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Crime

Man guilty of raping elderly Alzheimer's patient

MEMPHIS, TN- (WMC-TV) – A Memphis man has been found guilty of a despicable crime, raping an elderly woman who suffered from Alzheimer's.

Marco Blanch only lived a few blocks away from his victim, an elderly woman who had no idea a rapist was just outside her bedroom door.

A helpless senior citizen with Alzheimer's had no idea a rapist was making himself at home inside her South Memphis house.

On Thursday, a jury convicted 29-year-old Marco Blanch for raping a 79-year-old woman who was lying in her bed when he entered her home on February 3, 2011.

Blanch's defense in court was that the sex was consensual.

But prosecutors said the elderly victim had no idea what was happening when she was sexually assaulted by Blanch, whose criminal record includes a prior domestic assault conviction.

Prosecutors say Blanch took his time committing the crime.

Pistol-whipping kills robbery victim

MEMPHIS, TN- (WMC-TV) – Memphis police are searching for the gunmen who pistol whipped a man that ended up dying from his injury.

This crime was merely a robbery at first, but it has turned into a murder investigation three weeks after the fact.

Police say a man named Darryl Suggs was walking near South Parkway and Carnegie in the heart of South Memphis when he was robbed by two men with guns.

Police say Suggs cooperated with the thieves. He gave the men what they wanted, but they ended up hitting him in the head with the gun anyway.

It happened January 17 and Suggs managed to tell police what happened, but spent the next three weeks hospitalized at the Med.

He eventually died from his injuries on February 6.

Now instead of searching for two armed robbers, police are searching for two armed killers who are on the loose somewhere in South Memphis.

Body found near busy Memphis intersection

MEMPHIS, TN- (WMC-TV) - Memphis police are investigating a body found in a garbage can Friday.

Just before noon Friday, police confirmed that there was a dead body in a narrow patch of woods off of Crump Avenue.  Human remains left the scene in a garbage can, exactly as they were found.

The route is common for Betty Boyce, who said her heart began to race when she saw the police activity.

"My friend said somebody got killed over there, dead or something," said Boyce.  "I said, well let's just stop and see who it is because my daughter is missing."

Boyce said her daughter, Dominique, who suffers from mental illness has been missing for more than a week.  She was hoping investigators could tell her whether evidence gathered at the scene could be linked to her daughter.

"I was just concerned by she being missing," said Boyce.  "I want to know."

Headstart Program reopens after Vandalism

A Memphis headstart program hit by vandals will reopen soon.

Porter Leath will reopen Monday to provide services for at risk families.

The headstart center was hit by vandals who destroyed the centers A/C units on their roof.

The vandals ripped the copper out of all the of the units.

Porter-Leath Vice President Michael Warr says it's a shame that copper crooks would target an organization that reaches out to the less fortunate.

Eco Expo!

The hugely successful Eco Expo is back with even more exhibitors showing us how to treat our earth more gently with green products, materials, services, and organizations.

Exhibitors will be offering ideas and information, and some will be selling their products and services.

The Expo is Sunday February 5th, 2012 from 11am until 3pm at Temple Israel--1376 East Massey Road...Memphis, TN.

For kids and adults of all ages, there’s something for everyone!

Learn, eat, explore, or just visit with some really nice people.

Remember the proverb, “Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children.”

We are working together with our fellow community leaders and congregations of all faiths to help save the planet.

E-mail TIMemphisEcoExpo@msn.com or call Linda Kaplan 482-6473 for more information.

Memphis non-profit to help refugees

A Memphis-based human rights non-profit is asking for your help to raise awareness and funds for refugees in the Mid-South

Operation Broke Silence is a joint initiative with Christ Community Ministries and the Refugee Empowerment Program.

The organization is trying to raise $30,000 for refugees here in Memphis.

In a new initiative, known as Operation 30, Operation Broken Silence is looking for 1,100 Memphians to raise $30 each from December to the end of January.

Campaign coordinators April Wroblewski and Elle Mihnovich believe the Operation 30 Campaign is a first step in the right direction.

You can learn more about the Operation 30 Campaign at the OBS website: obsilence.org/30

Police searching for car burglars

Police searching for car burglars

Security cameras rolled as a woman’s car was burglarized in the parking lot of the National College of Business late last month.

The victim told police her car was parked at 3545 Lamar Avenue on November 23 and when she returned several hours later, it had been broken in to. The woman’s purse was stolen from the vehicle’s trunk.