post by Mr Trump which included an article containing the address of the Obamas as well as a number of other Democrats. Mr Taranto added his own comment: “Got them surrounded!” The 2017 article shared by Mr Trump was a piece in The Phyllis Schlafly Report, named after the conservative activist who passed away in 2016. It included the home address of the Obamas. In a live stream, Mr Taranto told his audience that he also had a “detonator,” according to Mediaite. The shocking scene played out in the wealthy neighbourhood of Kalorama on Thursday. Mr Taranto was chased by police and Secret Service while he ran towards the home of the Obamas and warned authorities that he had an explosive device. CBS News reported that he fled after being spotted by Secret Service, who had apparently been alerted to his intentions after Mr Taranto made “threats during recent live streams on social media”. Mr Taranto had an active arrest warrant related to the attack on the Capitol when he was captured near the former president’s home, according to CBS. DC police confirmed to The Independent that Mr Taranto had been charged with being a fugitive from justice pursuant to another arrest warrant and that officers had conducted an explosives sweep of his vehicle. “This afternoon, MPD and our federal law enforcement partners arrested 37-year-old Taylor Taranto, of no fixed address, in the 2400 block of Kalorama Road, Northwest. He has been charged with Fugitive from Justice, pursuant to an arrest warrant. Arresting officers requested MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest. There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation,” wrote an MPD spokesperson. It wasn’t immediately clear if Mr Obama or any members of his family were home at the time of the incident. The former president was in DC earlier this week for lunch with his former VP, incumbent President Joe Biden, as the latter begins the long work of running for re-election. Read More Biden's Iran envoy placed on unpaid leave pending a review of his handling of classified documents Gun advocates challenge Biden administration rules on handgun braces at appeals court Biden is wrapping a campaign fundraising blitz aimed at making a bold early statement

As several state legislative sessions have concluded or are drawing to a close, some of the high-profile legislation enacted by state lawmakers is just taking effect.

Underlying inflation cooled in the US and quickened in Europe, according to the latest readings, while central bankers