Breaking News - Houston Stringer

Paxton expands Discord investigation after platform used by reported assassin of Charlie Kirk

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Breaking News, Texas, U.S.

Paxton expands Discord investigation after platform used by reported assassin of Charlie Kirk

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has expanded his investigation into the online chat platform Discord following revelations that the reported assassin of Charlie Kirk used the service, along with ongoing concerns over the platform’s alleged role in exposing minors to sexual exploitation, extremist content, and addictive features. File Photo (September 2025) The move comes under the authority of the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which allows the Attorney General to investigate digital platforms that may pose risks to minors. “I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with the Trump Administration to root out and defeat nihilistic violent extremism in all its forms,” Paxton stated. “Discord has chosen to allow extremist content, sexual expl...

Eight indicted alongside Houston woman accused of running illegal abortion clinics without licenses

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Eight indicted alongside Houston woman accused of running illegal abortion clinics without licenses

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the indictment and arrest of eight individuals, including several foreign nationals, in connection with illegal abortion clinics in the Houston area allegedly operated by Maria Rojas. File Photo (September 2025) The arrests are part of a broader criminal investigation into Rojas, 49, of Houston, who is accused of unlawfully posing as a physician while operating clinics in Waller, Cypress, Spring, and Katy. A Waller County grand jury previously indicted Rojas on 15 felony counts, including the illegal performance of an abortion and 12 counts of practicing medicine without a license. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the eight individuals indicted for practicing medicine without a license under Rojas are: Yaimara...

Suspect arrested after trying to pay water bill with meth and forged check

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Texas

Suspect arrested after trying to pay water bill with meth and forged check

TRINITY COUNTY, TX – Deputies with the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office arrested one person and are pursuing charges against another after a suspicious package was found in the overnight drop box at the Westwood Shores Municipal Utility District Office. According to the sheriff’s office, the package included a water shutoff notice, a check, and a small plastic bag containing a white powdery substance. Upon investigation, deputies confirmed the substance to be methamphetamine. The check included in the envelope was also determined to be forged. Deputies executed a search warrant at the associated residence early the following morning and located additional methamphetamine. One suspect was arrested on charges of felony forgery and felony possession of a controlled substance. A secon...

Man fatally shot by deputy after reportedly threatening with shovel in Garland County

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Arkansas

Man fatally shot by deputy after reportedly threatening with shovel in Garland County

PINEY, AR – A Hot Springs man was fatally shot by a Garland County Sheriff’s Deputy following a confrontation involving a shovel, according to the Arkansas State Police. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on October 7 in the 100 block of Ebony Way in western Garland County. Deputies had responded to a report of a man allegedly swinging a shovel at a passing vehicle. Upon arrival, the deputy encountered 34-year-old Anthony Michael Dean, who reportedly threatened the deputy with the shovel. The deputy discharged his weapon, fatally striking Dean. Dean’s body will be examined at the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory to determine the official cause and manner of death. The Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division is conducting the investigation and will submit findi...

Homicide victim found in 1981 orchard identified as Maria Belmontes Blancas

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California

Homicide victim found in 1981 orchard identified as Maria Belmontes Blancas

FILLMORE, CA – The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman known for decades only as “Jane Doe” in a 1981 homicide case as Maria Belmontes Blancas. According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Bureau and Cold Case Unit, Maria’s body was discovered on January 27, 1981, in a citrus orchard near Piru. She had been shot multiple times, and her death was ruled a homicide. Despite an initial investigation, her identity remained unknown for over four decades. The Cold Case Unit reopened the investigation in 2023 and used advanced DNA analysis to suggest Maria's family may have originated from Michoacán, Mexico. Working with Redgrave Research Forensic Services, investigators traced potential family members, and by summer 2025, they were able to confirm M...

Eleventh Circuit upholds armed career criminal sentence for Florida man despite challenge to gun law and prior drug convictions

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Georgia

Eleventh Circuit upholds armed career criminal sentence for Florida man despite challenge to gun law and prior drug convictions

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has affirmed the 204-month federal prison sentence of Samuel Storey, a Florida man convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon, after rejecting multiple constitutional and sentencing challenges, including under the Supreme Court’s 2024 Erlinger decision. Storey pleaded guilty to violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and the district court enhanced his sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) based on three prior Florida drug convictions. On appeal, Storey argued that the statute exceeded Congress’s Commerce Clause authority, violated the Second Amendment, and that the sentencing court erred under Erlinger v. United States by determining—without a jury—that his prior offenses occurred on different occasions. T...

United Airlines to add nonstop flights to Croatia, Italy, Scotland, Spain and more in summer 2026

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

World

United Airlines to add nonstop flights to Croatia, Italy, Scotland, Spain and more in summer 2026

United Airlines announced today that it will expand its transatlantic network in summer 2026 with new nonstop service to Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; Glasgow, Scotland; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain — making it the only U.S. airline offering direct service to each of these destinations from Newark, NJ. (File Photo) September 2025 The airline will also launch new service from Washington-Dulles to Reykjavik, Iceland, and add year-round daily flights from Newark to Seoul, South Korea. Additionally, United will increase service between Newark and Tel Aviv, Israel, from two to three daily flights. According to United, this expansion brings its total number of transatlantic destinations to 46 — the most of any U.S. airline. Tickets for all new routes are on sale now. Highlights ...

Tenth Circuit dismisses Okla. man’s appeal after meth trafficking plea

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Oklahoma

Tenth Circuit dismisses Okla. man’s appeal after meth trafficking plea

(OKLAHOMA CITY, OK) October 8, 2025 – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit dismissed the appeal of Alfredo Joaquin Soto, who was sentenced to 210 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Soto, also known as Joaquin Alfredo Soto, entered a plea agreement in the Western District of Oklahoma admitting to possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1). The agreement included a waiver of his right to appeal. The government moved to enforce that waiver, and Soto’s counsel acknowledged it was valid. After reviewing the record, the Tenth Circuit agreed, finding the appeal waiver was knowingly and voluntarily made and that enforcing it would not result in a miscarriage of justice. Th...

Police identify 16-year-old killed in Wilmington shooting; second teen remains critical

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Delaware

Police identify 16-year-old killed in Wilmington shooting; second teen remains critical

WILMINGTON, DEL. – Wilmington Police have identified the teen who died following a shooting in the area of 6th and Pine Streets as 16-year-old Nathan Lopez of Newark. File Photo (August 2025) The shooting occurred around 5:07 p.m. on October 8, 2025. Officers responding to the scene located two male victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Lopez succumbed to his injuries, while a 17-year-old male remains hospitalized in critical condition. The incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Justin Wilkers at (302) 576-3634 or provide anonymous tips through Delaware Crime Stoppers at 1-800-TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.com. The Wilmington Police Department’s Victim Services Unit is available to provide support and referrals to c...

Three killed in single-vehicle crash on Highway 211 in Clay County

9Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Arkansas

Three killed in single-vehicle crash on Highway 211 in Clay County

SUCCESS, ARK. – The Arkansas State Police is investigating a single-vehicle crash that claimed three lives late October 8, 2025, in Clay County. According to the Arkansas State Police, the crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. on State Highway 211, north of the town of Success. Troopers arrived to find a 2001 Nissan Xterra that had veered off the roadway, entered a ditch, struck a tree, and caught fire. The driver, identified as 19-year-old Izabella Brasfield of Marmaduke, and two passengers, 19-year-old Tara Calhoun and 45-year-old Michelle Braman, both of Corning, were pronounced deceased at the scene. The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.