Police Ramp up Presence in Central Park: A crime wave in New York City's Central Park has prompted police to ramp up patrols in and around the sprawling area. Lisa Evers of WNYN reports that this past month, there were five incidents of violent armed robberies committed by groups of people and one attempted rape. Over the weekend, a man was beaten and stomped by eight to nine teens who stole his cellphone and tablet, and another man was knocked off his bike, beaten and robbed of his phone. On Monday, a woman jogging in the park was knocked to the ground by a man who tried to rape her, but fought him off and escaped. The NYPD say they are going to beef up police presence both inside the park and around its perimeter in an effort to stop the violence before it gets worse and "change the disturbing pattern" they have observed.
OH Man's Death Sentence Overturned: An Ohio man sentenced to death three decades ago had his death sentence overturned on Wednesday by a federal appeals court. Eric Heisig of Cleveland reports that in a 2-1 decision, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the sentence of Percy "June" Hutton, 62, after ruling that the presiding judge at Hutton's trial failed to properly instruct the jury on how to weigh aggravating circumstances. Hutton was convicted in 1986 of fatally shooting a man and attempting to kill another man in a dispute over a sewing machine, and sentenced to die in 1987. The Ohio Attorney General's Office has yet to decide whether to challenge the court's ruling.
CA Death Row Inmate Slashes Officer: An inmate on San Quentin's death row in California slashed a correctional officer with a homemade weapon last week, a decade after carrying out a similar attack on another correctional officer. Jenna Lyons of the SF Chronicle reports that Richard Penunuri, 38, attacked the officer on Oct. 3 as he was being secured in the shower stall. He grabbed the officer's right arm and his handcuffs were being removed, slashing it with a makeshift weapon. Penunuri committed a similar attack in 2006, slashing an officer on the arm as he was being locked in his cell. The officer's injury almost reached the bone and required 30 stitches. Penunuri was sentenced to death in 2001 for the 1997 gang-related murders of two teens who were "unintended targets" not associated with gangs. He was also convicted of an additional count of first-degree murder for ordering a hit on a witness to prevent him from testifying at the trial. Penunuri will receive a rules violation for the attack, and the Marin County district attorney's office will decide whether to press charges once an investigation is complete. The officer who was attacked is expected to fully recover.
OH Man's Death Sentence Overturned: An Ohio man sentenced to death three decades ago had his death sentence overturned on Wednesday by a federal appeals court. Eric Heisig of Cleveland reports that in a 2-1 decision, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the sentence of Percy "June" Hutton, 62, after ruling that the presiding judge at Hutton's trial failed to properly instruct the jury on how to weigh aggravating circumstances. Hutton was convicted in 1986 of fatally shooting a man and attempting to kill another man in a dispute over a sewing machine, and sentenced to die in 1987. The Ohio Attorney General's Office has yet to decide whether to challenge the court's ruling.
CA Death Row Inmate Slashes Officer: An inmate on San Quentin's death row in California slashed a correctional officer with a homemade weapon last week, a decade after carrying out a similar attack on another correctional officer. Jenna Lyons of the SF Chronicle reports that Richard Penunuri, 38, attacked the officer on Oct. 3 as he was being secured in the shower stall. He grabbed the officer's right arm and his handcuffs were being removed, slashing it with a makeshift weapon. Penunuri committed a similar attack in 2006, slashing an officer on the arm as he was being locked in his cell. The officer's injury almost reached the bone and required 30 stitches. Penunuri was sentenced to death in 2001 for the 1997 gang-related murders of two teens who were "unintended targets" not associated with gangs. He was also convicted of an additional count of first-degree murder for ordering a hit on a witness to prevent him from testifying at the trial. Penunuri will receive a rules violation for the attack, and the Marin County district attorney's office will decide whether to press charges once an investigation is complete. The officer who was attacked is expected to fully recover.
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