Urban Legends: 999 Phone Charging

Photo By Randy Lu

In 2012 rumor was spread around in the BlackBerry forums that if you call 999 it charges the battery. 999 is the emergency number in the United Kingdom. So those who believed it would make lots of false calls to law enforcement. It was so bad that in 2013 Derbyshire Constabulary had a press release telling the public that calling 999 doesn't charge your phone, but in fact wastes law enforcement time and help for those who need it. If there were calls with quick hangups or left in silence police would have to try to get in contact with the cell phone user to make sure there was no emergency. It was illegal for them to misuse the number. 

Whoever posted this in forums probably thought of it as a joke and likely didn't think people would be dumb enough to do it. 

SOURCES:

Urban Legendpedia

Wikipedia

Murder of Pareshkumar D. Patel

Around 6 a.m. on September 16, 2012, Pareshkumar D. Patel, an Indian native, went to the Raceway Gas Station he operated along the 5600 block of Jefferson Davis Highway in Chesterfield, Virginia. When he exited his vehicle two men wearing hoodies would approach him and force him into a van. This would be the last time he was seen alive.

On September 20th Pareshkumar was found at the Ancarrow Boat Landing in Richmond. He had been shot to death.

There is up to a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrests and conviction in the case.

SOURCES:
FBI

Murder of Kentrail Robbins

Around 7 p.m. on September 8, 2012, 22-year-old Kentrail Robbins was on 28th and Grand Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky outside of a barber shop. A black male would get out of their vehicle shoot Kentrail and flee the scene. Kentrail would, unfortunately, die soon after getting to the hospital.

SOURCES:
Louisville Police

Uncovered

WHAS II September 10, 2012

WANTED: Jane Doe 37

Jane Doe 37 is believed to be an individual with information on a child victim in an ongoing sexual exploitation investigation. A video containing her first came to the attention of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in June of 2014. The EXIF data embedded within the video files indicated the video was produced in April of 2012. In the background of the video the movie Land Before Time can be heard. 

Jane Doe 37 is a white female. She has brown hair and was wearing dark framed glasses in the video.

SOURCES:

FBI

Murder of Valencia Hogan-Pierce

Shortly after 1 a.m. on August 4, 2012, 20-year-old Valencia Hogan-Pierce was shot in the area of N 16th St. and Willis Ave in Omaha, Nebraska. She would be found alive and brought to the hospital, but unfortunately would die at the hospital.

SOURCES:

City of Omaha

Murder of Joseph Peters

On May 16, 2012, the body of 41-year-old Joseph Peters was found wrapped in a tarp near Interstate 76 Frontage Road and Weld County Road 12.5 in Greeley, Colorado. He had been shot in the head. 

Joseph was known to frequent the Denver and Brighton area. 

SOURCES:
Welds County Sheriff's Department

CBS Colorado May 17, 2012

Murder of Martin Hawkins Jr.

At about 8:30 p.m. on April 18, 2012 officer patrolling in LaPlata, Maryland heard gunshots. They would canvas the area and would find the body of Martin Hawkins Jr. lying on the road on the 200 block of Kent Avenue.

There is a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of the individual or individuals responsible for the death of Martin Hawkins, Jr. Information given may remain confidential.

SOURCES:
FBI
ABC News July 18, 2012
Southern Maryland Online June 1, 2016
Southern Maryland Chronicle March 31, 2018
Maryland News Net April 2, 2018

Murder of Esperanza Vicentè-Mestizo and unborn child

Around 11 p.m. on February 11, 2012, 28-year-old Esperanza Vicentè-Mestizo was unloading groceries from her minivan at her apartment in the 500 block of Third Place in Mattawa, Washington. A man in a hooded sweatshirt walked up to her and shot her several times in the torso with a handgun. The man would then run from the scene. 

Esperanza was taken to the hospital and as she was 7.5 months pregnant at the time both she and her unborn child were killed. 

SOURCES:

Grant County Sheriff's Office

The Criminal Journal April 24, 2021

Murder of Travis Keys

Around 9 p,m, on February 10, 2012, outside of  Rug Mill Plaza at 20 Jackson St. in Freehold Borough, New Jersey to a stabbing. The victim, 44-year-old Travis Keys, was found unresponsive and would be pronounced dead at the Central State Medical Center. Travis had died from a single stab wound.

SOURCES:

Monmouth County Prosecutor

New Jersey Patch Feb. 11, 2012

New Jersey Patch Feb. 12, 2012

Disappearance of Hibayo Ma’alin

On December 25, 2012, 52-year-old Hibayo Ma’alin disappeared from Rotterdam, Netherlands. She uses a wheelchair and is from Somalia. 

Hibayo is a black female and was 52-years-old at the time. She has black hair and dark eyes. She is 162 cm (5'3").

SOURCES:

International Missing Persons Wiki

Politie

Murder of Ashley Armstrong

On May 16, 2012,  20-year-old Ashley Armstrong was in a black Volkswagen Jetta near Shelton Ave and Munson St. in New Haven, Connecticut.  with three or four other passengers. At 12:30 a.m. someone would open fire on the car. Ashley was hit several times while the other passengers were not hit. 

SOURCES:

Connecticut State Division of Justice 

News-Times

NBC Connecticut

Murder of Faith Hedgepeth

  

On September 6, 2012, 19-year-old Faith Hedgepeth a rush event for Alpha Pi Omega around 6 p.m. She then went to the Davis Library on the UNC campus in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her friend and roommate Karena Rosario.

The two would return back to their apartment at 7:30 p.m. at The View Apartment Complex on Old Chaple Hill Rd near the Durham/Chapel Hill border. After midnight they went to The Thrill, a nightclub on Rosemary Street, and arrived at 12:40 a.m. The two would leave the club at 2:06 a.m. and return home. 

Around 4:25 a.m. Karena left the apartment with a male friend leaving Faith alone. Faith was already asleep in the bedroom. Karena had left the door unlocked when she left. At 11 a.m. Karena would arrive back home getting a ride from a friend. 

They would soon discover Faith unconscious with blood everywhere. Faith was found half hanging off the bed face up. She was only wearing a shirt and it was pulled over her head. She had been severely beaten to death. She was likely raped. She was believed to have been beaten to death with a Bacardi Peach Rum bottle.

There was a white Time-Out fast food bag with "IM NOT STUPID BITCH  JEALOUS" on the bed. It did not have blood on it. It was either written after the crime or away from the crime scene and then left there.

SOURCES:

North Carolina Bureau of Investigation

The News and Observer

Wikipedia

June 26, 2012 Butte, Montana John Doe

 On June 26, 2012, the dismembered remains of a man were found in several trash bags in Butte, Montana. All of his remains were not recovered including his head and torso, and one or more of his limbs were not recovered. It's believed he died between 2011 and 2012.

The man's age and race are unknown, and he was around 6'0". He was too decomposed to see if there were any identifiable scars. He would have had one on his right leg though due to surgery. He was wearing white Dickie brand socks, blue jeans, Red Wing brand brown hiking boots, TC-Tech style, size 11D (USA), with the partially red-colored sole.

SOURCES:

Doe Network

NamUs

Murder of John Fulton Newcombe

 

On June 1, 2012, around 2:08 a.m. 27-year-old John Newcombe was shot outside of Winston's Pub on 278 Lacewood Drive, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was dead at the scene.

SOURCES:

Nova Scotia
CTV News

Disappearance of Cindy "Tig" Rivera

On June 30, 2012, 19-year-old Cindy "Tig" Rivera left the home she shared with her father on Peggy Lee Lane in Las Vegas, New Mexico. She was driving a purple 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier with New Mexico plate number JFZ-534. She told him that she was going to be back in a few. 

Cindy and her 1-year-old son were staying the night at the home of a health care client of her mothers. Her mother wasn't home at the time as she was spending the night with a friend so Cindy was supposed to take care of the bedridden client. 

At 2 a.m. Cindy called her mother telling her that Chris Trujillo, Cindy's Ex and baby's father, was at the client's home drunk. She didn't sound frightened on the phone so her mother told her to chase Chris off. This was the last time she was heard from. 

The bedridden client would hear the baby crying all night. When Cindy's family arrived at the home they found the baby in the bathroom. The garage door was open, and her slippers, lighter, and a couple of cigarettes was found on the ground outside. 

Supposedly Chris went to a relative's house dressed in only his boxers and covered in scratches. He supposedly stated he had killed Cindy and asked the relative to rent him a room at a hotel in Albuquerque. Which the relative did. 

Chris has not been named as a suspect in this case, but is refusing to cooperate with the investigation. Her family believes that Chris kidnapped and killed Cindy that night.

Cindy is a Hispanic woman and was 19 at the time. She has brown hair and brown eyes. She has multiple tattoos including the name "Rhonda" on the right side of her neck, The phrase "Trust No Bitch", on her collarbone, she has faces and the phrase "Smile Now, Cry Later", on her right arm, the word "tyga" with some stars on her right hand and the word "Bites" with hearts on her left hand. Her ears, and her lower lip on both sides are pierced. 

SOURCES:

Charley Project

New Mexico State Police

Albuquerque Journal 

Murder of James "Sandy" Alexander Lyle

On the night of Feb. 19, 2012, someone reported to the police that someone was unconscious on the side of Montague Mines Road in Montague Gold Mines, Nova Scotia. When police arrived they found James Alexander Lyle was dead. He had been shot to death.  He was last seen earlier that day leaving the Rodeo Lounge in Burnside Park.


According to one article, James was considered a major cocaine trafficker in the metro area. In the last five years before his death, he was considered a top player in the local cocaine trade. He was not a member of Hells Angels, but he was associated with them. He was 1 of 19 people arrested in 2001 in Operation Hammer. The bustled to take down many Hells Angels members and led to it dismantling the Halifax club.

  

SOURCES:

CBC

Murder of Samuel H. Kessler

On Jan. 29, 2012  94-year-old Samuel H. Kessler could not be reached. A business acquaintance came to the home to check up on him at his home near Ladoga, Indiana. That was when he found the door ajar and went inside the house seemed to have been ransacked and inside the bedroom, he found Samuels body. Samuel had been shot to death. It's believed he had been killed between Jan 28th at 11 a.m. and 11:24 a.m. on the 29th.


SOURCES:
Journal Review
Journal and Courier 
Indiana State Police 

Murder of Jonathan A. Grioli

On November 3, 2012, the body of  25-year-old Jonathan Grioli was found on Autumn Mood Road in Magnolia, Delaware. He had died from blunt force trauma, it's unknown if it was from an attack or from being hit by a car.

SOURCES:
Delaware State Police 
Dover Post
WBOC