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Suspected North Texas Serial Rapist Faces New Charges in Denton
DENTON (WBAP/KLIF News ) – A suspected serial North Texas rapist infected with HIV is facing new charges.
In a news release, the Denton Police Department said it secured an arrest warrant on Monday for 25-year-old Carlton Tambaoga of Carrollton; who knew he was positive when he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in 2022.
Carrollton police arrested him back in March in connection to three sexual assaults and had warned the public there could be other victims in DFW, Houston and Atlanta.
In July 2022, a Denton woman reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a man she did not know.
Following a forensic examination, the suspect’s DNA profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System law enforcement database. At the time, there were no matches.
In February 2024, Carrollton Police Department detectives notified Denton PD that they had identified and arrested a suspect in similar sexual assault cases in their city.
During that investigation, detectives learned that Tambaoga knew he was HIV positive at the time of the sexual assaults.
After Denton PD secured the arrest warrant, authorities were able to match Tambaoga’s DNA profile to the 2022 Denton assault.
Tambaoga is being held in the Denton County jail on a $2.2 million bond on six felony sexual assault charges, including an aggravated sexual assault charge out of Denton PD.
Anyone with information about Tambaoga is asked to contact Detective Marqui Curtis at (940) 349-7727.
Denton County Friends of the Family encourages anyone who may have experienced a sexual assault to contact them. They provide compassionate, comprehensive services to those impacted by rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence. DCFOF’s 24-hour crisis line is available via call or text at (940) 382-7273.
Here are some other resources:
Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center 972-641-7273
Parkland Victim Intervention Program/Rape Crisis Center 214-590-0430
Denton County Friends of the Family 940-382-7273
The Turning Point Rape Crisis Center (Collin County) 800-886-7273
The Women’s Center (Tarrant County) 817-927-4673
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800-656-4673
Free STD Check www.freestdcheck.org 214-599-2173
Copyright 2023. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.
Federal Judge Indefinitely Postpones Trump’s Classified Docs Trial
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge in Florida presiding over the classified documents prosecution of former President Donald Trump has canceled the May 20 trial date, postponing it indefinitely.
The order from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday had been expected in light of still unresolved issues in the case and because Trump is currently on trial in a separate case in Manhattan charging him in connection with hush money payments during the 2016 presidential election.
The New York case involves several of the same lawyers representing him in the federal case in Florida.
(Copyright 2024, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Stormy Daniels Testifies in Trump Criminal Trial
NEW YORK (AP) — As the third week of witness testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial takes place, all eyes are on Stormy Daniels, who took the stand Tuesday morning and recounted for jurors the lead-up to meeting Trump and a 2006 sexual encounter she has said the two engaged in. Trump denies the encounter took place.
The alleged sexual encounter and the $130,000 she was paid to keep silent about it during the 2016 presidential election are at the heart of the charges against the former president.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was called to the witness stand mid-morning, following testimony from a Penguin Random House executive.
Hanging in the background of Tuesday’s testimony was the question of whether Trump will be able to abide by the terms of his now twice-broken gag order that bars him from speaking publicly about jurors, witnesses and some others connected to the case.
Judge Juan M. Merchan on Monday found Trump in contempt of court for a second time, fining him $1,000 for a single violation and sternly warning the loquacious former president that jail time would be considered for future violations “if necessary and appropriate.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that the city’s jail system will be ready to house the former president if necessary.
Tuesday’s testimony digs further into the events and people involved in what prosecutors have said was a scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election by buying and burying negative stories about the then-candidate.
The trial is in its 13th day.
Trump is accused of falsifying internal business records to cover up hush money payments — including the payment to Daniels — recording them instead as legal expenses.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
The case is the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president and the first of four prosecutions of Trump to reach a jury.
(Copyright 2024, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
ERCOT Issues Weather Watch for Wednesday
AUSTIN (WBAP/KLIF) – The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has issued a Weather Watch for Wednesday, May 8th.
ERCOT says it is because of unseasonably high temperatures, high levels of expected maintenance outages during the Spring months, and the potential for lower reserves. As of now, the Texas power grid operator expects grid conditions to be normal during the watch.
In an attempt to be more transparent following the February 2021 winter storm that forced the grid to cut power for days to millions of Texans, ERCOT announces when conditions could be tight.
ERCOT says they will monitor conditions and will deploy all available tools to manage the grid. Officials are not asking for conservation at this time.
(Copyright 2024, WBAP/KLIF. All Rights Reserved.)
Mavs Extend Coach Jason Kidd’s Contract in Middle of Playoffs, a Year After Chaotic Ending
DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has signed a multi-year contract extension with the team. The Mavericks announced the move a day before opening their second-round playoff series at Oklahoma City. Dallas advanced last week by eliminating the Los Angeles Clippers in six games. The hall of fame point guard, who won an NBA title with the Mavericks in 2011, is in his third season coaching Dallas. He guided the Mavs to win the Southwest Division title with a 50-32 record — his second 50-win season with the team. The Mavs did not disclose the length of the contract extension.
(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Governor Urges Residents to Report Damage from Ongoing Flooding
CONROE (WBAP/KLIF) – 91 East and Southeast Texas counties have been slammed with torrential rain and flooding leading to Disaster Declarations by Governor Greg Abbott.
The governor says five outside states have sent resources to Texas dealing with ongoing flooding.
“We all know that regardless of what type of event we are dealing with, whether it be a hurricane, a flooding event, whatever, the main thing we want to do is protect lives,” Governor Abbott said after touring an area near Conroe that was badly hit by flooding.
The governor is urging people who have had damage to report it so Texas can eventually get federal financial assistance. Victims can report damage through https://damage.tdem.texas.gov or to contact local emergency officials.
“In order for this region to receive federal financial assistance, it’s important that there is enough identified damages that qualify us for that assistance,” Abbott said.
The governor also warning residents to be on the look out for potential scammers taking advantage of victims.
(Copyright 2024, WBAP/KLIF. All Rights Reserved.)
Hamas Agrees to Cease-fire Proposal; Israel Moves Ahead with Rafah Assault
Update at 6:00pm:
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas announced its acceptance Monday of an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel said the deal did not meet its “core demands” and that it was pushing ahead with an assault on the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Still, Israel said it would continue negotiations.
The high-stakes diplomatic moves and military brinkmanship left a glimmer of hope alive — but only barely — for an accord that could bring at least a pause in the 7-month-old war that has devastated the Gaza Strip. Hanging over the wrangling was the threat of an all-out Israeli assault on Rafah, a move the United States strongly opposes and that aid groups warn will be disastrous for some 1.4 million Palestinians taking refuge there.
Hamas’s abrupt acceptance of the cease-fire deal came hours after Israel ordered an evacuation of some 100,000 Palestinians from eastern neighborhoods of Rafah, signaling an invasion was imminent.
Israel’s War Cabinet decided to continue the Rafah operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. At the same time, it said that while the proposal Hamas agreed to “is far from meeting Israel’s core demands,” it would send negotiators to Egypt to work on a deal.
The Israeli military said it was conducting “targeted strikes” against Hamas in eastern Rafah. Soon after, Israeli tanks entered Rafah, reaching as close as 200 meters (yards) from Rafah’s crossing with neighboring Egypt, a Palestinian security official and an Egyptian official said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.
Original Story:
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas announced Monday it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a cease-fire to halt the seven-month-long war with Israel in Gaza, hours after Israel ordered about 100,000 Palestinians to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the deal, and details of the proposal have not yet been released. In recent days, Egyptian and Hamas officials have said the cease-fire would take place in a series of stages during which Hamas would release hostages it is holding in exchange for Israeli troop pullbacks from Gaza.
It is not clear whether the deal will meet Hamas’ key demand of bringing about an end to the war and complete Israeli withdrawal.
Hamas said in a statement its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister. After the release of the statement, Palestinians erupted in cheers in the sprawling tent camps around Rafah, hoping the deal meant an Israeli attack had been averted.
Israel’s closest allies, including the United States, have repeatedly said that Israel shouldn’t attack Rafah. The looming operation has raised global alarm over the fate of around 1.4 million Palestinians sheltering there.
Aid agencies have warned that an offensive will worsen Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe and bring a surge of more civilian deaths in an Israeli campaign that in nearly seven months has killed 34,000 people and devastated the territory.
U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and reiterated U.S. concerns about an invasion of Rafah. Biden said that a cease-fire with Hamas is the best way to protect the lives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, a National Security Council spokesperson said on condition of anonymity to discuss the call before an official White House statement was released.
Hamas and key mediator Qatar said that invading Rafah will derail efforts by international mediators to broker a cease-fire. Days earlier, Hamas had been discussing a U.S.-backed proposal that reportedly raised the possibility of an end to the war and a pullout of Israeli troops in return for the release of all hostages held by the group. Israeli officials have rejected that trade-off, vowing to continue their campaign until Hamas is destroyed.
Netanyahu said Monday that seizing Rafah, which Israel says is the last significant Hamas stronghold in Gaza, was vital to ensuring the militants can’t rebuild their military capabilities and repeat the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war.
Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an army spokesman, said about 100,000 people were being ordered to move from parts of Rafah to a nearby Israel-declared humanitarian zone called Muwasi, a makeshift camp on the coast. He said that Israel has expanded the size of the zone and that it included tents, food, water and field hospitals.
It wasn’t immediately clear, however, if that material was already in place to accommodate the new arrivals.
Around 450,000 displaced Palestinians already are sheltering in Muwasi. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, said it has been providing them with aid. But conditions are squalid, with few bathrooms or sanitation facilities in the largely rural area, forcing families to dig private latrines.
After the evacuation order announcement Monday, Palestinians in Rafah wrestled with having to uproot their extended families once again for an unknown fate, exhausted after months living in sprawling tent camps or crammed into schools or other shelters in and around the city. Few who spoke to The Associated Press wanted to risk staying.
Mohammed Jindiyah said that at the beginning of the war, he had tried to hold out in his home in northern Gaza after Israel ordered an evacuation there in October. He ended up suffering through heavy bombardment before fleeing to Rafah.
He’s complying with the order this time, but was unsure now whether to move to Muwasi or another town in central Gaza.
“We are 12 families, and we don’t know where to go. There is no safe area in Gaza,” he said.
Sahar Abu Nahel, who fled to Rafah with 20 family members including her children and grandchildren, wiped tears from her cheeks, despairing at a new move.
“I have no money or anything. I am seriously tired, as are the children,” she said. “Maybe it’s more honorable for us to die. We are being humiliated.”
Israeli military leaflets were dropped with maps detailing a number of eastern neighborhoods of Rafah to evacuate, warning that an attack was imminent and anyone who stays “puts themselves and their family members in danger.” Text messages and radio broadcasts repeated the message.
UNRWA won’t evacuate from Rafah so it can continue to provide aid to those who stay behind, said Scott Anderson, the agency’s director in Gaza.
“We will provide aid to people wherever they choose to be,” he told the AP.
The U.N. says an attack on Rafah could disrupt the distribution of aid keeping Palestinians alive across Gaza. The Rafah crossing into Egypt, a main entry point for aid to Gaza, lies in the evacuation zone. The crossing remained open Monday after the Israeli order.
Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, condemned the “forced, unlawful” evacuation order and the idea that people should go to Muwasi.
“The area is already overstretched and devoid of vital services,” Egeland said. He said that an Israeli assault could lead to “the deadliest phase of this war.”
Israel’s bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 34,700 Palestinians, around two-thirds of them children and women, according to Gaza health officials. The tally doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 80% of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, and hundreds of thousands in the north are on the brink of famine, according to the U.N.
Tensions escalated Sunday when Hamas fired rockets at Israeli troops positioned on the border with Gaza near Israel’s main crossing for delivering humanitarian aid, killing four soldiers. Israel shuttered the crossing — but Shoshani said it wouldn’t affect how much aid enters Gaza as others are working.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes on Rafah killed 22 people, including children and two infants, according to a hospital.
The war was sparked by the unprecedented Oct. 7 raid into southern Israel in which Hamas and other militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. After exchanges during a November cease-fire, Hamas is believed to still hold about 100 Israelis captive as well the bodies of around 30 others.
The mediators over the cease-fire — the United States, Egypt and Qatar — had appeared to scramble to salvage a cease-fire deal they had been trying to push through the past week. Egypt said it was in touch with all sides Monday to “prevent the situation from … getting out of control.”
CIA Director William Burns, who had been in Cairo for talks on the deal, headed to meet the prime minister of Qatar, an official familiar with the matter said. It wasn’t clear whether a subsequent trip to Israel that had been planned would happen. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations.
In a fiery speech Sunday evening marking Israel’s Holocaust memorial day, Netanyahu rejected international pressure to halt the war, saying that “if Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.”
On Monday, Netanyahu accused Hamas of “torpedoing” a deal by not budging from its demand for an end to the war and a complete Israeli troop withdrawal in return for the hostages’ release, which he called “extreme.”
(Copyright 2024, The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Memorial On Display at Allen Premium Outlets on 1-Year Anniversary of Mass Shooting, Remembrance Events Planned
ALLEN (WBAP/KLIF News ) – One year to the day that a lone gunman killed eight people at the Allen Premium Outlets, a memorial in honor of their lives is on display.
The structure, which was unveiled Monday morning, sits at the northwest interior section of the mall and includes eight wind chimes to honor the victims: 27-year-old Aishwarya Thatikonda, The Cho Family: Kyu, Cindy and their 3-year-old son James, 11-year-old Daniela Mendoza and her sister 8-year-old Sofia Mendoza, 20-year-old Christian LaCour and 32-year-old Elio Cumana-Rivas.
An Allen police officer who was already at the mall fatally shot the lone gunman.
Leading up the May 6 anniversary, North Texans have been coming together to make sure the victims and the tragedy aren’t forgotten.
Dozens of citizens gathered at Green Park in Allen Sunday to remember the victims and to help citizens who are struggling with the shooting heal.
The group placed 408 red flags in the ground to represent someone who lost their lives to gun violence so far this year in Texas. The somber event was organized by Moms Demand Action and South Asian Voter Empowerment Texas.
As memorials are planned throughout the day Monday, some parents may be grappling with how to discuss the tragedy with their children.
It’s a tough subject Collin County’s mental health authority LifePath Systems has been giving advice on in the wake of the massacre.
LifePath CEO Tammy Mayhan said the conversation should be tailored to the child’s age.
“It should dictate how detailed you get…but ask them questions ‘What are they hearing?’ ‘What are they seeing?’ ‘What are their friends saying?’ ‘How does that make them feel?’,” she said.
The City of Allen will hold a moment of silence at 3:36 p.m., when the first shots rang out.
A remembrance event will be held at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center at 6:30 p.m.
In a Facebook post, city officials said the community program will include performances from the Allen High School choir and the Allen Philharmonic Orchestra & Symphony Chorus.
Click here for directions and free parking.
Click here for a live stream of the remembrance ceremony.
Copyright 2023. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.
Johnson County 4-Year-Old Dies in Flash Floods
JOHNSON COUNTY (WBAP/KLIF News ) – A North Texas community is mourning the death of a child who was killed in a flash flood that tore through rural Burleson on Sunday.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said dispatch got a 911 call about a family of three seen in a car that was stuck in high water on County Road 529 just before 2 a.m.
The caller said the fast-moving waters swept the family away as they got out of their car to get to higher ground.
First responders found the parents about three hours later, but the child was discovered just after seven a.m., according to the Johnson County Office of Emergency Management.
The parents were treated and released from the hospital on Sunday.
Relatives created a GoFundMe to help the parents pay for funeral expenses.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner has identified the child as Lucas Warren.
The heavy rains flooded Johnson County and other parts of North Texas Sunday.
“There were several high water rescues that took place across Johnson County. It was a busy overnight period with multiple, multiple water rescues. I know there were homes that were impacted as well,” said National Weather Service Meteorologist Juan Hernandez.
The National Weather Service of Fort Worth said both the Trinity River and White Rock Creek in Dallas flooded overnight on Saturday.
Copyright 2023. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.
Defending Stanley Cup Champion Knights and Top-Seed Stars Set for a Not-Unexpected Game 7
DALLAS (AP) — There is one more game to go between the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights and the top-seeded Stars. A deciding Game 7 on Sunday night in Dallas. They have split wins at home since the visiting team won each of the first four games. Vegas extended the series to the limit with a 2-0 win in Game 6 on Friday night. This will be the fourth Game 7 in Knights franchise history, the first since 2021 when Pete DeBoer was their coach. DeBoer is 7-0 as a coach in Game 7s, with one for Dallas last year. The winner advances to the second round to play Colorado.
(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)