Tag: True Crime

A mother, grandmother and uncle are accused of abusing and neglecting three Pennsylvania children so severely that a medical professional found the abuse met the “definition of child torture,” according to police.

Following a two-year investigation, officers arrested Newberry Township residents Ashley Cardona, Lori Cardona, and Michael Cardona on Wednesday, February 25, the Newberry Township Police Department said in a news release issued the same day.

York County District Attorney Tim Barker identified Ashley, 29, as the children’s mother, Lori, 53, as their grandmother, and Michael, 27, who is Ashley’s brother, as their uncle during a news conference on their arrests, WGAL reported.

Ashley and Lori are facing charges including aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, false imprisonment, endangering the welfare of children, and criminal conspiracy, according to authorities.

Michael faces charges including criminal conspiracy to commit unlawful restraint, criminal conspiracy to commit false imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of children.

Information on their legal representation was not listed in court records viewed by Us Weekly on Thursday, February 26.

In March 2024, authorities began investigating alleged child abuse involving Ashley’s children, ages 5, 6 and 10, at her family’s Newberry Township home, police said.

The investigation revealed that for two years, her 6-year-old son, who is now 8, was forced to stay in a “crib cage” surrounded by urine and feces while her 5-year-old daughter, who is now 6, was regularly restrained in a car seat for nearly 24 hours each day, Barker said at the news conference, according to WGAL.

While describing the crib cage the boy was confined to, Barker said it was “a homemade caged crib constructed with stacked cribs, ratchet straps, zip ties, locking mechanisms” and that the boy “was restrained” to it “with a wrist device connected to a leash.”

Michael told police that he built the cage, according to authorities, FOX43 reported.

A third child, now 12, told police that Ashley “hates” the children “and doesn’t care what happens” to them, according to a criminal complaint viewed by the TV station.

The boy kept in the alleged crib cage and the girl often confined to a car seat were both extremely malnourished, had developmental delays and had not been trained to use the bathroom, Barker said at the news conference, WGAL reported. The girl also had major tooth decay, according to Barker.

All of the children have been taken out of the home and were placed in “alternative living arrangements,” police said in the release.

A Penn State Health physician who is a member of the medical center’s Child Protective Team ultimately decided that the abuse the children endured was “child torture,” according to police.

While addressing the conclusion, Barker said at the news conference that it is “a very specific medical definition,” according to FOX43.

“It involves a longitudinal pattern of physical abuse combined with two or more forms of psychological maltreatment,” Barker added. “Unlike isolated incidents of physical abuse, child torture is premeditated, pervasive and impacts all aspects of a child’s daily life, resulting in physical, emotional and developmental harm.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.

A man has been arrested in a Montana woman’s death after authorities said they discovered her body inside a freezer in the basement of an apartment complex.

A coroner’s investigation led by the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office identified the woman as 36-year-old Cerenity Marie Shawl, who lived in the area of Cut Bank, according to a Tuesday, February 10, news release shared by Sheriff Tom Seifert.

Shawl’s body was located at a Cut Bank apartment building on Saturday, February 7, according to the sheriff’s office and the Cut Bank Police Department.

She was fatally shot once in the head, the sheriff’s office said.

The day after the discovery of her body, Cut Bank Police urged the public to be on the lookout for an “armed and dangerous” homicide suspect, Alfred Joseph Smith, and a woman believed to be with him inside of a 2019 Hyundai Elantra.

A tip came in about Smith’s whereabouts on Monday, February 9, when authorities located him driving in Fort Benton and pulled him over, the Cut Bank Police Department said in a news release issued that day.

Smith was arrested “without incident” on a charge of deliberate homicide, according to police. He was detained on a $1 million bond.

“This arrest would not have happened so quickly without the help from the public,” Cut Bank Police Chief Michael Schultz said in a statement.

Sheriff Seifert confirmed to Us Weekly over the phone on Friday, February 13, that Smith’s arrest directly relates to Shawl’s killing.

It was not immediately clear whether Smith had retained an attorney or entered a plea.

Smith made his initial court appearance on February 11, according to records viewed by Us.

When authorities pulled Smith over on February 9, they also found Natasha Siliezar, the woman who was initially believed to be with him, according to police

Siliezar was “held for questioning,” police said. It is unclear whether Siliezar is also considered a suspect in Shawl’s death.

In the news release on the identification of Shawl’s body, Seifert said that “The Glacier County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences” to her family and friends “during this difficult time.”

A GoFundMe page has been established in support of Shawl’s funeral expenses.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Cerenity Marie Shawl,” Shawl’s family members wrote on the page. “She meant so much to our family and to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.”

Shawl was described as “a beautiful soul that would light up a room when she walked in,” as well as “a loving niece, best friend, cousin, mother.”

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“This loss was unexpected, and our family is now facing the emotional pain of saying goodbye along with the financial burden that comes with funeral and memorial expenses,” the GoFundMe page says.

A potential motive for Shawl’s killing has not been specified by authorities.

The criminal investigation into her death was led by the Cut Bank Police Department and the Montana Department of Criminal Investigation.

Cut Bank is about a 195-mile drive northwest from Helena.

UPDATE — 2/2/26 at 5:28 p.m. ET: After deliberating his fate for nearly nine hours, jurors reached a verdict on Monday, January 2, finding Brendan Banfield guilty of two counts of aggravated murder. As the verdict was read, Banfield remained largely stone-faced.

Banfield will be sentenced on May 8 and faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Original story:

A Virginia man accused of killing his wife and another man during an affair with his family’s au pair is on trial for murder.

Brendan Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the fatal stabbing of his wife, Christine Banfield, and the shooting of Joseph Ryan at his home in Herndon, Virginia in February 2023, according to authorities.

Banfield’s trial began on Monday, January 12. His defense attorney, John Carroll, did not immediately return Us Weekly’s request for comment.

According to prosecutors, Brendan, 40, plotted the killings of his wife and Ryan with Juliana Peres Magalhães, an au pair working for him, while having a romantic relationship with Peres Magalhães, according to prosecutors, WTOP reported.

Brendan and Peres Magalhães are accused of trying to frame Ryan in Christine’s death.

On February 24, 2023, Brendan and Peres Magalhães called 911 to Brendan’s home, according to Fairfax County police, who said responding officers found an “appalling scene” when they arrived.

They saw Christine, 37, had been stabbed and Ryan, 39, of Springfield, had been shot, police said.

Brendan and Peres Magalhães told authorities that Ryan, who they described as a stranger, came into the house and stabbed Christine, according to The Associated Press. They said that they both shot Ryan in response, according to authorities.

Prosecutors, however, argue that Brendan and Peres Magalhães lured Ryan to the home as part of the plot to kill Christine, The Associated Press reported.

Peres Magalhães ultimately pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October 2024 in connection with fatally shooting Ryan, 39, according to Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano. She was 24 at the time of her guilty plea.

Before Peres Magalhães pleaded guilty, she gave a statement to authorities in which she said that ahead of the killings, she and Brendan had used Christine’s name on a social media site for sexual fetishes, according to The Associated Press.

On the website, the account they used for Christine communicated with Ryan to coordinate plans for a sexual meetup involving a knife on February 24, 2023, the day they were killed, according to Peres Magalhães’ statement, The Associated Press reported.

According to prosecutors, Brendan was behind what has been described as a ruse and had been messaging with Ryan, who “likely believed” that he was going to meet with Christine for a “violent sexual role play” experience, CNN reported.

Brendan, who formerly worked as an IRS agent, began having an affair with Peres Magalhães in August 2022, after she started working for him and his wife in late 2021, prosecutors said, CNN reported.

“In the fall of 2022, Brendan Banfield expressed to Peres Magalhães his desire to be rid of his wife and soon thereafter began planning to kill his wife as well as, ultimately, Joseph Ryan, the victim in this case,” prosecutors have alleged, according to the outlet.

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Brendan’s daughter was home when prosecutors said he stabbed Christine and shot Ryan. His daughter was 4 years old at the time.

After being charged with four counts of aggravated murder and one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano announced additional charges against Brendan in December 2024.

The charges relating to Brendan’s daughter include one count of felony child abuse and neglect and one count of felony child cruelty, Descano said.

“My office is committed to bringing the strongest case possible against Brendan Banfield for the alleged murders of Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan,” Descano said in a statement at the time.

Brendan has pleaded not guilty in Christine and Ryan’s deaths, The Associated Press reported.

It will be recommended that Peres Magalhães should be sentenced to time served, according to her plea agreement, as part of her cooperation in the case, CNN reported.

It is the type of story that could only have originated out of the Sunshine State.

Police in central Florida were summoned to a private development in Kissimmee — right next to Orlando — on Thursday, January 22, to deal with a partially-clothed man who was allegedly exposing himself outside a neighbor’s home.

Police also were told the exposed man had “engaged in a sexual performance with a vacuum cleaner,” reads a statement on the arrest of Kevin Dale Westerhold, who is facing an exposure of sexual organs charge.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office got the bizarre call about a man displaying his private parts and raced over to the Windsor Hills Resort development. But the 51-year-old suspect gave them the sleep, having already left the area.

However, the statement contends that “the victims [who] observed this behavior provided a statement” to detectives as well as “a cell phone recording” that allegedly showed “a male, partially clothed, in front of a residence, engaged in a sexual performance with a vacuum cleaner.”

Police did not provide further information on the alleged sexual performance.

But of course, the story does not end there.

Police later learned that the Florida man and his wife live in a home within the private development and also operate an Airbnb out of a separate residence nearby, according to a statement from investigators.

Detectives started looking into the disturbing situation and discovered that a complaint had been made on January 21 “regarding a man that was walking in a shared hallway space, nude.”

Police later reviewed doorbell camera footage of the alleged incident and officers started to canvass the area, looking for the man from the video.

The police spoke with other residents in the development, who “provided statements of similar behavior by the suspect” being nude or partially clothed near other houses, the statement explained.

The previous incidents had been reported, but to the homeowner’s association in December, and not police, the statement said. Additional doorbell camera footage was eventually obtained by investigators who confirmed the various allegations made against Westerhold.

An arrest warrant was issued for Westerhold, who was arrested in Oviedo on Tuesday, January 27. He was released following his arrest and will appear for a court hearing sometime next month.

Us Weekly tried a few phone numbers that appear to be connected to Westerhold but could not reach him for a comment on his arrest.

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A Florida woman was arrested after she allegedly “forcibly dunked” someone else’s 6-year-old son underwater while staying at a resort during a family vacation. Tiffany Griffith was charged with aggravated child abuse and taken into custody at the Osceola County Jail following the alleged incident, which took place on Friday, December 19. The Osceola County […]

Information on his lawyer was unavailable on Thursday, January 29.

Investigators said they would like to speak with if anyone else has had contact with the suspect exposing himself to them or if they know of any other incidents, to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at (407) 348-1100.

In Florida, it is illegal to expose or exhibit sexual organs in a public place or on private premises in a vulgar or indecent manner. The law does not criminalize mere nudity but targets exposure that is deemed either lewd or offensive.

Exposure of sexual organs is a misdemeanor. Accidental exposure or exposure without any lewd intent may not meet the legal threshold for a criminal charge. The statute is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor, and those convicted could be sentenced to one year in jail, one year of probation, and a fine of up to $1,000.

A second or subsequent violation of the statute can lead to a felony charge, punishable by five years in prison, five years of probation, and a $5,000 fine.

A Louisiana couple has been arrested on suspicions of neglect and cruelty to a minor after the death of their severely malnourished child.

On January 1, authorities responded to a medical crisis call involving a juvenile at around 9 p.m. at a gas station in Geismar, Louisiana, according to a press release shared via Facebook on Friday, January 16.

When authorities arrived at the scene, deputies found 5-year-old Marley Perilloux unresponsive.

“Deputies immediately began performing CPR while awaiting emergency services,” the press release read. “The juvenile was transported to an area hospital while deputies and other first responders continued life-saving measures. The juvenile was later declared deceased.”

Following reports of “apparent injuries” on the boy, as well as “additional concerns of child neglect, including severe malnourishment,” detectives with the APSO Juvenile Unit opened an investigation into the fatal incident.

While searching the home of the child’s parents, Marlon Perilloux and Raynisa Young, detectives noted that the property was in “poor” and “barely livable” condition. Upon interviewing the couple, they discovered that both parents “failed to ensure proper hygiene, feeding, and medical care” for their child, who only weighed roughly 19 pounds at the time of his death. (This weight is much more typical for a child under 1 year of age than a 5-year-old.)

An autopsy to determine the exact cause of death is pending.

Perilloux and Young were taken into custody by the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office and are both currently being held at the Ascension Parish Jail without bond.

Perilloux, 33, was charged with negligent homicide and second degree cruelty to juveniles, while Young, 27, was charged with negligent homicide, second degree cruelty to juveniles, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal carrying of weapons.

Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Col. Donald Capelo called the situation “probably the worst case of child neglect I’ve seen in my 34 years of law enforcement,” per WAFB.

“To put it in perspective, when the coroners come out, there are body bags for adults, and there are body bags for infants. And this child, 5 years old, fit in an infant body bag,” Capelo continued.

Capelo then urged families who are struggling to adequately parent through difficult times to “seek help” from their support system or local authorities.

“Whether it be through a family member, whether it be through DCFS, a division of the state, but you have to seek help,” he said. “You have to do whatever you can and whatever means you have to just take care of your children.”

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A neighbor of the couple, Calvin Lewis, was reportedly shocked to hear what happened to the 5-year-old boy, telling WAFB, “People be treating their pets almost better than that.”

He also claimed that the parents were part of a helpful community who would have provided the family food or any additional type of assistance if they’d asked for it.

“We’re a neighborhood where somebody needs something, that we have something going on, you’re more than welcome to come get a plate or, you know, any way we can help out,” he said.

Perilloux and Young could still face additional or upgraded charges as the case continues to be investigated.

If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.