A Winter Haven man is facing nearly 50 felony charges after a California mother discovered disturbing messages on her seven-year-old daughter’s phone, triggering a cross-country investigation that led to an arrest this week. Alex Joel Melendez, 24, was taken into custody Thursday evening and charged with 49 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography. Police … Read more
A bid for viral attention ended in arrest Tuesday night after a Florida teenager allegedly attempted a “24-hour overnight challenge” inside a closed Walmart. Charlotte County deputies responded to the Walmart Supercenter on S. McCall Road shortly after 11 p.m. following reports of a burglary in progress. The caller told authorities a male was still … Read more
Maurice Berthal Spencer, 39, of Chicago Heights, Illinois, is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges after police say he drove while intoxicated and ran over his wife during an argument in Schererville. According to a probable cause affidavit, Schererville Police were called around 6:58 p.m. on January 13, 2026, to the area of 833 W. … Read more
A multi-vehicle crash closed a section of U.S. 30 in Merrillville Thursday evening, according to police. Merrillville Police said an officer observed the crash around 9:10 p.m. on January 15, 2026, at the intersection of U.S. 30 and Merrillville Road. The collision involved three vehicles, and all occupants suffered serious injuries. The Merrillville Fire Department … Read more
The West Virginia Board of Education has assumed control of Hancock County Schools after a deepening financial crisis raised alarms about the district’s ability to cover payroll and sustain daily operations. State Board President Paul Hardesty said conditions had worsened to the point that state intervention became unavoidable. “The situation is dire, so much so … Read more
A former West Virginia State University football player is facing prison time after prosecutors say he raped an Ohio University student. Andres Sebastian Sagastume, 23, of Chantilly, Virginia, was found guilty of rape following a four-day trial, according to the Athens County Prosecutor’s Office. Prosecutors said Sagastume sexually assaulted an Ohio University student he had … Read more
Authorities have made an arrest in a fraud investigation involving the Whittakers, a rural Raleigh County family that gained widespread attention on social media. John “Patrick” Roark, 47, was arrested Friday after an investigation that began in September into the alleged exploitation of members of the Whittaker family, according to a news release from the … Read more
An arrest has been made nearly 25 years after a Southern California woman disappeared after leaving for work and was later found dead in a remote area of Hesperia, authorities announced Friday. Suzanne Sites-Fenton was reported missing on April 14, 2001, after she left her home for a night shift at a Mervyn’s department store … Read more
A bicyclist was killed Friday afternoon after being struck by a Metro bus in South Los Angeles. According to Metro officials, the cyclist ran a red light at the intersection of Compton Avenue and East Imperial Highway in the Watts neighborhood around 4:30 p.m. The bicyclist then collided with a southbound Metro bus. The cyclist … Read more
Residents in the Santa Clarita Valley are voicing concern after authorities arrested a man accused of secretly recording videos under girls’ and women’s skirts at a local shopping mall using a camera hidden in his shoe. Investigators identified the suspect as Stephen Martin, 35, of Canyon Country. Surveillance footage reportedly captured Martin lingering inside the … Read more