Here are things to know for Wednesday, Dec. 15:
1. Man indicted after 3 bodies found in burning Texas dumpster
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A grand jury in Texas has returned a capital murder indictment against a man authorities have said confessed to killing five people, including three whose dismembered bodies were found in a burning dumpster earlier this year.
Jason Thornburg, 41, was indicted Monday on a charge of capital murder in the deaths of David Lueras, 42, Lauren Phillips, 34, and Maricruz Mathis, 33, the Tarrant County district attorney’s office said. Their bodies were discovered in a burning dumpster in Fort Worth in September.
Thornburg remains jailed on $1 million bond. Jail records do no list an attorney for him.
Surveillance footage of a vehicle at the site of the dumpster led authorities to Thornburg.
2. Houston parents say elementary student attempted to sexually assault their daughter on Barrick Elementary School playground
Parents of a Houston Independent School District student said a male student tried to sexually assault their daughter while at school.
The female victim attends Barrick Elementary School in north Houston. Her parents said they are outraged and disturbed by what happened to their 11-year-old daughter on the school’s playground last Friday. They said a fellow fifth-grader and male classmate, who is older and stronger than their daughter, punched their daughter in the stomach during recess before trying to sexually assault her.
“He verbally said, ‘I’m going to rape your blank,’” said the unidentified mother. “Yeah, then he turned her around and proceeded to try to take her clothes off and put her down.”
3. What’s being done to keep the lights on this winter? Here’s what we know
Ten months ago, millions of homes and businesses were plunged into darkness and more than 100 Texans lost their lives when our power grid failed at the height of a historic winter storm.
Since then, new laws and regulations have been put in place, but are we better prepared for this winter?
“I wasn’t prepared for three straight days of no power,” said Mike Anderson.
Anderson’s home was heavily damaged last February when a lack of power caused pipes to freeze then burst.
“It was like a bad movie. It was a progression; boom, boom, boom. (I) went in the bathroom, (and saw water) coming out the bathroom, (and) went in my son’s room (and saw water) coming out of there,” said Anderson.
4. US Representative Troy Nehls calls on FAA to audit Houston Airport Systems over terminal project at IAH
n August, U.S. Representative Troy Nehls told KPRC 2 Investigates he had questions over how the Mickey Leland International Terminal Program at Bush Intercontinental Airport was being managed by the Houston Airports System and its director Mario Diaz.
“I think there are some serious questions that we need to ask the FAA,” Nehls said.
Nehls is now taking action, expressing his “serious concerns” to the Federal Aviation Administration over the project that the airport and city officials call iTRP.
5. 6 Houston area residents sentenced to prison in $50M ‘pump-and-dump’ stock scam
Seven people were sentenced to prison Monday in relation to a more than $50 million securities fraud “pump-and-dump” scheme, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
Carolyn Price Austin, 67, Andrew Ian Farmer, 43, Thomas Galen Massey, 51, Eddie Douglas Austin Jr., 71, and Charles Earl Grob, 41, John David Brotherton, 62, and Scott Russell Sieck, 62, all admitted to their involvement in a conspiracy to commit fraud in microcap securities.
Austin, Farmer, Massey, Eddie and Grob are all from Houston. Brotherton is from League City and Sieck is from Winter Park, Florida.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore sentenced Farmer to 12 months in federal prison and one year of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the large sum of money lost by the victims in the case and that there were “some people that lost all their money.”