National Roundup

Tennessee
Seminude woman arrested, tried to bite officer’s arm
OLIVER SPRINGS, Tenn. (AP) — Oliver Springs police say a woman they arrested was overserved, underdressed and had an attitude.
Crystal Jane Wombles remained in the Anderson County Jail on Thursday. A booking officer said the 35-year-old Wombles had made her initial court appearance, but it wasn’t clear whether a public defender had yet been assigned to her case.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported a police affidavit described Wombles as “extremely intoxicated” and wearing only a T-shirt when police arrived Monday. Officer Nathaniel Nelson’s report stated neighbors said Wombles was “all naked” on a porch minutes before he arrived. Neighbors sent their kids inside and called police.
Police said Wombles refused to put on her clothes and tried to bite Nelson on the arm as officers tried to clothe her.

Pennsylvania
Ex-caretaker goes to trial in whiskey case
GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) — The former live-in caretaker of a Pittsburgh-area mansion will stand trial on charges he drank more than $102,000 worth of old whiskey that he was supposed to be guarding.
A district judge on Wednesday ordered 62-year-old John Saunders, of Irwin, to trial on theft charges after hearing from the owner of the South Broadway Manor Bed and Breakfast.
The owner found nine 12-bottle cases of whiskey hidden in the century-old mansion built by industrialist J.P. Brennan after she bought it last year. The Old Farm Pure Rye Whiskey was produced in the early 1900s and appraised at more than $2,000 a bottle.
After Saunders moved out last March, the owner discovered 52 empty bottles and police found Saunders’ saliva DNA on some of the bottles.
Saunders’ attorney argued the value of the whiskey was “pure speculation.”

Connecticut
Cops: NYC school dean caught with illegal drug stash 
WILTON, Conn. (AP) — A dean of students at a New York City high school has been charged with drug possession in Connecticut and suspended from his job.
Wilton police say an officer arrested 35-year-old Nicholas deSpoelberch of Darien, Conn., on July 11 after finding him asleep in his car. Officers say they found suspected heroin, syringes and spoons in the vehicle.
deSpoelberch is dean of students at Regis High School, a private all-boys Jesuit school in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The school announced this week that deSpoelberch has been suspended pending further investigation.
deSpoelberch posted $2,500 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Norwalk Superior Court on July 22.
deSpoelberch couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday. There is no phone listing for him. It’s not clear if he has a lawyer.

Ohio
Priest steals about $100K from parishioner
CLEVELAND (AP) — A Romanian Catholic priest already waiting to be sentenced for stealing from a Cleveland church is now being accused of taking thousands of dollars from an Ohio senior.
The Plain Dealer in Cleveland reports that the attorney for the Rev. Andre Matthews says his client is facing an allegation that he stole more than $100,000 from the accounts of an 88-year-old woman who was a parishioner at his church. Matthews was legally empowered to act on her behalf.
Matthews’ attorney told the newspaper he expects his client to plead guilty to a charge in connection with this theft.
The 54-year-old priest is awaiting sentencing for having stolen more than $170,000 from St. Helena Catholic Church. Prosecutors have said Matthews used part of the money to pay credit card bills.

New York
Contestant: Food show cheated him after he won
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City resident has sued the Food Network, saying its reality show “Giving You the Business” wronged him by failing to award him a promised frozen yogurt franchise.
Kris Herrera says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in state court in Queens he was told in April along with three other contestants one of them would win a 16 Handles frozen yogurt franchise. Herrera already worked for a store as a manager. The lawsuit says he won but instead was given a share of stock in the stores’ parent company, Yogurt City Inc.
He says since the show aired in May dozens of people have congratulated him each week.
Messages seeking comment from the Food Network and the parent company of the franchises on Wednesday haven’t been returned.

Colorado
DA pushes to let Colo. shooting victims at trial
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — Prosecutors in the Colorado theater shooting case say they have received “a voluminous number” of calls from victims who are concerned they won’t be able to attend the suspect’s hearings or trial.
A judge has yet to rule on prosecutors’ request to exempt victims from an order that bars people who might testify at James Holmes’ trial from being in the courtroom. The judge previously exempted Holmes’ parents at the request of Holmes’ attorneys.
Prosecutors said in court documents filed Wednesday that a gag order has kept them from fully discussing the case with victims, and victims’ first opportunity to hear certain details may be at future hearings. They said that under Colorado law, the victims have the right to be present at critical stages of the case, including the trial and sentencing hearing. Victims told prosecutors they want to exercise their rights to attend hearings, prosecutors said.
Holmes’ attorneys have said keeping potential witnesses out of courtroom will prevent them from tailoring their testimony to that of other witnesses.
Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to more than 160 counts. He is accused of killing 12 people and injuring 70 others on July 20 at the Century 16 movie theater in Aurora. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
In their court filing Wednesday, prosecutors said there are far more victims than the 12 killed and 70 injured. They said hundreds of other people in the theater also should be exempt from orders that they stay out of the courtroom.
Prosecutors said they could have filed two counts of attempted murder for each person in Theaters 8 and 9 of the Century 16 on July 20 but didn’t, because that would have meant Holmes would have faced more than 1,500 criminal counts.