Crime

A would-be child abductor tried to snatch a 4-year-old boy from a Walmart in Florida – but, thankfully, the kid's family stepped in and foiled the act, leading to the suspect's arrest with the help of high-tech crime-solving tools.

Pablo Pintueles Hernandez was busted December 29 in Lee County and charged with false imprisonment of a child 13 years old and under – as newly released surveillance footage captured the creep allegedly attempting to steal the boy from his family.

Check out the frightening clip ... the little boy is standing next to a family member wheeling a cart inside the store when, suddenly, Hernandez appears, coming up beside the child and grabbing his wrist. Hernandez tells the boy, "Let's go," while trying to whisk him away.

But the family member sees what's happening and promptly steps in, yanking the boy back from Hernandez and notifying the police.

Investigators reviewed the surveillance footage, using advanced technology to quickly identify Hernandez, and showed up at his house one hour later to haul him away in handcuffs.

Ian Ziering's terrifying encounter with a bunch of biker brutes in Hollywood is now under police investigation ... and cops have some early leads.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... there are surveillance cameras all up and down the section of Hollywood Blvd. where Ian got into it with the bikers, as well as cell phone footage of the incident, so investigators have a lot to work with here.

Our sources say this group of bikers bumped Ian's car and when he got out of the vehicle, things got heated and the attack ensued ... which backs up what Ian's claiming.

Cops tell us this is not an isolated incident and it's happened before with large groups of motorcyclists, and bicyclists too.

Police recommend anyone finding themselves in Ian's shoes should stay in their car, call 911 and remain calm ... because mob mentality can escalate very quickly in these situations.

The way cops see it ... it's better to let insurance handle things as long as it's just property damage and it's not worth getting into it with a large group of people.

One angle from the attack shows bikers using their helmets to beat the crap out of Ian's car ... damaging his windshield while his 10-year-old daughter was inside.

Our sources say the case will most likely be turned over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney because it's a case of felony vandalism with over $1,000 in damage.

As for the battery aspect of the case, we're told any criminal charges there would likely be misdemeanors, because there were no major injuries.

Our sources say LAPD is aware of an Instagram post one of the bikers allegedly published on social media ... and they're looking into it.

YFN Lucci is going to great lengths to look like his usual self when he enters a Georgia courtroom to stand trial for murder -- the incarcerated rapper got the judge's approval for some professional grooming.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Lucci has the greenlight to get a haircut and shave ahead of his trial ... and it seems like he'll be rocking a new suit too. The judge also granted him a contact visit, so a tailor could get his proper measurements.

Lucci's been locked up since the top of 2021 on murder charges, and his road to redemption hasn't been a cakewalk -- just ask his legal counsel.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Lucci claims he was stabbed by a fellow inmate in February 2022, but he has been unsuccessful in attempting to bond out of jail ahead of the trial.

British police are moving into uncharted waters with a new investigation ... they're looking into an alleged gang rape in a virtual reality game.

The landmark investigation involves a group of avatars allegedly raping a young girl's avatar in the Metaverse ... in what is believed to be the first probe of its kind, according to the Daily Mail.

The alleged victim is said to be a girl under the age of 16 who was wearing a virtual reality headset while playing an immersive game using her avatar -- a digital character.

Cops in the United Kingdom told the outlet the alleged victim did not suffer any physical injuries but she may have suffered psychological and emotional trauma similar to rape victims.

There's a backlog of real-life rape cases in the UK and some folks across the pond are being critical of this virtual gang rape investigation ... viewing it as a waste of time and police resources.

La policía británica se adentra en aguas desconocidas con una nueva investigación. Están investigando una presunta violación en grupo en un juego de realidad virtual.

Se trata de una investigación histórica sobre un grupo de avatares que presuntamente violaron al avatar de una joven en el Metaverso, en lo que se cree que es la primera investigación de este tipo, según el Daily Mail.

Al parecer, la presunta víctima era una menor de 16 años que llevaba puestos unos auriculares de realidad virtual mientras jugaba a un juego inmersivo con su avatar, un personaje digital.

La policía del Reino Unido ha declarado al citado medio que la presunta víctima no sufrió lesiones físicas, pero puede haber sufrido traumas psicológicos y emocionales similares a los de las víctimas de violación.

En el Reino Unido hay un gran número de casos de violación en la vida real y algunas personas del otro lado del charco critican la investigación de esta violación en grupo virtual, que consideran una pérdida de tiempo y de recursos policiales.

Ian Ziering se está sincerando sobre su aterrador encuentro con un grupo de brutos motociclistas en Los Ángeles, diciendo que salió "ileso" con su hija, al tiempo que pide a las autoridades locales que hagan algo con la creciente ola de "criminalidad" en la ciudad.

El actor de "Beverly Hills, 90210" publicó un largo mensaje en Instagram el lunes, primero calificando el incidente de "alarmante" antes de profundizar en lo sucedido y dar su opinión sobre lo que se debería hacer para combatir la anarquía en el futuro.

Ian explicó que uno de los mini motoristas se acercó agresivamente a su carro, lo que dio lugar a una "inquietante confrontación" cuando se bajó para "evaluar cualquier daño" a su vehículo estacionado en Hollywood Boulevard en la víspera de Año Nuevo.

Dijo que el encuentro con el motorista y los otros "se intensificó hasta un altercado físico", que se vio obligado a afrontar para protegerse a sí mismo y a su hija de 10 años, Penna, expresando el alivio que siente de que ambos estén "completamente ilesos".

Luego el actor apuntó a los funcionarios de Los Ángeles y reveló que está "profundamente preocupado" por la "creciente audacia de tales grupos", lo que está causando problemas de seguridad pública y perturbando la paz.

Señaló que el ataque a plena luz del día puso de relieve un problema mayor sobre "vandalismo en nuestras calles y la necesidad de contar con respuestas de la ley eficaces a tales comportamientos".

Ian también escribió: "Como ciudadano y como padre, me parece inaceptable que esos grupos puedan participar libremente en este tipo de comportamiento, causando miedo y caos, mientras la respuesta de las autoridades parece insuficiente".

Terminó las cosas instando a los funcionarios de la ciudad a tomar medidas decisivas contra este comportamiento fuera de la ley y a proporcionar más recursos policiales para evitar que ocurran en el futuro.

Ian Ziering is speaking out about his terrifying encounter with a bunch of biker brutes in L.A., saying that he emerged "unscathed" with his daughter, while calling on local officials to do something about the rising tide of "hooliganism" in the city.

The "Beverly Hills, 90210" actor posted a lengthy message on Instagram Monday, first calling the incident "alarming" before diving into what happened and giving his thoughts on what should be done to combat future lawlessness.

Ian explained that one of the mini bikers aggressively approached his car, leading to an "unsettling confrontation" when he got out to "assess any damage" to his vehicle parked on Hollywood Boulevard on New Year's Eve.

He said the encounter with the biker and others "escalated into a physical altercation," which he was forced to navigate to protect himself and his 10-year-old daughter, Penna, expressing relief they were "completely unscathed."

Then Ian took aim at L.A. officials, revealing he was "deeply concerned" about the "growing boldness of such groups," causing public safety issues and disturbing the peace.

He pointed out the broad daylight attack underscored a larger problem about "hooliganism on our streets and the need for effective law enforcement responses to such behavior."

Ian also wrote, "As a citizen and a parent, I find it unacceptable that groups can freely engage in this kind of behavior, causing fear and chaos, while the response from authorities seems insufficient."

He wrapped things up by urging city officials to take decisive action against this lawless behavior and provide more police resources to prevent it in the future.

Marvel actress Carrie Bernans was hit by a car while celebrating New Year's Eve in NYC ... and graphic images show the gruesome extent of her injuries.

Carrie is hospitalized and you can see her bloodied and hooked up to machines in photos her mom Patricia posted on Monday. She says Carrie had been walking with a friend when they stopped at food truck, and a car careened into it ... knocking Carrie unconscious and pinning her underneath.

Carrie, who was in "Black Panther" and "Avengers: Endgame," suffered broken bones and fractures. You can see her mouth is bloodied, she's chipped several teeth and sustained several cuts on her face.

The crash on West 34th Street and 9th Avenue was so serious, it was declared a mass casualty incident -- with 3 NYPD officers among 9 others who also were injured.

The cops were called to the scene around 1:40 AM Monday, and the driver -- a 44-year-old man -- is now in custody at Bellevue Hospital.

It's believed the police were chasing the car before the crash.

La actriz de Marvel Carrie Bernans fue atropellada por un carro mientras celebraba la víspera de Año Nuevo en Nueva York, y las explícitas imágenes muestran el horrible alcance de sus lesiones.

Carrie está hospitalizada y en las fotos que su madre Patricia publicó el lunes se la puede ver ensangrentada y conectada a máquinas. Ella dice que Carrie estaba caminando con un amigo cuando se detuvieron en un carro de comida en la calle y un vehículo se estrelló contra ellos, dejando a Carrie inconsciente e inmovilizada debajo.

Carrie, quien participó en "Pantera Negra" y "Vengadores: Endgame", sufrió fracturas y rotura de huesos. En esta imagen se puede ver su boca ensangrentada y varios cortes en la cara. También se astilló varios dientes.

El accidente en West 34th Street y 9th Avenue fue tan grave, que fue declarado un incidente mayor, con tres agentes de la policía de Nueva York y otras 9 personas heridas.

Los policías fueron contactados alrededor de la 1:40 AM del lunes, y el conductor, un hombre de 44 años de edad, está ahora bajo custodia en el Hospital Bellevue.

Se cree que la policía estaba persiguiendo el carro antes del accidente.

Casey Anthony has blamed her father for her daughter's death ... and now George Anthony is taking a lie detector test ... and it got emotional.

Casey's dad broke down when taking the polygraph test on camera ... choking up when he was repeatedly asked if he concealed Caylee Anthony's whereabouts.

George agreed to get hooked up to a polygraph for an upcoming A&E special on Lifetime, "Casey Anthony’s Parents: The Lie Detector Test," after Casey accused him of molesting her and Caylee and being responsible for Caylee's death.

While George says he didn't know where Caylee's body was when she was missing, he appears to be struggling with the question ... but says it's because he's picturing the wooded area where her dead body was ultimately found.

Remember ... Caylee disappeared in June 2008 and her body was found a few months later in December, when her death was ruled a homicide. Casey stood trial in 2011 and the jury acquitted her of murder, manslaughter and child abuse. She was found guilty of lying to cops, but that's it.

During the trial, Casey accused George of sexually abusing her when she was a child, and of disposing of Caylee's body ... claims he vehemently denied in court. In 2022 Casey doubled down in a Peacock docuseries, where she also accused George of staging Caylee's death to make it seem like it was Casey's fault.

Now, George is taking his denial a step further with the lie detector test ... and TMZ has the sneak peek.

Abigail Ratchford had a terrifying situation unfold this weekend -- when cops say 3 goons broke into her freaking house ... this while she was still INSIDE!

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the longtime Instagram model -- who has over 9 million followers -- was hanging out at her L.A.-area property Saturday evening when her house alarm went off while she was in there.

We're told 3 men had attempted to burglarize her home ... smashing through a large window from her backyard and slinking on in -- but running away before having their way with the place. Our sources say it appears either the alarm or the sounds from inside scared them off.

Cops took a report and are now investigating. BTW, this was all caught on surveillance video taken from a camera Abigail set up on her patio ... and the footage, obtained by TMZ, is wild. You can see these dudes brazenly smash the glass, and all enter the premises.

Now, in terms of how AR herself experienced all this -- sources close to her tell us she's totally freaked out and for good reason ... as this could've gotten ugly fast.

We're told Abigail was upstairs at her house and watching a movie when the guys came crashing through her sliding glass door ... but she luckily never came face to face with them. Still, our sources say the idea of her coming downstairs for a drink that evening and running into the three men absolutely terrifies her.

Abigail Ratchford vivió una situación aterradora este fin de semana cuando la policía dice que tres matones irrumpieron en su casa, ¡esto mientras ella todavía estaba adentro!

Fuentes policiales le dicen a TMZ que la modelo de Instagram -que tiene más de 9 millones de seguidores- estaba pasando el rato en su propiedad en el área de Los Ángeles el sábado por la noche cuando la alarma de su casa se disparó mientras ella estaba allí.

Nos dicen que tres hombres habían intentado robar en su casa, entrando a través de una ventana grande de su patio trasero, pero huyendo finalmente. Nuestras fuentes dicen que la alarma o los ruidos del interior los asustaron.

La policía ha denunciado los hechos y está investigando. Todo esto fue capturado en un video de vigilancia tomado por una cámara del patio de la modelo y las imágenes, obtenidas por TMZ, son aterradoras. Se puede ver como estos tipos descaradamente rompen el vidrio y entran a la propiedad.

Ahora, en términos de cómo la propia Abigail se ha tomado todo esto, fuentes cercanas a ella nos dicen que está totalmente asustada y con razón.

Nos dicen que Abigail estaba arriba en su casa viendo una película cuando los hombres entraron a través de su puerta corrediza de cristal, por suerte nunca se encontró cara a cara con ellos. Sin embargo, nuestras fuentes dicen que la idea de bajar las escaleras para tomar una copa esa noche y encontrarse con los tres hombres la aterroriza.

Ian Ziering jumped right back into parent mode after his donnybrook with a bunch of L.A. biker thugs, dashing over to his weeping daughter to console her.

TMZ has obtained more video showing the aftermath of Ian's terrifying New Year's Eve attack in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard, where the "Beverly Hills, 90210" star went toe to toe with the group of bikers, duking it out with them.

Check out the new footage ... the helmeted gang of assailants is mostly sitting on their choppers in the street, blocking traffic. Their leader, wearing a blue shirt and a head mask, lumbers across the road, pointing at the bikers and barking orders. The large man then climbs onto his own bike and takes off with his underlings.

In the midst of this, Ian runs across the boulevard to his 10-year-old daughter, Penna, who is clearly upset and crying. Like a doting dad, Ian wraps his arms around the girl and kisses her on her head, asking her if she's okay. Beside the shock of it all, Ian and Mia seem physically fine.

Police are now investigating the crazy brawl after an official report was filed with Ian's name listed as the victim.

TMZ broke the story with a video that captured the frightening ordeal. In the clip, the bikers are riding past Ian's car, possibly clipping it and sparking the confrontation. Ian exchanges punches with one of the bikers before he gets jumped by the other assailants. The whole thing turns into an all-out fight, and not a single bystander jumps in to help Ian.

By the way ... no one's been arrested yet. Stay tuned, though.

Former NFL star Muhammad Wilkerson was arrested again last week ... after cops say he drove drunk with a loaded gun tucked beneath his car seat.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, Wilkerson was initially pulled over by police in Morris County, New Jersey back on Dec. 22 at 6:41 AM.

During the stop, cops suspected he was under the influence ... saying a strong odor of alcohol was emanating from the former New York Jets pass rusher's ride.

In the docs, cops say at one point during questioning, Wilkerson told them he was coming from a New York City club ... and a short time later, they say he failed field sobriety tests.

Wilkerson was placed under arrest -- and afterward, cops said during a search of his vehicle they not only found an open bottle of Don Julio tequila ... but also an FN 509 Tactical Handgun with 11 hollow point bullets inside of it.

Police said Wilkerson told them the firearm was purchased in Florida -- but he did not provide them proper documentation.

Court records show Wilkerson has since been tagged with a bevy of charges in the case -- including operating a vehicle while under the influence and unlawful possession of a handgun.

He's due in court for hearings on the matter next month.

This, of course, is not the first time Wilkerson has been accused of drinking and driving ... he was arrested for DWI in 2020 and 2019 as well.

El guitarrista Frankie Sullivan, miembro fundador de la banda Survivor, sufrió un robo en su casa de Los Ángeles y la policía dice que los ladrones se llevaron unos relojes de lujo que cuestan una tonelada de dinero.

La policía le dice a TMZ que los ladrones entraron a principios de este mes a su casa de San Fernando Valley, ubicada en las colinas, a través de la ventana del guitarrista de "Eye of the Tiger". Se llevaron un montón de relojes avaluados en más de $300.000.

La policía cree que fue obra de un grupo de ladrones sudamericanos que vuelan al país para asaltar casas caras -varias de ellas pertenecientes a famosos- y que supuestamente utilizan caminos de herradura en las montañas para acceder a las propiedades de lujo.

Los oficiales están instando a colocar cámaras de vigilancia en las propiedades, a asegurarse de que la zona esté bien iluminada y a poner alarmas en las puertas correderas de cristal y en las ventanas del segundo piso. Dicen que así es como los ladrones están entrando a las casas.

Como informamos, la casa de Keanu Reeves también fue asaltada a principios de este mes, y fuentes policiales nos dicen que el arma robada de su propiedad era una pistola Glock.

Guitarist Frankie Sullivan -- a founding member of the band Survivor -- had his L.A. home burglarized ... and cops say the thieves made off with fancy watches worth a ton of dough.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... burglars smashed their way through the window at the "Eye of the Tiger" guitarist's San Fernando Valley home in the hills earlier this month, taking a bunch of timepieces, worth more than $300,000.

Cops think it was the work of a South American burglary crew that flies into the country to hit expensive homes -- several belonging to celebs -- and they allegedly use fire roads in the mountains to access the luxury properties.

Law enforcement is urging folks to put trail cams around their property, make sure the area is well-lit ... and put alarms on sliding glass doors and second-story windows. They say that's how the burglars are getting into the homes.

As we reported, Keanu Reeves' home was raided earlier this month, too ... and law enforcement sources now tell us the gun stolen from his property was a Glock pistol.