Crime & Arrests

What would YOU do if you saw a violent kidnapping in progress?

One key witness in the Aniah Blanchard case says he initially kept his mouth shut instead of going to cops because his wife told him it was best to "stay out of it."

The horrible revelation was just made in an Alabama courtroom Wednesday, where officials are trying to prove Ibraheem Yazeed forcibly shoved 19-year-old Aniah Blanchard into her car on Oct. 23 -- the last night she was seen in public.

Blanchard -- who's still missing and at this point presumed dead -- is the stepdaughter of UFC fighter Walt Harris.

During Wednesday's hearing, officials say the witness saw Yazeed forcing Aniah into her car at the Chevron station and leaving the scene ... but he did NOT immediately go to police. Instead, he confided in his wife who told him it was best to not get involved. Unclear why she felt that way.

Eventually, the witness had a change of heart and went to authorities -- and broke down in tears for not coming forward sooner.

As for the case against Yazeed, prosecutors say they found blood from TWO people in Aniah's car and they want to get a DNA sample from Yazeed to see if he's a match.

During Wednesday's hearing, the judge granted the request -- essentially forcing Yazeed to comply. The judge also denied Yazeed's bond, meaning he'll remain behind bars.

As we previously reported, cops say they found a large amount of blood in Aniah's car that matches Aniah -- and the scene was "indicative of someone suffering a life-threatening injury."

The judge also ruled the case will move forward to a grand jury.

As we previously reported, officials are trying to pin the disappearance of Blanchard on 29-year-old Yazeed ... saying he was the one who took Aniah at a Chevron station in Auburn, Alabama last month.

Here's ex-NFL player Mark Walton -- facing a judge Wednesday while in handcuffs -- and being ordered to stay away from the pregnant woman he allegedly attacked.

22-year-old Walton -- who was cut by the Miami Dolphins following Tuesday's arrest -- appeared in a Broward County Courtroom for his arraignment looking like a defeated person.

During the hearing, prosecutors not only listed the allegations against Walton -- that he beat up a woman who's 5 weeks pregnant with his child -- but also listed off his long criminal history .. and quite frankly, it was really sad.

Walton has been arrested a bunch of times for various reasons over the years ... from weed to DUI, to weapons charges and battery -- and while not everything has stuck, it's clear he's got problems.

Because of his rap sheet, the judge ultimately ordered Walton to stay away from the alleged victim -- no contact, no phone calls, texts, social media, etc.

He was also ordered to surrender ANY weapons he's got and must undergo a substance abuse evaluation along with any necessary follow up.

The judge also set Walton's bond at $10,000.

The Dolphins cut the former 2018 4th-round pick out of Miami shortly after learning of the incident, saying in a statement, "We hold our players to a high standard and take these matters very seriously."

Walton is currently serving a 4-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy stemming from 3 arrests that all went down earlier this year.

Ex-soccer star Sergio Contreras -- aka Koke -- was arrested in Spain on Tuesday as part of a massive drug raid ... and cops say they recovered a TON of hashish.

Literally, a metric TON.

36-year-old Contreras is pretty famous in Europe -- he made a fortune playing for big teams like the Ligue 1 club Olympique de Marseille and the famous Greek team Aris Thessaloniki.

But, ever since his pro career ended in 2016, cops say he's been RUNNING a major drug ring out of Southern Spain.

On Tuesday, cops launched a multi-city raid ... nabbing 20 and seizing nearly $800,000 in hash, which is made from the resin of the cannabis plant.

Cops also recovered a stash of guns -- including pistols and rifles.

A source told the Associated Free Press that Contreras is the "head of the organization."

Contreras was taken into custody and is currently being held in Malaga, an upscale beach community.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the 2 guards have pled not guilty to falsifying records on the night in question. They were released on $100k bail.

Two of the prison guards who were on watch when Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in his cell are now facing prison time, themselves, thanks to their arrest on a federal indictment.

According to new legal docs ... Tova Noel and Michael Thomas are both facing charges of falsifying the logs of exactly when they performed checks on Epstein's jail cell.

The feds claim Noel and Thomas were 2 of the guards on duty on August 10 from 12 AM to 8 AM, and during their watch, they were supposed to conduct 5 scheduled checks on Epstein.

The 2 guards allegedly completed slips stating they made those checks, but the feds say not a single one was actually carried through. According to the indictment, Noel and Thomas were at their desks in the common area using computers ... just 15 feet from Epstein's cell. BTW, they weren't doing work either ... the feds allege they were shopping for furniture and hunting down motorcycle deals and sports news.

The feds claim for a period of approximately 2 hours, the guards were sitting at their desks "without moving, and appeared to have been asleep."

Epstein was found dead at 6:33 AM alone in his cell with a noose around his neck ... according to the indictment. Both guards allegedly fessed up to a supervisor that they skipped their checks.

As we reported ... Epstein had attempted suicide a couple weeks prior in July, which is why he was placed in a special housing unit requiring extra supervision.

Thomas and Noel are now each facing one count of conspiracy to falsify records. That carried a max sentence of 5 years in prison. Additionally, Noel is charged with 5 counts of falsifying records while Thomas only got 3. Each of those also carries a max sentence of 5 years

Epstein's death was ruled a suicide by hanging according to the autopsy, but as we've reported ... his team has not ruled out a cover-up, and at least one forensic expert claims the autopsy is missing DNA evidence.

Elliott from 'E.T.' got one helluva plea deal in his DUI case despite putting himself in serious danger ... although the deal does come with strings attached.

Henry Thomas pled no contest to driving under the influence and reckless driving following his Oregon arrest -- but according to docs, obtained by TMZ, the actor won't have to phone home or E.T. from jail.

Instead of time behind bars, Thomas will enter into a diversion program for 1 year, pay a $500 fine, attend a one-time victim impact panel and have an ignition interlock device installed in his car.

Like we said, sweet deal considering how he got busted. Cops say they found Thomas passed out behind the wheel in the middle of a residential intersection. He was booked for DUI and later released on his own recognizance.

Tyler Christopher -- best known for his appearances on "General Hospital" for 20 years -- got a break from the judge in his public intoxication case because the judge rejected the plea of a cop who begged hizzoner to put Tyler into a treatment program for alcoholism.

The Morgan County Prosecutor's Office tells TMZ ... Tyler pled guilty to 2 counts of misdemeanor public intoxication following his Monday night arrest in Martinsville, Indiana.

Tyler was booked Monday on his 47th birthday and stayed locked up until his release two days later.

Tyler was ordered to pay a $440 fine. He's got until next week to fork over the dough. And, that's it ... he didn't get probation and the judge did NOT order him to enter into an alcohol treatment program.

That's significant because according to the arrest report ... cops requested "the judge consider the possible sentence of a treatment facility for Tyler Christopher's alcohol issues, as well as consider restitution to [the Uber driver] for the damage to his vehicle from Tyler Christopher urinating in his back seat."

Tyler squared things up with the Uber driver. TMZ broke the story ... Tyler passed out in the back seat of an Uber driver's car and urinated himself on the night he was busted.

The famous Joe Montana "Catch" statue was VANDALIZED after the 49ers lost to the Seahawks on Monday night ... and now cops say they've arrested the dude who committed the worst facemask penalty ever!

Levi's Stadium security detained 37-year-old Jorge Alberto Lopez after he allegedly climbed the 350-pound statue and ripped off the facemask after the Seahawks kicked the game-winning field goal in OT.

Santa Clara PD formally arrested the guy who was booked on a FELONY vandalism charge, according to police record. TMZ Sports has obtained Lopez's mug shot.

The Montana statue is part of the 2-piece tribute to the famous "Catch" by Dwight Clark in the 1982 NFC title game that was erected in 2018. The statues are massive and weigh 350 pounds each ... and are 23 yards apart (honoring the distance of Montana's pass).

The team has already worked to repair the facemask and expect Montana's equipment to be fixed in time for the next home game this weekend.

Disney actor Chris Tavarez is in hot water after allegedly flying into a rage, giving his girlfriend a concussion ... and getting his ass thrown in jail as a result.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Chris and the woman were at a house in Hollywood when the couple got into an argument that turned physical. We're told Chris allegedly pushed her ... causing her to hit her head.

Our sources say cops were called to the home last weekend, but by the time they showed up, Tavarez had bolted. The responding officers said his girlfriend had marks on her body but refused medical treatment.

Family sources tell us doctors at a hospital later told her she suffered a concussion. Two days later, Tavarez was arrested and booked for felony domestic violence. He was eventually released on $100k bail.

Tavarez, who turned 27 last week, is best known for playing Darien on the hit Disney show "K.C. Undercover" starring Zendaya. He also costarred in the Disney Channel movie, "Avalon High," and appeared in Tyler Perry's "Meet the Browns."

Kodak Black could spend the next 46 months behind bars in his federal gun case ... TMZ has learned.

The rapper's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... Kodak's been sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison after he pled guilty in his federal gun case back in August. Kodak's also been sentenced to 3 years of supervised release.

It's a bit of a break considering prosecutors wanted 96 months after Kodak was involved in a fight behind bars which resulted in a prison guard getting hurt.

As we reported ... as part of Kodak's plea agreement, prosecutors said they would push for a lighter sentence because Kodak had been cooperative. He initially faced a maximum of 10 years after pleading guilty to 2 counts of knowingly making a false and fictitious written statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm.

Kodak had been in federal custody since his arrest in May. He had wanted to be let out while the case unfolded but a judge denied his request for bail after calling him a danger to the community.

The rapper had been arrested at the Rolling Loud festival on arrest warrants stemming from his indictment.

The man who showed up at Kylie Jenner's house demanding to see her is going to be spending a lot of time in the big house -- he just got sentenced to a year behind bars.

The L.A. County Superior Court clerk tells TMZ ... Brandon Sevilla Martinez pled no contest to one misdemeanor count of trespass by driving on private property, and one felony count of bringing contraband into jail -- a glass pipe he had when he got busted.

Martinez will serve his sentence in L.A. County Jail.

TMZ broke the story ... Kylie got a temporary restraining order against Martinez last month after reporting he walked up her driveway and aggressively knocked on her door asking to see her. A security guard escorted him off the property and he was arrested.

We're told Martinez also got 3 years probation, and he has to stay at least 100 yards away from all parts of Hidden Hills -- the neighborhood where Kylie lives.

YK Osiris vehemently denies allegations he choked and bit his girlfriend at his birthday party ... and the singer claims he has witnesses ready to testify on his behalf.

We broke the story ... Osiris was arrested last week in Atlanta on a felony charge of aggravated assault by strangulation after his GF told cops he choked her and bit her face at his September bday bash.

Sources close to YK tell TMZ ... the allegations made by his former flame are 100 percent false, and there was never any type of assault. We're told the singer has friends who were at the party and intend to come forward as witnesses to prove his innocence.

We're told Osiris is saying there's also physical evidence to prove he didn't assault the GF. As for why she made the allegations -- our sources say YK has no idea.

As we reported ... the woman told cops YK started beating the crap out of her after she confronted him over a picture she found on his phone allegedly showing another woman.

According to our sources, YK turned himself in to cops because he's confident he'll be cleared of any wrongdoing. We're told Osiris was released from the Fulton County Jail over the weekend.

Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Daniel Ross was arrested in Frisco, TX on Wednesday ... after cops allegedly found weed and a gun in his car.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the 26-year-old (who signed a 1-year deal with Dallas in the offseason) was pulled over by Frisco PD early Wednesday morning during a routine traffic stop ... and at some point, cops say they found the weed and the firearm.

We're working on getting more info about the incident.

Ross hasn't played a down of football this season -- he was placed on Injured Reserve back in August with a shoulder injury.

Ross had a brief stint in the Canadian Football League before bouncing around the NFL with the Texans, Lions and Chiefs in 2017 ... and finally settling down with the Cowboys.

The ex-Northeast Mississippi CC standout played in 13 games for Dallas in 2018 ... and has 19 career tackles and 2 sacks.

Story developing ...

Alex Collins had a massive jug of weed and a gun on the floorboards of his crashed Corvette ... and police video obtained by TMZ Sports shows cops making the shocking find and arresting the NFL RB for it.

Collins skidded off the road at around 4:30 a.m. near the Baltimore Ravens' practice facility in Owings Mills, Maryland when he was a member of the team back in March 2019.

In video we obtained ... you can see a cop pulling up to the scene shortly after the crash -- and it's pretty wild.

Collins' pricey ride -- which looks like the Batmobile -- is rammed against some trees and stuck in a snowy ditch ... and Collins appears to be asleep when the officer opens the passenger door.

Collins explains to the cop he had crashed earlier in the morning and was waiting for a tow ... but after Alex had some issues with expired tags, things got dicey for the 25-year-old.

The cop hits him with a ticket, but explains he smells a strong odor of marijuana from the car as well ... and asks him straight-up how much weed he has in the vehicle.

The running back claims he doesn't know ... saying it belonged to his buddy, Tykheem "TJ" Dunaway, who was a passenger in the car earlier but had walked home instead of sticking around.

TJ eventually showed back up to the scene ... and after the cop discovered the jug of weed and a firearm in the car -- he put Collins in cuffs and questioned TJ.

TJ told the cop the weed definitely belonged to Collins ... saying, "It's his. I didn't know it was in the car until it crashed because we were coming from a party."

Eventually, both dudes were arrested for possession of the weed ... while Collins was also booked for having a handgun in his vehicle.

Collins fought the case in court for months ... but in October, he agreed to a plea deal in which he pled guilty to two misdemeanor charges of possession of a handgun and possession of weed.

In exchange, Collins received probation and a fine ... and had his felony charges dropped.

Collins -- who was cut by the Ravens immediately after the arrest -- is still looking for a team this season ... despite being hit with a 3-game suspension by the NFL over the incident.

Eva Marcille's baby daddy, Kevin McCall Jr., went from fighting for child custody to fighting officers and falling down a courthouse escalator ... according to cops who arrested him on the spot.

The drama unfolded Tuesday at the Justice Center Tower in Fulton County, GA ... where McCall was supposed to attend a hearing in his ongoing child custody battle with the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star.

According to cops, they repeatedly told McCall he's not allowed to record video in the courthouse -- but he had his phone on, and was posting on Instagram Live as he walked through the courthouse. He refused to shut down the feed, and you could see him repeatedly calling a cop a b*tch and telling him to take off his badge and fight.

Cops say McCall swatted away a sergeant's hands, and when backup arrived to detain McCall, cops say he broke loose. They made a second attempt to detain him, and cops say that's when he and the sergeant fell down an escalator.

McCall was booked on 5 charges ... 4 misdemeanors -- obstruction of a law enforcement officer, terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and simple assault. He also earned himself one felony count ... criminal damage to property in the 2nd degree. That might be related to sarge's eyeglasses, which cops say broke in the fall.

YK Osiris allegedly beat the crap out of his girlfriend at his own birthday party ... and now he's being held on a felony charge.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the singer was arrested Monday in Atlanta on a felony charge of aggravated assault by strangulation.

According to the police report ... YK Osiris' girlfriend told cops back in September she got into a physical altercation with the singer at his bday bash, which ended with him choking her and biting her face.

The woman says she confronted Osiris after seeing an image on his phone of another woman wearing nothing but a towel. The girlfriend claims they started yelling and Osiris said, "I am going to slap the s**t out of you."

Osiris' GF told cops he chased her up a set of stairs into a bathroom and that's when he choked her and bit her face. The woman claims she bit his lip to get him off her, and the fight was eventually broken up.

The police report says the woman had a noticeable mark under her left eye, where she claims she was bitten.

Osiris was denied bond after his arrest, and he's got a preliminary hearing later this month at the Fulton County Courthouse.

Kellen Winslow Jr. has pled guilty to raping an unconscious 17-year-old girl back during a 2003 incident and now faces up to 18 years in prison.

The ex-NFL star cut a plea deal with prosecutors in his serial rape case involving 5 different accusers -- several of them older transients.

Back in June, Winslow was convicted on 4 criminal charges ... but the jury was deadlocked on 8 remaining charges.

Winslow was due back in a San Diego court Monday for a retrial on the 8 remaining counts but cut a plea deal minutes ago in which he pled guilty to 2 counts -- sexual battery and rape of unconscious person.

In exchange for his plea, the remaining 6 charges were dropped -- which is a big deal for Kellen because he was facing a LIFE sentence if convicted on those 6 counts.

Instead, he's only facing between 12 and 18 years in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 19.

As for Monday's 2 guilty pleas -- the sexual battery involves Jane Doe #1, a 54-year-old woman who claims Winslow raped her in his Jeep in 2018.

The other count, rape of an unconscious person, involved Jane Doe #4 who claimed Winslow raped her at a party in 2003 when she was 17 and he was 19.

Winslow had previously denied ALL allegations and vowed to prove his innocence.

During Monday's hearing, Winslow Jr. begged the judge to give him the minimum sentence -- 12 years -- so he could see his family.

Kellen's father, NFL Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr., was also in the courtroom and got very emotional during the hearing ... at one point telling the prosecutor, "Do NOT look over here."