Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Crime Alert 10.28.24 | Jogging Trail Shooter Caught by Coincidence

Episode Date: October 28, 2024

Alyssa Lotkis' killer caught quickly with bystander video and pure coincidence. Would be thief chooses prison over death.  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. Alyssa Lotkus, 34, sets out for a jog on the Mill Creek Greenway, Nashville, when a man starts following her. Others on the trail suddenly hear screams for help, followed by gunfire. Bystanders find Alyssa bleeding from a gunshot wound. She dies at the hospital. Surveillance video captures an Asian male covered in blood running from the trail to a dark colored car. A cop happens to recognize the suspect as Paul Park. The officer investigated the suicide of Park's twin brother

just the month before. Nancy, a parked car catches dash cam footage of Park running to his car and gets a partial shot of his license plate. It was from that footage a police officer recognized Park. Park reportedly had no connection to Lockett's, a doctor of speech pathology. A Nashville citizen on the Greenway that evening says Park pulled up next to her car as she was leaving and asked her what had happened with a smirk on his face. Paul Park, 29, now charged with murder. Richard Curtis flashes a gun, sliding an Austin pizza shop employee a note demanding the money from the register. Instead, the employee lunges across the counter, putting Curtis in a headlock. Another employee grabs Curtis's gun and pistol whips him. Curtis continues fighting until their manager comes from the back with a knife. The manager asks Curtis, do you prefer prison or death?

Curtis stops struggling and calmly waits for cops to arrive. Richard Curtis, 19, now charged with aggravated robbery. More crime and justice news after this. Now with the latest crime and justice breaking news, Crime Online's John Limley. In Nebraska, a 22-year-old man, James Thompson Jr., has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in connection with the fatal stabbing of a couple

at an Interstate 80 rest stop. The incident, which took place June 19th, left 72-year-old Gary Weaver dead and critically injured his 71-year-old wife, Mary Weaver, both of Eureka, Missouri. According to authorities, the couple was attacked after Thompson allegedly demanded the keys to a Jeep being towed behind their RV. Part of the attack was captured on a trucker's dashcam. Witnesses reported the violent confrontation, which occurred at a rest stop near Grand Island, Nebraska. After the attack, Thompson fled the scene in a vehicle. Nebraska State Troopers later spotted him and pursued him as he sped down the highway at speeds

reaching 120 miles per hour. The high-speed chase ended when Thompson crashed into the Platte River, where he was arrested. Police noted he had blood on his shirt and cuts on his hands at the time of his arrest. Despite concerns raised earlier about Thompson's mental competency, a court determined on October 1 that he was fit to stand trial. In addition to the murder charge, Thompson faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, attempted robbery, and fleeing arrest. The case will now proceed as the defense argues for his insanity plea. Now to New Jersey, as police there say there have still been no arrests following a chaotic scene last weekend in the Camden County borough of Collinswood,

where hundreds of teenagers caused widespread disruption during a community event. For the latest, we turn to Sydney Sumner of Crime Online. The unrest began on the evening of October 19th at a haunted hayride fundraiser in Knight Park and quickly escalated, spreading into nearby neighborhoods and a local convenience store. Authorities say more than 200 teens, many dropped off by the carload, flooded the park where the Parent Teacher Association was hosting a Halloween-themed event. What began as a festive evening took a violent turn, with reports of fights breaking out, teens cutting in lines, and running recklessly through the area. Local police, overwhelmed by

the crowd, decided to shut down the event and called for backup from nearby departments. As officers worked to clear the park, a group of 50 to 70 teens moved to a nearby Wawa convenience store, where they reportedly stole items and caused further chaos. The store was forced to close for the night. In a separate but related incident, another group of nearly 80 teens engaged in what police described as a massive fight in a residential area close to the park. While officers were able to break up the brawls and disperse the crowd, no arrests were made. Authorities have now acknowledged concerns about a new riotous trend and said officials would be reviewing public safety

plans for future events to prevent similar outbreaks. Collinwood's mayor and police chief have also released a joint statement in recent days confirming that an investigation is ongoing. Thanks, John. Catherine Arias, 33, diagnosed with schizophrenia in her late 20s, manages the condition with meds and lives with her parents. At the onset of COVID, Catherine's symptoms get worse. She's deeply afraid of COVID. When both parents, Kenny and Carmen Arias, test positive for COVID-19,

Catherine panics and packs a bag and leaves their Red Bank, New Jersey home in the middle of the night. Credit card activity shows she bought a train ticket to Brooklyn, made two purchases in New York the next day. A month later, her parents get a letter from a Brooklyn storage facility saying Catherine hasn't paid for August. The only thing in the storage unit is Catherine's bag. Catherine Arias, now missing over two years. Catherine, Hispanic, 5'0", 100 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes. If you have info on Catherine Arias, please call Red Bank, New Jersey PD, 732-530-2700. For the latest crime and justice news, go to crimeonline.com. And please join us for our daily podcast, Crime Stories.

With this crime alert, I'm Nancy Grace. This is an iHeart Podcast.