Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 05.21.24

Episode Date: May 21, 2024

Mom shot at son's graduation ceremony. This smuggler is Optimus Prime-d for crime.  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. Victoria Bencomo invites her family to downtown Albuquerque for her son's high school graduation. The proud mom gives her son a big hug after the ceremony and spots stepson Christian Bencomo arriving. Victoria's sister tries to hug the step-nephew, but Christian Bencomo pushes her away, pulls a gun, and shoots his stepmother in the neck. When Victoria Bencomo falls to the ground, her stepson stomps on Victoria's head until bystanders pull him back. Nancy, other families at the graduation initially thought a balloon had popped or a firecracker had exploded. Once they realized it was a gun, students and family members hit the

ground. The Bencomo family had no idea there was any strain in Victoria Bencomo's relationship with her stepson, and his motive has not yet been revealed. Victoria Bencomo, in critical but stable condition. Stepson Christian Bencomo, 21, now charged with ag battery. Australian authorities alert Thailand police when they intercept a shipment of a food processing machine with over 200 pounds of meth inside. Thailand police keep an eye on the smuggler for weeks, noting she intends to deliver life-size transformer statues to a movie exhibition in Taiwan.

But inside the statues, cops discover 700 pounds of ketamine. Police believe the drugs originated in Cambodia and are working to track down the buyer in Taiwan. The smuggler facing numerous charges for her Optimus Prime crime. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. For the shooting and stabbing deaths of her father and his longtime girlfriend in New Jersey two and a half years ago, a Pennsylvania woman has now been handed two life sentences. With more, here's Sydney Sumner with Crime Online. In March, 57-year-old Sherry Lee Heffernan of Landenburg, Pennsylvania, was found guilty of weapons offenses and murder in the killing of her 87-year-old father, John Enders, and Francois Petitoy, Enders' 75-year-old long-term live-in girlfriend. It was in the

autumn of 2021 that both were repeatedly stabbed and shot in Enders' Long Beach home. Judge Kimmery Rahill of the Superior Court ruled that the crime, quote, was committed with extreme depravity and sentenced Heffernan to 63 years and nine months in prison for each murder without the possibility of parole. Heffernan to 63 years and nine months in prison for each murder without the possibility of parole. Heffernan had sobbed just minutes earlier, pleading her innocence and referring to the victims as priceless people that she would, quote, forever miss. Officials in New Jersey claimed that Heffernan was angry with her father for allegedly excluding her from his will. Chief Trial Attorney Michael Weatherstone of the county prosecutor's office claimed that

the defendant had shot both victims in order to cause more misery, not death. Weatherstone said Heffernan stabbed the two while they slept, put her father in a chair, and continued to stab him while staring him in the eye. The prosecution presented evidence of vehicle tracking, Heffernan's cell phone, and footprints discovered inside the house where the murders took place. There was insufficient proof, say defense counsel Phil Nettle and Stephen Altman, that Heffernan was inside the vehicle at the time of its tracking. Prosecutors in Los Angeles County say they believe there was criminal activity during the recording of a racist discussion that led to the resignation of the city council president. However, as Crime Online's Sydney Sumner tells us, the prosecution has chosen not to press charges.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the district attorney's office has established that two former employees of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor resided at a residence linked to posts on social media that featured the contentious audio. The people in question had no past criminal history, and prosecutors stated in a memo that they would not press charges because their office has not sought felony charges in cases similar to this one. The city attorney's office was tasked with reviewing the case in order to decide whether to press misdemeanor charges. The recording was leaked in 2022 in a scandal that rocked City Hall and led and the head of Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, all Latino, that was focused on fortifying their influence of power in the realignment of council districts. The audio was recorded in 2021 in a conference room at the Federation's headquarters. In January, Los Angeles police filed a case with county prosecutors, but they were unable to ascertain the source of the recording.

Thanks, John. Amber Arnett plans to visit parents Lansing, Michigan from the nearby town of Leslie. Amber's mom stocks up on toiletries and buys Amber's favorite foods, but Amber never shows up and doesn't answer calls or texts. The friend with whom Amber was staying in Leslie says Amber left on time for the visit home and she hasn't been heard from since. Surveillance video from a dollar store shows Amber shopping the day of her scheduled arrival. Amber's Facebook messages indicate she met up with a friend that afternoon at an apartment complex not far from her parents. That's the last time anyone hears from or sees Amber nearly one year ago. Amber Arnett, 39, is 5'4 and weighs about 150 pounds. Last seen wearing a black tank top with white writing on it, blue jeans, and matching black tennis shoes.

A reward is offered by the family for info leading to Amber's whereabouts. Anyone with info regarding Amber or Nett's disappearance, please call Lansing PD 517-483-4600. For the latest crime and justice news, go to CrimeOnline.com. With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.