Crime

Russia's devastating invasion of Ukraine is now taking a direct toll on what should have been a safe haven for kids -- a maternity and children's hospital is in complete shambles.

After the attack -- which appears to have been a direct hit -- President Zelenskyy tweeted out video from inside the hospital, showing the devastation ... and calling it an absolute atrocity.

Zelensky also noted there were several children and adults still trapped under the wreckage and asked, "How much longer will the world be an accomplice ignoring terror?"

He referenced the calls for NATO and/or the U.S. to institute a no-fly zone over his country, saying ... "Close the sky right now! Stop the killings! You have power but you seem to be losing humanity."

It's unclear at this point what the casualties are at the hospital. Sadly, it's just the latest building taken down in Putin's gruesome invasion.

Queretaro, the Mexican soccer team who played host to one of the craziest brawls in recent sports history, was just hit with severe punishment for Saturday's incident ... and will now have to play games in an empty stadium for a year.

As we previously reported, dozens of people were injured, some severely, after a melee broke out during the Queretaro vs. Atlas soccer game at Estadio Corregidora last weekend.

After an investigation, officials in Mexico handed down the punishment on Tuesday ... and they didn't take it easy.

The current Queretaro ownership group has been banned from the league for 5 years ... and the club's previous owners, Grupo Caliente, will lead the charge in finding a new group to purchase the team. If Grupo Caliente can't find a buyer, Liga MX will take over the reins.

On top of the change in ownership, Queretaro will be forced to pay $1.5 million pesos ($70,000) in fines.

The scene was brutal -- fans began fighting in the stands during the match ... and it eventually spilled onto the field, causing the officials to stop the game.

What's in the box?!? Well, it depends who's asking ... because someone stole a box of disembodied human heads -- intended for medical research -- from a company truck in Denver.

And no, we're not kidding!!! Denver Police are investigating after they received a report on March 3 about a theft from a 'Freight Company' truck. Let's put it this way ... the thieves are in for the shock of their lives.

Police say, an unknown suspect or suspects stole a blue and white box of human heads from the parked truck. It happened about a week ago, but cops are now talking about it.

It's unclear if the thief knew the box had human heads inside, but cops say it had a label that said "Exempt Human Specimen."

The case is bizarre ... and has rightly spooked nearby residents.

So far, no arrests have been made ... and, police aren't sure what the suspect(s) might use the heads for or where the heads are headed.

That said, if anyone finds a box containing human heads, they are encouraged to call the Denver Police Department at 720-913-2000 ... after, of course, they come to.

We've seen buildings getting blown to bits from the outside looking in as Russia continues to invade Ukraine -- but here's a peak at the horror from behind closed doors.

This goes without saying ... but it doesn't go without showing. These are photos from inside homes and businesses hit by mortar and missiles throughout the besieged country -- and as you can see, it's utter devastation.

One shot appears to show a gym that's been decimated ... equipment destroyed and scattered about ... totally covered in ash and soot.

There's even some fires that are still going as a result of whatever attack this edifice endured -- again ... just giving you a sense of how bad the property damage is on the ground.

The same can be said for individual people's homes ... which are being turned upside down amid the conflict, with drawers being blown out ... and personal items and debris thrown every which way indoors. Those who are still around are trying to pick up the pieces.

Of course, this is to be expected considering the types of weaponry being unleashed onto the Ukrainian people at the hands of the Russians -- specifically, under the orders of Vladimir Putin. You hear about this stuff, but seeing it is a whole other story.

The combat sports world is rallying behind Cain Velasquez ... with huge names like Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, Kamaru Usman, Rey Mysterio, and more calling on the judge in the UFC legend's case to let him out of jail.

TMZ Sports has learned over 30 people -- many famous -- penned letters to Judge Shelyna Brown asking her to let Velasquez post bail, which would allow him to mount his defense from home, not a cell.

In addition to the UFC honcho and the guys above, others like Bellator boss Scott Coker, Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader, UFC contender Kelvin Gastelum, UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev, UFC featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez, former UFC flyweight champ Brandon Moreno (and many more) sent letters to Judge Brown.

Unfortunately for Velasquez -- who was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and other charges -- it doesn't seem the letters swayed the judge.

Brown denied Cain bail, saying his alleged actions were "reckless," and the "risk is too great" to allow the future UFC Hall of Famer out of county jail.

But, it's the reason behind those so-called "reckless" actions that has motivated so many people -- from stars in the MMA world to ordinary people -- to demand Cain's release.

Velasquez is accused of attempting to kill a man named Harry Goularte ... after the 43-year-old was arrested for allegedly molesting a member of Cain's family -- possibly multiple times.

Now, barring the prosecution changing its position, Velasquez will sit in a jail cell until at least April 12, when he is scheduled to again stand before the judge.

NFL star Richard Sherman just cut a plea deal with prosecutors to close out his infamous trespass case ... and TMZ Sports has learned as part of the agreement, he won't have to serve any more time behind bars if he keeps his nose clean going forward.

According to court documents, Sherman pleaded guilty to one count of negligent driving and one count of criminal trespass on Monday.

In exchange, Sherman was sentenced to 90 days in jail, though he was given credit for 2 days time served, and the remaining 88 days are suspended.

Sherman was also sentenced to monitored supervision for 24 months, and he was also ordered to pay a $500 fine for speeding in a construction zone.

As we reported, Sherman had been facing multiple criminal charges after he allegedly drove drunk, crashed his car, and then exploded at his in-laws' home in Redmond, Wash. in July.

During the alleged incident, Sherman was accused of trying to violently break into his wife's parents' house ... and then fighting with cops after they confronted him outside of the home.

Cops say they eventually had to use a police K9 to ultimately take him down.

Sherman apologized for the whole ordeal shortly after the incident, saying in a statement, "I behaved in a manner I am not proud of."

"I have been dealing with some personal challenges over the last several months, but that is not an excuse for how I acted."

Sherman went on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the arrest, though he was placed on injured reserve in January after playing in just five games.

A plan to sell counterfeit Patrick Mahomes Super Bowl rings has been thwarted ... feds just announced they seized a bunch of fake K.C. Chiefs title bling in a huge bust in Louisville.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Monday that officers intercepted a package that they say contained a small fortune-worth of fake Mahomes merch as well as other counterfeit sports memorabilia.

According to the CBP, the package -- which came from China and was heading toward Florida -- contained 30 fake Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl rings, 110 fake Atlanta Braves World Series rings, 10 fake Milwaukee Bucks NBA championship rings and 80 fake Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rings.

In a photo of some of the seized "jewelry" ... you can see Mahomes' name was engraved on some of the merch, along with his number and the words "Chiefs Kingdom."

The CBP said in total, the package was worth $345,000.

Russia might have an enemy on its hands that's more effective than any other adversary, and that's Anonymous ... which claims to have hijacked Vladimir Putin's regularly scheduled propaganda programming.

The notorious hacking group -- which has been involved in high-profile leaks over the years -- is taking responsibility for the mass disruption of multiple Russian TV broadcasts this weekend ... including a couple of popular streaming services and even some state media channels.

Instead of whatever several news networks were supposed to be playing ... reports and videos on the ground appear to show Anonymous aired real war footage from Ukraine. That's significant because most Russians don't even believe there's a war, or don't see it as Russian aggression.

The hacking would mean Putin's citizens got to see real footage of Ukrainian civilians bombed and forced to flee their homes.

Reportedly, 70 percent of Russians support the invasion of Ukraine, but Russian-run TV has been blasting out the narrative that their country is fighting Nazism and saving Ukraine.

So, to disrupt that thinking ... Anonymous seems to have taken the incredible step of showing them what they're definitely not being exposed to, and hopefully it's a wake-up call. Even if it is though ... Russians face stiff penalties for protesting the war, including years of jail time.

Anonymous sent a message to Putin in late February threatening action like this, and the group claims it's followed through.

Joe Rogan didn't mince words when defending Cain Velasquez in wake of the UFC legend's arrest last week ... saying straight-up he wishes the fighter had beaten his relative's alleged molester "to death."

The UFC analyst explained his stance on a recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," telling Michael Bisping he's firmly on Velasquez's side.

"I mean, my only wish is that he did it with his hands," Rogan told Bisping during a conversation about the allegations against Velasquez.

"My only wish is that he just ran the car off the road, pulled that guy out of the f***ing car, and beat him to death. F*** you."

Bisping wholeheartedly agreed, telling Rogan, "And even that would have been too good for him."

As we reported, Velasquez is accused of attempting to murder Harry Goularte on Feb. 28 after authorities said Goularte molested one of Velasquez's "close" relatives days before.

Cops say Velasquez tried to chase down Goularte and two of his family members on the road in San Jose, CA. ... claiming the 39-year-old rammed his truck into their car, and fired several rounds into it in an attempt to kill Goularte.

Velasquez was eventually arrested and hit with 10 criminal charges over it all, and has been sitting in a jail cell for nearly a week. He's set for a bond hearing in court later Monday afternoon.

Rogan isn't the only one defending Velasquez following the arrest ... UFC fighter Derek Brunson made "Free Cain Velasquez" t-shirts, while Ronda Rousey also backed the former UFC star.

Another brazen display of thievery at a Walgreens went down this week in the Bay Area -- but the difference now ... someone actually tried doing something, with nutritious help.

Check out this wild video of a guy literally going behind the checkout counter at one of these drug stores in the Richmond District of SF -- where these types of smash and grab thefts have become all too common ... with little to no resistance by anyone there.

Per usual, the dude is having his way back there ... snatching up whatever he can and throwing it in a bag, all while the staff standby and call 911 right next to him.

However, this time ... it looks like somebody was sick of playing bystander and wanted to get in the mix a bit, to at least let the thief know -- hey, this isn't cool ... and also, screw you! And so ... they got into a food fight of sorts, with fruit being the first weapon of choice.

The crook and customer trade banana blows, and eventually ... the former throws what appear to be cookies before getting out of Dodge. It's kinda funny, but also surreal.

BTW, this is far from the only incident like this that's occurred at a Walgreens -- not just in the Bay, but across the country it seems ... as thieves seem to have figured out the retail giant will literally not do a thing to stop anyone, as it's against their shoplifting policy.

All they'll do is call the cops, but by the time they show ... a lot of these folks are long gone. Even the hired security guards have orders not to interfere -- and it's becoming untenable, as Walgreens has recently announced mass store closures, citing these hits as a partial reason.

YFN Lucci is desperate to get out of jail as he awaits trial in his murder case ... because he thinks he might literally die behind bars if he stays locked up.

According to new legal docs, the rapper claims a fellow inmate at the Fulton County Jail stabbed him last month ... and he also says he's been told there's a bounty on his head among inmates.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, YFN Lucci claims he was stabbed from behind while on a video call with someone on the outside ... and he says the other inmate used a homemade shank to stab him.

Since the alleged stabbing back on Feb. 9, YFN Lucci claims he's been told there's a price on his head ... and he fears his life is in jeopardy if he remains in custody.

As a result, YFN Lucci is asking the judge to grant him bond so he can get the hell outta jail ... and he says he would be down with 24-hour home confinement and wear a monitoring device if he gets out.

Remember ... Lucci is in jail right now because prosecutors said he violated the previous bond conditions in his murder case by going to a strip club and a recording studio.

So, it will be interesting to see if he gets another shot.

We reached out to YFN Lucci's lawyer and the jail ... so far no word back.

"Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn narrowly escaped violent intruders early Friday ... and what saved them is some sturdy glass.

Christine, her husband, Christian Richards, and their son were sound asleep when they were awakened by some noise outside the house.

They apparently didn't see anything when they peered outside, but when they checked their security footage they were horrified to see 2 armed people trying to break in through a window.

What saved them from a home invasion robbery -- triple-pane glass that just wouldn't crack.

They called 911 and cops got there in minutes, but the robbers escaped.

Christine lives in the Hollywood Hills above the Sunset Strip. That area, along with others in the L.A. area, have been hit hard by crime over the last year.

Christine says the window the robbers were trying to break was 4 feet from her bedroom. She says it was the most horrifying moment of her life.

The man who shot and killed Jacqueline Avant -- wife of entertainment legend Clarence Avant -- will go to prison for murdering her and will, most likely, spend the rest of his life there.

Aariel Maynor pleaded guilty Thursday to murdering the 81-year-old philanthropist back in December ... according to L.A. County D.A. George Gascón. You'll recall, Maynor broke into the Avants' Beverly Hills home in the middle of the night, and opened fire with an "assault long barrel pistol" when he ran into Jacqueline. He also shot at, but missed, a security guard.

Jacqueline was taken to a hospital, but she died of her injuries

The D.A. says Maynor will be sentenced on March 30, and the judge can give him 170 years to life in prison. He will also be ineligible for parole.

Police captured Maynor about an hour after the Avant murder when he attempted to burglarize a Hollywood Hills home, and accidentally shot himself in the foot.

The brazen and brutal crime shook Hollywood to its core, as the Avants have been loved and respected in the entertainment biz for decades. They have deep ties to

Ronda Rousey is throwing her support behind Cain Velasquez following his attempted murder arrest earlier this week ... saying if the allegations are true, she "would have done the same thing" as the UFC legend.

The WWE star explained her stance on her social media page Thursday ... saying she doesn't blame Velasquez one bit for allegedly going after the man who was accused of molesting one of his close relatives.

In fact, Rousey -- whose husband Travis Browne lost to Velasquez at UFC 200 in 2016 -- said if she had been in Cain's position ... she might have done "worse."

As we previously reported, Velasquez was arrested on Monday in San Jose, CA. after he allegedly tried to kill Harry Goularte, a 43-year-old man who law enforcement says inappropriately touched one of Velasquez's family members at a child care facility days earlier.

In court documents, officials say Velasquez chased Goularte and his family members in his black Ford F250 ... rammed them, and then shot at them repeatedly, ultimately striking Goularte's stepdad in the arm.

Velasquez was eventually hit with 10 criminal charges, including felony attempted murder, over the incident ... and if he's convicted on all counts, he's facing decades behind bars.

Legendary college hoops coach Jim Boeheim says his wife, Juli Boeheim, is still "shook up" days after she was robbed at gunpoint in New York.

Boeheim joined Syracuse commentator Brent Axe's radio show on ESPN on Wednesday, where Axe asked Jim how his wife was doing following her traumatic ordeal.

"She's definitely shook up," Boeheim said. "I mean, this isn't television. It's not movies. It's real life."

The Syracuse men's basketball coach told the ESPN host that Juli is handling the situation better than most people would, but it's still not easy for her.

"She's a little shook," Jim said, "but I think she's doing much better than could be expected."

As we reported, law enforcement said Juli was sitting in her car in the Destiny USA parking lot in New York around 2 PM on Monday, when a "juvenile looking male" approached her, pointed a gun at her, and then grabbed her purse before running away.

The Syracuse Police Department confirmed that officers responded to the parking lot a short time later for a report of a 55-year-old woman who was robbed.

Fortunately, Juli did not sustain any injuries in the incident, and Jim says she was actually more concerned about the kid's well-being than her own.

"Her main thought was, 'Let's help this kid,'" the hoops coach said. "That's what she does and what we do with our foundation is try to help these kids."

Just hours after Cain Velasquez was hit with 10 criminal charges on Wednesday stemming from his alleged role in a Monday shooting ... he appeared in a courtroom in shackles.

Velasquez was flanked by an officer and wore a COVID mask ... and looked stern as he faced the judge.

According to sources close to the UFC legend, he was not granted bail at the hearing ... and instead will now be forced to remain in custody until his next court date next week.

As we reported, prosecutors hit Velasquez with one count of felony attempted murder and several other charges after they alleged he tried to a kill man who has been accused of molesting one of his close relatives.

In court docs, officials say Velasquez opened fire on the man and his family members as they were driving in San Jose on Monday afternoon.

Velasquez has yet to publicly issue any comment on the situation -- and he did not enter a plea at Wednesday's hearing.

Many of Velasquez's peers in the fighting world have thrown their support behind the UFC legend following his arrest, with Derek Brunson even making T-shirts to try to raise money for Cain's legal fees.