MOBILE, AL. A person arrested for accidentally shooting his cousin to death has pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter in this case.
The court has accepted Terry Penn, 20, plea in the death of his 13-year-old cousin.
Penn pleaded guilty to the charge on Thursday, March 12, 2026.
The court has sentenced him to serve six months in prison, followed by three years of probation.
On March 6, 2024, Penn, who was 18 at the time, was handling a gun while driving in the car with his 13-year-old cousin.
The gun went off and hit the cousin, who later died from his injuries at a hospital.
It was a reckless act, investigators said but it was not intentional. Investigators said that while they didn’t believe Penn wanted to kill the 13-year-old, he behaved negligently while handling the firearm, which ultimately led to the teen’s death.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
FAIRHOPE, Ala. Amanda Webb, founder of the Mobile Bay Maker’s Market, has announced that it is coming back for a fifth season in Fairhope.
The first day of the Mobile Bay Maker’s Market is March 15 starting at 10 a.m. at the Hope Community campus in Fairhope, located on the corner of Twin Beech Road and Section Street and Webb said she’s very excited about bringing these craftsmen, growers and business owners all back for another season. I must confess, I too am very excited and love this market!
The market will be open every other Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will take a short break from July through August before returning on Sep 4.
Webb first started the market in 2021, and there’s been a few relocations from the South Beach Park area where they were setting up but due to construction in the area from the city’s Working Waterfront project, they had to relocate.
Webb, a Fairhope resident, said the market is a matter of the community coming out and supporting small businesses in Fairhope.
“We just enjoy coming out as a community of vendors to see each other and promote each other’s businesses and be able to showcase what we work really hard on day after day to the community,” Webb said. “With small businesses, it can be hard to get a storefront or have to deal with the overhead of that, so these markets that we have helped showcase a small business owner without that big profit overhead.”
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
An Alabama trooper patrolling Interstate 65 northbound on Friday afternoon, March 13th, 2026, at around 12:15 p.m. spotted a pedestrian walking on the Interstate.
The trooper activated his blue lights and pulled to the side of I-65 to investigate if the person may have car trouble or determine what other reasons why he might be walking on the highway.
The person, later identified as, , 26, was uncooperative, refusing the trooper’s commands and additional law enforcement officers had to be dispatched to assist the trooper.
The suspect was taken into custody and placed under arrest and transported to the Baldwin County Detention Center.
Nelson is facing charges of Obstructing Government Operations and Resisting Arrest.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE, Al. Authorities say that a Theodore man is accused of extorting nude photos from a teenage girl and then sending them to her family and friends.
Local law enforcement received information that 23-year-old Angel Rivera Perez coerced a teenage girl into sending him naked photos and then he distributed them to the 14-year-old girl’s family and friends.
Perez is now charged with five counts of dissemination of child pornography and is currently being held on $250,000 bond.
Law enforcement said that Perez knew the girl but did not say how or if the girl was related to Perez.
after he extorted a 14-year-old girl, whom he knew, to send him nude photos. Once the teen sent photos, the report says Rivera Perez sent them to the girl’s family and friends.
Court documents say if he makes bond, he can’t have an electronic device that can connect to the internet and cannot have contact with anyone under the age of 18.
Rivera Perez is scheduled to be back in court March 19.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
ESCAMBIA, Fla. State law enforcement in Florida have discovered a highly sophisticated method to steal fuel and have made one arrest but others may also face charges.
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement have arrested a 26-year-old man in Pensacola for a a fuel theft operation spanning multiple counties, according to the state law enforcement agency.
Alain De Jesus Aguila-Martinez is facing felony charges of Larceny – Tampering with/Removing a Retail Fuel Dispenser, and he is part of an ongoing investigation into an organized fuel theft ring operating across Santa Rosa, Escambia, and Walton Counties.
According to state agents, he already had active warrants for multiple felony charges, including Organized Fraud, Retail Fuel Theft Tampering, and Petit Theft.
According to OALE, officers at the Florida Agriculture Inspection Station in Pensacola “identified a blue semi-truck pulling a refrigerated trailer that matched the description in a BOLO linked to a sophisticated fuel theft operation spanning multiple counties.”
The officers selected the truck for a regulatory inspection and identified the driver as Aguila-Martinez using his Florida Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), according to authorities.
“During the inspection, an OALE K9 unit conducted a free-air sniff around Aguila-Martinez’s 2002 Freightliner semi-truck and alerted officers to the presence of narcotics,” OALE says. “A subsequent probable cause search of the vehicle uncovered a large magnet concealed under the driver’s steering wheel. The magnet was identified as a device commonly used to manipulate fuel pump solenoids, enabling the unauthorized theft of diesel fuel.”
State law enforcement said that this is an ongoing investigation.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
GULF SHORES, Ala. On the afternoon of March 11, 2026, GSPD became aware of large groups of unaccompanied juveniles and young adults gathering along the beachfront. As a popular beach destination, police said that they fully expect increased activity during the spring break season, and we recognize that most visitors, 99%—come to enjoy the warm weather, beaches, and coastal environment responsibly.
However, the small percentage who choose to be disorderly, litter, create disturbances, or otherwise interfere with others’ ability to enjoy our community will not be tolerated, police said. Such actions are inconsistent with the expectations of our residents, our elected leaders, and the law.
GSPD deployed more officers and increased their increased presence. They also deployed additional resources and utilized technology along with the support of partner agencies—including the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and ALEA—to identify individuals responsible for the disruptive or unlawful behavior.
As a result of these efforts, 18 individuals were arrested on 23 charges, including illegal possession of firearms, drug-related offenses, and obstructing governmental operations. Of the six firearms that were recovered, the individuals arrested could not legally possess them. One firearm was reported to have been stolen. Police did not release the names of any adults charged.
Our message is simple: We welcome everyone who wants to enjoy our beaches respectfully. If your plan is to cause trouble or break the law, stay home — it’s a long way to travel just to end up in jail.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE, AL. The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office has announced that they have recovered the bodies of the missing Choc family.
The bodies of the mother and her two children were found in a Balwin County field according to Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch in a press conference Thursday morning.
The exact location where the bodies were found in a Baldwin County was not revealed.
Aurelia Choc Cac, 40, and her two children, Niurka Zuleta Choc, 17, and Anthony Garcia Choc, 2, were missing in January after they were last seen at their home in Theodore.
Local, state and federal law enforcement have been working on the theory that they were kidnapped and had made several related arrests last month.
Hector Gamaliel Argueta-Guerra, 27, was charged weeks ago with kidnapping in the family’s disappearance and has been held in jail since.
Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood announced at the press conference that Argueta-Guerra will now face three counts of murder as well as additional charges and that he will seek the death penalty for both of the suspects.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
We’ve all heard the new phrase “ghosting” meaning a person hasn’t returned your calls or responded to your emails, but this type of ghosting could cost you money, maybe even a lot of money unbeknownst to you.
Nationwide, law enforcement authorities are seeing a dramatic rise in a scam known as “ghost tapping” involving credit and debit cards.
“Ghost tapping” scams is putting people who use tap-to-pay features on alert. The concerning part of this scam is that victims may not realize they’ve been scammed until they check their credit card or bank statements.
People look for convenience these days that are quick and easy and that’s what scammers are depending on. Tap and pay is fast becoming the method that most people use when making payments at a gas pump, self-checkout store register or even when driving up to a fast-food window. Honestly, I’m one of these that have found that this payment method is quick and easy.
Tap-to-pay technology is designed to make transactions fast and convenient. But cybersecurity experts say that the same convenience can make it easier for scammers to steal money.
“The ease of use means the ease of stealing,” said Jean-Paul Bergeaux with GuidePoint Security, a cybersecurity consulting company. Bergeaux said scammers exploit the same NFC technology used in tap-to-pay systems on phones and credit cards.
“There are pieces of software and devices that are doing exactly the same thing that a point of sale does and it’s transacting on your phone or on your credit card and if you don’t have a thumbprint or a biometric on your phone, they can walk up and if you’re not paying attention in a crowded area, they get close enough and they touch your phone they can do a transaction,” Bergeaux said.
Nationwide, law enforcement say scammers will sometimes just take a few dollars which often go unnoticed and then they come back and take large amounts of cash from your cards.
Fraud analysts say claims tied to ghost tapping have surged by 150% during the past year. Experts warn that scammers often target crowded places where people may be distracted, including malls and airports.
“If you have a credit card with a chip, which all of us do, make sure that you protect that chip. Don’t leave the card out. Don’t have it in the back pocket without any protection. Where someone could walk up and tap it,” Bergeaux said.
Cybersecurity experts recommend taking a few simple steps to reduce your risk:
Turn on transaction alerts from your bank or credit card company
Keep your cards secure and avoid leaving them exposed
Use biometric security, like fingerprint or facial recognition, on your phone
Monitor your statements regularly for suspicious charges
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Broward County judge has recently ruled that red light cameras are unconstitutional and more than likely, his ruling will be challenged.
Across the state many jurisdictions use the cameras as a preventive and a punitive measure.
Florida has areas where red light cameras are heavily concentrated in urban areas and specific counties, notably with over 130 locations in Orange County/Orlando, alongside active programs in Hillsborough (Tampa), Pinellas (St. Petersburg), and Broward counties as well as smaller counties and cities.
That ruling made in Broward County could set a precedent and impact on how red-light cameras are used.
The registered owner of the vehicle is the person who gets the citation from a red-light camera. To contest a citation, the owner must prove they were not the driver at the time.
The Broward County judge says that’s unconstitutional because the defendant then has the burden of proving they’re innocent. Per the constitution, the prosecution should have the burden of proof.
The City of Pensacola has 13 red light cameras installed at intersections. Data from the city in August shows each location averaged nearly 100 citations a day.
The city says 2025 saw more than 29,000 violations.
“We take those as they come,” said Mayor D.C. Reeves. “If that becomes an issue and they aren’t able to be used in Florida, then we’ll adjust accordingly.”
In some areas, prosecutors say that the judge’s decision is wrong because “The statute in Florida presumes that the registered owner is the driver of the car.”
The citation in the Broward County case was dismissed. Right now, that court decision only applies in Broward County. The City of Pensacola is not the only place with red light cameras. Gulf Breeze also has red light cameras at three intersections.
Several Alabama cities use red light cameras to enforce traffic laws, primarily focusing on high-risk intersections to reduce collisions. Confirmed cities with active programs include Montgomery, Birmingham, Mobile, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Center Point, Midfield, Phenix City, Selma, and Opelika. These systems typically result in fines, with some cities, like Phenix City, issuing $100 citations that do not add points to a driver’s record.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BALDWIN COUNTY, AL. On 03/09/26 , at 2020 hours, Deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office’s Uniform Services Division responded to a residence off of Underwood Road in the Foley Community regarding a domestic violence complaint.
Upon arrival they were greeted by a 13-year-old male subject and his mother in the front yard of the residence.
32-year-old Darnel Hernandez-Lopez was being held down in the yard by his 13-year-old stepson, using a bicycle.
Lopez had numerous injuries to his face and was detained and treated medically on scene.
Darnel Hernandez-Lopez’s wife told Deputies that she and her husband had engaged in an argument that became more violent when her husband grabbed her around her neck and started to choke her. This all occurred in front of their 13-year-old stepson who left the house to seek help. Once the child was outside, Darnel Hernandez -Lopez, exited the residence following his stepson and attempted to violently engage him in the front yard. During this altercation the stepson was able to defend himself and struck his father in the face numerous times, subduing him until Deputies could arrive.
Darnel Hernandez-Lopez was charged with Felony Assault Strangulation and transported to the Baldwin County Corrections Center for holding. He currently has a $30,000 dollar bond and is on an Immigration hold.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and its partners take the care and safety of all domestic violence victims very seriously and strive to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
BALDWIN COUNTY, Ala. A missing child from Fort Myers was spotted in a Budget rental van on Interstate 10 in Florida by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper as it was entering the Alabama line.
ALEA was contacted by FHP and began looking for the van entering the state and within minutes an Alabama trooper spotted the vehicle and began to follow it westbound on I-10.
Additional troopers began to follow the van that had Oklahoma tags and eventually conducted a traffic stop on the rental van near the 30-mile marker.
The child was recovered and the driver was detained.
While on scene, the male suspect had a medical emergency and was transported by ambulance to an area hospital.
Currently, law enforcement in both states is conducting a further investigation into the incident.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SEMMES, AL. Sadly, today we are joining the Semmes Fire Rescue Department in mourning after Chief Kevin Brooks died Tuesday evening. An announcement by the fire department stated that the chief passed after a battle with cancer.
“The City of Semmes is saddened to share the passing of our Fire Chief, who faithfully served this community for many years,” the post said. “After a courageous battle with cancer, he passed away last night.”
Chief Brooks was a leader and a mentor to many said one firefighter.
A Facebook post said Brooks dedicated his life to protecting and serving Semmes residents.
“His leadership, commitment, and steady presence helped shape our fire department and made our community a safer place,” it said. “Beyond his role as Fire Chief, he was a neighbor, mentor, and friend to many.”
Brooks set the tone for the department and lives on through the firefighters who served under him, according to the post.
Steve Dawes knew him as a strong leader with a kind heart.
“We are deeply grateful for the years he gave to this city and the example he set through his service and character,” it said. “His legacy will continue to live on through the firefighters he led and the countless lives he touched.”
Fire departments around the area have been publishing messages of condolences.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
SPANISH FORT, Ala. Two new hotels are coming to the city of Spanish Fort.
Mayor Brad Bass and city officials participated in festivities that included the official groundbreaking for a TownePlace Suites by Marriott and the topping-out ceremony (beam signing) for a Tru by Hilton. Both properties are located on the east side of the Eastern Shore Centre, across from Eastern Shore Lanes.
The mayor said that they are celebrating an exciting milestone in the community’s continued growth as city leaders joined RAM Hotels to commemorate the construction of two new hotels on the city’s eastern corridor.
RAM Hotels, an Alabama family-owned company, has strategically chosen to invest in Spanish Fort through collaboration with city officials and a shared commitment to strengthening the community. Once completed, the two hotels will collectively offer nearly 200 guest rooms, along with meeting spaces and modern amenities designed to serve visitors to the Eastern Shore.
“These projects represent another exciting step forward for Spanish Fort. We are proud to partner with RAM Hotels as they continue investing in our city and helping expand opportunities for visitors to stay, explore, and experience everything our community has to offer,” said Casey Raines, Planning and Zoning Official for Spanish Fort.
The I-10 Corridor between Mobile and the Forida line continues to be a hot area for development from residential communities to hospitality and other new businesses. Hotels are specially needed along this stretch of I-10 with the growth of tourism and large companies locating in the area.
The addition of these hotels will bring new energy to the developing east side of Spanish Fort and support the continued growth of the area surrounding the Eastern Shore Centre. City leaders say the development reflects the strong economic momentum taking place throughout Spanish Fort and the Eastern Shore region.
Other projects could also be announced soon.
Construction on both properties is currently underway. Tru by Hilton is expected to open in October 2026.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Ala. On Thursday, March 5th, Jennifer Wisenbaugh, 55, of Stockbridge, Ga., was killed after the vehicle she was a passenger in struck a tractor-trailer.
ALEA said that Chad Buckner, 44, of Cartersville, Ga., was the driver of the vehicle and that he was driving under the influence of alcohol and was speeding at the time of the collision.
Now Buckner is in police custody and faces felony charges of murder and DUI according to law enforcement.
Authorities said Buckner was not injured in the crash.
Authorities said the crash occurred on County Road 4 near Fir Lane, approximately 10 miles east of East Brewton.
No information has been released about the driver of the tractor trailer.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
On March 3, 2026, the MCSO ICAC Unit, along with MCSO Special Operations, executed a search warrant at Knollwood Drive involving Kiara Nicole Ford.
This investigation began after the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office received a Cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Based on the evidence collected during the search warrant and subsequent investigation, Ford was arrested and charged with five counts of Unlawful Possession of Child Pornography and five counts of Dissemination of Child Pornography. As a reminder, ICAC is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing over 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. These agencies are dedicated to investigating, prosecuting, and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children. A core initiative of the ICAC Task Force Program is educating the public through the development and delivery of awareness and prevention programs.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
ARAB, Ala. A city in northeast Alabama has lost over $432,000 in what they say was a cyber phishing scam which now has federal law enforcement investigating what happened.
According to the little information available, someone, somewhere, s said to have disguised themselves as an officer at FITE Construction, the company building the city’s new recreation center. The scammer received the fraudulent payments.
According to a city spokesperson, the scammer received one fraudulent payment for an invoice for work that another business had done.
An internal review confirmed the scheme did not include personal data, employee information or citizen information.
The Arab Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service are investigating.
Arab Mayor Bob Joslin released a statement saying that the city is working to recover the money.
“The city has implemented additional safeguards and enhanced verification procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
Joslin said other municipalities and school systems nationwide have been victimized, and it appears the perpetrators are working from overseas.
“The City of Arab is deeply concerned about the theft of taxpayer funds and is committed to pursuing every available avenue to recover the money and hold those responsible accountable,” Joslin added. “We want to reassure our citizens, employees, vendors, and community partners that this was an isolated financial scheme involving invoice fraud and did not involve a breach of personal or confidential information.”
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
MOBILE, Ala. Traffic was at a stand still after a driver lost control of their vehicle on Interstate 10 westbound just west of the I-65 interchange and crashed into the Dog River.
Mobile police officers, ALEA, Mobile Fire-Rescue and WMS were all dispatched to the scene just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
Police said that the driver of the vehicle made it out safely and has non-life-threatening injuries.
Shortly after the wreck, several tow trucks were on scene winching the vehicle out of the river.
During this time there was a partial closure of the Interstate.
We’ve been told that the wreck remains under investigation.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
In recent months law enforcement in several states including Tennessee have identified a newly emerging synthetic opioid being detected in fatal overdose investigations that does not always respond to Naloxone.
Narcan has long been used by police, firefighters and EMS to treat victims of an overdose on scene and reverse a drug overdose, but now it synthetic drugs may not fully respond to naloxone, prompting forensic officials to advise law enforcement to follow standard fentanyl safety protocols while toxicology data continues to develop.
The drug, N-Propionitrile Chlorphine, also known as cychlorphine, has been identified in 19 overdose death investigations in East Tennessee, with 12 confirmed and seven pending laboratory confirmation, according to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center. Forensic officials say laboratory data indicate the compound may be approximately 10 times more potent than fentanyl.
Synthetic opioids are powerful pain-relieving substances designed in laboratories to mimic the effects of natural opioids (such as morphine) by acting on the same brain receptors. While some are approved for medical use, such as fentanyl and methadone, many are produced illicitly and are often highly potent, causing a significant rise in fatal overdoses globally.
Chris Thomas, chief administrative officer and director of the forensic center in Tennessee, said officers and first responders should treat suspected exposures the same way they would fentanyl.
“There is currently insufficient data to determine whether this compound presents additional dermal exposure risk,” Thomas said. “Follow fentanyl protocols.”
In most confirmed cases, cychlorphine was detected alongside fentanyl and methamphetamine. In one confirmed case, however, it was the only drug identified. That case involved a measured concentration of approximately 0.5 nanograms in femoral blood, which Thomas described as extremely low.
Unlike fentanyl, cychlorphine does not appear on routine toxicology panels. Detection requires expanded laboratory analysis and, in some cases, referral to research laboratories for confirmation. The forensic center submits femoral blood samples to NMS Labs for toxicology testing. If the compound is detected, samples are forwarded to a research laboratory for confirmation.
Illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other synthetics are the primary drivers of the overdose crisis in the United States, with synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) involved in over 70,000 deaths in 2023.
Synthetic drugs have become rapidly the culprit in many overdoes because it’s cheaper to manufacture and is often done in temporary labs and has even been found being made in a dirty bathroom.
Officials caution that the number of confirmed cases may reflect testing capability rather than geographic prevalence. Jurisdictions without expanded analytical panels may not detect the compound even if present.
Thomas said naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, may not be fully effective in reversing overdoses involving cychlorphine but should still be administered. Responders cannot immediately determine which opioid is present at a scene, he said.
“Always try,” Thomas said, referring to naloxone administration.
Cychlorphine belongs to a subclass of synthetic opioids known as orphine analogues. National forensic researchers first identified the compound in 2024, and a January 2026 public alert from the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education reported an increase in fatal overdoses in which the drug was detected.
At this stage, forensic officials are not recommending new field procedures beyond established fentanyl safety measures. Existing opioid response protocols remain appropriate while additional data continues to emerge.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
Early Tuesday afternoon, a police pursuit ended in a wreck that injured a motorcyclist and the arrests of two people.
A Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop at around 12L15 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2026, after recognizing that one of the occupants in the vehicle had fled law enforcement during a weekend traffic stop.
The driver initially stopped for the deputy but as a Foley police officer pulled up to assist the deputy, the driver took off fleeing down Foley Beach Express.
During the pursuit the driver struck and injured a motorcyclist.
Deputies and Foley police surrounded the woods and eventually arrested both people who police say are brothers.
The driver, 21-year-old Max Lewis, and 26-year-old Blake Lewis face a number of charges, including felony attempting to elude and leaving the scene of an accident with injury.
Both are incarcerated pending a bond hearing.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
, 26, was uncooperative, refusing the trooper’s commands and additional law enforcement officers had to be dispatched to assist the trooper.
