Thao Shine

Tennis Coach Charged with Criminal Sexual Conduct

2009-12-13T02:23:22Z

A Twin Cities tennis coach was charged Friday with criminal sexual conduct after an underage girl taking lessons from him complained that he slapped her buttocks and spoke to her inappropriately, the Star Tribune reported.

Roberto DeFreitas, 47, was charged with criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree, a felony, in Hennepin County District Court.

Charges said that the 14-year-old girl's father notified a Minneapolis police officer about DeFreitas' inappropriate behavior.

The girl said she was taking tennis lessons at Fred Wells Tennis and Education Center in Minneapolis where DeFreitas led many lessons.

Last month she was invited into DeFreitas' office where he began speaking inappropriately and showed her a picture of himself bare chested. The girl said that DeFreitas also slapped her buttocks and commented on her breasts.

DeFreitas admitted to slapping her buttocks during an interview with police on Dec. 10. He also admitted to telling the girl not to tell anyone about their conversation.

Police said the investigation is ongoing. DeFreitas is being held in the Hennepin County Jail.

St. Paul Woman Accused of Smuggling Elephant Parts from Laos

2009-12-13T02:08:23Z

A St. Paul woman was indicted for allegedly smuggling parts of an Asian elephant and dead birds into the country two years ago, the Pioneer Press reported.

Filed Tuesday, the indictment charged Seng Her, 56, with one count of smuggling goods into the U.S.

According to the Star Tribune, Her was stopped by U.S. Customs officials at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in November 2007 after visiting Laos.

According to the indictment, Her smuggled in parts of an Asian elephant, an endangered species, as well as several dead birds including yellow-vented flowerpeckers, tailorbirds, prinias and passerines.

The Pioneer Press reported that birds are banned from entering the U.S. from Laos because the country is a source of avian flu.

The market for raw endangered wildlife is caused by traditional Asian medicinal and cultural needs, the Star Tribune said.

Tiger Woods Takes Break from Golf

2009-12-12T23:08:31Z

Tiger Woods, the top-ranked golfer in the world, announced on his Web site Friday that he would be taking an "indefinite break" from professional golf to focus on his family, the New York Times reported.

The announcement came after he crashed his SUV outside of his Florida home on Nov. 27, which led to a wave of reports of marital infidelities with multiple women.

In the announcement, Woods admitted to his infidelity, and said that he was aware of the pain and disappointment he had caused his family and his fans, the Wall Street Journal reported.

According to the New York Times, Woods' break from golf will deeply affect the sport of golf, as well his relations with sponsors and businesses, who pay him hundreds of millions of dollars a year to endorse their products and build their brands.

However, many of Woods' major sponsors, like Nike and EA, support Woods' decision and intend to continue business relationships, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Sanford's Wife Files for Divorce

2009-12-12T21:32:54Z

South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford filed for divorce Friday from husband Gov. Mark Sanford, after he confessed to an affair with an Argentine woman more than five months ago, the New York Times reported.

Sanford had attempted at reconciliation, but filed for divorce two days after state lawmakers decided against impeaching Gov. Mark Sanford. She cited adultery as the grounds for the divorce.

Sanford said that she discovered his infidelity when she found a letter he had written to his mistress. Unlike other political wives had done, she did not stand by her husband when he publicly admitted to the affair, the Wall Street Journal reported.

In August, Sanford moved out of the governor's mansion, taking the couple's four sons to the family's beach house on Sullivan's Island.

According to the New York Times, Gov. Mark Sanford has faced a series of ethics violation charges, calls for resignation and efforts at impeachment.

Al Qaeda Leader Killed by Drone

2009-12-12T20:47:42Z

A U.S. drone strike fired near a Pakistani tribal area near the Afghan border killed a senior al Qaeda officer this week, U.S. and Pakistani officials said Friday.

U.S. officials said it was likely that Saleh al-Somali was killed in the strike Tuesday. Somali was on the Central Intelligence Agency's list of the top 20 al Qaeda targets, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Pakistani officials said the drone strike also killed Abu Yahya al-Libi, another top al Qaeda leader, but American officials disputed the claim, the New York Times reported.

Though little is known about Somali, it was likely that he was involved in attacks against the U.S. and Europe, the New York Times reported.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Somali maintained relationships with al Qaeda's East African affiliates, such as al Shabaab, a Somalian terrorist group.

The Obama administration recently approved the expansion of C.I.A. operations inside Pakistan, which includes increasing drone aircraft flying in the country. The plan has yet to be approved by Pakistan's government, the New York Times reported.

E. coli Victim Sues Cargill for $100 million

2009-12-04T22:06:39Z

A woman from Cold Spring, Minn., who nearly died of a food borne illness after eating a Cargill hamburger in 2007, filed a $100 million lawsuit against Cargill this morning, the Star Tribune reported.

Stephanie Smith, 22, a former dance teacher, can no longer walk, suffers from brain damage, cannot have children and may lose her kidneys due to an infection caused by E. coli 0157:H7.

The New York Times discussed her case in October in which it revealed the operations of the modern meatpacking industry by tracing the hamburger meat served at Smith's family barbecue in 2007. The meat was traced to four different plants from two countries.

Cargill has paid nearly $2 million of Smith's medical bills so far and has advanced funds to Smith's family for any additional costs or financial assistance.

The Pioneer Press reported that Cargill does not take responsibility for Smith's case, but blames her condition on its suppliers.

Smith's case is one of the most vivid and horrifying cases of food borne illness outbreaks. Her story has helped bring reform to the food safety system.

Granddaughter of Famous Wrestler Charged with Sex Crime

2009-12-04T09:48:58Z

A former weight room supervisor and teacher at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul faces two counts of third-degree criminal-sexual conduct for allegedly engaging in sexual activities with an underage student in 2008, the Star Tribune reported.

Gail E. Gagne, 25, granddaughter of famed wrestler Verne Gagne and the daughter of former professional wrestler Greg Gagne, allegedly engaged in sexual activities with a 16-year-old male student who worked for her in the weight room she supervised.

The Pioneer Press reported that the student and Gagne performed sexual acts at her father's Bloomington home. They also spent the night and had sex in a hotel near the Mall of America.

Charges were filed in Hennepin County District Court, each of which is a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. A warrant for her arrest was issued on Tuesday, the Star Tribune reported.

Gagne's lawyer, Earl Gray, said she will plead not guilty.

The Pioneer Press reported that Gagne was hired by Cretin-Derhman Hall in November 2007 as an assistant basketball coach. She later became the weight-room supervisor in summer 2008 and was hired as a full-time teacher the following September.

The Star Tribune reported that police began investigating the case in May 2009.

St. Paul police do not have Gagne in custody. They believe she now resides in the Chicago area.

NIH Approves New Stem Cell Lines to Research

2009-12-02T21:16:52Z

The National Institutes of Health said Wednesday that it approved 13 human embryonic stem cell lines for use by federally financed researchers, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The approval followed President Barack Obama's decision to lift restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, which President George W. Bush had implemented.

Embryonic stem cells show potential for treating various diseases, because they can develop into many types of tissue. However, actual use of the stem cells has yet to be approved.

Rockefeller University in New York City developed two of the stem cell lines while the Children's Hospital in Boston developed the other 11. The NIH is reviewing 96 lines, some of which may be approved by Friday.

The New York Times reported that opponents of embryonic stem cell research said that researchers should focus on adult cells, which could be reprogrammed to the embryonic state.

Though adult cells induced into the embryonic stage are very similar to actual embryonic stem cells, they are not identical and are riskier to use. The adult cell may turn on its defenses when being forced into the embryonic stage and will be useless to researchers.

Gay Marriage Bill Defeated by New York State Senate

2009-12-02T20:33:33Z

The New York Times reported Wednesday that New York's State Senate voted down a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, an issue gay rights activists compared to civil rights, family and history.

The Democrats did not have enough votes to pass the bill without support from Republicans; however, no Republican senator voted for the measure. The bill was defeated by a margin of 38 to 24.

If the bill had passed, New York would have become the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage. If it fails, it would mean that New York would become the latest state where critical progress towards gay rights had been made and then destroyed.

The State Assembly had already approved the bill twice before. However, New York's legislative code required the Assembly to pass the bill once more before it could be signed into law.

According to ChicagoPride.com, a similar bill is to receive votes in the District of Columbia and is expected to be approved before Christmas.

In New Jersey, gay activists seek to influence Governor-elect Chris Christie to approve a same-sex marriage bill.

Chances of success are fragile, however, because Christie supports a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, while Governor Jon Corzine, who lost to Christie during the election, pledged to sign a gay marriage bill into law.

Alleged Former Nazi Guard Goes on Trial

2009-12-01T04:49:41Z

The New York Times reported that John Demjanjuk, a retired American autoworker, was put on trial Monday when he was accused of aiding in the murders of 27,900 Jews during the Holocaust.

German prosecutors said that Demjanjuk, 89, worked as a guard at the Sobibor death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland in 1943. Sobibor was an extermination camp rather than a concentration camp, which meant that Demjanjuk would have been involved in mass murder, prosecutors argued.

Demjanjuk appeared in court in a wheelchair with his eyes closed and covered in a blanket. Family members said he was too sick to stand trial. However, doctors deemed him fit enough to stand trial, but only in two 90-minute sessions per day.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Demjanjuk was previously convicted in 1988 of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He spent seven years in prison until his conviction was overturned in 1993, when Israel's Supreme Court found that Demjanjuk had been mistakenly identified as someone else.

Though there are no living witnesses to testify against Demjanjuk, prosecutors say they can convict Demjanjuk using an SS identity card and orders sending him to Sobibor from the Trawniki training camp for Nazi guards. However, defendants question the authenticity of the documents.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Demjanjuk has been stripped of his U.S. citizenship and was deported from the country in May.

If convicted he could face up to 15 years in prison. The trial will resume Tuesday.

Peruvian Gang Killed for Human Fat

2009-11-21T07:08:12Z

Police charged Thursday that a gang in the Peruvian jungle has been killing people to harvest their fat so that they could sell it on the black market for use in cosmetics.

Three suspects confessed to killing five people for their fat, the Huffington Post reported. They told police that a gallon of fat was worth $60,000 and was being sold to intermediaries in Lima, Peru's capital.

According to the New York Times, suspect Elmer Segundo Castillejos, 29, confessed to killing, decapitating, and gutting victims before fat was collected from the torso carcasses.

The gang may be involved in more killings, Peruvian officials said. Castillejos said that the gang's leader, Hilario Cudena, had long been killing to extract fat for more than 30 years.

Authorities suspected that the fat was sold to cosmetic companies in Europe, though there has been no confirmation, the New York Times reported. Medical experts said that fat had cosmetic uses, but doubted that a black market existed for human fat.

Police arrested two more suspects in early November, Serapio Manos Veramendi and Enedina Estela. All three have been charged with homicide, criminal conspiracy, illegal firearms possession and drug trafficking.

Two More Arrested for Assaults in YouTube Video

2009-11-21T06:13:04Z

Saint Paul police arrested two more suspects involved with a YouTube video that featured eight men assaulting people in Minneapolis and St. Paul, the Star Tribune reported.

The two young men were arrested on suspicion of causing a riot. In addition, Mohamed Abdiqadin Abdi, 19, was booked into the Ramsey County Jail, while another 17-year-old was held at a juvenile detention center, bringing the total to four arrested suspects.

Police are still searching for the others who filmed the video, while at least four others are suspected of being involved with the crime.

The investigation was in response to a YouTube video posted on Monday featuring eight young men terrorizing pedestrians, joggers, bicyclists and children. The men included their real names and clear images of their faces in the video.

The video showed locations in St. Paul, such as University Avenue and Lexington Parkway, and Lincoln Avenue and Chatsworth Street.

The Pioneer Press reported that the video showed suspects flashing what appeared to be Crips gang signs, though there has been no confirmation that any of the men are gang members.

Number Use: Japan Faces Fear of New Downturn

2009-11-15T00:24:28Z

A journalist from the Wall Street Journal used numbers to write a story about Japan's economy. According to the article, Japan is in great debt. For instance, economists estimate that Japan's GDP ratio could reach 200% by next year and 300% in the next decade. Economists from the Economic Planning Association said that the economy grew 2.5%, up slightly from 2.3% in the prior period.

In just a few paragraphs, there are a lot of numbers, particularly percentages. This is overwhelming, because I did not completely understand what these percentages meant. The reporter could have used numbers more effectively by explaining the context of the numbers.

The reporter sourced numbers from Masaaki Kanno, a J.P. Morgan Chase economist, and from the Economic Planning Association. Not all numbers were sourced. Many statistics were vaguely attributed to "economists."

Man Sentenced for Throwing Dog Off Balcony

2009-11-14T22:22:30Z

A St. Paul man who pleaded guilty to hurling his girlfriend's dog off a balcony was sentenced Thursday to two years' probation, the Star Tribune reported.

Quincy Lee Morrow, 23, pleaded guilty Sept. 22 to felony mistreatment of an animal.

The criminal charge was due to an incident that occurred on Nov. 28, 2008, when Morrow threw his girlfriend's pit bull puppy off her second-story apartment balcony in Maplewood. The dog suffered such extreme injuries that it had to be put down.

Ramsey County District Judge Rosanne Nathanson prohibited Morrow from possessing pets as well as living in homes that has pets.

Morrow feels remorse for what he did and is seeking counseling, the Star Tribune reported.

Woman is Charged for Lying About St. Paul College Gunman

2009-11-14T21:44:10Z

On Sept. 23, St. Paul College was evacuated, classes were canceled, and police SWAT teams searched the college for a gunman reportedly seen in an elevator, the Star Tribune reported.

Weeks afterward, St. Paul police discovered that the report was a hoax. On Tuesday, the St. Paul city attorney's office said St. Paul College student Charleeta Deon Brown, 42, had been charged with falsely reporting a crime.

After Brown told police she saw an unidentified man retrieve a gun hidden on a ledge inside the elevator, police rushed to the school. The campus was locked down, and police then spent four hours searching for the gunman, the Pioneer Press reported.

However, on Oct. 19, Brown told investigators the report was a fake. She did not reveal her motive for concocting the story.

Brown was charged with a misdemeanor for falsely reporting a crime and was expelled from the college, the Star Tribune reported. She was convicted twice in 2007 for a misdemeanor in theft and another for gross-misdemeanor check forgery.

Brown's false report caused the Police Department about $10,000 in personnel costs.