INQUIRER: A Lindenwold man pleaded guilty today to shooting a rodeo horse with a bow and arrow in Franklin Township, Gloucester County, then leaving it to bleed to death in a field near its owner’s home. Jason Allen, 20, was hunting for deer with two friends in January 2007 when they came across “Cutie,” [NOT pictured, left] he told a Gloucester County Superior Court judge. The steel-tipped arrow Allen fired struck the show horse, owned by a Tuckahoe Road family. Allen, along with Kamren Johnston, 25, and Mark A. Simmerman, 21, were arrested a month later and charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty. Johnston and Simmerman, both of Lindenwold, are expected to appear in court in the coming weeks to face charges. Allen, who said little in court today, faces up to 18 months in prison. Dana Anton, assistant Gloucester County prosecutor, said that since Allen has no prior criminal record, he will likely receive a probationary sentence and that he will likely have to pay restitution for the $25,000 horse. Allen, who was a star football player for Lindenwold High School, was in the news in 2005 after he punched a man to death after the man chased and hit Allen with his car in a road-rage dispute. The police ruled Allen acted in self-defense. MORE
PREVIOUSLY: Jack Ireland never met a tougher, more stubborn female than Cutie. He’s pretty sure she felt the same way about him. When things got heated, the couple would often ignore each other for days. Ireland would stew inside his Franklin Township, Gloucester County, farmhouse and Cutie would do the same, in the barn. From the time he bought her as a foal in Shawnee, Okla., to the years he spent breaking her in as a filly for competitive rodeo competitions throughout the country, Ireland formed a bond with his horse that few people could understand. But three men certainly did not. MORE
INFANTICIDE: Gramps Looking At 10 Years For Dead Tyke Left In Hot Car
A Lansdowne man was charged today with involuntary manslaughter in his grandson’s death after he forgot the baby in his SUV during a period of sweltering heat earlier this month. Edward M. Kanterman, 59, of Sayers Avenue, forgot to drop off his grandson at daycare June 10 and instead drove to work, leaving 14-month-old Nicholas McCorkle in the back seat, strapped in a carseat for more than five hours. Temperatures reached the mid-90s that day, and by the time Kanterman returned, Nicholas, who was drenched in sweat, was blue and struggling to breathe, according to a police affidavit. His temperature was 107.2 degrees. Four days later, doctors told the child’s parents that he was brain dead. Nicholas died at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia June 14, shortly after he was taken off life support. [via INQUIRER]
IT’S OFFICIAL: KYW Fires Mendte’s Ass
Channel 3 has given anchor Larry Mendte the boot. A spokeswoman for CBS 3 says the station has released
Mendte from his contract, effective immediately. He’s been under federal investigation, and hasn’t been on-air since May 29th. The station says the decision to end his career there was based on “an independent investigation conducted by CBS.” Mendte had been co-anchor of CBS 3’s Eyewitness News at 6pm and 11pm since September 2003. The FBI searched Mendte’s Chestnut Hill home and seized a computer last month after his fired co-anchor, Alycia Lane, complained that someone may have hacked into her e-mail messages and leaked them to some media outlets. Lane’s lawyer, Paul Rosen, has said the direction of the investigation was determined by the FBI and the US Attorney’s office, and that Lane is cooperating with authorities in the investigation. She was fired in January and is currently suing the station, alleging defamation of character. Both CBS 3 and KYW Newsradio 1060 are owned by CBS, Incorporated [via KYW]