Top Crime News provided by The NY Daily News©

• Teacher faces sex charges, became ‘obsessed’ with student
  A teacher from Pennsylvania faces sexual assault charges after engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a male student.
• Charlottesville attacker charged with five more felonies
  James Fields Jr. was charged with five new felonies Friday after he allegedly drove his car into counter-protesters in Charlottesville.
• Brooklyn stripper who left baby to die faces more assault charges
  A Brooklyn mom who left her baby girl to die in a house fire just made her situation worse.
• Houston law enforcement arrests more than 250 sex buyers
  More than 250 sex buyers and traffickers were arrested in Houston as part of a national initiative aimed at suppressing prostitution.
• Arsonist pours gas and lights up 99-year-old Bronx woman’s lawn
  An arsonist in a red Toyota set fire to a 99-year-old Bronx woman’s front lawn early Friday, police said.
• 'Jenny Jones' killer to be released from prison
  The Michigan man who shot and killed his best friend after the pal revealed he had a crush on him is expected to be released.
• Meek Mill walks without bail after he's charged in wheelie stunt
  Rapper Meek Mill walked out of court without bail Friday after his arrest for allegedly performing wheelies on a dirt bike.
• Face-eating murderer will not be put to death if convicted
  Austin Harrouff will not be given the death penalty if he’s convicted of murdering two people and eating their faces in 2016.
• Escaped inmate in Florida captured after woman texts 911
  After a nearly 24-hour manhunt, deputies in Florida now have escaped inmate Joshua Holmes in custody.
• Ala. police officer jailed for arriving late, drunk to court
  Order in the court!
• Ga. mom said she was too busy to report daughter’s molestation
  A Georgia mother knew her boyfriend sexually abused her young daughter but didn't report him because of her "hectic" schedule, police said.
• Ind. teen driving 107 mph, high on opiates in fatal crash
  Need for speed.
• Two dead, six wounded in Finland stabbing rampage
  "There was blood everywhere," Swede Kent Svensson said.
• Florida man jailed after surviving suicide pact with girlfriend
  A Florida man was behind bars after surviving a suicide pact he made with his girlfriend.
• Deandre Harris beaten by Charlottesville white supremacists
  A Charlottesville man who was attacked over the weekend by white supremacists has taken to social media to share photos of his wounds.
• Fla. woman may have to pay tolls racked up by car thief
  She just can't catch a break.
• Virginia woman jailed for putting Windex in office coffee maker
  A woman was sentenced to nearly four years in jail after she poured Windex into her office coffee machine in an effort to make her boss sick
• Drug executive, former escort indicted for $6M spending habits
  An Illinois drug company executive and a former escort were indicted on six counts of wire fraud this week.
• Rapper Meek Mill cuffed after wild dirt bike stunt in NYC
  Rapper Meek Mill was arrested on reckless endangerment charges after riding an illegal dirt bike and posting a clip of it on Instagram.
• Muslim NYPD cops honor families of Oregon men who defended teens
  The NYPD’S Muslim Officers Society on Thursday honored the families of three Oregon men who selflessly defended a pair of teens.

Top Crime News provided by TMZ

• Richard Simmons Provides List, Why I'm Not Transgender
  Richard Simmons broke out a list of reasons explaining why he's not transgender ... not that there's anything wrong with that. Simmons filed new legal docs in his defamation suit against the National Enquirer listing the reasons why the tabloid got… Permalink
• Robin Thicke and Paula Patton End Custody War
  Robin Thicke and Paula Patton just hammered out a custody deal for their 7-year-old son so the war is over.   According to legal docs filed in their custody case, Julian Fuego will split time between Robin and Paula. He gets Julian Monday… Permalink
• Madonna Doesn't Want Deposition in Tupac Letter Case Videotaped, Ex-Pal and Auction Site Fights Back
  Madonna's being a real diva about her deposition ... according to her ex-pal and the auction site she's suing to keep them from selling her jailhouse letter from Tupac. Madonna's set to be deposed in the case next week, and according to new legal docs,… Permalink
• Meek Mill Skates on Felony Charge After Arrest
  12:10 PM PT -- According to prosecutors, Meek was charged with two misdemeanors -- reckless endangerment and reckless driving. The judge released him on his own recognizance, but said he had to complete a driving improvement program before his next… Permalink
• Trey Songz Sentenced to Probation for Detroit Concert Freak-out
  Trey Songz got off pretty light after going crazy and tearing up a stage at his show in Detroit ... injuring a cop in the process. The singer pled guilty to 2 misdemeanor charges of disturbing the peace for destroying gear and throwing debris when his… Permalink
• Meek Mill Arrested and Charged For Recklessly Driving Motorcycle (UPDATE)
  9:02 PM PT -- Meek has been officially arrested and charged with reckless endangerment. He was picked up by NYPD at 10:16 PM Thursday after a 911 call was made on Wednesday by witnesses who saw a group of people popping wheelies and riding dangerously… Permalink
• Raiders' Sean Smith Arrested, Charged with Felony Assault
  Oakland Raiders cornerback Sean Smith -- who signed a $40 million contract last year -- was arrested Thursday and charged with felony assault, TMZ Sports has learned.  Officials say Smith attacked his sister's boyfriend on July 4 -- beat and stomped… Permalink
• 'Twin Peaks' Actor Jeremy Lindholm Arrested, Charged with Attempted Murder for Girlfriend Beating
  Actor Jeremy Lindholm -- who recently appeared on an episode of "Twin Peaks: The Return" -- is accused of viciously beating his girlfriend and trying to kill her ... and is facing an attempted murder charge. Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops in… Permalink
• The Roots Sued by Ex-Drummer for Back Royalties and Using His Pic
  The Roots are in the business of false advertising ... so claims its ex-drummer in a new lawsuit. Frank "Knuckles" Walker -- who joined the band in 2002 but was cut loose back in May -- says the band is promoting performances as if he's still with… Permalink
• Celebrity Lawyer Mark Kaplan, Divorce Client Claims Sexual Assault, Kaplan Calls BS
  Mark Vincent Kaplan -- who has repped the likes of Stephen Collins and Kevin Federline -- allegedly forced his tongue down a client's throat and repeatedly told her he needed to bang her to focus on her divorce case ... so she says in a new lawsuit,… Permalink
• Diddy Settles with Photog for Alleged Beatdown on New Year's Eve 2011
  Diddy handled some legal business with a paparazzo who claims the rapper's bodyguards jumped him ... but it took more than 5 years. Diddy finally settled with photographer Gustavo Garces who was allegedly attacked on New Year's Eve 2011 after… Permalink
• Ray J's Slapping 'Celebrity Big Brother' with Lawsuit
  Ray J's had it up to HERE trying to strike a settlement with "Celebrity Big Brother" for kicking him off the show ... so he's gonna sue to get the dough he says he's owed. Sources close to Ray J tell TMZ ... his legal team and the production company have… Permalink
• Tennis Star Victoria Azarenka: I Shouldn't Have to Choose Between Kids & Career
  Tennis superstar Victoria Azarenka -- one of the best players in the world -- has finally broken her silence on the custody war that could force her to miss the US Open ... saying it's unfair that she has to choose between her job and her kid. As we… Permalink
• Taylor Swift Butt Groper David Mueller, I Can't Get A Job!
  [[tmz:video id="0_36d85w5x"]] The ex-radio DJ who lost big in the Taylor Swift ass-grabbing trial is desperate for a gig in radio -- so much so ... he'll work for free. David Mueller says he's put plenty of feelers out, but so far no… Permalink
• NFL: Stop Shaming Ezekiel Elliott's Accuser!
  The NFL is calling out the NFL Player's Association ... saying the league has received tips that the NFLPA is going on a smear campaign against Ezekiel Elliott's accuser in an effort to exonerate the RB.  Multiple reports have surfaced in the past… Permalink
• Starfest Music Festival Sued for Failing to Pay Commission for Deadmau5 and Flo Rida Bookings
  There's a new upcoming music fest raising eyebrows in wake of the disastrous Fyre Festival ... and one man claims he's already been ripped off by it. Simon Perez says in a new lawsuit ... he was hired by the Starfest Music Festival -- scheduled… Permalink
• Corey Lewandowski Sued for Threatening Neighbors with Baseball Bat
  President Donald Trump's ex-campaign manager threatened his neighbors with a baseball bat and vaguely threatened to get the President involved ... this according to a new lawsuit. Corey Lewandowski -- the same guy infamously charged with misdemeanor… Permalink
• Rasheed Wallace: Zach Randolph Doesn't Sell Dope
  [[tmz:video id="0_gh6ru5pa"]] Rasheed Wallace says he knows "for a fact" Zach Randolph is no drug dealer -- despite getting busted with more than 2 pounds of weed ... telling TMZ Sports Z-Bo just knows how to throw a party. We spoke with Sheed about… Permalink
• DMX: I Need Out of House Arrest to Feed My Kids!!!
  DMX is losing his mind under house confinement -- because he's already asking a judge to let him out so he can support his fam. X's lawyer, Murray Richman, fired off a letter to a NY federal judge Monday asking that his client be allowed to travel… Permalink
• Charlottesville Car Attack Victims Sue James Alex Fields and Rally Organizers for $3 Million
  James Alex Fields Jr.'s victims are striking back with a huge lawsuit ... and they're going after more white nationalists they believe were responsible for the Charlottesville carnage. Tadrint and Micah Washington have filed suit against Fields, as well… Permalink

Top Crime News provided by The LA Times©

• Dark Web drug network operated from gated community in Altadena, feds say
  A group of Southern Californians have been accused of operating a multimillion-dollar drug distribution network on the dark Web from a gated community in Altadena, federal prosecutors said. In an indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of California on Thursday, authorities charged William...
• Far-right activist faces criminal charges in Berkeley violence caught on video
  Five months after the so-called Battle of Berkeley began, Alameda County prosecutors are pressing charges against those accused of causing the violent clashes between far-right and far-left demonstrators. The latest charged were filed this week against Kyle Chapman, an extreme-right organizer who...
• Pasadena police's handling of drug overdose in USC dean's hotel room sparks debate
  Facing criticism over his department’s handling of a drug overdose involving the then-dean of USC’s medical school, Pasadena’s police chief this week issued a directive reminding officers they must promptly file reports on overdose investigations. Chief Phillip L. Sanchez made the move while acknowledging...
• Sacramento police release video of controversial encounter with pregnant woman
  Sacramento police on Thursday released body-camera images from a controversial encounter last month in which an officer grabbed the arm of a pregnant woman who moments later fell to the ground. The department released a statement saying officials decided to post the dramatic and, at times, profane...
• L.A. federal judge tosses lawsuit over fatal 2008 shooting by off-duty deputy U.S. marshal
  A federal judge on Thursday threw out a wrongful-death lawsuit filed by the mother of a 26-year old man fatally shot by a deputy U.S. marshal in a Fairfax-area alley in 2008. Alice Smithen brought the civil suit against the federal government in 2009, but it was put on hold as former Deputy Matthew...
• Murrieta couple charged with torturing 5-year-old boy until he went into a coma
  A Murrieta father and his girlfriend have been charged with torturing the man’s 5-year-old son until he slipped into a coma, Riverside County prosecutors announced Thursday.The father, Benjamin Whitten, and his live-in girlfriend, Jeryn Johnson, were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of torture, child...
• Man allegedly armed with handgun is shot and killed by deputies in Watts
  Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a man believed to be armed with a handgun in the Nickerson Gardens housing project in Watts on Wednesday night.The shooting occurred around 7:17 p.m shortly after the man led deputies on a foot chase into the housing development, sheriff’s officials...
• Essential California: Confederate monuments in California come down
  Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday, Aug. 17, and here’s what’s happening across California: TOP STORIES They’re coming down Memorials honoring Confederate icons and history are falling like dominoes across California and the country in the aftermath...
• Northern California pushes back as white nationalists plan rallies
  Officials in Northern California are pushing back against planned rallies in the region this month that they say will attract white nationalists. The Bay Area, long a hotbed for political activism, has been the site of violent clashes between right-wing and left-wing protesters since President...
• Third woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Roman Polanski when she was a teen
  For years, the victim at the center of Roman Polanski’s sexual assault case has urged Los Angeles authorities to end the drawn-out legal saga, for her sake and for the sake of the movie director.But when Samantha Geimer spoke sympathetically this year about Polanski before a scrum of reporters...
• Homeless man tackles carjacking suspect who was impersonating a police officer, authorities say
  A carjacker who authorities say carried a fake badge and impersonated a police officer was arrested after a homeless man chased and tackled him, the L.A. Sheriff's Department said.
• Man attempted to sexually assault woman in Van Nuys while witnesses did nothing, police say
  Los Angeles police are searching for a man who tried to sexually assault a woman outside her Van Nuys apartment while people walked by and cars slowed down without intervening, authorities said. At about 5:45 a.m. Saturday, the woman was walking to her apartment in the 14000 block of Vanowen Street...
• County approves a new panel to study criminal justice reform: What's the impact of downgrading felonies and releasing inmates early?
  Michael C. Mejia violated his probation several times in the 10 months after he was released from Pelican Bay State Prison in April 2016. Then, on Feb. 20, authorities say, Mejia gunned down his cousin, followed by the fatal shooting of Whittier police Officer Keith Boyer hours later. He has been...
• Three charged in shooting death of 12-year-old Victorville girl
  Three people were charged Tuesday with murder in the fatal shooting of a 12-year-old girl who was the victim of an ongoing dispute between the suspects and her mother, according to the San Bernardino County district attorney. Anthony Pitts, 26, of Adelanto; Reyna Mercado, 28, of San Bernardino;...
• Homicide detectives probe man's overdose death at the home of prominent L.A. Democratic donor Ed Buck
  Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal drug overdose of a 26-year-old man at the West Hollywood home of prominent Democratic donor Ed Buck. Sheriff Jim McDonnell said Monday that while coroner’s officials ruled Gemmel Moore’s July...
• 70-year-old man killed after getting struck by boat propeller in Newport Beach, authorities say
  A 70-year-old man was killed Sunday afternoon after he was struck by a boat propeller while swimming in Newport Beach, officials said.A group of friends, including the man, had taken the boat about a half-mile from the harbor when some entered the water, said Orange County Sheriff’s Sgt. Neil Hove....
• In all of California, there is only one all-female city council. You'll never guess where
  Everywhere in Blue Lake, a tiny Humboldt County town nestled between redwood ridges on the Mad River, people had the same reaction when told theirs is the only all-female city council California. “Wow, that’s amazing,” said Kate Martin, a Brooklyn native and owner of the town’s principal watering...
• A lawyer who has been a defender of USC now must investigate the dean scandal. But can she be impartial?
  Debra Wong Yang is used to taking on headline-grabbing scandals. She was one of five attorneys New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hired to examine his involvement in a scandal over closing lanes of the George Washington Bridge to punish a political rival. After the investigation cleared Christie, a...
• Reserve sheriff's deputy dies during World Police and Fire Games
  A reserve deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department died Friday during a mountain bike race at the World Police and Fire Games, authorities said. Jacob Castroll, 67, a reserve at the Malibu/Lost Hills station since July 2010, was found unresponsive on the Castaic bike course and taken...
• Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection employee charged in LAX sexual assault case
  A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialist has been charged with sexually assaulting an employee at Los Angeles International Airport, prosecutors said. Kanwar Dhaliwal, 36, is facing three felony charges for sexual assault-related offenses in connection with the 2014 incident,...
• Woman says ICE agent pulled gun on her in freeway road rage incident
  An apparent case of road rage prompted a federal agent to point a gun at a woman as she was driving on Interstate 15 with her 2-year-old son in the back seat, the woman said. California Highway Patrol officers investigating the July 6 incident identified the man involved as a plainclothes U.S....
• Two killed in separate shootings in Compton
  Detectives are searching for suspects after two people were killed and two more were injured in Compton shootings this week, authorities said. Around 12:16 a.m. Friday a 42-year-old man was shot and killed on the 15600 block of Visalia Avenue, said Deputy Ryan Rouzan, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s...
• Muslim woman awarded $85,000 after her hijab was forcibly removed by Long Beach police officer
  The city of Long Beach has agreed to pay $85,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a Muslim woman whose hijab was pulled off by a male officer while she was in police custody. The settlement, approved Tuesday, concludes the legal battle undertaken by Kirsty Powell, an African American Muslim....
• Man charged with murdering brother of L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas in 1981
  Authorities have arrested and charged a man accused of killing the brother of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas 36 years ago in South L.A., officials said. Michael Anthony Locklin, 61, was charged last week with the 1981 murder of Michael Thomas, according to a felony complaint filed...
• In closing arguments, Seal Beach killer's attorney blasts use of O.C. jail informant
  In closing arguments Thursday, attorneys for a former tugboat captain who pleaded guilty to murdering eight people at a Seal Beach salon in 2011 slammed prosecutors for what they called “incredible” deception — saying there is not enough evidence to move forward with a penalty phase to decide whether...