1. A three-year-old boy has died after a car window closed on his neck.

Toddler dies after a car power window closed on his neck.https://t.co/9QzrPreV8W

— KTVU (@KTVU) April 24, 2017

A three-year-old boy has died in the US after an electric car window closed on his neck, KTVU News reports.

Everton Isay Romero Romero was pronounced dead on Friday at a Nebraska hospital. Colfax County Attorney Denise Kracl confirmed the little boy never regained consciousness after the window closed on him on April 15.

Everton was waiting in the car outside a store near where he lived. His mum had left the rear window down, and it’s unclear how the window was activated.

Investigators were unable to determine how long the window had been closed on Everton’s neck before he was found.

Kracl told reporters that no autopsy had been performed on the little boy because there was “no evidence any law was violated” in the incident.

The boy’s mother “acted appropriately the entire time” and will not be investigated over his death.

2. Former Sydney dance teacher jailed after he was caught with child abuse material.

Warning: This story contains details of child abuse and may be triggering for some readers.

Sydney dancer and teachers’ aide Sergio Montoya jailed for child porn https://t.co/8mds31HUkj

— smh.com.au (@smh) April 24, 2017

A former Sydney dance teacher, reality television contestant and teacher’s aide has been jailed after he was caught with more than 500 child porn images and videos depicting children as young as two, AAP reports.

Sergio Montoya also took upskirt photos of young students with special needs when he worked at an inner city school, and begged a woman in text messages to send sexualised photos of her 15-year-old daughter, according to court documents.

The 48-year-old cried in the NSW District Court dock on Monday as Judge John North accepted Montoya was genuinely remorseful before sentencing him to two years’ jail time from January 2017.

Montoya, who has worked as a courier driver since his arrest, will be released into the custody of NSW Community Corrections in January 2019, Judge North said.

The one-time winner of Network Ten’s Star Search had pleaded guilty to using a carriage service to access child pornography, as well as possessing and producing child abuse material.

Police seized his computer in December 2015 after an anonymous tip-off to Crime Stoppers and discovered 507 pornographic images and four videos involving children aged between two and 14.

Some of the material – accessed online between September 2014 and 2015 – depicted intercourse with children and Judge North said they could have suffered physical harm, pain and cruelty.

He said it was “a real concern” that Montoya also took phone photos of young students’ crotches in the classroom and playground when he worked at the Bridge Road School for special needs children.

“This is a real abuse of trust here, and these victims were children who were really vulnerable,” he said.

About the same time, Montoya was pleading with a woman in text messages to include her 15-year-old daughter, referred to as “EM”, in nude photos, according to the agreed statement of facts.

“I want one of (EM) too… Mmmmmmm baby,” one of the messages read.

“In panties or bra or not doesn’t matter … OMG.”

Judge North noted that Montoya had received professional treatment and shown remorse.

He told the court during a hearing: “I’m beside myself with guilt.”

The judge said Montoya had been diagnosed with a lifelong “pedophilic disorder” but was at a moderate to low risk of reoffending with ongoing treatment.

An emotional Montoya made a prayer gesture to his family as he was led out of court.

3. Brisbane family in shock after their beloved pet dog was murdered in a ‘sickening’ attack.

Police on the hunt for those responsible for Scuffy’s horrific death https://t.co/FetTlKR87R pic.twitter.com/1sbRp1d6Nn

— The Courier-Mail (@couriermail) April 23, 2017

Cath and Liam Proberts were visiting Sydney to attend a wedding last week when they received a horrifying phone call from their son.

The boy had walked into his Brisbane home to find the family dog, a 17-year-old terrier named Scruffy, dead and tied to a tree by a towel in their backyard.

“He was pretty distraught when he rang,” Liam Proberts told the Courier Mail.

“It’s a neighbourhood full of families with lots of dogs so everyone’s really concerned about it.”

The motive behind the vicious attack remains unclear: the family said that Scruffy’s old age prevented him from barking, with neighbours revealing Scruffy was so quiet, they didn’t even know the family owned a dog.

They describe their beloved pet and “sixth family member” as a “great little dog” who “just enjoyed being around us”.

Now, the family is desperate to find the person responsible for the sickening attack. It is alleged Scruffy was killed sometime between 10:30am and 3pm on April 21.

Police are urging anyone who might have information regarding the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

4. Accused ISIS supporter ordered to “terminate” five random Australians a month, court hears.

Omarjan Azari on trial, accused of plotting to attack someone in the city centre, cut off their head & pose body with Islamic State flag. pic.twitter.com/ysouktqHkI

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) April 24, 2017

A Sydney man who was allegedly part of a plot to “terminate” at least five people a month and target a “random unbeliever” was trying to get a high-ranking Islamic State member to abandon the plan, a court has heard.

Omarjan Azari allegedly prepared or planned for a terrorist act in a phone call with Mohammad Ali Baryalei, who was very likely in Syria, in September 2014.

AAP reports the NSW Supreme Court in Parramatta on Monday heard Baryalei told Azari that he and others should find a “random unbeliever”, “finish” them and then put a flag of “the state” in the background for videos.

He said “five, six, seven,” people a month should be killed and that backpackers would make good targets because it would attract worldwide media attention.

“These people are unbelievers and their blood is like dogs’ blood,” Baryalei said he’d been told by a “big big man” in the Middle East, according to a transcript read to the court on Monday.

“Find someone who can terminate five people for us every month.”

The court heard Azari told Baryalei that he and associates in Australia were under heavy surveillance and urged him to wait two months for him to get a new phone.

The defence says Azari, who had two brothers in Syria under the authority of Baryalei, was trying to find a way to have the plan abandoned and never agreed to it.

The court heard Baryalei told him that senior Islamic State figures wanted him to do “work” in Australia.

“What the accused was attempting to do was to find excuses to put off Mr Baryalei,” defence barrister John Stratton SC said in his opening address.

“If he hasn’t even agreed…. it would hardly be said he had taken part in planning it (the alleged act).”

Afghan-born Azari has admitted attempting to send money to Islamic State, through a younger Muslim man. The attempted transactions happened the month before the phone call, after the youth was handed thousands of dollars in a Parramatta car park.

The trial continues.

5. Relief as famous Aussie puppet, Agro, is reunited with his stolen car.

Know anyone short who’s just “bought” a car? Agro’s has gone missing! https://t.co/kfQxwkgpeG pic.twitter.com/9sfxo45lQq

— The Courier-Mail (@couriermail) April 24, 2017

His name may be Agro but Australia’s favourite puppet will be happy to learn his snazzy convertible has been found.

The black VW toy car was taken from a collector’s Deception Bay home on Sunday morning, prompting the entertainment icon to issue a stern warning to whoever had nicked his one-of-a-kind ride.

“I will pursue you, I will find you and I will shame you on Facebook,” Agro told the Seven Network.

The car was reportedly found dumped outside a property in the neighbouring suburb of Rothwell on Monday afternoon.

Police are yet to officially confirm the find.

6. Man released without charge after baby death in Wagga Wagga.

NSW Police have established Strike Force Banco to investigate the death of the two-month-old. #9News https://t.co/57ABMkn1la

— 9 News Riverina (@9NewsRiverina) April 24, 2017

A man believed to be the father of a two-month-old baby who died in southern NSW has been released from custody “pending further inquiries”, police say.

The 32-year-old, named in media reports as Andrew Crichton, was arrested at Kooringal, near Wagga Wagga, after the infant was found “seriously unwell” early on Monday morning.

Paramedics treated the baby at the scene and he was rushed to Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital but died.

Mr Crichton was released several hours later without charge pending further inquiries, a police spokesman said on Monday afternoon.

Detective Inspector Bob Noble said while the cause of the infant’s death was unclear, the incident was being treated with “a degree of suspicion” and a post-mortem would be carried out.

The baby’s mother was also questioned.

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