Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Patrick Leithead Arrested for Molesting 13-year-old at Park


A DeKalb County man remained jailed Tuesday, more than a week after being arrested for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old girl in a restroom at Stone Mountain Park.

Patrick Paul Leithead, 36, of Stone Mountain, was arrested on Sept. 20 and charged with aggravated child molestation, according to DeKalb jail records. He is being held without bond.

According to WSB-TV, Leithead was arrested after an off-duty DeKalb sheriff's deputy caught the suspect in a bathroom stall with the girl.

"I saw a gentleman's feet sticking from under the first stall," Deputy Ruth Stringer told the television station. "The child sounded like he or she was in distress."

When Stringer yelled at the suspect, he let the girl go. While Stringer checked on the girl, an off-duty GBI agent, Sara Thomas, detained Leithead until park police arrived, WSB-TV reported.

Kirsi Nadzeika Charged with Assault and Battery on Child

A 43-year-old Mashpee woman accused of seriously assaulting her 4-week-old baby boy — including flailing him around the room while holding onto his leg — was arraigned in Falmouth District Court yesterday.

Kirsi Nadzeika of 11 Periwinkle Lane was charged with domestic assault and battery, two counts of assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, and assault and battery on a child with injury, after police found her assaulting and attempting to smother her son, Nathan Nadzeika.

Legal history

Kirsi Nadzeika has a record of convictions and 10 aliases, court documents state.

She was held on $100,000 cash bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility.

The child was "significantly injured," the court documents state, and Nadzeika has a "prior record of violence."

According to court documents, Nadzeika was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine at the time of the alleged assault.

A spokesman from the Mashpee Fire Department said the baby was taken to Falmouth Hospital, but his condition was not known. A spokeswoman from Cape Cod Healthcare said the child was taken to another facility, but that could not be confirmed last night.

According to Police Chief Rodney Collins, officers were called to a domestic disturbance involving a child at Nadzeika's home at 12:59 a.m. yesterday. When they arrived, officers Ollie Naas and Ralph Mahoney heard screaming and entered the house.

In the kitchen, they found Leslie Brown, later identified as Nadzeika's boyfriend, on the kitchen floor trying to restrain a partially nude Nadzeika, who was holding the baby boy, Collins said. Furniture was overturned, and the floor was littered with household items.

The officers told Brown to step away from her, which he did, Collins said. They saw that the baby was bleeding from the mouth and had multiple injuries to his body. The officers told Nadzeika to move away from the baby, but she refused, according to the police, and tried to smother him.

The officers struggled with Nadzeika, Collins said. She squeezed the baby's right leg and stood up, flailing the baby's body around with "great force." Mahoney pried the baby free and Naas stopped him from hitting the ground.

Nadzeika continued to resist arrest, Collins said. She yelled Latin and religious phrases and told Mahoney he was "the devil."

Nadzeika had allegedly consumed wine and cocaine, according to court documents. Collins said that he could not immediately comment on how that was determined but said that she was obviously "high."

"Obviously it was an intense situation," Collins said. "The officers showed tremendous restraint and did a commendable job in an unfortunate set of circumstances."

Nadzeika has a record of convictions and 10 aliases, court documents state. She also has a history of not showing up for court appearances.

She was held on $100,000 cash bail at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility. She is scheduled for a Nov. 10 pretrial conference.

Tach Van Truong Wanted for Indecent Exposure & Molestation


A 44-year-old man has been accused of a sex act in front of a 2-year-old boy, and authorities today are asking for the public's help in identifying more victims.

Tach Van Truong pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges of indecent exposure and annoying or molesting a child. Authorities allege Truong was in front of a 2-year-old boy who was playing outside his home on Sept 23.

Officials with the Orange County Sheriff's Department said a similar incident occurred on Sept. 19, and are releasing his picture in hopes of identifying any other victims.

"The behavior is so strange and deviant, it is possible there may be other victims," said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Sheriff's Department.

On Sept. 23, deputies were called to the 18800 block of E. Vine Avenue after a mother allegedly saw him in front of her son, Amormino said. Truong was allegedly standing in front of his home, across the street from the child, he said. The mother called a male friend, who chased Truong as he ran back to his home.

"We have been told he has done this in at least one other occasion," Amormino said.

The previous incident, which was not reported to deputies at the time, occurred Sept. 19, Amormino said. That victim was also 2 years old.

Truong is currently in custody in lieu of $30,000 bail.

Anyone with information is asked to contact authorities at 1-866-TIP-OCSD or 1-866-847-6273.

Grandfather Pleads Guilty to Molesting Two Young Girls

An Orange grandfather who watched neighborhood children after school until their parents came home from work pleaded guilty today to molesting two girls younger than 7.

Octavio Reyes Cortez, 59, a landscaper, will be sentenced by Superior Court Judge Frank F. Fasel on Friday to 18 years in prison for six felony counts of lewd conduct on a minor.

Deputy District Attorney Mark Birney said the molestations date back to 1995, and the victims included a 7-year-old girl who came to Cortez' home to play with Barbie dolls with his granddaughter.

Cortez also admitted to repeated acts of molestation on a girl who was younger than 6 between 1995 and 1997.