Arrests

Sherrone Moore's former assistant is breaking her silence after the coach's stunning downfall ... claiming he had "complete control" over her during their secret affair and used that power to keep her trapped.

Paige Shiver sat down with ABC News in an interview set to air Friday during "Good Morning America" and didn't hold back ... saying Moore manipulated her emotionally and professionally throughout their relationship.

"Here's a man that had complete control over me, over my emotions, over my career -- and he knew that, and he used it, he used it against me," Shiver said.

A California man was charged with murder Thursday in the stabbing death of a beloved Burbank 1st-grade teacher earlier this week.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is charging Sergio Fraire with murder, with a special circumstance of lying in wait, for allegedly attacking and killing Arti Varma in a Burbank, CA home early Monday morning.

Arti’s daughter -- identified by neighbors as 25-year-old mental health activist Meera Varma -- was also stabbed in the attack ... she was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.

On top of the murder charge, Fraire has also been hit with one felony count of attempted murder and one felony count of first-degree residential burglary.

2:15: PM PT -- Dave Merritt entered a not guilty plea in court on Thursday ... and he has since bonded out.

He's due back in court in June.

Former NFL player and current Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt was arrested for domestic battery on Wednesday ... after reportedly causing bodily harm to "a daughter."

The 54-year-old was arrested around 9 PM in Overland Park ... and was booked into jail without bond, according to the Kansas City Star.

A complaint was filed with the Johnson County District Attorney's Office on Thursday ... claiming Merritt "unlawfully, knowingly, or recklessly" caused bodily harm to a daughter -- a domestic violence offense, the outlet reported.

Dylan Sprouse acted fast when he woke up to a trespasser at his and wife Barbara Palvin's Hollywood Hills property last week ... and new footage from the incident shows him holding what appears to be a gun while speaking to the alleged trespasser at the scene.

TMZ has obtained video of the Disney alum speaking in an animated fashion to the man garbed in all black outside his home Friday morning ... and you can see the alleged silver weapon at his side in his right hand. The person Dylan is addressing is wearing a black hoodie with white writing across the front, which matches what the suspect was wearing when he was arrested by cops.

Another man eventually enters the conversation ... he's in a black hoodie and gray sweats.

Jason Nichols -- the guy law enforcement says is the one seen in viral Ring camera footage yelling and kicking -- has officially been charged with 4 felony counts ... and his bail has now increased to a whopping $250K ... TMZ has learned.

Fairfield PD officials say Nichols is the man in the video that went infamously viral earlier this month, with doorbell cam footage from a home in Northern California showing him kicking and screaming into the camera ... before appearing to break into the home via a sliding door.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Nichols was charged with four felonies -- first-degree burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats, and vandalism. He pleaded not guilty to all counts ... his bail was increased to $250K, and he was served with a criminal protective order.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner is speaking out about being muzzled for months in the Celeste Rivas murder case, TMZ has learned.

The M.E. says Celeste's cause and manner of death was determined way back on Dec. 9 but the information was only made public on Wednesday because there was a prior court order initiated by the LAPD that had been preventing them from releasing their findings.

In a statement, Dr. Odey Ukpo, says ... "After several months, I am grateful this information can now be released, not only to the public, but also to the grieving family enduring loss. It is unfathomable they have had to wait this long to learn what happened to their daughter."

"The transparency of the information contained in our findings and reports is essential for empowering the community to make informed changes to affectively reduce fear and allowing the community to take informed action," he added. "Making the Department’s information publicly available is not just about accountability, it is about social justice and prevention."

D4vd and Nick Reiner are sharing a roof over their heads ... they're locked up in the same Los Angeles County jail.

The singer -- who is charged with murdering 14-year-old Celeste Rivas -- has been transferred to Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Downtown Los Angeles ... according to online records.

Our law enforcement sources tell us D4vd was transferred there because authorities want him under better supervision because he's a celebrity inmate at the center of a high-profile case.

Prosecutors say Jonathan Rinderknecht -- the man who allegedly started the horrific Pacific Palisades Fire -- shouldn't be allowed to introduce evidence and argue about the Los Angeles Fire Department's response to the wildfires to get himself out of trouble.

Here's the deal ... prosecutors say Rinderknecht's attorneys are trying to bring up alleged incidents of the department's supposed ineptitude to protect their client and reframe the case around the response to the January 2025 fire to distract from his alleged role in starting it.

One example Rinderknecht is arguing is that one member of the fire department apparently wasn't alarmed by seeing smoke. But prosecutors say brush fires commonly smolder after firefighters put them out ... something they say this particular firefighter knew, and explains the lack of concern.

Prosecutors list a series of examples they say are just like this ... insisting Rinderknecht's attorneys are grasping at straws and attempting to "transform his trial into a misguided and much lengthier trial about the LAFD."

"Unexpected" star Bella Vaughn's mom Falen has broken her silence after being arrested this week in Arkansas ... and it sounds like she's ready to fight the charges.

Kevin Hickey, Falen's lawyer, tells TMZ ... his client denies any wrongdoing ... and she plans to plead not guilty when she is scheduled to appear in court.

As we reported, FV was arrested on Monday for disorderly conduct and disrupting governmental operations. Both charges are misdemeanors.

Prosecutors trying "American Idol" alum Caleb Flynn for murder say they expect to put his daughters on the witness stand to ask them about the night their father allegedly shot their mother to death inside their home.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors in Ohio say they anticipate multiple children testifying in Caleb's upcoming murder trial. We've also seen the witness list, and there are some redacted names.

As we previously reported, Caleb's two daughters were home the night their mother was murdered ... and prosecutors say Caleb pulled the trigger while his kids were in the other room.

D4vd is living a far different life than he was a week ago ... trading his $15,000 a month L.A. rental for a cold jail cell with strict rules.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the musician, charged with murdering Celeste Rivas, is being held in a segregated single cell. 

D4vd is escorted from his cell to the shower, which he is allowed every other day. The singer is only allowed to make phone calls on the days he is allowed a shower.

Sources tell TMZ that D4vd is allowed recreation time with fresh air, but only 3 hours per week. He has no contact with other inmates during rec time. 

A young PBS employee’s life was cut short in a brutal shooting -- and cops say the man behind it was someone she once loved and trusted.

Ivy Unruh -- a 25-year-old engineer for PBS Kansas and a U.S. Marine veteran -- was gunned down outside her Wichita apartment early Friday morning ... allegedly by her estranged husband.

Police say Unruh was shot in the upper body around 8 AM and rushed to the hospital in critical condition. She fought for days, but ultimately died Monday from her injuries.

29-year-old Joshua Orlando -- identified as her estranged husband -- called 911 to report the shooting himself, according to the Wichita Police Department. When officers arrived, they arrested him at the scene and recovered a firearm.

D4vd was heavily focused on promoting his new album around the time prosecutors say 14-year-old Celeste Rivas was last seen at his home.

TMZ has combed through D4vd's social media pages around the date of April 23, 2025 ... the same day prosecutors alleged D4vd invited Celeste to his rental home in the Hollywood Hills.

D4vd's TikTok page features a few posts on April 23 and in the following days ... and they're all focused solely on the release of his debut studio album, "Withered."

Anna Kepner’s accused killer isn’t showing up in court -- but he is showing his legal strategy ... pleading not guilty while staying out of sight.

The 16-year-old stepbrother -- identified in court docs only as T.H. -- waived his personal appearance at the arraignment Tuesday and entered a not guilty plea. He was originally expected to be in a Miami courtroom Wednesday morning.

The teen, who is now being prosecuted as an adult, is facing first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges tied to the death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship back in November 2025.

"Unexpected" star Bella Vaughn's mom has been arrested in Arkansas ... and she got popped on a couple of charges.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... Falen Vaughn was arrested on Monday for disorderly conduct and disrupting governmental operations. Both charges are misdemeanors.

We're still trying to get more about what led to her arrest ... but we do know Falen was booked in the Crawford County Jail yesterday and has since been released.

As fans know ... Falen is the mother of Bella on "Unexpected" and often appears on the reality show about teen pregnancy.

She is due in court June 8.

1:00 PM PST -- Frederick Alfred Jr. has been dropped by the Chainsaw Caucus just weeks after their endorsement. They tell TMZ ... "We take child safety and parental responsibility extremely seriously, and these allegations are inconsistent with the standards we expect from candidates we support. We have no further comment at this time."

A Republican running for a state senate seat in Colorado was arrested in Florida ... after cops say his daughter started drowning in a pool when he left his kids unattended while going to the bar for some booze.

Frederick Alfred Jr. was arrested Monday in Key West on two counts of felony child neglect without great harm.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, cops say his 4-year-old daughter began drowning in the pool, became unconscious, started foaming at the mouth, and eventually needed CPR from someone at the pool.