Latest news with #BeverlyHillsPoliceDepartment
GMA Network
17-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
PH Consulate in LA finds supposed report on Tantoco death 'altered' —Palace
The Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles verified with American authorities the veracity of the police report on Rustan's executive Paolo Tantoco's death and found out that it was "altered." Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro disclosed this during a press briefing. She mentioned that the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine CRonsulate in Los Angeles, coordinated with US police on the matter. ''Some of the terms used in the purported letter were not in line with the BHPD's (Beverly Hills Police Department) standard language and protocol. BHPD would not include terms such as 'expected to be drug overdose,' 'suspected to be cocaine,' and 'summoned to BHPD,''' Castro said. ''With reference to Mr. (Rigoberto) Tiglao's post on the screenshot of the purported report surrounding the circumstances of the death of Mr. Paolo Tantoco in Los Angeles, the Philippine Consulate in Los Angeles had verified with the Beverly Hills Police Department on the veracity of the alleged report and found the police report posted by Mr. Tiglao was altered,'' she added. Earlier, Malacañang denounced efforts to link First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to the death of Tantoco in March. Castro, in particular, branded as "a huge lie" the portion of a Beverly Hills Police Department report that was posted on Facebook. The said portion adverted to "drug overdose" and the companions of the deceased getting summoned for questioning. She also disclosed that the Palace was studying to take legal action against those behind the allegations against the First Lady.
USA Today
18-06-2025
- USA Today
Woman allegedly married ex-boyfriend without his consent, police say
Woman allegedly married ex-boyfriend without his consent, police say A central Texas woman is facing a stalking charge and has been ordered to stay away from her ex-boyfriend after authorities say she married him without his consent and then left a copy of the marriage certificate at his home. Kristin Marie Spearman, 36, was arrested and charged with third degree felony stalking, the Beverly Hills Police Department in Texas said in a news release. As of Wednesday, June 18, Spearman has been released on bond and an emergency protective order was put into place, according to Beverly Hills Police Chief Kory Martin. "Making sure this situation does not escalate has been a primary focus," Martin said in a statement on June 18. USA TODAY has reached out to the McLennan County District Attorney's Office to see if the reverend involved will face charges. It was not immediately clear on June 18 if Spearman has legal representation. Police said she got a local reverend to sign the marriage license, which she then filed with the local clerk's office. The reverend involved is fully cooperating with law enforcement and "has expressed his sincere remorse for the occurrence," Martin said. "To assist with public knowledge regarding this, we never discuss assumed or pending charges prior to their execution," Martin said. Here's how the case has developed so far. 'Congrats, maybe call your wife' The victim, a 42-year-old man, contacted Beverly Hills police in Texas on June 13, police said in the news release. He said he had been away and when he returned home, he found a Bath & Body Works gift bag with products inside. According to a complaint obtained by USA TODAY, there were two documents inside the bag, including: A picture of his ex-girlfriend, Spearman, holding a marriage certificate showing the pair had been married. A certified and embossed copy of the marriage license, which had been filed with the county clerk's office. There was also a tag that read "Congrats, maybe call your wife," according to the complaint. The man said he had been in a relationship with the victim and the couple took steps to get a marriage license in June 2025, per the complaint. The pair then got into an argument and the man ended his relationship with Spearman, told her to stop contacting him, and changed his number. Spearman allegedly got the local reverend on June 13 "to certify the victim and Kristin in the Holy Union of Matrimony," according to police. The man wasn't at the ceremony and didn't know it was happening, police said. Spearman then went to the county clerk's office and filed for a certificate of official marriage. Police still collecting information Spearman was arrested at her home near Hewitt, about 10 miles southwest of Waco. She was taken to the McLennan County Jail and then released. As of June 18, police are still collecting information. Spearman's ex-boyfriend has had to "take a lot of steps to fix the problem along with costs," Martin said. The Beverly Hills Police Department said it is working with the McLennan County District Attorney's Office to see if any other laws were broken. Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman Allegedly Cons Reverend Into Certifying Marriage Certificate with Her Ex After He Broke Up with Her
A Texas woman allegedly conned a reverend into certifying a marriage certificate with her ex after he broke up with her, according to police She then allegedly mailed a photo of herself holding the certificate, along with a copy of the certificate, to her ex inside a Bath & Body Works gift package Following an investigation, 36-year-old Kristin Marie Spearman of Waco was charged with third-degree felony stalking in the caseA Texas man made a startling discovery when he opened a package left on his porch. The 42-year-old man returned to his Beverly Hills home on Friday night, June 13, to find a gift from Bath & Body Works that was sent to him by his ex-girlfriend, according to a press release from the Beverly Hills Police Department obtained by PEOPLE. Inside the package was a photo of his ex, 36-year-old Kristin Marie Spearman of Waco, "holding what appears to be a marriage license showing them married and officiated by a local reverend." The package also contained a copy of the marriage certificate, filed with the McLennan County Clerk's Office. According to police, the man reported that he and Spearman had been in a relationship and obtained a marriage license "on or about" June 2. After the license was issued, the pair got into "an argument," and the man told Spearman "he did not want to be in a relationship." An investigation found that "Spearman, pursuant to the scheme of obtaining a marriage certificate, convinced the reverend to certify the victim and Kristin in the Holy Union of Matrimony without the knowledge of the victim and his required presence," police said. Spearman then filed the certificate with the county clerk. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. With the collaboration of the Hewitt Police Department, Spearman was arrested at her home near Hewitt. She was charged with third-degree felony stalking and booked into the McLennan County Jail, where she is being held under a $10,000 bond, per jail records. The Beverly Hills Police Department said in the release that they will not be disclosing the identity of the reverend "to prevent harassment and influence" as the case proceeds. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Southern California man stole over $1.8 million through mail and identity theft scheme
A Southern California man was sentenced to prison for stealing over $1.8 million through mail theft, identity theft and bank fraud. Oren David Sela, 36, of North Hills, typically targeted residents in and around Beverly Hills by stealing mail and packages from their homes and using their personal information to open fraudulent bank accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. From November 2021 to October 2023, Sela would obtain debit cards, bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal information through stolen mail. He used the victims' information to gain access to their online bank and financial accounts. At times, he utilized SIM-swapping, which involves illegally obtaining a victim's phone number by transferring it to a new SIM card or porting the victim's phone number to gain temporary control over to defeat two-factor authentication protocols on their accounts, federal officials explained. Sela then opened additional accounts in the victims' names to transfer money into intermediary accounts that he controlled. 'He withdrew money from those accounts or used them to make purchases or transfers,' court documents said. 'He also caused debit or credit cards linked to victim accounts to be issued to him, so he could spend directly from those cards.' Through this method, Sela defrauded banks, made hundreds of fraudulent withdrawals and transfers, and successfully stole at least $1,818,369 from at least 62 victims. He often spent the stolen funds on expensive goods, including a nearly $17,000 watch, prosecutors said. Sela had been previously arrested for similar crimes. In 2022, he was arrested in Beverly Hills and found with nearly $25,000 in cash, various expensive items of jewelry, and numerous fraudulent debit and credit cards belonging to four elderly victims. Following his released, during two separate searches of his properties in 2022 and 2023, law enforcement found more than $70,000 in cash, many pieces of expensive jewelry, stolen mail, extensive stolen personal information, identification cards, debit and credit cards, banking information and more, all belonging to victims, officials said. Sela has been in federal custody since October 2023. In October 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. On April 22, he was sentenced to 61 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,818,369 in restitution. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Beverly Hills Police Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
James Toback Hit With $1.7 Billion Verdict in Sex Assault Suit Involving 40 Women
Director James Toback, who was among the first to be singled out in the #MeToo scandal in 2017, was ordered on Wednesday to pay $1.68 billion after a sexual assault trial in New York. Toback, 80, was accused of abusing his power in the film industry to sexually assault women across four decades. 40 women testified at the seven-day trial, resulting in what their attorneys believe to be the largest sex assault verdict in state history. More from Variety Harvey Weinstein's Fate Puts Hollywood on Notice James Toback Will Not Face Charges in Los Angeles Harvey Weinstein, James Toback Under Investigation by Beverly Hills Police Department 'I think this jury spoke loud and clear,' said Brad Beckworth, an attorney for the plaintiffs, saying he had argued that the #MeToo movement had not gone far enough. 'We wanted their voice to be heard and to reverberate across the country to tell insiders and people in positions of power that we will not tolerate using that power against women.' Toback did not attend the trial. Earlier in the case, he issued a blanket denial, including a claim that any sexual activity was consensual. He was acting as his own attorney at the time. He did not show up for pre-trial hearings, leading to a default judgment against him. Toback did not respond to messages seeking comment on Wednesday. The six-member jury was convened to decide on damages. After deliberation, the jury awarded $280 million in compensatory damages and $1.4 billion in punitive damages. The attorneys will next have to assess whether Toback has any assets they can pursue. 'We'll try to recover it, but that's not the only motivating factor,' said Ross Leonoudakis, another plaintiffs' attorney. 'We saw a unique opportunity to help these survivors seek justice.' Toback wrote the 1991 film 'Bugsy,' and wrote and directed 'The Pick-up Artist' and 'Two Girls and a Guy.' He was accused of prowling the streets of New York for decades, looking for young women to invite to meetings with the promise of movie offers. He was accused of sexually assaulting them at the Harvard Club and at other locations around New York, including his apartment, his editing studio, and public parks. The accusers — most now in their 40s and 50s, and some in their early 70s — were allowed to bring the lawsuit under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which created a one-year window in which the statute of limitations was suspended for sexual assault. The suit was first filed in December 2022. Over the course of the trial, 20 women testified in person. Video depositions of another 20 women were also played for the jury. Mary Monahan, the lead plaintiff, said in a statement that the verdict represents 'validation.' 'For decades, I carried this trauma in silence, and today, a jury believed me,' Monahan said. 'Believed us. That changes everything. This verdict is more than a number — it's a declaration. We are not disposable. We are not liars. We are not collateral damage in someone else's power trip. The world knows now what we've always known: what he did was real. And what we did — standing up, speaking out — was right.' Karen Sklaire Watson, another plaintiff, said the verdict will make New York safer for women. 'We're drawing a line in the sand: Predators cannot hide behind fame, money, or power,' she said in a statement. 'Not here. Not anymore.' The plaintiffs initially sued the Harvard Club of New York, arguing the club was negligent in allowing Toback to use it for so many sexual assaults over so many years. The plaintiffs agreed to discontinue the case against the Harvard Club in January 2024. The L.A. Times first reported allegations against Toback from 38 women on Oct. 22, 2017, just two weeks after the New York Times reported a history of harassment claims against Harvey Weinstein. The report triggered an avalanche of similar allegations against numerous Hollywood figures, as well as new laws protecting sexual assault accusers and making it easier for them to bring lawsuits. 'We'll try to recover it, but that's not the only motivating factor,' said Ross Leonoudakis, Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
