Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 01.10.25 | BF Forces Woman to Write "Goodbye" Letters to Her Children

Episode Date: January 10, 2025

Man holding his girlfriend hostage threatens her life and forces her to write goodbyes to her children. Air pods help cops catch disgruntled employee turned thief.  For more crime and justice news go to crimeonline.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking crime news now. Illinois cops get a disturbing 911 call from a woman who says her boyfriend's been holding her hostage three days. The bruised and bloody woman says Mercado Quintero attacked her when she tried to break up, then bound her hands with electrical tape and rope. Quintero threatened to kill her and fired a gun into the floor, inches from her foot. Most unnerving, he forced her to write goodbye letters to all of her children. Nancy, the woman was finally able to call 911 when Quintero left for work. Police found her with two black eyes and other bruises.

Officers recovered both the goodbye letters and the handgun Quintero threatened her with two black eyes and other bruises. Officers recovered both the goodbye letters and the handgun Quintero threatened her with in his home. Quintero was arrested when he returned to the home that evening. The victim said to be released from the hospital and recovering from the terrifying ordeal. Mercado Quintero, 44, now charged with kidnapping, domestic abuse, assault, and gun violations. Mechanics at Fort Myers, Florida, Nissan arrived to work to find their toolboxes missing. The items inside were worth roughly $100,000. Detectives don't have much to go on until one of the mechanics says he left AirPods in his toolbox, and they're pinging from a storage facility 10 miles away. Officers tracked down the AirPods to Michael Hohner's unit. Turns out, Hohner had

recently been fired from Nissan and blamed the other mechanics for him getting fired. Cops find Hohner at his new job with Audi, where he's arrested for grand theft and burglary. Bye-bye job at Audi. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Climb on Lunch, John Wimley. A man responsible for a deadly shooting spree on the streets of Detroit has pleaded guilty but mentally ill, securing a plea agreement that ensures at least 30 years in prison. The case dates back to a Sunday morning in August 2022, when a string of seemingly random attacks unfolded over the course of two hours. Police say 21-year-old Dante Smith killed three people and wounded another, as well as a dog, before fleeing the scene. The victims were found at locations including a bus stop and a doorway of a church. At the time, Detroit's police chief

described the incidents as an act of terror against the community. Authorities say no 911 calls were made until after the second victim was discovered. Smith faced first-degree murder charges which could have resulted in life imprisonment. However, under this plea deal, he admitted to second-degree murder, attempted murder, and related charges. His attorney, Maria Manario, says the attacks occurred during a severe episode of paranoid schizophrenia, leaving Smith convinced the victims posed a threat to him. Manario described the situation as, quote, adding that her client is now stable and competent to

face the consequences of his actions. Smith's eligibility for parole begins after three decades behind bars. New Orleans is still reeling after a terror attack on New Year's Day left 14 dead in the French Quarter, and city leaders are under intense scrutiny. As Crime Online's Sydney Sumner tells us, questions are mounting about lapses in security and the city's response. The fallout from the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans intensified this week during a tense city council meeting. Police Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick has stated that she will not resign and has revealed that she had enlisted former New York Police Commissioner William Bratton as a consultant to address the city's glaring security failures. Kirkpatrick's declaration comes as the council prepares

to investigate the city's street barrier systems. The attack unfolded when an Islamic State-inspired assailant drove a truck onto Bourbon Street, bypassing a police blockade. The barriers meant to protect the area had been removed for replacement, but reports suggest the new ones are insufficient to stop high-speed vehicles. Mayor LaToya Cantrell admitted she could not confirm whether the new system would have prevented the tragedy. Meanwhile, State Attorney General Liz Murrell has launched a review of the city's New Year's security measures, including those for the Sugar Bowl. Adding to the pressure, a coalition of law city's New Year's security measures, including those for the Sugar Bowl.

Adding to the pressure, a coalition of law firms announced they are representing nearly two dozen victims. They accuse officials of failing to act on known risks, stating the public was left vulnerable. One of the firms, Romanucci & Blandin, previously secured a landmark settlement for George Floyd's family. Thanks, John. Tiara McWilliams leaves her boyfriend shortly after the birth of their daughter, Amira, moving from Houston to Wisconsin.

After years of Amira's father asking, Tiara agrees to let Amira, now five, spend the summer with dad. However, when summer ends, he refuses to return the little girl. Tiara travels to Houston to get Amira back, but dad refuses to leave Amira alone with Tierra. With no formal custody agreement, police refuse to assist Tierra, who eventually returns home confused. Four years after dropping her off with her father, Tierra learns he's been incarcerated for months. No one has seen Amira for six months. Her dad claims he left Amira with a woman in Waco, Texas, but police cannot locate anyone matching his description at the address he provided. Amira, African American,

would now be 16. If you have info on Amira Dedrick, please call Houston PD 713-884-3131 or call Waco PD about Amira Dedrick, 254-750-7500. For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com and please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories, where we do our very best to find missing people, especially children, and solve unsolved homicides. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.