Crime Time

Southlake man killed in car explosion in California

The San Diego Medical Examiner said Monday that a Southlake man died in a fiery explosion after trying to elude the California Highway patrol in a high-speed chase last week. The driver was identified as Alexander Arthur Martin, 24. A San Diego TV station reports that Martin was driving the wrong way on a highway when authorities attempted to pull him over. His vehicle was stopped by a tire-flattening spike strip, then exploded as the officer approached the vehicle, according to other California TV reports. A Border Patrol agent trying to apprehend him was injured in the explosion, reports say. The medical examiner's report says the Southlake man's death is being handled as a homicide. Border Patrol is investigating the case. - Lois Norder

Dallas compounding pharmacy faces charges in three deaths

Federal officials have filed criminal charges against Gary D. Osborn and his company, ApotheCure Inc. of Dallas, in connection with the interstate shipment of a misbranded drug that killed three people. ApotheCure, a compounding pharmacy, in 2007 shipped a medication used for gout to a medical center in Portland, Oregon. Three patients who received the drug died shortly after taking it, according to the Justice Department. Cause of death was toxicity from the drug known as colchicine. The Food and Drug Administration tested the vials and found that some were super potent, with 640 percent of the level on the label. Other vials contained less than 62 percent of the labels, the government says. Osborn and his company have been accused of two criminal misdemeanors. The Texas Attorney General also filed a lawsuit against the company in 2007 over the case. - Lois Norder

Oregon man dies after being stabbed by rooster

It was death by rooster.

Or at least that's what authorities in Oregon are attibuting the demise of Jose Luis Ochoa, 35.

The Kern County medical examiner said that Ochoa was stabbed by a blade attached to a fighting rooster's leg, television station KVAL reported.

It's not clear if he bled to death, suffered an infection or whether the accident occurred during a cock fight, KVAL reported.

-- Lance Murray

Fort Worth hunter tells deputies he shot man instead of deer

UPDATE: Rodney Connally, the Fort Worth man charged with unlawful possession of a firearm after he told Rusk County deputies he'd accidentally shot a man while deer hunting, was a convicted felon. He'd pleaded guilty in 1983 to a Fort Worth murder, staff writer Chance Welch reported.

Felons are prohibited from possessing firearms in the state of Texas.

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A Fort Worth man is facing a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm in Rusk County, after he reported that he had shot a man he had mistaken for a deer while hunting.

Rodney Connally, 54, in under a bail of $50,000, television station KETK reported.

According to the station, Connally told authorities that he thought he had shot a deer just of County Road 4107, when he discovered that he had shot Louis N. Conner Jr., 41, of Overton.

The Rusk County Sheriff's Department is investigating the shooting, KETK reported.

-- Lance Murray

Man: Wife fatally shot during sexual fantasy involving gun

Oklahoma resident Arthur Sedille had an explanation for police when he reported that he'd just shot his wife in the head.

Sedille, 23, told officers that he often put the gun to his wife's head during sexual fantasy play at their Oklahoma City home, CNN reported.

He said he didn't know the gun was loaded on the night of Dec. 21 when he pulled the gun's slide back during sex. It went off, killing his 50-year-old wife, Rebecca.  He told police it was an accident.

No charges have been filed as the DA awaits a report from police, but a judge found probable cause to hold Sedille -- just in case, CNN reported.

-- Lance Murray

Body of baby found in used clothing box sent from Arizona to Texas

Workers in McAllen sorting boxes of used clothing shipped from Arizona made a startling discovery Thursday when they discovered the body of an infant inside one of the boxes.

The baby girl hasn't been identified and police in McAllen said they're not sure the baby had been born alive, the Associated Press reported.

Police are awaiting autopsy results, the AP reported.

-- Lance Murray

Elderly customer dies after Burger King worker punches him

Police in Detroit have a 20-year-old Burger King employee in custody after they said he punched an elderly customer during an argument, causing 67-year-old man to fall.

The elderly man later died at a hospital, MSNBC reported.

Police didn't release names, or what may have caused the argument, but did say the punch may have caused the man to choke on his dentures.

The fast food worker could face criminal charges, MSNBC reported.

-- Lance Murray

Police investigate toddler's fatal fall at LA Lakers game

Police in Los Angeles are investigating the death of a 2-year-old boy who fell from a third-level luxury box at the Staples Center following a Los Angeles Lakers game.

The Associated Press reported that Lucas Anthony Tang was taking photos with family members when he fell.  The area was protected by glass barriers.

"Somehow the child went over the edge of the section and fell to the seating below," said police officer Julie Sohn. The fall was estimated at between 24 and 50 feet.  The investigation was described as "procedural."

The child was taken to a hospital where he later died, the AP reported.

-- Lance Murray

Report: Alcoholic energy drink tied to fatal Denton crash

WFAA Channel 8 is reporting that the controversial alcoholic energy drink Four Loko has been implicated in the crash early Sunday morning that killed a 14-year-old girl in Denton.

The station reported that one of the two young teen boys in the car admitted to drinking the beverage. One can of the drink contains the same punch as five beers.

Valeria Rodriguez, 14, was killed and her 14-year-old boyfriend faces an intoxication manslaughter charge in her death, the station reported.

-- Lance Murray

Baby found dead in washer on spin cycle; mom charged

There's a disturbing story on the Fox 4 website today about a woman in Bartlesville, Okla, who is facing child neglect charges after her 10-day-old baby was found dead in an operating clothes washing machine.

Lyndsey Fiddler was arrested Friday, the Associated Press reported.

Fiddler had told her roommate that she was going to put the baby to bed, the AP reported, but the roommate later couldn't find the baby when she went to check on her.  The roommate then found the baby inside the washing machine, which had advanced to the spin cycle.

Fiddler, who reportedly tested positive for drugs including methamphetamine, told authorities she had put the baby in a bassinet and didn't know how she got inside the washer, the AP reported.

-- Lance Murray