Police shoot dude as he beats toddler

Police killed a 27-year-old man as he kicked, punched and stomped a toddler to death despite other people's attempts to stop him on a dark, country road, authorities said.

Investigators on Sunday were trying to establish the relationship between the suspect and the child they say he killed Saturday night. The Stanislaus County coroner said the boy appeared to be between 1 and 2 years old based on his size, according to county sheriff's deputy Royjindar Singh.

"What we got from witnesses is he was punching, slapping, kicking, stomping, shaking," Singh said. "They tried to intervene and get involved, but their efforts really didn't have an effect. The suspect was engaged in what he was doing. He just pushed them off and went back to it."

Dude killed when 94-year-old mom runs him over with an ATV

A 52-year-old man died Saturday after his 94-year-old mother accidentally ran him over with an all-terrain vehicle, police said.

Ronald Smith was pronounced dead at the scene at his mother's farm on Byron Road near Allen Road in Cohoctah Township, the Livingston County Sheriff's Department said. Ronald Smith was opening a gate when his mother apparently lost control of the Kubota RTV 900 utility vehicle she was riding and hit the gate, then caromed off the gate and struck her son. He was trapped underneath the vehicle, police said.

Dude who can only move his face and thumb seeks independence

Mike Phillips, a 27-year-old with a muscle disease that has eliminated his ability to move his limbs, wants a bit of independence from the mother who has cared for him his entire life. But neither of them has quite figured out how this is going to work. Ira Glass is featuring Phillips on Sunday's Showtime version of "This American Life." » Full article here

7-year-old's cancer patient's PSP, medicine, homework stolen

A 7-year-old with cancer was robbed of his bag, containing his PSP, medication, and homework, on the day before his birthday, while on his way to chemotherapy. » Full article here

Cruel joke on epilepsy web forum with flashing lights

Unknown miscreants had a good time two weekends ago when they posted hundreds of flashing animated images onto discussion boards of an Epilepsy Foundation.

Flashing lights or bold moving patterns can trigger often violent seizures among 3 percent of the estimated 50 million epileptics worldwide. "I was on the phone when it happened, and I couldn't move and couldn't speak," RyAnne Fultz, who has epilepsy, told Wired News about her reaction to viewing one of the images.

Fultz's 11-year-old son walked over and closed the browser window after about 10 seconds. Fortunately, she suffered nothing more than a bad headache. By then, the second day of vandalism on EpilepsyFoundation.org, the jerks had moved on to hijacking the browsers of anyone who clicked on certain forum posts, filling the screens with bright, flashing colors. » Full article here(thanks Chris A.)

Dude installing satellite TV shoots and kills wife

Officials are trying to determine whether to file charges against a man who fatally shot his wife while trying to install a satellite television system in their home.

Patsy D. Long, 34, of Deep Water, was pronounced dead early Saturday evening after being shot in the chest with a .22-caliber handgun. Patsy Long was standing outside the residence while her husband was installing a satellite TV. According to sheriff's department, Ronald Long fired a shot from the inside of their home after several unsuccessful efforts to punch a hole through the exterior wall using other means. Investigators said Ronald Long believed his family was inside the house.

He told authorities that he fired a second shot, then called out his wife's name and the names of their two children. When he got no reply, he ran outside and found his wounded wife. » Article here

Bride dies in her love's arms during first dance

Kim Sjostrom wanted a real-life version of the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which played in the background as friends fixed her hair and makeup before her own marriage ceremony.

But less than an hour after she and Teddy Efkarpides were wed, Sjostrom crumpled in her husband's arms during a Greek song that means "Love Me." At 36, Sjostrom was dead from heart disease. During the couple's first dance, Sjostrom complained of being lightheaded. Efkarpides thought his wife, a diabetic, needed sugar, but she collapsed.

Wedding guests, paramedics and doctors at a nearby hospital were unable to revive her. She had a previous cardiac episode in her 20s and was a poster child — literally — for juvenile diabetes, relatives and friends said. » Article here

Woman kills her baby in microwave

A woman accused of killing her month-old daughter in a microwave oven told her boyfriend that she killed the baby and that the girl would still be alive if he hadn't been out cheating, the boyfriend testified.

Terrell Talley said that he and China Arnold took the girl, Paris, to the hospital where she was pronounced dead in August 2005 and that Arnold told him she killed her baby. He said they had finished nearly a pint of alcohol they had bought after fighting over Talley's doubts that he fathered the infant.

Talley said his sister watched Arnold's children while the couple drove to a liquor store and went to a park where they drank and continued arguing. After arriving back at their apartment, Talley said he slapped Arnold and pushed her to the ground after she bit his lip.

Talley said Arnold later left the apartment to get cigarettes, passing out on a couch when she returned. He said he left the apartment and returned to find Arnold asleep on the couch with the baby lying at her feet. He also went to sleep.

After Arnold got up to get her sons ready for school, Talley said he saw a red mark on the baby's face and noticed she was stiff and cold. The couple took the baby to the hospital. » Full article here

Teens sawed off man's head for the thrill of it. WTF?

Police say the two, 17 and 18, stabbed Daniel G. Sorensen to death, sawed off his head and used a blow torch to burn his body simply for the thrill. "All of us have seen every type of crime available and why someone would kill for the thrill of it amazes us," says a prosecutor. » Full article here

Dad beats his son with 2x4 in homework dispute

City police helped capture a man who tied his 13-year-old Norwalk son to a pole and beat him with a 2-by-4 piece of wood because he was not turning in his homework assignments on time, police said.

The teen was taken by his father, David Rodriguez, to the Fairfield home of his 13-year-old daughter and her mother, Fairfield police Capt. Gary MacNamara said.

Once at the home, Rodriguez took his son to the basement and used plastic zip ties to bind him to a pole, police said. Before grabbing the 2-by-4, Rodriguez, 41, ensured that his son could not break free by wrapping duct tape around the zip ties that secured the boy's hands and feet to the pole, MacNamara said.

After seven belts with the length of wood, the 2-by-4 broke, and Rodriguez continued the beating with another piece of wood, MacNamara said. » Article here

Couple struck and killed after getting out of car to argue

Traffic is running smoothly near a highway on-ramp where a man and a woman who got out of their car to fight were killed when they were struck by another vehicle, authorities said.

Ramon Perez, 20, of Port St. Lucie, and Marie Mary, 36, of Lauderdale Lakes, got out of their car and fell to the ground in a violent struggle. A northbound 2007 Toyota entering the highway from State Road 7 struck the pair. Both victims died on the scene. » Full article here

Wife listens in as husband is killed in car vs. train crash

A man was on his cell phone with his wife when he crashed into a freight train on Tuesday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Investigators said they are unsure whether Santiago Cadena, 33, was trying to beat the train or didn't see it coming before the crash happened around 2:30 p.m. Cadena's wife told authorities that she overheard the wrenching, screeching crash, said DPS Sgt. Chuck Havard.

Cadena was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Because of its weight and power, Havard said, the train was not damaged. None of its cargo spilled and no one else was injured, he said. » Article here

Dude watches safety video at gun range, then kills self

A 20-year-old man who shot himself to death at a gun club had been “fighting inner battles he couldn't control,” an ex-girlfriend said.

Matthew Errico of Scottsdale shot himself in the head Monday evening at the Scottsdale Gun Club. Errico had recently been “trying to pray and contact God” for help, said Kristina Lucier, who dated Errico for 18 months. He was given gun club instructions and paperwork before an employee lead him to the range to fire the weapon. The gun club requires people to watch a safety video and sign a release and waiver form before entering the gun range, according to its Web site.

Errico shot at a target for several minutes before facing the range master and shooting himself once in the head. He was pronounced dead at 8:20 p.m. at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn. » Article here

Father finds his son dead in vat of acid

An 18-year-old fell into a vat of sulfuric acid and died after apparently being overcome by fumes, police said. His body was discovered by his father Sunday at a circuit board factory where they both worked.

The San Mateo County coroner's office identified the victim as Fernando Jimenez Gonzalez. Gonzalez had been submerging circuit boards in the vat at Coastal Circuits, Redwood City police said.

Gonzalez's father went to the factory when his son did not come home from his shift and discovered the body. Police were investigating and an autopsy was planned. An official with the 75-employee firm said the company would not comment until the autopsy was complete. "We're just in the middle of going through all the facts," said Laura Boozer, chief operating officer of Coastal Circuits. » Article here

Dude beats up his fiancee, arguing over a necklace

A 33-year-old man was sentenced this week to more than two years in prison for beating up his fiancee and at one point knocking her unconscious in a fight over a necklace, according to court records released today.

Ernst D. Weber, was convicted of felony substantial battery and false imprisonment and sentenced Wednesday to the prison term and five years of extended supervision. Weber pushed his fiancee June 23 at a Plymouth home while the two were arguing over a necklace he accused her of receiving from another man. The woman fell to the ground, hit her head and lost consciousness.

After she regained consciousness, the two got into Weber’s car to go home, but he repeatedly hit the woman in the face and grabbed her by the hair and shirt to hold her in the car when she attempted to leave. She was found later that night lying in the backyard of a home. » Article here

Mom tosses baby in trash to save him from pit bull

The owner of a pit bull that attacked a woman and her baby Tuesday surrendered the dog to the police Thursday, officials reported.

40-year-old Angela Silva was walking out of her garage with her infant son in her arms in the Warm Springs District Tuesday morning when the dog, named Swisher, approached her and attacked. Silva said her son started to cry and she thinks that aggravated the dog even more.

She said she threw her baby boy in a trash can to protect him. Meanwhile, she suffered injuries on both arms as she tried to keep the animal from attacking her child. A man heard the woman's cries and ran to the garage to help. He showed Harp the leveler he used to hit the dog. The dog finally ran away. » Article here

Student suspended for "ingenious" prank at football game

Darby High School fans held up squares of construction paper, thinking they were spelling out: "Go Darby." But from across the field, fans of the opposing team read the actual message: "We suck." The kid who masterminded the prank has been suspended.

» Article here

» Watch the video or click play below.

Man rents gun at shooting range, then kills himself

A 28-year-old man killed himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head in front of witnesses Wednesday afternoon at the Target Sports shooting range on Woodward Avenue, police said.

The man had apparently arrived alone at the store around 1 p.m. and rented a .40 caliber handgun to shoot at targets, according to Royal Oak Police Lt. David Clemens. "It's a self-inflicted wound and we are confident that no one else was involved in this," Clemens said. » Article here

Dude throws his wife off balcony because of medical bills.

A man threw his seriously ill wife four stories to her death because he could no longer afford to pay for her medical care, prosecutors said in charging him with second-degree murder.

According to court documents filed, Stanley Reimer walked his wife to the balcony of their apartment and kissed her before throwing her over. The body of Criste Reimer, 47, was found Tuesday night outside the apartment building, near the upscale Country Club Plaza shopping district.

Reimer was charged Wednesday. He remained jailed on $250,000 bond and was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday. » Article here

Dude arrested for castrating ex's cat with box cutters.

A man who was frustrated with his ex-girlfriend took his anger out on her cat by castrating it with a box cutter, Eugene police said. erry Caswell, 31, was arrested and charged with multiple counts stemming from the incident.

Caswell was angry at his ex-girlfriend for not coming to his house Friday night. So Caswell drugged her cat "Romeo" with human medication and then castrated it with a box cutter. The cat was transported to the Springfield Emergency Veterinary Hospital and is expected to recover.

Police found that Caswell was a convicted felon and that he had multiple firearms and body armor in his home, which is prohibited for felons under Oregon state law. » Article here