Crime and Justice Updates Across US States

A 35-year-old Florida nurse, Alexis Von Yates, has separated from her husband after being arrested and charged with sexually assaulting her 15-year-old stepson. Von Yates accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to lewd and lascivious battery on a child, and was sentenced to two years in prison. The assault occurred in July 2024, and Von Yates reportedly cornered her stepson while her other children were sleeping in a separate room. The stepson, who was a virgin at the time, told police that Von Yates said he reminded her of his father. Von Yates will remain on the sex offender registry for 10 years and must complete 200 hours of community service after her prison sentence.

Shawn Lichtfuss, a 53-year-old man from Voorhees Township, New Jersey, died by suicide in his jail cell at Camden County Correctional Facility one day after being convicted of murdering his wife, Stefanie Caraway, in 2021. Lichtfuss was found guilty of first-degree murder after a six-day trial, with the jury delivering a verdict in just 45 minutes. He was discovered unresponsive in his cell on September 19, and an autopsy confirmed his death was a result of asphyxia and ruled a suicide. The case has been reviewed by the Attorney General's Office.

New Jersey Police Chief Christopher Battiloro has condemned his relative, a 17-year-old boy accused of killing two teenage girls, Maria Niotis and Isabella Salas, in a hit-and-run incident in Cranford, NJ. The victims were riding an e-bike when a black 2021 Jeep allegedly rammed into them. The suspect was charged with double murder and was reportedly stalking one of the girls, who had filed a restraining order against him. Battiloro, who knew one of the victims personally, expressed shock and grief over the tragedy and demanded justice for the families.