Akein Scott Identified By Police As Suspect In New Orleans Mother's Day Parade Shooting

NEW ORLEANS — Police identified a 19-year-old man as a suspect in the shooting of nearly 20 people during a Mother's Day parade in New Orleans, saying several people had identified him as the gunman.

Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said they were looking for Akein Scott of New Orleans. He said it was too early to say whether he was the only shooter.

"We would like to remind the community and Akein Scott that the time has come for him to turn himself in," Serpas said at a news conference outside of police headquarters.

A photo of Scott hung from a podium in front of the police chief. "We know more about you than you think we know," he said.

The mass shooting showed again how far the city has to go to shake a persistent culture of violence that belies the city's festive image. Earlier, police announced a $10,000 reward and released blurry surveillance camera images, which led to several tips from the community.

"The people chose to be on the side of the young innocent children shot instead of on the side of a coward who shot into the crowd," Serpas said.

Angry residents said gun violence – which has flared at two other city celebrations this year – goes hand-in-hand with the city's other deeply rooted problems such as poverty and urban blight. The investigators tasked with solving Sunday's shooting work within an agency that's had its own troubles rebounding from years of corruption while trying to halt violent crime.

"The old people are scared to walk the streets. The children can't even play outside," Ronald Lewis, 61, said Monday as he sat on the front stoop of his house, about a half a block from the shooting site. His window sill has a hole from a bullet that hit it last year. Across the street sits a house marked by bullets he said were fired two weeks ago.

"The youngsters are doing all this," said Jones, who was away from home when the latest shooting broke out.

Video released early Monday shows a crowd gathered for a boisterous second-line parade suddenly scattering in all directions, with some falling to the ground. They appear to be running from a man in a white T-shirt and dark pants who turns and runs out of the picture.

Police were working to determine whether there was more than one gunman, though they initially said three people were spotted fleeing from the scene. Whoever was responsible escaped despite the presence of officers who were interspersed through the crowd as part of routine precautions for such an event.

Serpas said Scott has previously been arrested for resisting arrest, possession of a firearm and narcotics charges. It was not immediately clear whether he had been convicted on any of those.

Serpas said ballistic evidence gathered at the scene was giving them "very good leads to work on."

Witness Jarrat Pytell said he was walking with friends near the parade route when the crowd suddenly began to break up.

"I saw the guy on the corner, his arm extended, firing into the crowd," said Pytell, a medical student.

"He was obviously pointing in a specific direction; he wasn't swinging the gun wildly," Pytell said.

Pytell said he tended to one woman with a severe arm fracture – he wasn't sure if it was from a bullet or a fall – and to others including an apparent shooting victim who was bleeding badly.

Three gunshot victims remained in critical condition Monday, though their wounds didn't appear to be life-threatening. Most of the wounded had been released from the hospital.

It's not the first time gunfire has shattered a festive mood in the city this year. Five people were wounded in a drive-by shooting in January after a Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade, and four were wounded in a shooting after an argument in the French Quarter in the days leading up to Mardi Gras. Two teens were arrested in connection with the MLK shootings; three men were arrested and charged in the Mardi Gras shootings.

The shootings are bloody reminders of the persistence of violence in the city, despite some recent progress.

Last week, law enforcement officials touted the indictment of 15 people in gang-related crimes, including the death of a 5-year-old girl killed by stray gunfire at a birthday party a year ago.

The city's 193 homicides in 2012 are seven fewer than the previous year, while the first three months of 2013 represented an even slower pace of killing.

Leading efforts to lower the homicide rate is a police force that's faced its own internal problems and staffing issues. At about 1,200 members, the department is 300 short of its peak level.

Serpas, chief since 2010, has been working to overcome the effects of decades of scandal and community mistrust arising from what the U.S. Justice Department says has been questionable use of force and biased policing. Mayor Mitch Landrieu and Serpas have instituted numerous reforms, but the city is at odds with the Justice Department over the cost and scope of more extensive changes.

Landrieu's administration initially agreed to a reform plan expected to cost tens of millions over the next several years. But Landrieu says he wants out now because Justice lawyers entered a separate agreement with Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman over the violent and unsanitary New Orleans jail – funded by the city but operated by Gusman.

The site of the Sunday shooting – about 1.5 miles from the heart of the French Quarter – showcases other problems facing the city. Stubborn poverty and blight are evident in the area of middle-class and low-income homes. Like other areas hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the area has been slower to repopulate than wealthier areas. And Landrieu's stepped up efforts to demolish or renovate blighted properties – a pre-Katrina problem made worse by the storm – remain too slow for some.

Frank Jones, 71, whose house is a few doors down from the shooting site, said the house across from him has been abandoned since Katrina. Squatters and drug dealers sometimes take shelter there, he said.

A city code inspector, who declined to be interviewed, was there Monday

"It's too late," Jones said. "Should have fixed it from the very beginning. A lot of people are getting fed up with the system."

___

Associated Press reporter Stacey Plaisance contributed to this story.

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Miguel Duarte Went From Being Undocumented To A Santa Cruz Police Officer

Miguel Duarte remembers the first time he saw an American police officer. He was 17 and had crossed the U.S. border illegally.

Duarte noticed the creases in the American officer's uniform, so sharp they could cut a tamale. The badge gleamed like a star on a shirt as black as the night sky.

He was in awe. And he was terrified. Meeting up with la policia was his nightmare.

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Scott Biumi, Georgia Police Officer, Allegedly Pulls Gun On Teen At McDonald's Over Slow Line

Lots of people get intense cravings for fast food, but one Georgia officer's alleged Big Mac attack might earn him some time behind bars -- and we don't mean these kind.

DeKalb County police Sgt. Scott Biumi is charged with felony aggravated assault after allegedly pulling a gun on a customer in the drive-thru line of an area McDonald's on April 9. Video of the incident -- captured by security cameras at the restaurant -- appears to show a man in a business suit draw a gun and point it at a driver at the head of the line.

The driver, 18-year-old Ryan Mash, told NBC affiliate WIZ-TV that he had no idea the man was a police officer. According to Mash, the man accused him of "holding up the line," then got out of his car and threatened him by sticking a gun to his neck.

"He's like, 'Well, you don't know who you're messing with ... there's some crazy people out there.' And that's when he pulled the gun on me, and kept on yelling at me for about thirty more seconds," Mash told the station.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the man identified as Biumi was driving a department-issued unmarked car and wearing a department gold star badge on his belt at the time of the incident.

"When he pulled his gun, his shirt moved up. I could see a badge," Drake Thomson, a witness, told CBS Atlanta.

Forsyth County police traced the tag numbers and vehicle description back to the DeKalb County Police Department, then to Biumi, who was identified by witnesses and arrested Wednesday.

Forsyth County Sheriff Duane K. Piper told the Forsyth News that the incident was "shocking" and "a severe break in judgment," since "the entire situation [apparently] evolved from [Biumi] being angry at the time it was taking for him to get his food.”

Biumi is a 20-year veteran of the DeKalb County Police Department. DeKalb County Police Chief Cedric Alexander told NBC Atlanta that Biumi has been placed under administrative leave with pay while the incident is investigated.

Biumi was released from jail on $22,000 bond on Apil 18. According to Cumming Patch, a court date has been set for May 23.

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Travis Fox Drank 5 Beers Before Allegedly Shaking 7-month Old Son To Death: Police

SPRINGDALE, Ark. -- An Arkansas man accused of fatally shaking two of his infant children in separate angry outbursts was charged Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder.

A 7-month-old baby was brought Wednesday to Northwest Medical Center, where doctors found the boy to have suspicious injuries.

Under questioning, the baby's father, Travis Fox, 24, of Springdale, told investigators "that he violently shook the child for an extended amount of time because the child was `fussing,'"police said in a news release.

"He demonstrated the shake and it was violent," the release said.

Authorities said Fox acknowledged that he drank five beers before shaking the baby.

While the baby's death was being investigated, Springdale officers learned that Fox was under investigation for the Sept. 4, 2011, death of another of his children, a 6-month-old boy.

A Washington County sheriff's detective interviewed Fox about the baby's death in 2011.

"Mr. Fox admitted that he shook his 6-month-old son for 30-45 seconds because he was `fussing,'" according to a prosecutor's report. "Mr. Fox said he was angered and tired because he was up for two days without sleep."

The report says Fox told the investigator that he admitted drinking tequila the day of the first death and that he'd tossed the child on a chair.

"Mr. Fox admitted he needs help for his anger," the report said.

It was unclear Thursday whether Fox had an attorney. He was being held without bond at the Washington County Jail.

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Bolshoi Acid Attack: Russian Police Detain Suspect For Assault Of Sergei Filin

Artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet Sergei Filin spoke with the media after leaving a hospital in Moscow, Russia, on Feb. 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze, File)

MOSCOW, March 5 (Reuters) - A suspect was detained on Tuesday over an acid attack that nearly blinded the artistic director of Russia's Bolshoi Ballet and put a spotlight on infighting at one of the world's great theatres.

Sergei Filin, 42, was badly burned when a masked assailant threw sulphuric acid in his face outside his Moscow apartment as he returned home late on Jan. 17. He is now in Germany having treatment that is expected to save his sight.

A brief statement from Moscow police said the person detained was "one of the suspects" in the case and was being questioned. Until now, police had detained no suspects and questioned only witnesses over an attack that shocked Russia.

LifeNews, a Russian website with close ties to the police, and Interfax news agency quoted a police source as saying the suspect was a man who had been seized in a police raid in Moscow's suburbs and was not an employee of the Bolshoi Theatre.

His home was being searched and he was suspected of carrying out the attack itself, LifeNews said.

"This is good news for us," Katerina Novikova, the Bolshoi Theatre's spokeswoman, said of the suspect's detention.

"And if they have managed to find the person who carried it out (the attack), there is hope that they can find the person who ordered it," she said.

Filin was left writhing in agony in the snow for about 20 minutes after the attack. As artistic director of the theatre's ballet company, he had the power to make or break careers in the fiercely competitive world of ballet.

He said before heading to Germany last month that he believed he knew who was behind the attack and that it might be connected to his work. He said he would not reveal a name until police made an announcement on the case.

HISTORY OF INTRIGUE

The theatre has been no stranger to intrigue since it was built under Empress Catherine the Great in 1776 and the ballet troupe has gone through five artistic directors since 1995.

In 2003, Bolshoi bosses were heavily criticised for trying to fire ballerina Anastasia Volochkova for being too heavy. In 2011, deputy ballet director Gennady Yanin - then seen as a candidate for the artistic director post - quit after pornographic images of him appeared on the Internet.

The theatre, near Moscow's Red Square, reopened to great fanfare in 2011 after a six-year, $700-million renovation that restored its tsarist opulence but was criticised for going far over budget.

It has regularly been under fire over its artistic programme since then.

Leading Russian cultural figures wrote to President Vladimir Putin last November calling for the dismissal of the Bolshoi's general manager, Anatoly Iksanov. Among his critics are veteran dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who challenged him for his job.

The Bolshoi dismissed the criticism, saying it failed to take into account the troupe's latest performances.

A prominent current affairs television show, Post Scriptum, blamed the management last month for failing to prevent scandals. (Editing by Pravin Char)

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100 Mile Police Chase Ends With Arrest Of Samal Hammond, Miami Man (VIDEO)

A police chase on Interstate-95 that spanned four counties, including Broward and Palm Beach, reportedly began with an altercation between a man and a woman and shots being fired at a sergeant, and ended with the suspect driver singing as he was arrested, authorities said Saturday.

The 85-mile police pursuit began between the Ives Dairy Road and Miami Gardens Drive exits of I-95 in Miami-Dade County, and ended just south of Kanner Highway in Martin County.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, who was called to the scene at 12:33 a.m. Saturday, said Samal Hammond, 36, was stopped using spike sticks that deflated his van's tires.

Although Snyder said his office is not involved in the investigation, but that his deputies received information that Hammond had allegedly fired at a Miami-Dade police sergeant after she responded to a report of a man and woman arguing outside their car on the side of I-95.

The sergeant placed the woman in her cruiser and Hammond got into his van, Snyder said.

"And at that point she advised their dispatcher that shots were fired and the chase was on," he said.

The sergeant was not injured, Snyder said.

It is unclear how many shots were fired or whether the unidentified police sergeant returned fire. Miami-Dade police declined to provide information about the incident Saturday.

As a pair of Miami-Dade police cruisers stayed on Hammond's tail during the four-county pursuit, deputies from Broward and Palm Beach County's sheriff's departments joined in the chase, Snyder said.

Once Hammond's van was disabled in Martin County, it hit the guardrail and he refused orders to get out of the vehicle.

During the hour-long standoff with police, Hammond exhibited "odd" behavior, Snyder said.

"He was sitting, arm outside the van. He was just taking it all in," the sheriff said. "He actually drew a smiley face in the dew in the side mirror. And he was singing. It just felt like he was resigned to getting killed and just waiting to commit suicide by cop, and we really didn't want it to end that way."

It didn't.

Hammond finally declared, "I'll get out," and exited through the passenger door before lifting his shirt to reveal he had no gun. No weapon was found in the vehicle. Snyder said the man would have had ample opportunity to toss the gun out the window as he fled from police.

Hammond was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle and providing false information for giving authorities a bogus name. As of late Saturday, he remained in Martin County Jail.

Additional charges were likely once he's returned to Miami-Dade County.

epesantes@tribune.com or 954-356-4543 or Twitter @epesantes ___

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Las Vegas Strip Shooting: Police Search For Gunman, SUV

Smoke and flames billow from a burning vehicle following a shooting and multi-car accident on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas early Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Erik Lackey)

LAS VEGAS — Police searched Friday for a Range Rover with dark tinted windows and custom rims that set off a fiery crash on the Las Vegas Strip when someone in the luxury SUV opened fire on a Maserati in a scene that onlookers described as worthy of an action flick.

Three people were killed and at least six more were injured in what marked the latest in a series of violent episodes in Las Vegas in recent months.

Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie told reporters the shooting was sparked by an argument in the valet area of the nearby Aria hotel-casino, and spilled over to one of the busiest intersections on the Las Vegas Strip. As bullets flew from the Range Rover, the Maserati ran a red light and smashed into a taxi that exploded into flames, killing the driver and a passenger. The driver of the Maserati was also killed, and his passenger was wounded.

Police have not released the identities of the victims.

Three more cars and a utility truck also collided as the Range Rover sped off in the darkness at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday.

Las Vegas police Sgt. John Sheahan said the Range Rover was last seen near the Venetian resort as it headed north from the shooting scene. He said police have video from traffic cameras at the intersection and were checking hotel surveillance systems, but added that the video will not be made public.

"What happened will not be tolerated," Gillespie said, vowing that the shooters would be "found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Jogger Eric Lackey was on his way back to the New York-New York hotel when he snapped a cellphone photo of the blazing scene moments after the crash. Black smoke billowed from the flaming taxi, amid popping sounds from the fire.

Lackey, of Forest Hill, Md., said a security officer in a yellow shirt performed CPR on a person on the sidewalk while police officers canvassed a small crowd of perhaps 15 onlookers gathering at the scene.

"Police were asking if anyone was still in the vehicles and if they heard gunfire," Lackey told The Associated Press. "That's when I realized it wasn't just a regular accident."

The effects of the shooting and crashes were felt hours later as the Strip remained closed, leading to snarled traffic, until it reopened late Thursday night.

The fiery rampage shocked tourists.

"We get stabbings, and gang violence," said Mark Thompson, who was visiting from Manchester, England, with his wife, "but this is like something out of a movie. Like `Die Hard' or something."

Police said they were contacting authorities in three neighboring states about the Range Rover Sport that had a car dealer's advertisement in place of a license plate.

In Southern California, the California Highway Patrol alerted officers in at least three counties to be on the lookout for the SUV.

Witnesses also told police the SUV and Maserati had come from the nearby CityCenter area, the home of Aria, just south of the site of the attack.

"We have numerous witnesses to this," Sheahan said. "But what is the genesis of this? We don't know yet."

The crumpled, gray Maserati, which had no license plate, came to rest several feet away from the incinerated taxi.

"The people I feel sorry for are the people in the taxi," said Elvina Joyce, a tourist from Regina, Saskatchewan. "Seconds made all the difference in the world for them. Wrong place, wrong time."

The area near the scene has been the site of high-profile violence in the past.

Rapper Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996 about a block away under similar circumstances, as assailants opened fire on his luxury sedan from a vehicle on Flamingo Road. The killing has never been solved.

And Las Vegas has had several violent episodes in recent months.

Two people were critically wounded in a shooting at a parking garage on Feb. 6, and a tourist was stabbed last Saturday in an elevator at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay.

On New Year's Eve at Circus Circus, a man pulled out a revolver and fired it into the ground just off the main floor of the casino. Less than two weeks earlier, a woman allegedly slashed the face of a blackjack dealer at the Bellagio.

___

Associated Press writers Michelle Rindels and Hannah Dreier contributed to this report

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Hadiya Pendleton Charges Ahead: Chicago Police Expect Suspects Will Be Charged 'Soon'

The remains of Hadiya Pendleton are taken to her final resting place at the Cedar Park Cemetery Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, in Calumet Park, Ill. Pendleton was killed on Jan. 29, when a gunman opened fire on her and some friends seeking shelter in a park from the rain about a mile from President Obama's Chicago home. First lady Michelle Obama attended the funeral with Senior White House Adviser Valerie Jarrett and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

CHICAGO — Chicago police say they hope murder charges will be filed soon in the shooting death of a 15-year-old Chicago girl who performed at events for President Barack Obama's inauguration.

Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy says he hopes prosecutors file charges Monday in the death of Hadiya (hy-DEE'-uh) Pendleton. Police say they took two men considered persons of interest into custody Sunday. They are aged 18 and 20 years.

Pendleton was shot to death Jan. 29 in a park about a mile from Obama's home on Chicago's South Side. Police have said Pendleton was an innocent victim in a gang-related shooting. Just days before her death, the band majorette was among the performers at events for Obama's inauguration.

First lady Michelle Obama attended Pendleton's funeral on Saturday in Chicago.

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Michael Crain Dead: Police Identify Officer Allegedly Killed By Christopher Dorner (VIDEO)

LOS ANGELES -- Authorities identified 34-year-old Riverside police officer Michael Crain as Christopher Dorner's third alleged victim. Riverside Police Department memorialized Crain, an 11-year Riverside department veteran, on their site with a statement released Sunday. In part, it reads:

Mike had a big heart, and enjoyed spending time with his wife, Regina, son, Ian (age 10), and daughter Kaitlyn (age 4). He loved attending dance recitals with his daughter and coaching his son’s baseball team. He also loved his classic 1970 Chevy Nova, which he spent his spare time restoring. Mike’s family and friends knew his usually straight face hid a huge personality. He made an unforgettable impression on everyone he met.

Crain, who was also a decorated Marine Corps veteran, took on many roles during his tenure with the Riverside police. He had served as a patrol officer, SWAT team member, helicopter observer, field training officer, firearms instructor and was part of the University Neighborhood Enhancement Team, a collaboration with department police and UC Riverside police.

Crain and his partner were shot early Thursday morning while on routine patrol. His partner suffered critical wounds, but Crain died of his injuries.

Dorner had also allegedly ambushed another group of officers earlier that morning, leaving one officer with a bullet graze wound. Dorner, a former LAPD officer, is also believed to be the culprit behind the shooting deaths of Monica Quan and her fiance, Keith Lawrence. Quan is the daughter of a retired LAPD captain that Dorner blamed for his dismissal from the LAPD.

Authorities are currently offering $1 million for information leading to Dorner's arrest.

Crain will be remembered in a public funeral service at The Grove Community Church in Riverside on Feb. 13 at 10:30 a.m.

Those who wish to donate to Crain's family can send checks made out to the "Officer and Family Assistance Fund” via the Riverside Police Officers’ Association to 1965 Chicago Ave Suite B, Riverside, CA 92507. For more information, call 951-784-1034 or visit www.rpoa.org.

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Kevin Collins Case: San Francisco Police Search Home For Remains Of Boy Missing Since 1984

The San Francisco Police Department and the FBI launched a search on Tuesday believed to be connected to the case of Kevin Collins, a 10-year-old boy whose 1984 disappearance sparked a national campaign against child abduction.

ABC News first reported on the search of a home at Masonic Avenue and Page Street, where the person believed to be responsible for Collins' kidnapping was living at the time of the incident. Investigators have allegedly been digging in the backyard and basement of the property looking for the child's remains.

The SFPD could not verify that the search was related to Collins' disappearance, as the warrant is sealed. However, Public Information Officer Albie Esparza did confirm that officers are searching a property at Page and Masonic, and that the SFPD, the FBI and the Alameda County Sheriff's Office are all involved in the case.

Esparza said that more information may become available once the search is completed.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Collins was last seen on February 10, 1984 while waiting for a bus at the corner of Oak Street and Masonic Avenue after a school basketball practice. Witnesses said Collins was seen talking to a tall, blonde-haired man shortly before he vanished.

In the days following the incident, thousands of fliers, milk cartons, billboards and newspapers circulated photos and information about the boy, prompting a nationwide response. The case eventually inspired abduction prevention efforts, such as the Amber Alert.

UPDATE: San Francisco Police said in a press release Tuesday that several bones were located during the search. According to the SFPD, the bones are believed to be from an animal and not a human, but "further analysis is necessary."

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Nehemiah Griego, New Mexico Teen Accused Of Murdering Family, Planned Attack In Advance: Police

This undated photo provided by Eric Griego shows Nehemiah Griego. Griego is charged with killing five family members, including his father, mother, and three youngest siblings in Albuquerque, N.M.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For at least a week, 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego had been planning the attack, authorities said.

After shooting his mother and three siblings in their beds, he ambushed his father as the pastor returned home from an overnight shift at a homeless shelter. Then the teen reloaded the family's rifles.

His plan was to randomly shoot people at a Wal-Mart on Saturday, which happened to be "Guns Across America" day, until he could be killed in a shootout with law enforcement, according to authorities.

He also contemplated killing his 12-year-old girlfriend's parents, Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston said Tuesday.

And while Griego loaded guns and ammunition into the family's van, Houston said, it was unclear whether the teen did go to a Wal-Mart or how seriously he contemplated continuing his rampage on the same day that thousands of gun advocates gathered peacefully at state capitals around the country to rally against stricter limits on firearms.

The "Guns Across America" events were held after President Barack Obama unveiled a sweeping package of federal gun-control proposals.

What authorities know, the sheriff said, was that Griego texted a picture of his dead mother to his girlfriend, then spent much of Saturday with her and her family, authorities said. That evening, he went to the church where his father once worked and eventually confessed later that night to killing his parents and three younger siblings, authorities said.

The sheriff said he didn't know if Griego's contact with his girlfriend avoided further bloodshed. But he said she apparently knew what had happened, and officials were investigating whether she should be charged with failing to report the crime.

"We know Nehemiah had been contemplating this for some time," Houston told reporters at a news conference. Griego apparently had told others of his plans, but whom and when were still under investigation, Houston said.

The motive, Houston said, "was purely that he was frustrated with his mother. He did not give any further explanation."

The teen waived his right to arraignment in adult criminal court Tuesday on charges of murder and child abuse resulting in death and was ordered held without bond. He was arrested Saturday at his family's home in a rural area southwest of Albuquerque.

The sheriff's office identified the dead as Greg Griego, 51, his wife, Sarah Griego, 40, and three of their children: a 9-year-old boy, Zephania Griego, and daughters Jael Griego, 5, and Angelina Griego, 2.

According to Houston and charging documents, it began early Saturday at the family's home, when Nehemiah Griego acted on what he described to investigators as homicidal and suicidal thoughts.

Houston said the teen shot her as she slept at about 1 a.m. with a .22-caliber rifle the parents kept in a closet. He said he killed his siblings and then grabbed his parents' .223-caliber rifle and waited downstairs to ambush his father as he returned from work around 5 a.m.

Griego told authorities he then reloaded the two guns and put them in the family van. Houston said officers found the rifles, as well as at least a dozen rounds for the .22 and a handful of rounds for the other rifle, in the van.

At about 8 p.m., Griego went to Calvary church and told church members that his family was dead. Church officials called 911 and took Griego to his home.

Griego initially told detectives he discovered his family dead after returning from a friend's house, court documents say. The teen later confessed to shooting his mother because he "had anger issues" and was annoyed with her, the documents say.

The teen had no history of mental illness, and drugs or alcohol did not appear to be a factor, Houston said. He noted that the teen liked violent video games such as "Modern Warfare" and "Grand Theft Auto." He did not say whether he believed the games were a factor.

The boy's uncle, Eric Griego, said in an emailed statement on behalf of the family that the teen is "bright, curious and incredibly talented" with a love of music and sports.

"It is clear to those of us who know and love him that something went terribly wrong. Whether it was a mental breakdown or some deeper undiagnosed psychological issue, we can't be sure yet," the statement said.

Greg Griego was a gang member-turned pastor who had served at Calvary, one of Albuquerque's largest Christian churches. He had an extensive arrest record from his gang days, but was best known throughout the law enforcement community for his work as a voluntary chaplain.

Calvary Pastor Skip Heitzig said in a statement Tuesday that the deaths have stunned the church community. "We are doing what we can as a church body to minister to the remaining family members," he said. "Only the Lord Jesus Christ can heal this type of pain and heartache."

A records check by the Children, Youth and Families Department indicated no problems with the family and that Nehemiah Griego had never been in trouble with the law.

Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Williamson confirmed there was no history of any emergency calls to the home in the recent past.

"This is beyond any human reasoning or understanding," Houston said.

"It's horrific. What other words do you use? This is certainly the first time that I have been into a crime scene with this much destruction at one home."

In addition to the two rifles, two pistol-grip shotguns were in the home, Houston said. Griego's father taught him to use guns, and they shot together on a regular basis, Houston said.

Eric Griego's statement said the family had "differing views on gun rights and gun control" and asked the media "to not use Nehemiah as a pawn for ratings or to score political points.

"He is a troubled young man who made a terrible decision that will haunt him and his family forever."

___

Associated Press writer Jeri Clausing contributed to this report.

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Grenade Found in The Bronx, Police Say

THE BRONX — A grenade was found on 238th Street in The Bronx Friday afternoon, officials said.

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Groceries For Guns: Los Angeles Police Department Collects More Than 1,500 Weapons In Annual Buyback

Los Angeles police offered groceries for guns in a buyback program that was moved up in the wake of the Newtown, Conn., tragedy. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

LOS ANGELES -- Long lines of cars and people formed Wednesday to take advantage of a guns-for-groceries exchange program that was moved up in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting.

Police officers filled bins with more than 1,500 rifles and handguns outside the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena and the Van Nuys Masonic Temple, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

Officials were mindful of both the massacre of students and teachers in Newtown, Conn., and a gunman's ambush that killed two firefighters in Webster, N.Y.

"All of us are still mourning the tragedy at Newtown, Conn.," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "So many young innocent children were mass-murdered in the way that they were, and now the assassination of two firefighters ... just breaks the heart of so many of us, particularly in this holiday season."

The anonymous buyback program allowed weapons to be turned in with no questions asked. Handguns, rifles and shotguns could be exchanged for $100 Ralphs grocery store gift cards. Assault weapons earned a $200 card.

The program, designed to get guns off the streets, usually is held in May. Villaraigosa decided to do it now in the wake of the Dec. 14 shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The last buyback netted about 1,700 guns.

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Visiting Australia? Apple Maps May Kill You, Police Warn

Travelers visiting parts of Australia are being urged by police not to rely on Apple Maps to guide them. The warning comes from the Victoria Police and follows a couple of incidents where people have got lost and could have died from heat or exposure, according to Australia's ABC News.

"If it was a 45-degree day, someone could actually die," said Victoria Police inspector Simon Clemence, who has become increasingly concerned that errant Apple Maps users are getting lost. "It's quite a dangerous situation, so we would be calling for people not to use the new Apple iPhone mapping system if they're traveling from South Australia to Mildura."

Apple Maps is one of Apple's few stumbles, and has been criticized since launching. This is the first time it has been suggested that using it could kill you though.

After its failed launch Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized to users for Maps, and added that the firm was working hard to find out where it went wrong and fix it.

"With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better," he wrote in an open letter. "Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard."

Cook suggested that users turn to rival navigation providers like Google Maps or Nokia Maps.

About a month later Scott Forstall, head of iOS Applications left Apple amid rumors of a falling out with Cook over that apology.

This article was originally published on the Inquirer.

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