05-08-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A bishop's records taken from a polygamist sect in West Texas are helping untangle the spider-web network of family relationships. More than 460 children were removed last month from the Yearning For Zion ranch near Eldorado amid questions whether the youngsters were abused. The children are now in foster care. The Associated Press reports the bishop's records offer a peek into an intricate culture in which men related to the sect's prophet -- Warren Jeffs -- enjoyed favored-husband status. An AP analysis shows that by the time a girl reached 16, she was more likely to be married than to live as a child in her father's household. The bishop's records, released by court officials last week, include 37 families totaling 507 individuals. At the time the lists were written from March through August of 2007, most of the people were living at the YFZ Ranch, though others were in homes along the Utah-Arizona line. AP reports two-thirds of listed households were polygamous, with the brothers of Jeffs and a senior elder claiming the most wives, up to 21 in one case. The husbands and wives were married in the sect. None is believed to hold Texas marriage licenses. |
05-08-2008HOUSTON (AP) -- Documents show Tejano star Emilio Navaira (nay-VYE'-rah) had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit to drive -- when he crashed his tour bus. The March 23rd traffic accident in the Houston area sent the singer, who goes by Emilio to his fans, through the windshield of the vehicle. He continues his medical rehabilitation from the pre-dawn accident. The results of toxicology tests show his blood alcohol level was .19. The legal limit is .08. In 2002, Navaira pleaded no contest to a DWI charge and completed probation. Three years later, Navaira was charged with a second DWI after his SUV rolled over as he tried to make a turn on a San Antonio freeway. Navaira blamed the accident on a slick roadway but a police report indicated he failed a sobriety test. |
05-08-2008YANGON, Myanmar (AP) -- Five days after a devastating cyclone, a United Nations official is appealing to Myanmar's military rulers to finally give permission so a "major international relief effort" can get under way. The aid coordinator calls such a step "imperative." While some help has been trickling in to storm victims, it's feared that much more will be needed or the death toll will rise. Many fear deaths from the storm could top 100,000. As many as a million people may be homeless.
France's foreign minister and Britain's foreign secretary are also urging Myanmar's junta to "lift all restrictions." And a World Food Program official agrees that problems getting permission to enter Myanmar are causing serious delays.
Some relief supplies from the U.N. started arriving earlier today, but U.S. military planes loaded with aid are still being denied access by the country's isolationist regime.
Thailand's prime minister is offering to negotiate on Washington's behalf to persuade the junta to accept U.S. aid. |
05-08-2008DAISETTA, Texas (AP) -- Authorities continue monitoring a massive sinkhole in a rural area near the southeast Texas town of Daisetta. A zigzagging hole believed to be as long as two football fields and up to 100 feet deep widened late yesterday, threatening to gobble up nearby tanks and other oilfield equipment. A parked tractor tumbled into the deepening hole. There were no immediate reports of anyone hurt. Officials are trying to determine what prompted the sinkhole near the Liberty County community, in an area known to have salt domes. State and federal environmental officials were monitoring the sinkhole. Traffic was being diverted. |
05-08-2008HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- One of the infamous "Texas 7" convicts who escaped from a state prison and killed a police officer while on the lam now has an execution date. A Dallas County assistant district attorney says Michael Rodriguez has been set for lethal injection Aug. 14. The 45-year-old Rodriguez ordered his appeals dropped and has been asking the courts to give him a death date. When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider a Kentucky challenge to lethal injection as a means of capital punishment, the case stalled executions around the nation. But last month, the high court ruled lethal injection was not unconstitutionally cruel. It cleared the way for capital punishment to resume. The first Texas inmate set to die now is Derrick Sonnier. He's scheduled for injection in Huntsville June 3 for a double slaying in suburban Houston.
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05-08-2008 Camped out and standing ready, a San Antonio business owner shoots and kills a suspected burglar.
The shooting happened last night at a contractor's shop in the 3300 block of Roland in east San Antonio. Police say the suspect was on private property when he was shot, which would mean the property owner is protected from prosecution under the state's so-called "Castle Law."
Police say the owner tells them there had been a string of burglaries of his business, and he decided to camp out on the property to deter any person trying to break in. Then, last night, police say he actually caught a man in the act.
"He observed an individual with a pipe in his hand," reports Capt. Chris Andersen with San Antonio Police Department. "The individual was assaulting his dog. At one point, he fired one shot from his shotgun, killing the individual."
The owner was taken to police headquarters for questioning, but police did say he might be immune from prosecution since the suspect was found well within the fence and on private property.
The property owner was not hurt, but the guard dog did die.
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 05-08-2008Play Video Police are asking for your help to identify a couple of laundry-machine vandals.
They've released surveillance video of three men breaking into some washers and dryers recently. Police say they have been doing this all over the city. They're looking for any information on the men, who they describe as Hispanic males in their late teens or early 20's.
Crime Stoppers is willing to pay up to $5,000 for any information leading to the arrest of the suspects. |
05-07-2008Investigators release new information tonight about a murder-suicide in southwest Bexar County. Deputies say the victim owed the shooter lots of money. 40-year-old Antonio Trevino was shot eight times by 68-year-old Felipe Salinas. Trevino was found dead outside his business "Tony's Truck Parts". Salinas then killed himself. Investigators have determined the two knew each other for a long time, and Trevino accepted a $58,000 loan from Salinas about a year ago. They say Trevino paid back about $14,000, then stopped payments and ignored repeated calls from Salinas. Detectives say Salinas was depressed over losing so much money, so he killed Trevino, then turned the gun on himself. |
05-07-2008The Medical Examiner has determined the cause of death in the case of a body discovered on an eastside balcony. The body appeared a home on Nopal Street. The victim suffered gunshot wounds to the head and neck. So police are investigating it as a homicide. The body was found by three men who live at the home on Nopal on Monday. The body was found wrapped in plastic and a bedspread. The residents say they have no idea who the victim is. His identity has not been determined. |
05-07-2008A lit cigarette could be to blame for taking down eight apartments on the city's northside. The fire started in one apartment last night in the 11,000 block of Braesview. Firefighters say it then spread to three neighboring apartments - burning them. Smoke damaged four others. Investigators believe a lit cigarette left on a balcony may have started the fire. Damage is estimated at half a million dollars. |
05-07-2008Local firefighters are not getting any rest today as they battled another fire Wednesday night. The fire started at a sewing and clothing factory in the 400 block of Probandt around 6 p.m. Investigators say a filter inside a heater at the K & G Warehouse sparked up. Firefighters quickly put out the flames. No one was hurt and damage is estimated at $8,000. |
05-07-2008Amid all the chaos surrounding the fire at Our Lady of the Lake University, something very un-funny about the fire circulated online at a site you might least expect. CNN.com has an online shop where you can buy t-shirts with various news headlines. They call it, "wear the news." One particular headline shirt struck a nerve. The topic was from the OLLU fire, and the shirt read, "Fire Shoots Out Top of College Building." CNN.com got negative feedback as you might expect and has already pulled the shirt from the site. |
| 05-07-2008 |
05-07-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul has turned 23 and had a low-key birthday. The big surprise party might happen tomorrow night, if Paul and his team beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs yet again. They would pick up a Game 3 win to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. The Hornets are poised to do so. They won in dominant fashion in Games 1 and 2 as the Spurs turned over the ball, missed open shots and looked slow next to the energetic Hornets. Paul said the Hornets, playing with seemingly unwavering confidence as they've compiled a 6-1 playoffs record so far, are close-knit off the court, something that helps them when the chips are down on it. The Spurs said they need to improve the little things in Game 3. Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili say they expect the Spurs to be more physical in Game 3. The two will try to be more aggressive in getting to the rim, something that's been a challenge so far as the Hornets have crowded the lane to force perimeter shooting. |
05-07-2008 A San Antonio police officer is accused of beating his disabled son.
Officer Jorge Isaac Garcia, a one year veteran of the force, was arrested without incident by fellow S.A.P.D. officers yesterday on a felony charge of injury to a disabled person. Garcia is accused of abusing his disabled son, possibly to the point of breaking his jaw.
After his arrest, Garcia was turned over to Cibolo police because that's where the alleged abuse occurred. He has since been placed on administrative duty while the case is under investigation. |
05-07-2008 Police have arrested a suspect in connection with a triple shooting last night that left one person dead and two others wounded.
According to authorities, say the unidentified suspect in his early 20's is one of the people who was in a vehicle that opened fire on another car in the 7300 block of Marble Creek. In the gunfire, 17-year-old John Carlo Ventura was shot dead, and the other two victims were taken to a nearby hospital.
The shooting is believed to be gang-related. |
05-07-2008 A late night party ends tragically when a pregnant teen is shot in the head and killed.
Police say it happened at a home in the 100 block of Ashland.
That's where investigators say someone at the party pulled a gun. While that person was handling the weapon, police say it went off, hitting the teen in the back of the head.
Emergency crews tried to save the girl and her baby, but both died at the scene. The girl's identity has not been released, and no arrests have been made. |
05-06-2008NEW YORK (AP) -- "American Idol" hopeful Jason Castro became at least the third contestant this season to flub lyrics to a song. The Dreadlocked One performed the Bob Dylan classic "Mr. Tambourine Man," and forgot the words to the second verse. Wearing a goofy grin afterward, Castro acknowledged: "I lost some lines in there; that's kinda bad." Judge Simon Cowell thought Castro's gaffe could mean the end of him. "Jason, I'd pack your suitcase," Cowell told the 20-year-old folkster from Rockwall, Texas. The other two judges were less than impressed, too. |
05-06-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Smoke smoldered from the roof of the Main Building on the campus of Our Lady of the Lake University tonight ---- hours after crews put out a fire. Officials at the Catholic university say everyone was evacuated from the building and no injuries have been reported. The fire broke out after 7 p.m. Aerial television footage showed the flames against a backdrop of spires along the roof of the building. Firefighters had contained the blaze before 10 p.m. The building houses human resources, cashier services, the sociology department and campus ministry. The Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence founded the university in 1895, according to the school's history on its Web site. The school has offered classes since 1911, initially only for women. |
05-06-2008Instead of "Viva Fiesta," organizers are saying, "Awesome Fiesta!" Officials say non-profit organizations involved broke attendance records this year. And the move of the Fiesta carnival to the Alamodome was also a success. Crime in the area fell about 27-percent. Only 16 arrests were made at the carnival. That's a 66-percent reduction from last year. TABC officers also reported a drop in the number of charges and arrests made in underage drinking and selling of alcohol to minors at Fiesta events. |
05-06-2008Texas schools may be changing their yellow buses to "green" buses. Railroad Commission Chairman Michael Williams' "Breath Easy Tour," showed off a new propane fueled bus to district executives. Propane is a cleaner fuel and its cheaper to make. Schools can turn in their old buses and then - through government grants - purchase a propane fueled bus. Schools will save even more. The propane fuel is made in Texas which cuts off foreign cost. |
05-06-2008San Antonio Police Department's Bomb Squad destroyed several milk crates filled with gloves this afternoon. It happened near West Courtland Place and North Main. HazMat crews believe liquid human waste was inside those gloves. A voluntary evacuation was placed on several surrounding businesses while the situation was being handled. Travis Elementary School was just one of the building that was evacuated. |
05-06-2008An ongoing dispute between two men ends tragically after one man allegedly strikes the other with a pipe wrench. It happened in Pearsall last Sunday night. Officials say 34-year old Humberto Almendarez struck 56-year old Roland Robledo with a pipe wrench after the two got into a fight. Robledo died from his injuries. Almendarez, a Mexican national, was charged with murder. However, witnesses at the scene say he was acting in self-defense. Police are still investigating. |
05-06-2008An accident this afternoon takes the life of an elderly woman and causes a traffic nightmare. The woman was driving east on I-10 just south of Fair Oaks when witnesses say her car started to drift. Deputies say she struck a guard rail and flipped several times. The 85-year old was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities are investigating. Traffic was backed up on I-10 for several hours.
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05-06-2008SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) -- A judge in San Angelo says -Texas- should handle any criminal cases that could arise from a polygamist compound raid. Officers and Child Protective Services last month took custody of 463 children from the complex near Eldorado. The youths are now in foster homes. The first custody hearings begin May 19th. Judge Barbara Walther this week signed an order instructing the attorney general's office to prosecute any cases that may arise. Two search warrants were served on the Yearning For Zion Ranch after a female who claimed to be a 16-year-old resident called a domestic abuse hot line. A spokesman for Attorney General Greg Abbott says the office has been in close communication with prosecutors and law enforcement. Jerry Strickland also says the AG's office will continue that and take a look at what criminal laws, if any, have been violated. |
05-06-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Consecutive third-quarter breakdowns. Tough nights for their top players. And now, an 0-2 deficit for the defending NBA champions -- San Antonio. The Spurs are struggling against the New Orleans Hornets and are searching for answers before Thursday's Game 3. Spurs standout Tim Duncan says it's always a worry when you're down two, no matter what it is. The last time the Spurs were down 0-2 was 2001, when they were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. The Hornets, led first by David West and then Chris Paul, have made it tough for San Antonio. Duncan had a career playoff-low five points and just three rebounds in Game one. He scored 18 points in Game 2, but Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili struggled -- combining to shoot 9-of-24 from the field for 24 points. |
05-06-2008 The Texas Attorney General has come down on the side of Bexar County's district attorney when it comes to a controversial needle exchange program.
In an opinion released yesterday, Greg Abbott says that the needle and syringe exchange component must be removed for a broader disease-control pilot program to continue. This decision comes despite a state law passed last year that authorized the entire program.
Abbott contends that participants in the program would be subject to prosecution under the state's drug paraphernalia laws. Bexar County D.A. Susan Reed has said she would prosecute anyone involved in the program. |
05-06-2008 Today is the last day to beat the election day rush in the venue tax debate.
Early voting ends tonight ahead of the May 10th election.
The hot-button item on the ballot is an extension of the city's so-called "visitor tax." It is a fee on hotel stays and short-term car rentals.
Supporters of the extension say the money will pay for improving the San Antonio River, new athletic facilities, a performing arts center and improvements to the AT&T Center. |
05-06-2008The ever-growing Northside ISD is looking for bus drivers.
The district is holding a job fair today from 9 this morning to 2 pm at its Hunt Lane Transportation Center.
In addition to making over 11 dollars an hour, bus drivers get paid holidays, paid training, and benefits.
For those who can't make it today, the district is holding a job fair Thursday at its Hausman Road Center.
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05-06-2008EDCOUCH, Texas (AP) -- A South Texas town has abolished a segregation law --- seven decades after it was enacted.
The Board of Aldermen unanimously voted yesterday to abolish an ordinance that banned "Spanish or Mexican" residents who were not servants or maids from occupying "any building on the American side or portion" of Edcouch.
The ordinance prescribed a fine of up to $100 for violators.
When the rule was enacted on December 9th, 1931, a virtual line was drawn along Farm-to-Market Road 1015, cutting through the center of the city.
Now, the town is majority Hispanic and the segregation line no longer exists. The 2000 Census found more than 97 percent of Edcouch's population was Latino.
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05-06-2008EL PASO, Texas (AP) -- El Paso County commissioners are opposing construction of a wall along the nation's southern border with a resolution.
The Commissioners Court voted 3-1 yesterday in favor of the resolution. It calls for stopping the building of the border wall and says local law enforcement officials should not enforce federal immigration laws.
The resolution also emphasizes placing a moratorium on immigration raids, ensuring the enforcement of labor laws and civil protection regardless of a worker's immigration status and stopping programs that criminalize immigrants.
Commissioner Veronica Escobar said the commissioners aren't advocating having open borders or not enforcing immigration laws with the vote. Escobar says they are trying to express concerns to the federal government with the resolution.
Residents don't want the fence cutting through their land and say it will keep them, livestock and wildlife from the life-sustaining river.
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| 05-05-2008 |
05-05-2008A controversy over a cold case murder could be over allowing authorities to finally capture a wanted man. Kerr County officials say Jose De La Fuente fled to Mexico after allegedly murdering his wife back in 1991. Mexican officials could not extradite De La Fuente because none of the law-enforcement agencies involved would pay to have his paper work translated into Spanish. Kerr County officials finally agreed to pay the bill. The translated paperwork will allow Mexican officials to execute a warrant for the suspect's arrest. |
05-05-2008AUSTIN (AP) -- Authorities say they arrested a former Wal-Mart employee in an Austin store last week with a handgun and numerous rounds of ammunition. According to police documents, 51-one-year-old Edward William Eberle left a note Thursday morning to his wife giving her permission to "sell any story you wanna tell." The Austin American-Statesman also reported that Eberle sent a text message to his sister telling her to turn on her television. The store was teeming with customers and employees at the time. Eberle was charged with making a terroristic threat and unlawfully carrying a weapon in a place that is licensed to sell alcohol. Both crimes are third-degree felonies that carry up to 10 years in prison if convicted. An attorney for Eberle could not immediately be reached Monday by The Associated Press. |
05-05-2008 Men returning home from work found an unusual object on their 2nd floor balcony Monday evening. Police say it turned out to be a young man's body wrapped in plastic and a bedspread. The discovery was made at a house on Nopal in east San Antonio. The men, all three roommates, told police they don't know who the victim is or how he ended up on their porch. Investigators said there was no sign of forced entry to the home and it's unclear how the victim died. All three men were taken in for questioning. As of Monday night, no arrests had been made. The victim's name has not been determined.
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05-05-2008Bexar County Sheriff's Deputies are investigating an apparent murder-suicide at a south Bexar County salvage yard. Authorities said the shooter went to Tony's Truck Parts on IH 35 South, near Von Ormy Monday around 11 a.m. claiming the owner owned him money. The shooter fired several shots, hitting the owner multiple times. When officers arrived they saw the shooter in the back of a van. Detectives said he pulled a gun and shot himself. He died at the scene. The victim has been identified as the business owner, Antonio Trevino, 40. The suspect is identified as Felipe Salinas, 68.
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05-05-2008A dress code crackdown in the Judson Independent School District sends students home and angry parents to Wagner and Judson High Schools. Some teenagers were even pulled over by police, even though they say they were ordered to go home. The district's new superintendent, Dr. Willis Mackey said students were warned. He said the strict enforcement so late in the year is so that "standards are not diminished" and students stay focused. Students tell FOX 29 their families can't afford to follow rules, especially ones that require buying collared shirts, instead of t-shirts.
Here are some Judson ISD dress code rules:
Shirts must be tucked in unless designed to be worn out.
No baggy or sagging over sized clothing with over sized pockets.
Cell phones are allowed but they must be concealed and turned off.
No text messaging allowed.
Also, no radios, Ipods, CD players, cameras, electronic devices, or electronic games .
Break the rules and administrators say you can get detention or be sent home.
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05-05-2008 A man is robbed and then shot in the back when he tries to run away.
Police say the man in his early 20s was robbed at gunpoint shortly after 11 Sunday night near the corner of Isom and Sahara on the city's north side.
The robbers took money and some personal items.
Police say that after the man gave the robbers what they wanted, he tried to run away, and one of the robbers fired several shots at him -- hitting him once in the back.
They say the victim kept running, before collapsing at a nearby convenience store.
He was then rushed to University Hospital in critical condition.
Police are still searching for the suspects. |
05-05-2008 THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) -- An autopsy is planned on a 51-year-old Conroe man who died while competing in the first leg of a Houston-area triathlon.
Randolph Parnell was found floating face down in the water Saturday during the swimming leg of the CB&I triathlon at Northshore Park in The Woodlands.
Officials say Parnell had competed in the triathlon the past two years.
Montgomery County Justice of the Peace Edie Connelly told the Houston Chronicle that Parnell told a lifeguard in a kayak that he was OK when asked how he was coping.
A friend of Parnell's -- Bret Strong, who also competed in the triathlon -- said his buddy appeared to be prepared for the event.
Strong told the Conroe Courier that he talked with Parnell a little before the race and wished him luck. Strong says Parnell seemed "happy and ready to go."
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05-05-2008BAYTOWN, Texas (AP) -- Baytown police are trying to figure out who abandoned a pickup full of pot along Interstate 10.
Authorities say the truck with Louisiana license plates yielded nearly 1,200 pounds of marijuana -- in bundles. The street value is estimated at $300,00.
The marijuana was discovered yesterday in the covered truck bed and in the cab.
Investigators believe the truck might have had mechanical trouble.
Police also are trying to determine if the pickup was stolen.
Baytown is about 25 miles east of Houston.
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05-05-2008DALLAS (AP) -- The Transportation Security Administration is relying on a system often used at ski slopes to help move travelers through Dallas Love Field.
The voluntary "diamond self-select" program, starting Monday, lets travelers choose the security screening lane that fits their pace.
The Dallas Morning News reports seasoned travelers with few carryon bags can try the black diamond lane.
Passengers with more items, or who aren't as familiar with airport security, can use an intermediate, or blue, lane.
The green lane is for those needing extra time, such as adults traveling with children.
The TSA program started in February in Salt Lake City and Denver.
TSA spokeswoman Andrea McCauley says the system could reach Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport later this year.
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05-04-2008Authorities in Atascosa County have a new murder investigation on their hands. A local resident spotted a body in a field Sunday morning on Schuettig Road near Poteet. The victim has been identified as Mark Davis Byrd, 28, of Pleasanton. Investigators said there are obvious signs of trauma to Byrd's body. It's believed Byrd was killed in the field. Authorities are following up on several leads.
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05-04-2008A 17 year old boy is dead after leading police on a chase, then crashing a truck into a concrete beam at the Alamodome. Family members say Michael Mattingly, 17, took his father's truck after his family went to sleep. Police say an officer on routine patrol witnessed the truck make a traffic violation in the downtown area.
But when officers started to follow they say Mattingly sped off. The truck crashed after reaching speeds around 80 miles per hour on Montana. Mattingly's family said the teen had a troubled past but was working to improve it.
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05-04-2008A common wedding tribute ended with two people in the hospital. Firefighters were called out around 10:30 Saturday night to the intersection of Pecan and Soledad Street. Fire investigators said well wishers formed an archway with sparklers for a couple celebrating a civil union. Two people suffered burns when a batch of sparklers ignited. The victims suffered second and third degree burns. Both were taken to Brooke Army Medical Center for treatment.
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05-03-2008Traffic investigators say a helmet helped save a motorcyclist's life Saturday night on Highway 151. Around 9 p.m., police found the rider near Potranco after he said he was thrown off his bike. The man said he lost control after he was cut off by another driver. Police said that driver will not face any charges. The victim was taken to Wilford Hall Medical Center in good condition.
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05-03-2008A 51 year old man died Saturday afternoon after falling off a ladder and onto an iron fence. Police said Orhan Kartaltepe was cutting limbs off a tree at a house in south east San Antonio when he fell. Investigators said Kartaltepe lost his footing on an extension ladder. A passerby noticed Kartaltepe and called for help. He died at the house on Chavaneaux.
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05-03-2008A stolen lawn mower may be to blame for a murder on the city's south side. Police said it all started outside a home in the 200 block of Ada. Witnesses said Miguel Mejia, 18, and some others were looking for the stolen lawn mower when people at the house began fighting with Mejia. The teen was shot once. Family members took him to Santa Rosa Hospital where he died. No arrests have been made.
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05-03-2008Police said a man was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver late Friday. The accident happened around 9:30 on Interstate 10 near the Trainer Hale Road exit in East Bexar County. Witnesses said the man was hit while walking down the access road. The victim is 48 year old man, possibly from Arizona. His name has not been released because the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office hasn't been able to reach the victim's next of kin.
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05-03-2008A teenager was recovering in the hospital Saturday night after someone shot him in the head. Police said Damien Daniels, 17, was standing outside a house in the 2300 block of Burnet around 8 p.m. Friday night. Investigators said someone drove up, pulled a gun and started firing. Daniels was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center in critical condition. Officers are looking for the shooter.
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| 05-02-2008 |
05-02-2008A Northside I.S.D. coach is put on administrative leave after allegedly punching a student at Warren High School. Northside officials say they put the Warren coach on administrative leave with pay two weeks ago. The coach is accused of punching a student in the stomach. The district did not release the name of the coach or what sport he coaches because it they're still conducting an investigation. |
05-02-2008The boot camp dragging trial involving two San Antonians ends in a mistrial. The judge in Corpus Christi declared the mistrial late this afternoon after the jury was unable to reach a verdict. The jury deliberated for about 13 hours and sent out a dozen notes. Several of those notes said they were split in favor of not guilty verdicts. Pastor Charles Flowers and Stephanie Bassitt were accused of using a rope to tie a 15-year-old Floresville girl to a van and dragging her behind it last June. The defense argued the teen had plotted to get out of the camp by intentionally injuring herself. |
05-02-2008A bizarre turn of events in the sentencing phase of a Hays County man convicted of beating and biting his children. A jury convicted Cesar Mojica-Carmona yesterday of 14 counts of knowingly injuring his three children in Dripping Springs in 2006. The prosecution now wants to fly a Chicago gang member to Hays County and testify against him. Prosecutors also revealed that guards found two shanks and sharp objects in Mojica-Carmona's cell. He faces up to life in prison. |
05-02-2008CANTON, Texas (AP) -- Fast-moving storms flashed through East Texas today, spawning one tornado in Canton and possibly others in at least two more small towns. The high winds uprooted trees, flipped cars and yanked down power lines as they skipped across Van Zandt, Smith, Rusk and Panola counties. The rain and wind accompanied a line of thunderstorms that blew in with a cold front, said Nick Hampshire, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Fort Worth. After a National Weather Service crew visited the site this afternoon, the agency confirmed that a category EF-1 tornado struck Canton. It had estimated wind speeds of about 90 mph. Witnesses said the twister blew through a popular open-air market in Canton around 8:15 a.m., toppling tents and snapping power lines. The market was back in business soon after. Two people injured there were transported to the hospital complaining of chest pains. A third person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries when powerful winds overturned their vehicle on a freeway about a mile away. Even so, there were no known major injuries and damage overall was minimal. Two people trapped in a van by a fallen tree were freed unharmed while a woman in an overturned recreational vehicle was "shaken up" but did not appear seriously injured, Seymore said. |
05-02-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Recent inspections of barracks at Fort Sam Houston turned up only minor problems at one of the Army's oldest installations. Fort Sam Houston is becoming the heart of the military's medical training programs under base realignment plans. The Army was embarrassed last month by revelations of poor conditions at Korean-War era barracks at Fort Bragg. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said commanders must ensure troops have decent living conditions. At Fort Sam, officials inspected all the barracks within the past week. Only minor problems were reported, such as light mold in latrine and shower areas, a broken railing, a leak dripping through a ceiling, chipped paint and a broken soap dish in a bathroom. The garrison commander says she's proud of the soldiers' living quarters. |
05-02-2008 A man is ejected from his vehicle during a rollover accident on the city's Southeast side.
Just after 1 this morning, a man was speeding down the access road of LOoop 410 near Rigsby when he clipped a guardrail, lost control and flipped his vehicle several times.
The driver was thrown out of the vehicle during the crash.
He was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center with serious injuries.
The accident is under investigation. Police suspect the driver may have been drinking prior to the accident.
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05-02-2008 A man is found lying on the ground after being stabbed multiple times.
The wounded man was found by a passerby on the side of the road in the 2500 block of Nogalitos.
When police arrived, the man in his 50's became uncooperative and refused to give them any information.
The victim was taken to University Hospital in critical condition.
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05-02-2008The life and legacy of a 12 year veteran of the San Antonio police department, killed in the line of duty, will live on in special way. The city officially broke ground on the Wheeler Park project this morning. The park was named in honor John Wheeler, who was killed when his patrol car was rear ended by a drunk driver back in 2005. Wheeler survived being shot after responding to a robbery call just two years before the fatal crash. The Wheeler Park project will include a walking trail, benches, picnic units and a tree planting. |
05-02-2008 WASHINGTON (AP) -- An officer is among two Fort Hood soldiers killed when a roadside bomb exploded near their vehicle in Iraq. The Pentagon said today that Army Captain Andrew R. Pearson of Billings, Montana, and Specialist Ronald J. Tucker of Fountain, Colorado, were killed Wednesday. They were assigned to 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division from Fort Hood.
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05-02-2008HOUSTON (AP) -- Retail gasoline prices continue to climb to new record heights in Texas. The weekly Triple-A Texas gas price survey released today says regular self-serve is averaging $3.53 per gallon, 6 cents more than last week. The national average of $3.62 per gallon is up 7 cents from last week. But auto club spokeswoman Rose Rougeau (roo-ZHOH') says a recent federal report shows demand for gasoline fell by about 6 percent in February, perhaps signaling a price crest.
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05-02-2008 A special story for bike riders -- your morning commute can be a little less work today.
In honor of "Walk and Roll to Work," VIA Transit will let anyone who bards a bus with a bicycle ride for free today. All of VIA's buses have bike racks on them.
Then, later this morning, the city will celebrate "Walk and Roll 2008" with a rally in Main Plaza at 8:00 am. |
05-02-2008Toxicology test shows Emilio was intoxicated in bus crash
HOUSTON (AP) -- Toxicology tests indicate that Grammy-winning Tejano singer Emilio Navaira was intoxicated when the tour bus he was driving crashed into a collection of freeway barrels in suburban Houston in March.
The toxicology tests were released this week, and the Houston Chronicle reported on the results last night on its Web site. The newspaper also reported that Navaira was arrested for driving while intoxicated in September of 2000.
Navaira was behind the wheel of his tour bus March 23 when it slammed into the freeway barrels, throwing him through the windshield. Doctors had to perform two brain surgeries and repaired a potentially fatal aneurysm on Navaira's right lung.
The singer is expected to have trouble with his memory and concentration as he recovers. But his doctors have said Navaira has been able to stand, eat, sign his name and converse with his family.
Navaira, known to has fans simply as Emilio, has released more than a dozen albums with his band. He won a Grammy for best Tejano album in 2003 with "Acuerdate."
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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05-01-2008After a full day of deliberations, a jury was not able to deliver a verdict in the trial of two San Antonio boot camp officials. They will resume deliberations tomorrow. Pastor Charles Flowers and Stephanie Bassitt are accused of dragging a teen behind a van last summer. Defense attorneys argued the Floresville teen had plotted to get out of the camp by intentionally injuring herself. The two face a year in jail. |
05-01-2008A Hays County jury finds a man guilty of torturing his children in what some call the worst case of child abuse they've ever seen. Cesar Mojica-Carmona, 24, was accused of 14 counts of child abuse with serious bodily injury in relation to his three young children. The children were seized in October 2006. Mojica-Carmona was accused of biting, starving and beating his children. He testified that he was abused in much the same way. He faces a life sentence. The children's mother will be tried later. |
05-01-2008A substitute teacher is behind bars after getting arrested while teaching at a San Antonio I.S.D. elementary school. The arrest happened yesterday at Highland Hills Elementary. The teacher is charged with sexual abuse of a child. School officials won't release the teacher's name. A note was sent home with students alerting parents of the incident. The substitute teacher has been removed from the school and blocked from teaching. |
05-01-2008FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- A military jury has acquitted an Army sergeant who shot an unarmed Iraqi insurgent. The family of Sgt. Leonardo Trevino gasped, clapped and sobbed Thursday after the verdict was read. The 31-year-old from San Antonio was cleared on charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, solicitation to commit murder and three counts of obstruction of justice. Military prosecutors said in closing arguments that the killing by Trevino last summer in Iraq was unjustified because the insurgent was severely wounded from a gun battle and posed no threat. Trevino's attorneys say he followed the rules of engagement because he thought the al-Qaida insurgent was reaching for a gun. |
05-01-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Tony Parker emerged from the San Antonio Spurs' first-round victory over Phoenix bumped and bruised after going against the Suns' big men for five games. The Spurs' speedy point guard said it almost makes him feel old. He may be sore, but teammates say Parker is playing as well as he did last season when he was the finals MVP in the Spurs' sweep of Cleveland. Tim Duncan says -- quote -- "He's playing with the kind of confidence he was playing with last year. I think that's the only way to put it. He's confident in himself, he's confident in his shot. He wants to step up and take big shots. He wants to run the offense." Parker showed it during Game 3 against the Suns in Phoenix, when he scored a career-high 41 points by relying on spot-on jumpers to lead the Spurs to what became an insurmountable 3-0 series lead. The Frenchman is leading the Spurs in the playoffs with 29.6 points to go with 7.0 assists. In the series-ending Game 5 against Phoenix on Tuesday night, he led San Antonio with 31 points, including nine in the decisive fourth quarter. The 6-foot-2 guard sat out practice today to rest up for the Western Conference semifinals against New Orleans. |
05-01-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A judge ordered that the baby boy born to a girl taken from a polygamist sect's ranch in West Texas be placed in state custody. That's according to documents released today. Texas District Judge Barbara Walther signed the order yesterday giving the state custody of the one-day-old infant born to a teen believed to be 15 or 16 years old. The girl has claimed to be 18, according to an affidavit signed by Ruby Gutierrez, a Child Protective Services caseworker. But officials believe she is younger and placed her in foster care with other children taken from the ranch. The newborn is the teen's second child; the first is a 20-month-old boy. The father of both children was identified as 22-year-old Jackson Jessop, but state officials say they don't know his whereabouts. Child welfare officials now have 464 children in their custody, swept from the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado. Authorities believe underage girls were forced into marriages and sex with older men. Authorities are also now investigating possible sexual abuse of boys. Church members have vehemently denied there was any abuse. |
05-01-2008WICHITA FALLS, Texas (AP) -- The Air Force grounded all T-38C training jets today, following the second fatal crash involving the aircraft in eight days. Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls says that two airmen were killed there today when their T-38C Talon went down during a routine training mission. The two-seater, high-altitude supersonic plane was assigned to the 80th Flying Training Wing, a multinational organization that produces future combat pilots for NATO. The pilots' names were not immediately released. Two pilots died April 23rd when their training jet crashed at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi. Investigators are trying to determine what caused both crashes. |
05-01-2008A gunshot wound and conflicting stories have San Antonio police questioning a possible accidental shooting overnight.
Investigators say they're not getting much cooperation from the two men involved.
Police say the men are claiming the shooting was an accidet, but neither will say how it happened.
It all took place near Highway 16 and the Medina River on the Southside.
When emergency crews arrived, they found one man with a gunshot wound to the chest.
He was taken to University Hospital.
Police say he is in good condition.
Investigators were able to question him and his friend.
But,they're giving different stories about the incident.
One man says they were fishing when the shooting happened, but no fishing equipment, but no fishing equipment was found near the scene.
The other claims they were hunting for armadillos.
Both say the shooting was unintentional, but they refuse to tell authorities how the victim was shot.
Detectives tell us both men are illegal immigrants, and believe that may be why they're not telling police how the shooting went down.
Officers say gun was found on scene right after the shooting, and a few hours later, a second gun was also recovered there.
Police say the Medina River area does have a problem with poachers.
So far, the men have not been charged with any crime.
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05-01-2008
CPS Energy has unveiled its new plan to help its customers save a buck.
Starting today, customers won't have to pay the one dollar service fees when they pay their bill at HEB, Wal-mart or many of the other retailers that collect energy bills.
Over half of the 124 business locations in the San Antonio area have already agreed to stop levying the fee.
The utility says it will absorb the fees from the retailers as a way to help their customers save money.
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04-30-2008The attorney for a UT student from San Antonio charged with making terroristic threats, says his client is innocent. Justin McCelvey, 20, is out on bail after allegedly making threats against the school, and the whole city of Austin. According to the arrest warrant, McCelvey said, "I wish I could go into a classroom and shoot everybody Virginia Tech style. College ruined my life. I wish I could blow up Austin." Police are still investigating. |
04-30-2008A verdict is expected Thursday in the trial of a man accused of torturing his children in Hays County. The jury began deliberations yesterday in the case of Cesar Mojica-Carmona. He and his wife, Sara Amaya, face felony charges in what investigators call the worst case of child abuse they've ever seen. Mojica-Carmona admitted to biting, hitting and abusing his children. He faces life in prison. |
04-30-2008A burglary suspect shot and killed while breaking into a northeast side home was only a teenager. Police identified the victim as 18-year-old Ronnie Scorborough. They say he broke into a home yesterday on Midcrown and was shot to death by the homeowner. So far, police say the homeowner doesn't face any charges because Texas law allows the right to defend your property. |
04-30-2008Police say a drug habit may be the motive behind a horrible case of elderly abuse in San Antonio. Larry Adams is in jail charged with the abuse of his 72-year-old mother. Police say on April 17th, Adams burned his mother on the shoulder and arm with a space heater and then punched her in the eye. Dora Adams couldn't get away because she is a double amputee. The arrest warrant says the mother suspected he sold her prescription drugs to buy cocaine. |
04-30-2008Fire investigators say a smoke detector did its job, and an elderly couple is alive because of it. The fire began in the garage early this morning on Kashmuir Place in southeast San Antonio. Firefighters were able to put the fire out before it spread to the rest of the home. Investigators say a mechanical failure sparked the blaze. |
04-30-2008DALLAS (AP) -- The Dallas Mavericks today fired coach Avery Johnson after the team flopped in the first round of the playoffs. Johnson got the news during a meeting at his condominium. Team president Donnie Nelson was on hand, while owner Mark Cuban joined via cell phone from Chicago. Johnson then flew to Houston because his son had an accident at school. He called the Dallas-Fort Worth ESPN affiliate -- KESN -- to talk about his dismissal and say there's "no animosity or bitterness." Johnson says the Mavs didn't win the championship. But he says if you look at the whole body of work that they put together over the last 3 1/2 years ... they'll "put it up against anybody." Dallas has gone 3-12 in the playoffs since taking a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA finals against Miami. The final mark during Johnson's tenure: 194-70 in the regular season, 23-24 in the playoffs. |
04-30-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Child welfare authorities are looking at the possibility that boys were sexually abused at a polygamist sect's ranch in West Texas. It's a newly revealed angle of a massive investigation triggered by allegations that girls were forced into underage marriages and sex. Several hundred children were removed this month from the ranch near Eldorado. Carey Cockerell with Department of Family and Protective Services told lawmakers in Austin that the agency is investigating whether boys were abused based on "discussions with the boys." Cockerell also said 41 FLDS children had evidence of broken bones. But members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints say the state is misleading the public -- to cover up its own errors. A physician at the ranch, who's also an FLDS member, says most of the broken bones were from minor falls. Doctor Lloyd Barlow says there's no pattern of abuse. |
04-30-2008FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- The defense rested today in the Fort Hood court-martial of a soldier who says he's innocent in the 2007 killing of an Iraqi insurgent. Closing arguments are tomorrow in the trial of Sergeant Leonardo Trevino of San Antonio. Trevino testified that he shot at an unarmed Iraqi insurgent twice -- hitting him at least once -- because the wounded man was a threat. Trevino also says he's innocent of premeditated murder and other charges stemming from the June killing after a firefight. Trevino testified that soldiers followed a blood trail into a house. Trevino says he thought the severely wounded insurgent was a threat because the flailing and combative man might be trying to trigger an explosive. |
04-30-2008An alleged criminal picks the wrong guy to rob, and ends up with a knife in his back.
Police say his victim flagged down officers, claiming to have stabbed the robber.
The stabbing happened just north of downtown.
The alleged robber was found around two a.m. at the intersection of Main and Myrtle, with the knife still in his back.
Police say he allegedly tried to rob the man, but things didn't go as planned.
Detectives say the victim pulled out his four inch pocket knife and plunged it into the alleged robber in self defense.
The suspect was rushed to BAMC, where he is currently in stable condition.
Meanwhile, the man who police say flagged down officers was first taken into custody, then released after questioning.
Detectives tell us he will not face any charges, but the man he stabbed could be charged with attempted robbery.
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04-30-2008 IN NEWS AROUND TEXAS -- MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF POT ARE OFF THE STREET THANKS TO A SOUTH TEXAS DRUG BUST.
ICE AGENTS FOUND THE STASH IN A HOUSE NEAR ROMA, TEXAS WHICH IS JUST INSIDE THE U-S BORDER NORTHWEST OF MCALLEN.
THE LOCAL STREET VALUE FOR THE SEVEN THOUSAND POUNDS OF POT IS ESTIMATED AT $5.6 MILLION.
TWO MEXICAN MEN WERE ARRESTED AND ARE FACING FEDERAL CHARGES IN COURT TODAY.
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04-30-2008The Alamo city will soon be home to a new 311 acre park, and today we'll get our first look a what it will look like. The master design plan for Voelcker park, created largely from public input, will be unveiled. The park will be located on either side of Wurzbach parkway between Northwest Military Highway and Blanco road. Voelcker park will be an urban park providing for a variety of educational opportunities. The plan is scheduled to go before city council for approval in May.
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04-30-2008 Somerset I.S.D. has only one finalist for its soon-to-be-empty superintendent slot. The district announced on Tuesday that 38-year-old Saul Hinojosa, Jr. is in line to take over for Mary Ellen Morin when she retires in June.
Originally, the district had about 50 applicants. However officials say that after a weekend of interviews, the board voted to select only the current Somerset Junior High School principal as a finalist. |
04-30-2008 KELLYVILLE, Texas (AP) -- Law enforcement officials are continuing a multi-county manhunt across East Texas in search of a suspect who shot and killed a Department of Public Safety trooper last night.
DPS spokeswoman Tela Mange says the shooting occurred just before 8 p.m. near the intersection of Farm-to-Market roads 1969 and 729 just northeast of Lake O' The Pines and west of Kellyville. The trooper was involved in a high-speed chase.
Authorities identified the trooper as James Scott Burns, who was 39 and married.
Mange said a citizen got on the trooper's radio and called in to the dispatcher that Burns had been shot. Authorities are looking for a 1997 blue Dodge Intrepid with Texas license 039-LCG.
Before Tuesday, 82 DPS troopers had died in the line of duty. The last death came on March 14, 2007, when the patrol car of Trooper Todd Dylan Holmes was struck broadside by an 18-wheeler as he attempted to cross the highway to pursue a vehicle.
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04-30-2008BASTROP, Texas (AP) -- A mother and her two young children were among four who died in a head-on car crash in Central Texas.
The accident occurred shortly last night a few miles southwest of Bastrop. Two sports utility vehicles collided head on, killing the male driver in one of the vehicles.
A dispatcher with the Bastrop County Sheriff's Department said the mother and her two children, ages 4 and 8, also died.
Authorities were not releasing the names of the victims pending notification of family members.
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04-30-2008 INGLESIDE, Texas (AP) -- A man trapped for more than two hours in the rubble of two collapsed cranes died later in the day at a hospital.
The incident began yesterday morning when multiple cranes were working together to move a 20-ton metal structure in a fabrication yard at Gulf Marine Fabricators, a company that makes drilling and production platforms. The San Patricio County Sheriff's Department says one of the booms broke loose, throwing the heavy load onto the cab of a crane.
Emergency personnel waited at the scene while workers cut apart the collapsed load and brought in other cranes to lift pieces and free the worker, whom authorities did not identify.
The man was then taken by helicopter to a hospital, where he died after more than three hours of surgery.
Two other workers were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Company officials with Gulf Marine and its parent company, Louisiana-based Gulf Island Fabrication, declined to comment or did not respond to phone messages.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration is investigating the accident.
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04-29-2008It's a program aimed at supporting our troops. Our Lady of the Lake University announced their new 'Salute Our Military Scholarship Program.' The program offers scholarships to active duty military and their spouses for bachelor's and master's degree's. It allows military members to receive $378 per credit hour. Weekend college and online programs are included. Classes begin in August. |
04-29-2008Two Christian boot camp officials accused of dragging a teen behind a van will no longer face felony charges. A Corpus Christi judge reduced the charges to misdemeanors because of an issue with the indictment. San Antonio pastor, 47-year-old Charles Flowers, and Stephanie Bassit were on trial for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Defense attorneys argued the van used in the June 12th incident could not be considered a deadly weapon. The judge agreed. |
04-29-2008A son's effort to make sure his mother's alleged killer is well represented could open up a legal can of worms. Yesterday, Louis Barrios offered to pay for the defense of Joe Estrada. Estrada is the alleged killer of Viola Barrios, the founder of Los Barrios Restaurant. Louis Barrios approached attorneys Roy and Bobby Barrera to defend the eighteen-year-old. They have declined saying it would be a conflict of interest. They also say, if Barrios were to pay for Estrada's defense there might be legal and ethical issues - particularly if Estrada is found guilty. Estrada could face the death penalty after he allegedly broke into Viola Barrios' home and killed her. |
04-29-2008Police make an arrest in a stabbing death at Fiesta's carnival. He was actually found in Seguin. So, Seguin police arrested the 16-year-old Saturday night. It's believed the teen killed 19-year old Robert Perales after an alleged gang fight broke out at the carnival. Police arrested several others at the scene. |
04-29-2008FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- The government rested today in the Fort Hood court-martial of a soldier accused in the 2007 death of an Iraqi insurgent. Then attorneys for Sergeant Leonardo Trevino of San Antonio asked the military judge to dismiss obstruction of justice and solicitation to commit murder charges. Colonel Gregory Gross is expected to rule on those motions tomorrow before the defense started presenting its case. Earlier today, an Army medic testified he reported that a bullet-riddled insurgent was going to die. Specialist John Torres says Trevino ordered him to suffocate the Iraqi before fatally shooting the man himself. The medic said he was kidding when he suggested suffocating the wounded man, but when ordered to do so, he pretended by lightly holding his hand over the man's mouth. Under cross-examination, Torres denied the Iraqi was dead when he removed his hand. |
04-29-2008SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) -- It's a boy -- for one of hundreds of young polygamist-sect members taken into custody by Texas. Child Protective Services says the teenage mother gave birth today to a healthy boy at a hospital in San Marcos. The birth took place while child welfare officials, Texas troopers and fellow sect members stood watch outside the maternity ward. CPS spokesman Patrick Crimmins says the mother is "younger than 18" and will remain with her new son in a nearby foster-care facility. A formal custody hearing will determine the pair's fate sometime before June 5th. Rod Parker with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints contends the new mother is 18. State officials earlier this month raided the Yearning For Zion Ranch near Eldorado and took custody of 463 children to protect them from possible abuse. |
04-29-2008AMSTETTEN, Austria (AP) -- Austrian police say the man who kept his daughter captive for 24 years and fathered seven children with her did not build secret hiding places at his other properties.
Police and prosecutors also say DNA tests have confirmed 73-year-old Josef Fritzl's confession that he fathered the six surviving children with the daughter he first imprisoned when she was just 18 years old.
Authorities say Fritzl told investigators that one of the seven children died in infancy and he tossed the body in the furnace of his apartment building in the town of Amstetten, west of Vienna.
Prosecutors said earlier today they are looking into the possibility of charging Fritzl with "murder through failure to act" in connection with that child's death.
Fritzl would face up to 20 years in prison if tried and convicted on such a charge. |
04-29-2008DALLAS (AP) -- A wrongly convicted Dallas man who spent more than 27 years in prison is expected to be released after a DNA test showed he is innocent of a 1980 murder.
If released on bond at a court hearing today, 55-year-old James Lee Woodard would be the longest-serving wrongly convicted man in the nation to be exonerated by DNA testing.
He would also become the 18th person in Dallas County to have his conviction cast aside. According to the Innocence Project, a New York-based legal center that specializes in overturning wrongful convictions, that is more than any county in the nation.
Woodard has been in prison since New Year's Day 1981. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a Dallas woman found sexually assaulted and strangled near the banks of the Trinity River in 1980. |
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04-29-2008A possible attempted burglary on the Northeast side leaves one man dead.
Police believe the alleged burglar was shot and killed by the homeowner.
They say it all went down around 2:15 a.m. on the 5800 block of Midcrown.
Now, investigators are trying to figure out if the shooting was justified.
The homeowner tells authorities he woke up when he heard a noise in his house, and when he went to check it out, he found an intruder inside.
Police say the homeowner had a revolver, confronted the man, and opened fire.
We're told the alleged burglar was shot once in the back.
He was dead by the time paramedics arrived. The deceased is described as a black male, likely in his 20's.
Police tell us the homeowner contacted officers yesterday, when he saw a man with a similar description burglarizing his home.
While today's incident is considered an attempted burglary right now, police say the investigation is far from over.
Officers say they can't find any signs of a break-in and there are some inconsistencies in the homeowner's story.
So, authorities are not sure if he'll face any charges.
The homeowner and two others in the house during the shooting gave statements to police this morning.
We're told the shooter is now being interviewed by homicide detectives.
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04-29-2008 A family of five is able to escape a burning home.
Firefighters say a barbecue pit caught the back of the home on fire, and the flames quickly spread through the house, located in the 8-hundred block of Arizona Ash.
The family members were able to get out in time, but two of them were treated for smoke inhalation.
A firefighter was also injured trying to combat the fire. He was taken to the hospital with burns on his ears.
The fire caused about $400-thousand dollars in damages. |
04-28-2008It seems we were just talking about voters going to the polls during the Texas primary and here we are again. Early voting began today for the upcoming May election. In Bexar County, voters are deciding on four propositions that would be financed by extending the venue tax - basically, the tax paid when renting a hotel, motel or car. The propositions call for improvements to the San Antonio River, cultural arts facilities, the AT&T Center and Freeman Coliseum. It also calls for more amateur sports facilities. Early voting lasts through May 6th. Election day is May 10th. |
04-28-2008Still no arrests in yesterday's homicide of a 45-year-old man found near some railroad tracks and covered with cardboard boxes. A homeless man made the discovery on Steves Avenue, just south of downtown. The victim is identified as Robert Barrientes. Police say he suffered head trauma. His exact cause of death is still unknown. |
04-28-2008A San Antonio woman is behind bars after police say she stabbed a man to death. It happened overnight in the small, usually peaceful town of Devine in the 700 block of Rosemary. Police say 37-year old Denise Crouch stabbed 40-year old James Long three times in the chest. Long lived long enough to tell authorities who attacked him. He died at Wilford Hall a short time later. Police charged Crouch with murder. They did not release a motive. |
04-28-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Texas child welfare officials say that more than half the teen girls swept into state custody from a polygamist sect's ranch have been pregnant. Child Protective Services spokesman Darrell Azar says 53 girls between the ages of 14 and 17 were living on the ranch in Eldorado. Of that group, 31 already have children or are pregnant. State officials took custody of all 463 children at the Yearning For Zion Ranch more than three weeks ago after a raid prompted by calls to a domestic violence hotline. CPS says there was a pattern of underage girls forced into so-called "spiritual marriages" with much older men at the ranch. |
04-28-2008AUSTIN (AP) -- One man was in critical condition today after a homebuilt helicopter caught fire and crashed into a rural field. Authorities say 72-year-old William Aldridge, who was a passenger on board, suffered second- and third-degree when the helicopter went down in Bartlett. That's just north of Austin. The pilot, 65-year-old Raymond Mitchell, didn't have serious injuries. Tom Vinger, a spokesman with the Texas Department of Public Safety, says officials were investigating the cause of the crash. The homebuilt Robinson R-22 helicopter was destroyed. |
04-28-2008SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- It's another must-win for the Phoenix Suns tomorrow night in Game 5 against San Antonio. The San Antonio Spurs are treating the game the same way. Even though the defending champions have a 3-1 series lead, they want to wrap it quickly and avoid a return trip to Phoenix. The Suns denied the Spurs what would have been a surprising sweep in four games with a convincing 105-86 rout at home yesterday. They've extended their postseason at least one more game and plan to come to San Antonio with the same focus that sparked Boris Diaw's near triple-double and Raja Bell's 27 points. As the series shifts to San Antonio, any shred of momentum they gained in Game 4 will be tested. But the Suns say their confidence is up. |
04-28-2008FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) -- Military prosecutors today told jurors that an Army sergeant fatally shot a severely wounded and unarmed Iraqi insurgent -- after he ordered a medic to suffocate the man. Sgt. Leonardo Trevino (treh-VEEN'-yoh) of San Antonio faces up to life in a military prison and a discharge if convicted on premeditated murder and other charges. Trevino is accused of shooting the Iraqi in the abdomen before firing a fatal round to the head. Prosecutors were to begin presenting evidence at the court-martial tomorrow. Trevino's attorneys say the soldier's actions were "wholly within the rules of engagement." They also dispute eyewitness accounts. The court-martial is expected to last about a week |
04-28-2008 HOUSTON (AP) -- A failed Republican presidential candidate from Texas is considering using four million dollars left over from his campaign to start a for-profit publishing company. The Houston Chronicle reports the company would reflect Southeast Texas Congressman Ron Paul's libertarian-leaning philosophy. Former candidates like Paul have leeway in how they use leftover campaign money.
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04-28-2008Friends and family of Viola Barrios are saying goodbye to the popular restaurant owner today.
The 76-year-old died violently last week, allegedly at the hands of her own teenage neighbor.
Hundreds of people are packing St. Gregory's Church to pay their respects today.
Barrios was found murdered in her Northwest side home last Thursday morning
The next day, her 18 yaer old next door neighbor, Joe Estrada, was arrested for her death.
It's believed Estrada killed Barrios with a bow and arrow, stole her Mercedes and credit cards, then set her house on fire to cover up the crime.
Police tell us Estrada confessed to it all.
He's in the Bexar County Jail on one-million dollars bond, and faces capital murder charges.
District Attorney Susan Reed says she will pursue the death penalty in this case.
Barrios' death has deeply saddened her family, friends, and loyal customers.
Her son tells us, she opened Los Barrios 30 years ago in a boat garage, and worked hard to make in one of San Antonio's most famous Mexican restaurants.
About 100 people attended a candlelight vigil in Barrios' honor Saturday night.
Many more showed up for her visitation yesterday.
Barrios' funeral is being held at St. Gregory Catholic Church at 700 Dewhurst.
Burial will be at San Fernando Cemetery #2.
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| 04-28-2008 |
04-28-2008 A young man is dead after slamming his car into a concrete wall and then a pole overnight
It happened around midnight -- along the access road of highway 281 and Oak Shadows.
Police say 20-year-old Stephen Becker was traveling really fast when he crashed.
He was trapped inside his vehicle and died on the scene.
Police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.
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04-27-2008San Antonio Police said a man found dead Sunday was beaten to death. Investigators tell FOX 29 a homeless person made the discovery Sunday morning behind a bar at the intersection of Steves and Roosevelt. The victim is a Hispanic man in his 40's. No murder weapon has been discovered. Sunday night officers were still looking for the killer. The area where the victim was found is a place neighbors say is frequented by the homeless at all hours of the night.
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04-27-2008 A 7 year old boy was flown to the hospital Sunday afternoon after running into a vehicle on the city's southwest side. It happened in the 2600 block of Quintana Road. Police said the boy was riding a small four wheeler when he failed to stop at a stop sign. He struck a car on the side and flew off the four wheeler. He was taken to University Hospital with some broken bones, but is expected to be okay.
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