Crime & Arrests

Shawn Kemp showed up to a Washington court on Thursday to fight back in his parking lot shooting case ... pleading not guilty to the felony charge that prosecutors hit him with three weeks ago.

The SuperSonics legend arrived at the Pierce County courtroom several minutes before the hearing was slated to begin ... wearing a blue button-down shirt with a black vest over it.

Kemp appeared stoic throughout the minutes-long proceedings -- eventually entering a plea of not guilty to one count of first-degree assault, before leaving.

As part of the conditions of Kemp's release, the judge said the former NBA star could not have firearms. Kemp was also ordered to have no contact with the alleged victims in the case.

Kemp did not speak with reporters who were on the scene.

Kemp was initially arrested in the case back on March 8 -- after cops alleged he fired a gun in a Tacoma, Wash. mall parking lot during a dispute with people in a nearby car. On April 14, prosecutors formally charged him with assault.

The 53-year-old has been adamant he was simply acting in self-defense, calling his actions "reasonable and legally justified." He's vowed to fight the case in court.

Kemp is now due back for another hearing on the matter next month.

The South Carolina man who stalked and attempted to kidnap WWE superstar Sonya Deville was sentenced to 15 years in prison, TMZ Sports has learned.

On Tuesday Phillip A. Thomas II pled guilty to several charges, including attempted kidnapping, armed burglary, and aggravated stalking ... all in connection to Deville.

In August 2020, Thomas, who, according to prosecutors, was "obsessed" with Deville, drove from South Carolina to Lutz, Florida, where Sonya lives, to kidnap the WWE wrestler.

According to FOX13, Thomas entered Deville's home just before 3 AM, armed with a knife, plastic zip ties, duct tape, and pepper spray.

The outlet reports Deville -- real name Daria Rae Berenato -- fled and called 911 once she saw Thomas ... who made entry into her home. When cops arrived, Thomas was still inside the home.

In the months leading up to the break-in, Thomas also sent threatening messages on social media to 29-year-old Deville, according to prosecutors.

Deville was so shaken up by the terrifying situation ... she's had to resort to carrying a gun. In fact, she was arrested for unlawful weapon possession in New Jersey in February.

As for Thomas II, after his 15 years in prison, he will be on probation for 15 years.

The Menendez brothers want to have their day in court ... again ... they say they have new evidence backing up their defense that their father was sexually abusing them, but there's a new wrinkle involving a member of the '80's boy band "Menudo."

According to new legal docs filed by attorney Mark Geragos, and obtained by TMZ, Erik and Lyle Menendez cited recent allegations by former Menudo star Roy Rossello that he was sexually abused when he was 13 or 14 by Jose Menendez.

Rosello made the accusations against Jose -- a then-RCA record exec -- in a new three part Peacock docuseries, "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed." In the series, two journalists dove into claims that the band's founder, Edgardo Diaz, brought Rosello to Jose's home in New Jersey to broker a deal between "Menudo" and RCA. But things took a dark turn when Jose allegedly drugged Rossello and then raped the teen.

Per the court docs, Erik and Lyle argued that Rossello's allegations of abuse by their dad only served to strengthen their original contention that they fatally shot Jose and their mom, Kitty, out of self-defense.

The petition also mentioned a letter Erik sent to their cousin, Andy Cano, months before the shootings ... where Erik accused Jose of sexual abuse.

In the letter, which the brothers claimed wasn't shown to the jury at trial, Erik says he wished he could tell his mom about the alleged abuse but says he can't risk it because he feared she would tell Jose. Erik also told Andy his father was continuing to molest him.

The Menendez Brothers say the letter was sent around 8 months before they murdered their parents, and they argued it supported their defense theory that Jose was sexually abusing them and warned them to not speak out about being molested, to the point where they became frightened of their father.

They say jurors never heard from Roy either, and they claimed if the jury knew about Roy's allegations and the letter, things might have turned out differently and they might have bought the defense's theory that the brothers were guilty of manslaughter, instead of murder.

Erik and Lyle filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in an effort to determine whether the new evidence was enough for the court to grant them a new trial or other relief.

Attorney Alan Jackson talked to us in April about the possibility of the Menendez brothers getting a new trial ... and he didn't seem to think it was likely, and told us exactly why.

Jackson Mahomes -- younger brother of Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes -- was arrested for aggravated sexual battery on Wednesday ... in relation to an alleged incident at a Kansas restaurant in February.

Mahomes was booked around 7:45 AM .... and his bond was set at $100,000. According to court records, he's been charged with three counts of aggravated sexual battery. He was also charged with one count of misdemeanor battery.

The 22-year-old social media star was accused of sexually and physically assaulting the owner of the Aspens Restaurant and Lounge ... when the 40-year-old woman claimed he tried to forcibly kiss her multiple times.

The owner also alleged Jackson seemed intoxicated earlier in the night ... and claims he shoved a male member of her wait staff.

A conviction for aggravated sexual battery in Kansas can carry up to a 55-month sentence.

Shortly after the alleged incident, Jackson's attorney, Brandan Davies, said he did nothing wrong.

"Our investigation has revealed substantial evidence refuting the claims of Jackson’s accuser including the statements of several witnesses. We have reached out to law enforcement to provide the fruit of our investigation so that they may have a complete picture of the matter."

The incident appeared to have been caught on surveillance video ... and has been under police investigation since March.

Jackson -- who is known for documenting his life on the internet -- spent several weeks out of the public eye following the allegations ... but has since returned to social media and attended the NFL Draft in Kansas City last week.

It's not the first time Jackson has found himself embroiled in controversy -- he also faced backlash for dumping water on Baltimore Ravens fans at a game in 2021 ... and doing a TikTok dance over Washington's field memorial for late NFL star Sean Taylor a few weeks later.

He was also recorded grabbing a woman's face in Las Vegas in 2022.

Nick and Aaron Carter's mom ended up in jail after allegedly arguing with her husband over their television's remote control.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Jane Schneck was arrested Friday night after drinking with an adult family member and getting into a verbal altercation that turned physical.

We're told Jane was listening to music so loudly on the TV, her hubby couldn't go to sleep ... and they had a confrontation over the remote.

Our sources say Jane grabbed his wrist, because he had whipped out his phone to record what was happening. We're told he didn't like how Jane touched him, so he called police.

When cops got to Jane's Florida home, we're told officers watched his cell phone video and decided they'd seen enough to arrest Jane for battery.

Online records show Jane was booked early Saturday morning. She eventually posted a $100 bond, and was released from custody that evening.

Meanwhile, we're told her husband was not injured and didn't want to go to the hospital.

Trey Songz is now off the hook for his alleged bowling alley beatdown last year -- because we've learned the most serious charges have been dropped.

Songz pled guilty Tuesday to a single disorderly conduct violation in connection with the incident ... while prosecutors agreed to dismiss the 10 original charges against him, which included assault and aggravated harassment.

As part of the plea deal, Trey now has to complete 12 anger management classes by August, and sources close to the case tell us he's already gotten a head start on them.

As we reported, Trey was accused in October of punching a woman repeatedly in the face in a NY bowling alley bathroom, with the woman claiming he also dragged her by her hair.

Another man also claimed the singer punched him in the eye during the incident. Songz turned himself in to police a few weeks later.

Trey’s attorney, Mitchell Schuster, tells TMZ, “We appreciate the New York law enforcement and the District Attorney's office for their comprehensive investigation and careful consideration of all evidence, which ultimately confirmed what we had known all along and resulted in the District Attorney’s office choosing not to pursue any of the original charges against our client.”

The man accused of shooting five of his neighbors "execution-style" in Texas has been apprehended after a nationwide manhunt.

Senior law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Francisco Oropeza was taken into custody Tuesday by law enforcement.

Remember ... Oropeza is accused of shooting his neighbors Friday night in Cleveland, Texas after they complained about him firing off rounds for target practice on his property.

Oropeza's alleged rampage killed 5 people in the home next to his ... including an 8-year-old child. Cops say he was intoxicated on alcohol and/or drugs and used an AR-15-style rifle in the slayings.

Police say Oropeza was shooting his rifle in his yard late Friday night when his neighbors walked up to the fence dividing their properties and asked him to stop shooting his gun because their baby was trying to sleep.

Cops say Oropez grew annoyed, telling his neighbors ... "I'll do what I want to in my front yard." Police say he then marched over to the neighbor's house, went inside and started shooting.

There were at least 10 people inside the home when Oropeza opened fire, police said, and most were killed at super close range and from the neck up.

Oropeza was reportedly caught on a Ring doorbell camera entering the home ... and 3 kids were discovered without physical injuries inside the house. They were found drenched in blood in what was sure to be a traumatic experience. The women who were killed were using their bodies to shield the kids.

A Texas judge issued an arrest warrant for Oropeza after the shootings, and he went on the run. Investigators thought he may have fled the country, and the FBI joined police in a manhunt.

The firearm Oropeza allegedly used in the deadly rampage has since been recovered ... along with some of his clothes and his cell phone.

Henry Ruggs has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in his DUI case ... and now, he could spend the next decade of his life behind bars if a judge signs off on the agreement.

Ruggs and his attorneys revealed the details of the deal at a hearing in a Nevada courtroom on Tuesday morning ... explaining the former Raiders star receiver will plead guilty to one felony count of DUI resulting in death and one misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter stemming from the fatal car crash in Las Vegas that he was involved in back in November 2021.

In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors said they will drop the rest of the charges against the former NFL player.

As part of the agreement, Ruggs' attorneys also told the courtroom the 24-year-old would accept a sentence that included prison time of anywhere from 3 to 10 years.

Ruggs spoke briefly at the hearing, saying he agreed to all of the details of the outlined deal.

A judge is now expected to rule on the agreement at another hearing next week. If the judge does not agree to the stipulations, Ruggs' attorneys said the deal allows for his client to withdraw the guilty pleas and move forward with a trial.

"This is the first step toward a fair resolution to this matter," Ruggs' lawyers, David Z. Chesnoff and Richard A. Schonfeld, said following the hearing, "and we look forward to closure for all the parties involved."

As we reported, Ruggs was initially hit with four felonies and a misdemeanor in the case ... after prosecutors say he drunkenly slammed his Corvette into the back of Tina Tintor's Toyota Rav4, killing her and her dog.

According to prosecutors, Ruggs was traveling at 156 MPH just before the crash ... with a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit.

Ruggs, the 12th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, was cut by the Raiders immediately after the accident ... and hasn't played a down in the NFL since.

Nick Kyrgios' Tesla was stolen in Australia after an assailant pulled a gun on his mom, demanding the keys, according to police ... but thanks to the tennis star's quick thinking, cops got his car back and arrested the alleged thief, who's now behind bars.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the incident went down around 8:30 AM on Monday when a 32-year-old man from the Canberra area pointed a "long-barrelled gun" at Nick's mother, Norlaila Kyrgios, and demanded the keys to Nick's bright green Tesla.

The man asked Nick's mom how to drive the Tesla while still pointing the gun at her, according to officials. Norlaila was able to flee and run for help.

Thankfully, Nick -- the 26th-ranked tennis player in the world -- was nearby and had the sense of mind to use an app to track the vehicle's location. Police located the Tesla, and began approaching with guns drawn, but the guy fled, and the pursuit was on!

The chase, which wasn't terribly fast (around 55 mph) was eventually stopped when the cars entered a school zone. But, Nick's app was able to track the car, and even limit the top speed to 50 mph.

Cops eventually caught up with the Tesla, and the alleged thief, in a nearby suburb. As police tried to arrest the man, they say he resisted, and a taser was deployed.

The guy is now facing five charges including aggravated armed robbery and failure to stop for police.

Deontay Wilder spent part of his Tuesday morning locked behind bars ... TMZ Sports has learned the star boxer was arrested in Los Angeles following a routine traffic stop.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Wilder was pulled over in Hollywood at around 1:15 AM after LAPD officers claimed his Rolls-Royce's windows were illegally tinted and his license plate was obstructed.

During the stop, cops say they smelled an odor of burnt marijuana coming from his ride -- so they searched the car. Our sources say they then found weed and a 9mm in the vehicle, and put Wilder into custody. We're told the 6-foot-7 fighter was cooperative and nice throughout the whole ordeal.

Our sources say the 37-year-old was booked on a charge of possession of a concealed weapon. Jail records show he bonded out at 6:34 AM.

Wilder -- a 43-2-1 fighter with 42 knockouts on his resume -- has been rumored to be the next opponent for Anthony Joshua ... with the heavyweight superfight expected to go down at some point in 2023.

It's unclear if Tuesday's arrest will have any impact on the fight's negotiations.

USF running back Michel Dukes -- who scored five touchdowns for the Bulls last season -- has been suspended from the school's football team indefinitely ... after he was accused of strangling a person in a domestic violence attack over the weekend.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said the incident happened on Saturday near USF's campus ... after a victim alleged Dukes had gotten physical with them following a verbal argument.

Police said the victim told them Dukes had strangled them during the encounter. The 22-year-old football player was then arrested and booked on a charge of domestic battery by strangulation.

He's since been released.

"We have taken the immediate step of suspending him indefinitely from the team as we continue to gather more information and the proper authorities investigate the matter," USF athletics said in a statement following the arrest.

"We will have no further statement at this time."

Hillsborough County sheriff Chad Chronister, meanwhile, added in a statement of his own, "We do not tolerate domestic violence. There is never a reason or excuse for this type of behavior. Our Victim Advocates will ensure this individual gets connected with any and all resources."

Dukes -- a 5-foot-10 tailback -- initially began his college football career at Clemson in 2019 ... but went on to transfer to USF before last season.

Ralph Yarl, the teen who was shot when he accidentally rang the wrong doorbell, now has a personal invite from Alicia Keys ... TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal ... Alicia has a concert scheduled in Kansas this July, and Lee Merritt, attorney for the Yarl family, tells us the singer asked Ralph to come out to the show and meet her.

As if that wasn't big enough, we're told Roc Nation also reached out to him ... letting Ralph and co. know the company wants to help out too, in any way possible.

Ralph's fam has been feeling the love from folks all over the country, and they've set up a trust fund for all the donations. We're told writer and social justice advocate Shaun King helped the Yarl family find someone to map out the financial assistance.

As we reported, Ralph's GoFundMe picked up serious steam -- it's already passed $3.4 million raised -- and while there's no set plan for the money yet, the trust ensures it will be there for Ralph when he needs it.

BTW, Ralph's mom Cleo also got emotional support from Ahmaud Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones ... who's also repped by Merritt. We're told she encouraged Cleo to lean on prayer, and reminded her victims, like her son, hold the power.

Meanwhile, 84-year-old Andrew Lester -- who shot Ralph 2 times -- was charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action.

The gated Hidden Hills community some of the Kardashians, and other wealthy folks, call home is investing in serious security upgrades -- a change brought on by a spate of uninvited visitors for the famous sisters.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the gated community, where Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner both reside, recently enlisted more security guards and installed a new camera system.

We're told the new tech allows for real-time reporting of intruders, and the measures are doing wonders for the area's crime rate. Burglaries have gone from multiple each week to a flat zero. On top of that, potential trespassers have been stopped and turned away before things can escalate.

The recent beef-up comes as a result of the area getting hammered with burglaries, stalkers and obsessed fans trying to get inside ... incidents that definitely ring a bell for Kim and co.

As we reported, a man named Deandre Williams was arrested in October after wandering into the community -- slipping past the security, but not getting far before he was nabbed. Our sources told us he was certainly infatuated with Kim, too.

Before that, another man showed up at her home multiple times -- and even though she got a TRO against him, he later violated it.

Jorge Masvidal, from one bad motherf***** to the next, is coming to the defense of one-time opponent Nate Diaz, telling TMZ Sports the charges against the UFC legend are crap ... 'cause fighters need to be able to defend themselves too!

Gamebred recently joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... where they chopped it up about everything from his friendship with Donald Trump, whether he'd ever run for political office, his very own fight promotion, Gamebred Promotions, and the Diaz incident in New Orleans.

"There's nothing wrong [with defending yourself]," Masvidal said.

Of course, defending himself is exactly what Diaz says he was doing. Still, authorities opted to charge him with second-degree assault. Nate flew to NOLA on Thursday, where he turned himself in, before bonding out and taking a PJ back to Stockton. Diaz is adamant he was not the aggressor and simply was acting in self-defense.

"When it's you against somebody you have no idea if he's got a knife in his pocket, if he's gonna f******* pepper spray you then kick you in the nuts," Jorge explained, adding ... "Obviously this guy's not in the right mind if he's attacking a pro fighter. I just don't like it that people think because we're pro fighters that we're not able to defend ourselves."

"No, we have to defend ourselves. It's a cold world out there."

FYI, Jorge beat Nate for the BMF belt at UFC 244 in November 2019.

We also talked to Gamebred about politics ... with 80-year-old President Joe Biden recently announcing he'll run for reelection in 2024. Jorge has a relationship with Trump and believes the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction under the current POTUS.

"We the people say that please, you're not doing a service for us, you're doing a disservice. You're destroying this country. I don't care about your skin color, your ethnicity, your freakin' religious views. Where we were out 2 to 3 years ago was better for everybody."

Masvidal has gotten more involved in politics, and while he may not be a traditional candidate (stiff, phony, etc.), we asked Gamebred if he had any interest in running for office in the future.

"If you don't like the constitution and you're coming with all this crazy s*** now to try and destroy this country, I can't f*** you, man. But me running personally? No. But I'll def endorse those who I think are actually coming to get it and being a patriot."

There's much more ... while Masvidal says he still feels very comfortable with his decision to lay down his gloves after UFC 287, he's in no way leaving the fight game.

In fact, Jorge has big plans for Gamebred Promotions ... coming off an awesome Gamebred Boxing card that featured the legendary Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis. Jose Aldo and Jeremy Stephens also boxed ... along with Vitor Belfort defeating "Jacare" Souza.

Stacked.

And, Street Jesus says he's in the process of making even bigger moves, putting together massive events.

As for whether he'd fight under his own banner, the answer is ... maybe.

"I would definitely like to get a boxing match in there, I'm not ruling that out, but as of right now I'm just focusing on promoting."

Bam Margera didn't lose his appetite after surrendering to police to face charges for allegedly assaulting his brother ... getting right back to normal life with his girlfriend and her kid.

TMZ obtained these photos of Bam breaking bread with his chick and her 8-year-old daughter Thursday afternoon in West Chester, PA ... only hours after turning himself into cops and a subsequent court appearance.

Folks who were there say Bam hit up a restaurant called Stove & Tap ... with his group chowing down on french fries, plus macaroni and cheese.

We're also told Bam was very respectful to restaurant staff, generally coming off as being very mellow ... and ducking outside a couple times to smoke some cigarettes.

Bam was right back to normal life after being on the run from police for a few days ... as we reported, he had a warrant out for his arrest after allegedly getting into an altercation with his brother, with police claiming Bam threatened to put a bullet in his sibling's head.

Bam's brother, Jesse, also claimed the former "Jackass" star has been using meth, making the allegations on social media ... and the judge ordered Bam to stay away from Jesse and complete a drug and alcohol assessment.

Friday, Bam posted a series of photos on Instagram, claiming he was finished drinking alcohol and saying he'd recently taken a drug test to prove he wasn't on meth. Bam also vowed to get Jesse removed from a home he's allegedly been renting from Bam.

TMZ broke the story ... Bam allegedly called his family while on the run, accusing them of stealing money from him and telling them how much he hated them for putting him in a treatment center.

Ex-UGA star Nakobe Dean doesn't believe the Eagles should be concerned about Jalen Carter one bit despite his troubles leading up to the NFL draft ... telling TMZ Sports his former college teammate is "a great kid."

Dean -- who played with Carter for two seasons at Georgia from 2020 through 2021 -- had nothing but positive things to say about his Bulldog buddy after Philadelphia selected the 22-year-old with the ninth overall pick in the first round Thursday night.

Dean called Carter "the best player in the draft" this year ... and added he has no concerns on or off the field whatsoever about the defensive tackle.

"He's a hard worker," Dean said. "He wants to win. He's going to do whatever it takes to win. He's going to do whatever he needs for the team to win."

Of course, Carter entered this weekend's draft with a whole lot of question marks ... particularly after he was charged with two misdemeanors stemming from his alleged role in a fatal car crash back in January.

Dean, though, believes none of that was indicative of Carter's true character.

"I know him to be a great kid," the linebacker said. "All the critics and everybody in the media try to claim him to be a bad guy. It's crazy to me. But I'm happy for him, and I'm ready for him to get to Philly so we can work."

Later in the first round, Philly also selected another former Bulldog, Nolan Smith, who played with Dean at Georgia. While Dean told us he knew the Eagles were interested in Carter and Smith, he didn't think the front office could snag both guys ... but he's sure as hell happy they did.