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News roundup: USAF Colonel busted in child sex sting, Army Ranger’s service dog stolen, Creepy weirdo caught pleasuring self in woods

Take a seat, sir:

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – The Panama City Beach Police Department has arrested a 44-year-old Colonel who was working at Tyndall Air Force Base and charged him with trying to meet a 14-year-old boy for sex. 

Michael Shawn Garrett was charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, solicitation of a minor for sex and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

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Take a seat, sir:

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. – The Panama City Beach Police Department has arrested a 44-year-old Colonel who was working at Tyndall Air Force Base and charged him with trying to meet a 14-year-old boy for sex. 

Michael Shawn Garrett was charged with traveling to meet a minor for sex, solicitation of a minor for sex and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Investigators wrote in a news release that Garrett believed he was talking online with a boy but was, in fact, talking with undercover investigators. During the discussions Garrett described in detail his sexual interest in the boy and insisted on meeting in person, officers wrote. Garrett then drove to a location that he thought was the boy’s home and was arrested.

“The Air Force sets high standards for our people and we won’t tolerate Airman who fall short of those standards. The Air Force is committed to the pursuit of justice. Any speculation at this point without having all of the details is not only unfair to the individuals involved but could affect the outcome of the investigation,” said Tyndall Spokesman Don Arias.

Follow me on Twitter for important Carlos Danger updates: 

https://twitter.com/BKactual/status/865631936105951235

Stealing someone’s service dog should mean the death penalty:

KINGSBRIDGE, Bronx — An Army veteran from the Bronx is reeling after he was beaten during a Mother’s Day walk with his service dog, who was stolen.

The attack by two men on Robert Lebron was caught on surveillance video.

Lebron had taken his 8-month-old pup, Mala, on a walk Sunday morning, he said. The pair were returning to his Bronx building from Poe Park when the attack happened.

WPIX-TV, New York

“I was attacked from behind,” Lebron said.

One man pounced on Lebron. He stumbled down the stairs. A second man grabbed Mala’s leash and ran off with Lebron’s companion.

Lebron said he believes his attacker is an ex-boyfriend of his wife who he says also attacked him less than a month ago.

He is devastated in the wake of Mala’s loss.

Lebron served as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. Mala signified a new chapter in his life.

 

Damn you bigots:

Hurry up with the powered exo-skeleton:

SAN ANTONIO — The Army and Marine Corps are working together to lighten the things they carry.

Close up urban combat and the threat of improvised explosive devices in Iraq following the 2003 invasion transformed the ideas of how much armor troops needed to protect themselves, said Cary Russell, the director defense capabilities and management at the Government Accountability Office…

…Helmets, armor plates and plate-carrying vests account for about 27 pounds of the 119 pounds carried by combat arms soldiers and 117 pounds by Marines, which is nearly a quarter of the load that also includes weapons and ammunition, food and water, communications equipment and other items, the report stated. Russell said it is unclear when that weight peaked.

An Army field manual on foot marching published in 1990 suggested a fighting load of no more than 48 pounds and marching load limited to 72 pounds. While the debate over an acceptable combat load has been a fixture of warfare for centuries, Russell said he was not aware of any other Army manual that has offered new recommendations.

The Army is developing a goal to reduce the weight of armor plates by 20 percent by examining new manufacturing and technological practices, and both services are looking to trim the weight of their vests in half by eliminating excess protection without decreasing effectiveness, the report stated. Russell said 20 percent was a realistic target based on the latest technology before diminishing returns are triggered and plates simply cannot be made lighter.

This fucking guy:

Whoooooooooops:

The Army pulled one of its recruitment ads after learning it contained an image of a soldier who was convicted of rape, according to a statement from the Army.

The ad aired nationally on May 8 and was pulled from media outlets on May 15, Business Insider first  reported.

One of the images in the recruitment commercial showed Spc. Nicholas Marcum, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of raping a 15-year-old, according to the Alaska Dispatch News.

“After receiving this information, we immediately directed the Army’s contracted advertising agency to remove the commercial from television and all social media sites,” the Army told Army Times in a statement.

Marcum was stationed at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska, when he was found guilty during a court-martial in July 2015. He was sent to the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and had his rank reduced to private, the newspaper reported. He was also ordered to forfeit his military pay and allowances.

GOT EM:

Thank you for your cultural enrichment: 

A former University of Connecticut student has been arrested after vandalizing several buildings around campus.

Eric Cruz-Lopez, 21, was charged with 103 counts of criminal mischief.

Police caught him after a three-month investigation into incidents of vandalism from December 2016 to March 2017.

Cruz-Lopez was seen entering and leaving areas around the time when the vandalism was reported to occur, police said.

UConn Police Department

The word ‘PEST’ was written with a paint pen in most of the instances. Sometimes the graffiti said ‘F*** Trump’ or there was a cartoon face with the same words in a bubble.

According to arrest paperwork, Cruz-Lopez is a community organizer for CT Students for a Dream, an organization that advocates on behalf of undocumented immigrants and has described himself as one too.

He has not yet entered a plea to the charges and is not represented by a lawyer. He is due back in Superior Court in Rockville on June 14.

This is a good thing:

Immediate family members of fallen troops now can receive long-term access cards for Air Force bases thanks to a program launched this month.

The Gold Star Base Access ID program started at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on May 1 and was implemented servicewide May 15, officials said.

“The chief of staff of the Air Force expressed consideration for more outreach to Gold Star families so they know they will always be part of the Air Force family,” said Brooke Brzozowske, an Air Force spokesperson.

“These families have had access to and have received long-term care and support through the Air Force Families Forever program located with Airman and Family Readiness Centers,” she added. “The base access cards will make it easier to access support services, attend ceremonies and events.”

In the past, Gold Star family members had to be escorted on Air Force bases by a current ID card holder, despite the presence of survivor services programs on base specifically for their use. The new card will allow families to come on base without an escort.

Those poor trees:

A 57-year-old naked man was found masturbating in the woods Wednesday afternoon after unsuccessfully trying to have sex with a woman in a home nearby, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s officials announced Thursday in a news release.

Keith C. Vige, 57, of Moss Bluff near Lake Charles, is charged with obscenity and stalking. He was taken to the Calcasieu Correctional Center with a $15,000 bond.

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office

When they arrived, Vige was in the woods, naked and masturbating, the news release states.

Here is more from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office:

After further investigation it was also learned earlier Vige was on the property of a nearby residence looking for the homeowner, with the intention of having sexual intercourse with her prior to entering the woods. Vige is not an acquaintance of the homeowner. He confirmed to detectives that he had been visiting pornographic websites earlier in the day.

Short one this week, folks… freaking final exams are killing me. @BKactual

 

 

is a retired USAF PJ. Currently frantically checking the mailbox to see if there is any news regarding his Secret Service Application.

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