Crime
Mass casualty incident declared after vehicle plows into crowd on West Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood
LOS ANGELES, CA – A devastating incident unfolded early Saturday morning in East Hollywood when a vehicle drove into a crowd, resulting in mass casualties and prompting a large-scale emergency response from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
The incident occurred at approximately 4:20 a.m. in the 4600 block of West Santa Monica Boulevard.
A man drove grey car into a crowd outside the Vermont nightclub.
The driver reportedly lost consciousness at the wheel.
Authorities are still determining whether the driver’s loss of consciousness was due to a medical emergency or potential foul play.
According to LAFD, the crash left at least 28 individuals injured, with emergency responders categorizing their conditions as follows: three in critical condition, six in serious condition, and 19 in fair condition.
A total of 124 LAFD personnel responded to the scene under incident number #0120.
Victims were triaged and transported to local trauma centers for further care. Authorities confirmed that multiple ambulances were dispatched due to the volume of injuries.
Officials have not yet released details about the circumstances leading to the crash or whether the driver remained on scene.
LAPD is leading the investigation, and no further information about potential arrests or charges was immediately available.
The area was shut down to traffic as investigators worked to process the scene.
Authorities are urging anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Crime
Former Texas Worship Minister and Christian Musician Jon Sheptock Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — A married Christian musician and former worship minister who once performed at a rally for former President Donald Trump has been arrested on multiple child sexual abuse material (CSAM) charges, authorities confirmed.
According to officials, Jon Sheptock, a former minister at First Montgomery Baptist Church, was taken into custody on September 26 by detectives from the Montgomery County Constable’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit.
He faces charges of possession and production of child pornography following a detailed investigation into allegations of long-term misconduct.
The arrest was based on testimony from a woman who alleged that Sheptock stole a photograph of her approximately nine years ago, when she was 17 years old.
The victim told investigators that after sending her the image, Sheptock demanded explicit photographs and later sent her a video depicting a violent assault, warning that he “did not want that to happen to her.”
Court records further indicate that Sheptock showed the victim nude images of both adults and minors on his computer.
Investigators allege that the misconduct continued as recently as October 2023, when Sheptock reportedly sent a text message to the victim containing a nude image of young girls.
Before his arrest, Sheptock was widely known as a Christian recording artist and motivational speaker.
His now-deleted website biography stated that he was born without arms and with one leg shorter than the other, yet went on to describe himself as a “thriving Christian recording artist and speaker.” He has been married for 26 years and is the father of three daughters.
In a public statement, First Montgomery Baptist Church confirmed that Sheptock was immediately removed from all ministry responsibilities following his arrest.
The church emphasized that Sheptock did not hold any position involving direct contact with children, and there is no indication that minors associated with the church were involved or affected.
Sheptock gained wider public attention in January 2022, when he performed the national anthem at a rally for then-President Donald Trump, according to The Independent.
If convicted, Sheptock faces a potential prison sentence ranging from two to twenty years.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are encouraging anyone with additional information to contact the Montgomery County Constable’s Office Human Traffic.