Police in California released a video of a trio of alleged shoplifters who were shocked to find out that the penalty for their crime had recently changed. 

In the viral surveillance video shared by the Seal Beach Police Department on Sunday, three women can be seen walking into an Ulta Beauty store, browsing the shelves, then casually exiting the business with what police said was nearly $650 worth of stolen merchandise.

“… a friendly reminder that Proposition 36, which increases punishments for some retail theft and drug possession offenses, went into effect Wednesday morning in California,” the Seal Beach Police Department wrote in the caption of the video on their Instagram account.

The video shows the women entering a Kohls store and allegedly stealing more merchandise, totaling nearly $1,000 in stolen goods.

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Bodycam video then shows police officers chasing after the women and ultimately arresting them.

“It’s a felony?” one of the women asks the other in the back of the patrol car.

“B—h new laws,” the woman responds. “Stealing is a felony and this Orange County b—h. They don’t play.”

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The women were caught on camera swiping goods from several California businesses, police said. (Seal Beach Police Department)

The women were later identified by police as Destiny Bender, 24, and Deanna Hines, 24, both from Long Beach, and Michelle Pitts, 26, of Signal Hill.

All three individuals were booked into the Orange County Jail on charges of Grand Theft, Conspiracy to Commit a Crime and Resisting Arrest.

Police shared a friendly reminder along with the video.

“It undoes some of the changes voters made with a 2014 ballot measure that turned certain nonviolent felonies into misdemeanors, effectively shortening prison sentences and leading to a spike in retail theft and crime,” police said. “Here in Seal Beach we never believed in the cite and release program, but this new proposition only strengthens our commitment to combatting Organized Retail Theft. Remember folks, don’t steal in Seal.”

Proposition 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, sought to undo portions of Proposition 47 by increasing penalties for some crimes. It was overwhelmingly passed in California, reversing some billionaire George Soros-backed soft-on-crime policies.

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The alleged thieves were shocked to learn that they could be charged with a felony for stealing.  (Seal Beach Police Department)

When Proposition 47 passed in 2014, it downgraded most thefts from felonies to misdemeanors if the amount stolen was under $950, “unless the defendant had prior convictions of murder, rape, certain sex offenses, or certain gun crimes.”

Progressive Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, backed by Soros, helped author Proposition 47, and lost his seat to challenger Nathan Hochman in November. 

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom remained adamantly opposed to the effort to undo portions of Proposition 47, saying it “takes us back to the 1980s, mass incarceration.”

Fox News Digital’s Jamie Joseph contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price is writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been red hot to start the 2024-25 season, and center Jarrett Allen underscored that statement with an impressive trick shot before Monday night’s game tipped off.

The Cavaliers’ matchup with the Utah Jazz was delayed because of an issue with one of the rims at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Allen had some fun trying to make sure he stayed warmed up before the tip.

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Allen went to halfcourt and took a backward shot. He sunk it, and the crowd in the arena went wild.

The All-Star center is averaging 13.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for the Cavaliers this season. He’s averaging one steal and nearly one block per game as well. He earned Defensive Player of the Year votes last season.

Dec 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) goes for a rebound against Milwaukee Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. (44) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. (Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)

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He’s in his fourth full season with the Cavs. He was acquired in the middle of the 2020-21 season from the Brooklyn Nets as part of the blockbuster deal that saw James Harden head east in a trade that included the Houston Rockets.

Cleveland has been one of the bright spots in the NBA this season. The Cavaliers jumped out to 15 straight wins to begin the year and have kept up that pace even with four losses on the year. Going into the game against Utah, the team had only lost once in December.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen (31) dunks against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024.  (AP Photo/Phil Long)

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The Cavaliers hoped to start a little Christmas break on top of the Eastern Conference and in good spirits as the rush toward the postseason truly began this week. The Cavaliers have three days off before they begin a four-game road trip starting with the Denver Nuggets on Friday.

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Quinn Ewers? OK. Arch Manning? Why not. Bevo? No, thanks.

The Texas Longhorns’ beloved mascot Bevo XV will not be making the trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in the next round of the College Football Playoff as the team plays Arizona State.

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Peach Bowl organizers made the announcement on Monday.

“We love all of the great traditions of college football and no doubt Bevo is one of the best, but the unfortunate reality is there simply is not enough room on the sidelines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium,” their statement read.

“With the constraints of the stadium and prioritizing the safety of Bevo, the players, all the network cameras, support staff, cheerleaders, and photographers, we unfortunately will not be able to have Bevo on the field at the CFP Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl”

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Texas Longhorns mascot Bevo is walked into the stadium prior to a game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas.  (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

The Peach Bowl is set to take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. It was the site of the SEC Championship between Texas and Georgia. Bevo was barred from the event as well.

Bevo had a little tiff with Georgia’s mascot Uga in the past. The mascot broke through a barricade at that year’s Sugar Bowl and nearly trampled the dog and onlookers at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Texas Longhorns mascot Hook ‘Em leads the Bevo parade ahead of the game against Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Texas is coming off of a 38-24 first-round victory over Clemson. Ewers was 17-of-24 with 202 passing yards and a touchdown pass. Jaydon Blue and Quintrevion Wisner each ran for more than 100 yards.

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Tiger Woods and his son, Charlie, created some excitement at the PNC Championship on Sunday when the young golfer made a hole in one during the tournament.

The Woods tandem finished in second place in the event, losing in a playoff to Bernhard and Jason Langer. It was the second straight year the Langers won the tournament.

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Tiger Woods was then seen in a warm embrace with his ex-wife Elin Nordegren, who is the mother of Charlie. Sam Woods, their daughter, served as the caddie for them during the event.

Woods and Nordegren haven’t exactly been close since their high-profile divorce nearly 15 years ago. The two were seen together earlier this year to celebrate Charlie after his high school won the Class 1A state golf championship in Florida.

Woods and Nordegren were a part of a high-profile split in 2010 when Woods revealed his infidelity following a single-vehicle crash near their Florida home. They have two children together, and the source told People their tensions have cooled in recent years for the sake of their children.

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren arriving at the 35th Ryder Cup Matches Gala Dinner at the Fox Theater on September 15, 2004 in Detroit, Michigan. (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

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“She would never go back with him but likes that he is a good father. She has seen that over the years, which worked them into a good relationship. They co-parent pretty well,” the source told the magazine back in March.

“Of course, she needs to be very confident that the children are safe and happy around anyone that Tiger is with, especially if the romance becomes serious,” the source added. “To that degree, she is very interested. But not on much else.”

Nordegren has been dating retired tight end Jordan Cameron for the last few years.

Elin Nordegren watches Tiger Woods from the gallery during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club and Lodge on March 14, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. (Scott A. Miller/Getty Images)

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Woods broke up with Erica Herman, who then filed a lawsuit against him. She dropped the lawsuit in November 2023.

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An 8-year-old boy is being hailed as a hero after saving the life of his choking friend in the elementary school cafeteria.

Thomas Conley, a second-grade student at Porter Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona, noticed that his friend was choking on a grape and sprang into action, according to local reports.

Conley immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver — also known as abdominal thrusts — on Isaiah Rodriguez, which dislodged the grape.

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Mesa Public Schools commended Conley on social media after the heroic moment, which occurred on Nov. 14.

“Thanks to Thomas’ quick thinking, Isaiah was able to breathe normally again. Thank you, Thomas, for your courage and for being a true hero!”

Candice Conley, Thomas’ mother, spoke with Fox News Digital about his son’s life-saving actions.

“We are so proud of him,” she said. “Thomas is very quick-thinking and active — and he’s just a really good friend.”

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The family often discusses food safety and kitchen safety at home, Conley said, as she and her husband have both worked in the food industry, and she now works in the Department of Public Health for Maricopa County.

“I think a lot of people, maybe even some adults, might not realize that somebody’s choking,” she said. “Thomas just knew that he had to get air to go up to dislodge the grape.”

Thomas Conley (right) saved his friend, Isaiah Rodriguez (left), who was choking on a grape in the school cafeteria. (Candice Conley)

The parents of Rodriguez, the boy Thomas Conley saved, were “so thankful,” Conley told Fox News Digital.

“The first time I saw his mom, I just hugged her,” she said. “We are just so thankful, most of all, that Isaiah is OK.”

“Thomas is very quick-thinking and active — and he’s just a really good friend.”

“I’m super grateful, and I wanted him to know how proud I was of him and how thankful I was,” said Isaiah’s mom, Maria Anderson, in a video posted by Mesa Fire and Medical Department. “He and my son have been friends for a long time.”

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Thomas has been “very nonchalant” about what happened, Conley said.

“He was just like, ‘My friend needed help, and so I helped him,’” she said.

Porter Elementary held an assembly with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, who recognized Thomas’ brave act and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers. (Candice Conley)

“It’s super cool that Thomas had a part in that and that we can raise awareness about choking, because it could have gone really awful that day.”

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Thomas said, “I’ve probably never had this much attention in my life.”

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Last week, Porter Elementary held an assembly with first responders from the Mesa Fire and Medical Department, who recognized Thomas’ brave act and presented him with a certificate in front of his peers.

Thomas Conley is pictured with the Mesa fire chief, who recognized the boy’s heroic act. (Candice Conley)

The Mesa Fire and Medical Department also recognized Thomas on its Facebook page.

“Thomas turned a regular lunchtime into an extraordinary act of bravery, making a huge difference,” they wrote. “Seeing his friend in distress, Thomas wasted no time and jumped into action, saving Isaiah’s life from a choking incident. Join us in applauding this young hero. Thomas, you inspire us to act courageously and promptly.”

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Introduced by Dr. Henry Heimlich in 1975, the Heimlich maneuver is recommended by the American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care as the first line of treatment for airway obstruction.

The maneuver has a success rate of more than 86% in choking cases, research has shown.

A group of four NATO leaders and a representative from the European Union on Sunday said they agreed it was time to invest more in defense spending as Russia remains a chief security threat in Europe amid the war in Ukraine, and as Western leaders brace for the incoming Trump administration. 

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis argued the era of spending 2% of a nation’s GDP on defense was “probably history” but he, along with the other four leaders in attendance at the North-South Summit in Lapland, Finland fell short of saying what that figure should look like. 

“We know that we need to spend more than 2%,” Mitsotakis said. “But it will become very clear… once we interact with the new president, what is the figure that we will agree on within NATO.”

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The summit was convened by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, and was also attended by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

The leaders were questioned about a recent report by the Financial Times that said President-elect Donald Trump intends to push NATO to increase its defense spending requirement from 2% to 5% — a requirement that would demand all nations, including the U.S. which spends just over 3% of its GDP, to drastically increase spending on defense.

The Trump transition team did not answer Fox News Digital’s questions on whether Trump is going to be pushing all NATO nations, including the U.S., to drastically ramp up defense spending.

Instead, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team said, “President Trump believes European nations should meet their NATO defense spending obligations and step up their share of the burden for this conflict, as the U.S. has paid significantly more, which is not fair to our taxpayers. He will do what is necessary to restore peace and rebuild American strength and deterrence on the world stage.”

Fox News Digital also could not get clarity over whether an increase in defense spending would be supported by GOP lawmakers given the large number of conservatives in Congress, as well as his Vice President-elect, who have called for cutting U.S. aid to Ukraine, as well as last week’s internal fighting in the House among Republican lawmakers over spending disagreements. 

Even as NATO leaders at the North-South Summit agreed Russia is Europe’s “greatest threat,” they urged caution when it came to dealing with “rumors” surrounding the incoming Trump administration. 

President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte during the NATO summit at The Grove, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019, in Watford, England.  (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

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“I would wait to understand exactly what is the real will of the new president of the US,” Meloni said, according to a Bloomberg report. “On NATO, we all know and understand that we have to do more. A lot of what we can do is up to the tools that we are able to put on the table.”

The Finnish prime minster echoed a similar sentiment and said, “Europe has to take greater responsibility for its own security. This means that European countries have to be strong leaders, both in the EU and in NATO.

“[Russia] is trying to consolidate power and sow discord in Europe. The geopolitical situation is also very challenging in the Middle East and North Africa, for example,” Orpo added, according to Euro News. 

Kristersson said spending more on defense was important, in part, so that European nations were less dependent on the U.S. being “the main sponsor” of the alliance’s defense, but also to show Washington that European nations do take defense “seriously.”

“European countries — individually, most of us, and collectively — need to strengthen our defense. And let’s do that,” he said. 

Servicemen of Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanised Brigade fire a French MO-120-RT heavy mortar at the Russian forces on the front line near the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. (Iryna Rybakova via AP)

Trump during his first administration pushed NATO leaders to meet their 2% defense spending pledge, which several did — increasing the number of allies to meet the terms of the NATO agreement from five in 2016 to nine in 2020.

But that number dropped to just six once Trump left in 2021.

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By 2022, however, NATO leaders have once again began re-evaluating their defense budgets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and by 2024, a historic number of NATO allies had met their spending agreements, with 23 out of 32 nations spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense. 

Only Poland spends over 4% of its GDP on defense, while four nations spend over 3%, including Estonia, the U.S., Latvia and Greece. 

Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain have yet to meet their defense spending commitments.

A 7-year-old Florida boy who was injured when drones collided and fell into a crowd at a holiday airshow over the weekend underwent open heart surgery, his parents said.

Adriana Edgerton and Jessica Lumsden, parents of Alexander, said one of the red and green-lit drones struck him and knocked him out upon impact, causing a chest injury, Fox Orlando reported.

Hundreds of drones being used as part of a Saturday night aerial light show in Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando appeared to be flying into position before several started falling from the sky before slamming to the ground, according to videos posted online. 

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“Before they went down, the green one went straight at us. I went to the left. My son went to the right, and it hit my son,” Lumsden told the news outlet. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the boy’s parents. 

The city canceled the show after the drones crashed.  

“Due to technical difficulties, the 8 p.m. Holiday Drone Show at Lake Eola has been canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience,” the city posted on X. 

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Several drones malfunctioned during a drone show in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, sending the unmanned aerial objects crashing to the ground. (Credit – X/MosquitoCoFL)

It was not clear what led to the drone difficulties. 

The vendor for the drone show, Sky Elements Drones, told the news outlet it wanted to extend “our sincere hope for the full and speedy recovery to those impacted” at the show. 

“The well-being of our audience is of the upmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused,” the company said. “We are diligently working with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause and are committed to establishing a clear picture of what transpired. Millions of people see our shows annually, and we are committed to maintaining the highest safety regulations set forth by the FAA.”

Several drones malfunctioned during a drone show in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, sending the unmanned aerial objects crashing to the ground. (Credit – X/MosquitoCoFL)

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the malfunction. 

Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulations and typically require a waiver to a regulation that prohibits operating more than one drone at a time, the agency said. 

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo, joined “The Faulkner Focus” Monday to react to President Joe Biden’s decision to commute the death sentences of 37 federal inmates, including mass murderers and child killers, a move that comes not even two weeks after he went through with the “largest single-day grant of clemency” in American history. Schmitt said the decision cements Biden’s legacy as “one of the worst presidents” in American history.

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ERIC SCHMITT: It’s two days before Christmas. I can only imagine the grief and the shock that these families are experiencing as they get ready for the holidays, remembering the loved ones that were lost and now having to deal with this sort of insult to injury. 

And I think Joe Biden, in his effort to ‘Trump-proof’, we saw some of that. For the next administration, whether it’s hiding the workers or things at the border, this is just beyond the pale. And I think he’s cementing his status as one of the worst presidents in American history, certainly this side of Woodrow Wilson. … It’s important, as a former prosecutor myself, I think it’s important to talk about the victims here. Lexis Roberts went on a camping trip with her mother and Thomas Sanders. Thomas Sanders, on the way back, took her mother out and executed her in cold blood in front of Lexis, then slit Lexis Roberts’ throat and let her die in the woods. This is someone that Joe Biden, on the eve of Christmas, decided to commute his sentence. This is nuts. This is totally nuts. And so, the outrage is real, it’s justified. And again, Joe Biden, on his way out, is again cementing his status as one of our worst presidents.

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President Biden is commuting the sentences of nearly all the inmates on federal death row, a move that comes not even two weeks after he went through with the “largest single-day grant of clemency” in American history, the White House announced Monday.

Of the 40 inmates on federal death row, according to DeathPenaltyInfo.org, Biden is commuting 37 men sentenced to death, reclassifying their sentences to life without the possibility of parole.

The three inmates not included are: Robert Bowers, who is responsible for the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018, which left 11 people dead; Dylann Roof, a White supremacist who killed nine Black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015; and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who worked with his now-dead brother to perpetuate the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and injured hundreds.

FILE – Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, convicted and sentenced to death for carrying out the Boston Marathon bombing attack on April 15, 2013, that killed three people and injured more than 260, is pictured in this photograph released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on April 19, 2013. Tsarnaev’s attorney urged a federal appeals court on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, to throw out the 29-year-old’s death sentence over juror misconduct claims just months after his capital punishment was revived by the nation’s highest court.  ((FBI via AP, File))

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Biden is the first president to openly oppose capital punishment, and his 2020 campaign website declared he would “work to pass legislation to eliminate the death penalty at the federal level and incentivize states to follow the federal government’s example.”

The men being resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole are convicted of various murderous acts against one person or multiple. Among the victims of the 37 men are law enforcement officers, children and other inmates.

A handful of the men on death row were also set to be executed with their co-defendants.

The inmates on federal death row whose lives were spared by President Biden after he commuted their sentences have killed victims across all facets of American society, ranging from Naval officers to children as young as 8 years old. 

Biden announced Monday that he commuted the sentences of 37 of the 40 inmates on federal death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole because he is “more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.” 

“Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss,” Biden added. “In good conscience, I cannot stand back and let a new administration resume executions that I halted.” 

Among those who have been spared are Jorge Avila-Torrez, a Marine veteran found guilty of killing Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda Snell inside of her barracks in Arlington, Virginia, in July 2009.  

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Federal prosecutors said Avila-Torrez confessed to an inmate that he “entered Snell’s room through her unlocked door, jumped on her as she slept in her bed, bound her wrists with the power cord from her laptop computer and strangled her with the rest of the cord.” 

Then years later, Avila-Torrez pleaded guilty to stabbing 8-year-old Laura Hobbs and 9-year-old Krystal Tobias to death on Mother’s Day 2005 in Zion, Illinois, and was told by a judge that he was a “serial killer,” according to The Associated Press. 

Another inmate spared by Biden is Daryl Lawrence, who was convicted of killing Columbus Police Officer Bryan Hurst in 2005. 

The Justice Department, which posthumously awarded Hurst the Medal of Valor, said he was working uniformed special duty at a bank when a masked gunman entered and the two exchanged fire. 

“In spite of receiving a mortal wound, Hurst maneuvered around the counter and fired at the suspect before he collapsed. Authorities apprehended the gunman several days later when he sought medical attention at a hospital in Washington, D.C.,” it added. “Officer Hurst’s quick action, exceptional courage, and persistence protected the lives of the many people at the bank.” 

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Thomas Sanders also will no longer face the federal death penalty despite being found guilty for the “brutal kidnapping and murder” of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts in 2010. 

In that case, prosecutors said Sanders was dating Roberts’ mother Suellen Roberts, whom he fatally shot in the head near Interstate 40 in Arizona during a trip to a wildlife park near the Grand Canyon over Labor Day weekend. He then forced Lexis into a vehicle and held her captive as he traveled east. 

Thomas Sanders and Suellen Roberts, 31, the mother of 12-year-old Lexis Roberts, in undated photos provided by the FBI. Sanders was found guilty of killing Roberts in Arizona in 2010 and then kidnapping and murdering Lexis days later. (FBI)

“Sanders drove several days across the country before he murdered Lexis Roberts in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana,” the Justice Department said. “Evidence at trial established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods where a hunter found her body on October 8, 2010.” 

Other inmates who were once on federal death row include Alejandro Umana, an MS-13 gang member who fatally shot brothers Ruben and Manuel Garcia Salinas at a restaurant in Greensboro, North Carolina, in December 2007 “after they ‘disrespected’ his gang signs by calling them ‘fake,’” according to federal prosecutors.  

Anthony Battle, who killed prison guard D’Antonio Andrew Washington with a ball-peen hammer inside a maximum-security unit at an Atlanta facility in 1994, has been spared as well. 

Correctional Officer D’Antonio Andrew Washington was killed by inmate Anthony Battle at USP Atlanta in 1994. (Federal Bureau of Prisons/U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General)

Amnesty International USA, a supporter of Biden’s decision, said Monday that the “death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment” and Biden’s move is “a big moment for human rights.” 

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“With a stroke of his pen, the President locks in his legacy as a leader who stands for racial justice, humanity, and morality,” added Anthony Romero, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. “This will undoubtedly be one of the seminal achievements of the Biden presidency.”