caught out
Nicola King threatens Tom King with the police as she discovers his disturbing secret in Emmerdale
She starts to wonder if he is responsible for her son’s newfound anxiety
Anita Markoff , TV Reporter
NICOLA King started becoming suspicious of her evil nephew-in-law Tom after she noticed her son start behaving differently around him.
The Emmerdale villain has been causing havoc in his attempt to ruin his ex wife’s life once and for all.
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Tom King abused Belle Dingle physically and emotionally after they got married, but when she finally snapped and defended herself from one of Tom’s violent attacks with an axe, she was the one who ended up in trouble with the law.
So far Tom has managed to keep his family members in the dark about his twisted treatment of Belle, but he got close to getting caught when Carl Holliday got ahold of his iPad.
Knowing the device had proof of his abuse on it, Tom went to great lengths to get it back from Carl.
He then smashed it up with a rock as the young boy watched from a hiding place, terrified.
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Tom offered Carl a remote-controlled car in exchange for keeping quiet about the existence of the iPad.
But in upcoming episodes, Carl’s mum will begin to notice that her boy seems disturbed by something.
She starts to question him about what has him acting out of character, but the child soon clams up when Tom turns up during their conversation.
Nicola becomes even more suspicious when she notices Carl has thrown the toy car Tom gave him in the bin.
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She goes back to her son to ask why the little vehicle has been tossed and manages to get a bit more information out of him, but it is clear that Carl is scared.
Nicola speaks to Jimmy about the situation and starts grilling Tom on his recent behaviour.https://www.thesun.co.uk/pollingwidgets/v3/polling
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The situation quickly escalates and she threatens to call the cops on him – but will there be any evidence of his abusive nature with the iPad gone?
Is it possible that Nicola’s accusations could put her and Carl in harm’s way as well as Belle?
Woman Discovers Phone Buried In Her Yard As Police Warn Of Disturbing New Trend
Abel Musa MiñoEntertainment News Writer
30
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When Queens resident Mary Kehoe noticed something odd buried in the grass outside her home of 35 years, she never imagined it would spark a police investigation—or place her at the center of what law enforcement now says is a growing, dangerous trend.
“I thought it was trash at first,” Kehoe told local media. “Then I saw the camera lens.”
Highlights
- A Queens resident found a modified Android phone buried in her lawn, used as a hidden surveillance tool by criminals planning a robbery.
- Police warn this device planting is part of a disturbing rise in transnational burglary rings using hidden cameras to monitor potential targets.
- These crime rings, linked to South American gangs, travel to the US on tourist visas to case homes, a practice called ‘burglary tourism.’
Wrapped in black tape and buried in her lawn with only its camera exposed, the object was in fact a modified Android phone connected to a charger hidden beneath the soil.
The NYPD confirmed it had been placed there deliberately by criminals planning to rob her house.
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A Queens resident found a modified phone buried in her lawn. Authorities say it’s part of a growing criminal trend of surveilling potential targets
Image credits: CBS News
According to investigators, the device was set up as a hidden surveillance tool, meant to record the comings and goings of neighborhood residents. The footage would later help burglars plan break-ins—a tactic police say is far from isolated, with Mary Kehoe being the latest in a rising trend.
Image credits: CBS News
“They’re using these sophisticated devices to gain access into homes,” said Sgt. Vahe Abramyan of the Glendale Police Department.
“The point is to study behavior—who’s home and when, what kind of valuables might be inside.”
Image credits: CBS News
Similar cases have been reported across the country in recent months. Police departments from California to Massachusetts have documented incidents involving hidden cameras, buried phones, or camouflaged surveillance equipment planted around homes.
Image credits: CBS NewsADVERTISEMENT
For instance, in May 2024, a South California electrician found a camera in his front planter disguised with leaves. A second, wired device was taped to resemble trash, but turned out to be part of a surveillance setup.
“What is the purpose?” the man asked in an interview with local media, requesting to remain anonymous. “Is this here for a kidnapping? A home invasion?”
Image credits: CBS News
Around the same time, Steve Hippler of Chino Hills, discovered a camera pointed at his neighbor’s house, strategically placed from the base of a tree placed across the street.
“It’s kind of strange,” he said, explaining that he had never seen anything like it in the four decades he’s been living there. “There are much wealthier homes just a few blocks up. Why us?”
According to the police, the method has been associated with South American gangs, who travel to the US to practice “burglary tourism”
Image credits: CBS News
The sudden appearance of these devices is not a coincidence. According to authorities, the method has been known to be used by transnational burglary rings—particularly those coming from South America—who enter the US using tourist visas.
Image credits: Prostock-studio/Adobe Stock (Not the actual photo)ADVERTISEMENT
For instance, in September 2024, Glendale police made headlines last month after arresting four Colombian nationals carrying a leaf-covered camera and a Wi-Fi signal jammer intended to disable home security systems.
“These aren’t smash-and-grab amateurs,” Sgt. Vahe Abramyan added. “These are organized crews targeting homes systematically.”
Image credits: CBS News
Similar devices have been found in residential areas of Garden Grove, Alhambra, Scarsdale, Lost Hills, and Calabasas. They are often placed inside bushes, under trees, or taped to poles, while facing front doors or bedroom windows.
Representatives have called for certain visa programs to be cancelled due to the rise in crimes associated with foreign gangs
Image credits: CBS News
The trend has reached such a scale that some US lawmakers are now demanding action from federal immigration authorities, calling for programs such as the Visa Waiver—which provides a fast track entrance into the US for 90 days—to be suspended.
This primarily affects Chile—the only Latin American country currently part of the Visa Waiver Program.
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In March of this year, three Chilean nationals were arrested in Irvine, California, after police spotted a suspicious SUV near Bommer Canyon, just as it was leaving an upscale residential neighborhood.
Inside the vehicle, officers found gloves, masks, shoe covers, pet deterrent spray, and other tools commonly used by professional burglars. Authorities believe the men were casing homes in the Turtle Rock and Shady Canyon areas as part of a larger transnational crime ring.
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Their arrests came just days after Representative Young Kim and a bipartisan group of California lawmakers sent a letter urging the Department of Homeland Security to suspend Chile’s participation in the program, citing repeated instances of “burglary tourism.”
The letter noted that in 2024 alone, 59 residential burglaries in Orange County had been linked to South American Theft Groups (SATGs).
