Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 03.01.23

Episode Date: March 1, 2023

Treasurer steals thousand from high school band boosters. Tesla damaged by neighbor.  City councilman tries to run from police during traffic stop. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Crime Alert, I'm Nancy Grace. Breaking Crime News Now, Evergreen High School Band Booster Club members surprised to find the balance in their bank account is $27,000 light. That's right, missing. Treasurer Paula Brown avoids the other moms for weeks, but eventually confesses she spent the booster money. Crime Online's John Limley.

Nancy, Brown doctored financial records to try to explain away the missing money, but with only $3,000 remaining, she had to fess up. Brown eventually tells the other mothers she spent the money by accident. Brown comes up with a payment plan to return the money over the school year, but the funds would not be available for planned uses over the semester. The other moms are not satisfied with Brown's payback plan and press charges. Brown has pled not guilty to theft. A man notices scratches all along the side of his Tesla after grocery shopping. He checks the Tesla's cameras and is shocked to see Hennish Garg, a former neighbor, walking past the car dragging a key along twice.

The car's owner could not think of a reason that his previous neighbor would want to damage his property, but knew the vandalism was targeted because Garg was familiar with the car, which sports a custom orange wrap. The victim says the damage will cost thousands to repair and plans to sue for damages. Garg now charged with vandalism. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. Actor Alec Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of involuntary manslaughter

in the shooting death of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie and waived his first formal court appearance. Baldwin and a weapons supervisor were charged last month with felony involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of cinematographer Helena Hutchins, who died shortly after being wounded during rehearsals at a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe in October 2021. Baldwin agreed to forego a hearing to have his rights explained to him. A judge on Thursday set conditions of release that allow Baldwin to have limited contact with potential witnesses in connection with plans to complete the filming of Rust. Prosecutors and defense attorneys are preparing for a likely

preliminary hearing within a few months to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the trial. Other provisions of Baldwin's pretrial release include a prohibition on consuming alcohol and against any possession of weapons, including firearms. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey says that the state is ready to resume executions and obtain justice for victims' families after lethal injections were paused for three months for an internal review of the state's death penalty procedures. The governor in November directed the state prison system to undertake a top-to-bottom review of death penalty procedures after the state was forced to cancel

three lethal injections because of problems with intravenous lines. Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Hamm told Ivy in a letter shared with news outlets that his staff is ready to resume executions after making internal changes related to staffing and equipment. However, critics argued that the review should have been conducted by an outside group instead of the state agency, quote, responsible for botching multiple executions. Prosecutors have charged two Milwaukee police officers in connection with a prisoner's overdose death. Officers Donald Kruger and Marco Lopez were charged separately with felony abuse of person

in custody and misdemeanor misconduct in office, respectively. According to the criminal complaint, officers arrested a 21-year-old man early in the morning of February 23, 2022 on a warrant and took him to the Milwaukee Police Department's District 5. The department identified the man as Keyshawn Thomas. Thomas told Kruger during booking that he had ingested cocaine, marijuana, and ecstasy and began to dry heave and sweat. Kruger said he'd call an ambulance but never did, instead placing him in a cell. This, according to the complaint, Lopez took over booking duties for the day shift, relieving Kruger. Detectives discovered that jail video shows he didn't conduct 10 cell checks that his log said he performed. A youth pastor accused of having sex with a 16-year-old church member in Mississippi is being held without bond.

26-year-old Alexander Blackwelder of Tupelo faces two counts of sexual battery and enticement of a child who produced visual depictions of adult sexual conduct. He is being held in the Lee County Jail. During the hearing, Tupelo Police Detective Hal Veal said authorities received a tip February 15th that the youth pastor at East Main Street Church of Christ was having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl. During the initial interview with the girl and her parents, the girl denied any improprieties but said she had talked with Blackwelder and communicated via Snapchat. The parents gave detectives consent to search the girl's phone, finding sexual videos and pictures and conversations with Blackwelder that made detectives believe they were having sex. It was a simple traffic stop for speeding, but motorcyclist Pete Filiberto attempts a U-turn and falls off his bike. Florida cops smell alcohol, but Filiberto refuses a

breath test, so the officer searches the 34-year-old, finding a plastic bag of cocaine stuffed in his shoe. Filiberto, a Palm Bay councilman, resigns his position to face DUI, cocaine, and reckless driving charges. For the latest crime and justice news, go to CrimeOnline.com. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.