Christopher Ruddle, Author at Ballot News

Police Say Stranger Attacked Senior Woman, Held Her Underwater at Mall

Witnesses stepped in near a Westfield Old Orchard pond before police arrested a man now facing three felony charges. SKOKIE, Ill. — Shoppers and other bystanders intervened when police say a man attacked a senior citizen near a pond at Westfield Old Orchard on Tuesday, separating the two before officers arrived and took the suspect into custody. The intervention became a key part of the police account of an incident that has since led to …

Maryland Man Charged After Sister Fatally Shot at Home

Deputies responding to gunfire found the suspect outside and his 55-year-old sister mortally wounded inside the Huntingtown residence. HUNTINGTOWN, Md. — A Calvert County man is being held without bond on murder charges after deputies responding to an early-morning report of gunfire found his sister fatally wounded inside their Huntingtown home, authorities said. Troy Elliott Harrod, 43, was arrested Oct. 12 and charged with first-degree and second-degree murder in the death of 55-year-old Alva Larita …

Dallas Toddler Dies in Shooting, Leaving Key Questions Unanswered

Three-year-old Amazi Aplon was remembered for his smile, singing and dancing as relatives prepared to lay him to rest. DALLAS, Texas — The family of 3-year-old Amazi Aplon is preparing to bury a child remembered for his bright smile and affectionate personality while Dallas police continue trying to determine how he was fatally shot at an apartment complex early Sunday. Aplon died after officers responded around 1 a.m. Oct. 11 to a shooting on Wadsworth …

Baby Found Alive in Trash Can After Savannah Police Called

A 2026 change broadened Georgia’s legal options for safely surrendering newborns before police found an infant abandoned on Abercorn Street. SAVANNAH, Ga. — The discovery of an infant alive in a Savannah trash can has renewed attention on Georgia’s Safe Place for Newborns Act, which lawmakers expanded this year to give families more lawful options for surrendering newborn children. Savannah police found the infant early Oct. 10 after responding about 2:45 a.m. to a report …

Chainsaw Horror in Mobile: Man Denied Bond in Grandmother, Aunt Killings

Thomas Steele faces two capital murder charges, while a state psychiatrist is expected to evaluate whether he is competent to proceed. MOBILE, Ala. — A judge denied bond Tuesday for a 47-year-old Mobile man charged with capital murder in the deaths of his grandmother and aunt, keeping him jailed as the case moves toward a court-ordered evaluation of his mental competency. Thomas Steele faces two capital murder charges after Mobile police said two women were …

Gunman Kills Seattle Gas Station Clerk, Then Walks Away Empty-Handed

Detectives are trying to determine whether the clerk was targeted after police said the gunman left without taking anything. SEATTLE — Police investigating the fatal shooting of a gas station clerk near Seattle Center said the attack does not appear to have been a robbery, leaving detectives to determine whether the victim was deliberately targeted or killed in a random act. The unanswered question emerged after a man entered a 76 gas station near Broad …

Brothers Vanish From Apartment, Found Dead in Nearby Pond

Investigators say surveillance video shows the boys reaching a retention pond shortly before their mother began searching for them. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Two young brothers found dead in a retention pond after they disappeared from their Daytona Beach apartment drowned in what police believe was an accident, with surveillance video helping investigators reconstruct the final minutes before their deaths. Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young said 5-year-old Elijah Hawkins and 3-year-old Kashh Williams left …

Boy, 9, Dies as Investigators Describe ‘Hazardous’ Family Home

Authorities allege a second child had been out of school for years and lacked appropriate health and developmental services. FORT LAWN, S.C. — The investigation of a 9-year-old boy’s death in Chester County has expanded into allegations about the welfare of his 12-year-old sister, with authorities citing years of school absence, unmet care needs and hazardous conditions inside the family’s Fort Lawn home. Katie Hill Hefner, 40, and Rick Elliott Adkins, 41, each face two …

Father Suspected of Killing Sons, Ages 4 and 11, in Pico-Union Shooting

Jimmy and Osmani Gramajo were remembered as happy, affectionate children as investigators worked to determine what led to the fatal shooting. LOS ANGELES — Relatives are mourning two young brothers who were fatally shot in Los Angeles’ Pico-Union neighborhood, as police investigate their father in the deaths and family members struggle to understand what led to the violence. The boys were identified by their family as 4-year-old Jimmy Gramajo and 11-year-old Osmani Gramajo. Los Angeles …

Man Dies After Being Ejected From Six Flags Goliath Coaster

Police identified the 42-year-old Atlanta man who died as authorities began examining how he was ejected from the high-speed ride. AUSTELL, Ga. — Georgia authorities are investigating the death of a 42-year-old Atlanta man who police say was ejected from the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia, an incident that also injured several other people and led to an evacuation of the ride Monday afternoon. Cobb County police identified the man Tuesday as …