Estrella Carrera had gotten married only a few days before to the father of her son. On Saturday, her family began to worry when she failed to pick up her 2-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter. They called the police.
]]> When police visited Carrera’s apartment in Burbank, they found her in a dry bathtub dead from stab wounds. She was still wearing her wedding dress.Carrera had just been married to the father of her son on Friday, but told few people about the wedding. Though the wedding was a private affair, Carrera reportedly rented a party bus and invited friends and relatives to celebrate on Friday night. Carrera’s relatives last saw her at around 2 a.m. on Saturday.
According to relatives, 26-year-old Carrera and the man had been dating on-and-off for around three years. Police believe that the killing was over a domestic dispute, but they have not yet charged the man with a crime.
Generally, homicide is defined as the killing of one person by another. It encompasses a broad range of crimes from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter.
While first-degree murder is a willful, premeditated killing, voluntary manslaughter generally applies to “crimes of passion” in which a killing is not premeditated but rather occurs in the heat of the moment. As authorities have not released any details about Carrera’s death, it’s unclear which form of homicide applies.
On Monday, friends and family of Estrella Carrera gathered at her father’s home to grieve for her. ”She was a beautiful mother, person, sister,” Carrera’s cousin, Sandy Lopez, said
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William Balfour was convicted on all counts of first-degree murder, home invasion, armed robbery, and kidnapping. He’s facing a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
]]> According to jurors, the jury was split 9-3 only hours before announcing its verdict on Friday afternoon. Juror Paula Holcomb said that “some people were able to piece it together faster than others.”Another juror cited Balfour’s cellphone records as the key piece of evidence in her decision. According to the juror, expert testimony about the cellphone records along with the records themselves made it clear to the jury that “he could not be in two places at once,” thereby discrediting his alibi.
In the past, first-degree murder was punishable by the death penalty or life imprisonment in Illinois. In May 2011, however, Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law abolishing capital punishment in the state.
Under Illinois law, a court must sentence to life in prison without parole any person convicted of first-degree murder who killed “more than one person, or a person under the age of 12, if the murderer was at least 17 years old at the time. As Balfour has been convicted of killing three people, one of whom was younger than 12, it’s likely that he’ll be sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murders.
William Balfour’s attorney, Amy Thompson, plans to file a motion for a new trial on June 8, and will be appealing the decision. “We do have hope,” Thompson said. “It has always been our position and it still is that William Balfour is innocent of these murders.”
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Sameera Samreen initially told police that two masked intruders entered her apartment and attacked her and her son. However, when police questioned Samreen’s son, he had a different story to tell.
]]> According to authorities, Samreen had been acting strangely in the days leading up to the incident. On March 30, Samreen was arrested for shoplifting. She also reportedly told friends that she was upset that her ex-husband was getting remarried and missed her family.On March 31, Samreen allegedly slashed her own throat and wrists with a seven-inch kitchen knife. She then placed her son in her lap and slit the boy’s throat, leaving a 2-1/2 inch long neck wound, according to authorities.
When the boy began to cry, Samreen texted a friend, who notified the police. After her son told investigators that his mother had inflicted his wound, Samreen admitted that the intruder story was a fabrication and told police the details of what occurred. She’s been charged with attempted murder and armed violence.
Under Illinois’ criminal code, a person commits attempt when he or she does any act that constitutes a substantial step toward the commission of an offense with the intent that the offense be committed. Attempt to commit first-degree murder is punished as a Class X felony in Illinois. If convicted of attempted murder, Samreen is facing a minimum prison term of 10 years.
According to Sameera Samreen’s attorney, David Camic, the woman may suffer from mental illness. “We’re going to explore whether there was any mental illness that might have contributed,” Camic said.
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According to the Cook County state's attorney's office, many other patients of 53-year-old Ricardo Arze have reported similar experiences. Arze is also facing a separate charge for practicing medicine after his license had been suspended.
]]> In 2005, the 48-year-old victim visited Arze’s office after experiencing flu-like symptoms. During her examination, the victim was reportedly sexually assaulted. The patient later reported the incident to the authorities and testified through a translator at the trial.An investigation uncovered many other patients who shared similar experiences. Police first charged Arze with battery in 2007, after he allegedly fondled one of his patients. Prosecutors have filed charges regarding 15 other victims who claim to have been sexually assaulted or inappropriately touched by Arze.
Under Illinois’ criminal code, a person commits criminal sexual assault if he commits an act of sexual penetration through the use of force, knowing that the victim is unable to understand the nature of the act or is unable to give knowing consent, or while holding a position of trust or authority in relation to the victim. As a physician, Arze likely held a position of trust or authority over his patients that he reportedly exploited. Criminal sexual assault is a Class 1 felony.
Ricardo Arze is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4 for the sexual assault conviction. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
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The group, which is also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob, is probably most famous for its former leader, Al Capone. Frank J. Calabrese Sr. and James Marcello appealed their convictions, arguing that double jeopardy barred them from being indicted for the RICO violations, since they had been indicted for similar crimes in the past. The court did not agree.
]]> According to the decision, Calabrese was the boss of the Calabrese Street Crew, and Marcello belonged to the Melrose Park Crew. Prior to the 2007 indictment, both men had served time in prison for crimes including racketeering and conspiracy. In their appeals, both Calabrese and Marcello argued that the crimes involved in the current indictments and the past indictments overlap, and should, therefore, be barred under the principle of double jeopardy.The double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment protects individuals from being prosecuted or punished more than once for a single offense. This means that a defendant cannot be tried more than once for the same charges or facts, if the prior trial ended in a legitimate acquittal or conviction. Double jeopardy ensures that people won't be punished over and over again for the same crime.
The court held that double jeopardy does not apply, stating that the early indictments were for the men's work on street crews, while their current indictments were for work the men did for the Chicago Outfit.
"The present indictment and the evidence presented at trial to prove its allegations, concerns conspiracies involving Calabrese and Marcello in their capacity as outfit members, not as street crew members," Judge Richard Posner wrote. "In particular, they conspired to commit murder, and did commit murder, as members of the outfit, not as members of street crews."
Judge Diane Wood wrote a partial dissenting opinion, in which she stated that Frank J. Calabrese Sr. and James Marcello had a viable double jeopardy claim. "[The prior] prosecutions covered the period from 1978 to 1992 for Calabrese and from 1979 to 1990 for Marcello," Wood wrote. "The current prosecution entirely subsumes the span of those conspiracies."
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Balfour, Hudson’s former brother-in-law, has been accused of murdering three of the singer’s family members in 2008. Brittany Acoff Howard, a friend of Balfour’s, testified that the man asked her to provide authorities with an alibi for Balfour if they questioned her in connection with the murders.
]]> While on the stand on Wednesday, 21-year-old Acoff Howard testified that she called Balfour after she had heard rumors that Jason Hudson had been hurt or killed. Balfour allegedly claimed that he wasn’t aware of the rumors. He then reportedly called back and requested that she cover for him if questioned.“He asked you to lie for him didn’t he?” Cook County prosecutor James McKay asked her. Acoff Howard answered, “Yes.”
“He told me that if anybody asks you, I’ve been out west all day,” Acoff Howard said. According to testimony, Balfour apparently believed that Acoff Howard would cover for him, since he paid for her prom dress and treated her like a little sister.
Under Illinois’ criminal code, a person obstructs justice when, possessing knowledge material to the subject at issue, he leaves the state or conceals himself with the intent to prevent the apprehension or obstruct the prosecution of any person. Had Acoff Howard concealed the information about Balfour’s alleged attempt to fabricate an alibi in order to protect him, she could have been charged with obstruction of justice.
In addition to Brittany Acoff Howard’s damning testimony, an expert testified on Wednesday that a steering wheel cover in William Balfour’s car tested positive for gunshot residue.
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Analise J. Garner has been charged with animal cruelty, domestic battery, and underage drinking. At around 4 a.m. on Sunday, police were called to 19-year-old Garner’s residence after receiving reports of screaming and pounding coming from the home.
]]> After returning home drunk in the early morning hours, Garner allegedly began fighting with her mother. According to police, Garner hit and scratched her 37-year-old mother in the face and hit her in the right hand.Garner then set her sights on the family’s 80-pound English bulldog, police said. The dog had three bite marks on its back. According to police, the puncture wounds were visible against the dog’s white coat.
Apparently, the bulldog had enough. “The bulldog finally did bite her back in self-defense,” Sgt. Mike Smith said. “There were no charges against the dog.” Garner received medical attention for the dog bite, and the incident was reported to the town’s animal control department.
Under Illinois’ Humane Care for Animals Act, it’s illegal for a person or owner to beat, cruelly treat, torment, starve, overwork, or otherwise abuse any animal. A person convicted of animal cruelty under the act is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. Any subsequent violation of the act is a Class 4 felony. If the allegations are true that Garner punctured the dog’s skin with her biting, she will likely be convicted of the animal cruelty charges.
Analise J. Garner has been released on $3,000 bail. She has a court date scheduled for May 23. Hopefully, her English bulldog’s defensive bite won’t warrant any action by the animal control department.
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At around 2:30 a.m., police responded to a report of a burglary of an electronics store on Western Avenue. After police spotted three men in the store, they announced their presence, knocked on the doors, and tried to get the suspects to surrender. The suspects, however, weren’t willing to give up that easy.
]]> The suspects got into a car belonging to the owner of the store that was parked within the building. They then reportedly drove the car straight through a metal door, swerving into an officer and a squad car outside.According to police, the suspects then drove straight toward several officers. The officers opened fire on the car, killing one man and wounding the two others. The two wounded suspects and the injured officer were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Police found stolen electronics and other goods inside the car.
Under Illinois’ criminal code, a person commits burglary when he enters a structure, motor vehicle, aircraft, or watercraft without permission with the intent to commit a felony or theft. Burglary is a Class 2 felony, unless it’s committed in a day care center or child care facility. In that case, it’s a Class 1 felony. The surviving suspects will likely be charged with robbery because they reportedly entered the electronics store without authorization with the intent to commit larceny.
“You’d think (the suspects have) been watching the movies because they think they can drive through an iron door and still manage to get away when the police are telling them to give it up,” Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police, said. The Independent Police Review Authority has opened an investigation into the shooting of the burglary suspects.
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Police arrested 18-year-old Alton L. Hayes after he and a 15-year-old boy allegedly assaulted a 19-year-old white male out of anger over the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Hayes has been charged with a hate crime, aggravated battery, and attempted robbery, the Chicago Tribune reports.
]]> At around 1 a.m. on April 17, Hayes and the 15-year-old followed a 19-year-old man on North Kenilworth Avenue, according to police. Hayes reportedly grabbed the man from behind, pressed him up against a tree, and hit him multiple times in the head and shoulders. The 15-year-old reportedly held a tree branch to the man and demanded that he hand over his possessions. Hayes then allegedly reached into the victim’s pockets.Police apprehended the alleged assailants a few blocks away. “During the course of the investigation, we learned that the crime was related to the victim’s race,” Oak Park Police Commander LaDon Reynolds said. According to police, both suspects are black and the victim is white. Hayes told investigators that he was upset about the Martin shooting and singled the victim out because of his race, state’s attorney spokesman Andy Conklin said recently.
Under Illinois’ hate crime law, a person may be charged with a hate crime when he commits assault, battery, aggravated assault, criminal trespass to residence, or several other crimes based on the victim’s actual or perceived race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin. Hayes is accused of committing aggravated battery by reason of his victim’s race. A hate crime is a Class 4 felony for a first offense and a Class 2 felony for any subsequent offenses.
Alton L. Hayes is currently being held on $80,000 bail for the Trayvon Martin-inspired attack. His 15-year-old alleged accomplice has been charged with attempted robbery.
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Hudson’s former brother-in-law is currently on trial for the 2008 murders of the singer’s mother, brother, and nephew. On Wednesday, the trial focused on the murder of Julian King, Hudson’s 7-year-old nephew.
]]> According to prosecutors, King was taken from the Hudson family home, after his grandmother, Darnell Donerson, and his uncle, Jason Hudson, had been killed. He was then driven to the West Side in the back of Jason Hudson’s stolen SUV and shot.Prosecutors showed the jury autopsy photos of the boy. Cook County Deputy Medical Examiner Mitra Kalekar told the jury that King was shot twice in the back of the head, while laying face down in the back of the SUV. According to Kalekar, the boy had probably been dead between 36 and 72 hours when his body was found, based on the body’s level of decomposition.
This figure will be of the utmost importance in the trial, since Balfour was arrested the day of the shootings. If King had been killed 72 hours before his body was found, Balfour could have been the killer. However, if the boy had died only 36 hours before being found, Balfour could not have been the killer, as he was in police custody at the time.
Balfour has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder. Under Illinois’ criminal code, a person who kills another is guilty of first-degree murder if he intended to kill the individual or inflict great bodily harm, he knew that his acts created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm, or the death occurred while the person was committing a dangerous felony. Up until July 2011, a person convicted of first-degree murder in Illinois could be sentenced to death. However, under the current law, it’s punishable by 20 years to life in prison.
Lonnie Simpson, Jennifer Hudson’s half-brother and bodyguard, testified on Tuesday that both Jason Hudson and William Balfour were drug dealers. After Judge Charles Burns called for a break, Hudson left the courtroom and didn’t return for the rest of Tuesday’s session.
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In December of last year, Dukes was found guilty of murdering 46-year-old Marilyn Williams and Bridget Canaday, the daughter of Dukes’ ex-girlfriend, Lucy Rhynes. Canaday was raped and strangled. Williams was beaten and suffocated.
]]> The investigation into the murders was stalled for over a decade amid allegations of police corruption and sloppy investigative work. Eventually, in 1998, Marko Tomazovich, Dukes’ alleged accomplice, was arrested on unrelated charges.Tomazovich told police that he and Dukes had gone to Williams’ house to borrow money. When it turned out they she had less than they wanted, they killed Williams and Canaday, according to Tomazovich, reports the Chicago Tribune. In 2004, police arrested Dukes.
At Dukes’ trial, prosecutors presented DNA evidence from hairs found on the bed where Canaday was raped. The DNA from the hairs was a partial match to Dukes. In addition, a Chicago police sergeant testified that Dukes had confessed to the murders after his arrest.
Under the Illinois Criminal Code, a person is guilty of first-degree murder if in causing the death of another person “he either intends to kill or do great bodily harm to that individual or another, he knows that such acts create a strong probability of death or great bodily harm…[or] he is attempting or committing a forcible felony.”
In sentencing an individual who’s been convicted of first-degree murder, the court considers whether the defendant had a history of violent behavior, whether the defendant was previously subjected to mental or physical abuse, and whether the defendant was under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance at the time the murder was committed.
Shortly after William Dukes was charged with the murders of Marilyn Williams and Bridget Canaday, Marko Tomazovich entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. Tomazovich pleaded guilty to only home invasion, and prosecutors dropped the murder and sexual assault charges in exchange for Tomazovich’s cooperation.
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In September of 2010, undercover FBI officers supplied the Hassoun with a backpack that he believed contained a powerful bomb. Hassoun then reportedly placed the backpack in a trash can near Wrigley Field.
Hassoun first came to the FBI’s attention after he reportedly told an unnamed source that he hoped to create “political instability” in Chicago through violent action. The FBI then set up a sting operation.
]]> Undercover agents repeatedly gave Hassoun the option to back out of the proposed bombing, but Hassoun refused, according to Assistant U.S. Atty. Joel Hammersmith. He also reportedly expressed to undercover agents his ideas to kill Chicago police with car bombs and target civil and political institutions on several occasions.On Sept. 18, 2010, undercover agents gave Hassoun a backpack they said contained a bomb. At around midnight, Hassoun dropped the backpack inside a trash can close to the ballpark.
The FBI’s complaint against Hassoun alleged violations of two federal laws. In the first count, Hassoun was accused of violating a federal WMD law by attempting “to use a weapon of mass destruction against” people and property in the U.S. In the second count, he was accused of violating a federal explosives law by attempting to destroy property with an explosive device.
Sami Samir Hassoun’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 15. He may be sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for his attempted bombing near Wrigley Field.
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In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration recalled Queso Chincho de Guerrero, a hard cheese produced by Quesos Sabrosos Mexicanos. The FDA determined that the cheese contained salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria.
]]> More than 110,000 pounds of the contaminated Mexican cheese was shipped out in 2007, according to the Sun-Times. The cheese was distributed in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Georgia, and Texas retail stores. The FDA has accused the four men arrested of distributing the tainted Mexican cheese in violation of an FDA order requiring the cheese be held for inspection.On Thursday, Baldemar Zurita was arrested in Chicago and charged with conspiracy to distribute the recalled cheese. Guadalupe Zurita, Baldemar’s brother and owner of Quesos Sabrosos Mexicanos, was also charged. The government has issued a warrant for Zurita, who lives in Villahermosa, Mexico.
Miguel Leal, owner and president of Mexican Cheese Producers, and Cynthia Gutierrez, finance and operations manager of Mexican Cheese Producers, were also charged. They’re accused of lying to FDA inspectors and sending false documents to the agency.
A criminal conspiracy arises when two or more individuals agree to commit an illegal act, then take some action in furtherance of their illegal goal. While the act itself doesn’t have to be a crime, it must demonstrate that the people involved in the conspiracy were aware of the plan and intended to break the law. In certain circumstances, a defendant can be charged with both conspiracy and the conspiracy’s target crime.
The FDA hasn’t alleged that anyone has become ill as a result of the resold Queso Chincho de Guerrero. However, the agency has announced that the cheese can potentially “cause serious…infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems.”
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The accusations are particularly surprising considering the small northwest Illinois town has an annual budget of only $8 million to $9 million. Last year, the city implemented budget cuts in response to its recent financial crunch.
]]> As the city comptroller for three decades, Crundwell monitored nearly all funds that passed through Dixon. Despite a salary of $80,000, in recent years Crundwell has spent $340,000 on jewelry, $2.1 million on a luxury motor home, and huge sums on her horse farms where she raises champion quarter horses.Many Dixon residents assumed she made her fortune in the horse business. However, Crundwell was reportedly using a secret bank account to conceal her large-scale use of public funds on personal expenses.
Each year, Crundwell took off four months to operate her horse business and travel to shows. Last October during one of these breaks, Crundwell's spending spree was brought to an end. An employee filling in for Crundwell discovered that the secret account included many six-figure transactions. He notified the FBI.
Generally, wire fraud crimes encompass any fraudulent scheme to acquire money or property through the use of interstate "wires," meaning television, Internet, telephones, or radio. Wire fraud is almost always a federal offense because of the interstate nature of telecommunications.
Many Dixon workers were slow to suspect Rita Crundwell because of how long she had been working for the city. Crundwell is scheduled to appear at a detention hearing Wednesday afternoon.
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Johnson is accused of beating to death Armaney Cotton, the daughter of Johnson’s long-time girlfriend. Police found Cotton’s body at Johnson’s home on Saturday.
]]> Chicago police responded to a call on Saturday reporting an unresponsive child in bed. According to Cotton’s mother, Brittany Cotton, and other relatives, the girl had suffered close to 20 bruises, scratches, and bite marks on her face, arms, and chest.Cotton’s mother had left the girl in Johnson’s care, as she had several times before without any problems. Initially, Johnson contended that the child’s injuries were the result of an accidental fall. However, the girl’s mother wasn’t convinced.
“Babies fall all the time,” Brittany Cotton said. “They don’t get cuts and bruises and bites. She did not fall.”
Cotton was pronounced dead at 4:42 that day, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. The Examiner’s office determined that Cotton had died of multiple injuries sustained during a beating. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Under Illinois’ criminal code, a person who kills another is guilty of first-degree murder if he intended to kill the individual or inflict great bodily harm, he knew that his acts created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm, or the death occurred while the person was committing a dangerous felony. A first-degree murder conviction is punishable by 20 years to life in prison.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is currently investigating the death of Armaney Cotton. Devell M. Johnson is scheduled to appear for a bond hearing on Tuesday.
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