Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 05.12.23

Episode Date: May 12, 2023

Woman charged with animal abuse. Reporter makes prank call that lands him in jail.  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. Elizabeth James moves into a Florida home with her boyfriend and his mom. The mother's husky, Maya, starts getting mysterious injuries like skull fractures, a broken jaw. Mom sets up a nanny cam in the home and catches James on video putting the dog on a leash and beating the dog with a rubber mallet. The heartbreaking video shows James pulling the terrified dog towards her with the leash and viciously hitting her with the mallet while the dog cries in pain. James told police that she was disciplining Maya for growling at her, and authorities now believe the abuse began in October of last year. All local

shelters have also been informed of James' abuse to prevent the woman from ever adopting or living with an adopted animal. James, 24, facing felony charges of aggravated cruelty to animals with a weapon. South Dakota reporter Austin Goss uses prank call software to make calls to former GOP chairman Dan Letterman. They appear to have come from Governor Kristi Noem's personal phone. The bizarre pre-recorded calls accuse Letterman of stealing boxes of vaccines, threatening repercussions for doing that. Investigators discover who's behind the calls and Goss charged with threatening contacts. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Lindley. Two prisoners

escaped from a Philadelphia prison Sunday night without the assistance of any corrections officers, and there were no armed perimeter guards on duty at the time. This information comes from a correctional officers union official who spoke to our friends at the Associated Press. Authorities are still looking for the two individuals, one of whom is wanted in connection with four murders, days after beginning their hunt. Before authorities became aware that the inmates from the Philadelphia Industrial

Correctional Center were missing, they had been missing for about 19 hours. According to the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, 18-year-old Amin Hurst and 24-year-old Nasir Grant broke through a fence surrounding a recreation yard to escape at approximately 8.30 Sunday night. According to investigators, the neo-Nazi shooter who killed eight people at a suburban Dallas shopping mall brought eight legally acquired guns to the site, appeared to have picked his victims at random, and was shot dead by police in less than four minutes. With the latest on the investigation, here's Sydney Sumner with Crime Online.

Hank Sibley, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, stated at a news conference that the Allen police officer who shot and killed 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia to end the attack on Saturday did a hero's work and saved countless lives with his prompt action. According to the authorities, the officer is currently digesting what happened and is not yet ready for his name to be made public. Garcia expressed neo-Nazi ideas, according to Sibley, noting that Garcia had no criminal record prior to the shooting at Allen Premium Outlets. The reason for Garcia's actions is still under investigation.

Garcia arrived at the scene with eight firearms, five of which were still in his car, and three of which he had on him, according to Sibley. The guns were all legally acquired by Garcia. President Biden told reporters this week the attacker used an AR-15-style rifle and was outfitted in military gear. George Santos, a U.S. representative from New York infamous for faking significant portions of his life story, was detained on federal criminal charges Wednesday before an anticipated court appearance. With more, here's Crime Online's Sydney Sumner. According to the indictment, Santos deceived supporters into giving to a business under the idea that the funds would be utilized to further his campaign.

It claims that instead, he utilized the money for personal needs like buying expensive designer clothing and paying off his credit cards. Santos is additionally charged with falsifying information regarding his financial situation on congressional disclosure forms, seeking for and receiving unemployment benefits while working as a regional director of an investment firm and campaigning for office. Santos surrendered Wednesday and was expected to make an initial court appearance later in the day at a federal courthouse on Long Island. James Montoya's girlfriend drops him at a Colorado bar to play pool. Montoya is seen on security video leaving the bar with a man that Montoya's family does not recognize. After leaving the bar, Montoya sends one last Snapchat before his phone

goes dark. Montoya has not returned home. There's no activity on his credit cards. The 26-year-old was set to start Marine Basic Training this month. If you have information on James Montoya, please call Denver PD 720-913-2000. For the latest crime and justice news, go to CrimeOnline.com. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.