These are the crime stories making headlines today, September 23, 2016 …
The man who smacked Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson in the face with a pie during a charity dinner on Wednesday has been taken to jail. Witnesses say that Johnson, a former NBA star, was greeting guests at Sacramento Charter High School School when Sean Thompson, 32, pulled him back and shoved the creamy dessert into his face. Johnson then started throwing punches and tackled Thompson, who is described as a pie wielder and local activist, was sent to the hospital with bruises and cuts to his eye before being taken to jail. He was charged with assault of a public official, which is a felony. Crystal Strait. “There was no throwing of the pie,” said witness Erika Bjork. “This was a direct assault. It just happened that he had a pie in his hand.” [Nola.com]
A 13-year-old Florida student has been arrested for allegedly trying to poison her teacher by putting powdered chalk in her coffee. Officials said that on September 16 the girl, who is a student at the Achieve Center of Pasco, ground a piece of sidewalk chalk into a powder, which she then slipped into her teacher’s beverage after distracting her. After the teacher picked up her coffee, a fellow student warned her not to drink it. Police arrested the girl Tuesday on a charge of poisoning food or water to kill or injure a person, according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. [WPTV]
Landon Hall [St. Petersburg Police Department]
A robbery suspect’s “man bun” helped lead police to his capture, according to a court filing in Florida. Police say that Landon Hall, 26, stole four video cameras from the Villa Laundromat in St. Petersburg. Though Hall tried to hide his face during the robbery with “a pocket square,” police were able to recognize him — and a sheriff’s deputy noted: “The defendant also had a very distinct ‘man bun.”” [The Smoking Gun]
The father of alleged bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami, who has been charged with setting off bombs in New York and New Jersey, said he voiced his concerns about his son’s radicalization and growing obsession with jihad to the FBI in 2014. Speaking in his native tongue, Mohammed Rahami told the Associated Press that his son was not the same after making trips to the Middle East. “I found a change in his personality. His mind was not the same. He had become bad and I don’t know what caused it but I informed the FBI about it,” he said. The elder Rahami said he doesn’t think the FBI took any action based on his information. [Fox News]
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A heroin dealer who was caught after accidentally texting a police officer to say he had a stash of “banging drugs” for sale has been sentenced to seven years behind bars. Gregory Peckover, 32, had exchanged numbers with Detective Constable Adrian Hunter last December after running from police and later being tracked to his girlfriend’s home. He later accidentally sent a text to DC Hunter saying he had ‘”plenty” of “banging drugs” for sale. When police raided Peckover’s father’s home in Warwickshire, they found over £3,000 of heroin, £13,901 in cash, and counterfeit notes with a face value of £1,580. [Daily Mail Online]
An unrolled joint [Wikimedia Commons]
Three Phoenix police officers have resigned following allegations by a 19-year-old driver that they forced him to eat marijuana during a traffic stop on September 13. The man claimed that he was stopped for a traffic violation by three officers, who were later identified as Richard Pina, Jason McFadden, and Michael Carnicle. The cops found marijuana in his car — and then allegedly told him that if he didn’t eat the pot, he would be taken to jail. So he consumed the marijuana, and was released after receiving a ticket. A police spokesman said that Pina and McFadden could face criminal charges. Carnicle was at the scene but did not participate in the incident. [Springfield News-Sun]
Yva Monord [Gainesville Police Department]
A Florida woman is facing charges after police say she threw boiling water on her boyfriend and their two-month-old son as they lay in bed on Tuesday. According to a police report, Yva Monord, 22, of Gainesville, threw the water after becoming upset due to “infidelity issues.” The baby suffered second- and third-degree burns to his chest and arm, and his father had second- and third-degree burns covering more than 20 percent of his body. Monord faces charges of aggravated domestic battery and aggravated child abuse. [CBS News]
Main photo: Sean Thompson [Sacramento County Police Department]