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Former St. Thomas student gets 3 years in prison for sex trafficking

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

A former University of St. Thomas student was sentenced Tuesday to three years in federal prison for her role in a sex trafficking scheme.Between May and December 2020, 21-year-old Gisela Castro Medina conspired with Anton “Tony” Lazzaro to recruit and solicit six minors to engage in sex acts for cash and gifts, according to court documents.Anton Lazzaro and Gisela Castro MedinaU.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz said at sentencing that Castro Medina helped Lazzaro at “every step of the way.”Castro Medina in December pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and obstructing the investigation.Castro Medina admitted she knew the victims were underage when she recruited them through social media and other ways. She admitted she knew Lazzaro paid them money and gifts, such as alcohol, vapes, high-end purses and hotel rooms, in exchange for sex acts.Meanwhile, Lazzaro paid Castro Medina in cash and over Venmo, and by paying her rent and tuition at St. Thomas, wh...

At first meeting, panel says it might need more time to select new Minnesota state seal, flag

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

A panel tasked with coming up with a new design for Minnesota’s state flag and seal by the end of 2023 has appointed its leadership and work schedule, though there’s a chance they’ll need more time to complete their work.Minnesota’s flag has long been criticized for its unmemorable design and depiction of white settlers driving Native Americans off their lands. After decades of discussion, the process of adopting new symbols has started.At the first meeting of the State Emblems Redesign Commission on Tuesday in St. Paul, members agreed to meet weekly with the goal of finishing their business by the end-of-year deadline. Under the state law calling for the new flag, members of the panel have to take input from experts and the public and create a new design by Jan. 1, 2024.But even with weekly meetings, there’s a chance the emblems commission will ask the Legislature for an extension to complete their work, according to Allison Ortiz, a spokesperson with the Minnesota Historical Socie...

Twins’ Carlos Correa on playing season through foot injury: “Sitting out was never an option”

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

CLEVELAND — Carlos Correa wasn’t about to shut it down in May when his plantar fasciitis flared up for the first time.The pain in his left foot forced him out of a few games initially, but taking a prolonged period of time to see if it would heal was out of the equation entirely for the shortstop.“I don’t want to be sitting out if I can at least be at 50 percent and go out there and play. Sitting out was never an option,” Correa said. “It’s ‘Let’s try to manage this. Let’s try to contain it and try not to get worse.’ Some days it’s better than others. Some days it sucks.”There’s no way to actually quantify how the heel pain has affected Correa, who began Tuesday hitting .230 with a .309 on-base percentage, .400 slugging percentage and .709 OPS — all lower than his career norms. But Correa, who has heated up on this road trip, is quick to not blame his results on that.“The kinetic chain gets affected in so many ways. It goes from the ground up. So I’m sure it has something to do with...

Colorado GOP Rep. Ken Buck shoots down claims of Jan. 6 detainees’ mistreatment

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

U.S. Rep. Ken Buck, a Windsor Republican, pushed back on claims from within his own party recently that defendants in cases tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the nation’s Capitol were being especially mistreated.The secretary of the Colorado GOP, Anna Ferguson, sent a petition out last month through the party’s email distribution that accused the federal government of violating the Constitutional rights of people accused of participating in the deadly Jan. 6 attack. The petition referred to the attack, in which rioters broke into the Capitol while lawmakers certified President Joe Biden’s election, as an “incident.”Buck, a former chair of the state Republican Party, shot down the petition’s claims in a four-page letter that included footnotes. His letter is dated Friday but was distributed on the same Republican Party email list Tuesday.“It is irresponsible to allege without evidence, as your letter does, that Americans are being systemati...

Video shows car slam into firetruck in Compton, killing 2

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

A driver and passenger were killed in an apparent street race when their vehicle crashed into a firetruck, injuring four crewmembers, in West Compton Tuesday.The crash was reported around 12:30 a.m. as the engine company was responding to a medical incident, Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson Craig Little said. The truck was traveling down Avalon Boulevard when it was hit by the civilian vehicle traveling on Compton Boulevard, Little said. Surveillance video obtained by KTLA shows the moment of impact between the two vehicles. Officials investigate a fatal collision in the Compton area on Sept. 5, 2023. (ANG)Four crewmembers were transported to a local hospital with non-critical injuries. “Unfortunately, the two members of the civilian vehicle were fatalities,” he said.The victims were identified by a California Highway Patrol spokesperson as a man and a woman. A woman who said she is a sister of the passenger identified her as 25-year-old Asia Allen-Bookman, the mother...

Baby struck by gunfire during Harbor City double murder

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

Authorities with the Los Angeles Police Department have identified a man and a woman who were fatally gunned down Monday night in Harbor City while they sat in their vehicle, an attack that also left the couple’s baby wounded by gunfire.  The shooting was reported shortly after 6:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of West 253rd Street, an LAPD spokesperson confirmed. Investigators believe the three victims were sitting in their vehicle when a suspect, or suspects, walked up and fired multiple rounds before fleeing the area. At the scene, officers found 21-year-old Carlos Loera, 18-year-old Ashley Guzman and their 1-year-old son suffering from gunshot wounds, an LAPD news release stated.  Paramedics with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded and pronounced Loera dead at the scene. Guzman was rushed to a local hospital where she later died from her injuries.  Police say the 1-year-old was struck by gunfire while seated in a child safety seat in the backseat of the vehic...

Store owner terrified over continual crashes into Long Beach shop

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

The owner of a Long Beach antique shop is pleading with city officials for help after vehicles keep crashing into her shop.Emily Yep, the owner of Magnolia and Willow, said the terrifying crashes happen all the time as out-of-control cars slam through the intersection of Willow Street and Magnolia Avenue. There have been several wrecks that have ended up on her front curb, but just over the weekend, Yep said a car smashed into her shop, marking the second such time a collision has happened.Security video captured the violent crash as the glass windows were completely shattered and a large amount of store items were destroyed in an instant.The owner of Long Beach antique shop, Magnolia and Willow, is pleading for the city’s help after vehicles are continually crashing into her shop. (KTLA)Security video captured a car violently crashing into Long Beach antique shop, Magnolia and Willow, on July 4, 2023. (Magnolia and Willow)Security video captured a car violently crashing into L...

Cars torched in Long Beach; arson suspected

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

Long Beach Fire Department arson investigators want to talk to a man believed to be connected to a series of vehicle fires.Over the last two weeks, five fires have been set in the area between the Convention Center and the Camden Harbor View Apartments along Cedar Walk, Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jacob Heflin said.On Tuesday morning, a truck was set on fire in the parking garage of the apartment complex, causing extensive damage.The aftermath of a truck fire inside a Long Beach apartment complex parking structure is seen on Sept. 5, 2023. (KTLA) “Obviously our concern is we don’t want any additional fires and we want to make sure we take the appropriate action and identify the individual that’s involved in this,” Heflin said.Authorities want to speak with a man who was photographed walking in the area around the time of the blazes.Anyone who knows who the person of interest is, or how to find him is asked to call the Fire Department’s arson unit at 562-570-2582.A person of int...

DiGiorno releases most divisive pizza imaginable, promptly sells out

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

Does pineapple belong on pizza? Some people will say no without hesitation, but the controversial pizza topping has a loyal group of defenders.So, too, does the humble pickle, which has found itself atop pizza toppings more and more regularly in recent years, often paired with a smooth and subtle cheese that lets the vinegary taste be the star of the show.Both pickles and pineapple are among the most controversial toppings that pizza makers have to offer, but one frozen pizza company is taking it one step further. DiGiorno released a pineapple and pickle pizza on Sept. 5, 2023 and it sold out almost immediately. (DiGiorno/Nestle Brands)For a brief moment in food history, DiGiorno offered a pizza that featured not one, but both divisive toppings on the same pizza.The DiGiorno Pineapple Pickle Pizza promised to be the most divisive and controversial pizza on the market, featuring hand-tossed crust and garlic sauce, but with toppings split down the middle — pineapple on one half, pickl...

Yordi Geovanny Sang, Kelly Cristina Garcia-Alban Killed in Multi-Vehicle Crash on Highway 73 [Jefferson County, TX]

Published Sun, 16 Feb 2025 16:13:59 GMT

Dorien Helms Injured in Multi-Car Collision on Labelle RoadJEFFERSON COUNTY, TX (September 5, 2023) – Tuesday night, a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 73 left Yordi Geovanny Sang and Kelly Cristina Garcia-Alban dead.The crash occurred on August 22nd, at around 6:00 p.m., on Highway 73 at Labelle Road.According to reports, Sang was driving along Highway 73 eastbound when his Mitsubishi sedan crossed the grass median into the westbound lanes. There, his vehicle collided with a Chevrolet pickup truck driven by 20-year-old Dorien Helms.First responders to the site of the collision pronounced 25-year-old Yordi Geovanny Sang, of Port Arthur, and his passenger 28-year-old Kelly Cristina Garcia-Alban, of Port Arthur, dead at the scene.Meanwhile, paramedics transported Dorien Helms, to a local hospital for treatment of moderate to major injuries.Following the crash, officials shut down the areas of the road surrounding the crash. There, they performed cleanup and preliminary duties before...