Page 21 - Florida Sentinel 12-10-19

National
Michigan Boy's Entire Kindergarten Class Shows Up To Support Him
13-Year-Old Florida Girl Sold To More Than 100 Men For Sex In Less Than A Month In Trafficking Operation
At Adoption Hearing
With more parents and young adults being increasingly vigi- lant about sex trafficking, one Florida teenager’s story rein- forces the perils of the predatory act.
The teenager said she ran away from home and was subse- quently recruited by sex traffick- ers, including women police later identified as Souprina Blanc and 19-year-old Rac- quel Bijou. According to the criminal complaint filed by the girl, both Blanc and Bijou in- sisted that she have sex in ex- change for money with several older men, some reportedly at least 50 years old.
Despite the girl reportedly telling Bijou that she was un- derage, she was instructed to tell everyone she was 21.
The Sun-Sentinel reports that the document also detailed an instance where Bijou allegedly told the girl to take photos of herself which were later sent to 22-year-old Jeremiah Horen- stein and 25-year-old Ashton
Frightened about the girl’s safety, the family member pro- vided authorities with the teen’s phone records.
Investigators in Miami-Dade County and the FBI’s Child Ex- ploitation and Human Traffick- ing Task Force were able to plan a sting operation on June 11, during which the girl was recov- ered and Blanc was arrested.
According to court docu- ments, officers found an uniden- tified female naked in the bedroom and a naked man hid- ing in the shower during the sting.
Bijou, Horenstein and Lewinson were subsequently arrested in August and Novem- ber. All four suspects are charged with sex trafficking a minor and are being held with- out bond. Bijou pleaded guilty on November 19. If convicted, the defendants could face a max- imum of life in prison.
In recent months, there's been heightened awareness around human trafficking.
Michael Orlando Clark, Jr. and some of his classmates.
Lewinson. The two men re- portedly posted photos of the girl to a backpage website, ad- vertising sex work. Following the ad being posted, the girl was instructed to sleep with more than 100 men.
According to the document, she was sold for sex so much that her traffickers dubbed her “breadmaker.”
After disappearing, the teen contacted a family member via text, telling them that she had sex with “so many people.”
A Michigan boy decided to do something special at his adop- tion hearing: invite his entire kindergarten class to come cele- brate with him.
According to CNN, 5-year-old Michael Orlando Clark, Jr. had a memorable day at the courthouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Thursday. As the boy's adoption was finalized in the courtroom, his classmates sat in the audience behind him, waving hearts attached to wooden sticks.
The children also had a chance to express their love for their classmate when the judge asked them to speak.
"I love Michael," one of the boy's classmates said. Another said, "Michael's my best friend."
Michael's mother worked with his teacher to arrange a class field trip to the courtroom for the boy's special day.
"We began the school year as a family," Michael's teacher told WZZM. "Family doesn't
have to be DNA, because family is support and love."
Michael was one of 36 children who was adopted Thursday as part of the 23rd an- nual Adoption Day in Kent County, WZZM reported.
"Sometimes their journeys have been very long, they've in- cluded miracle and change for the children and family and in- credible community support as you're able to see today in Michael's adoption hearing," Judge Patricia Gardner said.
The Kent County Facebook page described the emotions as the children were being adopted, saying "there is not a dry eye in Judge Patricia Gardner’s courtroom."
According to CNN, Michael has been living with his new father and mother as a foster child for the past year.
"We didn't have any kids prior to that, and things got pretty chaotic in a hurry," the boy's father told CNN.
Suspects, Hostage, and Bystander Killed After Botched Robbery Turned Into Hijacking And Ended In Shootout
Dollar Stores And Food Deserts
DOLLAR GENERAL STORE
The Miami Herald reports that four people were killed in a dramatic series of events that started in one city in Florida and ended in another.
At 4:17 p.m. Thursday in Coral Gables, at least two peo- ple tried robbing Regent Jew- eler’s. Authorities were notified of the incident by a silent alarm. During the rob- bery attempt, a female em- ployee was struck in the forehead by a bullet that rico- cheted off the floor after it was fired off by one of the robbers. Another bullet went through the window of a nearby office that missed a clerk by “about two or three feet.”
Then, the robbers carjacked a UPS truck. “The individuals abducted the driver of the truck as well as the truck it-
Scene of the shooting.
self,” Coral Gables Chief Ed- ward Hudak said. When the police were able to locate the truck, the chase began on the Florida Turnpike before wind- ing up on Interstate 75 and ending in a chase through the streets off Pembroke Pines.
By the time authorities were finally able to approach the cornered robbers who were stuck in a traffic gridlock, 11 of- ficers opened fire after the sus- pects "started firing first," according to the account pro-
vided by the head of Miami- Dade’s police union. "It’s un- fortunate that the bystanders were killed, but the bad guys put all this in motion," Stead- man Stahl, president of the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association, said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two inno- cent bystanders."
In the end, the two suspects, and the UPS driver who was taken hostage were killed. An- other person who was sitting inside a nearby parked car was also killed. At least one person was airlifted to a neaby trauma center.
The FBI are investigating the matter while state prosecu- tors are looking into whether the officers involved broke any laws by using deadly force.
In 2016, the discount retailer Dollar General opened next door to the local grocer. "When Dollar General first came in, right away our business proba- bly dropped 15-20%," said Chet Davis. He's still in the grocery business. But he says his Moville location just could not compete. It's one example in a nation- wide controversy about the in- creasing influence Dollar Stores can have not only on where we shop, but also on what we eat.
Moville's Dollar General does
not sell fresh fruits and vegeta- bles or meats. But it does have lower prices on just about every- thing else.
Aubrey asked Davis, "Some people might look at this situa- tion and say, 'Dollar Stores are selling what people want at cheap prices. That's competition – sorry'?"
"Yeah, but we're not talking competition where we're on an even playing field," Davis replied. "At the volume that they buy, you're under their thumb."
South Africa Wins Miss Universe With Talk Of Leadership For Women; Puerto Rico Is Runner-Up
And the winner is ... South Africa!
Out of 90 contestants, Zoz- ibini Tunzi took the crown for Miss Universe 2019, with Madison Anderson, Miss Puerto Rico, coming in as first runner-up.
In 2018, South Africa’s
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters crowned Catriona Gray of the Philippines and, on Sun- day, Gray and her country re- turned the compliment, anointing South Africa’s Tunzi after a spirited compe- tition among 20 semifinalists.
Anderson, Miss Puerto Rico, urged girls and young women to “be yourself” in her answer to the final question posed by host Steve Harvey.
Tunzi blew everyone away with her quote on the impor-
Miss Universe 2018 Philip- pines' Catriona Gray puts the crown on the head of the new Miss Universe 2019 South Africa's Zozibini Tunzi.
tance of teaching young women leadership, and to “take up space,” which caused the crowd to go wild.
“I think one of the most im- portant things we should be teaching young girls today is
leadership,” she said. “It’s something that has been lack- ing in young girls and women for a very long time – not be- cause we don’t want to but be- cause of what society has labeled women to be. I think we are the most powerful be- ings in the world, and that we should be given every opportu- nity. And that is what we should be teaching these young girls – to take up space. Nothing as important as taking up space in society.”
The tail end of her answer was drowned out by raucous cheers.
Harvey played it fairly straight during this, his fifth time hosting and the 68th Miss Universe contest, this one held at Tyler Perry Studios in At- lanta.
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