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Dorchester man sentenced to life for binding, burning New Jersey woman in 2015

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

A Dorchester man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murder of a 29-year-old New Jersey woman, who he bound, gagged and set on fire alongside commuter rail tracks in Bridgewater more than seven years ago.A Plymouth Superior Court jury on Wednesday found Fernando Owens, 51, guilty of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping of Ashley Bortner, 29, of New Jersey, a woman he thought was involved in the death of his own son earlier that day.On Friday, Judge Elaine Buckley sentenced Owens to life in prison. He is the second of three people charged in connection with the murder. Julian Squires, 49, was found guilty of the same counts in June of last year and is currently serving life in state prison. Shannon Squires, 46, is next scheduled to appear in court on July 20.“I am proud of the work that this jury did to come to a just verdict in this case,” said Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz in a statement following Owens’ verdict. “They heard the evidence of what t...

Mets Notebook: Tylor Megill heading to Triple-A searching for answers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

PHILADELPHIA — Tylor Megill and the Mets have struggled all season to find answers to why he has taken a step back since 2022. Opportunities to make adjustments are few and far between at the Major League level, so the Mets have sent the struggling right-hander to Triple-A Syracuse in order to give him a chance to figure some things out and attempt to find better form.Megill was optioned Thursday night and the Mets called up right-hander Vinny Nittoli to take his spot on the roster Friday, ahead of a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Nittoli was already on the 40-man roster after being acquired in a trade by the Chicago Cubs for future considerations.“It’s just a chance for him to get back to what he’s capable of,” Mets manager Buck Showalter said Friday at Citizens Bank Park while waiting on word of whether or not the two teams would play through the rain. “He’ll be the first to tell you that it wasn’t what he could...

Rapper 'Boosie' to be released on bond after San Diego arrest

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Louisana-based rapper Torrence "Boosie" Hatch Jr. is set to be released on a $100,000 bond after his arrest in San Diego last month on firearm possession charges.This comes after two federal judges denied prosecutors' requests to keep the rapper in custody during hearings this week, allowing him to be released under certain conditions.Hatch, 40, was first arrested by San Diego police on May 6 after a traffic stop in the Chollas View neighborhood in which authorities say officers recovered two loaded handguns in the vehicle.Prosecutors say the arrest was initiated after a law enforcement officer viewed an Instagram livestream that showed a man with a black handgun tucked into the waistband of his pants while filming a music video in what appeared to be the backyard of a residence. SDPD later identified the man as Hatch, court documents allege, prompting law enforcement to use a helicopter to track the vehicle he was riding in to allow officers to conduct the traffic stop...

Mother suspected of shooting daughter in rural East County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- A woman was arrested Friday on suspicion of shooting her daughter at their home in rural East County, authorities said.Andrea Najera, 42, was identified as the suspect, Lt. Jeff Ford with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.Around 10 a.m., a 22-year-old woman showed up at a fire station located in the 36000 block of Church Road with a gunshot wound, according to law enforcement. Deputies determined the victim and her mother had gotten into an argument earlier that morning inside their home near the fire station, when Najera retrieved a shotgun and both began to struggle over the weapon. Fatal shooting leads to police chase, shootout with suspect As the daughter attempted to take the gun from her mother, the weapon fired and struck the victim in the stomach, Ford said.The 22-year-old woman was taken to the hospital via helicopter and is expected to survive, authorities confirmed.Deputies then arrested Najera on suspicion of assault with a...

New York City leans on public for help with e-bike crackdown after deadly fires

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City officials called on the public to help with a crackdown on unsafe e-bike shops after a spate of deadly fires caused by lithium ion batteries, the latest of which killed four people in Manhattan’s Chinatown on Tuesday. In the days since, fire officials have issued citations to 10 e-bike shops for unsafe handling of the batteries. The inspections followed tips from members of the public, the media and local politicians, officials said.Daniel Flynn, the chief fire marshal of the FDNY, encouraged New Yorkers to report “hazardous conditions” inside repair shops, such as batteries being charged in close proximity, damaged-looking devices, or shops using extension cords for charging.“These fires go from zero to 100 in a second,” Flynn said. “If you feel within yourself that there’s a dangerous situation, give us a call.”New York City has seen over 100 fires and 13 deaths this year linked to e-bikes, more than double the total number of fatalities from last yea...

Tennessee, Kentucky battery plants for Ford electric vehicles on track for $9.2B federal loan

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Massive battery plants planned in Tennessee and Kentucky for Ford’s electric vehicles are on track to receive up to a $9.2 billion federal loan in what would be the biggest award under the U.S. Department of Energy’s loan program since President Joe Biden took office.The money for construction would secure a sizable chunk of funding for Ford’s big electric vehicle swing in the two states.Ford’s plans include two battery plants in Kentucky and one in Tennessee, each through a joint venture with battery partner SK On, of South Korea. Additionally, there will be a Ford assembly plant in Tennessee able to build up to 500,000 electric pickup trucks a year. The companies are planning an $11.4 billion investment in the projects.The three battery plants combined are expected to create 5,000 construction jobs, as well as 7,500 operations jobs once the plants are up and running, the Energy Department said in its announcement Wednesday.The loan would c...

The latest on the Titan submersible tragedy and what’s next in the investigation

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

The around-the-clock search for the missing Titan submersible engrossed the world for days, but after news of the catastrophic implosion that killed the pilot and his four passengers near the Titanic shipwreck, investigators are focusing on how it happened — and if it could have been prevented.Deep-sea robots will continue searching the North Atlantic sea floor for clues. Investigators in Canada are looking at the Titan’s Canadian-flagged support ship. U.S. authorities are looking into other aspects of the tragedy. The Titan, owned by undersea exploration company OceanGate Expeditions, had been chronicling the Titanic’s decay and the underwater ecosystem around the sunken ocean liner in yearly voyages since 2021.Authorities and experts are seeking answers: Exactly when and why did the implosion occur? Will the victims’ bodies ever be found? What lessons are there for the future of undersea exploration?Here’s what we know so far: WHEN AND WHERE DID THE TITAN G...

Wagner leader says his forces have entered Russian city of Rostov facing no resistance

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

KYIV, Ukraine — The owner of the Wagner private military contractor Yevgeny Prigozhin said Saturday that his forces have driven into the Russian city of Rostov facing no resistance. Prigozhin said that Wagner field camps were struck by rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery fire on orders from the chief of the military’s General Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov. He charged that Gerasimov issued the order after a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, at which they decided to destroy Wagner.He said Wagner troops were greeted by border guards as they moved into the Rostov region and are now driving into the city of Rostov. He said young conscripts at checkpoints stood back and offered no resistance, adding that his forces “aren’t fighting against children.”“But we will destroy anyone who stands in our way,” he said. “We are moving forward and will go until the end.”THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.The owner of the Wagner private military con...

Who is the head of the mercenary group calling for an armed rebellion in Russia?

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

The head of the private military contractor Wagner called Friday for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister. Russian security services reacted immediately by opening a criminal investigation into Yevgeny Prigozhin.He has previously bashed the country’s military leadership for failures in the war in Ukraine, and is known for his long-running feud with the Defense Ministry.A look at the 62-year-old Prigozhin and Wagner’s role in the war: WHAT DID PRIGOZHIN SAY?Prigozhin posted a series of angry video and audio recordings in which he accused Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering a rocket strike Friday on Wagner’s field camps in Ukraine, where his troops are fighting on behalf of Russia.Prigozhin said his troops would now punish Shoigu in an armed rebellion and urged the army not to offer resistance.“This is not a military coup, but a march of justice,” Prigozhin declared.The Defense Ministry denied carrying out the rocket attack.The National Anti-Terro...

Girlfriend of the dentist who killed his wife on safari sentenced to 17 years

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:14:14 GMT

DENVER (AP) — The girlfriend of a dentist convicted of murdering his wife on an African safari was sentenced Friday to 17 years in prison for being an accessory to the crime during a hearing where relatives of the slain woman told her she had destroyed their family. Ana Rudolph, daughter of 57-year-old victim Bianca Rudolph, said that Lori Milliron, 65, had “plotted to eliminate” her mother. “Lori, you have taken my parents,” Rudolph said directly to Milliron, but “despite everything you have done you will never take my soul. This might be difficult to understand … because you don’t have one.”Milliron was convicted last year of perjury, being an accessory to a murder after the fact and obstructing a grand jury in a case that’s garnered national attention. She was charged alongside Lawrence “Larry” Rudolph, a U.S. dentist who was convicted last year of fatally shooting his wife while on a 2016 hunting trip in Zambia. His sentencing, originally set for this week, has been ...