Henry Ruggs Crash 911 Callers Distraught 'All I See Is Flames'
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TMZ Sports has obtained multiple 911 calls made moments after Henry Ruggs allegedly caused a fatal car crash ... with one witness telling an operator she believed a person was trapped in the burning truck.
A female caller who said she lives near the scene of the accident claimed she was in bed when she heard the crash, and when she looked at the crash site, all she saw were flames.
"It's almost all gone," she said of the fire-engulfed vehicle, continuing, "and I think someone is in it."
NOVEMBER 2021
The woman is clearly panicked ... and pleading with the 911 operator to get help to the scene.
The woman also said she heard what she described as "kids just yelling for help."
But, she said the flames were so high "you can't get near it."
In the second call, a man, who heard, but didn't see the crash, told authorities, "I want to say the [Corvette] was probably speeding. I mean, I heard loud revving, loud noises, and then a big collision."
The man horrifyingly said he also thought he heard yelping coming from a dog inside of the burning vehicle.
Of course, in addition to 23-year-old Tina Tintor dying in the wreck, her golden retriever, Max, also perished.
The second caller also speculated that he suspected Ruggs and his GF were under the influence ... though he didn't elaborate why he suspected they were impaired.
As we previously reported, 22-year-old Ruggs was hit with 5 charges including 4 felonies for his role in the crash.
On Wednesday, prosecutors said the NFL star could face over 50 years behind bars if convicted on all counts.
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'Rust' Tragedy Armorer's Lawyer says ... Sabotage Designed to Frame Hannah
Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- the armorer for "Rust" -- is doubling down, claiming she was targeted for sabotage and she thinks she's now being framed ... this according to her lawyer.
Gutierrez-Reed's attorney Jason Bowles tells TMZ ... "We are convinced that this was sabotage and Hannah is being framed." This is a step beyond what Bowles said earlier in the week ... he alleged sabotage, but didn't say it was targeted at his client.
But, Bowles wasn't done ... he added, "We believe that the scene was tampered with as well before the police arrived."
It's interesting ... this comes hours after the D.A. scoffed at the sabotage claim, saying no such evidence has surfaced.
Hannah's lawyer says his client met with Santa Fe County Deputy Sherriff's Tuesday, providing a full interview and continuing to cooperate.
Her legal team says more info keeps coming out that the D.A. needs to investigate, and they want the D.A. and FBI to get to the bottom of what happened with the live rounds they claim ended up in the "dummies" box.
Of course, there's another explanation ... that someone was target practicing during the lunch break and failed to take the live ammo out of the chamber.
Hannah's attorneys first floated the sabotage theory earlier this month on the "Today" show.
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Girls Basketball Teenager Sucker Punched In Game ... Video Shows
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November 2021
11:22 AM PT -- 11/10 -- A spokesperson for the Garden Grove Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports cops are investigating the incident.
7:07 AM PT -- The teenage girl who clobbered her opponent during a basketball game this weekend has been banned from playing in future AVAC United games, the organization tells us.
AVAC United is a group made up of teams in Southern California ... and they're the people behind the tourney.
A teenage girl was leveled by a sucker punch in the middle of a basketball game Sunday ... and the violent swing was all captured on video.
TMZ Sports has learned ... the incident went down during a youth basketball game in Garden Grove, Calif. -- after a 15-year-old had bumped into a girl following her jump shot.
In footage of the play, you can see as both girls got back to their feet after the collision -- someone from the crowd appeared to yell, "You better hit her."
That's when the girl in the all-black uniform swung a massive left haymaker that connected with the other girl's throat and face area.
Immediately, the girl crashed to the floor in pain ... and we're told the game was stopped and then eventually canceled over the incident.
The punch victim's mother tells us the girl was injured on the play -- and is suffering from the after-effects so much, she still has yet to return to school.
The girl's mom also tells us she went to cops over it all ... though it's unclear if a criminal investigation is underway.
Originally Published -- 11/9 4:38 PM PT
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'Rust' Gaffer Sues Baldwin, Armorer, Asst. Director ... 'Negligence' in Shooting
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The key gaffer on "Rust" is now taking legal action against Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and Dave Halls ... suing them over the fatal shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins.
Serge Svetnoy just filed suit against the above-mentioned individuals -- as well as others -- claiming the defendants' alleged negligence caused him severe emotional distress in the aftermath of it all.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Svetnoy claims the bullet that struck both Hutchins and director Joel Souza actually zoomed by and nearly hit him too. Not just that, but the gaffer claims he was one of the first people on hand to tend to Halyna while she was profusely bleeding ... attempting to comfort her and keep her conscious.
As for why he's suing Baldwin, the suit claims he "owed a duty to the Plaintiff and other crew members and actors on the 'Rust' set to handle the Colt Revolver provided to him by defendant Halls with reasonable care and diligence for the safety of 'Rust' cast and crew." It goes on to say, "This duty called for Defendant Baldwin to double-check the Colt Revolver with Halls upon being handled to ensure that it did not contain live ammunition."
And, it goes on ... "This duty further called for him [Baldwin] to handle the Colt Revolver as if it was loaded and to refrain from pointing it at anyone." In other words, the suit claims negligence on Baldwin's part.
And, there's this ... according to the lawsuit, the scene Baldwin was rehearsing did not call for him to pull the trigger. According to the lawsuit, the scene called for Baldwin to draw the gun and point it in the general direction of the camera, but, "the scene did not call for Defendant Baldwin to shoot the Colt Revolver."
The suit also claims Baldwin was negligent as a producer on "Rust," saying, "... they attempted to save money by hiring an insufficient number of crew members to safely handle the props and firearms ..." It goes on to claim there were other lapses on the set, including violating industry norms, declining requests for weapons training days, failing to allow proper time to allow for gunfire, failing to send out safety bulletins and spreading the staff too thin.
The suit also claims the target practice that was going on shortly before the tragedy was "outrageous."
Svetnoy says he'd known Halyna for 5 years and considered her a good friend.
The ordeal was absolutely traumatic, so says Svetnoy, and has since left him in utter mental anguish ... to the point he feels he might not ever be able to get over it.
Svetnoy is asking for damages and a jury trial.
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Dalvin Cook I'm Playing In Sunday's Game Despite Domestic Violence Allegations
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10:20 AM PT -- Cook just spoke with reporters for the first time since the allegations were made public ... and he said he is for sure playing in the Vikings' game on Sunday.
The 26-year-old added that he has not yet been in contact with NFL investigators over the accusations ... but he reiterated he believes he's the "victim" in the case.
"I just want everybody to know I'm the victim in the situation," Cook said. "The truth and the details about the situation will come out at a further time."
The Minnesota Vikings are still allowing Dalvin Cook to practice with the team ... this despite new allegations that he roughed up his ex-GF during a violent Nov. 2020 incident.
Vikes head coach Mike Zimmer just revealed the news ... saying Cook will work out with the team Wednesday.
Zimmer added that, as of now, the star running back is slated to be available to play in Minnesota's game against the Chargers on Sunday as planned too.
Of course, it's a surprising announcement ... considering Cook's ex, Gracelyn Trimble, has accused the football player of being violent with her on multiple occasions since 2018.
In a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Tremble says Cook got physical with her throughout their relationship -- including a Nov. 19, 2020 incident in which she claims he left her a bloody mess.
During the alleged confrontation ... Trimble says Cook hit her repeatedly and even at one point aimed a gun at her head and told her she was going to die.
For his part, Cook -- through his representatives -- has denied the allegations ... and claimed he was actually the victim in the situation, adding that Trimble was attempting to extort him.
The NFL has said it's investigating it all ... explaining in a statement this week, "The matter will be reviewed under the personal conduct policy. We will continue to monitor developments but there's no change to [Cook's] status."
Originally Published -- 9:12 AM PT
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Travis Scott History of Hyping Chaos Praised Fans Who Got Hurt at Shows
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Travis Scott might act like he didn't know how bad things really were at this year's Astroworld Fest -- but his own posts and words demonstrate ... the dude knew how his fans got down, and often encouraged them to risk their safety.
There are a number of still photos Trav has posted on his Instagram account from over the years that show fans of his injured to varying degrees ... from what appears to be simply attending concerts of his.
Many of the times he spotlighted a certain individual who was injured ... and seemed to glorify and glamorize it, with captions like ... "SHE BROKE HER HAND AND SHE DOESN'T GIVE A F***!!!" or "IT'S NOT A SHOW UNTIL SOMEONE PASS OUT."
Here's another one that's especially cringeworthy in light of this weekend's tragedy -- it's a post of a young man laid out on the floor, presumably from one of Travis' shows, with the rapper writing, "TO THE KID THAT DIDN'T SURVIVE THE RODEO. UR A HERO IN MU BOOK."
BTW, a lot of these posts are still up on the guy's IG page as of this posting ... which is even more telling. Frankly, this whole "rage" mentality is part of Travis' brand, image and artistic identity ... except now, people are seeing how unsafe and reckless it really is.
Travis has gotten in trouble in the past for encouraging people to rush the stage. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to charges of reckless conduct stemming from an incident at Lollapalooza. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after law enforcement said he incited a riot at a show in Arkansas.
Put aside the fact he's been arrested/cited at least twice for inciting a riot. The real criticism doesn't necessarily lie in him getting his fans hyped ... but more so, him taking things too far, and seemingly, more often than not, refusing to lower the temperature in the room. That has led to lots of his fans getting hurt in his presence. And, even when he does acknowledge an injured person on the spot, it often comes off cold and callous.
tw// dead body
— linda (@selankasgomez) November 6, 2021 @selankasgomez
travis is really singing meanwhile looking at a dead body? WHAT TF pic.twitter.com/saQ7UWx1zt
The same scrutiny applies for this year's Astroworld Fest -- namely, there appeared to be moments when he acknowledged people were going down, but didn't bring things to a halt.
In one instance that's been captured on video from multiple angles, Travis clearly sees the ambulance cart working its way through the crowd, pauses for a bit, gets approached by some guys whom he shoos away ... and then proceeded to incite the crowd.
Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.
That's now the big question ... how much did Travis Scott know ... and when? He claims he was unaware people were dying at the show that night and didn't realize the severity of the situation.
But frankly, some people see these videos and think otherwise.
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Terrence J Escapes Attempted Robbery ... Says Suspects Fired Gun
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Terrence J told cops he escaped what appears to be an attempted robbery just outside his home ... and he also says the alleged suspects fired shots at him.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor and TV host was pulling into his driveway in Sherman Oaks around 3 AM when another car pulled up with 4 Black men inside, one of whom ordered Terrence out of his car.
We're told he refused the command, and took off in his car -- and Terrence told cops the suspects chased him and fired at his car ... before they fled.
Our sources say Terrence, who hosts shows on BET and MTV, then flagged down a passing California Highway Patrol car, who called the LAPD.
We're told cops took a report for assault with a deadly weapon with shots fired ... and police are investigating.
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Santa Fe D.A. Plays Down 'Rust' Sabotage Theory... Not Sure How Live Ammo Surfaced
The D.A. heading up the investigation into the fatal "Rust" shooting seems sure of one thing, but says the biggest mystery remains unsolved -- how live ammo ended up on the set.
Santa Fe County District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies talked to 'GMA' Wednesday to answer about the ongoing investigation into how Halyna Hutchins ended getting shot and killed, and had to admit she still doesn't have much clarity about the live ammunition.
However, she did acknowledge there were multiple live bullets -- beyond the one that killed Halyna -- found on set ... just one of the "Rust" conditions she found alarming.
One thing she did appear ready to dispel was the notion that sabotage might've been at play -- a theory floated by head armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's, own legal team just a week ago.
Check out how the D.A. responds ... while she says there's no evidence thus far to suggest anything like that occurred, Carmack-Atlwies doesn't completely rule it out as a possibility -- nor does she look the other way on what potential sabotage could mean criminally.
Indeed, if the evidence supported any sort of purposeful intent behind bringing bullets on set and/or mixing them into the box of dummy rounds Gutierrez-Reed dipped into to load Alec Baldwin's gun ... the D.A. says a higher murder charge could be on the table.
Like she noted the last time she held a press conference ... no one's off the table at this point as far as possible charges, and she reaffirms here.
One thing Carmack-Atlwies does makes crystal clear is a failure went down that permeated multiple layers of what should've been impenetrable safety nets ... and sadly, it ended up costing Halyna her life.
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Dalvin Cook Ex-GF Sues For Dom. Violence ... Includes Bloody Pics Of Alleged Injuries
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A woman claiming to have dated Dalvin Cook throughout the past 3 years says the NFL star beat the hell out of her in Nov. 2020 ... leaving her a scratched, bruised and bloody mess.
But, the Minnesota Vikings running back is adamant he's actually the victim ... and the woman is now attempting to extort him.
U.S. Army veteran Gracelyn Trimble spelled out the troubling accusations in a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports ... saying she met Cook on a beach in Florida in 2018 and began dating the football player a short time later.
Trimble, though, says in the docs that in March 2020 ... the relationship took a turn for the worse.
Trimble claims Cook had gotten her pregnant, but she suffered a miscarriage -- and while in the hospital dealing with it all, she says Cook was cheating on her.
Trimble says that led to a "physically violent argument" between the two, where she claims Cook pushed her -- resulting in their break-up.
But, Trimble says less than 3 months later, they rekindled their romance and started living together in Florida ... and also shared space in Minnesota, where Cook was living during the Vikings' season.
Trimble, though, says in mid-November, the two got into an argument at the Mall of America, and when they returned home, Cook punched her and threw her to the ground.
Because of Cook's alleged history of violence, Trimble says she stored mace in his garage.
Shortly after the altercation, Trimble says she then learned Cook was again cheating on her ... so she decided to confront him, gather her things and end the relationship.
On Nov. 19, 2020, Trimble claims in the docs she entered Cook's home through the garage, grabbed the mace and headed inside to pack up her belongings.
Inside the home, Trimble claims she asked Cook for help packing up her belongings -- but he got mad, "grabbed her arm, and slung her whole body over the couch, slamming her face into the coffee table and causing her lower forehead and the bridge of her nose to bust open and start gushing blood."
Trimble claims she then attempted to defend herself by macing Cook, but he overpowered her, and the mace primarily got in her eyes.
After briefly going outside, Trimble says she went upstairs and attempted to take a shower in order to wash the mace out of her eyes -- but she claims she was again confronted by Cook ... saying the NFL star picked her up and slammed her on the floor. She claims she hit the corner of a bed in the room, which caused a deep gash on her arm.
Trimble claims Cook then pinned her to the ground and told her she was "going to die." She then claims Cook punched and choked her and then grabbed a gun and pointed it at her head "all while yelling death threats."
Trimble says in the docs Cook eventually put the gun down, but kept her pinned to the ground.
The woman says Cook let her up -- and she was able to get into the shower to try to wash the blood off of her. But, she says their violent altercation continued after she finished in the bathroom.
Trimble says she went downstairs where she and Cook began to argue again -- before she claims Dalvin began beating her with a broomstick.
"Despite having been a soldier in active combat," the documents read, "where she had missiles and bullets fired at her, Trimble feared for her life like she had never before."
Trimble claims the beating continued as she attempted to crawl away from Cook to get help, but she says Cook would not let her go.
Trimble claims despite begging Cook to call police or an ambulance, he held her against her will for hours -- before eventually taking her to the airport.
After returning to Florida, Trimble says she didn't initially go to the hospital because she wanted to protect Cook ... but on Nov. 25, she claims she realized her injuries were severe, so she went to the emergency room.
While there, she says she told doctors she was in an ATV accident ... and they diagnosed her with a concussion and "several deep cuts and bruising."
Trimble claims Cook profusely apologized after the incident, but they did not see each other for about a month until a death in Cook's family -- which she claims brought the couple back together.
But, Trimble says the relationship eventually broke down again -- and they called things off.
Cook's attorney, however, claimed in a statement to TMZ Sports on Tuesday that he's actually the victim ... and said shortly after the two began dating, she "became emotionally abusive, physically aggressive and confrontational, and repeatedly attempted to provoke" him.
Cook accused Trimble of damaging his car, assaulting him and attempting to "stop him from seeing other women" throughout their relationship.
We also talked to Dalvin's agent, Zac Hiller, who told us regarding the Nov. 19, 2020 incident that "[Trimble] showed up at [Dalvin's] house, illegally entered, punched him in the face, maced him, armed herself with a gun, and held him and his 2 house guests hostage."
Cook and his attorney claim they actually have video from the incident that they say shows she was the aggressor.
Cook's attorney added that any injuries Trimble suffered during the altercation were "the result of Sgt. Trimble's own unlawful conduct."
"We are confident a full disclosure of the facts will show Mr. Cook did nothing wrong," Cook's attorney said.
Story developing ...
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Travis Scott Attended Astroworld After-party at Dave & Buster's ... Says He Was Still Unaware of Tragedy
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Travis Scott says he didn't know a calamity was unfolding when he was onstage Friday at Astroworld ... and we found out when he left, he went straight to Dave & Buster's for an after-party.
Sources connected to Travis tell TMZ ... the rapper was never told at the festival people had died in the crowd and hundreds more were injured. The sources say, "Travis didn't know the severity of the situation when he arrived at the party, as far as timing, this remains consistent with the fact that no one including the police had publicly confirmed the gravity of the events that had taken place."
11/5/21
The person who threw the after-party -- Drake, who had performed with Travis as a surprise guest just as the tragedy was unfolding. Our Drake sources claim he also didn't have a clue there were people dying in the crowd.
As we reported, there were a number of people who were pleading with camera operators and others to stop the show as the crowd crush took its toll, which is why a lot of people think Travis had to know what was going on ... if not during the concert, before he left. However, our Travis sources insist he was at least 50 yards from that camera operator and did not hear the pleas to end the show because fans were dying.
But, we're told when someone told Travis at Dave & Buster's about the tragedy, he immediately left the party. This seems to support the notion he didn't know ... even when he left the venue.
11/5/21
TMZ broke the story ... Travis has pledged to pay funeral costs for his 8 fans who died at the festival and provide mental health services to anyone who may have been affected.
As we reported, lawsuits continue to pour in against both Travis and Live Nation ... including one filed Tuesday by the family of a 9-year-old boy who is fighting for his life after being trampled at the show.
For his part, Drake released a statement Monday night, saying, "My heart is broken for the families and friends of those who lost their lives and for anyone who is suffering. I will continue to pray for all of them and will be of service in any way I can. May God be with you all."
NRG Park, where the event was held, had a $26 million insurance policy for the festival. There may be other policies, but it's doubtful all of them combined will cover a slew of judgments that seem all but inevitable ... judgments that could total hundreds of millions of dollars.
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Master P Astroworld Hype to be Expected ... But No One Expected This
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Master P says the environment at Astroworld Fest was kosher ... while also acknowledging, no one saw this tragedy coming.
We got the rap mogul Tuesday in L.A. and asked for his perspective on the aftermath of what unfolded Friday night ... a day he actually performed himself, albeit much earlier before everything started going south.
Check out his breakdown of what he saw ... MP insists he never felt things got out of hand or weren't safe. Yes, he notes the young folks who went did, indeed, get hyped -- as it's customary at a festival of this nature -- but, nothing ever raised a red flag to him personally.
His main point here seems to be that people knew what they were getting into by coming to Astroworld Fest -- even going on to say an injury or two can realistically be expected.
With that said ... Master P offers his condolences to the families and loved ones of the 8 people lost, saying that's never something anyone ever really plans for, or is actively trying to encourage.
Of course, we had to ask who he thinks is mostly to blame here -- if he had to pick someone to point the finger at -- but he wasn't really in an accusatory mood, saying it'll be sorted behind the scenes while making sure to emphasize -- Trav ain't at fault.
What Master P really wants to talk about is ... how do we fix this to make sure it never happens again, and where do we go from here? Great questions, and all remain to be seen.
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Astroworld Venue Has $26 Million Liability Insurance Policy ... Not Close to Covering Potential Judgments
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NRG Park -- the venue that hosted the calamitous Astroworld festival -- has an insurance policy totaling $26 million ... nowhere near what the injured and families of the dead will be seeking.
TMZ has obtained the Certificate of Liability Insurance ... a document that was filed with the City of Houston. Proof of insurance is required for such events.
The policy provides for $1 million in primary coverage with a $25 million umbrella. With 8 dead and more than 300 injured, damages could go into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
If the policy doesn't cover the judgments, then NRG would be responsible for anything above the policy limit.
Now it's possible NRG has additional coverage, but there's no evidence of that from the documents.
We do not know what insurance policies are carried by Live Nation or Travis Scott, although it's certain they have some coverage. But, whatever it is, when you total all of it together, it's unlikely it will cover the enormous judgments that could be coming their way. If the injured and the families of the dead get judgments, the policies will cover them as far as the money goes, but once the limit is reached Travis and the various companies would be personally on the hook for the balance.
11/5/21
It's not that the policies were not written properly, because no one could have anticipated the scope of the disaster.
The lawsuits are already piling up, so these policies could mean the difference between the various defendants being shielded from personal liability ... and bankruptcy.
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TX Restaurant Manager Pressing Charges Against Soup Thrower ... Criminal Probe Underway
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A woman who chucked soup right in a restaurant manager's face might think she got away scot-free, but the cops are hot on her ass ... 'cause the victim's gunning to press charges.
You might've seen this ... an irate customer who's arguing with what appears to be a staffer at a restaurant down in Temple, TX eventually gets so fed up, that she opens her to-go bowl of soup and throws it right onto the woman she's talking to ... hitting her square in the face.
We spoke to the soup-throwing recipient, Jannelle Broland, who's actually the manager at this Mexican joint ... and she tells TMZ, yes, she is pressing charges -- and hopes her assailant is brought to justice to serve some jail time.
As for how all this unfolded, Jannelle says the customer called in to place a to-go order on Sunday around 1 PM, picked it up and left ... and then called back about 10 minutes later.
She explains the woman was furious some plastic from the packaging was in her food, so she came back ready to talk to a manager about it.
Seeing as how Jannelle was the only manager working that day, she says she tried to handle it by apologizing and offering a full refund and/or a replacement item from the menu. That apparently wasn't good enough for the irate customer.
According to Jannelle, the woman cussed up a storm, demanded to speak to someone higher up on the totem pole, and when that didn't happen ... the soup went flying. She also claims the woman made a run for it with her hubby in tow, and some other workers followed her ... and were even able to get quick shots and video of her driving away from the scene.
Temple PD has said they're investigating this as a crime, and if they can track down the unidentified suspect ... Jannelle is more than willing to press charges. In the meantime, the woman's been banned from the establishment.
Sooo, no soup for her!!!
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'RHOBH' Dorit Kemsley Terrifying Video of Home Invasion
Cops have released terrifying video showing two men smashing into Dorit Kemsley's L.A. home and surfacing with hundreds of thousands of dollars in valuables minutes later.
The men, covered in masks and gloves use some sort of tool to smash through Kemsley's door before making their way inside. Law enforcement sources say once in, the two men confronted Kemsley, who begged for her life and the lives of her kids.
While we never reported the men were armed with guns, several other outlets did ... but the police statement does not indicate the men had guns or other weapons.
After about 15 minutes, the men can be seen outside the front of the home, dragging what police say was a large blanket filled with purses, watches and other jewelry.
The LAPD is asking for the public's help in identifying the two men -- described as black males between the ages of 20 to 30.
Shortly after the incident, Dorit issued a statement saying, “As you all know by now I have been through a terrifying ordeal, one that no parent or person should ever have to experience. My kids are unaware of what happened, they slept through it and I thank God for keeping my kids and myself from being physically harmed.”
We got Dorit and her husband, Paul, who was out of town at the time of the incident out last week who indicated they'd hired new security and were contemplating moving out.
As for her 'Housewives' costars ... many showed up to show support at her home, including Erika Jayne, Lisa Rinna and Teddi Mellencamp.
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TLC's Chilli Race of Ahmaud Jurors ... Shouldn't Even Matter, TBH
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The jury in the Ahmaud Arbery case looks more like the accused murderers than the victim, pigment-wise, anyway -- but that won't automatically affect the verdict, according to Chilli from TLC.
We got Rozonda Thomas -- aka, Chilli -- at LAX and asked for her take on the outrage over the jury's racial makeup ... namely, the fact 11 white folks and one Black person were selected to hear testimony in the murder trial, which just started on Monday.
The obvious assumption fueling the uproar is that white jurors might have an inherent racial bias, and end up siding with the father and son defendants, Gregory and Travis McMichael, based on nothing more than skin color.
Of course, that is NOT a foregone conclusion whatsoever -- despite many making that leap -- and Chilli echoes that, saying we have to assume the jurors (black or white) are reasonable people who are out for the truth and justice.
Check out her rationale ... Chilli is optimistic and sees hope for the best in people, a mentality she's applying to this case. Naturally, a lot of people are more cynical -- but Chilli's encouraging folks to have faith in humanity.
The fact is ... IF race ends up playing a factor in the McMichael's trial, it wouldn't be the first time, unfortunately, that's happened -- but Chilli's opting for a glass-half-full POV, at least at the outset of this trial.
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Dan Bilzerian Someone Stole My $1 Million Watch ... Offering $50,000 Reward!!!
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Dan Bilzerian claims someone jacked his luxury timepiece right off his wrist during the Canelo Alvarez boxing match in Las Vegas ... and now the cops are involved.
The playboy poker player tells TMZ ... he was wearing a Richard Mille watch, valued between $950k and $1 million, to the Canelo fight and at some point, he noticed it went missing from his wrist.
Dan says he was taking a bunch of photos with fans as he walked toward the ring, and thinks someone may have slipped it off his wrist in the scrum because the carbon fiber watch is very lightweight and doesn't have a lock on the clasp.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police took a larceny report and cops will investigate.
Dan says he filed the police report right after the fight Saturday night, and now he's offering a $50,000 reward for any folks who can provide information leading to the watch's return.
DB tells us he didn't have the watch insured and the fight venue wasn't able to pull any surveillance footage from the fighter walkout area, which is where he believes the watch was taken.
Dan's hoping the reward money might spur someone to come forward with a video of when people were surrounding him, and he thinks there's a chance the alleged thief was caught on camera.