Wednesday, November 13, 2024
EMS worker pleads no contest in sexual assault case
Annie Pulley
RACINE — An EMS worker accused of inappropriately touching a 17-year-old girl while she was in the back of an ambulance pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges Nov. 11.
According to online court records, 57-year-old Roger Kieffer faced one felony count of second-degree sexual assault by an employee of a child welfare agency or care/service residential facility and two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.
Kieffer pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charges, and the second-degree sexual assault charge was dismissed but read into the record.
The judge sentenced Kieffer to nine months in the Racine County Jail for each charge. However, Kieffer will only serve jail time if he breaks the terms of a three-year probation.
He also will be required to register as a sex offender.
Allegations
According to the criminal complaint, which was filed in March, Kieffer was alone in the back of the ambulance while he and his partner drove a 17-year-old patient from Aurora Medical Center in Mount Pleasant to Children’s Wisconsin after she reportedly overdosed on Oct. 30, 2023.
In a Nov. 22, 2023, forensic interview with the Child Advocacy Center, the girl reportedly said that Kieffer performed what he called a pelvic exam.
Kieffer’s incident report did not mention a pelvic exam, and he reportedly denied remembering the girl.
The criminal complaint also notes that Kieffer reportedly lost his teaching job at Waukesha County Technical College after he was alleged to have inappropriately touched students.
Kieffer was fired from the ambulance service in December 2023.
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Tuesday, November 12, 2024
What to know about the meteor showers and supermoon in Wisconsin this week
Maia Pandey
It's shaping up to be a big week for skywatchers: two different meteor showers will shoot across the sky in the coming days, along with November supermoon to kick off the weekend.
The Northern Taurids will peak tonight, followed by the November "Beaver Moon" on Friday. And, throughout the weekend, you can catch the Leonid meteor shower, which is considered to be among the major showers each year.
Here's what to know about the upcoming meteor showers and full moon, including how to see them from Wisconsin.
When is the Northern Taurids meteor shower?
The Taurids are slow-moving, long-lasting meteors that become visible each fall. While Southern Taurids peaked last week, you can still catch the peak of the Northern Taurids on Tuesday, Nov. 12, according to the American Meteor Society.
These meteors are particularly known for being rich in fireballs, illuminating the sky with large explosions of light and color. At their peak, the showers produce about five meteors an hour and should be visible from almost everywhere on Earth, except the South Pole, according to USA TODAY.
Though your best chance of seeing the Taurids is this week, the Southern showers will remain active until Dec. 8 and the Northern until Dec. 2.
When is the Leonid meteor shower?
The Leonids are a major shower that peak during mid-November each year, often producing bright and colorful meteors, according to NASA.
The Leonid shower moves much quicker than the Taurids: according to EarthSky, the shower has previously turned into a meteor "storm," with rates for the 1833 Leonid shower hitting a whopping 100,000 meteors per hour. However, these meteor showers only occur every 33 years or so, with the last one happening in 2002.
The Leonid meteor shower has been active all month, but it will be at its strongest on Nov. 16 and 17, according to the American Meteor Society. The shower is best viewed between midnight and dawn, ideally in a place well away from city and street lights.
When is the November supermoon?
The fourth and final supermoon of the year will occur on Friday, Nov. 15. The November full moon is also called the "Beaver Moon," in a nod to how beavers begin to take shelter for the winter around this time of year, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
A supermoon appears when a full moon coincides with the moment the moon's orbit is closest to the Earth. This leads to the moon appearing slightly larger and brighter than a typical full moon.
When are the next meteors showers in 2024?
After the Leonids, there are two meteor showers left in the year.
- The Geminids: Considered one of the strongest and most consistent meteor showers, peak Geminids could feature as many as 120 meteor trails per hour whizzing across the night sky, according NASA. The best time to view will be in the early hours of Dec. 13–14.
- The Ursids: The Ursids are considered a "low-key" shower; viewers can see as many as five to 10 meteors an hour in a dark sky during the peak. The best time to see the shower will be before dawn on Dec. 22–23, according to Earth Sky.
Best places to view celestial events in Wisconsin
The best conditions to see the night sky will be with clear skies without clouds or haze. Make sure to check the forecast before heading out.
The best conditions to see the night sky will be with clear skies without clouds or haze. Make sure to check the forecast before heading out.
Here's a list of places in Wisconsin that could offer some of the best views of the night sky:
- Newport State Park, Ellison Bay
- Driftless Wisconsin
- Harrington Beach State Park
- Kettle Moraine State Forest
- Kohler-Andrae State Park
- Parnell Tower
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
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A Milwaukee man is charged with killing two men after a judge refused to raise his bail in another case
David Clarey
Daeshaun Graves was already charged with armed robbery and out on bail when he arrived at a hospital with gunshot wounds on Jan. 31.
Police found security footage showing the 20-year-old pointing a gun at someone before he was shot — violating the terms of his pretrial supervision in the armed robbery case.
The next day, prosecutors asked the judge to raise his bail from $10,000 to $100,000. The judge, Danielle Shelton, refused.
Graves remained free.
In the months following, prosecutors say, Graves shot and killed two people — including his uncle Darrell Antwon Harbour in July — and is facing first-degree reckless homicide charges in both.
A month after his uncle was shot, on Aug. 4, Graves allegedly shot and killed Quincy Smith of Milwaukee after an altercation when Smith found Graves with his on-and-off girlfriend. He would burn the vehicle with Smith's body inside of it, prosecutors say.
Shelton declined to discuss the decision to not raise his bail in the armed robbery case, citing the open cases against Graves.
However, the judge, in an emailed response to the Journal Sentinel, outlined the "fundamental tenets" of the criminal justice system and the bail request process in the courtroom.
"It is a fundamental tenet of our criminal justice system that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. The State and the State alone bears the burden of proving a defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," she said in the email. "If there are allegations that a defendant has violated the conditions of bail, the State may ask for an increase in bail."
Graves remains in jail following the two reckless homicide charges on $1 million bail, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's jail roster.
Prosecutors ask to increase Graves's bail denied, despite alleged breach of conditions
Graves’ felony bail jumping charge stems from a June 2023 case where Graves is alleged to have assisted in an armed robbery, according to a criminal complaint.
In that case, Graves is alleged to have bumped a vehicle he was driving into another vehicle, and the two pulled over into a nearby parking lot. A woman in the car Graves was driving would later pull a handgun out and the driver fled the scene, only to look back to see their vehicle and Graves’s vehicle driving away.
Police found the vehicle later that day and Graves would later admit to police of his involvement, according to the criminal complaint.
In that case, Graves was released on $10,000 cash bail on August 7, 2023, with the condition that he not possess a firearm, according to court records. However, on Feb. 1, prosecutors asked to increase his bail to $100,000, citing the armed robbery, possession of a weapon, a re-offense and dishonesty with police.
That ask came after Graves went to the hospital on Jan. 31 with gunshot wounds. The prosecutor's request said Graves “provided false information to officers, but was released from the hospital before police could obtain the video of the incident.”
Officers later reviewed video, the document said, which showed Graves drawing a handgun and pointing it at someone else. Per the terms of his bond, Graves was not to possess any firearms.
On Feb. 8, Shelton denied the prosecutor's request to increase his bail.
Graves was also out on bail in another case, a misdemeanor for obstructing or resisting an officer. He is scheduled for a status conference in that case on Dec. 6.
Kent Lovern, the chief deputy district attorney for Milwaukee County, declined to discuss Shelton's decision, citing it as an open case.
"I would say, generally speaking, when we ask for an increase in bail, we believe we have a good reason for doing so," Lovern told the Journal Sentinel.
Graves next hearing in the armed robbery case is on Dec. 6 for a status conference.
Latest charge alleges Graves shot his uncle one month before other homicide
The newest charge against Graves was filed on Nov. 4 and prosecutors allege the 20-year-old shot and killed his uncle on July 15.
The criminal complaint says Graves' girlfriend told police he admitted to her he shot and killed his uncle. That shooting occurred after the two got in an argument, following the uncle's dog biting Graves and another family member.
A family member of Graves and the uncle declined to comment.
Graves told his girlfriend he "had done 'something bad,'" according to the complaint. She told police Graves was approached by his uncle, who spoke disrespectfully to him, and Graves warned him to back away or he would shoot him.
The uncle continued to approach him, and Graves fired, but did not intend to kill him, the complaint said. Graves aimed the gun at his uncle's legs, but the weapon was modified to be fully automatic and the recoil of the weapon led to him shooting his uncle in the abdomen.
The complaint says police reviewed security footage of the altercation, which correlated with the girlfriend's telling of the incident,
That occurred about a month before Graves is alleged to have shot and killed Quincy Smith.
The investigation into that killing seemed to assist in leading police to Graves in the death of his uncle. The criminal complaint says a police detective searched Graves car following the Smith killing and found a handgun which matched bullet casings found at the crime scene of his uncle's death.
The Journal Sentinel was unable to reach the family of Smith for an interview.
Graves is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 12 for the alleged July 15 reckless homicide and a Nov. 22 scheduling conference in the alleged August reckless homicide.
David Clarey can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
Judge Danielle Shelton blows smoke when questioned about her denial of an increase in bail. Judges are never held responsible for the crimes, damage, injury, and death that they inflict upon their communities. You will notice, however, that judges NEVER release a suspect into the judge's own neighborhood. Most judges are swine lawyers.
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4-year-old shot and wounded 9-year-old, Milwaukee police say
Drake Bentley
A 4-year-old child obtained a gun and unintentionally shot a 9-year-old, Milwaukee police said in a statement Friday night.
The 9-year-old was transported to a hospital and is expected to survive, police said.
The incident took place at about 4:45 p.m. in the 9200 block of North 75th Street, according to police.
Two women, ages 27 and 22, were taken into custody. Police said charges are pending review by the District Attorney's Office.
Where to find free gun locks
- United Neighborhood Center of Milwaukee, 1609 W. North Ave.
- City on a Hill, 2224 W. Kilbourn Ave., during outreach events on the second Saturday of each month.
- Milwaukee Christian Center, 807 S. 14th St, at its food pantry, which operates from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
- Neighborhood House of Milwaukee, 2819 W. Richardson Place.
- Neu-Life Community Development, 2014 W. North Ave.
- Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, 5460 N. 64th St.
- COA Youth and Family Centers, 909 E. Garfield Ave. and 2320 W. Burleigh St.
- Northcott Neighborhood House, 2460 N. Sixth St.
- Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St.
- All Milwaukee Fire Department stations and health centers run by the Milwaukee Health Department also hand out free gun locks. Directories for fire stations and health centers are available online.
Man accused in child porn case pleads not guilty
Annie Pulley
RACINE — A 36-year-old man accused of possessing child pornography pleaded not guilty in Racine County Courthouse on Wednesday.
De Leon, who is 36, faces 10 felony charges that each carry a fine up to $100,000, a prison sentence up to 25 years, or both. The court can also impose a $500 surcharge for each image or copy of an image recovered.
According to the criminal complaint, Snapchat sent a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Sept. 11, 2023, after a user reportedly uploaded an image depicting child pornography.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation assigned the tip to the Racine County Sheriff’s Office RCSO investigators reportedly linked the information to De Leon’s address in the 3600 block of Pierce Boulevard.
De Leon is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 6 for status conference.