Crime & Arrests

A shocking case in France has just gone to trial ... and it centers around a 71-year-old man who is accused of inviting dozens of strangers to rape his drugged wife in their home.

Dominique Pelicot is accused of using a website to enlist strangers for sex with his wife ... and prosecutors say he filmed the rapes ... which occurred while his wife was knocked unconscious.

Pelicot allegedly brought home 83 men to defile his wife over a period of nearly a decade ... and the judge in the case says Pelicot also kept a nude photo of his daughter on his phone.

"1000-Lb Sisters" star Amy Slaton spent Labor Day behind bars after a camel bite at a Tennessee zoo led to an arrest for alleged possession of illegal drugs -- and allegedly putting a child in danger.

Here's what happened ... Crockett County Sheriff's deputies arrived Monday at the Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo after receiving calls a guest had been bitten by a camel.

During their investigation, the deputies came upon a vehicle occupied by Slaton and Brian Scott Lovvorn -- and they reportedly smelled a suspicious odor coming from inside.

Nikki Bella's back in the public eye in a big way ... taking the stage at Netflix's live hotdog eating contest between Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi days after her husband was arrested for felony domestic violence.

The former WWE wrestler is in Las Vegas for the Labor Day sausage showdown ... hosting the event alongside Rob Riggle and getting some serious love from the crowd.

It's Nikki's first public appearance since Artem Chigvintsev's Thursday arrest in Napa, California ... and she was greeted by a big cheer when she was introduced as host ... and someone even shouted, "Love you, Nikki!!!"

James McAvoy says he pulled some inspiration for his psychopathic character from "Speak No Evil" on a pretty famous dude ... explaining the character's toxic masculinity's based on influencer Andrew Tate.

The actor revealed the surprising link during an interview with Empire ... saying he thought about his character as being Tate from the country in a sense -- with the character's attitude focusing on teaching men to be men again.

James says he put more of an unassuming face on his character than Tate does in his own diatribes ... but, the undercurrent of that toxicity's very much there.

Nikki Bella was seen for the first time since Artem Chigvintsev's domestic violence arrest ... and her bare ring finger speaks volumes about the state of their marriage.

The former WWE star was just spotted in Oakland, boarding a private plane with a gal pal ... likely headed to Las Vegas where she'll be cohosting Netflix's live hotdog eating competition, "Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef" Monday.

Bella hopped on the plane with a big grin, hat pulled low over her eyes ... but, obviously, everyone's looking at her finger -- 'cause she's ditched her wedding ring after a tumultuous week.

Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers 2024 first-round draft pick, was shot earlier today during an attempted burglary in San Francisco, the city's mayor announced.

23-year-old Pearsall is in stable condition at a local hospital ... after reportedly being shot in the arm around 3:30 PM.

The alleged shooter was caught at the scene and is currently in custody.

The harrowing incident went down Saturday afternoon in the Union Square area of downtown SF, according to SFPD.

Say what you will about Kim Kardashian, but she definitely puts her money where her mouth is when it comes to criminal justice reform.

Kim posted pics of her visit alongside supermodel sister Kendall Jenner and Influencer Olivia Pierson to Pine Grove Youth Firecamp and Growlersburg Firecamp In Northern California.

Kim captioned the post saying, "Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to spend some time with the guys at Pine Grove youth firecamp, and Growlersberg Firecamp Crew 3 and 5. These incredible men are incarcerated firefighters saving our state, homes and communities from fire."

Sean Higgins -- the man accused of killing NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his little brother, Matthew -- made his first appearance in a New Jersey courtroom on Friday ... and he looked upset to hear he'll be spending his upcoming long holiday weekend in jail.

The 43-year-old appeared virtually before a judge ... after he was hit with two charges of death by auto following allegations he drunkenly slammed his Jeep Grand Cherokee into the backs of the Gaudreaus on Thursday night while they were biking on a small roadway in Oldmans Township.

Wearing an anti-suicide smock -- Higgins initially didn't speak much at the hearing ... although when he was informed he would remain behind bars until at least next Thursday -- he seemed dejected.

"Serial" subject Adnan Syed's legal battle drags on ... 'cause the Maryland State Supreme Court affirmed a lower appellate court's ruling reinstating Syed's murder conviction.

The highest court in Maryland upheld the ruling that determined Syed's case should be kicked down to the trial court to once again consider whether his conviction should stand ... essentially undoing the 2022 court ruling that overturned the conviction and set AS free.

The new hearing has not yet been scheduled ... but when it does happen, the family of his alleged victim, Hae Min Lee, will almost certainly be present in court.

Artem Chigvintsev's domestic violence arrest didn't come out of left field, at least according to people who say they know him and Nikki Bella ... they tell us the relationship has always been "volatile."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Artem and Nikki's close friends, including their former 'DWTS' cast and crew members, are not entirely shocked by Artem's claims Nikki threw shoes at him during a heated exchange.

We're told Artem and Nikki's marriage has been troubled for some time, and it wasn't exactly a secret to anyone in their orbit.

The radio dispatch from the Artem Chigvintsev domestic violence case reveals ... he did indeed call 911 to request medical assistance, but then added his wife, Nikki Bella, had thrown shoes at him.

TMZ has obtained the dispatch call, in which the dispatcher says, "Initially came in as requesting medical, but now he is stating he got into an argument with his wife and his wife threw shoes at rp [reporting party]."

The dispatcher notes, "There is a child on scene. Medical en route," adding, "There's an active 415 [disturbing the peace] in the background responsible."

Travis Scott won't have any worries next time he decides to party in Miami Beach ... his trespassing charge -- the last remnant of his wild arrest back in June -- has been dropped!!!

A source close to the prosecutor's office tells us the charge has been dropped ... Travis and his legal counsel previously argued there were no clear "no trespassing" signs to determine he was out of bounds, and looks like that was enough to convince prosecutors to drop the case.

Scott's attorney Bradford Cohen tells TMZ Hip Hop … “After arguing the motion to dismiss and the state realizing that there was no path to maintaining the charge, they decided to drop the case in its entirety.  Although not a serious charge, and one that should not have been filed, we are pleased with the result.”

Cheryl Burke's speaking out on Artem Chigvintsev's arrest ... and, clearly she's still processing the news because she seems shocked.

The former "Dancing with the Stars" pro opened up about Chigvintsev on her podcast "Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans" ... saying she grew up in the dance world with Artem -- the two even lived together in her family home, she says -- so hearing about his arrest floored her.

She then says it's hard for her because Artem was her family ... and, a domestic violence arrest doesn't jibe with the Artem she knows.

8:25 AM PT -- Nikki Bella's rep tells TMZ, "This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time."

Artem Chigvintsev -- now accused of felony domestic violence -- himself called 911 after he allegedly battered someone in his home ... and minutes later he called back and told 911 never mind ... TMZ has learned.

As TMZ reported, Artem was arrested Thursday morning in Napa, California, where he lives with his wife, Nikki Garcia (aka Nikki Bella).

The alleged victim in the Artem Chigvintsev domestic violence case is cooperating with police ... and we're told investigators want to see if there's a history of domestic violence here.

A rep for the Napa County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ ... the alleged victim has so far been open to talking with investigators, and cops want more time to speak with the person about what happened.

Cops spoke to the alleged victim when officers arrived at the scene ... where they arrested the "Dancing With The Stars" pro for felony corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant. We're told in order to make a felony arrest, the injury had to be visible.

3:01 PM PT -- According to county records, Artem Chigvintsev was released at 2:18 PM PT.

We now know how the alarm was sounded when someone at Artem Chigvintsev's home called 911.

Sources connected to the investigation tell TMZ ... a call came in around 8:30 AM, reporting a "medical emergency" at the home. It's unclear who made the call.