Page 5 - ARUBA TODAY
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U.S. NEWS A5
Friday 5 January 2018
Man sues Iowa county over wrongful arrest, 2-month jail stay
By RYAN J. FOLEY den falsely contended the In this Dec. 31, 2016, photo provided by attorney Thomas Hermanson, who is bipolar,
Associated Press victim “positively identified” P. Frerichs, Joseph McBride takes a photo of himself at his told police days later that
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An McBride as a suspect and godmother’s home in Glendale, Ariz. The photo and other alibi he “had done his own in-
Arizona man who was ar- that police had “phone information helped McBride prove that he was wrongly arrested vestigation” and believed
rested, transported cross- records and social media” Jan. 1, 2017. McBride filed a federal lawsuit Thursday, Jan. 4, the men involved were
country and jailed for a rob- suggesting he conspired 2018, against the Iowa county and prosecutor responsible for his Navarro’s boyfriend, Austin
bery that he didn’t commit with the other two suspects. arrest and more than two months in jail. Foster, and a man whose
filed a lawsuit Thursday McBride, who works at an Facebook account called
against the Iowa county Arizona dog treats factory, (Courtesy of Thomas P. Frerichs/Joseph McBride via AP) him “Jody Holliday.” Inves-
and prosecutor responsible is seeking compensatory tigators found “Jody Hol-
for charging him. and punitive damages for liday” didn’t exist but used
Joseph McBride, 23, spent violations of his constitu- photos and the birthdate
two months in custody tional rights. to link the account to Mc-
after authorities arrested Vander Sanden said Thurs- Bride, a 2013 graduate of
him at his Phoenix apart- day the charging decision Cedar Rapids Washington
ment on Aug. 24. McBride was based on a “good- High School. They were un-
was among three people faith belief that the victim successful in finding him in
charged for a Jan. 1, 2017, was correct in the identi- Cedar Rapids, apparently
home invasion in his former fication” of McBride and unaware he had moved
hometown of Cedar Rap- that prosecutors acted to Phoenix in November
ids, Iowa — even though promptly to release him 2015. They obtained Navar-
he had proof he was 1,500 when his alibi checked out. ro’s phone records, which
miles (2415 kilometers) The case stems from the rob- showed communications
away and investigators bery of 27-year-old Tristan with Foster and another
never spoke with him be- Hermanson, who told po- man around the time of the
fore his arrest. lice that an acquaintance robbery but no connection
McBride’s lawsuit details he knew as Elizabeth came to McBride.
a shoddy investigation by to his apartment before McBride’s attorney filed
the Cedar Rapids Police two men forced their way notice of the alibi defense
Department that implicat- in, beat him with a hand- Oct. 9, providing names
ed McBride based on the gun, and stole money and and contact information
mentally ill victim’s “own his cellphone. Hermanson, of witnesses. One attested
investigation,” which relied who suffered facial injuries, that he celebrated New
on Facebook photos. It al- soon identified the woman Year’s Eve with McBride in
leges that the complaint as 22-year-old Elizabeth Phoenix and spent the next
signed by Linn County At- Navarro and said she set day with him rearranging a
torney Jerry Vander San- him up. storage unit.q
Swatting death call suspect threatened to kill grandmother
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Tyler Barriss, 25, is accused riss earlier pleaded no con- that his 62-year-old grand- shared and stay away from
man accused of making of calling 911 last week test in a separate case on mother wrote in a domestic her, her home, her dogs,
a hoax emergency call with a fake story about a May 10, 2016, to one felony violence case seeking a workplace and vehicle,
that led to the fatal police shooting and kidnapping count each of false report restraining order California according to the docu-
shooting of a Kansas man at a Wichita home. The call of bomb to agency or busi- court that Barris had made ment. The order was later
once threatened to kill his was a case of “swatting,” ness and malicious inform- “constant threats to beat dismissed when he and
grandmother in 2015 if she in which a person makes ing of false bomb in Cali- my face bloody.” his grandmother missed a
reported him for phoning up a false report to get a fornia. He was sentenced He also allegedly made court hearing. The LA Times
in a false bomb threat to SWAT team to descend to two years and eight death threats against the reported that Barriss threat-
a television station in Glen- on an address. Police shot months in jail, according woman, along with threats ened his grandmother to
dale, California, according 28-year-old Andrew Finch to the Los Angeles County to destroy her home and prevent her from report-
to news reports and court when the unarmed Wichita District Attorney’s office. dogs. He was ordered to ing he had called in false
documents. man came to his door. Bar- The Wichita Eagle reports move out of the house they bomb threats.q
