Updates

Following up on some recent stories:

More Arrests in Virginia Beach 

Two more teenagers were arrested Thursday and arraigned Friday in connection with a high-school bombing plot.  Eleven days ago one boy was arrested following a tip that led investigators to his house where they found 28 homemade bombs.  See the Firegeezer report and video HERE.

At the time, police found evidence linking two more boys with the crime and they were picked up Thursday.  Following their arraignment they were ordered held without bail, as was the original arrest.

WAVY Ch. 10 has this video report on the latest development:

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Ex-Dispatcher Surrenders

The former 9-1-1 dispatcher who was charged Tuesday with defrauding police and fire associations out of $50,000+ turned herself in to the court Thursday.  See the Firegeezer story HERE about Danille Vanderpool of Napa, California, who fraudulently claimed that she had cancer and set up a fund drive to pay for “treatment.”

She appeared in court four hours late Thursday where she pleaded “not guilty” and was remanded into custody for $50,000 bail.  Her attorney said that she would be making her bond and be released soon.

KPIX-TV has this update HERE where they further report:

The complaint alleges the thefts occurred between Oct. 10, 2007, and Jan. 25, 2009. Vanderpool also is charged with one count each of forgery and identity theft.

Among the contributors to the fund are the Napa Fire Fighters Association, which gave $11,711; the Napa Police Officers Association, which gave $5,800; the Women’s Auxiliary Corporation, which gave $3,100; and the Napa Deputy Sheriff’s Association, which gave $1,000, according to the criminal complaint.

Donations also were made by Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Concord and Calistoga police. The complaint alleges Vanderpool took $10,000 from the trust on Oct. 26, 2007.

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9-Yr.-Old Arraigned on Arson Charge

Following up on Wednesday’s Firegeezer video report HERE on the young boy who set the million-dollar fire in a Hixson, Tennessee, Dollar General store, the Chattanooga Times is reporting that it is assumed that he appeared before the juvenile court judge on Wednesday morning.  Juvenile records are not made public, so it is not know if he was kept in detention or allowed to go home with his parents.

The Times reports on why someone that young is being charged with a felony:

Fire investigators usually use the rule of seven when determining if they should charge a child, said Capt. James Whitmire, head of the fire investigation division. If a child is older than 7 and not of small stature, fire investigators charge him and let the court system handle the case, he said.

“We’ve got a person who’s of age that’s admitted to this and gave us a description of how he did that, and we’re acting on that,” Capt. Whitmire said.

Fire investigators met with Hamilton County district attorney’s office personnel to determine how to proceed with the case, Capt. Whitmire said.

Read the entire article HERE.