Crime Time

Costa Rica arrests doctor charged with child molestation in Texas

After Dr. German Moreno was arrested in 2005 on charges ranging from indecency with a child to sexual assault, he fled Texas. Since then, he's been operating a medical clinic in a tourism spot in Costa Rica, his native country, an investigation by the newspaper The Tico Times revealed. Now, Moreno has been arrested after a teen came forward in Costa Rica to say that Moreno had molested him. Costa Rica won't allow Texas to bring Moreno to trial here, though, saying the country's law shield him from extradition, Reuters reports.  Moreno had worked as a family doctor in the Houston area.

Suspect in child's rape hiding out in Texas, police say

A massive manhunt is under way for Charles Allen Dyer, who faces a charge in Oklahoma of sexual assault of a child. Dyer was spotted Sunday in Sealy, Texas, according to an Oklahoma City news station. The FBI said that Dyer, 31, should be considered armed and dangerous. 

Fort Worth man drowns trying to rescue child

When a child at Lake Texoma was struggling to reach a boat that had drifted away, Adrian Sanchez of Fort Worth jumped in to help. But he was unable to swim with the child back to the boat, and Sancez, 38, drowned Sunday, the Tulsa World reports. The child was rescued by another person on a personal watercraft.

Weatherford couple to testify in quadruple murder case

A Weatherford couple are expected to testify Monday in the capital murder trial in Kansas of former Weatherford city administrator James Kraig Kahler, accused of killing his wife, his two daughters and his mother-in-law. Defense attorneys plan to call Don and Marina Coulter, the Topeka Capital-Journal reports. Kahler contends that his wife's affair with a Weatherford woman caused him to snap mentally, so he wasn't responsible for the slayings. The Coulters will apparently testify that Karen Kahler and her girlfriend Sunny Reese had too much to drink at a party at the Coulters' home and kissed, humiliating him, the newspaper reports. The defense may also call Reese to the stand. She has testified as a prosecution witness, saying that Kahler brought her into the couple's marriage and objected only when Karen Kahler decided to divorce him for abuse. The Kahler's surviving child, a 12-year-old son, has testified that he saw his father shoot his mother. The Kahlers left Weatherford when James Kahler took a job in Missouri.

Get to Texas any way you can...except this

Five people, wanting to get to Texas, tried to sneak a ride on an open-top rail car full of coal in Ohio, a newspaper reports. The train jumpers fled into some woods at one point, after they were spotted. But when they thought the coast was clear, they jumped back onto the coal car. That was their undoing. Covered head to toe in coal dust, they were captured by sheriff's deputies and all their risky ride earned them was a trip to the county jail.  

Voter fraud allegations raised in tiny Texas town

This tale has all the makings of high level political intrigue. Hidden cameras in government offices spying on citizens; questions about whether an election was rigged to prevent a whistleblower from winning; federal agents prowling about. But the setting is tiny Waller, Texas, population 2,200. The Houston Chronicle reports that an investigation is apparently under way into voter fraud in the town.

Granbury homebuilder facing 5-year sentence for mortgage fraud

The owner of Sycamore Custom Homes is the 11th person to plead guilty in connection with a mortgage fraud scheme, and five more are awaiting trial. Robert Bruce Keaffaber, 51, of Granbury, admitted that he conspired to commit mail fraud, federal officials announced. The plea came in U.S. courts for the Eastern District of Texas. Here's how the scheme worked. On loan documents, Keaffaber and others had the purchase price of the homes overstated. When the loans were funded, the excess money was used as kickbacks, prosecutors say. Keaffaber faces up to 5 years in federal prison and restitution of more than $200,000. Others who have pleaded guilty were other homebuilders, recruiters of homebuyers, a home seller, a loan processor and mortgage broker. They all are awaiting sentencing.    

Starbucks fined for firing dwarf Texas barista

Elsa Sallard wanted to work as a Starbucks barista, but she asked for a stepstool, the better to be able to serve customers in El Paso. But managers fired her, saying she would be a danger to customers and other employees, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the federal EEOC says. Starbucks' quick agreement to pay Sallard $75,000 and to train all El Paso Starbucks managers on ADA requirements won praise from the federal agency, though.   

Did 4-time Texas lottery winner spot loopholes in the game?

Here's more proof that you should have paid attention in math class. Mathematicians and others have been able to spot and exploit loopholes in lottery games, scooping up winnings, according to a number of recent articles. In its August issue, Harpers Magazine looks at how the "luckiest woman in Texas" may have managed to win the lottery four times. Repeat winners are able to spot patterns that point to winning tickets, NewScientist magazine reports.  Joan Ginther, 64, would have had to beat astronomical odds to have won the four jackpots by pure luck, experts have said. Instead, it may be that she recognized that while the winning lottery numbers appear to be random, they are not. Read here about pseudorandomness.

Hackers target Texas contractor

A hacker group, Anti-Security, targeted Vanguard Defense Industries in Conroe, releasing private emails and documents with sensitive information about law enforcement, SC Magazine reports. According to its article, Anti-Sec is connected with Anonymous, the group that targeted Paypal and other outlets in retaliation for their cutting off contributions to Wikileaks. Vanguard sells weapons to law enforcement, military and corporations.