VATICAN: Pope Francis Died At Age 88 Today Monday April 21, 2024.

9 News Australia published April 21, 2025: Pope Francis dies aged 88.

CBS News published April 21, 2025: How Pope Francis transformed the Catholic Church. Pope Francis, known as "the people's pope," spent his papacy transforming parts of the Vatican and combating the world's perception of the Catholic Church. CBS News is remembering Pope Francis' work and legacy.

CBS News published April 21, 2025: Details on Pope Francis' funeral and what's next for the Catholic Church. The world is remembering Pope Francis, who died Monday at 88 years old. CBS News' Elizabeth Cook anchors special coverage of the pontiff's death.

Vatican News

Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday aged 88

written by Devin Watkins

Monday April 21, 2025

At 9:45 AM, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, announced the death of Pope Francis from the Casa Santa Marta with these words:

"Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized. With immense gratitude for his example as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus, we commend the soul of Pope Francis to the infinite merciful love of the One and Triune God."

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told journalists later on Monday that the late Pope's body could be transferred to St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday morning, so that the faithful may pray before his mortal remains.

"The translation of the Holy Father's mortal remains to the Vatican Basilica, for the veneration of all the faithful, may take place on the morning of Wednesday, April 23, 2025, according to the arrangements that shall be determined and communicated tomorrow, following the first Congregation of the Cardinals," Mr. Bruni said.

The Pope was admitted to the Agostino Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital on Friday, February 14, 2025, after suffering from a bout of bronchitis for several days.

Pope Francis’ clinical situation gradually worsened, and his doctors diagnosed bilateral pneumonia on Tuesday, February 18.

After 38 days in hospital, the late Pope returned to his Vatican residence at the Casa Santa Marta to continue his recovery.

In 1957, in his early 20s, Jorge Mario Bergoglio underwent surgery in his native Argentina to remove a portion of his lung that had been affected by a severe respiratory infection.

As he aged, Pope Francis frequently suffered bouts of respiratory illnesses, even cancelling a planned visit to the United Arab Emirates in November 2023 due to influenza and lung inflammation.

In April 2024, the late Pope Francis approved an updated edition of the liturgical book for papal funeral rites, which will guide the funeral Mass which has yet to be announced.

The second edition of the Ordo Exsequiarum Romani Pontificis introduces several new elements, including how the Pope’s mortal remains are to be handled after death.

The ascertainment of death takes place in the chapel, rather than in the room where he died, and his body is immediately placed inside the coffin.

According to Archbishop Diego Ravelli, Master of Apostolic Ceremonies, the late Pope Francis had requested that the funeral rites be simplified and focused on expressing the faith of the Church in the Risen Body of Christ.

“The renewed rite,” said Archbishop Ravelli, “seeks to emphasise even more that the funeral of the Roman Pontiff is that of a pastor and disciple of Christ and not of a powerful person of this world.”

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality. The Last Enemy Destroyed. Our Final Victory

Austin Bond published Saul's Conversion on the Road to Damascus. This is an edited (short) version from A.D. The Bible Continues that I used to bring the story of Acts 9:1-31 to life to our Youth Group.

I'm sharing Saul's story in the video above so you know who he is. Saul was also called Paul and after his encounter with Jesus Christ would only be called Paul. Saul hated the followers of Jesus Christ and was hunting and killing them. Jesus Christ appeared to him in spirit form on his way to Damascus and was instantly changed. (emphasis mine)

I added the pictures above to message I shared below.

1 Corinthians 15 New King James Version (NKJV)

Paul, the Apostle writes letter to Corinthians

[source: Biblegateway.com]

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Risen Christ, Our Hope

12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.

The Last Enemy Destroyed

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

Effects of Denying the Resurrection

29 Otherwise, what will they do who are baptized for the dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead? 30 And why do we stand in jeopardy every hour? 31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

A Glorious Body

35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Our Final Victory

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

55 “O Death, where is your sting?

O Hades, where is your victory?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Happy Resurrection Sunday! ((( ♥ )))

Happy Resurrection Sunday

written by Rose H.

[source: Meditations of His Love]

Mark 16:1-7 (NIV) When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?" But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.'"

He is Risen! Our God is a living, breathing, loving God. Death can no longer have the final say. Sin will not have final victory. Jesus has conquered! We are free! Life has won!

Revelation 5:4-6 (NIV) I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Our God is Worthy! All praise honor and glory are His, now and forever more.

Let us take some time to worship and glorify Him. He is loving and gracious! He is the same now as He was when the Bible was written. Let us praise Him for He is worthy!

Pssst... HAPPY EASTER! Hope You Have A Great Day Doing Whatever It Is That Puts A Great BIG SMILE On Your Face! :D

I don't have children, but if I did I would teach them to know the difference between the secular Easter Spring Celebration and Jesus' Resurrection Sunday. I personally take no issue celebrating them both, my motto is to each his or her own, live and let live. But it is important to understand the difference between the two. The Easter Spring Celebration is a pagan secular ritual and Jesus' Resurrection Sunday is Holy. It was the Catholic church that integrated them both into one. There is no mention of Ostara, the goddess of Spring in the Bible nor is there any mention of the word Eostre aka Easter.

So, with that being said, I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating whichever way makes you happy. :)

Ostara aka Eostre - Goddess of Spring

[source: Goddess cards]

Ostara is the Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring. Her other name is "Eostre" meaning "movement towards the rising sun." She is celebrated on March 21st at the Spring Equinox, when days are brighter and growing longer. She points the way to Beltane, the great and joyous festival of coming Summer.

Ostara is a fertility goddess, the northern counterpart of Astarte and Ishtar. She is associated with the moon hare or rabbit, with eggs, dawn and the east - all symbolizing her primary qualities of bringing birth, rebirth and renewal to a winter-weary world.

In modern times, we have transformed Ostara's sacred rabbits and eggs into the secular Easter bunny, and colored and chocolate Easter eggs that delight children and grownups alike. Ostara's deep femininity is reflected in the fact that our word for the female hormone, estrogen, is derived from her name.

Easter History

[source: The Holiday Spot]

Easter and Spring

Come March. And the world around you gets geared up to go ga ga on a festive spree. Some skeptics might shrug off the March madness fray, but can't beat the freak it rolls out of its season of rejuvenation, rejoice and renewal that ushers in with a basketful of new promises and gifts in galore. The nature discards its weary look to don a brand new outfit. The shining sun showers its blissful warmth, as if, to thwart the frosted blanket which the winter wraps around us. The brook turns bubbly. The blooming tulips, the crocuses and the daffodils - all swayed by the cool southie breeze, bring back the vibe on earth.

What else can be a better day for fun and fiesta? To have your family reunited? Friendship and love renewed? And feelings shared?

Perhaps all these traits have made spring and celebrations almost synonymous. That too from the dawn of human history.

Even in the Greek mythology, Demeter and Persephone, convey the idea of a goddess returning seasonally from the nether regions to the light of the day. This is in conjunction with the vernal equinox, March 21, when nature is in resurrection after the winter.

Even Easter - the grand occasion that reminds you of the golden and crimson eggs and chocolate bunnies, the ho'cross buns, is also a spring time festival. As if the Almighty had chosen this glorious season for the death-resurrection and exaltation of Jesus Christ, the son of God.

History Of Easter

Easter, the principal festival of the Christian church year, celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his Crucifixion. The origins of Easter date to the beginnings of Christianity, and it is probably the oldest Christian observance after the Sabbath (observed on Saturday). Later, the Sabbath subsequently came to be regarded as the weekly celebration of the Resurrection.

Meanwhile, many of the cultural historians find, in the celebration of Easter, a convergence of the three traditions - Pagan, Hebrew and Christian.

According to St. Bede, an English historian of the early 8th century, Easter owes its origin to the old Teutonic mythology. It was derived from the name Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, to whom the month of April was dedicated. The festival of Eostre was celebrated at the vernal equinox, when the day and night gets an equal share of the day.

The English name "Easter" is much newer. When the early English Christians wanted others to accept Christianity, they decided to use the name Easter for this holiday so that it would match the name of the old spring celebration. This made it more comfortable for other people to accept Christianity.

But it is pointed out by some that the Easter festival, as celebrated today, is related with the Hebrew tradition, the Jewish Passover. This is being celebrated during Nisan, the first month of the Hebrew lunar year. The Jewish Passover under Moses commemorates Israel's deliverance from about 300 years [it's really 400 years. (emphasis mine)] of bondage in Egypt.

It was in during this Passover in 30 AD [it's really 33 AD. (emphasis mine)] Christ was crucified under the order of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate as the then Jewish high priests accused Jesus of "blasphemy". The resurrection came three days later, on the Easter Sunday. The early Christians, many of them being brought up in Jewish tradition regarded Easter as a new feature of the Pascha (Passover). It was observed in memory of the advent of the Messiah, as foretold by the prophets. And it is equanimous with the proclamation of the resurrection. Thus the early Christian Passover turned out to be a unitive celebration in memory of the passion-death-resurrection of Jesus. However, by the 4th century, Good Friday came to be observed as a separate occasion. And the Pascha Sunday had been devoted exclusively to the honor of the glorious resurrection.

Throughout the Christendom the Sunday of Pascha had become a holiday to honor Christ. At the same time many of the pagan spring rites came to be a part of its celebration. May be it was the increasing number of new converts who could not totally break free of the influence of pagan culture of their forefathers.

But despite all the influence there was an important shift in the spirit. No more glorification of the physical return of the Sun God. Instead the emphasis was shifted to the Sun of Righteousness who had won banishing the horrors of death for ever.

The Feast of Easter was well established by the second century. But there had been dispute over the exact date of the Easter observance between the Eastern and Western Churches. The East wanted to have it on a weekday because early Christians observed Passover every year on the 14th of Nisan, the month based on the lunar calendar. But, the West wanted that Easter should always be a Sunday regardless of the date.

To solve this problem the emperor Constantine called the Council of Nicaea in 325. The question of the date of Easter was one of its main concerns. The council decided that Easter should fall on Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox. But fixing up the date of the Equinox was still a problem. The Alexandrians, noted for their rich knowledge in astronomical calculations were given the task. And March 21 was made out to be the perfect date for spring equinox.

The dating of Easter today follows the same. Accordingly, churches in the West observe it on the first day of the full moon that occurs on or following the Spring equinox on March 21., it became a movable feast between March 21 and April 25.

Still some churches in the East observe Easter according to the date of the Passover festival.

The preparation takes off as early as on the Ash Wednesday from which the period of penitence in the Lent begins. The Lent and the Holy week end on the Easter Sunday, the day of resurrection.

USA: 10yo Girl Kidnapped From Taft By 27yo Man She Met On Roblox Gaming App. She Was Found 270 Miles Away In Elk Grove Near Sacramento Where He's From. Parents Are Warned To Stay Alert.

🚨NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED🚨

🚨NO ISLAMIC JIHADISTS INVOLVED🚨

ABC 7 Chicago published April 18, 2025: 10-year-old girl kidnapped by man she met on Roblox, police say.

KCAL News published April 18, 2025: Roblox creators respond after California man kidnaps girl he met in game. A California man was arrested after he allegedly kidnapped a girl he met in the popular game, Roblox. Nicole Comstock reports. 

ABC10 published April 17, 2025: Roblox, Discord under fire after California child exploitation cases linked to gaming apps. Roblox, Discord under fire after California child exploitation cases linked to gaming apps.

The Sacramento Bee, CA local

Kidnapped 10-year-old found 250 miles away with man met on Roblox, CA cops say

written by Daniella Segura

Thursday April 17, 2025

A kidnapped child was found more than 250 miles away from home with a man they spoke to over Roblox and Discord, California deputies say.

Matthew Macatuno Naval, 27, was arrested on multiple charges stemming from the incident, including kidnapping, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office said in an April 16 Facebook post.

Deputies said they responded to a Taft home about a missing 10-year-old at about 10 a.m. Sunday, April 13.

The family told deputies they last saw the child at home the night before.

Through an investigation, deputies said they learned from the child’s friends that they may have been kidnapped.

Detectives also learned the child had been speaking with Naval over Roblox, an online gaming platform, and Discord, a voice, video, and text chat app, according to deputies.

Deputies said they believed the pair were in the Elk Grove area, about a 270-mile drive north from Taft.

After detectives requested help from Elk Grove police, officers found Naval with the missing child in a parked car at a strip mall near his home just hours after the child was reported missing, deputies said.

The child was taken to protective custody and later released to their family, deputies said.

Naval was booked into jail in Sacramento County shortly after 3:30 p.m. Sunday, April 13, deputies said.

In addition to a kidnapping charge, Naval is also facing an “unlawful sexual conduct with a minor child” charge, deputies said.

In an April 17 email to McClatchy News, a Kern County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson said Naval was transferred to Kern County Jail on April 16, adding that they expected the Kern County Sheriff’s Office to file a complaint request in his case on April 18.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact deputies at 661-861-3110.

In an April 17 email to McClatchy News, a Roblox spokesperson called the allegations “deeply troubling.”

“We are actively investigating. We have a zero-tolerance policy against child endangerment, and a range of safety features to guard against predatory behavior,” the spokesperson said. “We also partner with law enforcement around the world, and are working tirelessly to enhance our safety systems, processes and policies.”

A Discord spokesperson echoed that sentiment in an emailed statement to McClatchy News, saying the company “has a zero-tolerance policy against abuse and exploitation.”

“We take decisive actions when we detect violations of our policies, including removing content, banning users, shutting down servers, and engaging with law enforcement,” the spokesperson said. “As soon as we became aware of this matter, we provided information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). We will continue supporting law enforcement in its investigation.”

Deputies urged parents to “monitor all electronic usage and know who your children are communicating with.”

“Many apps and games have messaging capabilities and present the same, if not more, risk as social media platforms,” deputies said. “Media monitoring apps are great tools for those who may not know where to begin when monitoring electronic usage.”

*********

ABC10 News, Sacramento, CA local

Online gaming safety questioned as Roblox, Discord tied to Sacramento County child exploitation cases

written by Devin Trubey

Thursday April 17, 2025

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Two Bay Area-based online platforms, Roblox and Discord, are facing scrutiny from law enforcement and legal experts who say predators are using the apps to groom and exploit children — with serious real-world consequences.

Recent cases in California highlight what officials call growing dangers in digital spaces.

In one case, a 10-year-old girl from Kern County was found 270 miles from home in Elk Grove after allegedly being abducted by a 27-year-old man she met on Roblox and Discord.

Matthew Naval was arrested this week in Elk Grove and is facing charges of kidnapping and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

“Criminals no longer have to go into parks to snatch up our children. They’re on social media apps or gaming apps and they are communicating with children right under our noses and coercing them and blackmailing them,” said Lori Meza with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.

This is not an isolated case. Sacramento County authorities recently found a 14-year-old girl who was missing for nearly a year in Houston.

According to investigators, she met 28-year-old Tarik Jammer online. He now faces charges related to sexual performance of a child.

“(They are) extremely manipulative. They know how to prey on the weaknesses of these kids, exploit those needs and wants and they manufacture this fantasy land they could be ‘escaping’ to,” said Sgt. Amar Gandhi with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office leads a specialized Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force that has received over 15,000 tips in 2025 alone.

“We’ve had (cases) here locally where children get sextorted to the point where they commit suicide,” said Lt. Juan Hidalgo, the task force commander.

Concerns about Roblox and Discord are mounting. Critics say they haven’t done enough to prevent predators from contacting young users.

Matthew Bergman, founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center, says pedophiles use messaging tools on Roblox to groom children.

“What we have seen happen is pedophiles use Roblox messaging to contact kids and over time groom them into providing salacious photos on other platforms. They fish in the Roblox waters and lure them in,” said Bergman.

Both Roblox and Discord have taken steps to strengthen safety. Roblox implemented stricter messaging restrictions for users under 13 and increased parental controls. But for some families, the changes came too late.

One Northern California family is suing both companies after their 14-year-old was allegedly coerced into sharing graphic images. The man involved reportedly has more than 20 minor victims.

Anne Marie Murphy, a partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, said both Roblox and Discord are pushing for the case to be handled in private arbitration.

“Discord and Roblox have asked the court to not hear the case and instead send the case to secret arbitration forum where the public will not get to know or watch what happens in the litigation,” said Murphy. “These cases need to be discussed as you’re doing. They need to see the light of day.”

Law enforcement officials say a dedicated point of contact within gaming and communication apps would improve their ability to investigate these crimes.

Roblox released the following statement:

“These allegations are deeply troubling, and we are actively investigating. We have a zero-tolerance policy against child endangerment, and a range of safety features to guard against predatory behavior. We also partner with law enforcement around the world, and are working tirelessly to enhance our safety systems, processes and policies.”

Discords released this statement:

“Discord has a zero-tolerance policy against abuse and exploitation. We take decisive actions when we detect violations of our policies, including removing content, banning users, shutting down servers, and engaging with law enforcement. As soon as we became aware of this matter, we provided information to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). We will continue supporting law enforcement in its investigation.”

USA: 4 Female Human Trafficking Victims From Texas, One Missing Underaged Female Included Were Rescued At AirBnB In Ohio. 2 Houston-Area Men Arrested Awaiting Extradition To Texas.

🚨NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED🚨

🚨NO ISLAMIC JIHADISTS INVOLVED🚨

NBC4 Columbus published March 19, 2025: Four human trafficking victims rescued in Ohio.

KHOU 11 published March 19, 2025: Houston-area men arrested, 4 Texas trafficking victims, including juvenile, rescued in Ohio. FBI agents in Houston alerted Ohio law enforcement that a missing juvenile was believed to be in Columbus. That investigation led to the arrests.

KHOU11 News, Houston, TX local

Houston-area men arrested, 4 Texas trafficking victims, including juvenile, rescued in Ohio

written by Michelle Homer, Julissa Garza, Jaime E. Galvan

Tuesday March 18, 2025

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two men from the Houston area are behind bars in Columbus, Ohio on charges of trafficking and compelling prostitution of a minor. Four victims, including a juvenile, were rescued, the FBI said.

Larry Hill, 26, of Houston, and Timarrea Granderson, 27, of Cypress, will be returned to Texas to face charges.

The investigation was launched when the FBI's Houston office and the Texas Department of Public Safety alerted Ohio authorities that a juvenile trafficking victim from Texas was believed to be in Columbus.

On March 13, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and Columbus police arrested Granderson and rescued one of the victims found with him.

Later that evening, Hill was arrested after he barricaded himself inside a Columbus residence where two more of the trafficking victims were found, according to authorities.

The fourth victim was rescued at another location.

According to KHOU 11’s sister station, WBNS, the arrests took place at an Airbnb rental home, leaving local residents shocked.

“I said, 'Thank you, Jesus, you got them because you don’t do that to kids,'" one neighbor said.

The owner of the Airbnb property, who does not live there, said the two men were only at the home for less than a day before their arrests.

"We had no previous interaction with the guest nor the other two individuals that were taken into custody. Thankful that law enforcement was able to apprehend these people within 24 hours of their arrival and hopefully protect more people from any harm in the future," Kyle Collette, the property owner, said.

Granderson and Hill will face charges in Texas, including trafficking of a person and compelling prostitution of a minor. The men are awaiting extradition to Texas.

USA: Missing Out-Of-State Child Was Rescued, Which Led To The Arrest Of 9 Men On 36 Charges In Limstone County, Alabama. Child Had Fallen Victim To Sex Trafficking After Being Lured Online.

🚨NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED🚨

🚨NO ISLAMIC JIHADISTS INVOLVED🚨

WHNT News 19 published March 16, 2025: 9 Arrested On Human Trafficking Charges. According to the Limestone County Sheriff's Office, a missing out-of-state child has been rescued, which led to the arrest of nine men on 36 charges.

WHNT19 CBS News, Huntsville, AL local

9 Arrested On Human Trafficking Charges

written by Tony Cortes

Sunday March 16, 2025

LIMESTONE COUNTY, Alabama — According to the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office, a missing out-of-state child has been rescued, which led to the arrest of nine men on 36 charges.

According to LCSO, on March 6, Deputy Dylan Legg responded to a disturbance call and found a child who was reported missing in another state. Seeing the signs of human trafficking, Deputy Legg rescued the child, who had fallen victim to sex trafficking after being lured online.

Authorities said with coordination with juvenile probation, Limestone County DHR, and out-of-state agencies, the child was safely returned to their family.

The investigation is ongoing, with potential local charges pending. Additionally, LCSO said an out-of-state agency has issued warrants for a person suspected of taking the child.

LCSO said no more details will be released to protect the victim’s identity.

Between March 9 and March 15, the Limestone County Criminal Investigation Division, with help from Patrol and Corrections staff, carried out a targeted operation resulting in nine arrests on charges related to human trafficking and child exploitation.

[BLEEP]

Each of the above men is facing charges of first-degree human trafficking, electronic solicitation of a child and traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act.

[BLEEP]

Each of these men is charged with two counts of first-degree human trafficking, two counts of electronic solicitation of a child and two counts of traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act.

LCSO said bonds for the suspects will be determined later by a judge.

USA: Six Men Arrested In Morgan County, Alabama Human Trafficking Operation Targeting Men Who Solicited Underage Girls Using Social Media, And Traveled To Have Sex With Them.

🚨NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED🚨

🚨NO ISLAMIC JIHADISTS INVOLVED🚨

WAFF 48 News & Weather published March 10, 2025: Six people were arrested in an anti-human trafficking operation in Morgan County.

WHNT19 CBS News, Alabama local

Six men arrested in Morgan County anti-human trafficking operation

written by Maggie Matteson

Monday March 10, 2025

MORGAN COUNTY, Alabama – Six men were arrested following an anti-human trafficking operation run by the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office said six men targeted and solicited people they believed to be children 15 or younger. However, they were undercover officers. MCSO added that after the men traveled to meet the child, they were arrested by the undercover officers.

MCSO said the men found the undercover accounts through social media and online platforms. Below are the the men who were arrested and the charges they are facing:

[BLEEP]

“Parents, it is important that you to get involved in your child’s digital life. The devices you permit them to have provide them with direct access to the world, and the world gains direct access to them,” The sheriff’s office said. “Don’t let them be victims by being exposed to extreme evil at such a young and influential age. These offenders agreed to pay to engage in sexual acts with children and then traveled to designated locations in Morgan County to commit these sex crimes.”

The operation was supported by the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office and Covenant Rescue Group.

USA: Authorities Arrested 6 Men During A Human Trafficking Sting In Zephyrhills, Florida Targeting Buyers Who Prey On Underage Children.

🚨NO WHITE SUPREMAICISTS INVOLVED🚨

🚨NO ISLAMIC JIHADISTS INVOLVED🚨

10 Tampa Bay published April 15, 2025: 6 arrested in human trafficking sting in Zephyrhills. Authorities said the men targeted buyers who prey on underage children.

Fox13 News, Tampa Bay, FL local

Six arrests made in human trafficking bust in Zephyrhills: Police

written by Chuck Merlis

Tuesday April 15, 2025

ZEPHYRHILLS, Florida - Six arrests were made during a human trafficking bust involving multiple state and Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies, according to the Zephyrhills Police Department.

Investigators said the operation was aimed at identifying and catching those involved in trafficking-related crimes. Zephyrhills police collaborated with the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force for the operation.

Dig deeper: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), St. Petersburg Police Department, Pasco Sheriff's Office, Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Florida Highway Patrol and the More Too Life Foundation all worked on this investigation, according to ZPD.

Undercover officers and investigators said they were able to identify suspects soliciting or engaging in illegal activity related to human trafficking. Police say that all six suspects, ranging from 23 to 50 years old, face charges varying from human trafficking, solicitation and related offenses.

What they're saying: "This operation emphasizes our department's ongoing commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and holding traffickers accountable," said Zephyrhills Police Chief Derek Brewer. "We are proud to stand alongside our fellow agencies in the fight against human trafficking and will continue working to ensure the safety of our community."

USA: 43yo Man Murdered His 34yo Wife Who Was Trying To Divorce Him, Her 64yo Father And Their Neighbor In Florida In Front Of His 4yo Daughter. She Told Police He Would Kill Her. Then He Did.

🚨NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED🚨

🚨NO ISLAMIC JIHADISTS INVOLVED🚨

I just found out about this horrific massacre. :( (emphasis mine)

NBC 6 South Florida published February 17, 2025: Estranged wife murdered in Tamarac spree reported husband's violence. A 4-year-old girl was left motherless and in foster care as her father, Nathan Gingles, was charged with killing his wife, Mary Catherine Gingles, in a murder spree the mother saw coming.

NBC 6 South Florida published February 18, 2025: Surveillance video captured screams as neighbors reported gunshots in Tamarac killings. Chilling surveillance video captured screams after neighbors reported hearing gunshots in a deadly triple shooting inside a Tamarac neighborhood.

NBC 6 South Florida published February 17, 2025: Man murdered wife and her father during daughter's abduction in Tamarac: BSO. A man who allegedly fatally shot his estranged wife, her father and another man during the abduction of his 4-year-old daughter in Tamarac early Sunday was arrested on multiple murder charges after he and the child were found safe following a statewide Amber Alert, authorities said.

Nathan Gingles, 44, was arrested on three counts of first-degree murder with a firearm, along with violating an injunction relating to not having contact with the child or child's mother, and interfering with custody of a minor, Broward Sheriff's Office officials said Monday.

NBC 6 South Florida published February 19, 2025: 'It's just bulls--t work': Broward Sheriff takes accountability after Tamarac killing spree. Multiple Broward Sheriff's deputies have been placed on leave amid the investigation into a triple murder in Tamarac, Sheriff Gregory Tony said Wednesday, calling it a "piss-poor performance" by several investigators.

NBC6 New, Miami, Floria local

Slain Tamarac mother warned husband would kill – and police say he did

written by Tony Pipitone

Monday February 17, 2025

Mary Catherine Gingles saw it coming.

For over a year, she had warned Broward County judges that the husband she was divorcing was going to kill her, obtaining two domestic violence injunctions that, in the end, could not shield her from bullets.

Early Sunday morning, police say 43-year-old Nathan “Bo” Gingles went to the Tamarac home where Mary Catherine, 34, and their 4-year-old daughter, Seraphine, lived, in violation of that latest injunction.

There, he shot and killed his father-in-law, 64-year-old David Ponzer, and then hunted down Mary Catherine as she banged on neighbors’ doors frantically seeking help, the sheriff’s office said.

He finally did what she said he was going to do inside one of those homes, shooting and killing her and the man who answered the door, 36-year-old Andrew Ferrin, and let her in to see what the problem was.

The problem, police say, was Nathan Gingles, who snatched up Seraphine and fled to a Walmart parking lot in North Lauderdale, where he was arrested and Seraphine was recovered safely.

Ex-military, owner – his wife claimed – of 20 firearms, including assault rifles with suppressors, Gingles wasn’t so loud and proud in family court Monday.

Appearing in handcuffs and shackles, wearing maximum security inmate clothing, Broward Circuit Judge Hope Tieman Bristol had to admonish him to speak up when he announced himself: “Nathan Gingles,” which he pronounced “JING-ulz,” before adding his biological role: “father.”

To be determined: whether that father will ever see his daughter again.

“Mr. Gingles has no contact” with Seraphine, Bristol ordered. “That means through no third party, social media, relative, friend -- no contact with the child. You understand sir?”

“I do, your honor,” Gingles replied.

The fate of their now-motherless daughter lies in the courts, after Seraphine was placed in a foster shelter home.

The alleged killer asked that a cousin of his be allowed to take care of the child, but the judge put off any such decision until DCF and the girl’s legal advocates can investigate that and other options and, if appropriate, recommend a change in placement for the child.

There was no mention of any surviving relative on the mother’s side of the family, with her father also killed.

According to court records, the couple met in 2016 and married two years later, moving to Germany, where Seraphine was born in August 2020. They returned to the States in 2023 and rented the house in Tamarac.

It was last February, after Ponzer traveled to Florida to be with his daughter, that she finally summoned the courage and found the opportunity to take action against the violent, drug-using, controlling, abusive husband she would describe in court papers.

She obtained a domestic violence injunction against him in February 2024 and filed for divorce 11 days later.

She reported then that he was recently “up all night snorting Adderall and was in a drug-induced state acting bizarre in the morning,” singing “a made-up song about how he was going to kill the mother and get away with it and how no one would find her body.”

“I live in constant fear of my husband,” she stated in the petition for injunction. “He will snort Adderall and stay up all night while Sera and I try to sleep. He has left lines of crushed Adderall on his dresser” before heading to work as an IT technician, earning $187,000 a year with a military contractor serving the Southern Command in Doral.

“If you try to leave me, I will kill you,” he told her “more than once,” she swore in court records.

“Because of Nathan’s psychotic behavior, his multiple threats, his drug use, his multiple/many silenced firearms and my impending divorce actions, I am afraid Nathan will kill me and my daughter,” she wrote in the petition for injunction.

She said he owned 20 firearms, some “serious weaponry, many of which also have silencers,” including assault-style rifles and a shotgun.

She dropped the first injunction in July after her husband agreed to a “no harmful conduct” order. At some point, she said, his weapons were seized by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, though she wrote she was unsure whether they were returned to him. A request for information from BSO on the status of that seizure has not been answered.

But by the fall, in seeking a second injunction in December, she wrote his “stalking behaviors have increased recently and I think he is aiming to kill me while he has access to the rental property where I reside.”

In October, she said she discovered a tracking device on her car, one identical to one her husband had purchased weeks earlier – something she reported to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, which did not follow up, she said. An email to BSO seeking the report and any follow-up has not been answered.

In late December, she reported to the sheriff finding stashed in her garage elements of what could be a murder kit: plastic gloves, plastic wrap, zip-tie restraints, crushed white powder, shoe and hair coverings and a note: “air embolism, psych medications, waterboarding.” She noted he had access to syringes for injecting testosterone.

“I think it is imminent that he will attempt to murder me,” she wrote, in obtaining the second injunction in December, which was extended to March 19.

But injunctions can only do so much, and police say Gingles somehow obtained a gun and used it during his killing spree Sunday.

Monday, Judge Bristol added one last provision to her order: grief counseling, for a four-year-old girl who will never see her mother or grandfather again.

USA: 1 Woman, 2 Men Accused Of Home Invasion In Michigan With Intent To Murder Foster Family. They Kidnapped 2 Children After Murdering 2. Foster Dad Survived Being Shot In The Head.

🚨NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED🚨

🚨NO ISLAMIC JIHADISTS INVOLVED🚨

WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7 published April 16, 2025: Two charged in double murder appear in court. The two people accused of murder in a kidnapping plot at a Northfield Township home appeared in court for a preliminary hearing where they were bound over for trial. 

Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV published April 17, 2025: Video creates clearer timeline of what happened after foster family murder in Washtenaw County. Two of three suspects charged in the murder of a foster family in Washtenaw County were bound over for trial on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, and surveillance video from the night of the attack was played in court.

Click On Detroit | Local 4 | WDIV published April 16, 2025: 2 men charged in Washtenaw County foster family murder bound over for trial. Two of the three people charged in the double murder of a foster family in Washtenaw County were in court on Wednesday, and a judge ruled that there is enough evidence to send them to trial. Here's when the judge made his decision.

Click On Detroit

2 men charged in Washtenaw County foster family murder bound over for trial

written by Sara Powers, Digital Content Producer

Wednesday April 16, 2025

WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. – Two of the three people charged in the double murder of a foster family in Washtenaw County were in court on Wednesday, and a judge ruled that there is enough evidence to send them to trial.

Gregory Callhan, 37, and Keith Finley, 60, appeared in court before Washtenaw County Judge Cedric Simpson on Wednesday, April 16, for their preliminary examinations.

Vinson, Callhan and Finely are accused of being involved in the murder of Jennifer Bernhard, 42, and Stevie Smith, 74, and the attempted murder of Jeffrey Bernhard, 53, on Nollar Bend Road in Northfield Township on Jan. 1, 2025.

Vinson didn’t appear in court, but has a competency hearing scheduled for May 22.

Callhan and Finely were bound over to stand trial. A pretrial date was set for June 25.

The judge made his decision after hearing emotional testimony from Bernhard, who recalled what happened the night of the shooting, along with testimony from several others.

Here’s what we learned from those who were called to testify:

Jeffrey Bernhard recalls night of attack

Bernhard testified that he was upstairs in his bedroom, which is right above the garage, when he heard something outside. He looked out a window and saw that there was a vehicle in the driveway.

When he went down the stairs, he mentioned it to his wife, Jennifer, who said it was probably an Amazon driver.

So, Jeffrey said he went to the mudroom to put his shoes on so he could go out to the garage and potentially get the package, but before he had put his shoes on, he said he heard a large commotion happening in the front of the house.

‘It was a scream of terror’

“I heard some screams from the two girls, and it wasn’t uncommon for two of the girls to scream, they scream all the time having fun, but I think we remember hearing my wife scream, and it was a scream I will never forget, and it was a scream of terror,” said Bernhard.

Bernhard said he walked over that way and saw three people inside his home, and that one pointed a gun at him and told him to sit down.

The father said that because of threats previously made related to his foster daughter, he immediately knew it was Vinson before he even saw her face. Bernhard said he didn’t know the other two individuals.

All three defendants allegedly had weapons. Bernhard and his wife were seated in the kitchen area of the home. When this was happening, his father-in-law was in the den, but the two men went and brought him into the kitchen, where he was killed.

Bernhard said at the time that, because of the previous threats, he believed the whole incident was related to Vinson getting the foster child.

He said he and his wife were trying to be as calm as possible, answering Vinson’s questions and trying to de-escalate. While Vinson was pointing a gun at them and questioning them, the other two men were allegedly moving around the house frantically, according to Bernhard.

Vinson kept asking where the money was.

Bernhard said they didn’t keep a safe inside the home and said, “I had a few hundred dollars in my wallet. I said, ‘Take my wallet.’ We got some electronics for Christmas. I told her to take that.” But they weren’t interested.

The father testified that Vinson took his wallet and credit cards, along with his phone, which she used to transfer $5,000 from his account via Zelle using the bank information that she had demanded from Bernhard.

She instructed the two men to take his wife’s phone, and one tried to destroy it with a knife.

Bernhard said Vinson had called the foster daughter into the kitchen to get her boots and coat on and instructed the two men to take her. Bernhard said the foster child was scared during this and that it took a few minutes because she wanted to hug the foster parents before she left.

Father recalls moment he was shot

At one point, Bernhard said he believes he must have said something to trigger Vinson, because he was hit in the face with what he believed was the butt of a gun.

The father said this was the first act of violence. He was also the first one to be shot.

He was first shot in his chest, right above his heart and shortly after that, he was shot in the face. He said after being shot it was like a river of blood was flowing from his head, and said fell face-first on the ground. Bernhard said he prayed as he lay there and then passed out.

Bernhard was not sure how long he was out for, but said when he regained consciousness, he knew he needed to go find help and went to the neighbor’s house.

‘I knew she was dead’

“As I sat there and put my shoes on before I stood up I looked over at my wife who was sitting right next to me and that’s going to be probably the hardest thing for me to ever deal with, because I saw my wife sitting there with her head down and just blood flowing from her head. And I knew; I didn’t have to say a word, I knew she was dead.”

The suspects were gone when Bernhard went to his neighbor’s house.

During his cross-examination, Bernhard said he believes that it was Vinson who shot him, but that he wasn’t sure. He said he didn’t know who shot his wife and father-in-law because he had already been shot at that point.

The father said he never gave them permission to enter the home and wasn’t sure how long they were inside his home for, but said it was longer than 15 minutes and felt like longer than 30 minutes.

Throughout the situation, Bernhard said there was little response from either of the men, and that he never heard them tell Vinson, “No, don’t do it.”

There was damage in other areas of the house, such as on the banisters of the stairs and the front door, and jewelry was also allegedly taken.

When discussing his injuries, Bernhard said he would never have vision in his right eye again, and isn’t able to get a prosthetic due to the extent of his injuries.

Deputy recalls finding the suspects

The next person called to testify was Washtenaw County Sheriff Deputy Von Heath, who has worked with the department for two years.

Heath was on patrol during his shift on Jan. 1 and was handling another service call when he heard the emergency alert for a shooting that had occurred in Northfield Township.

He said he was made aware that one of the suspects had been identified, and learned that it was a woman with the last name Vinson.

Deputies used Vinson’s name to determine she had ties to a residence in Ypsilanti Township, which is where Vinson’s grandmother lives, and once Heath was done with his previous call, he headed that way.

Another deputy was already in the area and observed a car leaving the residence, but was waiting for additional units before he made contact.

As Heath was arriving, the other deputy said he was making contact with a male and a female.

He detained the man, and when that was happening, the woman walked up. When he was trying to detain the woman, Heath arrived.

Heath said the arrest didn’t appear to be going well, and the other deputy was still trying to get one of her arms behind her back.

The other deputy had told Heath that the vehicle he was looking for was on Rowley Court, which is in the same neighborhood as foster child’s grandmother’s home.

It was a black or blue Honda that was down at the dead end that he hadn’t seen come out of the area yet.

Heath went to look for it and located a blue Honda Civic, but it was unoccupied. They later learned that this wasn’t the suspect vehicle.

After that, the other deputy said he needed help detaining the woman because she was resisting arrest, so Heath ran over to him and helped put handcuffs on her.

He didn’t know who she was at the time, but later learned it was Vinson. He said he found pepper spray on her, and other deputies found a handgun on her.

When they went back over to the car, the other deputy told Heath that it wasn’t the vehicle he had been following. The other deputy looked further down the street and observed a black Honda HR-V at the dead end, and said that was the vehicle he’d been following.

They, along with other deputies who arrived at the scene, found two males and a child.

The man in the backseat was identified as Keith Finley

Heath took Finley into custody, while others assisted with the child, who was later identified as Bernhard’s 10-year-old daughter, and took the other man into custody.

Deputy finds crack pipe, jewelry on one suspect

Deputy Bryan Tripp with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s office was the next person called to testify.

Tripp has worked as a deputy with the sheriff’s office for just over four years.

On Jan. 1, 2025, he was patrolling in Superior Township and said he went to the area of Lexington Parkway and Rowley Court after a “Be on the Lookout” was put out for a shooting in Northfield Township.

It was reported that the victim’s phone was in the suspect’s vehicle, and the phone pinged in Superior Township.

Tripp and his partner went to check it out, and that’s when another deputy reported that he was possibly with the vehicle, so they headed there.

When he arrived, two individuals were already detained, so they began looking for anyone else who might be around.

Tripp was among the deputies who approached the suspect vehicle.

Tripp was on the passenger side and said the front passenger seat suspect was Gregory Callhan, whom he detained.

He said a young girl and another slightly older male were in the backseat of the car. During the investigation, he learned that the backseat passenger was Keith Finley.

When Tripp detained Callhan, he walked him over to his patrol car and tried to get ID off of him, which he didn’t have, and when he asked for his name, he gave him a fake one.

Tripp couldn’t find that name in their system, so he asked for his real name and was able to pull a picture of him from their system. He was taken into custody.

At the station, Tripp searched him again, and the defendant told him he had a crack pipe in his sock. Tripp retrieved the pipe, along with three credit cards, two of which belonged to Bernhard, jewelry, and about $50 in cash.

Tripp also noticed that there was blood spatter on the outside of both of Callhan’s shoes. He said he wasn’t involved with locating the gun in the backseat, but never saw it himself.

Callhan was at the sheriff’s office until Northfield Township officers arrived.

Deputy Brandon Diacono discusses responding to the neighbor’s 911 call, finding the foster child The next person who was called to give testimony on the case was Brandon Diacono, who has been a Northfield Township police officer for about five years.

He was dispatched to Nollar Bend Drive on Jan. 1 at about 8:33 p.m.

Diacono said that dispatch told him that the neighbor notified dispatch that Bernhard was on his porch and that he had been shot in the face.

When he arrived, he noticed Bernhard’s right eye was swollen all the way shut, and that he had blood all over him.

Diacono said Bernhard seemed out of breath and stressed, but was able to answer his questions pretty calmly despite the circumstances.

He said Bernhard told him that Vinson shot him, and that she had been in his home with two other males. Bernhard also told the officer that his wife was dead.

Once Bernhard was taken to the hospital, Diacono continued to interview the neighbor before being told there was an address in Ypsilanti that he should respond to, which was Vinson’s mother’s house.

He was notified that deputies had located the foster child, and was at a home with Vinson’s mother.

Diacono said the foster child was in the grandmother’s home when he arrived, but none of the suspects were there. When they were apprehended, he heard it over his radio.

USA: A 19yo New Jersey Transgender (Boy To Girl Identity) Savagely Murdered 2 Aunts In Their Apartment In New York For Hurting His Feelings.

🚨NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED🚨

🚨NO ISLAMIC JIHADISTS INVOLVED🚨

Law&Crime Network published February 24, 2025 Dancing Teen On TikTok Accused Of Double Murder. Crime Fix with Angenette Levy. Alan "Alina" Abad, 19, is accused of murdering two family members in an apartment in Spring Valley, New York. Videos on the teen's TikTok account show her dancing and eating pizza with one of the aunts she is accused of murdering. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy looks at the disturbing case in this episode of Crime Fix. 

Eyewitness News ABC7NY published February 18, 2025: Suspect charged with murder in death of 2 women in Spring Valley. Marcus Solis has the latest on the investigation into the double homicide in Spring Valley.

Patch.com

NJ Teen Indicted In Slaying Of 2 Family Members In Rockland County

written by Jeff Edwards

Wednesday February 26, 2025

SPRING VALLEY, NY — A New Jersey teen has now been indicted in the brutal killing of two family members in Rockland County. The arraignment took place at the Rockland County Court.

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh, II announced that 19-year-old Alan Abad, a/k/a "Alina Abad," of Westwood, NJ was indicted and arraigned on Tuesday on one count of felony first-degree murder and two counts of felony second-degree murder, in connection with the killings of Evelyn Augilar-Agustin and Anabelly Aguilar.

On February 15, around 6:30 p.m., while at 4 Gesner Drive, in Spring Valley, Abad caused the deaths of Evelyn Aguilar-Agustin and Anabelly Aguilar, according to investigators. The two women were Abad's aunts. The teen caused blunt force trauma to Aguilar-Agustin's head, face and abdomen, which caused her death, police said. Abad also caused blunt force trauma to Aguilar's head and upper neck, causing cervical spine fractures, brain injuries and hemorrhages, which caused her death, according to officials.

"The defendant has been indicted by a Rockland County Grand Jury on murder in the first degree and two counts of murder in the second degree," the district attorney said. "The victims, who were aunts of the defendant, were brutally and senselessly murdered. We will seek justice for the victims' and their families, and I offer my sincere condolences to the surviving family members."

The arraignment took place at the Rockland County Court. Abad was remanded without bail to the Rockland County Jail, and faces a maximum of life in state prison without parole, if convicted of first-degree murder.

*********

ABC7 News, New York City, NY local

Suspect charged with murder in gruesome killing of two women in Rockland County, police say

written by Marcus Solis

Tuesday February 18, 2025

SPRING VALLEY, Rockland County (WABC) -- A police investigation is underway after the killing of two women in Rockland County over the weekend.

Police found the victims suffering from head wounds inside a home in Spring Valley on Saturday.

Police took 19-year-old Alan Abad, who identifies as Alina Abad into custody.

Spring Valley Police said on Saturday Abad beat two women to death.

Police were called to the apartment complex on Gesner Road for a welfare check where they found Evelyn Aguilar and Anabelly Aguilar with significant head injuries.

One victim was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was taken to Westchester Medical Center where she later died, police said.

A GoFundMe has been launched by the family who described the victims as two beautiful angels.

Neighbors say the two women were sisters and longtime residents of the complex. They said the women were also aunts of the suspect.

Police have only confirmed all parties were known to each other.

According to the criminal complaint, in order to stop Evelyn Aguilar from calling the police, Abad struck the victim several times in the head and body, causing her death, then did the same to Anabelly, also to stop her from calling the police.

Law enforcement is also reviewing a series of videos posted to TikTok on the day of the killing, recorded in the immediate area of Spring Valley under the user account with the same name.

Abad, who lives in Westwood, New Jersey was arrested on Sunday and charged with first-degree murder, police said.