Crime

Jeffrey Dahmer-inspired Halloween costumes have already gotten a ton of backlash, but more than anything they're evil and exploit families ... so says one victim's mom, who is urging folks to stay clear of them.

Tony Hughes was a deaf, non-vocal victim among the 17 young men murdered by Dahmer. His mom, Shirley, tells TMZ … it's already super triggering to see a hit Netflix series about the serial killer, much less folks dressing like the killer.

Most big retail stores have opted out of selling JD costumes given all the outrage, but many folks have flocked to online stores, such as eBay, to sell Jeffrey Dahmer costume props ... including blonde wigs, retro-style tops and even the wire-rimmed glasses.

Shirley says it hurts for Netflix and all the online stores to profit off her son's death, while none of the victims' families have seen a dime. She feels all the eBay ads should be taken down ... or at the very least, give the profits to the families.

While folks are able to dress like Dahmer for fun, the pain never goes away for Shirley. She says, if Netflix hadn't streamed the show, none of the families would be re-victimized ... and then there'd be no Dahmer costumes this year.

Dahmer was sentenced to life in prison in 1992 ... he was beaten to death in prison in 1994.

A suspected serial killer is in custody in Northern California -- and police say they caught the guy while he was looking for his next victim ... this after 6 lives have already been taken.

43-year-old Wesley Brownlee was arrested Saturday morning in Stockton ... where Police Chief Stanley McFadden says he appeared to be scoping out a new person to kill. Stockton PD were surveilling him and stopped Brownlee after he left his house in a car around 2 AM. Upon a search, they say they found him armed with a gun and a mask around his neck.

Chief McFadden says there's no doubt in their minds he was "out hunting" and that they stopped another killing. Brownlee was booked for homicide -- although it's unclear if all of the murders are being pinned on him right off the bat.

Six men have been slain dating back to April 2021 -- all of whom were ambushed, shot and killed. Five took place in the Stockton area up through September, and the final one happened in Oakland more than a year ago. A seventh victim, a woman, was also shot in Stockton last year, but survived. A good handful of the victims are said to be homeless.

No motive has been ascribed ... none of the victims were beaten or robbed, simply shot and killed. Eventually, police declared they had evidence linking the murders -- and announced a manhunt to find the killer ... offering up as high as a $125k reward for help from the public.

Scary day for Kim Kardashian ... a would-be intruder nearly made his way into her home this weekend, but the guy was stopped just steps away from the front door.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... a man was arrested Saturday around 11 AM after wandering onto Kim's Hidden Hills property unannounced and uninvited. We're told he somehow made it past her gated community entrance and found his way to Kim's mansion.

Our sources security intercepted him and actually detained him right on the grounds -- but he didn't go down easy ... we're told there was a scuffle before he was ultimately pinned.

The cops were called and the man ended up getting taken away in cuffs. Our law enforcement sources say he was booked on battery and trespassing charges. We're also told this gentleman is known to the sheriff's deputies in the area, specifically at this location ... where he's apparently been caught on surveillance video before.

Sources say the man has an infatuation with Kim, but luckily ... it didn't come to fruition today. Unclear if Kim or any of her kids were home -- but a close call either way.

It's far from the first alleged trespasser who's landed on the doorstep of a KarJenner -- it's happened to Kylie, Kendall and others in the family as well. Might be time to start building moats around these places ... seems way too easy for randos to access off the streets.

Megan Thee Stallion's L.A. home was ransacked by a pair of thieves who made their way into her bedroom -- taking hundreds of thousands in goods.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ two men, wearing hoodies and gloves smashed a glass door at the back of Meg's pad Thursday night ... giving them access inside. We're told from there, the men went into the primary bedroom.

Our sources say the crooks took an estimated $300-$400K in jewelry, cash and electronics from inside the home. Luckily, we're told Meg was not home when the men broke in.

At this time, police have not made any arrests, but we're told there's home surveillance of the break-in, and detectives are working to obtain more video and evidence from neighbors that could help them catch those responsible.

As for Meg ... she's set to host "Saturday Night Live" this Saturday. Usually, rehearsals will start Tuesday for celeb guest hosts, so it's likely that Meg's been out of town the whole week.

Jeffrey Dahmer costumes might not be on the shelves at major stores this Halloween ... but that isn't stopping folks from hawking the killer costume online.

Tons of costume items inspired by the serial killer are up for sale on eBay, despite outrage from folks who say the costume, given Dahmer's history, is just downright disrespectful.

Folks on the site are selling everything from Jeffrey Dahmer-style glasses to a shirt similar to the one worn by actor Evan Peters in the new Netflix series. Some of the props for sale are made for children's costumes ... like a JD-inspired wig.

One kid already had social media up in arms after his rendition of the killer went viral, with folks suggesting anyone in Dahmer gear should be beaten up.

Halloween costume retailers Spirit, Halloween.com, and Party City all are not selling any official Jeffrey Dahmer costumes.

Dahmer killed 17 people and was convicted of 16 murders and sentenced to life in prison in 1992. He was beaten to death behind bars.

The jury has recommended life in prison for Nikolas Cruz, the gunman who murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 ... and the judge is delaying sentencing until November 1.

In an emotional sentencing hearing Thursday the judge read the jury's verdict of life without parole after they were unable to unanimously decide on the death penalty.

The jury of 7 men and 5 women discussed the 24-year-old's fate Wednesday and came back with their sentence Thursday morning in a Fort Lauderdale courthouse.

Family members of Cruz's 17 victims were very obviously angry sitting inside the courtroom -- many shaking their heads and crying in disbelief. Cruz sat expressionless.

As for the delay, the judge agreed to give surviving victims a chance to be heard before the judge issues the sentence.

Cruz pled guilty last year to 34 counts -- 17 charges of murder and 17 charges of attempted murder.

In the sentencing phase, multiple witnesses took the stand to describe the pain and horror they endured as a result of the massacre. There were cell phone videos jurors saw ... showing students hiding in fear as gunshots rang out.

Attorneys for Cruz highlighted his mental health struggles, and they called witnesses who testified his illness was triggered by his biological mother's drug use while she was pregnant.

During his courtroom appearance, he went on a bizarre rant and begged the families of the victims to give him a second chance ... claiming he wanted to be spared so he could help others.

As you know, Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland in February 2018.

It remains one of the deadliest high school shootings in U.S. history.

In a separate case, Cruz also pled guilty to assault and battery charges for attacking a jail guard in 2018 after the whole thing was caught on camera.

The 2 men who seemingly won a fishing contest by stuffing their catch with weights encased in fish filets have been hooked by a grand jury, that just nailed them with multiple felonies.

Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominski were just indicted for attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools ... both felonies. They've also been charged with the misdemeanor of unlawfully owning wild animals.

It's a crazy story ... the 2 guys were in a competition on Lake Erie at the Walleye Trail tourney when they allegedly hooked what seemed to be 2, 7-pound walleyes. Apparently, some of the honchos were suspicious, cut the fish open and found the weights and filets. The fish actually weighed around 4-5 lbs.

Had they been declared the winners, they would have pocketed $28,760.

These guys have been under suspicion for cheating in other tournaments. They were investigated by cops for similar types of cheating, but there wasn't enough evidence to charge them.

NFL superstar Davante Adams was cited for assault for shoving a photog to the ground after Monday Night Football ... with court docs saying the victim suffered whiplash, a headache and possible minor concussion.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Kansas City Municipal Court records show 29-year-old Adams -- listed as 6'2", 210 pounds -- received a citation on Wednesday for pushing Ryan Zebley using two hands.

We broke the story -- Zebley called cops and filed a police report following the incident ... claiming he had to go to the hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Adams has since apologized for his actions ... saying, "I wanted to say sorry to him for that because that was just frustration mixed with him literally just running in front of me."

"I shouldn't have responded that way, but that's how I initially responded. So, I want to apologize to him for that."

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels is backing Adams ... saying he knows he's a good person and doesn't believe there was any intent behind the push.

Shoreline rapper OhGeesy is free to go chase the bands again -- the Burbank prosecutor declined the gun and drug case he caught in September ... due to a lack of evidence.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... OhGeesy was a passenger in a car leaving a close friend's funeral in the L.A. area when cops pulled them over, and ended up arresting him and 3 others for a gun found in the vehicle.

The prosector's office tells us the 28-year-old is now in the clear.

Prosecutors also declined to move forward with charging OhGeesy for a bottle of codeine they claim was in his pocket. We're told the DA is still pursuing charges against some of the other individuals in the vehicle.

OhGeesy's attorney, Michael A. Goldstein, welcomed the change of fortune, telling TMZ Hip Hop ... “As stated previously, we were looking forward to OhGeesy’s day in court. I have an innocent client and the Prosecutor made the right call dismissing the case.”

OhGeesy just wrapped up his nationwide tour with fellow Cali rappers BlueBucksClan and we're told he's now laying out the blueprint for his next project, "Geezyworld 2."

The photographer shoved to the ground by Davante Adams after the Raiders-Chiefs "MNF" game has officially filed a police report against the NFL superstar, claiming he was injured during the incident and had to go to the hospital.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the man went to cops at Arrowhead Stadium at around 10:30 PM -- just moments after Adams had pushed him following the Raiders' 30-29 loss.

Authorities tell us the man claimed he was the victim of an assault. They say he told them he suffered injuries ... though they were "thought to be non-life threatening."

They added that the man was later transported to the hospital.

Cops say they are investigating it all -- and following the completion of the probe, detectives "will coordinate with the applicable city or state prosecutor to determine any applicable charges."

For his part, Adams apologized for his role in the incident -- once at his locker following the game, and then again on Twitter.

"I wanted to say sorry to him for that because that was just frustration mixed with him literally just running in front of me," said the 29-year-old, who signed a five year, $140 million contract with Vegas this offseason. "I shouldn't have responded that way, but that's how I initially responded. So, I want to apologize to him for that."

It's unclear if the NFL is seeking punishment for the wideout.

"Not Okay" star Zoey Deutch is certainly not doing OK, after burglars hit her L.A. Area home.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... Zoey arrived home earlier this month to discover a door smashed in and her home a mess. Our sources say the culprit(s) made off with over $300,000 in cash and jewelry.

It's not a situation we've seen recently, where a celeb leaves town and lets the world know. She was in L.A. and was just out for a few hours.

Zoey is not the only celebrity victim lately. TMZ broke the story ... Arsenio Hall's house was hit twice in a matter of weeks, both times while he was home, and Rapper Tee Grizzley was recently hit for over a million dollars in jewelry and cash.

As for Zoey's case -- cops are looking at video in Zoey's neighborhood in an effort to identify the crooks, but as of now ... no arrests have been made.

The 17-year-old shot multiple times by a cop while eating outside a McDonald's is on life support after several of his organs were punctured ... TMZ has learned.

Erik Cantu's family, through his attorney Brian Powers, tells TMZ the teen has undergone multiple surgeries to repair major organs that were damaged -- a result of the gunfire.

Erik's being closely monitored as the system keeps his lungs operating. He still remains sedated to hopefully ease the pain and discomfort he'd face if conscious.

Erik is struggling, and the recovery won't be easy for him, but his family thanks everyone for sending prayers ... asking for more of that love during this time of uncertainty.

As we reported, bodycam footage -- released by police last week -- showed San Antonio PD Officer James Brennand shoot multiple times at the unarmed kid. Brennand was at the location for an unrelated call ... but Cantu had apparently evaded Brennand on another call the day before.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have suspended Ian Cole ... after the defenseman was accused of grooming and sexually abusing a woman when she was a minor, the team announced Sunday.

"Our organization takes these allegations very seriously," Lightning officials said in a statement. "While we continue to gather more details, we have decided to suspend Ian Cole pending the results of an investigation."

"No members of the organization, including players, will comment further at this time."

On Friday, an anonymous Twitter user posted a lengthy statement alleging that Cole had emotionally and sexually abused her when she was in high school.

The accuser claimed Cole "was very well aware of my age and that I was a teen in high school," and said the hockey player had pressured her to have sex with him and to "do things without my consent, that I had made clear to him I was not ok with."

Cole -- who's played in the NHL for 15 seasons -- adamantly denied the allegations in a statement released Sunday night.

"I take the allegations made against me today in an anonymous tweet very seriously," he said.

"I completely deny these allegations and will fully cooperate with the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning, their offices, and legal departments in the forthcoming investigation."

According to ESPN, the suspension is considered paid leave.

"Shahs of Sunset" star Mike Shouhed is no longer facing a domestic violence charge for allegedly roughing up his fiancée ... that is, if he follows through with a few classes, including a gun safety course.

According to court documents, Mike cut a deal with prosecutors that got a slew of misdemeanor charges dismissed from his domestic violence arrest. Most notably, domestic violence, battery and unlawfully attempting to dissuade a witness were all dropped.

Per the docs, prosecutors agreed to let Mike enter into a diversion program to close out his case -- meaning he won't have to plead to any charges as long as he successfully completes the terms of the program.

Mike agreed to take anger management and parenting classes, along with performing community service and completing a gun safety course.

Mike was also facing a handful of weapons charges -- including criminal storage of a loaded firearm and possession of an assault weapon -- so another condition is he's now barred from owning or possessing any weapons during the 2-year diversion program.

As we reported ... Mike was arrested back in March for allegedly getting physical with a woman during a fight, who was later identified as his fiancée, Paulina Ben-Cohen.

Mike and Paulina, who have been engaged since 2021, went to Los Cabos for a getaway only a few weeks after his arrest ... with Mike showing tons of affection to Paulina's kids during a day on the beach.

Mike's attorney, George Mgdesyan, tells TMZ, "In this case, the DA didn’t bring this case because they saw the facts like I did. If this case was brought to trial, the prosecution would not be able to prove it. All my client’s guns were legal, in his bedroom that was locked with a keypad. No one was allowed in the master bedroom."

He continues, "It was unfortunate that there was one weapon registered to my client before laws changed, and it was a technical violation. However, the City Attorney’s Office charged him with gun charges. In light of the offer, he was not convicted and will earn a dismissal that’s in his best interest because the domestic violence charges were dismissed. If the domestic violence charges were not dismissed, we would proceed to trial. It was a no brainer."

A Hooters in Texas came under intense assault this week -- with a group of youths going crazy on the establishment and their customers ... supposedly, because of some candy.

Video from the altercation first surfaced on Thursday -- when the incident appears to have happened -- but started making the rounds this weekend ... and the footage is absolutely wild. You see a bunch of young guys, some of whom are shirtless, losing their minds.

They're beating up what appear to be patrons in the vestibule of the restaurant ... wailing on one guy in particular who falls to his knees. Some of the employees -- including at least one Hooters girl -- also seem to get roped into the action ... with complete chaos unfolding.

One person filming says something to the effect of ... "all over chocolate," and you even see a chocolate bar on the ground at one point. Welp, as it turns out -- that's exactly what allegedly sparked this whole thing ... according to a Hooters manager who spoke to TMZ.

We're told these guys are door-to-door salesmen and that they came around that night trying to hawk their goods, only to be turned away over a no-soliciting policy Hooters has -- which is apparently what set them off.

There weren't more details provided, but the Hooters manager says they've resumed business and that a criminal investigation is ongoing.

We've reached out to the local authorities, including Plano PD, to see if anything further came from this ... so far, no word back.

Actor Ray Buffer is being accused by a San Diego comic book store of stealing some pricey comics ... and the store says security footage appears to show him stuffing 'em up his shirt.

Southern California Comics in San Diego alleges it has Ray on video stealing $600 worth of comic books, and the store filed a police report with SDPD and is handing over evidence to police, including their security footage.

SDPD tells TMZ police took a report for petty theft and are investigating the incident.

The comic book store says it got even more evidence -- which it will be turning over to police -- after warning other stores about Ray in a Facebook post before he had been identified.

The owners tell us Metropolis Comics in L.A. sent them some eerily similar security footage from when Ray was there. In that video, the owner confronts him after seeing him pull the same move, and this time he puts the comics back and leaves as the owner threatens to call police.

Ray, who has appeared in TV shows like "ER" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm," deleted all of his social media accounts after the comic book store posted the video online.

Bookstores are always on edge about this kind of theft, because some comics are worth a lot of money -- we've reported about rare comics getting auctioned off for large sums. That's why most stores have such great security cameras.