California man arrested after 300 snakes found in his home

Television reporters Bobby DeCastro of FOX11, and Wendy Burch of KTLA 5 try to stave off the stench emanating from a house containing hundreds of snakes, many of them dead or decaying, in Santa Ana, Calif. At left, Sondra Berg, an animal services supervisor for Santa Ana police, holds an albino ball python that was one of the survivors.

By Elizabeth Chuck, Staff Writer, NBC News

An elementary school teacher was arrested Wednesday after police found at least 300 pythons slithering around inside his Southern California home -- and many more snakes dead.

Police and animal control officers served a search warrant Wednesday at 7 a.m. PT on the Santa Ana residence after neighbors complained of a foul odor coming from the house. Inside, they found hundreds of snakes, all believed to be pythons — some of which were dead.

William Fredrick Buchman, a teacher at Mariners Elementary School in Newport Beach, was detained on charges of animal cruelty, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.

The snakes were "mostly alive, but there were some dead ones, along with some mice and rats. I don't know if that's what they fed them," said Santa Ana Police Department Watch Commander Bill Nimmo.

Some of the snakes were caged, he said.

Police did not say whether other people lived in the home.

Reporters outside the house held their noses against the stench as plastic trays containing snakes were brought out and placed on a sidewalk.

"There are all forms of decay," said Sondra Berg, an animal services supervisor at the Santa Ana Police Department. "From skeletons to just dead in the last few days. There is an infestation of rats and mice. They are running loose all over the house. There are rats and mice in plastic storage tubs that are actually canabalizing each other." 

Officials said the house's front four rooms were packed floor to ceiling with snake cages, NBC Los Angeles reported. They said Buchman was breeding ball pythons to sell them.

Officials said the surviving snakes were being taken to a veterinary hospital for medication and feeding. 

Bruce Chambers / AP

9-year-old Ohio girl found in container, neighbor arrested

Wayne County Sheriff Department.Jarrod Metsger, 24, is suspected of killing a girl 9 years of age in Smithville, Ohio and filling his body in a dumpster on Saturday night. He was arrested on Sunday, December 15, according to the Wayne County Sheriff's Department.By Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC NewsA 9-year-old Ohio girl was found dead in a trash bin behind his house on Sunday morning and in the evening a neighbor had been arrested in connection with the killing, police said.The girl, Reann Murphy, was last seen playing outdoors at 17:30 on Saturday within the Smithville, Ohio mobile home park lived, according to the office of the Sheriff of the County of Wayne.Deputies responded first to the Park when Murphy has gone around 20:30 Saturday.  Police officers, firefighters and civilians searched the area surrounding the mobile home park.Deputies discovered the body of the girl in a dumpster in a nearby courtyard - about five hours later at 1:30 on Sunday, police said.Twelve hours later, Jarrod Metsger, 24, was arrested at his residence, which is 50 metres away from the home Murphy lived with his mother, said Wayne County Sheriff Travis Hutchinson.Metsger was an "acquaintance" of the family Murphy, according to Hutchinson.Hutchinson said Smithville, about 50 kilometers south of Cleveland - it is a 'United' community. "That's probably the reason why it is so difficult," to deal with the murder of a young resident, said."Any violent death is worrying, but the death of a child is much more. Will not leave any stone unturned as the investigation continues, "said Hutchinson.Marilyn Briggs, who lives in a house next to the mobile home park, told The Associated Press that the area is damaged, but it has not been aware of any serious crime in the area in eight years who has lived there."I get sick and I'm so sad for the family, and this close to Christmas," said Briggs. "It is frightening. Never you think that it will happen in your area."Hutchinson told NBC News that "nothing but neighborhood disputes" never are reported of Smithville.Metsger is the only person arrested in connection with the death of the girl and is set to be prosecuted on charges of aggravated murder in the Monday morning, said Hutchinson. Researchers still have not determined a motive, he said.

12 tons of pot found in big rig in Southern California

 Tustin Police DepartmentPolice discovered about 12 tons of marijuana worth more than $7 million hidden inside a tractor-trailer in Orange County.By Andrew Lopez, NBCLosAngeles.comPolice discovered about 12 tons of marijuana worth more than $7 million hidden inside a tractor-trailer after two men posing as law enforcement officials tried to pull the vehicle over in Orange County Monday, officials said.Officers responded about 8 a.m. to reports of a possible attempted cargo theft in the 1100 block of Warner Avenue, according to the Tustin Police Department.The driver of a big rig carrying electronics from San Diego to a Tustin business told police that two men in a white panel van pulled alongside him and demanded he pull the vehicle over, police said. The passenger of the van displayed an unknown chain or badge around his neck.Police said the driver of the big rig was suspicious of the unprofessional look of the men, and instead pulled into a local business that had an armed security guard stationed. Police were notified, but the van left before officers arrived.When inventory and inspection of the truck was conducted, about 24,000 pounds of marijuana was found packaged in bricks, hidden inside boxes, officials said.During their investigation, officers found that no law enforcement agency was involved in trying to stop the truck, officials said.The driver of the big rig is not a suspect in knowingly transporting illegal cargo, police said.The driver of the van is described as a male Hispanic, approximately 30 years old with a shaved head wearing gray plaid shorts. The passenger is described as a Hispanic man with a thin build wearing what appeared to be a black ballistic-type vest, officials said.Anyone with information regarding the illegal cargo is asked to call Detective Haug at 714-573-3246.

Newly married couple found murder victim in Craigslist, says police

Mike Staugaitis / APMiranda K. Barbour is taken to the office of a district judge on Tuesday.SUNBURY, Pennsylvania - a couple married for only three weeks attracted a man to death with an ad on Craigslist because they wanted to kill someone together, police said.Elytte Barbour told officers before his arrest, on Friday night that he and his wife, Miranda, had planned to kill before, but his plans never worked until last month when Troy LaFerrara responded to an on-line publication that promised company in Exchange for money, authorities said.Elytte Barbour told investigators "they committed the murder because they just wanted to kill someone together", police said in the affidavit.Elytte Barbour, 22 and Miranda Barbour, 18, face charges of criminal homicide in the death of LaFerrara. His body was found November 12 in an alley in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, a small town about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The couple had recently moved to Selinsgrove near Dunn, North CarolinaSunbury, Steve Mazzeo, police chief said on Saturday that did not want to comment on the case or the reasons for the couple since it was an active investigation.Larry Deklinski / APElyett Barbour is escorted by police on Friday in Sunbury, PA.Sunbury police said Elytte Barbour told investigators that she hid under a blanket in the back seat truck the couple as his wife collected LaFerrara at a mall on 11 November. He told police that, as a sign of his wife, wrapped a rope around the neck of LaFerrara, restriction you while Miranda Barbour stabbed him.The 42-year-old Port Trevorton man was stabbed about 20 times, police said.Miranda Barbour was charged Tuesday, a day when first contacted by the police. She initially denied knowing LaFerrara, but its history was developed as investigators gathered evidence, including the discovery that the last call received by cell phone from the victim became their number, according to an affidavit in his case.The affidavit said that Miranda Barbour acknowledged knowing the victim in Selinsgrove and driving with him to Sunbury, where they parked. He said LaFerrara sought him fumbling and took a knife between the front seats and stabbed him then put his hand around the throat, according to the affidavit.The police said that Miranda Barbour had told them that he bought cleaning products in a store Department after stabbing LaFerrara, then picked up her husband and did a striptease for her birthday club. On Friday, police said, Elytte Barbour told them that he was that he had bought cleaning products, an account the researchers said that it was supported by surveillance videos.Following the arrest of his wife, Elytte Barbour said that daily item of Sunbury to Miranda Barbour, who he married on 22 October, regularly hired out as a "Companion" to men who met at various web sites, a business venture that he supported because it does not involve sexual contact.Barbour said that his wife did anywhere from $50 to $850 for meeting with the men for activities such as dining together or strolling through a shopping mall. She placed on sites such as Craigslist all ads in advance that sex was not part of the deal, said."It is not a prostitute," he said. "What it does is to meet the men who have broken marriages, or do not have nobody in their lives, and she meets with them and have a nice conversation."Elytte Barbour does not have a lawyer at his appearance, on Friday night. Phone messages left by his wife public defenders Saturday not were returned immediately.The researchers also plan to investigate the death of a man with whom Miranda Barbour had a 1 year old son, Mazzeo said, but did not say if there is a suspicion of foul play.-The Associated Press

Woman found living 'normal life' in Australia 19 years after abduction as an infant in SC

a Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenSavanna Catherine Todd as she would have appeared at age 16 in a computer rendering.By M. Alex Johnson, Staff Writer, NBC NewsAn infant girl who was abducted in South Carolina 19 years ago has been found living a "normal life" in Australia, authorities said, and her mother faces federal kidnapping and other charges.Savanna Catherine Todd, now 20, of Isle of Palms, S.C., disappeared in April 1994 as her parents were in the middle of a bitter divorce battle. Until earlier this month, she hadn't been seen since, William Nettles, the U.S. attorney for South Carolina, said in a statement.The statement gave few details, saying only that Todd "has been located and found to be safe, healthy and otherwise living a normal life" and that her mother, Dorothy Lee Barnett, was arrested Nov. 4 in Australia.Barnett — who is now 53 and had been living in Queensland under the aliases Alexandria Maria Canton and Alexandria Maria Geldenhuys — was denied bond Wednesday and was ordered extradited to the United States. No hearing date was entered.A grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Charleston charges Barnett with one count of international parental kidnapping and two counts of making false statements in passport applications when she sought to return to the U.S. in 2003 and 2004. She faces up to 23 years in prison if convicted.According to police and missing persons records from the original investigation, Savanna was 9 months old when she vanished on April 24, 1994. Her father, Harris Todd, a prominent developer in Kentucky and South Carolina, had custody, but Barnett was allowed supervised weekends of visitation.During one of those visits, Barnett persuaded the visitation supervisor to let her take Savanna to a birthday party unescorted, according to case records. The two never returned.In court documents filed in the divorce proceedings, Todd alleged that Barnett drank heavily while she was pregnant with Savanna and that she had a bipolar disorder for which she refused to seek treatment.Over the years, Barnett had been reported spotted in Texas, Australia, Switzerland, South Africa, Belize and Mexico. Nettles' statement gave no details about how Barnett was eventually found, but it specifically thanked the Australian Federal Police for its assistance.Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com

Boy found handcuffed on porch with dead chicken on his neck, police say

a Boy found handcuffed on porch with dead chicken on his neck, police say - U.S. NewsMSNOutlookMoreAutosMy MSNVideoCareers & JobsPersonalsWeatherDelishQuotesWhite PagesGamesReal EstateWonderwallHoroscopesShoppingYellow PagesLocal EditionTrafficFeedbackMaps & DirectionsTravelFull MSN IndexBing NBCNews.comTODAYNightly NewsMeet the PressDatelinemsnbcBreaking NewsNewsvineHomeUSWorldPoliticsBusinessSportsEntertainmentHealthTechScienceTravelLocalWeatherAdvertise | AdChoicesRecommended: Scores of tornadoes kill 6, injure at least 37 in MidwestRecommended: DC insurance commissioner fired a day after criticizing Obamacare stepsRecommended: Alex Calderwood, co-founder of artsy Ace Hotels chain, dies at 47Recommended: Urban hens often abandoned once they stop laying eggsheader.top_header {background-image: url(http://cdn.lib.newsvine.com/chrome/usnewsfranchise/images/header.jpg?v=11182);}footer .links {background-image: url(http://cdn.lib.newsvine.com/chrome/usnewsfranchise/images/footer.jpg);}NBC News reporters bring you compelling stories from across the nation. For more US news, follow us on Twitter and Facebook. ? About this blog? Archives E-mail updates Follow on Twitter Subscribe to RSS583commentsPrint1dayagoBoy found handcuffed on porch with dead chicken on his neck, police sayBy Simon Moya-Smith, Staff Writer, NBC NewsAn 11-year-old boy who was handcuffed to a porch with a dead chicken draped around his neck was found by a deputy searching for a loose pig, authorities said Saturday.A Union County sheriff's deputy had responded to a complaint of swine roaming a resident's yard in Monroe, N.C., when the deputy saw the boy handcuffed and shivering. The child was discovered around 9:30 a.m. local time in frigid temperatures, Capt. Ronnie Whitaker told NBC News.Dorian Lee Harper, the boy's foster parent, emerged and asked the deputy why he was there, Whitaker said. The deputy asked the 57-year-old man for identification. Another child opened the door, releasing several dogs that chased the deputy back to his cruiser, Whitaker said.Advertise | AdChoicesBy the time back-up units arrived and the dogs were secured, the man had removed the 11-year-old boy from the porch, but left the dead chicken on a nearby barrel, Whitaker said.Deputies searched the house and found five children, ages 14, 13, 11, 9 and 8. The children were taken from the home and the man was placed under arrest. Union County Sheriff's OfficeDorian Lee Harper, left, and Wanda Sue Larson are charged with child abuse.A second foster parent, Wanda Sue Larson, 57, was not home at the time of the incident, but was arrested when she arrived later at the sheriff's office. Both are charged with intentional child abuse, inflicting serious injury, false imprisonment and cruelty to animals, according to a police report.Larson is a supervisor with the Union County Department of Social Services, and Harper is an emergency room nurse.Larson is accused of being complicit in mistreatment of the children. She also was charged with willful failure to discharge her duty as a public official.Carolina's Healthcare System confirmed Saturday that Harper has been placed on administrative leave, NBC station WCNC of Charlotte reported.Whitaker said that because of the investigation he could not disclose whether Harper could explain why the boy was handcuffed to the porch and a dead chicken was hanging on his neck.Harper and Larson adopted four of the children. The pair had been fostering the fifth, the child handcuffed to the porch, WCNC reported.Sheriff Eddie Cathey called the case "shocking."“I can assure you that we have only just begun our investigation into what has happened, and we will pursue it to its fullest extent,” he told WCNC.Harper and Larson were being held in the Union County Jail. Harper's bail was set to $500,000, and Larson’s was set at $525,000. The five children are with an undisclosed social services agency outside of the county.583commentsExplore related topics: north-carolina, child-abuse, handcuffsolder1dayagoUrban hens often abandoned once they stop laying eggsnewer14hoursago'They're trying to figure out what happened': Malfunctioning drone hits Navy shipMost popular postsolder1dayagoUrban hens often abandoned once they stop laying eggsnewer14hoursago'They're trying to figure out what happened': Malfunctioning drone hits Navy shipMost popular posts159Woman accused of leaving bomb in car at Washington state hospital — second found in homeUpdated3daysago205Dead baby found in NY recycling plant, police say5daysago303NC man arrested at airport, charged with trying to join al Qaeda-linked terrorist group6daysago185Whitey Bulger sentencing pits victims' families against jurors6daysago523Baby boy gunned down with his dad in New Orleans car ambush4daysagoBrowsefeatured, crime, updated, weather, military, california, florida, shooting, texas, new-york, environment, us-news, education, police, chicago, murder, colorado, new-jersey, obama, nbcnewyork, trayvon-martin, guns, los-angeles, afghanistan, gulf-oil-spill, kari-huus, george-zimmerman, barack-obama, arizona, nbclosangeles, fire, boston, sandy, politics, washington, veterans, gay, crime-and-courts, crime-courtsAlsoAdvertise | AdChoicesArchives2013November (206)October (443)September (409)August (444)July (461)June (405)May (461)April (608)March (548)February (510)January (563)2012December (457)November (460)October (477)September (432)August (525)July (519)June (508)May (566)April (538)March (576)February (471)January (417)2011December (455)November (190)October (9)September (3)August (51)July (8)June (3)May (12)April (5)March (3)February (1)January (8)2010December (5)November (1)October (2)September (28)August (40)July (35)June (177)May (50)April (9)March (2)February (2)January (4)2009December (5)November (5)October (2)September (11)August (4)July (12)June (1)May (1)April (1)March (3)February (3)January (2)2008December (3)November (2)October (6)September (30)August (26)July (10)June (4)May (8)April (13)March (9)February (7)January (6)2007December (10)November (6)October (22)September (11)Most CommentedParents of Renisha McBride on charges: 'I hope he spends the rest of his life in jail' (2025)Obamacare website model felt bullied by critics (924)US crushes 6 tons of illegal ivory to send message to poachers, traffickers (548)Boy found handcuffed on porch with dead chicken on his neck, police say (583)Teen charged after three students shot near Pittsburgh high school (927)Students ban 'Redskins,' get sent to principal (560)Death-row organ donations pose practical, ethical hurdles (419)Other blogsRed Tape ChroniclesPhotoBlogInvestigations top stories3700,10 © 2013 NBCNews.comUS news on NBCNews.comAbout usContactHelpSite mapCareersClosed captioningTerms & ConditionsPrivacy policyAdvertise

Bomb suspect's husband arrested after device found outside Washington state hospital

aKING-TVThe bomb was found Thursday morning in a car parked in front of the Harrison Medical Center emergency room in Bremerton, Wash., police said.By M. Alex Johnson, Staff Writer, NBC NewsA Washington state couple were ordered Friday held on $50,000 bond each after bombs were found outside a hospital and in their home.Krista Leeann Hendershot and Dennis Dale Hendershot Jr., both 43, were arraigned in Kitsap County District Court on felony explosives charges. Their next hearing was set for Dec. 3.Krista Hendershot was arrested Thursday after a State Patrol bomb squad found an explosive device in the car in which a good Samaritan had driven her to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton, about 20 miles west of Seattle, police said.A similar device was found in her mobile home in nearby Poulsbo, which police searched after questioning Hendershot.Late Thursday, Dennis Hendershot was arrested by police who'd staked out the home and waited for him to return. He initially was also charged with a misdemeanor count of violating a no-contact order, which was later dropped.Dennis Hendershot, a felon with previous burglary and drug convictions, is suspected of having made the bombs, police said.The bizarre story began early Thursday morning, when a motorist picked up Leeann Hendershot because she looked to be in "distress," police said. As he was driving her to the hospital, she told him she had a bomb, they said.The man alerted hospital staff, who called Bremerton police about 7:30 a.m.Police sealed off the area of the emergency room and called the State Patrol bomb squad, which found the device in the car parked out front, Bremerton police said in a statement. Officers described it as an "improvised explosive device" made up of an agricultural field bomb nestled in a ring of six carbon dioxide canisters.After police questioned Hendershot, the bomb squad found a second device wrapped in tape at her home and immediately evacuated surrounding homes, Poulsbo police said. Deputy Police Chief Robert Wright told NBC station KING of Seattle that the bomb was "very similar in nature to the one they took in Bremerton."Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com