Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Arson Arrest in California Fires?|Crime Alert Recap Saturday 01.11.25

Episode Date: January 11, 2025

Breaking crime news as it happens throughout the day! Follow "Crime Alert Hourly Update" now on your favorite podcast app: https://link.chtbl.com/Crime_Alert Here's three of our top stories this week:  Police confirm that a man has been arrested in connection to the deadly Kenneth Fire that is raging near the West Hills.   A Wisconsin judge grants the release of a woman who, at 12 years old, stabbed her classmate to gain favor with the fictional character Slender Man. A prominent You Tube personality & content creator is accused of kidnapping and attacking two women, then abandoning them on a desolate Texas highway.  Stay informed, stay safe, and stay ahead with "Crime Alert Hourly Update.” See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Nicole Parton. A rapidly spreading wildfire, now referred to as the Kenneth Fire, has prompted large-scale evacuations in California. Authorities are treating the blaze as a potential arson, and a suspect has been apprehended. The fire is advancing quickly

through the West Hills, necessitating the deployment of 900 weary firefighters who have been redirected from other critical fires across Southern California to safeguard homes and control the inferno. LAPD Senior Lead Officer Charles Denzel informed News Nation that a suspect is in custody believed to have deliberately ignited the fire. Take a listen. What we know right now is that the incident occurred, started here, and about 20 minutes, 30 minutes later, a suspect was detained over Woodland Hills area by citizens. The officer confirmed that it was citizens who apprehended the suspect in the Woodland Hills area. It is currently being investigated as a crime, Denzel confirmed. When asked about the intentional nature of the fire, he added that while there is no clear motive

at this moment, the affected area has been roped off for further inquiry. According to sources from DailyMail.com, a local resident dialed 911 around 4.30 p.m. to report a man attempting to ignite a fire located in that area. The suspect has been taken into custody at Topanga Station. Officials issued a stark warning Thursday night urging residents to heed evacuation orders. Senator Adam Schiff emphasized the seriousness of the situation, saying, if you stay, you're going to die. He added, when you receive an evacuation order, evacuate immediately. You may think you can escape the fire, but you cannot outrun these flames.

Staying put could be fatal. The Kenneth Fire has already consumed 960 acres and poses a threat to the Malibu Canyon area that's north of the 101 freeway, which is home to many celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian and Will Smith. Mandatory evacuation orders are now in effect as firefighters deploy aerial water drops in an attempt to control the rapidly spreading flames which are being fueled by those strong winds out of Santa Ana. Our prayers are with California. I'm Drew Nelson. A Wisconsin judge grants the release of a woman who at 12, stabbed her classmate in honor of the fictional character Slenderman. Morgan Geyser, now 22, has spent nearly seven years at the Winnebago Mental

Health Institute. Under the current set of circumstances, Ms. Geyser does not pose a significant risk of bodily harm to herself or others or of serious property damage. On Thursday, a judge approved her conditional release after a day-long hearing. This marks her fourth petition since 2022, with two previous requests withdrawn and one denied. The court cited her significant progress in treatment and lack of recent symptoms as reasons for her release. The stabbing happened in 2014 when Geiser and Anissa Weier, both 12 at the time, lured their friend Peyton Leitner into a wooded area in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Geyser stabbed Lightner 19 times with a kitchen knife while wire urged her on. The attack left Lightner critically injured. She crawled to a nearby home where a cyclist found her and called

for help. The girls later told investigators they committed the act to appease Slenderman, fearing harm to their families if they failed. Slenderman is a fictional character who was created at an online contest that called for creepy paranormal images. The character quickly became an internet phenomenon, tall and thin, often unnaturally so, wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a black tie, having an expressionless pale face, sometimes shown with tentacles. He is said to stalk and abduct children. He lurks in forests and dark secluded areas. Slenderman is thought to control people's minds or compel them to act violently. Doctors testified at Thursday's hearing that Geiser no longer displays symptoms of schizophrenia, has been off antipsychotic medications for years. One doctor testified, quote,

she experienced fantasy as related to these different fictional characters. Her fantasy blurred with reality. Another doctor said, quote, she has continued to take treatment seriously and become consistently engaged and invested. Leitner's mother opposed Geiser's release. In letters to the court, she described lasting physical and emotional scars her daughter bears. Geiser initially pleaded guilty to attempted first degree intentional homicide in 2018 anissa wire as her accomplice pleaded guilty to attempted second degree intentional homicide she was released in 2021 under gps monitoring the state has 60 days to draft a plan for geyser's transition to a supervised group home subject to court approval she will remain under close monitoring i'm jenn Gould. A popular YouTube

personality is facing kidnapping charges after allegedly kidnapping two women in a violent high-speed ordeal that ended with them abandoned on a desolate Texas highway. The two women met Corey Pritchett Jr., better known as Corey SSG, who has over 15 million followers across multiple platforms. Here he is in one of his videos, ironically titled Last to Get Arrested. Take a listen. In what began as a casual day back in November turned into anything but that. The trio had gone to a local gym together, followed by a trip to a bowling alley and an ATV ride. However, tensions quickly escalated after a confrontation at the bowling alley with another group. The situation became uncomfortable and the women reportedly left early.

Realizing they had left their belongings in Pritchett Jr.'s car, the women contacted him to retrieve their items. Pritchett Jr. suggested that they meet at a parking lot, but instead of returning their belongings, he allegedly drove them westbound on I-10 at speeds of over 100 miles per hour. During this terrifying drive, Pritchett Jr. made several phone calls claiming that someone was pursuing them. The situation escalated when Pritchett Jr. reportedly pulled out a golden handgun, fired shots into the air, and then pointed the weapon at the women. He allegedly threatened them, saying, quote, I'm going to F y'all and then kill y'all, end quote, causing the women to fear for their lives. In an attempt to calm the situation, one of the victims suggested they pray together. Surprisingly, Pritchett Jr. agreed and led the prayer, though the temporary peace quickly shattered as his violent behavior resumed. After reaching a point on the

highway, Pritchett Jr. stopped the car and ordered the women out, leaving them stranded on the side of the road without their phones or any means of communication. The victims walked for over an hour along the highway until they were able to flag down a passerby who contacted law enforcement. After abandoning the women, Pritchett Jr. fled the country, but authorities were able to flag down a passerby who contacted law enforcement. After abandoning the women, Pritchett Jr. fled the country, but authorities were able to track his movements through GPS data from a Life360 app on one of the victim's phones. This information led investigators to trace the route Pritchett Jr. took during the incident, helping to confirm the women's accounts. In a twist of fate, Pritchett Jr.'s own social media activity played a pivotal role in his eventual tracking.

He posted about his plans to leave the United States. His mentions of moving to Dubai led the FBI to discover that he had taken a one-way flight to Qatar on December 9th. Despite managing to escape to Qatar, Pritchett Jr. now faces aggravated kidnapping charges and the FBI is working with international authorities to secure his extradition back to the United States to face the charges. For the latest crime and justice news, follow the Crime Alert hourly update

on your favorite podcast app. With this Crime Alert, I'm Jennifer Gould. This is an iHeart Podcast.