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California ‘party mom’ accused of grooming victims for sex, drinking in ritzy mansion, teens testify at trial
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A jury is hearing from teenagers who have testified about being victims of a California mom facing dozens of charges after allegedly hosting secret “alcohol-soaked benders,” in which high school freshmen were encouraged to engage in sexual behavior at her family’s swanky mansion.
Shannon O’Connor is on trial after she was slapped with 63 criminal charges stemming from her alleged involvement in throwing alcohol- and sex-fueled parties for minors during the 2020-21 school year in Santa Clara, according to KRON.
Deputy District Attorney Joanna Lee alleged O’Connor, who has been dubbed the “Los Gatos Party Mom,” hosted “chaotic, alcohol-soaked benders,” adding that “for many freshmen at Los Gatos High in 2020, their first experience with alcohol ended in overconsumption, vomiting and blackouts,” the local outlet reported. “[O’Connor’s] house was a place for children to engage in sexual conduct. The defendant groomed the children, normalized sex, encouraged hookups and sexual behavior.”
Many of the attendees were 14-year-old freshmen, with O’Connor allegedly serving as the only adult supervising the parties hosted up to five times a week, the outlet reported.
CALIFORNIA ‘PARTY MOM’ ACCUSED OF THROWING DRUNKEN TEEN SEX PARTIES PLEADS NOT GUILTY
California “party mom” Shannon O’Connor pleaded not guilty to 63 counts alleging she threw booze-fueled teen sex parties at her Los Gatos home. (KUTV)
Prosecutors allege O’Connor used her son’s status on the school’s football team and “cool mom” reputation to communicate daily with the freshmen through Snapchat without their parents’ knowledge.
On Tuesday, one female minor, identified as Jane Doe 6, testified the social environment at the gatherings was “misogynistic,” while corroborating prior statements from victims alleging O’Connor pressured teens to sneak out of their homes to drink heavily and “hook-up.”
Jane Doe 6 reportedly went on to allege her best friend, a 14-year-old girl identified as Jane Doe 4, experienced symptoms of depression and alcoholism after being sexually and physically abused by boys at the parties.
“[John Doe 7] would touch her in front of everybody,” Jane Doe 6 told the court, according to KRON. “It was bad, it was weird.”
MOM ACCUSED OF HOLDING BOOZE-FUELED TEEN SEX PARTIES INDICTED ON SLEW OF FELONIES
Shannon O’Connor listens in a courtroom, Oct. 20, 2021, in San Jose, Calif. She’s been indicted on 63 counts, including plying minors with alcohol and aiding and abetting sexual assault. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group via AP, File)
The young girl reportedly went on to testify that when John Doe 7 drank alcohol, he would act violently toward the girls at the parties and “no one reacted to it.”
“On one occasion, Jane Doe 4 was sitting in [O’Connor’s] kitchen in her swimsuit when John Doe 7 began to punch Jane Doe 4 on her leg,” Lee wrote in court documents. [O’Connor] was drinking a glass of champagne and laughed as she watched. John Doe 7 stood over her and continued to kick her legs and stomach all while [O’Connor] was sitting in the kitchen.”
PARENTS REVEAL SORDID DETAILS OF HOW THEY HELPED NAB CALIFORNIA MOM THROWING TEEN SEX PARTIES
Shannon O’Connor’s Los Gatos home, where she is accused of throwing wild parties for minors. (Google Maps)
Jane Doe 6 told the prosecution that her friend “was totally alcohol dependent” and “had to take shots of alcohol before she could leave her house.”
The mother of Jane Doe 4 also took the stand this week, telling the court her daughter first visited O’Connor’s home in the fall of 2020 to work on a school science project with O’Connor’s son, KRON reported.
“It all seemed normal in the beginning. She was an innocent kid. She’d never dated,” the mother said, adding that when she dropped Jane Doe 4 off at the house, “It was a very fancy, beautiful home. [O’Connor’s] son seemed like a nice kid.”
CALIFORNIA MOM THREW TEENS SECRET DRINKING PARTIES, WATCHED SEX ABUSE: AUTHORITIES
After the child made several trips to O’Connor’s home, her behavior changed, the mother testified, adding her daughter acted “really tired” and “closed off,” according to KRON.
Jane Doe 4’s mother went on to add that she confronted her daughter after noticing bruises on her body, but her concerns were brushed off.
One night, the mother noticed Jane Doe 4’s breath smelled like alcohol and told her, “no matter what it is, I will help you,” KRON reported. The mother added that her child felt “a lot of shame” and “was trying to escape.”
O’Connor’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Another mother reportedly told the jury in previous testimony that she “100 percent trusted [O’Connor]. As a mom, I have guilt for not seeing the signs sooner.”
O’Connor has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
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A pilot was killed in a plane crash in mountainous terrain near Cordova, Alaska State Troopers said Friday.
The agency was notified of the overdue Piper Pacer around 8 p.m. Thursday, troopers said in an online post. The pilot was believed to be the sole person on board the aircraft, which was thought to be flying between Yakutat and Fairbanks, troopers said.
Aircraft from the Alaska Air National Guard and Alaska Wildlife Troopers started searching for the plane, and a Guard helicopter crew found the overdue Piper Pacer around 4 p.m. Friday where it had crashed near Kanak Island, about 40 miles southeast of Cordova, troopers said.
The pilot, whom troopers did not identify, was found dead in the crashed plane, troopers said. His body was take to the State Medical Examiner Office in Anchorage for autopsy and positive identification, according to troopers.
Troopers said the pilot’s next of kin and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified.
Arizona
Arizona’s Rugged Wilderness Area Has Gorgeous Mountain Trails And Scenic Camping Spots – Islands
While those who haven’t spent a lot of time exploring Arizona may associate the Grand Canyon State with towering saguaro cacti and endless stretches of barren, moon-like landscapes, that description, though accurate, does not tell the complete story. Because located within the Tonto and Coconino National Forests is 252,500 acres of rugged wilderness that, in addition to cacti and desert, also includes pine forests, snow-dusted mountain peaks, and the Verde River, Arizona’s only designated Wild River Area.
Called the Mazatzal Wilderness Area, and spanning from the brush-covered Sonoran Desert to the tip of the 7,903-foot Mazatzal Peak and beyond, the area became a designated wilderness in 1940. It has since become known for its diverse, rugged scenery that includes steep ridges, narrow canyons, riparian habitats, and 240 miles of hiking trails, many of which are too craggy and steep for mountain bikes and horses. The trails are gorgeous, however, offering sweeping forest and mountain views as well as several scenic camping spots along creeks and ridgelines of wildflowers. Mazatzal, which gets its name from an Aztec word that means “land inhabited by deer,” is home to mule deer and whitetails as well as bald eagles, river otters, bears, and kit foxes, among other wildlife.
Mazatzal is unique in that it combines a rich network of diverse ecosystems into one expansive wilderness area, allowing you to swim in a cactus-lined river or cool off in an icy mountain waterfall. Just two hours from Phoenix, Mazatzal offers access to remote wilderness you can experience without having to venture too far from the comforts of urban life.
Mazatzal Wilderness Area is a backpacker’s paradise
The more than 40 hiking trails at Mazatzal offer breathtaking Tonto National Forest scenery full of unforgettable wildlife and panoramic views. “…This ‘secret’ area has some of the most beautiful, interesting, fascinating geography, geology, flora and fauna to be found anywhere in the high Sonora Desert,” writes a reviewer on TripAdvisor. “You’re almost guaranteed to see not a single other person for your entire hike, but you’ll see birds, snakes, lizards, range cattle, desert bighorn sheep and who-knows-what other animals while getting a sense of what it must have been like a hundred years and more ago, the natural environment almost absent [of] the effects of human beings.” One of the most popular hikes includes the moderate, 6.2-mile Barnhardt Trail Waterfall, where the sound of birds singing will be your soundtrack as you hike through lush vegetation punctuated by red rocks and jagged cliffs to lookout points with sweeping views of the hazy rolling hills and olive-green forests below. A seasonal waterfall is your reward at the end. “Barnhardt trail is an absolute must, one of the top 5 classic hikes in Arizona,” says a reviewer on a forum for Backpacking Light.
Although gorgeous, many of the trails are challenging, with cat claw plants that snag on your clothing, treacherously steep inclines, and rocky, overgrown terrain where you can twist an ankle if you’re not careful. Portions of the Arizona National Scenic Trail pass through the wilderness area, too, with the Arizona National Scenic Trail ranking number six in the list of the 11 U.S. National Scenic Hiking Trails ranked by difficulty.
Mazatzal offers primitive and dispersed camping throughout the wilderness area that can serve adventure-seeking backpackers and multi-day hikers with a remote wilderness camping experience. None of the campsites have toilets or any other facilities and all campers are encouraged to follow Leave No Trace principles and pack out all waste. Although glamping this is not, the campsites offer scenic views of ponderosa pine canyons and fire-red mountain ridges. For those looking looking to RV or car camp, Mazatzal is about a 40-minute drive from Payson, a high-elevation Arizona lakeside town where you can camp at one of the full-service campgrounds as well as shop, dine, and gamble at the Mazatzal Casino.
A California man was arrested on suspicion of committing lewd acts and exploiting minors through online platforms.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Edward “Eddie” Alessandro Zarate, 20, of Santa Maria.
On May 28, authorities began investigating Zarate over allegations that he was communicating with underage girls online and exchanging sexually explicit material with them.
Detectives later learned that Zarate allegedly communicated with minor victims through mobile phone apps such as Whipd, Purp, Wizz and Snapchat, along with exchanging text messages.
Zarate’s profiles appeared to portray him as a juvenile.
“Once he established communication with minors, he would often encourage them to move conversations off the platform and continue communicating via text message,” the sheriff’s department said. “During these conversations, Zarate would disclose his true age and identity.”
So far, authorities are aware of two female juveniles who have met with Zarate in person and reportedly engaged in lewd acts.
He is accused of communicating with minors in multiple states including California, Florida and Illinois. In California alone, detectives believe Zarate contacted minors from Los Angeles, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Paso Robles, Nipomo, Arroyo Grande and San Francisco.
“Based on the scope of the investigation, detectives believe there may be additional survivors who have not yet been identified,” authorities said.
On June 10, Zarate was arrested and booked on multiple felony charges including oral copulation with a person under 18 years of age, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, sending harmful matter to a minor, and two counts of possession of obscene material depicting a minor.
Anyone who may be a victim, has communicated with Zarate online or through text or has information on the case is asked to call Sheriff’s Detectives at 805-681-4150. Anonymous tips can be provided to the SBSD’s tipline at 805-681-4171 or online at SBSheriff.org.
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