Tag Archives: kidnappings and abductions

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Report: Man accused of kidnapping, torturing Oregon woman dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound following police standoff

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CNN
 — 

A week after authorities discovered a woman bound and beaten in a southwest Oregon home, the kidnapping suspect has died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a CNN affiliate reports.

Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, died in a hospital after an hourslong standoff with law enforcement Tuesday evening in Grants Pass, Oregon, CNN affiliate KTVL reported, citing a police spokesperson.

The standoff concluded after authorities had surrounded the home – under which they believed Foster was hiding – and were trying to convince the suspect to surrender, KTVL reported.

In a statement Tuesday night, Grants Pass police said Foster was “in custody” after the standoff but provided no additional details. The department said it will hold a press conference Wednesday.

Foster was wanted on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnapping and assault after officers found a woman restrained and beaten until she was unconscious in a Grants Pass home on January 24, police said.

Prosecutors have accused Foster of torturing the woman with the intention of killing her, according to charging documents.

The victim was still hospitalized in critical condition as of Sunday, according to Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman.

Foster knew his victim before the attack, Hensman told CNN, saying the two had a “prior relationship.” He did not elaborate but said, “This was not a random attack.”

The suspect had already fled by the time officers arrived at the scene last week, prompting a sweeping multi-day search for Foster which drew a flood of tips from the public and included federal, state and local agencies, police said.

As they searched for Foster, police warned he was “extremely dangerous” and potentially armed. Hensman said he was “definitely a threat to others,” particularly those who might try to befriend him.

Investigators said Foster likely received help fleeing law enforcement. They also warned he could be may have been using dating apps to find potential new victims or lure people into aiding his escape.

When officers responded to a 911 call from a friend of the victim, they were confronted with “an absolutely disgusting scene,” Hensman told CNN. The victim had been suffering the alleged abuses for a “protracted amount of time” before she was discovered, he said.

“This will stay stained in my memory for many years to come,” the police chief said, describing images of the scene as “horrific.”

At least two women who have had relationships with Foster have accused him of attacking and abusing them, according to Clark County court records from cases in Las Vegas.

In the first case, his ex-girlfriend testified that in 2017 Foster flew into a rage and strangled her after seeing that another man had texted her. Foster was charged with felony battery constituting domestic violence, the records show.

While that case was still pending, he was charged with felony assault, battery and kidnapping after his then-girlfriend told police that he had strangled her multiple times and kept her tied up for most of a two-week period, according to the documents.

The woman was finally able to escape by convincing Foster they needed to go shop for food and fleeing through a store, a Las Vegas police report said. When she reached a hospital, she had seven broken ribs, two black eyes and abrasions to her wrists and ankles from being tied up, the report said.

Foster accepted plea deals in both cases. In the first case, he was sentenced to a maximum of 30 months in prison but given credit for 729 days served.

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Tyre Nichols’ police beating death drew outrage nationwide, fueling protests and calls for reform

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Editor’s Note: This article contains graphic videos and descriptions of violence.



CNN
 — 

As protesters gathered across US cities over the weekend following the Memphis police beating that led to the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, officials have said the investigation into the incident will continue amid questions over whether there could be additional charges.

The fallout from the January 7 encounter has been relatively swift. The five Memphis officers involved were fired and charged with murder and kidnapping in Nichols’ death and the police unit they were part of was disbanded.

As the investigation continues, Nichols’ family attorney Ben Crump said he thinks there will be additional fallout, but “whether that’s going to lead to criminal charges, we have to see.”

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he can’t comment on whether there might be additional charges brought, but “nothing we did last Thursday regarding indictments precludes us from bringing other charges later.”

“We are going to need time to allow the investigation to go forward and further consideration of charges,” Mulroy told CNN Sunday.

Mulroy called it “unprecedented” that indictment charges were brought against the officers in just a matter of weeks after the fatal confrontation.

Officials knew releasing the video without charges for the officers could be “incendiary,” Mulroy said. “The best solution was to expedite the investigation and to expedite the consideration of charges so that the charges could come first and then the release of the video,” he added.

Video of the encounter is difficult to watch. It begins with a traffic stop and goes on to show officers repeatedly beating Nichols with batons, punching him and kicking him – including at one point while his hands are restrained behind his back.

He was left slumped to the ground in handcuffs, and 23 minutes passed before a stretcher arrived at the scene. Nichols was eventually hospitalized and died three days later.

“All of these officers failed their oath,” Crump told CNN on Sunday. “They failed their oath to protect and serve. Look at that video: Was anybody trying to protect and serve Tyre Nichols?”

As a makeshift memorial grew on the corner where Nichols was beaten, marching protesters in many cities – from New York City to Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles – carried signs bearing the name of the young Black man, who the country heard calling for his mother as he was kicked, beaten and pepper-sprayed.

Nichols’ family, now at the center of unfamiliar media attention, remembered him as a good son and father who enjoyed skateboarding, photography and sunsets. They recalled his smile and hugs and mourned the moments they’ll never have again.

They also promised to “keep saying his name until justice is served.”

All five officers charged in Nichols’ beating – who are also Black – were members of the now-scrapped SCORPION unit, Memphis police spokesperson Maj. Karen Rudolph told CNN on Saturday. The unit, launched in 2021, put officers into areas where police were tracking upticks in violent crime.

Memphis police announced Saturday that it will permanently deactivate the unit, saying that “while the heinous actions of a few casts a cloud of dishonor on the title SCORPION, it is imperative that we, the Memphis Police Department take proactive steps in the healing process for all impacted.”

“That reprehensible conduct we saw in that video, we think this was part of the culture of the SCORPION unit,” Crump said. “So we demanded that they disbanded immediately before we see anything like this happen again.”

“It was the culture that was just as guilty for killing Terry Nichols as those officers,” Crump said.

Memphis City Councilman Frank Colvett said disbanding the unit was the right move.

“I think the smart move and the mayor is correct in shutting it down. These kinds of actions are not representative of the Memphis Police Department,” Colvett said.

Memphis City Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas also commended the move and said the case should give the city a chance to “dig deeper” into community and police relations.

“We saw a very peaceful and direct sense of protest in the city of Memphis, and I think it’s because maybe we do have faith and hope that the system is going to get it right this time,” Easter-Thomas said.

The officers charged in the encounter with Nichols – Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr. – are expected to be arraigned on February 17. They face charges of second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, among other counts.

The attorney for one of the officers indicted, Mills Jr., put out a statement Friday night saying that he didn’t cross lines “that others crossed” during the confrontation. The attorney, Blake Ballin, told CNN Mills was a “victim” of the system he worked within.”

Meanwhile, the fallout has also stretched to other agencies.

Two Memphis Fire Department employees who were part of Nichols’ initial care were relieved of duty, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. And two deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office have been put on leave pending an investigation.

Crump called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which passed the Democratic-controlled House in 2021 but not the evenly split Senate.

The Congressional Black Caucus is requesting a meeting with President Joe Biden this week to push for negotiations on police reform, caucus chair Steven Horsford wrote in a news release Sunday.

“The brutal beating of Tyre Nichols was murder and is a grim reminder that we still have a long way to go in solving systemic police violence in America,” he wrote.

Gloria Sweet-Love, the Tennessee State Conference NAACP President applauded Memphis Police Chief Davis for “doing the right thing,” by not waiting six months to a year to fire the officers who beat up Tyre Nichols.

She had no applause for Congress, who she called to action saying, “by failing to craft and pass bills to stop police brutality, you’re writing another Black man’s obituary. The blood of Black America is on your hands. So stand up and do something.”

On the state level, two Democratic state lawmakers in Tennessee said Saturday that they intend to file police reform legislation ahead of the Tennessee general assembly’s Tuesday filing deadline. The bills would seek to address mental health care for law enforcement officers, hiring, training, discipline practices and other topics, said Rep. G.A. Hardaway, who represents a portion of Memphis and Shelby County.

While Democrats hold the minority with 24 representatives compared to the Republican majority of 99 representatives, Rep. Joe Towns Jr. said this legislation is not partisan and should pass on both sides of the legislature.

“You would be hard-pressed to look at this footage (of Tyre Nichols) and see what happened to that young man, OK, and not want to do something. If a dog in this county was beaten like that, what the hell would happen?” Towns said.

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Protesters across the US decry police brutality after Tyre Nichols’ death

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Editor’s Note: This article contains graphic videos and descriptions of violence.



CNN
 — 

Protesters once again took to the streets over the weekend to decry police brutality after the release of video depicting the violent Memphis police beating that led to the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols.

Demonstrators marched through New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, among other cities across the nation on Saturday, raising signs bearing his name and calling for an end to abuses of authority.

In Memphis, at a makeshift memorial near the corner where Nichols was beaten, resident Kiara Hill expressed her disappointment and said the neighborhood was quiet and family oriented.

“To see the events unfold how they’ve unfolded, with this Tyre Nichols situation, is heartbreaking. I have a son,” Hill told CNN. “And Tyre, out of the officers on the scene, he was the calmest.”

Nichols could be heard yelling for his mother in the video of the January 7 encounter, which begins with a traffic stop and goes on to show officers repeatedly beating the young Black man with batons, punching him and kicking him – including at one point while his hands are restrained behind his back.

He was left slumped to the ground in handcuffs, and 23 minutes passed before a stretcher arrived at the scene. Nichols was eventually hospitalized and died three days later.

“All of these officers failed their oath,” Nichols’ family attorney Ben Crump told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday. “They failed their oath to protect and serve. Look at that video: Was anybody trying to protect and serve Tyre Nichols?”

Since Nichols’ death, the backlash has been relatively swift. The five Memphis officers involved in the beating – who are also Black – were fired and charged with murder and kidnapping in Nichols’ death. The unit they were part of was disbanded, and state lawmakers representing the Memphis area began planning police reform bills.

Crump said that the quick firing and arrests of the police officers and release of video should be a “blueprint” for how police brutality allegations are handled going forward. He applauded Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn Davis for arresting and charging the officers within 20 days.

“When you see police officers commit crimes against citizens, then we want you to act just as swiftly and show as the chief said, the community needs to see it, but we need to see it too when it’s White police officers,” Crump said.

– Source:
CNN
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These are the moments that led to Tyre Nichols’ death

The five former Memphis police officers involved in the arrest have been charged with second-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping, among other charges, according to the Shelby County district attorney.

The officers, identified as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., are expected to be arraigned February 17.

The attorney for one of the officers indicted, Mills Jr., put out a statement Friday night saying that he didn’t cross lines “that others crossed” during the confrontation.

All five officers were members of the now-scrapped SCORPION unit, Memphis police spokesperson Maj. Karen Rudolph told CNN on Saturday. The unit, launched in 2021, put officers into areas where police were tracking upticks in violent crime.

Memphis police announced Saturday that it will disband the unit, saying that “it is in the best interest of all to permanently deactivate the SCORPION Unit.”

But disbanding the unit without giving officers new training would be “putting lipstick on a pig,” city council chair Martavius Jones told CNN Saturday.

City council member Patrice Robinson also told CNN disbanding the unit does not go far enough in addressing issues within the agency.

“We have to fight the bad players in our community, and now we’ve got to fight our own police officers. That is deplorable,” Robinson said. “We’re going to have to do something.”

The fallout from the deadly encounter also stretched to other agencies involved.

Two Memphis Fire Department employees who were part of Nichols’ initial care were relieved of duty, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. And two deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office have been put on leave pending an investigation.

A pair of Democratic state lawmakers said Saturday that they intend to file police reform legislation ahead of the Tennessee General Assembly’s Tuesday filing deadline.

The bills will seek to address mental health care for law enforcement officers, hiring, training, discipline practices and other topics, said Rep. G.A. Hardaway, who represents a portion of Memphis and Shelby County.

Rep. Joe Towns Jr., who also represents a portion of Memphis, said legislation could pass through the state house as early as April or May.

While Democrats hold the minority with 24 representatives compared to the Republican majority of 99 representatives, Towns said this legislation is not partisan and should pass on both sides of the legislature.

“You would be hard-pressed to look at this footage (of Tyre Nichols) and see what happened to that young man, OK, and not want to do something. If a dog in this county was beaten like that, what the hell would happen?” Towns said.

– Source:
CNN
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‘There is no OK here’: Ex-NYPD official reacts to Memphis footage

By the time she saw her son, badly bruised and swollen in his hospital bed, Nichols’ mother says she knew he wasn’t going to make it.

“When I saw that, I knew my son was gone, the end,” RowVaughn Wells told CNN.

Through tears, the mother said the officers charged with her son’s death “brought shame to their own families. They brought shame to the Black community.”

“I don’t have my baby. I’ll never have my baby again,” she said. But she takes comfort in knowing her son was a good person, she said.

The 29-year-old was a father and also the baby of his family, the youngest of four children. He was a “good boy” who spent his Sundays doing laundry and getting ready for the week, his mother said.

Nichols loved being a father to his 4-year-old son, said his family.

“Everything he was trying to do was to better himself as a father for his 4-year-old son,” Crump said at the family’s news conference.

“He always said he was going to be famous one day. I didn’t know this is what he meant,” Wells said Friday.

A verified GoFundMe campaign started in memory of Tyre Nichols had raised more than $936,000 as of early Sunday morning. The online fundraiser was created by Nichols’ mother and reads in part: “My baby was just trying to make it home to be safe in my arms. Tyre was unarmed, nonthreatening, and respectful to police during the entire encounter!”

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Missing 5-month-old baby found alive after woman suspected of kidnapping him and his twin arrested in Indianapolis

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CNN
 — 

Kason Thomass, the 5-month-old baby who was kidnapped with his twin while inside a car that was stolen Monday, was found safe and alive in Indianapolis Thursday, just hours after the suspect was taken into custody, according to a statement from the Columbus Division of Police.

“The 5-month-old boy is in good health and being transported to a hospital to be checked out,” police said in a tweet. “We are grateful to the public for their help throughout this investigation, and for the tireless work of our officers and our many partner agencies.”

On Monday night, twins Kason and Kyair were inside a black 2010 Honda Accord that was left running outside a pizzeria on High Street in Columbus while their mother, Wilhelmina Thomass, was picking up a restaurant order while working as a DoorDash driver, CNN previously reported.

When she came out, the car was gone. Kyair was later found abandoned near the Dayton International Airport around 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, but Kason remained missing.

Suspect Nalah Jackson was arrested at approximately 2 p.m. Thursday by officers with the Indianapolis Metro Police Department (IMPD) after officials received several tips that she was in the area, said Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant during a news conference.

At the time of Jackson’s arrest, Kason was not found with her, Bryant said.

Later Thursday, Kason was found in the stolen Honda Accord and was wearing the same clothes he was described to be wearing on Monday, police said.

Jackson, 24, was charged with two felony counts of kidnapping.

Since Jackson crossed state lines, she will be facing federal charges, Bryant said.

“It will absolutely be a federal investigation,” she said.

A warrant for Jackson’s arrest was filed through the Franklin County Court, according to an online docket.

An Amber Alert went out for the twins at 1:37 a.m. Tuesday, officials said. Restaurant employees told police that a homeless woman exited the restaurant after the twins’ mother entered the restaurant. The individual was later caught on camera at a gas station where she asked an employee for money.

Officials do not believe there’s a connection between the twins’ family and the suspect.

Columbus Police Deputy Chief Smith Weir said during the Thursday news conference that officers have received “over three dozen tips” since Wednesday from throughout the state.

Late Thursday morning, the department’s hotline received several calls from people in Indiana who believed they spotted Jackson in Indianapolis and officers “implored” the witnesses to call 911. IMPD informed Columbus police around 2 p.m. that they had stopped an individual who they believed to be Jackson and both departments worked together to identify her before taking her into custody, Weir said.

“If you have any information regarding this crime or the whereabouts of this baby, please contact us as soon as possible,” Weir said, adding that three detectives from the Columbus Division of Police are traveling to Indianapolis to coordinate with IMPD and the FBI to further the investigation.

The FBI had offered a $10,000 award for the safe return of Kason, according to Bryant.

On Wednesday, family members and community leaders gathered to pray for the safe return of the child.

During the vigil, the twins’ grandmother, LaFonda Thomass, begged for the return of Kason.

“If you look at him and you see anything, see a precious child who’s longing for his mother,” she said. “We beg you, please, please, please do the right thing and just bring my baby home.”

First Assistant Chief of Police LaShanna Potts said during the vigil, “We are committed to finding baby Kason. We want Nalah to do the right thing. … We know she’s capable of doing it because she did release one baby.”

Barnett and other family members searched for Kason throughout the Dayton area on Tuesday, including at the gas station, she told CNN affiliate WSYX.

“I just miss my babies. I miss them being together and their smile,” she told WSYX.

She said she’s worried about her son’s safety and if he’s being fed.

“Kason, he loves eating and that’s why I’m so so worried. I know he’s flipping out. He eats so fast. He eats in 3-5 minutes,” Barnett said.

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FedEx driver charged in 7-year-old Athena Strand’s death delivered her Christmas present before abducting her, mother says

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CNN
 — 

The FedEx driver accused of kidnapping and killing 7-year-old Athena Strand delivered her Christmas present –Barbie dolls – before the girl’s disappearance, her mother said Thursday.

Maitlyn Gandy called for stricter screening policies for delivery drivers at a news conference.

On an easel beside her was the package, a box of “You can be anything” Barbie dolls. It was the first time she’d seen the present, she said.

“Athena was robbed (of) the opportunity to be anything she wanted to be,” a tearful Gandy said. “I was robbed of watching her grow up, by a man that everyone was supposed to be able to trust to do just one simple task – deliver a Christmas present and leave.”

Athena disappeared from the driveway of her home in Wise County, Texas, on November 30. After a county-wide search, her body was recovered Friday evening, according to Wise County Sheriff Lane Akin. Authorities believe she was killed within an hour of her alleged kidnapping, but her cause of death is still under investigation, Akin said Friday.

The suspect, identified by authorities as a contract driver for FedEx, is 31-year-old Tanner Lynn Horner, Akin said. He allegedly delivered a package to Athena’s father’s home when she disappeared, authorities said.

Horner is being held in Wise County jail on capital murder and aggravated kidnapping charges, according to its website. Bond was set at $1.5 million, Akin said. CNN has repeatedly tried to locate an attorney for Horner, to no avail.

Horner told investigators he had accidentally hit Athena as he was backing up his delivery truck and although she was not seriously injured, he panicked and put her in the van before allegedly killing her, according to two arrest warrants obtained by CNN affiliate KTVT.

According to the warrants, one issued for each charge, Horner told authorities that he strangled the child because “she was going to tell her father about being hit by the Fed Ex truck.”

Horner was tracked down by his employer, a subcontractor of FedEx, after authorities learned Athena went missing around the time a FedEx delivery was made to the home, according to the warrants. Surveillance video from the truck showed the child inside, talking to the driver, according to the warrants.

After he was questioned, Horner led investigators to the child’s body and surrendered without incident, according to a warrant.

Akin, the sheriff, did not respond to CNN’s messages Thursday afternoon.

Authorities said Horner did not know the family or the child, Akin previously said.

Gandy said her goal is to affect change in hiring policies “so that monsters wearing delivery uniforms don’t show up on our children’s doorsteps.”

Her attorney Benson Varghese said he is still in the “investigation phase” of Athena’s case. Varghese said his office has put people they “think might be responsible” on notice, asking them to preserve any evidence related to the investigation.

Varghese said he plans to hold any person or corporation accountable “whose actions or inactions could have prevented this little girl’s tragic death,” but said he is not in a rush to file a lawsuit.

“The ultimate goal here is to ensure that no parent, or grandparent, or family member feels the loss that Maitlyn’s going through right now,” Varghese said.

In a statement to CNN last week, FedEx expressed its sympathies and directed further questions to law enforcement.

“Words cannot describe our shock and sorrow at the reports surrounding this tragic event. First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family during this most difficult time, and we continue to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities,” the statement reads.

Earlier this week, several school districts across Texas wore pink in honor of Athena.

Gandy, who appeared at Thursday’s news conference sporting bright pink hair, said she was grateful for the community’s outpouring of love and support.

“I have felt your prayers, I have read your messages and your letters and I see your pink everywhere.”

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DNA match reunites missing daughter with her family after 51 years, family says

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CNN
 — 

A family in Fort Worth, Texas, has been reunited with their daughter who was kidnapped as a baby more than five decades ago thanks to a DNA match from the ancestry service 23andMe, the family announced Sunday.

Melissa Highsmith was just 22-months old in 1971 when she was allegedly abducted by a woman who was hired to babysit her, according to posts by the family over the years.

Highsmith – raised with the name Melanie – has lived in Fort Worth for much of her life, never knowing she was missing, according to CNN affiliate KTVT.

She had no idea her family was searching for her until they reached out to her through Facebook, she told the affiliate. At first, she thought the message may be a scam.

“My father texted me on messenger and he told me, ‘You know, I’ve been looking for my daughter for 51 years,’” Highsmith told KTVT.

The family found Highsmith through a DNA match with one her children on 23andMe, KTVT reported.

“The person that raised me, I asked her, ‘Is there anything you need to tell me?’ and it was confirmed that she knew that I was baby Melissa, so that just made it real,” Highsmith told the affiliate.

Highsmith’s parents reunited with her for the first time Saturday and did further “official and legal DNA testing,” the family wrote online.

“Although in the moment we saw her pictures, found out about her birthmark, and realized her ‘birthday’ is so close to our Melissa, WE KNEW beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was OUR GIRL,” the family added in a Facebook post announcing the news.

A profile of Highsmith’s case by the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System notes that the missing baby had a birthmark on her upper back. The report also includes a sketch of the alleged babysitter and age progression photos of Melissa.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” her mother, Alta Apantenco, told KTVT through tears, recalling the reunion. “I thought I would never see her again.”

“Our finding Melissa was purely because of DNA, not because of any police / FBI involvement, podcast involvement, or even our family’s own private investigations or speculations,” one of the Highsmith family members wrote on Facebook.

The Fort Worth Police Department was “overjoyed” that 23andMe led the family to Melissa, it said Monday in a statement, adding it would conduct official DNA testing to confirm Melissa’s identity.

The criminal statute of limitations expired 20 years after Melissa’s 18th birthday, but the department said it would continue the investigation to “uncover all of the available information concerning Melissa’s abduction that occurred 51 years ago.”

At the time of Highsmith’s disappearance, her mother said she put an ad in the paper looking for a babysitter to care for her baby while she worked, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

Apantenco said a woman responded to the ad, offering to watch Melissa at her home, the newspaper reported. When the woman arrived to pick up the baby, she said, Apantenco’s roommate was looking after the child. The roommate handed the baby to the woman, she told the paper, and the woman never returned.

The incident has always haunted Apantenco, who went on to have four more children, according to the Highsmith family.

“My mom did the best she could with the limited resources she had. She couldn’t risk getting fired. So, she trusted the person who said they’d care for her child,” Sharon Highsmith, Melissa’s younger sister, said in a news release. “For 50 years, my mom has lived with the guilt of losing Melissa. She’s also lived with community and nationwide accusations that she hurt or killed her own baby. I’m so glad we have Melissa back. I’m also grateful we have vindication for my mom.”

The family says they want others who are missing loved ones to keep believing.

“Never give up hope,” Sharon said. “Chase every lead.”

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David DePape: Suspect in Paul Pelosi attack told police he was on ‘suicide mission’

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Washington
CNN
 — 

Disturbing new details have emerged in the attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, including that the alleged assailant told police he was on a “suicide mission” and had a list of other prominent targets.

“This was not a random act of violence. This was not a random residential burglary. This is something that was specifically targeted,” San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Tuesday.

Here’s what we presently know about the attack.

The alleged suspect, David DePape, 42, told officers and medics at the scene that he was sick of the “level of lies” coming from Washington, DC, and “came here to have a little chat with [Pelosi’s] wife,” according to a Tuesday court filing.

“I didn’t really want to hurt him, but you know this was a suicide mission. I’m not going to stand here and do nothing even if it cost me my life,” DePape allegedly said.

DePape named several targets, according to the filing, including prominent state and federal politicians and their relatives.

Jenkins confirmed to CNN earlier Tuesday that authorities believe DePape had other “targets” besides the House speaker.

Asked by CNN’s Erin Burnett about the suspect’s alleged plans, Jenkins said that “there were other public officials that were apparently targets of his, and obviously he showed up at the speaker’s house first.” The case, Jenkins said, is still “very fresh” and she declined to give specific details of who had been a potential target.

DePape has been “cooperative” with police and “submitted to a lengthy interview” before obtaining representation through counsel, according to the district attorney.

US Capitol Police first learned of the break-in at the San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about 10 minutes after the incident when an officer noticed police lights and sirens on a live camera feed in the Capitol Police’s Washington, DC, command center, according to a source briefed on the attack.

CNN previously reported there may be video of the break-in that US Capitol Police and law enforcement could review as there are security cameras at the home, according to two law enforcement sources.

The San Francisco Police Department had stopped regularly posting a patrol car outside Pelosi’s house last year, according to two additional sources.

DePape entered a not guilty plea Tuesday to all state charges during his initial appearance in court.

He also waived his right to a hearing within 10 days at his arraignment in a San Francisco court room. Judge Diane Northway set a hearing for November 4 in San Francisco Superior Court to set a date for the preliminary hearing and bail setting.

DePape has been charged with a litany of crimes, including assault, attempted murder and attempted kidnapping, following last week’s break-in.

The attempted kidnapping charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. He has not yet entered a plea in federal court.

DePape’s attorney, Adam Lipson, said outside the courtroom, “There’s been a lot of speculation, a lot of rumor, simply based on the nature of this case. So I’m not going to add to all the speculation by talking about the facts of this case right now.”

“What I will say is that there’s been a lot of speculation regarding Mr. DePape’s vulnerability to misinformation and that’s certainly something we are going to look into, that we are going to delve into, as his defense team, but again it would be premature to talk about that at this time,” Lipson said.

US Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said Tuesday the agency has “engaged in a review” of the incident and said the current political climate calls for more resources for the physical safety of members of Congress.

“We believe today’s political climate calls for more resources to provide additional layers of physical security for Members of Congress,” Manger said in a written statement.

“This plan would include an emphasis on adding redundancies to the measures that are already in place for Congressional leadership. Hopefully you can understand that we cannot disclose the details about these improvements because our country cannot afford to make it easier for any potential bad actors,” he added.

Manger also said the Capitol Police has “worked diligently to investigate reported threats, improve intelligence collection and analysis, and strengthen our partnerships with law enforcement agencies across the country to provide security for Members when they are traveling outside Washington, DC.”

California Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren told CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Tuesday that lawmakers won’t be any safer “until we call out what is the root cause of this political violence.”

“The head of the RNC, Ronna McDaniel and also Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, expressed sadness for Paul Pelosi. But then went onto say ‘it’s really a product of crime – that’s the Democrats fault.’”

“That’s like saying Lee Harvey Oswald was connected with crime in Dallas or John Wilkes Booth was the result of a crime problem at Ford’s Theater. Not only is it ridiculous, it is part of the problem of dismissing what is causing this violence,” Lofgren said.

Just one day after releasing a tepid but grounded statement on the incident, former President Donald Trump fanned the flames of an unfounded conspiracy about the attack.

“It’s weird things going on in that household in the last couple of weeks,” Trump said. “You know, probably, you and I are better off not talking about it. The glass, it seems, was broken from the inside to the out and, you know, so, it wasn’t a break in, it was a break out,” the former President told conservative radio host Chris Stigall.

Trump went on to say that he’s “not a fan of Nancy Pelosi,” but that what happened was “very sad.” He added: “The whole thing is crazy. I mean, if there’s even a little bit of truth to what’s being said, it’s crazy. But the window was broken in and it was strange the cops were standing there practically from the moment it all took place.”

In the days following the attack, several prominent right-wing figures have floated conspiracy theories about the attack – including that Paul Pelosi and the intruder were gay lovers who had gotten into a fight.

The spurious theory traces back to an incorrect early news report and a handful of pieces of evidence that its proponents have spun wildly out of context. It runs entirely contrary to the explanation police and federal law enforcement have outlined.

“There is absolutely no evidence that Mr. Pelosi knew this man,” San Francisco Police Chief William Scott told CNN in an interview. “As a matter of fact, the evidence indicates the exact opposite.”

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David DePape: Paul Pelosi suspect charged with attempting to kidnap House speaker

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CNN
 — 

The man alleged to have attacked Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has been charged with assault and attempted kidnapping following last week’s break-in at the couple’s San Francisco home, the US attorney’s office announced on Monday.

David DePape, 42, was charged with one count of “attempted kidnapping of a US official,” according to the US attorney’s office for the Northern District of California. That charge relates to Nancy Pelosi, who DePape told police he planned to “hold hostage,” according to an FBI affidavit also unsealed on Monday.

The attempted kidnapping charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.

CNN has reported that DePape allegedly shouted “Where’s Nancy?” after breaking into their home.

DePape also was charged with one count of assault of an immediate family member of a US official with the intent to retaliate against the official. That charge relates to a crime allegedly committed against Paul Pelosi and carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

The federal charges against DePape are in addition to state charges that may also be announced on Monday.

CNN reported earlier Monday that Paul Pelosi was interviewed this weekend at the hospital by investigators and was able to provide details of the attack, according to two law enforcement sources and a source familiar with the matter.

Among those conducting the interview were FBI and local law enforcement investigators.

The court filing related to the federal charges against DePape reveal the most detailed account yet of Paul Pelosi’s 911 call while the incident was unfolding.

“Pelosi stated words to the effect of there is a male in the home and that the male is going to wait for Pelosi’s wife. Pelosi further conveyed that he does not know who the male is. The male said his name is David,” an FBI agent said in a sworn affidavit that was unsealed Monday.

Paul Pelosi called 911 at 2:23 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, and police arrived at his house eight minutes later, according to the affidavit unsealed Monday.

“When the door was opened, Pelosi and DePape were both holding a hammer with one hand and DePape had his other hand holding onto Pelosi’s forearm,” the affidavit said. “Pelosi greeted the officers. The officers asked them what was going on. DePape responded that everything was good. Officers then asked Pelosi and DePape to drop the hammer.”

At that moment, DePape allegedly pulled the hammer away and swung it, striking Paul Pelosi in the head. Pelosi “appeared to be unconscious on the ground” after the blow, the affidavit said.

Paul Pelosi was later taken to the hospital and underwent a “successful surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands,” according to a previous press release from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. They said they expect Paul Pelosi to make a full recovery.

CNN has previously reported that Pelosi managed to keep the line open with 911, the dispatcher could hear a conversation in the background, and that Pelosi was talking in code to help the authorities understand what was happening.

“DePape was prepared to detain and injure Speaker Pelosi when he entered the Pelosi residence in the early morning of October 28, 2022,” the FBI agent said in the affidavit. “DePape had zip ties, tape, rope, and at least one hammer with him that morning.”

DePape has not yet had any court appearances related to the attack.

According to the criminal complaint filed in court, DePape confessed in an interview with local police that he intended to find the House speaker and hold her hostage.

The FBI affidavit filed with the complaint said: “DePape stated that he was going to hold Nancy hostage and talk to her. If Nancy were to tell DePape the ‘truth,’ he would let her go, and if she ‘lied,’ he was going to break ‘her kneecaps.’”

“DePape was certain that Nancy would not have told the ‘truth,’” the FBI affidavit said.

The affidavit further stated DePape told police that Nancy Pelosi was the “leader of the pack” of lies promoted by the Democratic Party. DePape told police that other members of Congress would see that there are consequences to their actions when Pelosi, with broken kneecaps, would get “wheeled into” the House chamber, according to the affidavit.

The interview was conducted by the San Francisco Police Department on Friday, the day of the attack, according to court filings. DePape was read his Miranda rights before he spoke with the police and confessed to his intentions to kidnap the top-ranking House Democrat, according to the filings.

The federal charges unsealed Monday also further debunk a conspiracy theory about the Pelosi attack that was previously shared on Twitter by its billionaire owner Elon Musk.

The conspiracy theory claimed, among other things, that Paul Pelosi knew his attacker. Musk tweeted a link to an article promoting the theory on Sunday, though he later deleted it.

The FBI affidavit, unsealed Monday alongside the federal charges, says Pelosi told a 911 dispatcher during his call that “he does not know who the male is” that invaded his home.

Furthermore, the affidavit said San Francisco Police Department officers interviewed Pelosi in the ambulance on the way to hospital, and he said, “He had never seen (David) DePape before.”

Earlier on Monday, San Francisco Police Department chief William Scott told CNN’s Ana Cabrera that Paul Pelosi didn’t know the suspect. The police chief said the wave of conspiracies about the case were “baseless” and “damaging” to the ongoing investigation.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

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California’s Merced community is mourning the loss of 4 family members who were kidnapped and killed. 2 men have been arrested, police say

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CNN
 — 

A community in central California is grappling with the grief of losing an 8-month old baby, her parents and her uncle, who were kidnapped and killed earlier this week allegedly by a former employee of their family-owned business.

Residents attended vigils held this week in downtown Merced for baby Aroohi Dheri, parents Jasleen Kaur and Jasdeep Singh, and the child’s uncle, Amandeep Singh.

Relatives of the victims expressed their anguish and heartbreak at a vigil held Thursday night at Merced’s Bob Hart Square, CNN affiliate KCRA reported.

“Our family just lost four precious family souls,” said cousin Sukhdeep Singh at the vigil. “Now, we’re all shattered.”

Many people lit candles to honor the family and mourn their deaths, which authorities believe unfolded Monday after they were kidnapped at gunpoint from their trucking business in Merced.

After days of searching, the family’s bodies were recovered Wednesday evening from an orchard in Merced County on Wednesday after a farmer reported the remains to law enforcement.

Police say they have arrested two brothers in connection to the kidnappings and killings.

Jesus Manuel Salgado, who is a former employee of the family’s trucking business, was arrested on four counts of murder and four counts of kidnapping in the case, Merced County sheriff’s spokesperson Alexandra Britton said.

Alberto Salgado, his brother, was arrested on preliminary charges of criminal conspiracy, accessory, and destroying evidence in connection with the case, Britton told CNN Friday.

When Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke announced the recovery of the family’s bodies, he said that “there’s a special place in hell” for the perpetrator.

“The circumstances around this, when we are able to release everything, should anger the hell out of you,” Warnke said.

Both Salgado brothers have been booked at the Merced County Jail, the sheriff’s office said.

As of Friday, authorities haven’t disclosed how the family was killed and did not release a confirmed motive. CNN was not immediately able to identify attorneys for the Salgado brothers, and calls to family members have gone unanswered.

The armed abduction, which was recorded on the business’ surveillance cameras, has shaken the community of nearly 90,000 people. Support has been shown for the relatives and friends grieving the sudden loss of four members of the Sikh community who emigrated to the US from India seeking the American dream.

“They’re going to need our support, our help, and we ask the community to stay with us, help us, help them,” family friend Ranjeet Singh said at the vigil, according to KCRA.

The vigils, which began Thursday, will continue through the weekend to offer the community the opportunity to mourn openly together.

“We cannot adequately express our sorrow for the Singh family and friends who have lost their loves ones. No family should have to endure such a horrible tragedy.” the city said in a statement posted online. “Merced stands with the Sikh community.”

As the family of the victims mourn the loss of their loved ones, they are also remembering them as hard-working people who wanted to provide for their families.

Now they are asking those who can to contribute to a verified GoFundMe account to help the family get through their loss.

“As immigrants to America, they worked tirelessly for 18 years to achieve safety, security, and community for themselves and their families,” the GoFundMe page states. “Aman and Jasdeep were the primary bread earners for the family, supported their elderly parents, and lived under one roof.”

Amandeep Singh has left behind two children – ages 9 and 6 – along with his wife, Jaspreet Kaur.

“Aman was the rock of his family, a great dad who always made time to cuddle his son Ekam, read with his daughter Seerat, and treasure their many art projects and other accomplishments,” the GoFundMe page says.

A family member told CNN that Jasdeep and Amandeep Singh emigrated to the US from Punjab, India, in 2002 with their parents. As the family struggled to find employment, they slept in their car at one point, the relative said.

“They worked very, very hard to reach the point they did. They worked warehouse jobs, hourly jobs,” the family member told CNN.

Earlier this year, the family grew when Jasleen and Jasdeep became parents of Aroohi. Now, sorrow is settling in.

“There are different cycles of grief – it’s the shock; it sinks in. We go into the memories and if you see anything that reminds you of something, you burst into tears. If you see another person or other crying in the hall, you burst into tears,” the family member said.

Sheriff Warnke was visibly emotional and frustrated when he announced the deaths of the family Wednesday night.

“There are no words to describe the anger I feel and the senselessness of this incident,” Warnke said. “Horribly, horribly senseless what happened here.”

At the time, he also called for prosecutors to seek the death penalty against the suspect, noting officials have “a lot of circumstantial evidence and direct evidence.”

Authorities believe the family was killed where they were found at an orchard in Merced County not far from where they were kidnapped at their trucking business.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately release details about the accusations against Alberto Salgado, other than the charges on which he was being held.

Jesus Salgado, the primary suspect in the family’s case, was sentenced in 2007 to 11 years in prison for charges including first-degree robbery with use of a firearm and attempted false imprisonment, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Also in 2007, Jesus Salgado was sentenced for possession of a controlled substance, the corrections department said. He was released on parole in 2015 after finishing his sentence and completed parole in 2018, according to the department.

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California family: A man has been arrested in the kidnapping and killing of 4 family members in Merced. Here’s what we know

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CNN
 — 

A man arrested in connection with this week’s kidnapping and killings of four California family members – including a baby girl – used to work for the victims’ family business, a sheriff’s spokesperson says.

Jesus Manuel Salgado, 48, was formally arrested late Thursday on four counts of murder and four counts of kidnapping in the case, Merced County sheriff’s spokesperson Alexandra Britton said, though Salgado had been detained two days earlier.

Authorities say the family members – 8-month-old Aroohi Dheri, her parents Jasleen Kaur and Jasdeep Singh, and the child’s uncle, Amandeep Singh – were kidnapped from the family’s trucking business in the central California city of Merced on Monday, and parts of the kidnapping were captured on surveillance video.

On Wednesday, the bodies of the four were recovered from an orchard in Merced County after a farmworker alerted authorities to the remains.

As Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke announced the family’s bodies had been found Wednesday evening, he said “there’s a special place in hell” for the perpetrator.

“The circumstances around this, when we are able to release everything, should anger the hell out of you,” Warnke said.

Salgado was detained as a suspect in the case on Tuesday after his family told law enforcement he admitted to being involved in the kidnappings, authorities said.

Salgado used to work for the victims’ business, Merced County sheriff’s spokesperson Alexandra Britton told CNN Thursday. She did not provide details, including the position he’d held.

CNN has been unable to identify an attorney for Salgado and calls to family members have gone unanswered.

As the investigation continues into the motive behind the killings, here’s what we know about the case.

Surveillance footage released by authorities shows how all four family members were taken against their will from their workplace in Merced on Monday morning.

At 8:30 a.m Monday, the video shows Jasdeep Singh arriving at the business’ parking lot, followed by Amandeep Singh arriving nine minutes later.

Shortly before 9 a.m., Jasdeep encounters a man outside the business. The man carries a white trash bag and pulls out what appears to be a firearm, the video shows.

At around 9:11 a.m., the video shows that Jasdeep and Amandeep have their hands tied behind their backs and get into a truck, which leaves shortly after.

Minutes later, the vehicle returns to the parking lot and the man enters the business. The man exits with a gun in hand, leading away Jasleen Kaur as she holds 8-month-old Aroohi.

Investigators first learned the family was missing after a family vehicle was found abandoned and on fire Monday morning, authorities said.

Also Monday, a farmer found two of the victims’ cell phones on a road, authorities said. At one point, the farmer answered one of the phones and spoke with a relative of the victims.

Salgado served a lengthy prison sentence for a similar crime back in 2007. He was sentenced to 11 years behind bars for charges including first-degree robbery with use of a firearm and attempted false imprisonment, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Also in 2007, he was sentenced for possession of a controlled substance, the corrections department said. He was released on parole in 2015 after finishing his sentence and completed parole in 2018, according to the department.

Before police took him in on Tuesday – initially as a person of interest – Salgado attempted suicide and received medical treatment that caused him to be sedated because he was acting violently while conscious, Warnke said.

Officials believe Salgado is the main suspect in the case, but the sheriff stressed that others may be involved.

“I fully believe that we will uncover and find out that there was more than just him involved,” Warnke said Wednesday.

Salgado was talking to investigators, Warnke said, but didn’t elaborate on what information he may have shared.

“We got information from the suspect, we are going to keep that close to our chest at this point,” Warnke said.

Salgado has been booked at the Merced County Jail, the sheriff’s office said Thursday night.

Among the questions that remain unanswered is the motive behind the family’s killing.

“We have a whole family wiped out, and for what? We don’t know yet,” Warnke said Wednesday after the bodies were recovered.

Authorities have also not disclosed how the family died, but did reveal it appears they were killed where they were found, and the killings happened before the sheriff’s department was notified Monday that the family was missing.

A day after the family was kidnapped, authorities learned an ATM card belonging to one of the victims was used at a bank in Atwater, California, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Atwater is about nine miles northwest of Merced.

It is unclear whether Salgado is the person who used that card, according to Britton.

“Investigators obtained the surveillance photo of a subject making a bank transaction where the person is similar in appearance to the surveillance photo from the original kidnapping scene,” the sheriff’s office said earlier this week.

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