Crime & Arrests

A Colorado district attorney wants a judge to review the 110-year sentence of the truck driver who killed 4 people in a massive freeway wreck ... after millions of people -- including Kim Kardashian -- signed a petition opposing the stiff punishment.

Alexis King, D.A. for Colorado's First Judicial District, filed the motion Tuesday for a hearing to reconsider the sentencing. She mentioned that it was the "desire" of both living victims and families of those who died in the crash.

In April 2019, 26-year-old Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was driving a semi-truck in Lakewood, CO when the brakes went out and he slammed into traffic, killing 4 people.

He was found guilty of 27 criminal charges in October -- and earlier this month he was sentenced to the minimum under Colorado law ... 110 years.

You read that right, it's the minimum, because Aguilera-Mederos must serve multiple sentences -- for the 4 deaths and 16 other injured victims -- consecutively and not concurrently.

Aguilera-Mederos says the tragedy was a terrible accident ... and he has gotten the support of millions in a petition -- making this case very controversial. Kim chimed in, recently posting about the 26-year-old and calling on the Colorado governor to "do the right thing".

Earlier this month, Aguilera-Mederos gave an emotional statement ... saying "my life has been very difficult, sad, depressing, terrible since April 25, 2019." He continued, "I know it has been hard and heartbreaking for everyone involved."

Prosecutors tell TMZ Sports they believe Aldon Smith was driving with a BAC of greater than .20 before he was arrested for a DUI earlier this month.

Smith was booked back on Dec. 6 after cops say he had driven drunk in San Mateo County and then got involved in a two-car accident -- and, on Monday, prosecutors formally filed charges against the 32-year-old over it all.

Court documents show Smith was hit with two felony DUI charges ... and, in the docs, prosecutors revealed they believe Smith was HEAVILY intoxicated at the time of the incident.

In the docs, prosecutors say Smith had a BAC of greater than .15 ... and when we spoke with the San Mateo County District Attorneys Office on Monday afternoon, a spokesperson told us they believe Smith actually had a BAC of greater than .20.

The DA spokesperson noted they're waiting on further test results to reveal the final number. Of course, the legal limit in California is .08.

Prosecutors also allege in the docs that Smith had an open container of booze in his car at the time of the crash ... and they also claim he had weed in an open container in the vehicle as well. They added that the other person involved in the accident suffered minor injuries.

Smith is facing up to three years in prison if he's convicted on the charges, prosecutors say. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter on Tuesday morning.

We've reached out to Smith's attorney for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

As for Smith's NFL career ... he balled out for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, but he's currently a free agent after he was released by the Seattle Seahawks before the 2021 season began.

NFL legend Lawrence Taylor was arrested in Florida on Thursday ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The former New York Giants superstar was booked at around 8:45 PM ET and released hours later, jail records show. The 62-year-old posed for a mug shot before his release.

The news was first reported by Andy Slater.

Details surrounding the arrest are unclear -- we're working on it -- but according to a spokesperson for the Broward County Sheriff's Office, Taylor was booked on charges of sex offender violations.

As we previously reported, Lawrence was declared a sex offender back in 2011 ... after he pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and patronizing a prostitute.

In the case, Taylor was accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl ... though he said at the time he thought she was 19.

Due to his status as a sex offender, Taylor is required to be on top of several things ... including letting law enforcement know of any residence or name changes.

Of course, Taylor is no stranger to run-ins with the law ... the former football player has been arrested several times in his life, including multiple times in the late 1990s after he allegedly tried to buy drugs from undercover police officers.

Fetty Wap made a trip to the airport that ended with handcuffs after police allegedly got an alert about his ankle monitor.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Fetty was at Newark Liberty airport Friday, when for whatever reason, cops got an alert about his ankle monitor. We're told after officers spoke to FW and ran his info, they discovered he had a warrant out for his arrest.

Details about the warrant aren't exactly clear, but we know it was for public nuisance out of North Bergen, NJ.

We're told Fetty was arrested and booked for the warrant, but will be able to make bail and get released.

It's not the first run-in Fetty's had with the law lately, he was taken in by the FBI back in October. The feds claimed Fetty and his associates helped to distribute over 100 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine across Long Island and New Jersey.

Agents say the investigation yielded $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, fentanyl pills, pistols, handguns and a rifle.

Fetty was able to come up with his $500,000 bail for that arrest, so it's possible that's why he had the ankle monitor.

Kim Potter -- the MN cop on trial for shooting and killing Daunte Wright -- just broke down during her testimony about the second she realized what she had done.

An emotional Potter was questioned Friday on exactly what happened in the moments leading up to Wright's death. Potter has maintained she thought she was pulling out her taser, when in fact, it was her gun.

Fighting back tears, she told the court, "I remember yelling Taser, Taser, Taser and nothing happened. And then, he told me I shot him."

By the end of the sentence, Potter was sobbing, and grabbing for tissues.

Potter's been charged with manslaughter for Wright's death, which happened back in April. Bodycam showed the exchange between Potter and 20-year-old Wright -- who was trying to drive away from cops after officers stopped him on a weapons possession warrant.

Three UCLA rugby players were arrested early Thursday morning in Santa Monica after police say they went on a drunken, destruction rampage ... knocking down trees in a popular tourist area.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Santa Monica police were dispatched to the famed 3rd Street Promenade just after midnight ... to confront a group of males who were allegedly causing havoc, doing some unauthorized gardening, breaking holiday decorations, and screwing with a fence owned by a local business.

When cops arrived, they detained 5 men while they located surveillance video.

After watching the tape, which cops tell us captured the vandalism, all five males were arrested.

Three of those men -- listed below -- are currently seniors on the UCLA rugby squad.

- Mark Sapper, 21-year-old, 5'10", 200 lbs.
- Shane Barry, 21-year-old, 5'11", 180 lbs.
- Aiden Metzner, 22-year-old, 6'7", 230 lbs.

All 5 men, including the 3 current athletes, were hit with the same charge ... felony vandalism. Police note the men were cooperative.

If ultimately convicted, the guys face up to 1 year in county jail and/or a $10,000 fine.

The rugby season is currently in full swing ... and the team is a perfect 3-0.

Jon Jones' domestic violence charge was dismissed earlier this week after the UFC star copped a plea deal with prosecutors ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Court records in Las Vegas show officials dropped the misdemeanor count against the fighter on Tuesday ... after he pled no contest to a misdemeanor charge of destroying property of another, $25-$250.

As part of his sentencing, records show the 34-year-old has been ordered to stay out of trouble, pay restitution to the victim, and take anger management counseling.

As we previously reported, Jones was hit with the dom. violence charge as well as a felony charge of tampering with a vehicle after he allegedly pulled his fiancee's hair and then headbutted a police car in a wild incident on Sept. 24.

In police documents, cops say they were called to Caesars Palace around 5:08 AM for a report of a "domestic disturbance" in a hotel room.

Once there, cops say they stopped Jones outside ... and claim he snapped during questioning -- smashing his head onto the front hood of a patrol vehicle.

Officers say the blow dented the car and chipped the paint.

When cops eventually met with Jones' fiancee, they say they noticed she had blood stains on her sweatshirt and she was bleeding from her lip. They say she told them that Jones "touched the back of my head and pulled my hair a little bit but he did not hit me or anything."

Jones was eventually arrested -- and he said after the incident he was stepping away from booze for good.

"I have way too much trauma to consume alcohol, my brain simply can't handle it anymore," Jones said at the time. "Now is the time to work harder than ever."

Players and coaches on the Green Bay Packers put their wallets together to make a huge donation this week ... in an effort to help the victims of the Christmas parade tragedy in Waukesha that left several people dead and others injured.

The team announced the gesture Tuesday ... saying 42 players and coaches teamed up to donate $135,525 ... with the Packers Give Back program matching that amount to make it $270,650 for the United for Waukesha Community Fund.

Packers prez Mark Murphy spoke about the efforts in a statement ... saying, "We were all heartbroken after the senseless tragedy in Waukesha and we worked with our players to help determine the best way to have an impact as an organization."

"After receiving pledged donations from our players and coaches, the organization was proud to match their donations. Our thoughts remain with the victims, along with their families and the Waukesha community, as they continue to grieve and heal from this horrific event."

BTW -- more than $3 million dollars has been donated from various individuals and organizations throughout the world.

As we previously reported, Darrell Brooks Jr. has been hit with 6 counts of first-degree intentional homicide after cops say he ran his SUV through a Christmas parade.

62 people -- including some children -- were injured in the incident.

Danny Carey, the drummer for Tool, got busted for assault at the airport in Kansas City ... and cops say it all stems from a fight he got in with someone inside the terminal.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... airport police responded Sunday night to a report of a disturbance between 2 men and when they got to the scene they arrested DC and transported him to a nearby police station for booking.

We're told Danny was booked for misdemeanor assault ... and as you can see, he certainly didn't look happy in his mug shot. He's no longer in custody after being released on bond.

Cops tell us the police report is being forwarded to prosecutors for review, and potential charges will follow.

As for his weekend, Danny performed at the Kansas vs. Mizzou college basketball game with the band. He was clearly good luck, as Kansas won. Too bad things took a turn at the airport.

Danny hails from Kansas, and he's been playing drums for Tool ever since the rock band formed way back in the 1980s in Los Angeles ... with many considering him one of the greatest drummers of all time.

In addition to rocking with Tool, Danny also plays drums for smaller acts like Pigmy Love Circus, Zaum, Legend of the Seagullmen and Volto.

We reached out to Danny's reps ... but they had no comment on his arrest.

While Ye and Drake's historic concert for Larry Hoover is giving their fans all the feels ... the feds are pissed the music icons are pushing to release a guy the government considers the "worst of the worst."

One federal law enforcement source -- who is connected to Hoover's case -- tells TMZ ... prosecutors are "surprised" to see Drizzy and Ye throwing so much support behind the #FreeLarryHoover movement, considering the facts of his case.

For those not in the know ... Hoover was convicted and sentenced for an Illinois murder in 1973. He wasn't the triggerman, but prosecutors said he directed the shooting of a man he accused of stealing from his gang. Hoover is credited with founding Chicago's infamous Gangster Disciples.

While he was serving 150-200 years for the murder, the feds stepped in to indict and convict Hoover for drug conspiracy, extortion and engaging in organized crime. In 1997, he started serving 6 life sentences in a federal Supermax prison.

The feds think that's exactly where he belongs ... but Hoover's backers believe the U.S. government outrageously over-sentenced him -- considering his federal crimes were related to drug distribution, and not murders.

Our source says the feds acknowledge there are lots of low-level drug dealers who got draconian prison terms in the '80s and '90s -- think Alice Marie Johnson -- who are worthy of this kind of celeb backing. Remember, Kanye even asked then-President Trump to pardon Hoover back in 2018.

Trump shot that down, and just this past summer a federal judge denied Hoover's request for a compassionate release. The 71-year-old has been in prison for 48 years.

Delonte West has just cut a deal with prosecutors -- agreeing to pay $100 and keep his nose clean in order to close out his police station meltdown case next month.

The agreement is all spelled out in new court docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, which show the former NBA guard is close to putting his most recent criminal case behind him.

According to the documents, prosecutors have agreed to stop pursuing the case if West forks over $100 to the court and avoids any new arrests or criminal law violations.

West had initially been hit with misdemeanor obstruction/resisting as well as misdemeanor disorderly intoxication after cops say he threw a drunken fit outside of a police station in Boynton Beach, Fla., on Oct. 19.

Video of his interaction with officers was disturbing ... West can be heard on camera hurling anti-gay insults at cops -- while also claiming he's "was better than LeBron James."

West, through his attorney, had initially pled not guilty to the charges earlier this month.

Drake and Ye wouldn't be getting ready for tonight's huge Larry Hoover benefit concert at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum if music mogul J. Prince hadn't stepped in to broker their peace treaty ... and he's telling TMZ how he pulled it off.

The Rap-A-Lot Records honcho says there was nothing easy about getting the 2 hip-hop giants to lay down their swords after years of sniping that got incredibly personal. When J. Prince joined us on "TMZ Live," he said his choice of words mattered more than ever.

You'll recall ... Prince was side by side with Ye when he recorded a video last month, extending an olive branch to Drake by asking him to join him for a concert that would raise awareness for Larry Hoover's case, in particular, and for criminal justice reform in general.

After that, he got both men face-to-face at Drizzy's Toronto mansion, and Prince says he had to use a "special lingo to reach these guys' hearts."

He says he stressed to Drake ... he had a chance to set an example for all of hip-hop about how to settle beefs peacefully. As he put it to us, "this is a situation that could save lives."

J. Prince was quick to give Hoover himself credit for suggesting the concert ... and Larry Hoover Jr. echoed that when we saw him Wednesday in Los Angeles. He says his father -- who's been locked up since 1995 for a murder, drug conspiracy and extortion -- didn't want to see Drake and Ye possibly lose their lives to violence.

Aldon Smith is in trouble with the law once again ... TMZ Sports has learned the NFL star was arrested on Monday and booked on a felony charge of DUI causing injury.

Details surrounding the arrest are unclear -- we're working on it -- but records show Smith was booked into a Northern California jail at 7:38 PM on Monday night.

The records show Smith's bail has been set at $50,000. Smith is still in custody.

The 32-year-old pass rusher is due in court for a hearing on the matter on Wednesday, according to the records.

Smith, of course, is no stranger to run-ins with police ... he's been arrested for DUI multiple times in the past, and was also accused of domestic violence in 2018.

Smith was also most recently arrested in April in Louisiana ... after officials say he committed 2nd-degree battery at a coffee shop in the New Orleans area.

Smith was an absolute superstar with the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders after being picked in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft ... but substance abuse issues and legal troubles derailed his career, and he was out of the league from 2016 through 2019.

Smith, though, got himself cleaned up -- telling TMZ Sports in 2020 he was "an overall better person" -- and eventually signed with the Dallas Cowboys for the '20 season.

He later signed with the Seahawks in 2021 -- though he was cut before the season began.

Former UCLA and NFL QB Cade McNown's wife is in hot water after cops say she hatched and carried out a plan to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in designer goods from philanthropist Sydney Holland.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Christina McNown was arrested after a lengthy investigation revealed back in October she allegedly lifted Holland's purses, clothing and jewelry.

Sources connected to the investigation tell us McNown had been a trusted assistant and stylist for Holland for 12 years and had easy access to her personal belongings.

We're told Holland -- who famously dated Sumner Redstone for years -- started to notice items missing here and there over the span of several months before connecting the dots to McNown.

What's more, our sources say Holland noticed some of the stolen items pop up for sale online. McNown's been arrested and charged with 4 counts of felony grand theft and is set to be arraigned in February.

Christina's husband was a major BMOC when he played at UCLA, earning All-American honors in 1998, and went on to play 4 seasons in the NFL.

Ethan Crumbley -- the accused Oxford killer -- was involved in a bizarre accident a year before he shot and killed 4 of his fellow students ... and it seems something was clearly wrong with him.

This video shows then 14-year-old Crumbley in a diner where he worked back in September 2020. Crumbley is walking in a work area and you see him disoriented and wobbly before he collapses, hitting his head on a cabinet. In the video, first obtained by the Daily Mail, he struggles to get up before someone comes over and helps.

The diner's owner says someone on the staff called his parents and sent him home. His mom blamed it on Ethan not eating that day. But the owner has her doubts, saying she thinks it might've been related to his medications.

There's also this ... the diner owner claims Ethan's older brother, Eli, was caught smoking weed on the job -- he also worked at the diner -- and when someone on the staff threatened to call his parents, Eli allegedly responded, "Where do you think I got it from?"

Crumbley was taken into custody and charged in connection with the shooting. He's facing 24 counts total, including 4 counts of first-degree murder and terrorism causing death.

The man cops say is responsible for the shooting death of Jacqueline Avant, the wife of Clarence Avant, has been charged with murder ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. County District Attorney's office announced the charges of murder, attempted murder and felon with a firearm as well as two counts of residential burglary with person present against Aariel Maynor Monday, less than a week after Avant was killed.

George Gascón, the D.A. says, “Mrs. Avant was a treasured member of our community. Her generosity and good will touched so many lives.”

TMZ broke the story, Maynor allegedly broke into the family home around 2:30 the morning of December 1. He then shot and killed Jackie and opened fire on a security guard. Both Clarence and the guard were uninjured.

As we reported, Maynor was arrested the night of the murder when he was found in a backyard 6 miles from the Avant home in the process of committing another crime. Somehow, Maynor shot himself in the foot with the same weapon it's believed he used to kill Avant.

Maynor's motive is currently unknown, but it's possible the Avants fell victim to a random attack at their Trousdale Estates home.

Clarence, known as the "Godfather of Black Music" is a music legend, with a career and influence spanning decades. He and Jacqueline were regulars at public outings, and after her death, tributes poured in across the entertainment and political world.