Influential pastor Apollo Quiboloy, the self-proclaimed “owner of the universe” and “appointed son of god” who was wanted in the US for child sex trafficking, was arrested in the Philippines on Sunday.

Over 2,000 police were deployed for more than two weeks to search a 74-acre compound in the southern city of Davao owned by his church – the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) – on suspicion that he was hiding there in a bunker.

Quiboloy’s followers had blocked the gate of the compound to prevent shield-carrying police from enforcing a court order to arrest him. Police also used helicopters to circle over a cathedral, a college, and a stadium with 75,000 seats.

Days before Quiboloy’s arrest, the police reportedly recorded the warmth and heartbeat of a human body, deep in the earth, using thermal imaging and radar technology.

Apollo Quiboloy Is Accused Of Sex Crimes

Apollo Quiboloy, a longtime friend of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte, is wanted on charges of child and sexual abuse and related allegations of human trafficking. He also figures on the FBI’s “most wanted” list on charges of sex trafficking.

Quiboloy was charged by the US Justice Department in 2021 with sex trafficking of girls and women between the ages of 12 and 25 to work as personal assistants, or “pastorals”, who were allegedly required to have sex with him.

He is also sought by authorities for bulk cash smuggling and a scheme that brought church members to the United States using fraudulently obtained visas. They were then forced to solicit donations for a bogus charity, raising funds that were instead used to finance church operations and the lavish lifestyles of its leaders.

The evangelist preacher, who is followed by millions of people in the Philippines, has denied wrongdoing.

(With agency inputs)

Cindy Rodriguez Singh, a woman with ties to India, is wanted for allegedly killing her 6-year-old son Noel, who has been missing since October 2022. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to her arrest.

While police have not been able to recover the boy’s body, they believe his mother had a role to play in his death. Police cadaver dogs detected human remains on a carpet that had once been on the floor of a shed on the Singh’s property. 

The carpet was disposed of by Singh’s husband Arshdeep Singh but later recovered by police.

Why is Cindy Rodriguez Singh a suspect?

Reports have suggested that Singh believed her son was “evil, possessed or [had] a demon in him.” 

In the days leading up to his suspected death, witnesses told police that she told people she feared the boy would “hunt” her newborn twins.

The child was last seen at the hospital when Singh gave birth to her twins and one other time in October 2022. Those who saw the child told police that he appeared “malnourished” and “unhealthy”. Noel reportedly suffered from severe disabilities including chronic lung disease.

Singh was also reported to be “abusive and neglectful” to the child, relatives told police.

“One relative witnessed Cindy strike Noel in the face with keys for drinking water. Witnesses additionally stated that food and water were often withheld from Noel because Cindy did not like changing Noel’s dirty diapers,” police said.

According to a report by Fox News, Noel’s grandmother had told police that Singh told her that she sold the 6-year-old to another woman at a grocery store.

Where is Cindy Rodriguez Singh?

In March 22, 2023, Singh along with her husband and six other children boarded an international flight for India and have not been located. The missing child was not with the family at the time, and did not board the flight.

The police first suspected Singh after she lied to officers, who had visited her home for a welfare check. She told them that the boy was living with his biological father in Mexico, and had been there since November 2022.

Dallas:

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of up to USD 25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Cindy Rodriguez Singh, wanted for allegedly killing her young son.

Notably, Rodriguez Singh has ties to India and Mexico. She is wanted for allegedly killing her 6-year-old son, who hasn’t been seen alive since October 2022.

At the request of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Everman Police Department officers conducted a welfare check on behalf of the boy on March 20, 2023.

During the welfare check interview, Rodriguez Singh lied to officers when she explained that the boy was living with his biological father in Mexico, and had been there since November 2022, according to the official website of the FBI.

On March 22, 2023, Rodriguez Singh, her husband, and six other juvenile children boarded an international flight bound for India. It was determined that the missing child was not present, and did not board the flight.

On October 31, 2023, Cindy Rodriguez Singh was charged with capital murder in District Court of Tarrant County, Fort Worth, Texas. On November 2, 2023, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Rodriguez Singh in the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth, Texas, after she was charged with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.

In making the announcement, Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough asked the media and public to help locate Rodriguez Singh.

“Cindy Rodriguez Singh is wanted for allegedly murdering her own young son,” Yarbrough said. “I am confident that the combination of publicity, significant reward offering, and the team of experienced investigators assembled by the FBI Fort Worth Resident Agency violent crime squad, Everman Police Department, Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office and Texas DPS-Texas Rangers will lead to her arrest.”

The FBI on its official website further said that Rodriguez Singh’s last confirmed sighting was on March 22, 2023, as she, her husband, and six juvenile children, boarded an international flight to India. She was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1985 and is 39 years old.

The fugitive is between 5 feet, 1 inch and 5 feet, 3 inches tall; 120- 140 pounds; has a medium complexion and tattoos on her back, both legs, right arm, right hand, and right calf. She has brown eyes and brown hair.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Milwaukee, United States:

The gunman who shot at former president Donald Trump during an election rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday appears to have acted alone, according to the FBI, which is investigating it as a potential “domestic terrorism” act.

The gunman has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks (20).

“At this point in the investigation, it appears that he was a lone actor, but we still have more investigation to go,” said Robert Wells, the executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch.

The FBI, he said, is investigating this as an assassination attempt,” and also as a “potential domestic terrorism act.” The counterterrorism division and criminal divisions are working jointly together to determine the motive, he added.

The FBI is leading the investigation into the assassination attempt of Trump at an election rally in Pennsylvania.

Trump was hit with a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear. He is now safe and is continuing with his schedule that includes travelling to Milwaukee to attend the Republican National Convention, which would formally nominate him as the party’s presidential nominee against incumbent Joe Biden.

“The shooter may be deceased, but the investigation is very much ongoing. And, because of that, we are limited in what we say at this point,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said.

“What we witnessed yesterday was nothing short of an attack on democracy and our democratic process,” he told reporters at a news conference in Washington DC.

According to an FBI official, the investigation into the gunman at Donald Trump’s rally Saturday has not yet turned up any mental health issues, threatening posts or other motives, but cautioned it was still early.

The shooter, as per FBI, used an AR-style rifle chambered in 5.56mm, a common calibre for such weapons.

The New York Times said authorities were scouring the gunman’s social media and other property as they sought to determine a motive for the attack.

Biden is likely to address the nation at 8 pm from the Oval Office. He will give “a forceful and needed address to update the nation on the horrifying attack on Donald Trump and the need for every American to come together to not just condemn, but put to an end political violence in this country once and for all,” a campaign official told the daily.

Crooks graduated from the Community College of Allegheny County two months ago, earning an associate degree in engineering science, school officials said in a statement, adding that they were “shocked and saddened by the horrific turn of events.” Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the Secret Service, in a memo to her agents said “the attempted assassination of former President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, is a moment that will forever be remembered in history.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

A file photo of a jewellery store in the U.S. (Photo used for representational purpose only.)
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A total of 16 members of a major crime ring have been arrested for allegedly committing multiple violent armed robberies targeting Indian and other Asian jewellery stores across four east coast U.S. states in a span of one year.

Federal law enforcement arrested eight suspects on Wednesday, while the remaining eight were apprehended previously, according to a release by the U.S. attorney’s office, District of Columbia.

According to the indictment, between January 7, 2022 and January 27, 2023, the defendants conspired in the District of Columbia to commit robberies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida, targeting jewellery stores owned by Asian Americans.

The charge sheet listed nine “South Asian” jewellery shops that were targeted by the gang. Out of those, at least four could be identified as owned by people of Indian origin.

The gang disguised in dark clothing, masks and gloves, armed with a gun and used stolen vehicles to commit and flee from the robberies, the press release issued on Wednesday said.

“The defendants targeted small businesses along the East Coast, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of jewellery from hardworking families,” said assistant director in-charge David Sundberg.

“For the past 20 months, the FBI worked with our partners across state lines to connect the defendants to these heists. Today’s indictment is a testament to the strength of our partnerships and the commitment we all share to eradicating violent crime,” Mr. Sundberg said.

FBI-Newark Special Agent in-charge James Dennehy said that the suspects took part in take-over-style armed robberies meant to terrify and overwhelm store owners and employees.

“We allege these suspects took part in take-over style armed robberies meant to terrify and overwhelm store owners and employees,” Mr. Dennehy said.

“Many of the victim businesses are family owned and operated and have lost large sums of inventory. The alleged violent and reckless actions of the subjects are astounding; they gave no thought to the people who could have been seriously injured or even killed,” he said.

U.S. Attorney Graves said that with an increasing number of robbery schemes that cross state lines, “collaborative operations like this one are critical to holding accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities.” “Search warrants were also executed resulting in the seizure of multiple guns and approximately $3,00,000 from a safe in one of the residences,” the press release said.

The arrested have been slammed with 19 charges including conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce (known as Hobbs Act) robbery.

According to the law, the maximum sentence for Hobbs Act robbery is 20 years in prison while the use of a firearm to further the severity of crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years with a maximum possible sentence of life.

“A federal judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering sentencing guidelines and other factors,” it said.