Connect with us

Southeast

Super Bowl LIX: Inside elite SWAT team's final sprint to secure New Orleans

Published

on

Super Bowl LIX: Inside elite SWAT team's final sprint to secure New Orleans

Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Having trouble? Click here.

FIRST ON FOX – NEW ORLEANS – In the aftermath of the Jan. 1 terrorist attack on Bourbon Street and between major tourist-heavy events in New Orleans, officials with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are preparing to combat any potential threats during Super Bowl LIX.

HSI was the lead agency initially assigned to coordinate security for the Super Bowl, and preparations began about a year ago, Eric DeLaune, special agent in charge for HSI in New Orleans, told Fox News Digital.

Advertisement

“New Orleans has some unique challenges. The area here is a little more spread out for a Super Bowl,” DeLaune, lead federal coordinator for Super Bowl LIX, said. “The elephant in the room is the attack that occurred on Jan. 1. We would be foolish if we didn’t use what we’ve learned from that to inform how we go forward and how we adapt plans … to make sure we can account for gaps and alternative locations that may be of concern now in that post-attack timeline.”

Just over a month before the Super Bowl, in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day, terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed a pickup truck through crowds of people celebrating the holiday on Bourbon Street, killing 14 civilians and injuring 57 others. New Orleans police officers fatally shot Jabbar when he exchanged gunfire with officers.

ATTORNEY GENERAL PAM BONDI TO TRAVEL TO NEW ORLEANS TO SURVEY SUPER BOWL LIX SECURITY

Investigators work after a person drove a vehicle into a crowd at Canal and Bourbon Street in New Orleans Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

DeLaune has doubled his request for “tactical resources and assets” from the Department of Homeland Security since the attack.

Advertisement

“We’re going to have a significantly larger presence here in New Orleans in the way of tactical teams and also just special agents working in the area. People who are going to the game or going to the special events associated with the Super Bowl will see a much larger presence of HSI special agents and of HSI tactical assets, as well, walking around downtown, the French Quarter,” he said.

NEW ORLEANS SUED OVER BOURBON STREET TERROR ATTACK, ACCUSED OF NEGLIGENCE THAT COST LIVES

Homeland Security Investigations SWAT Team perform drills at Octovio "Ox" Gonzales SWAT Complex in LaPlas, Louisiana, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The training, while routine, is part of the upcoming preparations for Super Bowl next month.

The Homeland Security Investigations SRT team performs drills at Octavio “Ox” Gonzales SRT  Complex in LaPlace, La., Jan. 15, 2025. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

President Donald Trump is expected to be in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. DeLaune said the president’s visit doesn’t fundamentally change the agency’s security plans, but Secret Service will be working with state and local counterparts. Trump’s anticipated attendance will actually enhance security in the city because of the inclusion of more federal law enforcement personnel, he explained.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem visited New Orleans Monday and told reporters there have been “no credible threats” targeting Super Bowl LIX. 

HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE SAYS ‘NATIONAL SECURITY BLUNDERS’ OF PAST 4 YEARS HAVE EMBOLDENED TERRORISTS

Advertisement
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference Monday, Feb. 3, 2025, about security for the upcoming Super Bowl to be played Sunday, Feb. 9th, in New Orleans.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference Feb. 3, 2025, about security for Sunday’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. (Gerald Herbert)

A Justice Department official also confirmed to Fox News Thursday that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi would travel to New Orleans on her first day in office to survey security for the upcoming game with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.

A team of HSI agents based in nine states across the Southeast, which regularly responds to high-risk criminal activity, trains for specific threat scenarios about 16 hours every month.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT VICTIMS OF NEW ORLEANS TERRORIST ATTACK

Homeland Security Investigations SWAT Team perform drills at Octovio "Ox" Gonzales SWAT Complex in LaPlas, Louisiana, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The training, while routine, is part of the upcoming preparations for Super Bowl next month.

A team of HSI officers based in nine states across the Southeast, which regularly responds to high-risk criminal activity, trains for specific threat scenarios about 16 hours every month. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

In mid-January, the federal agency’s Special Response Team (SRT) trained at the St. John’s Parish SWAT center near New Orleans about a month ahead of Super Bowl LIX and two weeks after the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on Bourbon Street.

While the SRT officers train every month, they added specific threat scenarios in January that they might encounter as the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras draw hundreds of thousands of tourists to the Big Easy.

Advertisement

BOURBON STREET TERROR VICTIMS SUE NEW ORLEANS AS LOUISIANA AG INVESTIGATES SECURITY LAPSES

Homeland Security Investigations SWAT Team perform drills at Octovio "Ox" Gonzales SWAT Complex in LaPlas, Louisiana, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The training, while routine, is part of the upcoming preparations for Super Bowl next month.

While the SRT officers train every month, they added specific threat scenarios in January that they might encounter as the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras draw thousands of tourists to the Big Easy. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

The SRT walked Fox News Digital through its training operations, during which officers conduct mock operations for scenarios, such as serving a search warrant, rescuing a hostage and responding to a suspicious vehicle or suspicious person in a crowd.

The team is typically deployed to respond to high-risk targets, including suspects who have an extensive criminal history, are hiding in a fortified building, are experiencing mental instability or are gang members.

In the hostage rescue scenario that Fox News Digital participated in by acting as a “victim,” officers responded to a hypothetical call for help, entered the training center, deployed a flashbang, shot a “suspect” dummy with simulation rounds and rescued the “victim.” 

Homeland Security Investigations SWAT Team perform drills at Octovio "Ox" Gonzales SWAT Complex in LaPlas, Louisiana, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The training, while routine, is part of the upcoming preparations for Super Bowl next month.

The SRT walked Fox News Digital through its training operations during which officers conduct mock operations for scenarios, such as serving a search warrant, rescuing a hostage and responding to a suspicious vehicle or suspicious person in a crowd. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

The center is set up to resemble a home or building officers might enter during a response.

Advertisement

“For the most part, our special agents are just that. … They’re criminal investigators. We investigate long-term, complex criminal investigations in organizations.”

— SAC Eric DeLaune

“They are law enforcement. They’re not police, but they [are all] law enforcement,” DeLaune said. “We’re trained to deal with an active weapon threat. We’re trained to deal with mass casualty events. And we’re trained to deal with medical emergencies to an extent. So, those agents are prepared to go out there and work with our state and local partners and support them.”

Exterior view of Octavio "Ox" Gonzales SWAT Complex where Homeland Security Investigations SWAT Team perform drills in LaPlas, Louisiana, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The training, while routine, is part of the upcoming preparations for Super Bowl next month.

Exterior view of the Octavio “Ox” Gonzales SWAT Complex where the Homeland Security Investigations SRT team perform drills in LaPlace, La., Jan. 15, 2025. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

During training operations, HSI officers wear full tactical gear, including helmets, multiple first-aid kits, bullet-proof vests, microphones and training magazines, which are the same guns officers use regularly. But they are converted to fire simulation rounds during training, the team explained to Fox News Digital.

The SRT also showed Fox News Digital how officers use drones and cameras extended on long poles to search inside threat areas before entering.

BOURBON STREET ATTACK, TRUMP TOWER CYBERTRUCK EXPLOSION PROBE LAUNCHED BY SENATE COMMITTEE

Advertisement
A Homeland Security Investigations SWAT Team vehicle is being used in drills in LaPlas, Louisiana, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The training, while routine, is part of the upcoming preparations for Super Bowl next month.

A Homeland Security Investigations SRT Team vehicle is being used in drills in LaPlace, La., Jan. 15, 2025. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

In the search warrant scenario, the SRT demonstrated how officers would arrive in a BearCat vehicle and make their presence known at a location before shooting pepper balls at an entrance, instead of physically knocking on an entrance, to protect officers and civilians. Officers would then enter and search each room at the location for threats or victims.

The SRT officers described themselves as a family because of how much time they spend working together, typically away from their homes and real families. The team spends an average of three weeks out of every month together. 

AMERICAN RADICALIZED BY ISIS EXPRESSED ‘EXCITEMENT’ ABOUT TRAVELING OVERSEAS TO SUPPORT TERRORIST GROUP: FBI

Homeland Security Investigations SWAT Team perform drills at Octovio "Ox" Gonzales SWAT Complex in LaPlas, Louisiana, Wednesday, January 15, 2025. The training, while routine, is part of the upcoming preparations for Super Bowl next month.

The SRT officers described themselves as a family because of how much time they spend working together. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

The Jan. 1 attack was “a pretty painful experience for” HSI New Orleans agents, DeLaune said. 

“That weighs heavily on the minds of our people here, but they’re committed … to providing a safe and secure atmosphere for the Super Bowl. And they’re committed to providing a safe and secure atmosphere for Mardi Gras, which is unique to us,” DeLaune explained, adding that HSI New Orleans is comprised of a lot of locals and Louisiana natives. 

Advertisement

BODY LANGUAGE EXPERT SAYS NEW ORLEANS ATTACKER EXHIBITED ‘RED FLAGS’ BEFORE ATTACK

Man praying near Bourbon Street

Matthias Hauswirth of New Orleans prays on the street near the location where a terrorist drove into a crowd at New Orleans’ Canal and Bourbon streets Jan. 1, 2025.  (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

“They have an emotional personal investment here in the city and in traditions such as Mardi Gras and in supporting big events such as the Super Bowl. So, there’s a lot of pride here for these agents, and they’re getting the work done every day,” he said.

DeLaune also had a message for the public ahead of the Super Bowl.

“Don’t hold on to it, and don’t be embarrassed to report something,” he said. “Don’t dismiss your instincts. If there’s something that’s not right, let us know. Let us decide whether or not it’s something to be concerned about.”

Authorities patrol Bourbon Street as it is reopened in New Orleans

Authorities patrol Bourbon Street after it reopened in New Orleans Jan. 2, 2025, after the deadly New Year’s attack. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

The FBI continues to investigate the terrorist attack that left 15 people dead on Jan. 1, including the perpetrator.

Advertisement

Federal authorities said Jabbar had previously visited New Orleans twice, once on Oct. 30, 2024, and once on Nov. 10, 2024. He also visited Cairo and Toronto prior to the attack, the FBI said.

While Jabbar apparently acted alone, authorities are investigating whether he had any accomplices.

Read the full article from Here

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Southeast

Florida boat capsizes, leaving 1 person dead; Coast Guard suspends search for 3 others, including 2 children

Published

on

Florida boat capsizes, leaving 1 person dead; Coast Guard suspends search for 3 others, including 2 children

The Coast Guard on Saturday evening, just before 7 p.m., said it was suspending the search for three passengers, including an adult and two children, after a boat capsized on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, near Goat Island, leaving one person dead.

Around 7 p.m. Friday, Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville received an alert of a capsized 18-foot vessel with four people atop the overturned boat and four others trapped underneath. 

The four people on top of the boat were rescued. None of the passengers were wearing life jackets, the Coast Guard said. 

The Coast Guard said it had searched for 17 hours, covering 270 square miles, and the search would be suspended, “pending the development of new information.”

US COAST GUARD RESCUES 3 AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES OFF FLORIDA COAST: VIDEO

Advertisement

A Coast Guard member scans the St. Johns River Saturday for three missing boaters after their boat overturned in Jacksonville, Fla. (U.S. Coast Guard)

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of those missing,” Lt. Cmdr. Barton Nanney, a Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville search and rescue mission coordinator, said in a statement. “Suspending search efforts is an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking decision, made only after an exhaustive and thorough search. We are truly grateful to our partner agencies for their relentless efforts and unwavering support.” ​

The Coast Guard launched a rescue boat and helicopter crew, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted in the search. 

“The four people on top of the vessel were rescued by a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office marine unit, and one person was recovered from the water unresponsive,” the agency said in a news release Saturday. “A Coast Guard Station Mayport rescue surface swimmer attempted to contact the people reportedly underneath the vessel but received no responses. 

“Divers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office searched underneath the vessel but did not locate any people.” 

Advertisement

YACHT EXPERT BREAKS DOWN LUXURY SUPERYACHT TRAGEDY AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES IN FREAK STORM: ‘ALWAYS LIMITS’

Coast Guard member piloting rescue boat

A Coast Guard member searches the St. Johns River Saturday for three missing boaters after their boat overturned in Jacksonville, Fla. (U.S. Coast Guard)

“At this point, we have found one person from the missing, and they are deceased,” Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department Capt. Eric Prosswimmer told reporters late Friday. “It’s a really unfortunate situation, and our hearts go out to all the family members.”

Officials haven’t released the age of the person who died. 

St. Johns River

A Coast Guard boat searches the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Fla.  (U.S. Coast Guard)

The cause of the capsizing is under investigation. 

Advertisement

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department. 

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southeast

'Most hated mom' Casey Anthony returns to national spotlight after acquittal in daughter's murder

Published

on

'Most hated mom' Casey Anthony returns to national spotlight after acquittal in daughter's murder

“America’s most hated mom,” Casey Anthony, is now promoting a new video series on TikTok in which she intends to speak about legal issues and “advocate” for her daughter, Caylee, whom she was accused of killing in 2008.

Anthony, now 38, was accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter in 2008 but has alleged that her father is the real perpetrator. 

“This is my first of probably many recordings on a series I am starting,” Anthony said in a March 1 video posted to TikTok. “I am a legal advocate. I am a researcher. I have been in the legal field since 2011, and in this capacity, I feel that it’s necessary if I’m going to continue to operate appropriately as a legal advocate that I start to advocate for myself and also advocate for my daughter.”

She continued: “For those of you who don’t know, my name is Casey Anthony. My daughter is Caylee Anthony. My parents are George and Cindy Anthony. This is not about them. This is not in response to anything that they have said or done. … The whole point of this is for me to begin to reintroduce myself.”

CASEY ANTHONY’S PARENTS TOOK POLYGRAPH TEST TO ‘CLEAR THEIR NAME,’ EXPERT SAYS

Advertisement

Casey Anthony was found guilty of lying to law enforcement officers but not guilty of murder charges.  (Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel)

Casey Anthony has become a household name over the last 17 years, inspiring multiple TV series and documentaries, including Peacock’s “Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies,” which premiered in 2022. A jury found Anthony guilty of lying to law enforcement but not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse after a trial in 2011. Caylee’s death remains unsolved.

Here is the timeline of events leading up to and after Caylee Anthony’s disappearance: 

June 9, 2008

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Casey Anthony said she dropped her daughter off at her nanny’s apartment — a claim that was later revealed to be false, according to court documents.

Advertisement

EXCLUSIVE: CASEY ANTHONY’S FATHER SEEN FOR FIRST TIME AFTER TAKING POLYGRAPH TEST ABOUT GRANDDAUGHTER’S MURDER

Casey said she then left for her job at Universal Studios Orlando — another claim later determined to be false.

5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Casey said she left her job around 5 p.m. and drove back to her nanny’s apartment complex to pick up Caylee. She apparently tried to contact her nanny, but her phone had been disconnected. Casey later alleged that no one was home, so she drove to Jay Blanchard Park.

Caylee Anthony looking up and placing her head on her hand

Caylee Anthony’s death in 2008 remains unsolved. (Orlando Sentinel/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service)

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

Advertisement

Casey said she went to her then-boyfriend Anthony Lazzaro’s apartment and stayed with him from then on as she searched for her daughter.

June 12, 2008

Casey alleged she received a “quick call” from her daughter’s nanny on June 12, but she still did not know the whereabouts of the 2-year-old. She also said in a statement ahead of her trial that she had not called police at this point out of fear of her family.

June 15, 2008

Casey later revealed that the last time she saw her daughter was on June 16, 2008.

She said she and Caylee had been resting together in her bed that day because she “wasn’t feeling that great.” She said she thought she had locked the door of the room they were in but was awoken by her father, George, asking her where Caylee was.

“She would never even leave my room without telling me,” Casey told filmmakers in an interview featured in the 2022 Peacock documentary.

Advertisement

She continued: “I immediately started looking around the house. … I go outside, and I’m looking to see where she could be. She’s not in her playhouse. Where is she?”

When filmmakers asked if she looked inside the pool, Casey said she “didn’t have to.”

July 15, 2008

12 p.m.

Casey alleged that over a month after her daughter’s disappearance, on July 15, 2008, she received a phone call from Caylee.

“Today was the first day I have heard her voice in over four weeks,” Casey wrote in a 2008 statement. “I’m afraid of what Caylee is going through. After 31 days, I know that the only thing that matters is getting my daughter back.”

Advertisement

Evening

Casey’s parents, George and Cindy Anthony, called law enforcement multiple times to report their granddaughter missing and other nefarious activity.

“In the first two calls, Cindy Anthony requested police assistance in recovering a vehicle and money allegedly stolen by [Casey],” court records state. “In the third 9-1-1 call, Cindy Anthony reported that her granddaughter, Caylee, had been missing for approximately thirty days. Cindy Anthony testified that she made these phone calls because [Casey] would not tell her where Caylee was.”

CASEY ANTHONY MYSTERY: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

A cross at Caylee Anthony's memorial

A cross is set up in the Caylee Anthony memorial that has been placed in the area where the 2-year-old’s remains were found on July 16, 2011 in Orlando, Florida.  (Joe Raedle)

In the 911 calls, Cindy apparently told police that Casey’s car smelled like a “dead body,” according to Click Orlando.

Advertisement

“I called a little bit ago to the deputy sheriff’s and I’ve found out that my granddaughter has been taken — she has been missing for a month,” Cindy told emergency services. “Her mother had finally admitted that she had been missing.”

“We are talking about a 3-year-old little girl,” Cindy continued. “My daughter finally admitted that the baby sitter stole her. I need to find her.”

“There is something wrong. I found my daughter’s car today and it smells like there’s been a dead body in the damn car.”

— Cindy Anthony to 911

The 911 operator then asked for clarity on the missing girl’s location.

“She said she took her a month ago and my daughter has been looking for her,” Cindy said. “I told you, my daughter has been missing for a month and I just found her today. But I can’t find my granddaughter. She just admitted to me that she’s been trying to find her by herself. There is something wrong. I found my daughter’s car today and it smells like there’s been a dead body in the damn car.”

Advertisement

CASEY ANTHONY’S PARENTS TAKE LIE-DETECTOR TEST ABOUT GRANDDAUGHTER’S DEATH: ‘SOME WOUNDS ARE JUST TOO DEEP’

A courtroom monitor shows Casey Anthony, right, talking with her father George

A courtroom monitor shows Casey Anthony talking with her father, George Anthony, while she was in jail in a video presented as evidence in her trial at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, Friday, June 3, 2011. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service)

Law enforcement arrived at the Anthony family home that evening, separated the family members and got statements from each of them. Casey Anthony willingly gave a statement to police at the time, telling them she last saw her daughter with the nanny.

July 16, 2008

3:30 a.m. to 7 a.m.

A detective arrived at the Anthony residence around 3:30 a.m.

Around 4:10 a.m., the detective spoke with Casey in a spare bedroom with the door open. The interview, which reaffirmed her written statement, was recorded with Casey’s consent.

Advertisement

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER

The detective then drove with Casey to the nanny’s apartment complex and two other locations where she believed the nanny may have lived later that morning, according to court documents.

Casey was arrested later that day for child neglect, obstruction and making fraudulent statements after authorities determined that her claims about dropping Caylee off with her nanny and working at Universal Studios were determined to be false.

An image displayed on a courtroom monitor shows a photo entered into evidence in the Casey Anthony trial at the Orange County Courthouse on Friday, June 10, 2011, in Orlando, Florida.

Photo on the left shows wording found on a shirt. The photo on the right shows Caylee Anthony with her mother Casey. Caylee is wearing a shirt with the same lettering.  (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

July 22, 2008

Police name Casey as a person of interest in her daughter’s disappearance.

Oct. 14, 2008

A grand jury indicts Casey Anthony on a murder charge in connection with her daughter’s presumed death. She is detained in jail until her trial in 2011.

Advertisement

Dec. 11, 2008

A utility worker located Caylee’s skeletal remains in a wooded area about a half-mile from the Anthony family’s home on Dec. 11, 2008. Casey Anthony’s attorneys would later file a court motion implicating the utility worker in connection with the crime. He would file a defamation suit years later in 2013.

An image of Cindy Anthony, left, and Caylee projected on a courtroom monitor is submitted into evidence in the Casey Anthony murder trial at the Orange County Courthouse in Orlando, Florida, Friday, June 24, 2011.

Jose Baez, who represented Athony during her trial, argued that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family’s above-ground swimming pool in June 2008 and Casey’s parents then attempted to cover up her death and dispose of her remains, which George and Cindy have vehemently denied.  (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)

May 24, 2011

Casey’s murder trial began on May 24, 2011, and lasted more than six weeks. Her parents and her brother were among those called as witnesses. 

Jose Baez, who represented Athony during her trial, argued that Caylee accidentally drowned in the family’s above-ground swimming pool in June 2008 and Casey’s parents then attempted to cover up her death and dispose of her remains, which George and Cindy have vehemently denied. 

Prosecutors argued that Casey Anthony suffocated her daughter with chloroform and taped the 2-year-old’s mouth shut. 

Advertisement

July 5, 2011

After deliberating for 11 hours, a Florida jury found Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter and aggravated child abuse. She was convicted of lying to law enforcement.

Casey Anthony crying after she found out she's not guilty

Casey Anthony reacts to being found not guilty on murder charges at the Orange County Courthouse on July 5, 2011 in Orlando, Florida.  (Red Huber-Pool)

Anthony admitted to The Associated Press in 2017 that she did lie about Caylee being with a babysitter, about speaking with Caylee over the phone one day before the girl disappeared, about working for Universal Studios and about telling people that her daughter was missing. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS

Fox News Digital’s Stephanie Nolasco and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Advertisement



Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southeast

Georgia sorority girl seen in 'smiling' mugshot arrested again weeks after 1st run in with police

Published

on

Georgia sorority girl seen in 'smiling' mugshot arrested again weeks after 1st run in with police

The University of Georgia sorority girl, who was nicknamed “Miss America,” after her smiling mugshot went viral, was arrested again for the second time in weeks. 

Lily Stewart, a sophomore Alpha Chi Omega at the University of Georgia, was arrested for the second time this month after her first arrest at the beginning of March for excessive speeding.

According to Athens-Clarke County online records, Stewart, 20, was arrested on Sunday, March 23, for obstruction of a law enforcement officer and loitering/prowling.

Stewart has since posted her $4,600 bond and was released from police custody shortly before 11 a.m.

GEORGIA SORORITY GIRL’S ‘SMILING’ MUGSHOT GOES VIRAL: ‘LOCKED UP MISS AMERICA’

Advertisement

The University of Georgia student, Lily Stewart, who went viral for her smiling mugshot earlier this month, has been arrested again. (TMZ/Athens-Clarke County Jail Records)

Fox News Digital reached out to UGA for details about her latest arrest, but did not immediately receive a response. 

An attorney representing Stewart, Stephen Morris, said they had no comment on her latest arrest.

Stewart first made headlines on March 8 after images of her mugshot surfaced when she was pulled over twice in a matter of minutes for speeding “in excess of maximum limits,” the Georgia State Police shared in a previous police report with Fox News Digital. An officer pulled Stewart over for going 79 mph in a 55 mph zone, according to the report.

Stewart was issued a citation, and approximately two minutes later, she was pulled over again in her 2021 Volvo XC40, going at an even faster rate of speed, clocking in at 84 mph in the 55 mph zone. 

Advertisement

She told PEOPLE in a previous interview that she was on her way to a party in Milledgeville, Ga. that a fraternity was throwing at Georgia College & State University when she was pulled over.

VIRAL SENSATION ‘LIEUTENANT DAN’ ARRESTED FOR BOAT BEING ‘PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD’: POLICE

Lily Stewart, 20

Stewart was arrested for the second time in weeks and appeared in another smiling mugshot.  (Lily Stewart Facebook)

However, it was her smiling mugshot that attracted attention across the internet. 

Stewart even took to TikTok to address her arrest and shared some of the most “unhinged” comments in her video.

“The only crime here is stealing my heart,” one person commented.

Advertisement

“idc what she did, she’s innocent,” another person wrote.

“I don’t know what she did but free her,” another comment read.

POLICE DOG’S MUGSHOT GOES VIRAL AFTER PUP ALLEGEDLY STEALS OFFICER’S LUNCH

Mugshot of Lily Stewart

University of Georgia student and Alpha Chi Omega sorority member Lily Stewart was arrested after being caught speeding twice in a matter of minutes on March 8.  (Morgan County Sheriff’s Office)

Several people even offered to pay her bail.

Stewart told the outlet that she has gained thousands of new social media followers from her viral mugshot. 

Advertisement

“I look like a basic white girl, and I am,” Stewart said, adding, “I think it’s hilarious. One of them was like, ‘We know she has a monogram rain jacket’ — which I do.”

“There are some beautiful mug shots. I don’t think mine’s particularly stunning,” Stewart explained. “I actually think it’s a bad photo of me. If you see me in person, I don’t really look the same as I do in that mug shot. I don’t think it’s a great photo of me.”

Following her first arrest, Stewart interviewed with TMZ and described the entire ordeal to the outlet, claiming being booked into jail was “the craziest experience she had ever seen.”

“I paid my bond, got my mugshot, and another officer drove me to the tow yard where they took my car. It was definitely an experience and never experienced anything like that, hopefully never again.” 

Advertisement

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Trending