Former dog rescuer jailed on animal cruelty charge
A former Tulsa pit bull rescuer was arrested Tuesday after a dog in his care had to be euthanized for injuries apparently suffered during a dog fight.
Roy A. Wright, 66, was charged with single counts of cruelty to animals and obstructing an officer on Jan. 18, Tulsa County District Court records show.
Wright had previously registered with Tulsa County authorities as a caretaker for rescued dogs, but his registration expired in June, Deputy David Long said.
When the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office investigated his expired registration, deputies discovered in his care 26 pit bulls, one of which had injuries that required euthanasia, Long said. The injuries appeared to have been inflicted by another dog.
Tulsa County residents can own up to five dogs without special authorization, Long said. Wright was allowed to keep five of the pit bulls as his personal pets, and the rest were placed with rescue groups.
Wright was arrested about 11 a.m. Tuesday. He posted a $5,000 bond and was released two hours later.
- AMANDA BLAND, World Staff Writer
Tulsan arrested on child sex-abuse accusations
A Tulsa man was arrested Thursday on allegations that he sexually abused a child relative.
Octaviano Flores, 47, was arrested after a 14-year-old girl told police that he had engaged in sexual intercourse with her between December 2011 and July 2012.
Flores was brought to the Tulsa Police Department's Sex Crimes Unit on Thursday, where his arrest report says he admitted to police that he had sexual intercourse with the girl on about 30 occasions over the last four years.
He also admitted engaging in oral and anal sex with the girl, according to the report.
Flores, whose first name is spelled Octavino on some documents, was arrested about 3:15 p.m. Thursday and was booked into the Tulsa Jail on a complaint of sexual abuse of a minor child shortly before 5 p.m., according to the jail's website.
- DAVID HARPER, World Staff Writer
Gunshot victim refuses to tell police what happened
A 52-year-old man who was shot in the back early Thursday has refused to provide police with information about the shooting.
Police were called to the 200 block of East 29th Street North around 2 a.m.
Detectives said the victim drove to the residence and knocked on the door seeking help.
A resident of the home found the bleeding man sitting on the porch, Officer Jillian Roberson said.
He had two gunshot wounds to the back and was taken by ambulance to St. John Medical Center, she said.
"The victim refused to disclose where the crime occurred or who had fired the rounds that struck him," Roberson said.
He is expected to survive.
Anyone with information about the shooting can contact Crime Stoppers by phone at 918-596-COPS, online at tulsa world.com/crimestoppers or via text message at CRIMES. Text tips should begin with "Tip918."
Tipsters can be anonymous and could receive a reward.
- AMANDA BLAND, World Staff Writer
Bogus Medicare calls seek info from area residents
LIFE Senior Services has been receiving multiple reports of Medicare-related telephone scams this week.
According to the reports, the caller states that he is from Medicare and that it is issuing new Medicare cards for all beneficiaries.
The person who receives the call is then asked to provide personal information so the card can be sent.
Cindy Loftin, coordinator of the Medicare assistance program at LIFE Senior Services, said these calls are fraudulent.
"Medicare is not issuing new cards and does not cold call beneficiaries. Even if they did call, they already have your Medicare number, birth date, etc," she said.
"Any information from Medicare about updates or changes will always come in the form of a letter."
Anyone who receives one of the bogus calls is urged to end the call and hang up the phone.
LIFE Senior Services has printed a booklet, "Protecting Yourself from Scams," which offers tips to help older people protect themselves from being victimized.
Call the SeniorLine at 918-664-9000 to receive a free copy.
- MIKE AVERILL, World Staff Writer
Claremore man killed in fiery Rogers County crash
A 24-year-old Claremore man died when his car struck an embankment and burst into flames in Rogers County early Thursday.
Christopher James Ketcham was driving north on Rogers County Road 4190 when he ran a stop sign at Akin Road - where County Road 4190 ends northeast of Claremore - and hit an embankment about 12:45 a.m., according to an Oklahoma Highway Patrol report.
The 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix that Ketcham was driving caught fire, and he died at the scene, troopers said. His body was freed from the wreckage about 3 1/2 hours after the crash.
Ketcham was wearing a seat belt, troopers said.
- AMANDA BLAND, World Staff Writer
Wolf-mix dog seriously injures Okmulgee-area girl
OKMULGEE - A 10-year-old girl sustained extensive injuries Tuesday when a wolf-mix dog bit her while she was checking her family's mailbox after coming home from school.
Okmulgee County sheriff's deputies responded about 3:45 p.m. Tuesday and identified the canine and its owner, who had already restrained the dog, the report said.
The girl was taken by ambulance to Okmulgee Memorial Hospital and then was transferred by helicopter to a Tulsa hospital.
Undersheriff Fred McGuire said the girl was bitten on her head and upper body. There was no word on her condition, he said.
The dog is being quarantined at a veterinarian's office.
McGuire said he doesn't anticipate that charges will be filed against the dog's owner.
- SUSAN HYLTON, World Staff Writer
OSU student says sex tape made surreptitiously
STILLWATER - The Oklahoma State University Police Department is investigating allegations that a student illegally made a sex tape at the on-campus apartment of an OSU football player.
On Saturday morning, a female student told OSU Police Officer Clint Leach that her ex-boyfriend, also a student, made a video of the pair together without her knowledge or consent.
The video was made in October, according to the police incident report.
The OSU Police Department has classified the case as a peeping Tom investigation.
All identifying information about the suspect is redacted from the incident report, but the location where the crime is alleged to have occurred matches the address of an OSU football player in the OSU student directory.
Information about a witness was also redacted.
Addresses of students are considered public information and are exempt from protection under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, known as FERPA.
A police log said Leach and another officer visited the residence on Tuesday afternoon for follow-up work.
OSU spokesman Gary Shutt said Wednesday that the Student Conduct Office may pursue its own investigation if the alleged victim requests a hearing, if charges are filed in Payne County District Court or if the office receives details that merit a hearing.
No one had been charged with a crime as of Thursday afternoon.
- SAMANTHA VICENT, World Correspondent
EMSA medic's miscarriage after assault is homicide
OKLAHOMA CITY - A man who was arrested in an assault on a paramedic last month could face a murder charge in the death of the victim's unborn baby, Oklahoma City police said Thursday.
Ronald Paul Heatly, 58, was arrested Dec. 18 on a complaint of assault and battery on a paramedic for the Emergency Medical Services Authority.
Police said paramedic Joanna Hickerson and her husband and EMSA partner, Timothy Hickerson, were called to provide medical attention to Heatly.
Joanna Hickerson said Heatly got into the ambulance and said he wanted to go to a hospital, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Oklahoma County District Court.
After she hooked him up to an IV, he became agitated and said he wanted it out of his arm, the affidavit states.
As Hickerson tried to remove the IV, Heatly began swinging his legs and arms at her, according to the affidavit.
He kicked and kneed Joanna Hickerson - who was 17 weeks' pregnant - in the abdomen, police Master Sgt. Gary Knight said.
Hickerson was taken to a hospital for treatment but had a miscarriage Jan. 18.
The state medical examiner determined that the miscarriage occurred as a result of the assault and ruled the fetus' death a homicide, Knight said.
It is Oklahoma City's fourth homicide of 2013.
The Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office will determine whether to file a charge in the homicide.
- from the Oklahoman
