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A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 25 april 2019

Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announces arrests of adults who
officials say used social media messaging and dating apps in
an attempt to lure children, during a news conference at Bergen
County Prosecutor’s Office in Hackensack, N.J., Wednesday,
April 24, 2019.
Associated Press
Cop, teacher, others

accused of trying to In this April 5, 2019, file photo, Parkland school suspect Nikolas Cruz listens during a hearing at the
Broward Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
lure teens for sex Public defender asks to drop Florida
Associated Press

HACKENSACK, N.J. (AP) — Authorities have arrested a
police officer, a high school teacher, a minister and 13 school massacre suspect
others in a sting New Jersey officials said Wednesday was
aimed at men who tried to set up sexual encounters with By TERRY SPENCER torney. “By statute, we can ther died when they were
people they thought were teenage boys and girls. Associated Press only represent the poor and young, not long after they
The arrests were made as part of “Operation Home FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) indigent,” Weekes told The were adopted.
Alone,” which targeted people who officials say used so- — The public defenders for Associated Press by phone The mother had a tumul-
cial media messaging and dating apps in an attempt to the Parkland school massa- Wednesday. “We are ask- tuous relationship with her
lure children. cre defendant unexpect- ing to withdraw from the sons, calling police dozens
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said most edly asked to withdraw case because the defen- of times over the years to
of the defendants were arrested when they arrived at a from the case Wednesday, dant is no longer poor.” say they had been verbally
residence in Bergen County, where they expected to find saying the 20-year-old man But Cruz may not get the abusive or had damaged
the victim home alone. The arrests were made from April will soon inherit nearly a money. It is likely that the her property. Zachary and
11-15. half-million dollars and no victims’ families who are other family members have
Despite the undercover officers identifying themselves longer qualify for free legal suing Cruz will claim the said Nikolas Cruz some-
as 14- and 15-year-olds, authorities say the men still en- representation. money should go to them times hit his mother and
gaged in conversations about sex and arranged to meet The Broward County Public and judges will have to once threatened her with
up with them. Defender’s Office filed the determine who ultimately a gun, but she never re-
“The 16 men we arrested allegedly used social media to unexpected notice late receives it. Circuit Judge ported that. She went with
stalk victims they believed were vulnerable children who Wednesday, saying Nikolas Elizabeth Scherer, who is him to buy a gun shortly af-
could be sexually exploited,” Grewal said. “Parents need Cruz is set to receive more presiding over the criminal ter he turned 18, but with a
to know that the profiles of underage girls and boys we than $432,000 shortly from case, has not set a hearing caveat.
posted on social media to catch these offenders could his late mother’s life insur- on the public defenders’ A gun store employee
easily have been profiles of their own children.” ance policy. Under state withdrawal motion and she told investigators after the
He added: “Our message to parents with ‘Operation law, the public defender might require them to stay shooting that he had re-
Home Alone’ is be on guard. Our message to child pred- can only represent defen- on until that is settled. ceived a call from Linda
ators is law enforcement is working overtime to find you dants who cannot afford David Brill, an attorney rep- Cruz the day after the 2017
and arrest you.”Besides the police officer from New Jer- private attorneys. resenting the father of vic- purchase. She asked him
sey, the New York City teacher, and a traveling minister, Cruz is charged with 17 tim Meadow Pollack in a not to release the gun to
the defendants also include a dental hygienist, a barber- counts of first-degree mur- lawsuit against Cruz and him after the three-day
shop owner and drivers for rideshare companies. der and 17 counts of at- others, said Wednesday waiting period if she wasn’t
The defendants face charges including luring and at- tempted murder arising that he is exploring his op- there. When he pressed her
tempted sexual assault. Two of the men are also charged from the Feb. 14, 2017, tions. Other attorneys rep- on why, she hesitated and
with having child pornography on their electronic devic- shooting at Marjory Stone- resenting families and vic- then said he was young and
es, including one who allegedly had more than 13,000 man Douglas High School. tims did not immediately she wanted him to be safe.
files of suspected child porn on his phone and a second The former Stoneman respond to emails seeking Cruz’s trial is scheduled to
who is already facing sentencing on a prior child porn Douglas student faces a their comments. begin early next year. Fin-
charge. possible death sentence. Cruz has said that he would kelstein said it is too early to
The investigation was part of the New Jersey Regional Public Defender Howard prefer any money he re- say whether this new devel-
Internet Crimes Against Children task force, which con- Finkelstein and his chief as- ceived from his mother’s opment would delay the
ducted a similar sting last September, “Operation Open sistant, Gordon Weekes, estate or insurance go to trial, “but it certainly won’t
House,” leading to the arrest of 24 men.q said their office learned the victims and their fami- speed it up.” His office has
about the insurance policy lies. Lynda Cruz died of estimated that more than
this week. At a court hear- pneumonia in November a million documents have
ing last year, their office 2017, three months before been generated in the
had said the amount was the shooting, leaving be- case, which would have
likely to be about $30,000, hind Cruz and his younger to be transferred to a new
/arubatoday/ too little to hire a private at- brother, Zachary. Their fa- attorney.q