Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 7 July 2017
Woman pleads guilty to killing social worker, 3 relatives

By LISA RATHKE ago, pleaded guilty to one to life on the second-de- sentence of life without pa- “The state believes that this
The Associated Press count of first-degree mur- gree murder convictions, to role. is a fair and just resolution
BARRE, Vt. (AP) — A Ver- der and three counts of be served concurrently. No “So we have an opportuni- of the pending charges
mont woman pleaded second-degree murder, as sentencing has been set ty to argue for a sentence in this matter,” he said. “In
guilty Thursday to killing a part of a plea deal, as one for the first-degree murder that would allow her to be exchange for taking the
social worker and three rel- of her daughters teared up conviction. She could be released on parole at some mandatory life without pa-
atives she believed played in court. sentenced to life without point,” Sleigh said. role sentence under aggra-
a role in her losing custody She had originally been parole. John Treadwell, an assistant vated murder off the table
of her 9-year-old daughter. charged with three counts Defense attorney David attorney general, said the the state obtains four mur-
Jody Herring, appearing of aggravated murder in Sleigh said the plea deal certainty of guilt in the plea der convictions and retains
in a court near the state the deaths of her relatives. allowed Herring to avoid a agreement is of substantial the possibility of seeking
office building where so- Sentencing will come at lat- conviction of aggravated value to the state, the vic- and retaining a life without
cial worker Lara Sobel was er date. The plea deal calls murder, which would have tims and the community at parole sentence at the sen-
shot and killed two years for a sentence of 20 years resulted in a mandatory large. tencing hearing.”q
Mother charged with killing 4 of her kids and their father

By J. LANDRUM Jr. speaking Spanish, which
Associated Press initially made it difficult for
LOGANVILLE, Ga. (AP) — 911 operators to communi-
Four young children and cate with her.
their father were found The county sheriff’s office
slain in a home outside At- said Martinez is being held
lanta early Thursday, and for US Immigration and
police say the mother — Customs Enforcement but
now charged with their didn’t provide further de-
deaths — was the one who tails.
called 911 to report the kill- Early indications are that
ings. a knife was used to attack
The five were apparently the five, though a medical
stabbed to death. A fifth examiner will make the fi-
child, a girl, survived and nal determination about
was hospitalized with inju- the cause of death, Pihera
ries described as serious, said.
police said. The hospitalized girl was still
The woman was detained alive Thursday afternoon,
by police after the bod- police said in a brief up-
ies were found inside the date on the case.
home in Loganville, Gwin- Neighbors stand outside near a home where police say multiple people were found dead, Thurs- The four children killed ap-
nett County police Cpl. Mi- day, July 6, 2017, in Loganville, Ga., east of Atlanta. pear to be under age 10,
chele Pihera told reporters (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Pihera said. Their slain fa-
at the scene. Police later ther was in his mid-30s, she
charged 33-year-old Isabel she’s at Gwinnett County “Right now we believe we Pihera confirmed that the said.
Martinez with five counts of Police Headquarters be- have everybody involved 911 call came from an Psychologists and others
malice murder, five counts ing interviewed,” Pihera in this crime,” Pihera said, adult woman who was in- who study cases of moth-
of murder and six counts of said. Police have not said adding that she does not side the home. Pihera says ers accused of killing their
aggravated assault. whether she was injured want people in the com- police believe the suspect children say it’s not as un-
“She was quickly taken and said a motive wasn’t munity to think that a dan- made that call. common as people might
into custody and right now immediately known. gerous person is at large. Pihera said the caller was believe. q
Police nab Los Angeles hospital worker accused of sex abuse

By MICHAEL BALSAMO working as a nursing assis- said. “Once he fled, that an- to let her know she had de-
Associated Press tant. “This is a person who has gered me,” Toosbuy said livered on her promise to
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Los Angeles police began been put in a position of in an interview Thursday. catch Gaspar.
Angeles hospital worker investigating Gaspar after trust,” she said of Gaspar. “I felt that I had failed my “She was in disbelief and
accused of sexually abus- a woman reported being “To then be violated that victims. I knew I was going kind of in shock,” Toosbuy
ing more than a dozen fe- sexually assaulted while way is absolutely horren- to make it a mission to get recalled. “It brought her to
male patients, including she was a patient at Tar- dous.” him and I was committed tears.”
some under anesthesia zana Hospital. Twelve other Authorities say Gaspar sur- to that cause.” In 2011, a jury awarded $65
after surgery, has been ar- victims have since come rendered to police in 2006 Police confirmed Gaspar million to one of the victims
rested after more than a forward to report assaults, but later skipped bail with was living in Guatemala after she brought a lawsuit
decade on the run, police police said. his wife and one of his about five years ago, and against the hospital.
said Thursday. All the victims were patients three children. Police re- they obtained an extradi- The woman testified that
Ramon Eduardo Rodas at the hospital and some ceived dozens of tips after tion warrant in a process Gaspar assaulted her after
Gaspar, 48, was brought were “still slightly loopy” the case was featured on that took several years to she’d undergone surgery
back to the U.S. from his and feeling the effects of “America’s Most Wanted,” complete. to remove an ovarian cyst
native Guatemala last anesthesia when they were and one of the tipsters told When Gaspar was finally in 2006. Her attorney has
week and is accused of sexually assaulted, while Toosbuy that Gaspar had brought back to Los An- said she suffers from post-
sexually assaulting women others were very ill, police fled to his native Guate- geles last week, Toosbuy traumatic stress disorder
between 29 and 65 while Detective Ninette Toosbuy mala. called one of the victims from her experience.q