Crime

New video taken the night that Russell disappeared in Alabama appears to show the moment she pulled over on a highway to help a child ... this before mysteriously vanishing.

According to AL.com, the surveillance footage -- which was just published Saturday -- was recorded by an online company that captures and archives live traffic footage ... and it looks like they caught the exact moment that the 25-year-old came to a stop on the shoulder of I-459 in Hoover, Alabama Thursday night ... when she was first reported missing by her family.

It's a disturbing story ... cops say Russell called 911 that night to report seeing a lone child walking along the interstate, and she came to a screeching halt herself to get out and help.

Russell is said to have also been on the phone with her brother's GF, who says she heard Carlee calling out to the child ... asking if they were okay. Then, she claims to have heard Carlee scream before the phone dropped, with only the sound of traffic being heard after.

When police arrived to the scene ... they found her car and belongings -- including her phone, but Russell was nowhere to be found. Ditto for the kid she reported seeing.

Now, in the wake of this new footage -- which police say they have and are examining -- people are picking it apart ... and some even claim to see something that could give a clue as to what happened. In many people's eyes ... this looks to be an abduction via luring.

The reason people believe that -- aside from the eerie details of the case -- has to do with a bright yellow light that can be seen in this footage ... which darts south in the video at a rapid speed, but then goes dark. Unclear what the light may be -- but it seems suspicious.

Her family has been sounding the alarm since, asking the public to help bring her back ... and there's even been a huge reward offered for her return, now increased to $50,000.

Cops released a new photo of Carlee -- seen above, where she's got short hair -- and say this is a more accurate depiction/what she may have looked like the night she went missing.

French President Emmanuel Macron was reportedly given the finger this week, but not in the way you'd think  ... this one was severed from a human being and sent to him in the mail.

Macron was the recipient of the gory delivery Monday, according to news outlet London Evening Standard ... which says the digit showed up at the  Élysée Palace in Paris without a note. We don't know if Macron ever personally saw what was inside.

A source claims police immediately put the finger in their communal fridge, where snacks are usually kept, to keep it preserved ahead of testing -- which came back to show it was from a living human being.

The outlet says the person missing the finger was located and given medical support ... although they weren't identified. It's unclear if any arrests have been made.

France has been dealing with a lot of unrest lately -- waves of riots erupted after cops in Paris fatally shot 17-year-old French Algerian Nahel Merzouk last week. He was allegedly trying to drive away from the officers during a traffic stop.

Kevin Spacey testified Thursday at his London sex assault trial calling one of his accusers a backstabber -- and described their intimate moments as purely consensual while claiming he’s just a "big flirt."

The Oscar-winning actor took the stand in Southwark Crown Court and went down memory lane, laying out his relationship with one of the 4 men he’s accused of sexually assaulting.

Spacey described the man as funny, charming and flirtatious -- and their relationship as "romantic" and "somewhat sexual." Kevin also testified, "I liked him greatly. We had a good time together. We laughed a lot."

Kevin continued, "I never thought that (the man) I knew would … 20 years later stab me in the back," which Spacey says "crushed" him emotionally.

Spacey then testified he was the dominant partner in their relationship, adding, "I'm a flirt, I'm a big flirt." He categorically denied molesting the man, saying it was all consensual.

"It didn’t happen in a violent, aggressive, painful way," Spacey told the jury, explaining, "It was gentle and it was touching and it was, in my mind, romantic."

Kevin also testified they never actually had sex because the man made it clear he didn’t want to take it to that level. "And I respected that," Spacey testified, while dismissing the other allegations against him because, in his view, they made "no logical sense."

Spacey further testified his accusers were simply retaliating against him after they regretted getting intimate with him.

Spacey has pleaded not guilty to 12 criminal charges, including indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Zayn Malik is finally opening up about his infamous confrontation with Yolanda Hadid a couple of years ago ... and firmly believes he handled the aftermath nearly perfectly.

The singer chatted with Alex Cooper on Wednesday's episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast -- saying he usually keeps quiet when folks online go after him, and he'd decided to take the same approach when he was charged with harassment for the 2021 altercation.

He admits the last thing he wanted was to have an explosive back-and-forth publicly between Yolanda and him, because he wouldn't want his 2-year-old daughter, Khai -- whom he shares with Yolanda's daughter, Gigi -- to see that later in life.

Zayn said he recognizes every family has issues, but believes it should stay within the family ... of course, being a celeb almost always throws that possibility out the window.

TMZ broke the story, sources told us Zayn struck Yolanda in the Pennsylvania home he shared back then with Gigi, and he was charged with 4 criminal offenses of harassment. He eventually pled no contest.

During the altercation, Zayn allegedly called Yolanda a "f***ing Dutch slut," told her to "stay away from [my] f***ing daughter" ... and shoved her into a dresser. He denies it got physical.

A man claiming to have a gun is barricaded in a hotel room at Caesars Palace, holding a woman against her will, and chucking large items through a window ... and now, SWAT's on the scene.

Cops say this started Tuesday morning with a call for possible domestic violence at the famed casino resort. When officers arrived, they say the man bolted into a room as they were trying to make contact -- he told them he wasn't coming out. Not just that, but he said he was armed.

BTW, Metro PD says he's not in there by himself ... the guy yanked a woman into the room with him before things went south -- and now, he's shattered windows as he throws items out of his room ... which is on a high floor. One reported object that's come down is a chair.

The authorities are telling people to clear the area or to take cover ... and there are videos and photos circulating online showing guests and passersby doing just that, hiding in fear.

Considering the man might have a weapon on him, and could start firing out the windows ... the police have called in SWAT officers who are getting into position throughout the area. A crisis negotiating team is also on site.

Police say no shots have been fired yet.

Of course, what comes to mind here is the 2017 Las Vegas massacre ... where Stephen Paddock opened fire from a hotel room in the Mandalay Bay Hotel during a music festival, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds of others.

Lady Gaga just won a legal case over her huge dog reward offer that a woman was trying to claim -- 'cause a judge just told her ... ya can't have your stolen cake and eat it too.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a judge tossed Jennifer McBride's lawsuit against the singer ... in which she was attempting to get a court to force Gaga to fork over a $500k reward that she promised to anyone who helped recover her stolen pets in 2021.

The judge said one major problem with McBride's lawsuit -- she was actually convicted in connection to that crime ... namely, pleading no contest to knowingly receiving stolen property.

Hizzoner makes it clear in the ruling -- saying allowing McBride to pursue the claims "would allow her to benefit from her admitted wrongdoing."  Lady Gaga has called it ridiculous ... now, a court agrees. AKA, uh ... duh!  The judge did say McBride would have 20 days to try to amend the complaint, but it's not clear how she could find a way around the ruling.

You'll recall ... Gaga's 2 Frenchies were jacked in plain sight out in Hollywood -- being taken at gunpoint, no less, and with some injury sustained by LG's dog walker, Ryan Fischer. He was shot at the time and hospitalized, but eventually (and thankfully) made a full recovery.

"Snowfall" star Damson Idris' home was subject to a burglary earlier this month ... but we're told the damage the thieves caused in the home outweighed what they got away with in goods.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the alleged thieves broke into Damson's L.A.-area house July 3, smashing a glass door to get inside.

We're told they eventually left with Damson's small safe, but the joke's on them -- because our sources say it only held about $500 worth of stuff ... though it's not totally clear what was inside.

What's more, we're told the suspects did more damage breaking in and stealing the safe than what they took home -- telling us it's about a $2K bill to fix what was busted.

LAPD is investigating the incident -- we're told cops will be reviewing the security cameras in the house and will be checking out neighbors' videos too. So far, no arrests have been made.

Shocking new video shows a gunman sticking up an Arizona toy store while kids are frozen in fear with their hands up.

The surveillance footage, recently obtained by AZFamily news, captures the masked thief brandishing his pistol as he barges into Teddy Bears El Paraiso in Mesa, AZ, on April 16.

He first points the gun at two customers and orders them to stand against a wall along with three children -- one of whom was playing on the floor.

The intruder then goes to the counter and demands money from the register as the scared customers raise their arms above their heads.

A shop manager starts handing over bills to the robber, who suddenly gets impatient, reaching over the counter and grabbing the cash drawer.

Meanwhile, another shopper unwittingly walks into the store and he, too, ends up against the wall with his hands up.

Beyoncé's mom, Tina Knowles, is having more trouble at home ... cops say her place was hit by burglars, who made off with seven figures worth of cash and jewels.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... there was a recent break-in at Tina's Los Angeles-area estate and cops were told a safe with over $1 million in cash and jewelry was missing -- the entire safe!

We're told the break-in was discovered Wednesday morning, when someone from Tina's camp stopped by the home and discovered the missing vault.

Our sources say Tina was out of town when the incident happened, and it's unclear how the alleged thieves got inside and removed the safe.

Cops are on the case ... they're looking for video and talking to some of Tina's neighbors. So far, we're told no hot leads.

TMZ broke the story ... cops arrested a man outside Tina's home back in April after they say he caused minor damage to her mailbox by throwing rocks.

A man was spotted on camera allegedly trying to hold up an ATL nail salon, but ultimately failed -- all thanks to the staff and customers who couldn't care less about his demands.

The attempted robbery gone wrong went down this week at Nail First, and in the security footage, the man holds up what you'd assume is a weapon inside his bag ... shouting at everyone in the spot to hand over the cash.

Shockingly, his brute request fell on deaf ears -- he even goes up to the man behind the counter, who seems too busy for his BS ... taking a phone call and walking away.

The guy does snatch the phone from one woman, who ends up walking out of the building -- but everyone else remains chill ... and after some painfully-awkward silence, the guy just takes off without stealing any dough.

Crime Stoppers is working on finding the wannabe crook, according to Fox5 Atlanta ... and customer Lesa Barrow told the outlet the owner was scared at first but kept his cool to keep everyone else calm.

New York Yankees relief pitcher Jimmy Cordero will not take the mound again this season ... the MLB has suspended him for the rest of the year for violating its domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.

In making the announcement, league officials said Cordero has accepted the punishment ... and the ban will begin immediately.

As part of the policy, the 31-year-old will now also have to "participate in a confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program," the league added.

The MLB and the Yankees did not reveal the specific allegations against Cordero that led to the suspension ... though New York officials said in a statement they "are fully supportive" of the decision.

"There is no justification for domestic violence," the Yankees said, "and we stand with the objectives, standards, and enforcement of MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy."

Cordero had pitched in 31 games for the Pinstripes this season ... earning a 3-2 record and a 3.86 ERA. He had just thrown for the team on Sunday.

Punk rock legend Johnny Rotten says he has an obsessed stalker in his midst who's been hitting him up on his phone and even coming to his house.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the Sex Pistols singer told L.A. County Sheriff's deputies a fan started harassing him last month by dropping letters in Johnny's mailbox -- and he says she picked up the pace, FAST.

Johnny said the woman took it to the next level by trespassing onto his Los Angeles-area property and strolling around his backyard. He says he even came face-to-face with her, and told her to scram.

That's when Johnny claims he started getting phone calls from her -- and that's when he decided to file a stalking report with the sheriff's department, which is now investigating.

'Rust' armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed allegedly ditched a bag of cocaine, handing it off to another person in the hours after Halyna Hutchins was killed ... this according to prosecutors.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors claim to have a witness who says Gutierrez-Reed transferred a "small bag of cocaine" to them on October 21, 2021 ... after she sat through an interview with police following Hutchins' on-set death.

They say the alleged handoff demonstrates that Reed was trying to avoid prosecution and hide evidence that would further implicate her involvement in the fatal shooting.

Prosecutors say the witness had concerns about coming forward ... telling them, "I will never be able to work in the film industry again." Prosecutors are now asking for a protective order, keeping the person off any publicly-available witness lists and barring Gutierrez-Reed's camp from releasing the witness' identity.

As we reported, Gutierrez-Reed's been charged with tampering with evidence in relation to the alleged passed-off cocaine.

The first police officer on the scene of the Allen, TX mass shooting last month wasted no time in grabbing his weapon and engaging the gunman ... all captured in dramatic body cam footage.

The footage, released Wednesday, starts with the unnamed Allen PD officer talking to a family in the parking lot of the Allen Premium Outlets in a friendly exchange about the importance of wearing seatbelts ... when all of a sudden, gunshots ring out.

The officer immediately goes from nice guy to action hero -- immediately grabbing his rifle and running toward the gunshots -- all while radioing to his supervisors for assistance.

As the officer gets closer, he sees bodies on the ground, letting his dispatcher know it appears to be a mass-shooter event. Finally, the officer gets eyes on the gunman, and opens fire -- taking him down with multiple shots.

The hero cop is eventually joined by another officer, and they approach the body of the shooter, Mauricio Garcia, sprawled out and bloody.

It's absolutely stunning and admirable how quickly this officer sprung into action ... and he very likely saved numerous lives that day.

As we've reported ... Garcia shot and killed 8 people -- including several minors -- and injured 7 others in his rampage. No motive has been identified for his actions ... but he spewed hate online and even sported swastika tattoos.

Armie Hammer's closed the book on a lot of drama in his life -- and now, he's turning the page with a little summer getaway ... with a new woman in his life.

The actor -- who has mostly remained out of the public eye for the past 2 years -- was spotted out in the Italian city of Santa Margherita Wednesday ... where he was dressed in a breezy outfit, and rocking sandals to boot. He also had company ... of the mysterious blonde variety.

The pair walked down the street, side by side. There weren't a whole lot of other people around -- and doesn't seem like anybody really recognized/bothered 'em.

Eyewitnesses tell us they hit up a little pizzeria that was mostly secluded and tucked away. By the looks of it -- they kinda had the space to themselves. We're told they sipped coffee and chitchatted with one another ... looking totally comfortable and relaxed. They also shared a kiss and held hands so, yeah, it's romantic.

Armie recently settled his divorce with Elizabeth Chambers and the judge is expected to sign off on the divorce soon.

Armie's been cleared after the LAPD investigated him for almost 2 years after a rape allegation, but the case went nowhere. The D.A. turned thumbs-down for lack of evidence, so he's clearly getting on with his life.

Nicki Minaj is fully in the corner of the Chicago 14-year-old who shot and killed a man to protect his mom while she was being attacked, saying she's willing to help him go to college.

The rapper chimed in on the viral case, which has spurred a lot of conversation online over the past week or so. She took to IG to sound off, and it's clear she believes the 14-year-old and his mother did absolutely nothing wrong here ... even if it cost a life.

Nicki passionately writes, "That 14-year-old boy that backed dat hammer out when that grown ass man was punching his mother in the face as if she were a MAN; is a true hero."

She continues ... "If he wants to go to college, I'd love to help. It's what ANY son should've done for their MOTHER. She raised a dope kid & should be so proud. Also, God knew b4 she knew; that she'd be attacked that day & made sure they had protection on DECK."

NM finishes with a simple message, "God is GOOD." Now, as for her offer of assistance for higher education -- she didn't really elaborate ... but ya gotta figure she's talking about cash here. If the kid sees this, it'll be interesting to see if he takes her up on it.

As for the case itself ... it's a doozy. Carlishia Hood and her son were charged with first-degree murder after the teen shot and killed 32-year-old Jeremy Brown on June 18 at a restaurant ... this after an argument ensued inside, and Brown was filmed repeatedly punching Hood in the head.

Right as he's wailing on her, her son enters the restaurant from outside and opens fire on Brown. Cops say Brown then fled, but allege that Hood ordered her son to finish the job and continue shooting him outside ... which he then did. Brown died from gunshot wounds.

Amid a lot of uproar, Cook County prosecutors dropped all the charges against the mother and son ... saying they didn't have enough evidence to proceed with a prosecution. Since then, Hood has sued the City of Chicago and a few cops too ... claiming she was unjustly arrested/charged -- and that the whole ordeal has caused a lot of emotional distress.

Her legal team has been echoing what a lot of others have argued -- namely, that the use of deadly force here was justified and that Hood/her son were simply defending themselves.