Police

Idaho police might have unearthed a key piece of video evidence in the murders of those 4 college students -- thanks to a gas station employee.

The overnight assistant manager told Fox News she recently had some downtime, so she reviewed the gas station's surveillance video from around the time of the November 13 early morning attacks. Despite not working that day, she said she had a "weird feeling" to go look at the footage.

It paid off ... she found a snippet that showed a white sedan barreling down the highway and turning onto a side street. The vehicle matches the description of a 2011-2013 white Hyundai Elantra police have been searching for since last week. Cops say they want to speak with the occupant(s) of the car, which was spotted near the crime scene the night of the slayings.

The gas station manager snapped a screenshot and emailed it to investigators through a tipline. Detectives went to retrieve the new evidence and are now pouring over hours of footage, trying to find more clues. They don't know yet if the video shows the actual car they're seeking, as they haven't been able to match license plates.

Moscow PD spokesperson Robbie Johnson tells TMZ ... they are having difficulties locating the Hyundai because the car is so common, but they have received "good tips." Neighboring police departments are also keeping an eye out for the car. Pullman PD, which is about 7 miles from Moscow, tells us they are "closely scrutinizing" all vehicles that look like the Hyundai.

As we reported, 4 University of Idaho students -- Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin -- were discovered fatally stabbed inside an off-campus house last month.

A Las Vegas woman found herself in a sticky situation with cops after she allegedly stole a super expensive watch and hid it in her genitals.

Police were called to the Aria hotel Sunday in Las Vegas, according to 8 News Now ... after a man claimed he was cuddling 33-year-old Sarah Richards, and she continually insisted he take his Rolex off while they laid together.

The alleged victim told cops he put the watch under his pillow and continued to drink wine at Richards' request -- but he says when he noticed it missing, she "went into a panic" and left. He says he followed her all the way down to the lobby where he alerted security -- before PD arrived.

According to the reports, police couldn't find the Rolex at first, but eventually located it in her genitals. She's now looking at grand larceny charges.

Cops are saying Richards had a preliminary hearing in town Monday ... in a case where she's facing residential theft and burglary charges for allegedly taking someone's watch back in June. The person in that case apparently told police he thought he was drugged at a hotel.

An NHL fan had his fingertip bitten off during an insane fight at the Coyotes vs. Bruins game on Friday ... this according to cops.

A spokesperson for the ASU Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports ... the melee happened at around 9:30 PM at Mullett Arena in Tempe -- when several Boston and Arizona fans got into a scrap.

Video shot by a bystander shows roughly half a dozen people -- including men and women -- shoved each other, threw drinks on each other ... and, at times, whaled on each other for roughly a minute.

Cops eventually jumped into the fray to break it all up -- and according to the ASU PD spokesperson, one fan, Nashaknik Allen Shontz, was arrested after he was accused of taking a chunk out of another person's finger during the fracas.

The spokesperson said Shontz was booked on one count of aggravated assault.

According to the spokesperson, five other people involved in the brawl were issued citations. Cops say they don't know what started the fight -- they're still investigating the matter.

It's unclear if the alleged victim was able to reattach the severed digit.

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, has settled 2 lawsuits against the city of Louisville over the botched raid at his apartment that took her life more than 2 years ago.

Walker's attorneys say he'll get $2 million from Louisville over his state and federal suits filed against the city. One of his lawyers, Steve Romines, said Breonna's death would "haunt Kenny for the rest of his life."

He added, "He will live with the effects of being put in harm’s way due to a falsified warrant, to being a victim of a hailstorm of gunfire and to suffering the unimaginable and horrific death of Breonna Taylor."

Kenneth claimed the police violated his rights by not announcing themselves in 2020 when they busted into his home, and that they used excessive force in gunning down Breonna. Remember, whether the cops actually knocked or not was the subject of much scrutiny.

After insisting they knocked and announced themselves several times, a handful of Louisville PD officers breached the premises ... and Kenneth opened fire, believing an intruder was trying to get into the home. When one officer was hit, they shot back and killed Breonna.

The issue of "no-knock" warrants fell under a microscope in the wake of all this -- while the officers did, in fact, obtain such a warrant ... they say they knocked anyway, but Walker has maintained all along he didn't hear a peep and was simply protecting himself.

None of the officers involved has been criminally charged in direct connection to Breonna's death -- only for conduct related to the case, like wanton endangerment. Walker was charged with attempted murder at first, but that was dropped.

Longhorns men's basketball head coach Chris Beard is in jail in Texas ... after officials say he committed an assault on one of his family/household members.

According to jail records, Beard was booked in Travis County, Texas on Monday at 2:18 AM ... on a charge of felony "assault on family/household member impede breath circulation."

A spokesperson for the Austin Police Dept. said officers were called to a residence in Austin "for a disturbance" at 12:15 AM -- and Beard was arrested a short time later. No further details surrounding the allegations have been released.

49-year-old Beard is in his second season at UT -- in 2021, he led the Longhorns to a 22-12 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance. This year, he got the team off to a 7-1 start.

The Longhorns last played on Saturday night, beating Arkansas - Pine Bluff, 88-43. Their next game is scheduled for Monday night against Rice. The school said in a statement Monday morning, "The University is aware of the situation regarding Chris Beard. We are continuing to gather information and monitoring the legal process."

One second, Patti LaBelle's getting flowers from front row fans ... the next she's getting rushed off stage to avoid a possible explosion at her show.

That's the alarming scene that played out Saturday night in Milwaukee, where Patti was performing at the Riverside Theater. She had just taken a pause between songs to talk to the crowd, and accept a bouquet from one of them ... when suddenly 2 bodyguards appeared onstage.

Patti had no clue what was happening as they quickly hauled her backstage -- she yelled out, "Hold up, wait!!!"

The confused audience was immediately evacuated after that moment of panic, and the venue eventually pulled the plug on Patti's show. Officially, it was postponed and will be rescheduled.

Police aren't taking any chances during this weekend's fall graduation at the University of Idaho ... especially with the killer or killers of 4 students still on the loose.

Moscow PD Chief James Fry says he's beefing up patrols on and off campus as students and their families celebrate commencement.

During a Saturday news conference, Fry warned everyone to keep vigilant, move about in groups and stay in close touch with friends and family.

Of course, the chief has major safety concerns ... the fatal stabbings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves and Xana Kernodle inside their off-campus house have remained unsolved since November 13. Xana's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, was also slain, but he didn't live at the location.

Investigators have not identified a suspect/suspects and no murder weapon has been found ... although it's believed a combat knife was used.

Detectives have also ruled out a number of people, including 2 surviving roommates who apparently slept through the attacks inside the home.

An ex-boyfriend of one of the female victims was also cleared, as well as her alleged stalker.

Despite the probe's slow progression, cops recently released a possible break in the case ... they want to interview the occupant(s) of a white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra, which was spotted near the murder scene that night.

It's that time of the year again ... where New Yorkers get in the spirit and dress up as old Saint Nick for a massive bar crawl throughout the city -- and 2022 didn't disappoint.

The streets of Manhattan were packed Saturday morning with thousands of people who threw on their best fat man fits and Santa hats ... all just to parade around, sing Christmas carols and drink to their hearts' desire, and some of these photos truly capture the magic.

While a majority of folks opted for the traditional red and white getup ... some got creative and did different iterations of the traditional Claus look -- including some sinister ones.

We're talking, of course, of someone dressed as the Grinch (classic) ... but also, one person donned the Krampus demon -- who's pretty much the antithesis of Santa, and who steals children for being bad. The dark version of Xmas you don't really hear about much. 😅

As for everyone else ... it seems they were having a pretty damn good time.

There's tons of footage of New Yorkers celebrating and getting rowdy, but nothing too crazy it seems. A lot of this appears to be sanctioned by the city, with NYPD officers all over and even shaking hands with the attendees.

Bobby Wagner's miserable 2022 season just got at least somewhat brighter ... TMZ Sports has learned he won't face criminal charges for tackling a field invader earlier this year.

A spokesperson for the Santa Clara Police Department tells us ... after investigating the Oct. 3 "Monday Night Football" incident, police "did not file charges with the Santa Clara County District Attorneys Office."

Cops had initially launched the probe on Oct. 4 ... after Alexander Taylor claimed he was assaulted by Wagner after running onto the field during the L.A. vs 49ers game at Levi's Stadium.

According to a police report, Taylor said he suffered a headache, a concussion and a burn on his inner right bicep following the altercation with Wagner.

The Rams and their star linebacker never seemed overtly concerned over the report ... with Wagner saying he took down the man because "you never know what that person got in they pocket, in they hands, whatever."

Head coach Sean McVay added, "We all know where Bobby's intentions were, and I support Bobby Wagner."

Cops in Idaho want to speak with whoever was driving or a passenger in a white Hyundai Elantra that may have been in the neighborhood on the night 4 college students were killed.

Moscow PD says they've received tips about a vehicle that matches this description -- the model year being between 2011 and 2013 -- near the crime scene in the early morning hours of November 13. They have not released a license plate number.

Investigators are also unsure how many people may have been inside the car, but in any case, they say they're seeking them out -- as they feel they might have more info.

Cops are not saying whether they suspect the occupant(s) of the vehicle is directly involved in the murders -- but it feels like a solid lead after weeks of dead ends, with no one in custody.

As we reported ... frustrations have mounted in the community after many conflicting and retracted statements from law enforcement. At first, it was labeled a targeted attack against the victims, then saying it was maybe just the house was targeted ... later correcting that too and saying they just didn't know.

Cops have also ruled out an alleged stalker of one of the victims as a possible lead -- and don't seem to have moved much further beyond square one in terms of answers.

Sen. Ted Cruz says his teenage daughter is "okay" after cops were called to his Texas home Tuesday night for a medical emergency.

Houston PD responded to Cruz's house in Houston's River Oaks neighborhood around 8 PM after receiving a report of a 14-year-old with self-inflicted stab wounds to their arm. The Senator, his wife Heidi and their 2 daughters, ages 11 and 14, live in the house.

One person was rushed to a hospital for treatment. Although police are not disclosing the patient's name, Cruz's rep issued a statement to ABC News, saying ... "This is a family matter and thankfully their daughter is okay."

It's unclear if Sen. Cruz was home at the time, or who called 911.

His rep adds, "There were no serious injuries. The family requests the media respect their daughter's privacy at this time."

Takeoff's alleged murderer, Patrick Xavier Clark, is asking a judge for money ... because he says he can't afford a private investigator, but needs one to build his defense.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Clark's asking for an initial sum of $5,000 to hire a P.I. ... adding he's financially unable to cover the costs on his own.

The docs say Clark's family has already spent all its money on his attorney who agreed to work at a reduced rate for him. He says it's necessary to add a private investigator to his defense in order to "properly investigate [Clark's] case and to prepare effectively for trial."

Clark says he's already identified a P.I. who will work on the case for the reduced rate of $85/hour.

As we reported, Houston PD announced last week Clark had been arrested and charged with the murder of the rapper. He's currently being held on a $2 million bond.

The docs say Clark will be put under house arrest if released ... and he'll be prohibited from possessing firearms or any deadly weapons, and must refrain from using marijuana or any controlled substance without a prescription.

A woman apparently wasn't taking any crap from a police department in Texas, she was allegedly dropping it off ... in buckets.

46-year-old Mindy Stephens, the wife of an assistant fire chief, is allegedly the stinky delivery woman in question ... according to KAXN, she pulled up in front of the Electra Police Department last month and made the drop-off.

Cops say an officer went out front to investigate, and found 3 5-gallon buckets -- weighing a total of 50 pounds -- filled with what appeared to be feces. He also observed Stephens in a hazmat suit walking towards an SUV with a trailer attached.

The officer reportedly asked her what she was doing ... and she allegedly told the cop she was dropping off the buckets of "human s***," and then drove off. A Lieutenant reportedly reviewed security footage and recognized Stephens' voice as the suspect.

Police say they contacted city officials about the issue, and said they'd call Stephens about picking the buckets up, but she allegedly refused -- telling officials it wasn't her problem.

Stephens was then charged with illegal dumping -- a Class B misdemeanor ... as well as a violation of the Texas health safety code. She was booked last week and was released the following day, after posting her $2K bond.

Believe it or not, this isn't Stephens' first run-in with the law, she reportedly got charged with aggravated assault back in 2020 after allegedly puncturing a man's hand and arm with a set of keys.

Idaho police have looked into a popular theory one of the victims had a stalker ... and while the department thinks it found the person in question, it's saying the incidents don't seem to be connected.

Moscow PD says they investigated and identified an incident from mid-October where Kaylee Goncalves told friends and family about a potential "stalker" in her life.

Cops reportedly say Kaylee went to into a local business, where 2 men were inside. The authorities believe 1 of them may have continued to follow her around the business, and as she headed back to her car -- although they don't think he made any contact with her.

Detectives say they've contacted both men, who told them they were trying to meet women at the business ... but the PD is now saying there's no evidence that points to them as being involved in the gruesome murders.

Kelly Clarkson says a strange person is showing up to her house, trespassing on her property and leaving her unwanted gifts ... so, now she's getting the police involved.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... for the past month, the same person's been popping up at Kelly's L.A. area home, going up to her porch and dropping things off for her.

We're told they're leaving behind cards, plants and other random items for Kelly ... even though she told cops she's never met them before, and doesn't know who the stranger is.

Our sources say Kelly has yet to come face-to-face with the intruder, but we're told her security was concerned enough to call LAPD to file a report ... and now LAPD Threat Management is investigating.

Cops see the person's alleged behavior as very troubling -- they don't know yet if it's a fan who means no harm, or a situation that could escalate into something far more sinister.

Our sources say Kelly's got surveillance footage of the person dropping stuff off on her porch ... and LAPD is trying to identify them for a background check, and to assess potential threats.

It's a horrifying video ... someone is walking down an NYC street, minding his own business, when an attacker pulls a bat out of his pants and clobbers the victim in the back of the head.

It seems like this may have been a targeted attack. You see the attacker train his eyes on the victim before pulling the bat out and swinging. The attacker is clearly enraged ... screaming at the 47-year-old victim as he lay on the ground.

Before the attack, it seems the assailant -- who attempted to disguise himself with a hooded sweatshirt -- was tailing the victim.

What's more ... as the attacker sets his sights on the victim, another pedestrian appears and the attacker turns away. It seems he waits for the bystander to leave the area, and when that happens the assailant makes his move.

The attacker walks away, then comes back and begins screaming at the victim and it looks like he stomps on him, then leaves.

The victim was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital with a laceration and bruises. He's in stable condition, according to cops.