Clerk foils kidnapping attempt

Andres Ventura Fargus, 25, was charged with felonious restraint in Henderson County after a teen ran into a convenience store to tell clerks Fargus had taken her against her will.

Provided photo

By Emily Weaver
Times-News Staff Writer

Published: Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, September 28, 2015 at 6:20 p.m.

A teenage girl ran up to the counter at Mountain Energy convenience store Saturday afternoon, pleading through tears for the clerk, Seth McCall, to call 911. She said she had been taken against her will.

When a man approached her from behind and attempted to pull her from the store seconds later, McCall picked up the phone, dialed 911 and sprang into action.

“That's all it took for Seth because it's a kid and Seth loves his nieces and nephews,” said Tammy Kodet, manager of the store at 712 Upward Road where McCall has worked for the last five months. “Seth picked up the phone and went around the counter and backed the man up against the Snapple machine” near the door.

He blocked the exit, keeping the man in the store until police arrived. Then, he called Kodet.

“Well, I don't know if I'm going to get fired or what,” McCall told his boss on the phone Saturday.

Kodet had just left the store and asked what was going on. He told her. But instead of getting fired, McCall gained recognition for his heroic acts.

Hendersonville police received the report of a child abduction call at 4:37 p.m. and rushed to the scene. Once there, officers found a 14-year-old girl from Cherokee County, S.C., who said 25-year-old Andres Ventura Fargas had taken her from his home on Debbie Drive in Spartanburg, S.C.

The girl was with friends at the suspect's house.

Fargas was an acquaintance of the family and was supposed to take the girl and her friends on some errands around town, the girl's family told police.

But before her friends could get in the car, Fargas took off with the girl, telling her that in Mexico it was OK for him to have a 14-year-old girlfriend, according to the police.

The suspect allowed her to call her mother as they headed north, Capt. Bruce Simonds of the Hendersonville Police Department said as he read from a report. The teen's mother told her to get out of the car as soon as she could, even if that meant she had to jump from the moving vehicle. But when Fargas pulled into fuel up at the Upward Road gas station, the girl saw her chance to escape and ran inside the convenience store where McCall stepped into action.

McCall “said he didn't know what to do but to protect the girl until the cops got here, and that's just Seth's nature,” Kodet said. “I think that it's pretty heroic what he did.”

The girl told police Fargas planned to take her to Tennessee. But the girl's mother told authorities that Fargas did not have any permission to take her daughter across state lines. The family is working with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office on the kidnapping investigation.

Fargas is being held on $100,000 bond in Henderson County on a charge of felonious restraint. He is also being held for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Kodet says she's happy the way things ended up. “I'm just thankful that he (McCall) saved the little girl because you don't know what would have happened to her. He said his dad said, 'Well, that man could have shot you.' I said, 'Well, that man could have also raped that girl and led her to a slow death,'” she said.

Kodet is proud of McCall and says if she could clone him and have another employee like him, her job would be a lot easier. As for his worries about being fired, she said, “I think he is going to be recognized by Mountain Energy as well.”

McCall was enjoying a much-earned vacation at the beach on Monday.

Reach Weaver at Emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867. Follow Weaver on Twitter @BRNEmily.

What a deal he is up to receive. Maximum 10 yrs to serve (he won't get that) and he'll come out and still be a multi-millionaire. It wasn't just looking at child porn, he crossed state lines and had sex with children. 

“I think one can never be adequately punished for a crime like this because the family are punished for life. For the rest of their remaining days, the sadness, the loss and the grief will be with them forever…” Dr. Tagg

Minnesota Man Charged in Child Sex Trafficking Sting Operation. Reece Michael Nelson of Coon Rapids was charged with solicitation of a child, prostitution and engaging in electronic communication relating to sexual conduct with a child. He faces up to 16 years in jail. I predict a plea bargain will be given and he won’t see 2 years in jail. Follow the case and see if Walter is on target. 

A strong message to consider...

Chomo's beware...

Michigan Man Arrested for Child Abuse, 19-month-old toddler in Critical Condition

The child’s mother returned home from work Thursday and found the child unresponsive and with severe injuries.

Michigan State Police from the Mount Pleasant Post descended on the township of Evart and quickly arrested the 20-year-old boyfriend.  

The child was airlifted to DeVos Children’s Hospital and has undergone several surgeries but remains in critical condition. 

Port St. Lucie police officer Michael Harding charged with sending and receiving child porn.

Dept. of Homeland Security nailed this perv with videos of preschool age and pre-teen boys and girls. Some children performing sex acts were as young as 6 years old.

This POS is married with three kids.

In 2011 Harding was awarded Officer of the Year in Fort Pierce.    

I worked in a behavioral health facility for adolescent boys for 8 years. I speak from experience, over half the boys that were negatively acting out were sexually abused children. Getting kids to trust an adult again is very difficult. Their instincts tell them its a setup and their defenses kick in to protect them from becoming a victim again.

Jared the Chomo gonna get what's coming :)

Two arrested in human trafficking scheme 

Two men were arrested by Fort Smith police after an investigation into human trafficking.

Darnell J. Winston was booked into jail after he agreed to bring a juvenile to Crawford County from Northwest Arkansas for the purposes of engaging in child prostitution, police said.

Winston also set up a deal to pick up a second juvenile in Crawford County and taking that juvenile, along with the original one, back to Northwest Arkansas for the purposes of having them both engage in prostitution.

On Aug. 28, detectives with the Fort Smith Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, Alma Police 

Raylonzo Roberts Charged With Sex Trafficking

of Girls as Young as 13

Sex Trafficking – (Los Angeles) Raylonzo Roberts, 40, pleaded not guilty to six counts of human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act, three counts of committing a lewd act on a child, two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one count each of pandering by procuring a minor under 16, pimping a minor 16 or older and assault with a firearm. 

Rick picked up books 1 & 2 of the Palatini Series (Due Process & Lawless Measures) to begin his journey of murder & mayhem with Walter. 

Hartford police: Homeowner wounds 2 men in home invasion

Published 11:51 am, Sunday, September 6, 2015

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Hartford police say a homeowner shot and critically wounded two men who invaded his home at gunpoint Saturday night.

The homeowner told investigators he got home at around 11 p.m. was confronted by the would-be robbers.

Police said the homeowner, who has a legal handgun permit, shot the men after a scuffle. They were taken to Hartford Hospital.

The homeowner had minor injuries. A woman and child who were home when the two men broke in weren't injured.

Police said they are still investigating what happened and if more suspects may have been involved.

Gun saved a homeowner from death in Gresham fatal home invasion.

POSTED: 2:36 PM PDT September 7, 2015 

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Two teenagers and a 24-year-old man are suspects in a fatal home invasion.

The Oregonian reports (http://bit.ly/1LfgOYf) that Gresham police say four men attacked a 34-year-old mobile home resident and stabbed him with a knife before he got a pistol and began firing. A 25-year-old suspect died at the scene.

Jesus Arciaga Bucio is in custody on an unrelated probation violation, and will likely be charged in the attack.

A 16-year-old suspect is being treated at the hospital for a gunshot wound.

The 17-year-old who was also arrested has been charged with assault and burglary. The AP is not identifying the boy because of his age.

Just Sayin'

There are worse runnin' now!

• Police chase and arrest armed men wanted in home invasion



• By Telegram & Gazette Staff

  
  Posted Sep. 5, 2015 at 6:00 AM
  Updated Sep 5, 2015 at 9:02 AM 
  
  

  WORCESTER - After a brief foot pursuit in which one of two men police were chasing brandished a firearm, the suspects were caught and arrested Friday afternoon in connection with an armed home invasion Monday morning.

  Joshua E. Zavala-Castro, 19, of 47 Park Terrace Road, Apt. 2, and Cristian E. Carasquillo, 18, of 47 Lafayette St., were arrested after police spotted them about 4:30 p.m. walking near Lafayette and Washington streets. Police had already obtained warrants for the men's arrests on charges related to an armed home invasion and robbery earlier in the week, police said in a news release.

  According to police, the men began running after seeing police. Officers pursued them on foot and saw Mr. Zavala-Castro pull a firearm from his pants and raise it toward them. Officers immediately took "defensive measures" by drawing their own service weapons, police said. 

  "As a result, Mr. Zavala-Castro discarded his weapon and continued to run," police said. The officers continued chasing the two and eventually caught and arrest them without further resistance.

  Each man was arrested on warrants charging two counts of home invasion, two counts of armed robbery, carrying a firearm unlawfully, carrying a loaded firearm unlawfully, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, assault by means of a dangerous weapon (firearm), and two counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon (firearm).

  Mr. Zavala-Castro was additionally charged with carrying a firearm unlawfully, carrying a loaded firearm unlawfully, assault by means of a dangerous weapon (firearm), possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, improper storage of a firearm and resisting arrest. Mr. Carasquillo was also charged with resisting arrest.

  The arrest warrants stemmed from a home invasion on Plum Street reported about 11:45 a.m. Monday. Police were told two armed men had broken into the apartment where they assaulted and robbed the occupants of cash and other valuables.

  During that incident, one of the victims struggled with one of the suspects and a shot was fired, police said. No one in the apartment was hurt when the firearm discharged, but the suspects fled shortly afterward and were last seen running down Shrewsbury Street.

  Detectives were able to determine the suspects identities and obtained arrest warrants Friday.

  Both men will be arraigned in Worcester District Court on Tuesday.

I'm interested in the conclusion, after the plea deal, how perps get less than minimum time. 

Washington Supreme Court rules in favor of three young victims against Backpage.com

The Washington Supreme Court ruled in favor of three young women who sued Backpage.com after they were sex trafficked as minors on the website. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) praises this decision, which allows the lawsuit to proceed to trial.

After the lawsuit was originally filed, Backpage filed a motion to dismiss it, arguing it isn’t responsible for the actions of subscribers or users under the federal Communications Decent Act. However, the Washington Supreme Court justices said that this act does not shield Backpage from state lawsuits because there are allegations that the company did not merely host the ads but that they also helped develop the content.

This decision marks an important step forward in the growing movement to hold Backpage accountable for its willful facilitation of human trafficking and prostitution. The Washington Supreme Court’s decision is a wake-up call to Backpage that it must stop promoting and profiting from sexual exploitation.

Backpage is the leading U.S. website for prostitution advertising, generating nearly 80% of all the online prostitution advertising revenue.

The media reports 11-year-old child shoots and kills 16-year-old teen. What happened was, two thugs tried breaking in and the 11-year-old protected himself and 4-year-old sister and dropped one of them in the doorway. Good shooting young man.

ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) - A child shot a teen that was trying to break into a home in north St. Louis County. Police say the 11-year-old shooter fired one round from a handgun and killed the 16-year-old suspect. The shooting happened in the 10200 block of Hallwood drive.

Two suspects tried to break into the home twice before on Thursday. One of the suspects got into the unlocked front door of the home at around 2:30pm while the 11-year-old and a 4-year-old girl were home alone. That is when the 11-year-old shot and killed the suspect.  Police found the body with a gunshot to the head in the front foyer of the home.

Investigators say the second suspect ran off when shots were fired.  St. Louis County police have taken the suspect into custody.  They have not yet released the suspect's name.

Authorities are talking to the mother to determine why the children were home alone. They also want to know why the 11-year-old had access to a handgun. Police believe the mother purchased the handgun because of prior attempted home break-in attempts.  She is cooperating with the investigation.

The 16-year-old's body was removed from the home at around 4:15pm.  Police are not releasing the name of the suspect at this time.

What the plea deal allowed was a guy to cop out to lesser punishment and the prosecutor to score the win in his category. There is always a chance of losing the case in court when its tried. But what has the family won or the community??? Piece of mind justice was served? 

Texas man walks free after alleged rape
leaves 2-year-old girl in pool of blood

In order for a child to be allowed to testify at a trial in Texas, the Judge must be convinced that the child is able to (1) intelligently observe the events, (2) accurately remember the events, (3) adequately tell the jury about the events, and (4) understand the moral obligation of telling the truth.

The only witnesses to this offense were both toddlers – one was 2 and one was 4. The possibility of one or both of these children being unable to testify was extremely high, if not a certainty. If that were to happen, we faced the very real possibility that the Defendant would be found Not Guilty and simply go home with no consequences. That was something we could not risk.

I have worked hard with law enforcement to keep our community safe from violent criminals, prosecuting defendants in trials for murder, shootings, stabbings, and robberies. I do not want to see any violent criminal on the street. I understand the concern in the community about this case. When we considered what we would legally be able to present to a jury, the risk of this man being found Not Guilty and going free was simply too great.

This plea allowed us to secure an admission of guilt from the Defendant, keep him from contacting the victim or her family, remove any chance of him being found not guilty, and allowed us to keep an extremely young child from having to tell her story to a group of strangers, if allowed to testify at all, and be subject to cross examination from a skilled defense attorney.”

Jason Ferguson

Assistant District Attorney

51st/119th District Attorneys Office

Missouri executes man for 1989 kidnapping, rape, and murder of teen girl.

(BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A man who spent nearly 25 years on Missouri's death row was executed Tuesday for the kidnapping, rape and stabbing death of a 15-year-old girl.

"Despite openly admitting his guilt to the court, it has taken 25 years to get him to the execution chamber," Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said in a statement. "Nunley's case offers a textbook example showing why society is so frustrated with a system that has become too cumbersome."

Child welfare caseworker caught with 800+ images of child pornography.

 Sep 02, 2015

PLEASANT HILLS, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania child welfare caseworker is under arrest after police say they turned up more than 800 child pornography images on his home computer.

Authorities in Pittsburgh charged Michael Smith on Tuesday with possession and dissemination of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility.

The 44-year-old Pleasant Hills man was released on non-monetary bail pending a Sept. 9 hearing. Online court records don't list a lawyer to comment on the charges.

Police say Smith told them "it was a mistake" to view the images on his computer.

Smith is on unpaid leave from the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth and Families. Officials say the allegations are not connected to his job.

Central Pennsylvania police started investigating in April after finding that child pornography was being shared by a computer believed to be Smith's.

"...police seized “evidence of child pornography, including two gigabytes of videos that appeared to be child pornography involving infants.”
He needs to die! Watch for the plea deal on this one. See more of Walter at 

https://www.facebook.com/WalterEloyGoe

Manassas music instructor charged with producing child pornography

A Manassas music instructor has been charged with producing child pornography, federal prosecutors said. David Alexander Battle II, 23, who worked for a private music company in Manassas and as a volunteer with music programs in Osbourn High School and Grace E. Metz Middle School in Manassas, is charged with production of child pornography, officials from the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a news release Tuesday.

Battle was arrested by Manassas police June 16 after authorities executed a search warrant at his house on the 9800 block of Buckner Road in Manassas. In that search, police seized “evidence of child pornography, including two gigabytes of videos that appeared to be child pornography involving infants,” prosecutors said in the news release. Police also seized evidence of child pornography involving young boys and girls, they said. Battle is in federal custody awaiting trial. If convicted, he faces 15 to 30 years in federal prison.

“As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.

For the shadow is mine, and so is the valley.

For I am Walter.”