Crime
St. Louis County Mother Arrested and Charged After Friend Reports Severe Child Abuse
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MO – A 26-year-old mother has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after authorities uncovered severe abuse inflicted upon her five-year-old child.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office formally charged Alease Chambers on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, with Abuse or Neglect of a Child – Serious Emotional or Physical Injury, First-Degree Kidnapping, and Additional Counts of Child Abuse or Neglect.
The investigation began on February 17, 2025, when a friend of Chambers alerted police to disturbing incidents of child abuse.
According to the witness, she had stayed overnight at Chambers’ residence and observed the young victim being subjected to extreme and targeted punishments.
She reported that Chambers forced the child to clench his fists while repeatedly striking his knuckles with a cellphone and made him perform wall squats for prolonged periods, allegedly exceeding what would be expected in military training.
The situation escalated when, around 3:00 a.m., the friend was awakened by the child’s screams and cries for help, which seemed to be coming from downstairs.
When she inquired about the child’s whereabouts in the morning, Chambers claimed he was downstairs.
Upon checking, the friend discovered the child zip-tied with his hands behind his back, his pants around his ankles, and his body covered in bruises and marks.
The friend recorded the scene on video and immediately reported the abuse to authorities.
Further investigation revealed that the child had been locked in a closet overnight, with the door barricaded by a dresser.
The victim’s siblings confirmed to investigators that Chambers had a pattern of physically abusing this particular child, frequently beating him with belts, cords, and hangers and forcing him to stay inside the closet for extended periods.
Medical evaluations revealed signs of malnourishment, leading to the child’s hospitalization.
During police questioning, Chambers admitted to restraining her son with belts, cords, and zip ties as punishment for allegedly sneaking food.
She confessed to leaving him restrained for at least two to three hours.
Chambers, who is the child’s biological mother, was taken into custody and is being held on a $250,000 cash-only bond, with no 10% option.
Authorities continue to investigate the case, and anyone with further information is urged to contact local law enforcement.
Crime
Victims Identified in Deadly Robeson County Mass Shooting
Two Dead, 13 Injured in Mass Shooting at Large Party in Robeson County, North Carolina
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. — A late-night party in eastern North Carolina turned deadly early Saturday morning when gunfire erupted, leaving two people dead and 13 others injured, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Burnis Wilkins confirmed that deputies were called to the scene on Dixon Drive, just outside the town of Maxton, at approximately 3:00 a.m. following reports of a shooting at a large outdoor gathering attended by more than 150 people.
When deputies arrived, chaos had already unfolded — witnesses said over 150 individuals fled the area before law enforcement could secure the scene.
Authorities identified the deceased victims as Jessie Locklear and his son Nehemiah Locklear.
Several other victims sustained critical injuries and were transported to area hospitals for emergency treatment.
Sheriff Wilkins stated that, based on preliminary findings, the shooting appears to have been an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the wider community.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from multiple agencies, continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the violence.
Detectives are working to determine the motive and identify all parties involved.
Authorities are urging anyone with information—or anyone who attended the gathering and witnessed the incident—to contact the Robeson County Sheriff’s Investigators at 910-671-3100.
“We know there were many people present when this occurred,” Sheriff Wilkins said. “If you saw something or know something, we need you to come forward to help bring justice to the victims and their families.”