One of the suspects accused of brutally murdering a 68-year-old woman outside a posh mall in Newport Beach last week reportedly got no jail time from the office of left-wing Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón after a previous felony arrest.Citing interviews and records it reviewed, the Los Angeles Times reported that the murder suspect in question — 26-year-old Leroy Ernest Joseph McCrary — was placed on probation for stealing a Rolex at gunpoint in Santa Monica in 2022, avoiding prison time after L.A. County prosecutors agreed to a three-year suspended sentence.The Times added that Nathan Hochman — Gascón’s opponent in this November's election — said Gascón’s 'malpractice appears to have cost another life.'The Orange County District Attorney's Office said McCrary on July 2 ran over New Zealander tourist Patricia McKay and dragged her body 65 feet amid a violent robbery of the victim and her 69-year-old husband at the Fashion Island mall, adding that McCrary is eligible for the death penalty if convicted of a special circumstances murder charge. Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty ImagesMcCrary faces additional felony charges of attempted second-degree robbery and evading while driving recklessly, the Orange County DA's office said, adding that he has prior felony convictions for residential burglary, criminal threats, and robbery, all in Los Angeles County.The Times noted the following in regard to the 2022 incident:Santa Monica Police Lt. Erika Aklufi said surveillance video in that case showed McCrary putting a handgun to the head of a man on Broadway. He and an accomplice demanded the man’s watch, she said.McCrary’s DNA also was recovered from the victim’s shirt, which he’d grabbed during the robbery, police said.Prosecutors charged McCrary, who had been arrested by L.A. police a month later, and Donta Baker with robbery in the Santa Monica case based on the DNA evidence, according to court records reviewed by The Times.The Times said McCrary pleaded no contest in 2023 to one count of robbery, after which L.A. County Superior Court Judge Cathryn Brougham sentenced him to three years. But the paper said Brougham suspended the sentence and placed McCrary on two years’ probation, also ordering him to complete 200 hours of community service.The Times added that McCrary’s suspended sentence ran concurrent with another suspended sentence following a conviction for possessing a gun as a felon in a separate case the LAPD investigated.The paper said that while Brougham ordered the completion of a probation report before McCrary’s sentencing, courthouse clerks could find no report upon the Times' request. Probation reports typically provide sentencing recommendations along with defendants' probation suitability, the paper added.The Times reported that L.A. County prosecutors defended their handling of the case related to stealing a Rolex at gunpoint, a case which officials said “had significant problems with proof.”More from the paper:A spokesperson in the district attorney’s office said an inability to identify the defendant in the surveillance video hampered the case. Two witnesses were unable to identify the suspects, the spokesperson said, noting that the robber’s face was not shown in the video because he was wearing a mask. She also said that prosecutors were unable to identify the item in the suspect’s hands, and that a confirmatory DNA test was never conducted on the robbery victim’s shirt, which called into question its accuracy.“As a result of these issues, the management team ... authorized a plea offer that allowed [him] to be placed on probation with a suspended state prison sentence,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement, the Times reported.Opponents of Gascón told the paper that the handling of the case demonstrates how his office has been mismanaged. The Times added that Nathan Hochman — Gascón’s opponent in this November's election — said Gascón’s “malpractice appears to have cost another life.”Anything else?The two other suspects in last week's brutal killing in Newport Beach are Malachi Darnell and Jaden Cunningham, both 18, the Orange County DA's Office said. (L to R) Jaden Cunningham; Malachi DarnellImage source: Orange County (Calif.) District Attorney's OfficeThe DA's office said McKay and her husband were waiting for a ride after finishing shopping at the mall when a white Toyota Camry pulled up next to the couple. The DA's office said two masked suspects — later identified as Darnell and Cunningham — jumped out and attacked McKay’s husband, putting a gun to his head and demanding his watch as they forced him to the ground as bystanders ran away.When the pair couldn't get the husband's property, Cunningham is accused of throwing McKay to the ground, stealing her shopping bags, and dragging her into the street in front of the getaway car, which McCrary was driving, the DA's office said.With McKay lying in front of the Camry, McKay’s husband jumped in front of the vehicle in an effort to stop his wife from being run over, but McCrary is accused of accelerating forward with Darnell in the vehicle, pushing McKay’s husband out of the way, and running over McKay and dragging her body 65 feet, the DA's office said.While McCrary was dragging McKay under the car, Cunningham was running to try to catch up to the getaway car, the DA's office said, adding that a good Samaritan tried to stop Cunningham from getting back into the vehicle. Darnell is accused of shooting from the getaway car at the good Samaritan, the DA's office said, adding that McCrary is accused of slowing down to allow Cunningham to jump back into the getaway vehicle, after which McCrary drove away.The DA's office said Darnell and Cunningham also are eligible for the death penalty if they are convicted of the special circumstances murder charges. Darnell also has been charged with second-degree attempted robbery, attempted murder, and felony enhancements of personal use of a firearm and personal discharge of a firearm, the DA's office said, adding that Cunningham also has been charged with one felony count of attempted second-degree robbery.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A new report from the Department of Transportation revealed that Amtrak, a federally chartered company, is still experiencing routine breakdowns and interruptions despite receiving tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to continue operations, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.The passenger rail company was created in 1971 and has never turned a profit. Instead, it has relied on taxpayer dollars to remain operational. The company loses roughly $1 billion per year. According to documents obtained by Open the Books, despite losing money, the company paid its 19,000 workers an average salary of $121,000 for fiscal year 2022.'Without significant taxpayer support, Amtrak could not operate.'The Biden administration has funneled billions of taxpayer dollars into the company, including announcing in November a $16.4 billion investment for rail system improvements for its Northeast Corridor. The funding will be used to rebuild tunnels and bridges as well as upgrade tracks, power systems, signals, and stations."If the Northeast Corridor shut down for a single day, it would cost the economy $100 million in lost productivity," the White House previously stated.The administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $66 billion for rail improvements, which the administration boasted was the "largest investment" in Amtrak's history. As part of this investment, the Biden administration allocated $3.07 billion to the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The project has not made significant progress since it was approved in 2008.According to the White House, Biden envisions turning Amtrak into a "world-class passenger rail" experience. The investments aim to "ensure that train service is more convenient and climate-friendly than either driving or flying."Approximately 22.93 million traveled aboard Amtrak in fiscal year 2022, Statista reported. From January through December 2022, roughly 853 million passengers traveled with U.S. airlines.The DOT's latest report revealed that from 2021 through July 9, 2024, Amtrak experienced 333 incidents nationwide, slightly fewer than the 397 incidents that occurred during the Trump administration between 2016 and July 2020, the DCNF reported.Since Biden took office, there have been 66 derailments, 84 obstructions, 115 incidents involving trains crossing over roadways, five fires or "violent ruptures," and 54 events described as "other." A recent power outage from a malfunctioning circuit breaker interrupted service between New York and Boston last week. WCBS reported that the outage impacted all tracks between Penn Station in New York and Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut."Amtrak is communicating directly with customers impacted by these adjustments and offering options for rebooking their travel plans," the company stated. "Amtrak apologizes for any inconvenience caused by the disruption."Last month, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner addressed the rail company's recent service interruptions, stating, "We understand the impact the recent events had on both Amtrak and NJ Transit customers and their families, and we share their frustration.""It's vital we work with NJ Transit to identify the root cause of these disruptions and return to on-time service and the quality experience customers expect," Gardner added.On Monday afternoon, an Amtrak train headed from Kansas City, Missouri, to Chicago, Illinois, derailed. According to the company, a tree on the tracks caused the incident. KCTV reported no injuries.Last year, House Republicans proposed legislation to cut Amtrak's funding. The Biden administration rejected the cuts, calling them "draconian."The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure argued, "Without significant taxpayer support, Amtrak could not operate."Neither Amtrak nor the DOT responded to a request for comment from the DCNF.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Former Super Bowl champion Derek Wolfe knows a thing or two about the NFL — and he’s fairly certain that there’s something seriously sketchy going on within the league. “My rookie year, which was 2012, we had Peyton Manning, we lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs,” Wolfe tells Alex Stein of “Prime Time with Alex Stein.” “The way they were able to kind of get the score tight again, was all these calls that the refs were making, these pass interference calls that can be called both ways at any time pretty much. There’s a penalty on every play. So, it all depends on when the ref wants to call it,” Wolfe explains. The NFL is a business at the end of the day, and Wolfe believes that part of their strategy is “who’s going to bring the most money” and “the story.” The story this year was a love story: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. “The Chiefs weren’t that great of a team. They lost to the Broncos this year in a game, so they weren't at their best. They played really good football in the playoffs, but a lot of things were going their way,” Wolfe says. “The X factor there is the Swifties, and they’re bringing an entire new market into the NFL,” he continues. “People that would never watch football are now gonna watch football, and they’re getting the ratings because where the money comes from is the ratings.” While many people assume the NFL’s money comes from ticket sales, they couldn’t be more wrong. “What pays our salary is the TV deals,” Wolfe says. “Have you felt that there was a game particularly that you remember that was just totally robbed from you?” Stein asks, intrigued. “It’s that 2012 playoff game,” Wolfe answers, telling Stein that he believes the game was rigged in order for Ray Lewis “to go out as a champion.” “That’s a bold statement, Cotton,” Stein says in amazement, adding, “I love to hear it, because people think it’s real. But it’s sports entertainment.” Want more from Alex Stein?To enjoy more of Alex's culture jamming, comedic monologues, skits, and street segments, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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