All articles tagged with #false imprisonment
Ashlee Buzzard, mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, was arrested on a false imprisonment charge unrelated to her daughter's disappearance, which remains under investigation. Authorities continue to search for Melodee, who was last seen in October during a road trip with her mother, with efforts focused on locating her safely.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist detained by the Trump administration for over three months, has filed a $20 million claim for damages, alleging false imprisonment and malicious prosecution, as part of a broader effort to challenge the administration's treatment of pro-Palestinian speech and activism.
Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing a lawsuit from Bryana "Bana" Bongolan, who accuses him of sexual battery and false imprisonment, claiming he dangled her over a balcony at Cassie Ventura's apartment in 2016. Bongolan is seeking $10 million in damages. Combs, currently detained on unrelated charges, denies the allegations and awaits trial.
After protesters shut down the Golden Gate Bridge, the California Highway Patrol is considering charging them with felony conspiracy and false imprisonment, sparking concerns about the potential chilling effect on free speech. The ACLU and legal experts argue that while the government can place reasonable limits on protests for public safety, charging protesters with false imprisonment for blocking traffic may be excessive. The situation raises questions about the balance between exercising free speech and maintaining public safety.
More than two dozen anti-Israel protesters who blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge were released without charges due to lack of evidence, prompting the district attorney to urge affected drivers to contact the California Highway Patrol. The case has been sent back for further investigation into possible false imprisonment charges, as protesters chained themselves to cars and barrels filled with concrete. The protesters were part of a global campaign called the A15 Economic Blockade, aiming to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The kidnapping of Denise Huskins, initially dismissed as a hoax by police, is the subject of a new Netflix docuseries. Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, were accused of faking the abduction, but were proven right when disbarred attorney Matthew Muller was caught and convicted. They sued the city of Vallejo and its police department, reaching a $2.5 million settlement, and released a book about their ordeal. The couple has since married, had children, and received apologies from the city and police department.
A jury in Florida has awarded $261 million in damages to a family who accused Johns Hopkins Hospital of false imprisonment, battery, and medical negligence, including preventing them from seeing their daughter while she was placed there. The daughter, Maya Kowalski, has also filed additional charges of assault and sexual abuse against the hospital. The family's story was the subject of a Netflix documentary titled "Take Care of Maya." The case revolves around Maya's debilitating pain and her mother's alleged Munchausen syndrome by proxy, which led to their separation and the mother's subsequent suicide.
A jury has awarded damages of over $211 million to the family of a 10-year-old girl who was falsely imprisoned and mistreated by Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in Florida. The hospital's conduct, including placing the girl under video surveillance, photographing her without permission, and subjecting her to inappropriate physical contact, was deemed "extreme and outrageous" by the jury. The girl's mother tragically took her own life after her daughter was removed from the family and sheltered at the hospital. The verdict, which also includes punitive damages, is a major legal defeat for the hospital and may have far-reaching implications for medical malpractice cases.
An Arkansas man has been arrested and charged with false imprisonment after hiding his 5-year-old daughter behind a wall to prevent state workers from taking her. Jon Thompson initially refused to let them into the home and repeatedly denied the child's presence, but eventually led officers to a small space behind a closet wall where the girl was confined. Thompson faces charges including false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a minor, and interfering with child custody. The child, who had been in the confined space for approximately 30 minutes, later told authorities that her father had instructed her to hide inside the wall or risk being taken away from him. Thompson's next court date is scheduled for December 4.
A man in northwest Arkansas is facing felony charges after police rescued a 5-year-old girl who was found hidden in a small, secret closet in his home. The rescue, captured on police body camera, took place during a search warrant execution. The suspect initially denied the girl's presence but eventually admitted to her whereabouts. The girl was found in a confined space behind a closet board and appeared to be unharmed. The man was arrested on charges of child endangerment and interference with court-ordered custody. He was released on bond and is due back in court in December.
The adopted teenage son of Tim and Tracy Ferriter, who are facing charges of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment, and child neglect, testified in court about the dehumanizing conditions he allegedly endured in an 8x8 box where he was locked for hours at a time. The room had no windows, a bucket for urine and feces, and locks on the outside. While the teen described the mistreatment as "almost as bad as genocide," he also believed his parents made a mistake and should be forgiven. The trial is ongoing.
A Pennsylvania state trooper, Ronald Davis, had his ex-girlfriend, Michelle Perfanov, involuntarily committed to a mental health facility after showing colleagues her suicidal texts. However, Perfanov later revealed that she had sent the texts to elicit a reaction from Davis, not with the intention of taking her own life. Davis, who is married with children, has been charged with unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, and other charges. The text messages were part of a larger domestic dispute, and Perfanov's statements were found credible by the police. Davis was suspended without pay after charges were filed.
A criminal complaint reveals that a Pennsylvania state trooper, Officer Ronald K. Davis, forcibly took his ex-girlfriend, Michelle Perfanov, to a mental hospital based on text messages where she threatened suicide. However, the full context of the messages was not shared, and prosecutors argue that Perfanov never intended to harm herself. Davis violently restrained Perfanov during their altercation, which was caught on camera, and he has been charged with felony strangulation, unlawful restraint, and false imprisonment, among other charges.
A Pennsylvania State Police trooper, Ronald Davis, has been arrested and charged with false imprisonment after allegedly violently detaining his ex-girlfriend and having her committed to a mental health treatment program under false claims. Davis abused his authority and used his position to obtain an order to have her involuntarily committed, based on texts she sent expressing frustration with their deteriorating relationship. The victim was improperly held in a medical facility for five days and did not display any suicidal thoughts during that time. Davis is facing multiple charges and has been remanded without bail.
Nika Nikoubin, a 23-year-old woman who stabbed her blind date in a Las Vegas-area hotel room in retaliation for a U.S. drone strike that killed an Iranian leader, claimed she was hallucinating and believed she was in an episode of "Homeland." She was sentenced to three years' probation and released a self-published book detailing her mental health struggles. Nikoubin pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment with a deadly weapon. She plans to advocate for mental health moving forward.