An Amish woman, Ruth Miller, was charged with the murder of her 4-year-old son after she threw him into an Ohio lake, claiming she was testing her faith and believed she was acting under God's direction. Her husband also drowned earlier during a faith test, and their other children were involved in water-based trials. The family and community attribute the tragic events to mental illness, and Ruth Miller is currently receiving mental health treatment.
An 8-week-old girl died after being left in a hot car in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, with temperatures feeling like 107 degrees. Her father, Avraham Chaitovsky, has been arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child. This incident marks at least the 11th child death in hot cars in the U.S. this year.
Joseph Alcazar, a Fontana man with two prior DUI convictions, is charged with murder and DUI-related offenses after allegedly driving drunk and fatally striking 14-year-old Rosenda Elizabeth Smiley in Newport Beach. Alcazar, who had his 8-year-old daughter in the car, is accused of going around a stopped vehicle and hitting Smiley, who was crossing the street, and running over the foot of a 13-year-old girl. He faces 15 years to life in prison plus six years if convicted.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr., and his wife are charged with physically and emotionally abusing their teen daughter, with allegations including physical assaults and threats. The abuse was reported by the daughter at her high school, leading to an investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. The investigation revealed multiple instances of abuse, and the case is being handled by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Special Victims Unit.
Drake Bell reflects on the aftermath of detailing his sexual abuse in the docuseries "Quiet on Set," sharing his ongoing struggle and the support he's received, while also addressing his own legal troubles. The series also reveals allegations of misconduct and uncomfortable experiences from former child actors on shows run by Dan Schneider, prompting discussions about child safety in the entertainment industry.
Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell addresses his prior guilty plea for "crimes against a child," claiming the allegations were "not true" and stemmed from irresponsible conversations with a minor. Bell also opens up about alleged sexual abuse by Brian Peck, a former Nickelodeon employee, in the docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV." Nickelodeon issued a statement regarding the allegations, emphasizing their commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment.
Jose Hilario Abreu faces charges after his 3-year-old son accidentally shot and killed himself with Abreu's loaded gun in Allentown. Abreu had left the loaded handgun under the sofa where the toddlers were sitting, and he now faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children, and violating a duty of care.
An Arkansas mother was arrested and charged with second-degree domestic battery and first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor after her 7-year-old son was found walking nearly 8 miles to school in the dark. The boy had been forced to go to bed without dinner and was left to get himself ready for school because his mother "wasn't going to." Authorities also found bruises on a 3-year-old in the home, leading to further investigation.
A mother in Arkansas is facing charges after allegedly forcing her 7-year-old son to walk nearly 8 miles to school alone because he missed the bus, telling deputies it was "not her problem." The child reported being sent to bed without dinner for not watching his younger sibling and being told to get himself ready for school because "she wasn't going to." The mother, Amber Nicole Thompson, has been charged with second-degree domestic battery and first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.
A six-vehicle crash in Dallas involving Kansas City Chiefs player Rashee Rice has left four people with minor injuries, with two individuals hospitalized and two treated at the scene. One mother recounted the terrifying experience of her car being side-swiped while driving with her 4-year-old son, expressing frustration at the lack of sympathy shown by the drivers who fled the scene. Rice, suspected to be the driver of a Corvette involved in the crash, has retained counsel, while the mother is calling for child endangerment charges to be brought against the occupants of the Lamborghini and Corvette.
A 3-year-old boy was found safe at a hotel in Connecticut after a car theft in Massachusetts led to an Amber Alert. Vadim Vorobyov, 52, is facing charges of kidnapping, child endangerment, and fugitive from justice in Connecticut, and is expected to be charged with kidnapping, child endangerment, and motor vehicle larceny in Massachusetts. Surveillance footage shows Vorobyov stealing a car with the child inside, dropping the child off at a hotel, and later being found and taken into custody. The child was transported to a hospital for examination, and the investigation is ongoing.
A 3-year-old boy was found safe at a hotel in Connecticut after a car theft in Massachusetts led to an Amber Alert. Vadim Vorobyov, 52, is facing charges of kidnapping, child endangerment, and fugitive from justice in Connecticut, and is expected to be charged with additional offenses in Massachusetts. Surveillance footage shows the suspect stealing a car with the child inside before abandoning the child at a hotel and fleeing. Vorobyov was later found and taken into custody, and the child was transported to a hospital for examination.
Vadim Vorobyov, 52, is facing kidnapping and child endangerment charges after allegedly stealing a car with a 3-year-old boy inside in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and abandoning the child in a hotel parking lot in Connecticut. The suspect was located and taken into custody, while the child was found safe and transported to a hospital for examination. The incident prompted an Amber Alert and involved a multi-agency search across state lines.
Former school bus driver Michael Chick has been sentenced to nine years in prison for cyberstalking and threatening an 8-year-old boy in New Hampshire. Chick, who targeted the child on his school bus route, used elaborate lies and threats to manipulate the child, even giving him cell phones and directing him to take inappropriate photographs. He also stalked the child and his family, placing GPS tracking devices on their vehicles and making surreptitious recordings. Chick's crimes caused unimaginable pain and fear for the survivor and his family, and his incarceration is hoped to provide some measure of justice.
Kristel Candelario, a mother from Ohio, left her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn, alone in a playpen with bottles of milk while she went on a 10-day vacation to Puerto Rico. Jailyn was found dead upon her return, having suffered from extreme dehydration and starvation. Candelario pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and child endangerment, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The judge condemned her actions as the "ultimate act of betrayal," and law enforcement officials described the case as one of the most horrific they've witnessed.
