In old movies, the inmate usually got a hacksaw blade secreted into his cell baked in a cake.
But in Texas, it came in a soft taco.
Jail guard Alfred Casas, 31, was convicted on Tuesday of smuggling a saw blade to a double murder suspect in the Bexar County Jail by hiding it in a folded soft taco shell.
Casas admitted to sneaking a taco into the jail in December 2009, but denied that a hacksaw blade was inside its shell.
Assistant Bexar County District Attorney James Ishimoto said a jury convicted Casas of bribery and providing an inmate with escape elements after 10 hours of deliberation,
Ishimoto said Casas, who had been a jail guard for three years, brought two tacos into the jail for an inmate, who later pleaded guilty to murder, in exchange for two bottles of Xanax provided by the girlfriend of the inmate, Jacob Keller.
The hacksaw blade, along with a length of rope and an inmate jumpsuit dyed to resemble street clothes, was found in the inmate's cell during a surprise inspection.
Ishimoto said Casas was convicted of two felony counts of bribery, each punishable by two to 20 years in prison. The third count was for providing an inmate with "escape implements," punishable by two to 10 years.
Merely smuggling a taco into the jail could have been classed as a felony, Ishimoto added. The jury will begin hearing arguments on Casas' sentencing on Wednesday morning.
Friday, August 5, 2011
U.S. man operates on himself with butter knife
A 63-year-old American man with a hernia plunged a butter knife into his abdomen to try to fix the problem, and later put a lit cigarette in the wound, according to police.
Police found the man lying naked on the porch of his apartment in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale in California Sunday night after his wife called to report his attempt at surgery, Glendale police spokesman Sergeant Tom Lorenz said.
"He actually impaled himself with the butter knife," Lorenz said. "He told his wife he was frustrated with this hernia, and he didn't want to wait any longer for the medical procedure."
Police officers watched as the man, after pulling the knife out of his abdomen, put a lit cigarette into the wound, Lorenz said.
"I don't know if it was an attempt to cauterize or anything," he said.
Police did not identify the man, but Lorenz said he committed no crime and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he was put on a 72-hour psychiatric hold, police said.
The hospital was expected to perform the surgery to fix his hernia, Lorenz said.
Police found the man lying naked on the porch of his apartment in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendale in California Sunday night after his wife called to report his attempt at surgery, Glendale police spokesman Sergeant Tom Lorenz said.
"He actually impaled himself with the butter knife," Lorenz said. "He told his wife he was frustrated with this hernia, and he didn't want to wait any longer for the medical procedure."
Police officers watched as the man, after pulling the knife out of his abdomen, put a lit cigarette into the wound, Lorenz said.
"I don't know if it was an attempt to cauterize or anything," he said.
Police did not identify the man, but Lorenz said he committed no crime and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he was put on a 72-hour psychiatric hold, police said.
The hospital was expected to perform the surgery to fix his hernia, Lorenz said.
Two suspended for "unspeakable behavior"
French team mates Mehdi Baala and Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad have been provisionally suspended after trading blows in an extraordinary incident after the 1,500 meters at the Monaco Diamond League. Baala finished ninth in Friday's race while Mekhissi, the Olympic 3,000 steeplechase silver medalist, came in 11th but an attempt to console each other went badly wrong.
At one point Baala head-butted Mekhissi who responded by swinging his arms wildly as he threw a series of punches, some of which missed their intended target.
"Following the unspeakable behavior of Mehdi Baala and Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad ... the president of the French Athletics Federation decided today to hold an emergency disciplinary hearing," a federation statement said on Saturday.
"At the same time the federal office under the general regulations has decided on a temporary suspension of the two athletes until the meeting of the disciplinary commission. It will meet as an emergency and within eight days."
The pair were separated on the track but the row did not stop there as they exchanged strong words in the media zone after Mekhissi appeared to slap Baala.
"I'm going to break you in two," an angry Baala responded.
At one point Baala head-butted Mekhissi who responded by swinging his arms wildly as he threw a series of punches, some of which missed their intended target.
"Following the unspeakable behavior of Mehdi Baala and Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad ... the president of the French Athletics Federation decided today to hold an emergency disciplinary hearing," a federation statement said on Saturday.
"At the same time the federal office under the general regulations has decided on a temporary suspension of the two athletes until the meeting of the disciplinary commission. It will meet as an emergency and within eight days."
The pair were separated on the track but the row did not stop there as they exchanged strong words in the media zone after Mekhissi appeared to slap Baala.
"I'm going to break you in two," an angry Baala responded.
Mystery prisoner has authorities stumped
A mystery man arrested on minor charges more than three weeks ago remains behind bars in Utah while law enforcement officials try to determine his true identity, which he refuses to reveal.
"This is really a strange case," said Lt. Dennis Harris with the Utah County Sheriff's Office. "He just doesn't want to be found."
The unidentified man, who has graying hair, a light beard and is believed to be in his 60's, was arrested on July 1 for trespassing in a parking garage.
He was booked into jail on three misdemeanor charges and has thwarted any chance of release, with or without bail, by refusing to identify himself.
"I've been trying to think from A to Z why he would want to stay here ... why he wouldn't give us any information," Harris said.
"He either has to be wanted by some other state or he could be on some other registry or database that has not shown up," he added.
Law enforcement officials say the man is "fairly well spoken and educated," but very guarded about his identity.
As a result of several short conversations with him, officers believe he may not be from Utah.
Officials gave the man a telephone calling card so he might contact friends or relatives, but he has not used it.
"He was very aware of what we were trying to do and he would not give us the slightest bit of information indicating where he was from or anything relating to his family situation," said Harris.
"We've had a lot of people call in but nothing has panned out. Nothing," he added.
Officials say in three weeks of jail the mystery man has shown a pleasant demeanor and has communicated that he is being treated well.
"He said the food has been great," Harris said.
"I realize that sometimes people want to go to jail because they are homeless, have nothing, they are destitute. I've seen that over the years. I just don't get the impression that's the reason. He just doesn't want to be discovered by somebody."
Now in his fourth week of incarceration, the man added another twist to the story recently by hinting he had business of some kind outside prison that he would need to attend to.
"He said there was a point at some time that he would need to get out of jail," Harris said. "That's the closest I can find of what he wants to do. And that makes no sense to me whatsoever."
"This is really a strange case," said Lt. Dennis Harris with the Utah County Sheriff's Office. "He just doesn't want to be found."
The unidentified man, who has graying hair, a light beard and is believed to be in his 60's, was arrested on July 1 for trespassing in a parking garage.
He was booked into jail on three misdemeanor charges and has thwarted any chance of release, with or without bail, by refusing to identify himself.
"I've been trying to think from A to Z why he would want to stay here ... why he wouldn't give us any information," Harris said.
"He either has to be wanted by some other state or he could be on some other registry or database that has not shown up," he added.
Law enforcement officials say the man is "fairly well spoken and educated," but very guarded about his identity.
As a result of several short conversations with him, officers believe he may not be from Utah.
Officials gave the man a telephone calling card so he might contact friends or relatives, but he has not used it.
"He was very aware of what we were trying to do and he would not give us the slightest bit of information indicating where he was from or anything relating to his family situation," said Harris.
"We've had a lot of people call in but nothing has panned out. Nothing," he added.
Officials say in three weeks of jail the mystery man has shown a pleasant demeanor and has communicated that he is being treated well.
"He said the food has been great," Harris said.
"I realize that sometimes people want to go to jail because they are homeless, have nothing, they are destitute. I've seen that over the years. I just don't get the impression that's the reason. He just doesn't want to be discovered by somebody."
Now in his fourth week of incarceration, the man added another twist to the story recently by hinting he had business of some kind outside prison that he would need to attend to.
"He said there was a point at some time that he would need to get out of jail," Harris said. "That's the closest I can find of what he wants to do. And that makes no sense to me whatsoever."
Wild boars invade farms, attack pets
Wild boars are invading the farms of central New York state, attacking livestock, killing family pets and chasing people, experts warned on Friday.
The feral swine are a non-native species suspected of escaping from game farms. As many as a couple of hundred are roaming the state, said Paul Curtis, a natural resources professor at Cornell University in Ithaca.
While an exact picture of the wild boar population in New York State is unclear, a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the swine were successfully breeding in the three counties and producing litters averaging four to six piglets.
"We've shot probably 15 to 20 of them in the last three years," said Peter Andersen, a farmer in Long Eddy in Sullivan County.
"We've shot them right square in the head and the bullet will glance off and they'll get up and go. Their skulls are so thick in the front, if you don't happen to hit it at a perfect 90 degrees, with the way their heads have that kind of curved shape, the bullet will glance right off," he added.
Armed with a $230,000 grant from the Invasive Species Council of New York, the USDA last year sought to control the growing wild boar problem.
According to a USDA report, 27 of the animals were trapped or shot and tested for diseases.
"In the absence of aggressive professional management, these populations will likely continue their expansion and become entrenched in New York State with potentially devastating consequences to natural resources, agriculture, and human health and safety," according to the report.
There have been no reports of feral swine attacks on humans but the animals can be aggressive, experts said.
USDA biologist Justin Gansowski said the swine have reportedly attacked livestock, killed a Labrador retriever and chased people in New York state.
"There's always the potential for attacks on people," said Curtis.
Gansowski said a lack of funding was the biggest obstacle to preventing the population from exploding.
"There needs to be more funding," he said. "That's currently why we only have one person, which is me. With the explosive nature of the feral swine population, our time frame to do something is now."
Andersen agreed that additional funding was needed and added that is losing the battle against the husky invaders.
Desperate residents have formed informal networks to report sightings and call rifle owners to eliminate the swine.
The feral swine are a non-native species suspected of escaping from game farms. As many as a couple of hundred are roaming the state, said Paul Curtis, a natural resources professor at Cornell University in Ithaca.
While an exact picture of the wild boar population in New York State is unclear, a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said the swine were successfully breeding in the three counties and producing litters averaging four to six piglets.
"We've shot probably 15 to 20 of them in the last three years," said Peter Andersen, a farmer in Long Eddy in Sullivan County.
"We've shot them right square in the head and the bullet will glance off and they'll get up and go. Their skulls are so thick in the front, if you don't happen to hit it at a perfect 90 degrees, with the way their heads have that kind of curved shape, the bullet will glance right off," he added.
Armed with a $230,000 grant from the Invasive Species Council of New York, the USDA last year sought to control the growing wild boar problem.
According to a USDA report, 27 of the animals were trapped or shot and tested for diseases.
"In the absence of aggressive professional management, these populations will likely continue their expansion and become entrenched in New York State with potentially devastating consequences to natural resources, agriculture, and human health and safety," according to the report.
There have been no reports of feral swine attacks on humans but the animals can be aggressive, experts said.
USDA biologist Justin Gansowski said the swine have reportedly attacked livestock, killed a Labrador retriever and chased people in New York state.
"There's always the potential for attacks on people," said Curtis.
Gansowski said a lack of funding was the biggest obstacle to preventing the population from exploding.
"There needs to be more funding," he said. "That's currently why we only have one person, which is me. With the explosive nature of the feral swine population, our time frame to do something is now."
Andersen agreed that additional funding was needed and added that is losing the battle against the husky invaders.
Desperate residents have formed informal networks to report sightings and call rifle owners to eliminate the swine.
Town asks mayor to quit after bar scuffle
The mayor of a Wisconsin town has been asked to step down following a late-night bar room scuffle, but said on Thursday he would not resign despite a unanimous vote by a city council committee. Bob Ryan, 48, told WHBL-AM radio that he intended to seek outpatient alcohol rehabilitation treatment while continuing to act as mayor of Sheboygan, a city of 50,000 located about an hour north of Milwaukee on the shores of Lake Michigan.
According to a police report, the scuffle occurred early on Monday, when police were summoned by an emergency caller to the Brown Baer tavern in nearby Elkhart Lake, where a man in a blue shirt was said to be causing a disturbance.
When the officer arrived, patrons identified Ryan, who was sitting on the curb wearing a blue shirt, as the man the caller had been complaining about. But because the bar owners said everything was fine and no victim stepped forward, the officer gave Ryan a verbal warning, the police report said.
The Sheboygan Press newspaper posted pictures on its website of a man it identified as Ryan slumped over a table at the bar. It cited witnesses who said Ryan had been drinking and making rude comments to some female bar patrons, leading to the scuffle with another patron.
This is the fourth time in two years that Ryan's use of alcohol has come under scrutiny.
In September 2009, a widely publicized YouTube video showed the mayor making sexually explicit comments about his sister-in-law while he was at a bar.
The cell phone video was released shortly after Angela Payne, the former city human resources director, accused Ryan in a letter of making drunken advances on her at a Sheboygan tavern.
Ryan admitted a relapse in July 2010, saying he went out drinking with his brother, but a city council resolution asking him to resign at the time was voted down 11-5.
The council committee met in closed session on Wednesday night and voted to unanimously to ask Ryan to resign.
To remove Ryan as mayor, a Sheboygan citizen must bring a certified complaint, and the council must vote to remove him, said Alderman James Bohren, the chairman of the committee that asked Ryan to go.
The council was expected to take up that matter on Monday night, Bohren said.
According to a police report, the scuffle occurred early on Monday, when police were summoned by an emergency caller to the Brown Baer tavern in nearby Elkhart Lake, where a man in a blue shirt was said to be causing a disturbance.
When the officer arrived, patrons identified Ryan, who was sitting on the curb wearing a blue shirt, as the man the caller had been complaining about. But because the bar owners said everything was fine and no victim stepped forward, the officer gave Ryan a verbal warning, the police report said.
The Sheboygan Press newspaper posted pictures on its website of a man it identified as Ryan slumped over a table at the bar. It cited witnesses who said Ryan had been drinking and making rude comments to some female bar patrons, leading to the scuffle with another patron.
This is the fourth time in two years that Ryan's use of alcohol has come under scrutiny.
In September 2009, a widely publicized YouTube video showed the mayor making sexually explicit comments about his sister-in-law while he was at a bar.
The cell phone video was released shortly after Angela Payne, the former city human resources director, accused Ryan in a letter of making drunken advances on her at a Sheboygan tavern.
Ryan admitted a relapse in July 2010, saying he went out drinking with his brother, but a city council resolution asking him to resign at the time was voted down 11-5.
The council committee met in closed session on Wednesday night and voted to unanimously to ask Ryan to resign.
To remove Ryan as mayor, a Sheboygan citizen must bring a certified complaint, and the council must vote to remove him, said Alderman James Bohren, the chairman of the committee that asked Ryan to go.
The council was expected to take up that matter on Monday night, Bohren said.
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