National Roundup

California
Grandma arrested in stabbings of granddaughters
COLTON, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California woman who was once found not guilty by reason of insanity to the attempted murder of her own children was arrested early Tuesday on suspicion of stabbing her daughter and two granddaughters, one fatally.

The Colton Police Department had been looking for Nicole Darrington-Clark, 43, since the Monday morning attack that left an 18-month-old granddaughter dead and critically injured her daughter and a 5-year-old granddaughter.

“Homicide suspect Darrington-Clark taken into custody this morning in San Bernardino. No longer looking for her or the vehicle,” the Police Department posted on Twitter at dawn.

The department said a press release would be forthcoming. A telephone message seeking details was left for the department’s public information officer.

Police said that after the attack, Darrington-Clark fled the apartment she shared with the victims. Neighbors who responded to the injured mother’s screaming pleas found the grisly scene and horribly wounded children in the apartment.

In 2005, Darrington-Clark pleaded guilty to stabbing her 14-year-old son and throwing her 10-year-old daughter out of a moving minivan. Neither child was seriously injured.

But a judge found Darrington-Clark not guilty by reason of insanity and sent her to a mental hospital.

A longtime friend of Darrington-Clark told The Press-Enterprise she was released a few years ago.

“I Facetimed with her a few days ago, and I was worried about her,” the friend, Cindy O’Neal, said. “I never thought she would do anything like this. I hope they do find her so she can’t hurt anyone else or herself.”

It wasn’t immediately clear when or why she was released from the mental hospital and whether the daughter in the 2005 attack is the same one critically injured Monday. Police did not immediately reply to a message seeking answers to those questions.

Investigators do not know the motive for the attack, police Cpl. Ray Mendez said Monday.

Neighbor Patty Williams told The Press-Enterprise that the wounded woman had been “stabbed everywhere.”

Another neighbor, Tim Hill, said she ran into his apartment seeking help after the attack. He said he ran upstairs to her apartment and saw the stabbed baby and found her sister in the closet, shaking.

Police decided they couldn’t wait for paramedics and took the girl to the hospital, Hill said.

“I’m sad,” Williams said. “I feel like my soul left my body because this is disgusting.”

Pennsylvania
Cops: Man choked new bride during fight over wedding gifts
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania man has been jailed on charges he choked his new bride when they fought over cash gifts received at their wedding.

Johnstown police say 31-year-old John Delozier attacked the woman after they returned home from their wedding on Saturday.

WJAC-TV reports that police say Delozier accused the victim of only caring about money before he attacked her.

Online court records don’t list an attorney for Delozier, who remained in the Cambria County jail Tuesday on charges of simple assault, harassment and strangulation.

He faces a preliminary hearing on Thursday.


Ohio
Pension of ex-NFL player garnished to repay theft
CLEVELAND (AP) — Former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Reggie Rucker will have nearly $400 a month garnished from his NFL pension payments after stealing from his nonviolence nonprofit groups.

Rucker was sentenced last year to 21 months in prison and ordered to pay $110,000 for using money from two charities to pay gambling debts and personal expenses. Cleveland.com reports the garnishments recently approved by a judge are Rucker’s first meaningful payments to the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance and other groups.

His attorney has said the 69-year-old intends to pay restitution using money he might get from a class-action settlement between the NFL and athletes who suffered concussions. That claims process might take years.

His attorney blamed Rucker’s actions on a gambling addiction caused by football-related brain injuries. Prosecutors scoffed at that argument.

Ohio
Man with HIV faces murder charge in infected partner’s death
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man accused of not telling his girlfriend that he was HIV-positive has been charged with murder after the woman’s death, which was attributed to AIDS.

Ronald Murdock, of Toledo, also is charged with felonious assault. Lucas County court records listed no attorney for the jailed man ahead of his arraignment Tuesday.

The indictment alleges that Murdock had sexual contact with someone without disclosing that he had the virus that causes AIDS.

WTVG-TV reports that Murdock’s girlfriend, 51-year-old Kimberly Klempner, had AIDS and died in February.

Her son, Josh Klempner, says Murdock dated the woman for years without telling her that he had HIV and that he was married.

WTOL-TV reports that Murdock’s wife discovered the affair and then told Klempner about Murdock’s HIV status.

Massachusetts
Ex-cop charged with stealing from evidence room found dead
WILBRAHAM, Mass. (AP) — A former Massachusetts police officer charged with stealing nearly $400,000 from the Springfield department’s evidence room has been found dead on the same day he was expected to plead guilty.

Authorities say 68-year-old Kevin Burnham was found unresponsive at his Wilbraham home at about 2:30 p.m. Monday. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police went to his home after he failed to appear at a court hearing at which he was expected to plead guilty to larceny.

The death remains under investigation, but authorities say there is no evidence of foul play.

Prosecutors say Burnham, a highly-respected officer who retired in 2014 after 43 years with the department, stole cash from envelopes in drug cases on multiple occasions when he was in charge of the evidence room from 2009 until retirement.