Man sentenced to 100 years in prison for causing Indian-origin girl's death in US
Washington (PTI): A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to 100 years of hard labour for causing the death of a 5-year-old Indian-origin girl in the US state of Louisiana in 2021, according to local media reports.
Joseph Lee Smith from Shreveport was sentenced following his conviction in January of the killing of Mya Patel, local news media outlets like KSLA News 12 and the Shreveport Times reported.
Patel was playing in a hotel room on Monkhouse Drive when a bullet entered her room and struck her in the head. Patel was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she battled for three days and was pronounced dead on March 23, 2021.
During Smith's trial, it was revealed to the jury that Smith got into an altercation with another man in the parking lot of the Super 8 Motel.
The hotel was owned and operated at that time by Vimal and Snehal Patel, who lived in a ground-floor unit with Mya and a younger sibling.
During the altercation, Smith struck the other man with a 9-mm handgun, which discharged. The bullet missed the other man but went into the hotel room and struck Patel in the head before grazing her mother.
District Judge John D Mosely sentenced Smith to 60 years at hard labour without the benefit of probation, parole or reduction of sentence in connection with the March 2021 slaying of Mya Patel, reports said.
Smith also must serve 20 years for obstruction of justice and 20 years for aggravated battery, for separate convictions associated with Patel's slaying. Those terms must also be served without the benefit of probation, parole or reduction of sentence, the reports said.
On Thursday, the Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office said: "the terms were enhanced by Smith being a repeat felony offender and must be served consecutively, for a total of 100 years."
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Coffee grower dies in elephant attack in K'taka
Madikeri (Karnataka) (PTI): A 49-year-old coffee grower died in an elephant attack on Thursday, officials said.
The incident occurred around noon when Ganapathi went to his coffee plantation near Siddapura in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district, they said.
According to forest department, Ganapathi was trampled by the wild elephant which suddenly appeared in the coffee plantation.
Following the death, villagers staged protest rasing concerns about the increasing movement of wild elephants in human settlements and plantations in this district.
"An alert regarding movement of elephant was issued to residents of the area. Our team rushed to the spot as soon as we received the information. All concerns raised by the villagers are being addressed," a senior forest department official said.
Orders have been given to the officials concerned to monitor movement of the elephant involved in the attack and capture it, he said.
"All teams are already vigilant and monitoring the movement of the wild elephant. All efforts are being taken to capture it. The operation will begin tomorrow," he added.
