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Santa Ana man convicted for kidnapping and sexual assault of a 6 year old girl

18Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California

Santa Ana man convicted for kidnapping and sexual assault of a 6 year old girl

SANTA ANA, CA – A jury convicted 51-year-old Francisco Javier Lopez of Montebello for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl in 2012. Police said Lopez abducted the child from the 1400 block of S. Townsend Street, assaulted her in a nearby parking lot, and left her near her home. DNA evidence produced the first female familial DNA match in Orange County, identifying Lopez as the suspect. He was arrested in 2019 and on September 16, 2025, found guilty of 11 felony counts, including kidnapping to commit a sex offense and multiple child sexual assault charges. Sentencing is set for October 9, 2025.

Two Mississippi men flee into woods after high-speed chase ends on I-40 in Arkansas

18Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Arkansas

Two Mississippi men flee into woods after high-speed chase ends on I-40 in Arkansas

HAZEN, Ark., Sept. 18, 2025 – Arkansas State Police are searching for two suspects who fled into a wooded area following a high-speed pursuit that ended along Interstate 40 near Hazen early Wednesday morning. According to ASP, the pursuit began around 8:45 a.m. when troopers attempted to stop a black Hyundai Palisade for a traffic violation. The driver reportedly fled at speeds nearing 100 miles per hour while making dangerous lane changes. The driver, identified as Brevin Tre Harvey, 24, of Saltillo, Miss., and a rear passenger, Marice Quencha Sykes, 30, of Tupelo, Miss., exited the vehicle and fled on foot into nearby woods. Both men remain at large. A third occupant, Kyle Anthony Easley, 33, of Shannon, Miss., was taken into custody and booked into the Prairie County Detent...

HPD Senior Police Officer Alex Roberts killed in Anderson County crash while on traffic escort

17Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

HPD Senior Police Officer Alex Roberts killed in Anderson County crash while on traffic escort

HOUSTON, TX – The Houston Police Department has announced the death of Senior Police Officer Alex Roberts, who was killed in a vehicle crash while conducting a traffic escort. The crash occurred around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday in Anderson County, Texas. Officer Roberts was assigned to HPD’s Solo Motorcycle Detail. The department has asked for continued prayers for Officer Roberts' family and the extended HPD family during this time of mourning. More information will follow if it becomes available.

Firefighters battle warehouse blaze involving lithium and lead acid batteries in East Downtown

17Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Firefighters battle warehouse blaze involving lithium and lead acid batteries in East Downtown

HOUSTON, TX – HFD firefighters responded Wednesday afternoon to a fire at a warehouse on Milby Street in the East Downtown area. Photo Courtesy of HFD According to officials, the warehouse stores lithium and lead acid batteries. Although there is no hazard to the public at this time, authorities are asking the public to give crews space as they work to bring the fire under control. More information will follow if it becomes available.

Oklahoma man pleads guilty to federal hate crime for racially motivated assault

17Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Oklahoma

Oklahoma man pleads guilty to federal hate crime for racially motivated assault

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – Braden Birdsong, 28, of Oklahoma City, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to a federal hate crime for attacking a Black man while using racial slurs. According to court records and statements made during the hearing, the assault occurred on August 25, 2023, while the victim, identified as D.G., was cleaning the parking lot of the restaurant where he worked. Birdsong, a white man, approached and repeatedly punched D.G. in the head while yelling racial slurs and anti-Black rhetoric. The victim sustained bodily injuries as a result of the assault. Birdsong admitted in court that he committed the attack because of D.G.’s race and color. Birdsong faces up to 10 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Bernard M....

United States files False Claims Act lawsuit against Inland Empire Health Plan for misuse of Medi-Cal funds

17Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California

United States files False Claims Act lawsuit against Inland Empire Health Plan for misuse of Medi-Cal funds

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – The United States has filed a civil complaint under the False Claims Act against Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP), a local initiative health plan based in Rancho Cucamonga, for allegedly submitting false statements and retaining overpayments related to California’s Medi-Cal Expansion program. IEHP, which contracted with California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to provide services to residents in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, is accused of violating the False Claims Act by misusing surplus federal funds and concealing the nature of the spending from state and federal agencies. Beginning in 2014, IEHP received full federal funding to serve the Medi-Cal Expansion population. Under the terms of its agreement, IEHP was required to spend at...

Two Florida men indicted in $34.8 million Medicare fraud scheme involving medical equipment

17Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Florida

Two Florida men indicted in $34.8 million Medicare fraud scheme involving medical equipment

MIAMI, FL – A federal indictment unsealed Friday charges Kenneth Charles Kessler III, 42, of Miami-Dade County, and Michael Andrew Gomez, 42, of Broward County, for their roles in a large-scale Medicare fraud scheme involving the submission of approximately $34.8 million in false claims for medically unnecessary equipment. According to court documents, the two men operated seven Florida-based durable medical equipment (DME) companies and used deceptive telemarketing to persuade thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to accept items they did not need, including orthotic braces and continuous glucose monitors. Kessler and Gomez are accused of paying illegal kickbacks to marketing companies that obtained beneficiaries' personal information and coordinated with telemedicine providers to...

James Olvera Jr. charged in fatal stabbing of roommate on Roe Drive

17Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

James Olvera Jr. charged in fatal stabbing of roommate on Roe Drive

HOUSTON, TX – Charges have been filed against a man arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing of his roommate at a residence located at 3015 Roe Drive. The incident occurred around 10:15 a.m. on September 10. Houston Police Department patrol officers responded to a welfare check and found 53-year-old David Carrion unresponsive inside the home. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by Houston Fire Department paramedics. Following an investigation, HPD Homicide Division identified Carrion’s roommate, 29-year-old James Olvera Jr., as the suspect. Olvera was arrested on September 16 and has been charged with murder and tampering with evidence in the 178th Criminal District Court. He was booked into the Harris County Jail without further incident. Anyone with information ...

Houston firefighter Stephen Scott dies after on-duty medical emergency

17Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Houston firefighter Stephen Scott dies after on-duty medical emergency

HOUSTON, TX – The Houston Fire Department is mourning the loss of Firefighter Paramedic Stephen Scott, who passed away on Tuesday following an on-duty medical emergency that occurred on Sunday. Scott began his career with the department in 1997 and had been assigned to Station 102 in Kingwood since 2008. Prior to that, he served at Station 9 on Hogan Street. In addition to his frontline duties, Scott also managed HFD's Base Station services operated by SETRAC, helping coordinate ambulance traffic across the Houston region to ensure patients were directed to hospitals with available resources. “Firefighter Scott was a dedicated member of this team, and will be missed by the HFD family,” said Fire Chief Thomas Muñoz. “His legacy is one of hard work, honor, and service to his commun...

Gunshot fired during fight in parking lot of Fairfield High School

17Sep

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California, Texas

Gunshot fired during fight in parking lot of Fairfield High School

FAIRFIELD, CA – A gunshot was fired during an after-school fight in the parking lot of Fairfield High School at approximately 3:34 p.m., according to the Fairfield Police Department. File Photo (August 2025) Three officers arrived within 60 seconds of the initial report, followed by additional officers who secured the campus. Preliminary findings indicate that at least one shot was fired at an occupied vehicle involved in the altercation. At this time, there are no reported injuries related to the gunfire. Officers remain on scene conducting an active investigation. Police confirm there is no ongoing threat to students or after-school activities.