Weekend crashes kill five; 3 children
Five people - three of them children - died in two separate crashes on state roads over the weekend, according to Arkansas State Police fatality accident reports.
Nicholas McGuire, 26;
Jessica McGuire, 26; and Brinley McGuire, 2, died in a three-vehicle collision Saturday when their vehicle rear-ended another in a construction zone in Crittenden County on Interstate 55. Sixyear-old Cadence McGuire was injured in the crash and taken to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
They were all from Gosnell.
Nicholas McGuire was driving a 2006 Nissan Murano southbound on Interstate 55 near mile marker 10 at about 2:50 p.m. with the other three as passengers, and the vehicle failed to stop when approaching a 2006 International that was stopped for traffic in the construction zone, according to the state police fatal accident report.
The Murano rear-ended the International, which subsequently struck a 2000 Buick Regal that was stopped in front of it. The drivers and passengers in the International and Regal were not injured.
On Sunday, two children died as the result of a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 40 in Prairie County.
Alex Espinoza, 10, and Karen Espinoza, 8, both from Mulberry, Pa., died after the driver of a 1999 Mercury they were traveling in lost control of the vehicle.
Sandra Espinoza-Perez, 32, was driving the vehicle westbound on Interstate 40 at mile marker 188 at about 1:25 a.m. when she drove into the median and overcorrected, causing the vehicle to overturn several times.
It finally came to a stop on Arkansas 86.
Espinoza-Perez, 2-yearold Marlene Espinoza, and Melohoa Huntado, 35, were all injured in the crash and taken to Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock.
- ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE
Stolen oil scheme nets man year, day
SPRINGFIELD - A southwest Missouri man will serve one year and one day in prison with no chance of parole for evading federal reporting rules to conceal a scheme to sell stolen cooking oil.
The U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release Monday that 46-year-old Jesse Arnold of Sarcoxie was sentenced Friday. He also must also forfeit $207,817.
Arnold operated 4 States Grease Co., which collected used cooking oil for recycling. He admitted last December that he knew he was buying old cooking oil that had been stolen by various drivers from businesses in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
Prosecutors said Arnold avoided federal reporting requirements by making withdrawals from his business checking account for less than $10,000. Banks must file a currency transaction report for any financial transaction over $10,000.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESSInvesting fraudster gets 9 years prison
SPRINGFIELD - A former southwest Missouri man is serving nine years in prison without parole for aninvestment scheme that defrauded senior citizens out of nearly $1.2 million.
Federal prosecutors announced Monday that 68-year-old Steven E. Gwin, formerly of Ozark, was sentenced Friday and ordered to pay $1.17 million in restitution.
Gwin pleaded guilty Aug.
20 to mail fraud and money laundering. Between August 2005 and March 2007, Gwin solicited investments for retirement ventures and conducted seminars for senior citizens to promote the investment programs.
But prosecutors said once individuals invested with Gwin, he used their funds for personal expenses.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Man, 29, arrested in Oklahoma death
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. - Police in Tahlequah have arrested a man for first-degree murder in a man’s shooting death.
Authorities said Juan Carlos Caballero, 29, was taken into custody after the incident early Sunday morning.
The victim’s name wasn’t released.
The Tulsa World reported that the police report describes the victim as “an unknown deceased male.”
Caballero is also charged with possession of controlled dangerous substance.
Police arrested a second person on complaints of possession of controlled dangerous substance and failure to protect a minor child.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oklahoma wreck kills 2 from Texas
CLAREMORE, Okla. - The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said two Texans have been killed in a two-vehicle collision on Interstate 44 near Claremore in northeastern Oklahoma.
Troopers said Konnie Flores, 16, and Beatric Trevino, 44, both of Edcouch, Texas, died shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday when the sport utility vehicle they were riding in went off the interstate and rolled after being struck by a car.
Investigators said both vehicles were eastbound on the interstate when the car struck the rear of the SUV - sending it off the roadway and causing it to roll several times.
Troopers said two other passengers in the SUV are hospitalized in good condition while a third was treated and released. The driver and a passenger in the car were not injured.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESSSnow leopard born
at Oklahoma zoo
TULSA - The Tulsa Zoo said an endangered snow leopard cub has been born.
The zoo said Monday that the cub was born on May 10 and is now 7 weeks old. The animal had two siblings but neither survived.
One died when being born and the other died nine days later from an infection.
Zoo officials said the surviving cub, Nico, is doing well.
Nico is being hand-raised by zoo staff because the mother, Sherab, had birth-related complications and the two had to be separated.
There are only an estimated 4,000 to 6,500 snow leopards left in the wild in northern India and China.
- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 8 on 06/25/2013