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By  Julius Whigham II and Bill DiPaolo The Palm Beach Post RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Quick action by neighbors and firefighters — and a little luck — saved three infants trapped inside a burning apartment on Friday that police say was set on fire by their father after a domestic dispute with the children’s 19-year-old mother. Using hammers, chairs and whatever they could grab to smash through hurricane windows, neighbors entered a burning second-floor unit at the Stonybrook Apartments. They handed a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old boy out the window. children inside . (Photo/ Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office)" />Velmando J. Williams, 22, set the apartment on fire with his three children inside . (Photo/ Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office) “They kept pounding and pounding. They were using hammers and chairs, anything they could get their hands on. They wouldn’t stop until they got those kids out,” said Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters . A video taken at the scene ...

| Share | Share | Share | Share Aug. 13--RIVIERA BEACH, FL-- Quick action by neighbors and firefighters -- and a little luck -- saved three infants trapped inside a burning apartment on Friday that police say was set on fire by their father after a domestic dispute with the children's 19-year-old mother. Using hammers, chairs and whatever they could grab to smash through hurricane windows, neighbors entered a burning second-floor unit at the Stonybrook Apartments. They handed a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old boy out the window. "They kept pounding and pounding. They were using hammers and chairs, anything they could get their hands on. They wouldn't stop until they got those kids out," said Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters . A video taken at the scene shows neighbors struggling to pound through the doors and flames coming through the roof. "There's a newborn baby in there! Somebody locked the doors! Somebody get that baby out of there," a woma...

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. -  Quick action by neighbors and firefighters -- and a little luck -- saved three infants trapped inside a burning apartment on Friday that police say was set on fire by their father after a domestic dispute with the children’s 19-year-old mother. Using hammers, chairs and whatever they could grab to smash through hurricane windows, neighbors entered a burning second-floor unit at the Stonybrook Apartments . They handed a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old boy out the window. >> Read more trending news “They kept pounding and pounding. They were using hammers and chairs, anything they could get their hands on. They wouldn’t stop until they got those kids out,” said  Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters . A 1-month-old girl was still inside, residents told firefighters when they arrived about 6 p.m. Firefighters were unable to see through the heavy smoke. A thermo- imaging device led them to the child. She was lying on a bed. A door had somehow landed on top of...

RIVIERA BEACH Quick action by neighbors and firefighters — and a little luck — saved three infants trapped inside a burning apartment on Friday that police say was set on fire by their father after a domestic dispute with the children’s 19-year-old mother. Using hammers, chairs and whatever they could grab to smash through hurricane windows, neighbors entered a burning second-floor unit at the Stonybrook Apartments. They handed a 3-year-old boy and a 1-year-old boy out the window. “They kept pounding and pounding. They were using hammers and chairs, anything they could get their hands on. They wouldn’t stop until they got those kids out,” said Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters . A video taken at the scene shows neighbors struggling to pound through the doors and flames coming through the roof. “There’s a new-born baby in there! Somebody locked the doors! Somebody get that baby out of there,” a woman screams in the video. A one-month-old girl was still inside, residents told firefi...

A Santa Fe County magistrate has issued an arrest warrant for a Santo Domingo Pueblo man after the man’s ex- girlfriend told Santa Fe police that he had choked her and prevented her from leaving a vehicle during an argument. An arrest warrant affidavit by a Santa Fe police officer charges Joseph Reano , 35, with false imprisonment , a fourth-degree felony, and aggravated battery against a household member that does not result in great bodily harm , a misdemeanor. The affidavit says Reano came to his former girlfriend’s Santa Fe apartment Saturday night to visit their 7-year-old son. He asked to speak with the woman outside, and the two got into an argument inside his vehicle, according to the affidavit. When she attempted to leave the vehicle, he grabbed her by the shirt and began to yell obscenities as she tried to escape, the affidavit says, adding that Reano then started to choke the woman. She was able to kick the passenger door open , and he let go after an...

Callaway, Fla. - A Panama City man is in custody for a suspected shooting in Callaway early Wednesday morning . Jivaro Smith, 29, was arrested at Foxwood Apartments. Bay County Sheriff 's investigators say they caught Smith in the parking lot after he tried to run away. Authorities believe Smith was involved in the shooting that injured one man at an apartment near the intersection of Cherry Street and North Kimbrel Avenue . The victim was reportedly shot in the leg and is expected to be okay. BCSO Lt. Jeremy Mathis believes an argument led to the shooting. "We believe that there may have been some issues between the suspect and the victim earlier, but we're trying to confirm that through witness statements," said Mathis. Smith is charged with aggravated battery with a firearm. === A suspect was charged Wednesday in the shooting of a Callaway man. Bay County Sheriff 's deputies said the victim was shot in the leg shortly before 7 a.m. at an apartment complex i...

MARIETTA, Ga. -- Police say they've made two arrests in a shooting that left one man dead in Marietta late Tuesday at an area apartment complex . Cobb County investigators first responded to the 2800 block of Windy Hill Road to a report of a person shot. There, at the 1200 building of Belmont Place, police found one man suffering from injuries not expected to be life-threatening. The 31-year-old victim was taken to a local hospital as the search continued. Later another victim, later identified as 25-year-old Esmond Ford, was found dead of a gunshot wound inside a nearby apartment. It was an observant off- duty Cobb County police officer who noticed another person near the 1200 building around the same time. With the help of the department's Violent Incident Prevention Early Response (VIPER) Unit police identified and arrested 26-year-old Carl McCline who was sitting outside his apartment in Smyrna, Ga.  On Friday, police and the Cobb County Sheriff 's Office worked ...

A known Oklahoma gang member is accused of killing a man at a birthday pool party in June. On Monday, Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn filed a second- degree murder charge against known gang affiliate , 21-year-old De Abray Amonda Reese , of Oklahoma City. According to an Oklahoma City police affidavit , at about 9:20 p.m. June 13 officers responded to a report of multiple gunshots at the Brookwood Village Apartments , 9401 S. Shartel Ave. near the office swimming pool . Once on scene, officers found Steven Morgan Jr . lying inside the swimming pool area . Morgan was transported to OU Medical Center where he later succumbed to his injuries on June 15, two days after the shooting. Detectives interviewed witnesses that said Reese, who witnesses referred to as “Osama King,” was at the party, and was seen shooting a gun. According to National Crime Information Center (NCIC) records, Reese is a known Rolling Nineties Crip gang member . He also told l...

LAKE CITY, Fla. - A man died after being punched several times, according to the Lake City Police Department . Officers responded to Windsong Apartments shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday night after receiving a report of an unresponsive person. When officers arrived, they found Christopher Roy , 39, unconscious. Police identified the suspect as Mario Brinson, 27, who was still in the apartment when officers arrived. Lake City police said Brinson tried several times to get to Roy by forcefully pushing officers aside until he was told to leave the apartment. Witnesses in the apartment told officers that Brinson and Roy had gotten into an argument, then “bowed up” at each other. Brinson then punched Roy once in the face with his fist and Roy spun around and fell face first to the kitchen floor, losing consciousness, according to police. Brinson then got back on top of Roy and struck him several more times while he was unconscious, LCPD said. The two female witnesses were unable to dial 9...

As quadriplegic Lavatus McCullough ’s health took a turn for the worse last month, prosecutors moved to up the charges against the woman who had shot him in the head in Logan Square nearly a year earlier. Last week, after a year on a ventilator, McCullough slipped into a coma and died, prompting Cook County prosecutors to again upgrade the charges against his 29-year-old girlfriend, Samantha Santiago, to first-degree murder from attempted murder . Santiago, who had been held in jail in lieu of $950,000 bail on the attempted murder charge , was ordered held without bail at a hearing Thursday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse . She had previously been charged with aggravated battery in connection with the shooting. Despite his injuries, McCullough had on multiple occasions identified his former girlfriend, Santiago, as the person who shot him. McCullough and Santiago were dating, and Santiago’s 9-year-old son called McCullough his step-father, Assistant State’s Attorney Jamie Santin...

NEWS HERALD STAFF REPORT @The_News_Herald CALLAWAY — Authorities say a Panama City man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in connection with a shooting earlier in the day in Callaway. Jivaro Smith, 29, of 6220 Cedar Lane, is charged with aggravated battery with a firearm in connection with the shooting at 6201 Cherry St. in Callaway. The Bay County Sheriff 's Office reported finding a man shot in the leg at that location just before 7 a.m. Wednesday. BCSO reported its field services, criminal investigations and special investigations teams found Smith at Foxwood Apartments, 1701 Hamilton Ave., after the shooting and brought him in for an interview. "Investigators believe a verbal altercation between the two men escalated into a shooting," a BCSO news release stated . "The victim remains in a local hospital." ORIGINAL STORY BCSO investigating Callaway shooting CALLAWAY — The Bay County Sheriff ’s Office (BCSO) is investigating a shooting at an apartment com...

CALLAWAY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A suspect in Wednesday morning 's Callaway shooting is reportedly in custody. Bay County Sheriff 's Office officials said its investigation indicated the suspect was Jivaro Smith, 29, of Panama City. According to officials, Smith was located by BCSO Field Services , Criminal Investigations , and Special Investigations at Foxwood Apartments and brought in for an interview. Bay County Sheriff 's Office officials said they responded to a call in reference to a shooting Wednesday morning just before 7 a.m. to 6201 Cherry Street in Callaway. Deputies arrived to find the victim shot in the leg. The victim was reportedly taken to a local hospital. BCSO Criminal Investigations responded as well as the Crime Scene Unit to process the scene. After, BCSO officials said he was arrested and charged with Aggravated Battery with a Firearm. Investigators believe a verbal altercation between the two men escalated into a shooting. The...