Crime Time

FBI: Stain in accused mother's car trunk shows outline of child

There's an interesting development in the Casey Anthony case, the Florida mother charged with killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

The FBI says in documents that a photograph of Casey Anthony's car trunk shows the outline of a child in the fetal position in the form of a stain.

The skeletal remains of the girl were found in December in woods near her family's home.

-- Lance Murray

Officer who arrested TV crew at wreck scene is suspended

Longtime readers may recall the story out of El Paso where a police sergeant arrested a TV news crew while it was covering a big-rig crash on Interstate 10.

The video of the arrest on April 10 of reporter Darren Hunt and cameraman Rick Dupont made national headlines.

The El Paso Police Department on Tuesday announced that officer has been suspended for 11 days without pay for acting unprofessionally.

The case was heard by in a rare civilian review board made up of members of the news media and lawyers, the El Paso Times reports.

The officer, former Sgt. Paul Ramirez, was earlier reduced in rank because of an unrelated case.

-- Lance Murray

Teen had 'profoundly disturbing' plan to attack high school

An 18-year-old man was plotting what prosecutors in Colorado call a "profoundly disturbing" plan to attack his high school.

Robert Dell Johnson is being held on $100,000 bail in Mesa County, Colo.

The Mesa County sheriff said credible evidence was received that an attack was being planned, but prosecutors released few details.

-- Lance Murray

Rowlett granny pleads guilty to dealing cheese heroin from home

A grandmother from Rowlett has pleaded guilty in federal court to drug possession with intent to distribute.

Barbara Blanton Sims, 60, had been accused of dealing cheese heroin out of her home, which sits across the street from a city park, the Dallas Morning News reports.

-- Lance Murray

Texting driver to be tried for hitting, killing pedestrian

A motorist in California has been ordered to stand trial on charges that he struck and killed a pedestrian after texting on his cellphone in the car.

His lawyer says there's no proof the man was texting when the pedestrian was struck, but prosecutors contend that his use of the phone and other factors constituted negligence when he didn't see the pedestrian, the Los Angeles Times reports.

-- Lance Murray

Ex-Yankee Knoblauch charged with assaulting wife

Ex-Yankee Chuck Knobalauch has been charged with assault, accused of choking his common-law wife Friday night.

The Houston Chronicle reports that the episode occurred after Knoblauch had been drinking heavily and taking the anti-anxiety medicine Xanax.

The former Major Leaguer is being held on bail of $10,000 at the Harris County Jail.

-- Lance Murray

Fatally beaten teen was innocent bystander, police say

The fatal beating of 16-year-old Derrion Albert was captured in a shocking videotape, and it turns out that his death was the result of a dispute between two factions of teens who live near his high school.

Albert was an innocent bystander and not involved with either faction, police said.

It's also been reported that one of the four teenagers arrested in the killing has admitted stomping on Albert's head. The teen said Albert never struck him.

Three teens have been charged with first-degree murder and a fourth with murder, police said.

-- Lance Murray

2 Canadians killed execution style at Mexican beach resort

You don't usually associate execution-style killings with beach resorts.

But authorities in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, are investigating just such a case involving the deaths of two Canadian men who were shot to death by gunmen who actually chased down one of the victims to a pool area before shooting him.

Both men were shot repeatedly, authorities said and no motive has been established, the Associated Press reports.

-- Lance Murray

Arlington police seek help in identifying robber

Here's a press release from the Arlington Police Department:

The Arlington Police Department is asking for the public’s help with identifying a robbery suspect believed to have been involved in a series of recent robberies. On September 23, 2009, at about 7:20 p.m. a man entered a Jack In The Box restaurant in the 1700 block of E. Division Street and displayed a pistol while demanding money. Immediately following this robbery, a man matching the suspect’s description walked into a nearby Gamestop in the 2500 block of E. Arkansas Lane and committed another robbery in the same manner.

Both of these robberies were captured on video surveillance. Photos taken from the surveillance are attached to this release. The same man is suspected of committing as many as four robberies since Sept. 22, 2009.

He is described as a Hispanic male, 5’6” to 5’8”, 200 pounds, who wears dark colored sunglasses, a gray baseball hat with a logo, white tennis shoes, a black shirt, and jeans.

Anyone with information on these Aggravated Robberies is asked to call Arlington Police Detective Seth Archer at 817-459-5304 or Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS (8477). All tipsters remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward up to $1,000. An additional reward of $250 for information is also available through the Guns and Gang Busters Program through Safe City. Information about robbery cases is available at www.arlingtonpd.org under the Cash for Crooks tab.

3 arrested in fatal beating of teen caught on video

Police in Chicago say they've arrested three people in connection with the fatal beating of a high school student on campus that was captured on video.

The motive for the beating of Derrion Albert was unclear, but family members said they believe he was attacked for refusing to join a gang.

-- Lance Murray