America Today Staff 
A Hammond man, 31-year-old Joshua Ojeda-Rivera, faces multiple felony charges after a violent altercation at the FairBridge Inn on Louisiana Street left another man hospitalized in Chicago. Police were notified early on December 6, 2025, when a stabbing victim arrived at Southlake Methodist Hospital with Ojeda-Rivera in the vehicle. Hospital staff reported that the incident … Read more
An Illinois couple has been charged and released after detectives discovered the remains of an infant girl buried in a beer box in a Wilmington backyard. The investigation began on Thursday, December 4, when the Will County Sheriff’s Office received a tip about a possible unreported burial on the 1900 block of Roberts Road. Sources … Read more
Authorities say a shocking incident at a rural auction house ended in an arrest after a Mississippi man allegedly tried to purchase a 10-month-old infant from her mother. Howell Gene Penton, 73, of Picayune, Mississippi, is in custody at the Washington Parish Jail, facing a felony charge of sale of minor children following a joint … Read more
Florida prosecutors announced they will seek the death penalty for 27-year-old John Henry Walston Jr., accused of sexually assaulting a child, killing two minors, and setting their home on fire to cover the crime. Walston faces multiple charges stemming from a November incident on Flaxman Street. An Escambia County grand jury indicted him on two … Read more
A quiet Thanksgiving in Mesa, Arizona, turned into a bloody crime scene after a woman allegedly called 911 to report she had just slashed her boyfriend’s throat, describing the attack as her personal “Independence Day.” Tamala Rudeseal, 52, is facing attempted murder charges following the incident, which occurred just after 8 p.m. Court documents state … Read more
Michigan City residents can now ride public transit for free. The Michigan City Zero-Fare Transit System began offering fare-free rides on Dec. 1, city officials announced. The Michigan City Board of Public Works & Safety approved the policy on Nov. 17, eliminating all passenger fares. Transit Director Robin Barzoni-Tillman said the initiative reflects Mayor Angie … Read more
A 26-year-old man was shot during an armed robbery Sunday afternoon in the South Shore neighborhood, police said. Chicago police reported that around 1:15 p.m., the victim was walking in the alley in the 2600 block of East 79th Street when two men approached him on foot and demanded his belongings. During the encounter, one … Read more
Chicago police have charged a man they say fatally shot and dismembered a 68-year-old man before setting a West Side residence on fire in March. Deparris Slaughter, 32, of Munster, Indiana, was arrested Saturday by the Area 4 Homicide Investigation Support Team in the 13800 block of South Brainard Avenue in Burnham, Illinois. Slaughter faces … Read more
Two Illinois men, Xu Zilong, 50, and Wu Chenguin, 51, were taken into federal custody after Schererville police caught them siphoning waste cooking oil behind Social 219 Bar & Grill in the early hours of November 13, 2025. Police reported that an officer first noticed a white box truck near U.S. Highway 30 around 12:05 … Read more
A Lake County jury has found Dennis Jelks, 60, guilty of murdering his domestic partner, the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office announced Friday. Court evidence showed Jelks engaged in repeated acts of domestic battery that escalated with a deadly weapon, ultimately causing serious injury and death. The jury returned a guilty verdict for murder with a … Read more