List of All Articles with Tag 'rica'

For five days, expert cave explorer Mark Dickey has been stuck 3,400 feet below the surface in a cave in the Taurus Moutain region of Turkey. Mr Dickey, 40, is an experienced caver who embarked on an expedition mission to map one of the deepest caves in the world – the Morca cave system in southern Turkey. But the expedition was suddenly cut short after Mr Dickey fell ill with gastrointestinal bleeding. Now, a rescue team of over 150 personnel from several international organisations have combined their efforts to try to retrieve Mr Dickey, who cannot leave the cave due to the emergency medical situation. As of Thursday, officials in the Speleological Federation of Turkey said that Mr Dickey’s situation had improved but that he would require a stretcher, making the rescue mission even more complicated. An expert caver Hailing from Croton-on-Hudson, New York, Mr Dickey is a highly-trained caver, cave rescuer himself and well-known in the international speleological (cave expert) community, according to the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA). His resume of cave explorations and expert status is endless: secretary of the ECRA medical committee, lead instructor for Caving Academy, a US-based organisation that prepares other cavers for exploration and a national instructor for the National Cave Rescue Commission. He also volunteers with the New Jersey Initial Response Team, a nonprofit search-and-rescue team. Having participated in many cave explorations in karst areas around the world for many years, Mr Dickey is knowledgeable and skilled – the kind of person you’d want on complicated cave exploration like the Morca mission. Mr Dickey was on an expedition to map the 4,186-foot-deep cave system in southern Turkey for the Anatolian Speleology Group Association. Photos from a Facebook page that seemingly belongs to Mr Dickey show him happily preparing for the mission by inspecting all the necessary gear before embarking. But what Mr Dickey, and others, could not prepare for was the sudden emergency medical situation he found himself in during the journey. On 2 September, Mr Dickey fell ill with severe gastric pain that was escalating quickly. Though there was initial hope that Mr Dickey could exit the cave on his own, the pain turned into gastrointestinal bleeding and it was clear he needed medical attention quickly. The Speleological Federation of Turkey sent a medical team and six units of blood in the following days in the hopes of stabilising Mr Dickey’s medical situation. On Thursday, Mr Dickey appeared in a video for the first time, obtained by The Associated Press, where he thanked Turkish authorities for responding quickly to his medical needs. “I don’t quite know what’s happened, but I do know that the quick response of the Turkish government to get the medical supplies that I need, in my opinion, saved my life,” Mr Dickey said. “I was very close to the edge.” While doctors worked to assist Mr Dickey, cave experts began putting their teams together to figure out how to rescue Mr Dickey through one of the deepest, and very complicated, cave systems. “A long and challenging rescue operation is initiated to carry Mark out on a stretcher,” the ECRA said in a statement. A complicated route Teams from Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy and Poland are working to create a path out of the cave system. The Morca cave system descends through various, very narrow, twists, turns and rappels – making it a difficult exploration for any person in good health. The underground equivalent of the cave is like climbing Mount Everest. “It takes a full 15 hours for an experienced caver to reach the surface in ideal conditions,” the Speleological Federation of Turkey said. To tackle the issue, the team of international experts has divided up the depths of the cave and assigned it to a specific team to figure out a solution for that specific area. At multiple very narrow spots, a demolition team will need to widen them so Mr Dickey can pass through on a stretcher. They will also need to set up several camp spots on the way up to continuously monitor Mr Dickey and give him and his team sections to rest in. To make the matter more complicated, communication between the underground team and the surface team is limited. Runners are being used to travel from the camp where Mr Dickey is to the surface where a telephone line is to speak with officials, according to AP. Hungarian Cave Rescue Service member, Marton Kovacs, told CBS News that they were also addressing the danger of falling rocks in several places. The Hungarian team is working between the 590 to 1180-feet depths Mr Kovacs said Mr Dickey’s exit will take several days and they hope to begin on Saturday or Sunday depending on Mr Dickey’s condition. 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Danny Masterson, star of That 70s Show, has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for the rapes of two women two decades ago. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo handed down the sentence to the 47-year-old actor after ruling on a defence motion for a new trial that she rejected, and having heard impact statements from the victims. A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts on 31 May after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood Hills home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend. The verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December 2022 and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks.

Actor Danny Masterson remained unmoved as his two rape victims gave powerful impact statements to a judge before the That ‘70s Show star was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attacks. “When you raped me, you stole from me,” said one woman who Masterson, 47, was convicted of raping in 2003. “That’s what rape is, a theft of the spirit.” “You are pathetic, disturbed and completely violent,” she added. “The world is better off with you in prison.” The other victim told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo that the actor “has not shown an ounce of remorse for the pain he caused.” “I knew he belonged behind bars for the safety of all the women he came into contact with. I am so sorry, and I’m so upset. I wish I’d reported him sooner to the police,” she told the court. Masterson, who has been in custody since May, showed no visible reaction to the statements as he sat in court, reported The Associated Press. Masterson was found guilty by a jury of two counts of rape on 31 May after seven days of deliberations. The court was told that both attacks took place at Masterson’s home in the Hollywood area of the city in 2003 when he was a member of the cast of the hit Fox sitcom. Masterson did not testify, and his defence team called no witnesses, arguing that the acts were consensual. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson had raped a longtime girlfriend. A mistrial was declared in Masterson’s first trial in December 2022 after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape. “Mr Masterson, I know that you’re sitting here steadfast in your claims of innocence, and thus no doubt feeling victimized by a justice system that has failed you,” Judge Olmedo told Masterson before handing down the sentence. “But Mr Masterson, you are not the victim here. Your actions 20 years ago took away another person’s voice, and choice. One way or another you will have to come to terms with your prior actions, and their consequences.” The Associated Press contributed to this report. Read More ‘That ’70s Show’ actor Danny Masterson sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for rapes Danny Masterson sentencing - live: ‘That 70s Show’ actor given 30 years to life in prison for raping two women Danny Masterson’s wife breaks down at rape sentencing: Who is Bijou Phillips?

Rescuers are rushing to save an American man trapped in the third-deepest cave in Turkey after he became ill, the Turkish Caving Federation said.

A suspect accused of brutally raping and beating a University of Wisconsin student reportedly pretended to be an innocent bystander after the vicious attack. Brandon Thompson, 26, is facing charges of sexual assault, reckless injury, and strangulation in connection with the attack that left a young woman in her 20s critically injured, the Madison Police Department said. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said that around 3.20am on Sunday, a witness heard a commotion and approached the scene. Mr Thompson was standing next to the victim and reportedly told the witness that he had “just found” her and didn’t know what had happened. While the witness called emergency services, Mr Thompson fled the scene in his vehicle. The victim, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, suffered a broken jaw and other life-threatening injuries. She is in critical condition but is expected to survive. “I think one of the most frightening things [is that it was a random attack],” Chief Barnes said at a press conference on Wednesday. “...This case will not be complete until this cowardly attacker receives the justice he deserves.” Investigators were able to link Mr Thompson to the scene thanks to surveillance video submitted by residents of the area that captured Mr Thompson’s license plate and that he was walking right behind the victim before the attack unfolded. Chief Barnes said that approximately two hours before the attack, Mr Thompson was pulled over by Fitchburg police officers over a registration violation. The neighbouring police department provided bodycam footage from the traffic stop that showed Mr Thompson’s clothing matched what he was wearing during the Madison attack. “As a result of this video, detectives were able to read a license plate that directly led to the identification of Brandon Thompson as the perpetrator of this assault,” Assistant Chief Paige Valenta of the Madison Police Department said. Ms Valenta said that DNA evidence had been collected from the scene and sent to a state crime lab. “Her life is forever changed,” Ms Valenta added. “Her family’s life is forever changed. We will continue to work hard to ensure that Mr Thompson is held fully accountable in a court of law for the heinous act he perpetrated.” The suspect’s attorneys said in a statement to TMJ4 that he is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and has a degree in criminal justice and psychology. He reportedly works for a biotech company in Madison. Madison police said Mr Thompson appeared to have no connection with the victim. He was arrested on Wednesday morning and is now awaiting official charges. Read More Famed tech journalist deletes X account with epic rant at Elon Musk and his ‘cesspool’ site The president of a Japanese boy band company resigns and apologizes for late uncle's sex abuse MLB places Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías on administrative leave after arrest

A Ukrainian man has been charged with the stabbing murders of his adoptive parents in Florida. Dima Tower, 21, allegedly killed his adoptive parents, Robbie and Jennifer Tower, aged 49 and 51, in their home in North Port on Friday evening (1 September). Police were called to the scene by a neighbour who reported hearing screaming and banging on her door shortly before midnight. The neighbour said she opened the door and no one was there, but there was a smear of blood spatters on the ground. Responding officers found Dima Tower with blood on his clothes, closing the trunk of his car. He allegedly disregarded police orders to freeze, got in his car and fled the scene. Officers chased the car at high speed, deploying other units to sting the car with spike strips on Interstate 75. While they managed the puncture the tires, the suspect then fled on foot into a wooded area. After eight hours of searching, police finally found Dima Tower on Saturday morning near Interstate 75 and Laurel Road in Sarasota County and arrested him. “Our hearts and prayers go out to them and the family members. We are trying to provide justice for them as best we can. We now have one person in custody after a pretty significant search in the night through some highly wooded and wet areas, we just had storms, so it was pretty tough sliding. The Sarasota County Office in Venice were leading the charge to find this individual. Certainly, we were helping, we had K-9s, helicopters, SWAT teams looking for this individual, “Josh Taylor from the North Port Police Department told WinkNews. The couple were found deceased, their bodies positioned lying head-to-head with blood seeping into their living room floor, reported WinkNews. Investigators say they believe the attack may have gone on for some time, as they found horrifying amounts of spatters and pools of blood throughout their home, such as in the master bedroom, living room, inside the front door and the kitchen, local reports said. Robbie and Jennifer Tower were a devout Christian missionary couple, who worked as real estate agents. They would often visit Ukraine on Christian missions. They adopted their son, who was 14 at the time, seven years ago from an orphanage. Robbie Tower’s uncle, Warren Rines, said that the orphanage treated the then-teen in an inhumane manner. “He would have bruises on him in the orphanage. When they went out to eat, he would have like six hot dogs. He wasn’t getting a lot to eat. These orphanages are like prison for kids,” he told the New York Post. The Ukrainian-born suspect had a turbulent childhood; his mother died as a child and his father, who was an alcoholic abandoned him. After they adopted their son, he allegedly displayed a lot of violent behaviour way before he stabbed and killed his parents, according to Mr Rines. He was often starting fights at school and once left Robbie Tower with a black eye, leading him to be sent to stay with relatives of theirs for a while. Court records show that Dima Tower was arrested in 2020 after a physical fight with someone inside the victim’s home. The state attorney decided not prosecute the case, according to WinkNews. “I think the boy just had a lot of hate in him already before he came here. And I guess you take it out on the ones closest to you,” Mr Rines added. Mr Rines described the couple, who could not have their own biological children, as “two really good, caring people” and would often buy their son whatever he wanted, including the car he was allegedly chased in by police. “It just makes no sense, none of us understand the hate. They were the only two people in his life who ever tried to help him. They treated him like their own son,” Mr Rines added. Debbie Tower, Robbie’s mother, wrote a tribute to the couple on Facebook. She said: "They spent their entire life savings to adopt him and this is how he repays them… I don’t really know how I am going to get through this... Rob and Jen were not just my kids, they were my best friends and we did everything together." Police have yet to reveal the motive for the murders. Read More Danelo Cavalcante update: New video shows prison escape as Pennsylvania police track more sightings Another person dies after being found unresponsive at Fulton County Jail in Atlanta Mother of six-year-old who shot teacher fails drug tests while on bond awaiting sentencing

“That ’70s Show” star Danny Masterson could get as much as 30 years to life in prison at his sentencing Thursday for the rapes of two women two decades ago. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine F. Olmedo is set to sentence the 47-year-old actor after ruling on a defense motion for a new trial that she’s very likely to reject, and after hearing impact statements from the victims. A jury of seven women and five men found Masterson guilty of two counts on May 31 after seven days of deliberations. Both attacks took place in Masterson’s Hollywood-area home in 2003, when he was at the height of his fame on the Fox network sitcom “That ’70s Show.” The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on a third count, an allegation that Masterson also raped a longtime girlfriend. The verdict came in a second trial after a jury failed to reach verdicts on three counts of forcible rape in December and a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors alleged that Masterson used his prominence in the Church of Scientology — where all three women were also members at the time — to avoid consequences for decades after the attacks. The women blamed the church for their hesitancy in going to police about Masterson. They testified that when they reported him to Scientology officials, they were told they were not raped, were put through ethics programs themselves, and were warned against going to law enforcement to report a member of such high standing. “They were raped, they were punished for it, and they were retaliated against,” Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told jurors at the trial. “Scientology told them there’s no justice for them.” The church said in a statement after the verdict that the “testimony and descriptions of Scientology beliefs” during the trial were “uniformly false.” “The Church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone — Scientologists or not — to law enforcement,” the statement said. Masterson did not testify, and his lawyers called no witnesses. The defense argued that the acts were consensual, and attempted to discredit the women’s stories by highlighting changes and inconsistencies over time, which they said showed signs of coordination between them. The women whose testimony led to Masterson’s conviction said that in 2003, he gave them drinks and that they then became woozy or passed out before he violently raped them. Olmedo allowed prosecutors and accusers to say directly in the second trial that Masterson drugged the women, while only allowing the women to describe their condition in the first. Masterson was not charged with any counts of drugging, and there was no toxicology evidence to back up the assertion. The issue could be a factor in a planned appeal from the defense of Masterson’s conviction. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they’ve been sexually abused. Masterson starred with Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Topher Grace in “That ’70s Show” from 1998 until 2006. He had reunited with Kutcher on the 2016 Netflix comedy “The Ranch,” but was written off the show when an LAPD investigation was revealed the following year. While that investigation began before a wave of women shook Hollywood with stories about Harvey Weinstein in October 2017, the conviction and sentencing of Masterson still represents a major #MeToo era success for Los Angeles prosecutors, along with the conviction of Weinstein himself last year.

A bizarre mystery is unfolding in Texas after five children were found alone in their home after their parents were allegedly kidnapped. San Antonio police officers were called to the home in the city’s Southwest Side neighbourhood at around 6am on Wednesday. The children, all under the age of 17, were inside and unharmed. The children reportedly told police that unknown suspects had broke into their house and “forcefully” taken the parents, who are both in their late 30s. The two male suspects reportedly showed up to the house with guns. “Suspects kicked down the door, entered the home, took the adults and fled the scene,” Ricardo Guzman, from the San Antonio Police Department, told KSAT. “We located about five juveniles all inside the home, no injuries, they were unharmed.” The house, located in the 3100 block of Mission Bell, has been taped off while they search and investigate around the property. The police are currently calling the crime a “kidnapping”. Texas law states this is a third-degree felony which could see the suspects in state prison between two to ten years and/or a fine of up to $10,000. The police say they still have a lot of unanswered questions such as why this kidnapping happened and where the couple is right now. According to KSAT, the police said in an earlier statement that the suspects were driving a white SUV. The motive of the suspects is still unknown, police said. Read More Eleven-year-old girl charged with felony for reporting friend missing in YouTube challenge prank Carlee Russell’s ex speaks out about kidnapping hoax: ‘I was mad, I was sad’ Andrea Vazquez – latest: Murder suspect Gabriel Esparza’s attorney says he’s scared as DA vows to seek justice

The manhunt for convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante has now entered its eighth day with details beginning to emerge about how he managed to escape from prison in Pennsylvania. Cavalcante, 34, escaped from Chester County Prison days after he was sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend Deborah Brandao, 31, to death in front of her two small children. He is also wanted for a 2017 murder in Brazil. Authorities said during a press conference on Wednesday that he broke out by climbing onto a prison building roof from one of the exercise yards. Newly released surveillance video shows Cavalcante crawling up a wall at the prison before he disappears from the frame. Police said that he later managed to jump down to an area of the prison that had less surveillance. A tower officer tasked with observing the site failed to report the incident and Cavalcante’s escape was only noticed later during a head count. He was last spotted near Chandler Road, Pennsbury Township, on Tuesday evening. Local and federal law enforcement searched the area for hours but did not locate the fugitive. Members of the public are urged to secure their homes from the dangerous killer. Read More Danelo Cavalcante’s escape from Pennsylvania prison captured in newly released video How did Danelo Cavalcante manage to slip past Pennsylvania authorities twice? Father reveals terrifying moment escaped murderer Danelo Cavalcante broke into his home Danelo Cavalcante killed his girlfriend in front of her children. Now he’s on the run after a prison break

The decision follows pressure from regional bloc Eccas and neighbouring countries.

Children are migrating through Latin America and the Caribbean in record numbers, driven by gang violence, poverty, instability and climate change, the United Nations reported Wednesday.

A 24-year-old man died at an Atlanta hospital after being found unresponsive at a jail that is already being investigated by federal authorities for potential civil rights violations. A Fulton County Jail officer found Shawndre Delmore during a routine check just before 8.30pm on 31 August, the county sheriff's office said in a news release Wednesday. Jail staff attempted to revive Delmore until medical staff arrived, and he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died on 3 September, the release says. Delmore is the sixth person to die in Fulton County custody since the end of July. He was arrested on 1 April by Atlanta police and was being held on $2,500 bond on a second-degree burglary charge. Atlanta police will investigate his death, and the county medical examiner will do an autopsy, the sheriff's office said. The US Department of Justice in July opened a civil rights investigation into jail conditions in the county, citing violence, filthy conditions and the death last year of a man whose body was found covered in insects. Lashawn Thompson, 35, died last September in a bedbug-infested cell in the Fulton County Jail’s psychiatric wing. An independent autopsy done at his family’s request found he died from severe neglect. His family has since reached a settlement with the county. Dayvion Blake, 23, was stabbed to death and four others were stabbed an injured during a fight at the jail on 31 August. Samuel Lawrence, 34, died Saturday at Grady Memorial Hospital after he was found unresponsive in his cell at the jail. The other three people who died in the last month include 66-year-old Alexander Hawkins, 34-year-old Christopher Smith and 40-year-old Montay Stinson. Read More Georgia prosecutors predict four-month trial and 150 witnesses for Trump’s election interference case Inside the notorious Fulton County Jail where Trump and 18 allies were booked over Georgia election plot Wisconsin Republicans want to impeach a liberal state Supreme Court justice before she has even heard a case