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Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page A4

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Detroit, Michigan
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A4
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4A WWW.FREEP.COM SATURDAY, METRO Region WAYNE Ex-teacher ordered to stand trial Two teens testified Friday in detail that they had sex with former Wayne Memorial High teacher Brandon Tomblin of Canton in his school office, at his Garden City house and in his car while parked off a Romulus road. Athird teen said during a preliminary exam in Romulus that he and Tomblin, 26, flirted and eventually exchanged nude photos on their cell phones but never had sex. The three males, now 16, 17 and 18, said the encounters occurred last year while they attended Wayne Memorial, where Tomblin taught vocal music. One mother notified Canton police. The teens testified they had voluntary contact with Tomblin, but 34th District Judge Tina Brooks Green said sexual contact between a teacher and student cannot be consensual and ordered Tomblin to stand trial on multiple counts.

Tomblin remains jailed on bond. If convicted, he could receive up to 20 years in prison. DETROIT Runaway siblings returned safely to home Ayoung brother and sister reported missing Thursday afternoon were returned home safely, according to police. Detroit Police Sgt. Eren Stephens said Friday that Michael Marcellus, 9, and his sister, Deonna Fletcher, 10, were seen walking on Michigan Avenue and were returned home about 11p.m.

Thursday. She said the pair fled because they were being punished. WESTLAND Repeat offender charged with bank robbery A48-year-old man who is on probation for prior robberies has been charged with robbing a bank Thursday in Westland, police said. Robert M. Johnson entered the Chase Bank at 7750 N.

Wayne Road shortly before 2 p.m. and left with an undisclosed amount, police said. Hedid not show or imply he had aweapon, police said. He was arrested a short time later. Awoman who waited for Johnson in a vehicle outside the bank will not be charged, police said.

MACOMB COUNTY Development plan lists 49 projects Aminor league baseball park in Utica, a freshwater studies institute and a national bass fishing tournament on Lake St. Clair are among 49 programs or projects listed in Macomb Blue Economy Strategic Development Plan unveiled Friday. Some of the programs or projects are under way, such as removing woody debris in the Clinton River and an environmental classroom at the Nicholson Nature Center in Clinton Township. Others projects are in planning stages, such as the baseball park, a botanical garden next to Partridge Creek and a state pier in Harrison Township. Potential bonds and grantsare among the funding sources for the projects, said Gerry Santoro, the land and water resources program manager.

DETROIT Drug dealer getsmore than 17 years in prison Aman with a lengthy criminal record was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for selling drugs to an undercover agent out of a Detroit housing project, the U.S. Office said Thursday. On Tuesday, Cromwell Bost, 36, who now has nine felony convictions for drug, weapons and assault crimes, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen to 210 months in federal prison after a jury convicted him in December. According to testimony, Bost sold crack cocaine and heroin to an undercover agent several times in 2010-11while living in the Smith Homes near Evergreen and Lyndon on the far west side.

In a recorded phone call, authorities said, Bost touted the greater profitability of heroin over crack and offered to teach the undercover agent how to cut and distribute heroin. Michigan FLINT Grants tosparefirefighters, cops State-appointed emergency manager Michael Brown said earlier that 32 firefighters and 19 police officers could be laid off this month. But the city has received a federal grant for Brown said he hopes a grant for police operations will follow soon. As a result, he said, police officers and firefighters are spared from the cuts. Notices wereissued to 98 other city employees for layoffs that go into effect this month.

SAGINAW Youths get house arrest for watercraft thefts Brent Schmidt 18, and Aaron Vaughn, to spend ayear under house arrest and five yearson probation as part of plea deals in a multi-county watercraft theft ring. Saginaw County Chief Circuit Judge Robert Kaczmarek will sentence the pair July 30. Atrial for a third man, Christopher Wegner, 20, is to start July 12. Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel said six jet skis, a boat and boat trailer were among $80,000 worth of watercraft stolen from Gladwin, Midland, Roscommon and St. Clair counties.

The items were to be sold in Saginaw County. from reports by Tammy Stables Battaglia, Bill Laitner, Christina Hall, Tresa Baldas, Gannett Newspapers and the Associated Press still deciding whether to request a mental evaluation for his client. Both lawyers agreed they will ask the Circuit Court to hold separate trials. On Friday, one of the detectives who interviewed Tucker Cipriano after his arrest said Cipriano told police at least four accounts of what happened. When Cipriano asked whether his father had survived the attack, police told him no.

became very emotional, he put his head down between his he asked for a garbage can because he thought he was going to be Farmington Hills DetectiveJason McDonaldtestified. Cipriano was also emotional in court Friday, crying at points and turning red when a medical examiner testified to the numerous blunt-force traumain- juries Robert Cipriano, 52, suffered to his head. With his skull fractured in numerous places and his brain hemorrhaging, blood was draining into Robert lungs, Dr. Reuben Ortiz-Reyestesti- fied. drowned in his own Ortiz-Reyes said as Tucker Cipriano, shackled and in orange jail garb, scribbled on ayellow legal pad.

Young appeared to be on the verge of tears, dropping his head and closing his eyes. Young was arrested in the home after Tanner called 911. He and his sister, Isabella, not injured. Tucker Cipriano was arrested a few hours later in Keego Harbor. Detective McDonald said Tucker Cipriano first told investigators he merely dropped Young off at the house and then drove away.

He then changed his story and said he was in the home, but did not harm anyone, McDonald said. TuckerCipriano eventually admitted he held his father while Young beat him in the head with a baseball bat, the detective said. Tucker Cipriano also said he hit his brother Salva- toreCipriano, 17, couple of and too with a baseball bat, according to the testimony. The brother suffered serious head injuries and remains hospitalized. Tucker Cipriano denied hitting his mother and claimed Young chased RoseCipriano, 51, into the living room, where he beat her, McDonald said.

Attorney McCarthy argued Young, who suffered a dislocated jaw in the melee, was not an active participant in the attacks. quite ironic one of three taken to the Mc- Carthy said. Ribitwer, the it was impossible to tell who was swinging the bats and argued his client should stand trial only for armed robbery. The judge disagreed. think clear a crime was committed on each of these Farmington Hills District Court Judge Marla Parker said.

injuries certainly show an intent to The Cipriano family including Rose mother and Robert brothers up nearly a third of the public seating during hearing. The family members said through courtroom officials that they did not want to talk publicly about the case. The community continues to raise money for the Cipriano children, who have been placed with relatives. Friends are selling rose bushes for $40 in honor of RoseCipriano at Holy Name Parish in Birminghamfollowing massestoday and Sunday. The money will go to the Cipriano Fund.

The church is at 630 Harmon St.For information, call 248-568-5311. CONTACT L.L. BRASIER: 248-858-2262 OR CIPRIANO: Son, friend will stand trial inbaseball batattack on family FROM PAGE 1A ANDRE J. FREE PRESS Dr. Reuben Ortiz-Reyesof the Oakland County Medical Officegoes over evidence on the stand Friday during a preliminary examforTuck- er Cipriano and Mitchell Young.

More than 1,000 protesters rallied outside the federal building in Detroit on Friday to oppose the Obama contraception mandate, saying their religious freedom is under attack. The rally, organized by Catholic leaders, was one of 13 in cities across Michigan and more than 140 others across the U.S. a majority in this Teresa Tomeo, aCatholic author from St. Clair Shores, told the crowd. want this The protesters, many hold- ing signs that read Oba- HHS listened to arange of speakers, from professors to a Catholic bishop to Protestant pastors.

will not Professor Mary Healy of Sacred Heart Major Seminary said as the crowd cheered. Healy said under the mandate, people could be forced to indirectly pay for that give women choice of a sexually promiscuous Catholic leaders say using contraception is morally wrong; under the mandate, most employers would be required to provide some sort of contracep- tion coverage. After an uproar, the White House modified the plan so that insurance companies, not religious employers, would pay for the contraception. But some religious groups say the change go far enough. on said Bishop Ira Combs, a Protestant leader from Jackson.

Quoting from the Bible and citing history, speakers said Christians were under attack by the government. The president of Madonna University, Sister Rose told the crowd that right to religious freedom is being Auxiliary Bishop Michael Byrnes of the Archdiocese of Detroit said: purpose of for the pursuit of Christian Healso said people should our sexual powers for the building up of marriage and for the procreation of Acouple of counter-protesters were at the demonstration, holding up signs that read: in support of the HHS and Church communities, not referring to the closing of Catholic parishes and lawsuits that Catholic groups have filed against the Obama administration over the mandate. REGINA H. FREE PRESS Monica of South Lyonspeaks out Friday in downtown Detroit against mandatory birth control coverage being included in the federal health care law. The Obama administration exempted religious entities, but the protesters said the change go far enough.

Masses protest birth control mandate in health care law By Niraj Warikoo Free Press Staff Writer Emotions ran high for a Detroit mother after a preliminary exam for a Sterling Heights man charged in connection with her death was adjourned Friday. gonna die, too. You gonna die, Madison, 40, shouted at James C. Brown, 34, who is charged in the transportation and mutilation of the body of daughter, Renisha Landers, and three other slain women. Three of the women had ties to a website featuring classified ads for escorts.

Brown is accused of putting the bodies of Landers, 24, and her cousin Demesha Hunt, 25, in the trunk of a car in Sterling Heights, driving into Detroit and abandoning the car Dec. 19. He also is accused of putting the bodies of Natasha Curtis, 29, and Vernithea McCrary, 28, into the trunk of a car in Sterling Heights and driving into Detroit, then setting the car and part of a house on fire, authorities said. Brown is charged with four counts of disinterment and mu- tilation of a dead body, a 10-year felony, one count of arson real property, a 10-year felony, and one count of arson property, a five-year felony. The investigation into the deaths is continuing.

Brown was charged in Detroit, but the cases were handed to the Sterling Heights police and the Macomb County prosecutor. He is being held in the Macomb County Jail on $1mil- lion bond. The exam in 41A District Court in Sterling Heights was adjourned until Aug. 13 so court-appointed attorney, Jeffery Cojocar, can re- view 734 pages of reports he received Thursday from the Macomb County Office. Cojocarsaid he met with his client this week to discuss legal matters and said Brown was doing OK.

Brown, wearing a blue jail jumpsuit and eyeglasses, simply ques- tionedby Judge Michael Maceroni. In response to comments in the courtroom, Cojocar said: case has a lot of emotion. to be CONTACT CHRISTINA HALL: Hearing postponed in deaths of 4 women Man accused of dumping bodies By Christina Hall Free Press Staff Writer.

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