The news reporting community in Arizona has been plagued recently with public defecation, victim-blaming comments towards assaulted Trump supporters, and now two more reporters are in trouble over cocaine being allegedly detected in the blood of their 4-month-old infant.
The public defecation matter occurred when a local Arizona reporter allegedly decided to leave his news van and take a bowel movement in someone’s yard–despite a gas station being nearby. In that case, CBS 5 reporter Jonathan Lowe was allegedly observed relieving his bowels in public by a neighbor of the property owner who’s yard was reportedly seen as a dumping ground by Lowe. The Phoenix New Times reported:
“Lowe chose to use the front yard of a residence to relieve himself,” Goodyear Police Department spokeswoman Lisa Kutis tells New Times. “An onlooker from across the street called it in to officers. They approached him, he said he’d had to relieve himself, and they arrested him.”
Lowe was handcuffed and taken to the Goodyear Police station, where he was booked, cited, and released. Kutis says Lowe was cited under Goodyear code violation 11-1-30, “public urination or defecation,” a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 or six months in jail.
Not long after the public defecation scandal, another Arizona reporter had to delete his Twitter account after implying that a female assault victim asked for it and had it coming. In that matter, Tucson’s Paul Cicala, the sports anchor for local News 4 KVOA, went after media for reporting on a female Trump supporter who was attacked. His now-deleted tweet expressed, “@JacobNBC.. you aren’t reporting that she was taunting protesters moments before – ointing [sic] to her Trump shirt etc please be fair.”
Cicala quickly deleted his Twitter account and his station sent out a statement. It read:
Yesterday, KVOA’s Sports Anchor, Paul Cicala, Tweeted about an incident that occurred in San Jose, California between a female Trump supporter and anti-Trump protesters. Apparently, a woman who was wearing a “Trump” jersey was cornered, spat on, and pelted with eggs and water bottles after she indicated her support of Trump by pointing to her jersey.
Mr. Cicala’s Tweet suggested that other news organizations were not reporting that the female Trump supporter had “taunted” protesters and had “pointed” to her shirt prior to the assault from the anti-Trump protesters and that because of that the incident had not been fairly reported.
Mr. Cicala’s Tweet does not reflect the opinions of KVOA. It does not reflect KVOA’s core values, integrity and respect for the First Amendment. No one, of course, should be subjected to physical violence when expressing their support for a particular candidate.
Mr. Cicala and KVOA accept responsibility for his Tweet and we jointly apologize, not only to the victim, but also to our viewers and the community at large.
In addition, KVOA management has followed up with Mr. Cicala to make sure we have all learned from his mistake.
In addition to Lowe’s alleged public defecation incident and Cicala’s apparent blaming of a female assault victim, another scandal has emerged. Two Tuscon-area news personalities are in hot water after police say cocaine was found in the system of their 4-month-old infant. The mother allegedly snorted cocaine and later breastfed her baby. Tucson News Now reported:
An Oro Valley couple has been accused of child abuse after their young child tested positive for cocaine, authorities said.
The Oro Valley Police Department said Somchai P. Lisaius, a former reporter at Tucson News Now, and Krystin Rae Lisaius, a former reporter at KGUN 9, were indicted June 9.
Both appeared in court Monday, pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance.
The Lisaiuses are facing charges of child abuse with death or serious physical injury likely, possession of a narcotic drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. All three charges are felonies.
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