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The crime rate in Athens is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 31 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Athens is 1 in 32. Based on FBI crime data, Athens is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Georgia, Athens has a crime rate that is higher than 74% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Importantly, when you compare Athens to other communities of similar population, then Athens crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average. Regardless of how Athens does relative to all communities in America of all sizes, when NeighborhoodScout compared it to communities of similar population size, its crime rate per thousand residents stands out as higher than most.

Now let us turn to take a look at how Athens does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Athens.

From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in Athens occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Athens; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 254. This equates to a rate of 4 per one thousand inhabitants.

NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that Athens's rate for property crime is 27 per one thousand population. This makes Athens a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in Athens is one in 37.

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Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Athens, GA. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Athens is 1 in 254 and property crime is 1 in 37. Compare Athens crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout.

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ORR: Juvenile arrests 2016-present for violent crimes

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ORR: Juvenile arrests 2016-present for violent crimes

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Juvenile Arrests-Violent Crime (2016-Oct 2021)

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Athens-Clarke County Crime Statistics: Georgia (GA) - CityRating.com

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Property and Violent Crime Totals Actual versus Projected Crime Totals City versus State versus National Crime Comparison * The source of actual data on this Athens-Clarke County, Georgia crime rate report is the FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement for the corresponding year or years. Arson numbers are reported inconsistently.

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Crime in Athens has decreased more overall in 2020 and 2021 in the wake of the coronavirus than the last five years.

Lt. Shaun Barnett of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department said Athens saw a 6.3% decrease in crime in 2020 from 2019, and the lowest cumulative number of total offenses in the last five years. So far in 2021, overall crime has remained low.

"As we stand so far in 2021 for all combined offenses we're at about 5.5% lower than we were at this time last year," Barnett said.

Barnett said as more things open and scale back on restrictions, crime may increase, but there are several things that contribute to crime increases.

"As people are out more, unfortunately, you have more opportunity to commit crime," Barnett said.

March 2020 had 43 burglaries, compared to 41 in March 2019. According to graphs by the ACCPD, March 2021 saw a decrease in burglaries with 31 total.

March 2020 had 73 entering auto crimes, while March of the previous year had 86, according to ACCPD graphs. In March 2021, there were 57 entering auto crimes. March 2020 also saw eight robberies in Athens in comparison to 11 in 2019. However, in March 2021, the number of robberies declined to three according to the ACCPD graphs.

While overall crime is lower, there are two areas where crime has increased in comparison to last year, according to data from graphs by the ACCPD which highlight five areas of crime.

In March 2020 there were 18 motor vehicle thefts compared to 22 in 2019. In March 2021 they increased to 31, according to graphs by the ACCPD.

Barnett said motor vehicle offenses are increasing currently due to catalytic converter thefts, as the value of the precious metals they contain has increased. Additionally, he said this is something not unique to Athens, happening in many other jurisdictions.

"This is really a nationwide or worldwide trend," Barnett said.

According to a graph by the ACCPD, March 2020 had the lowest number of aggravated assaults in the past three years, at 21. In comparison, March 2019 had 33 aggravated assaults. Meanwhile, March 2021 had 31 aggravated assaults, showing an increase from the previous year but a decrease from 2019.

"Aggravated assaults are increasing," Lt. Barnett said. "We're at almost 12% higher than we were at this time last year."

Barnett said although overall crime has decreased in Athens, this hasn't affected staffing since the ACCPD was already short-staffed. In order to assist with the short staffing, the ACCPD uses predictive crime maps to determine where to allocate the most resources, Barnett said.

"If we see a crime trend happening in a certain area, we'll allocate those resources to that area to combat that specific trend," Barnett said.

Additionally, the ACCPD provides an interactive map on its website where people can go and see real time updates of crime happening in Athens, as well as the type of crime being committed.

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Athens police lieutenant discusses crime decrease since COVID-19

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Crime in Athens has decreased more overall in 2020 and 2021 in the wake of the coronavirus than the last five years. Lt. Shaun Barnett of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department said Athens saw a 6.3% decrease in crime in 2020 from 2019, and the lowest cumulative number of total offenses in the last five years.

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Crime News in Athens, GA | Online Athens

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Crime news and reports for the Athens, GA area from Online Athens.

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Departmental website of the University of Georgia Police Department

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ACCPD Transparency Hub-Crime Transparency Hub Site Directory This Police Transparency Hub shares the latest statistically-based information with the ACC community. Using this information, the public can learn more about our efforts to maintain and enhance productive partnerships with the community a…

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2021 Compare Crime Rates: Athens-Clarke County, GA vs St. Marys, GA

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Best Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more.

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https://www.cityrating.com/crime-statistics/georgia/athens-clarke-county.html

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Athens-Clarke County Crime Statistics: Georgia (GA) - CityRating.com

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Property and Violent Crime Totals Actual versus Projected Crime Totals City versus State versus National Crime Comparison * The source of actual data on this Athens-Clarke County, Georgia crime rate report is the FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement for the corresponding year or years. Arson numbers are reported inconsistently.

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The Athens crime map provides a detailed overview of all crimes in Athens as reported by the local law enforcement agency. Based on the color coded legend above, the crime map outlines the areas with lower crime compared to the areas with higher crime. The Athens crime heat map offers insight into the total crimes on a block group level.

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View detailed crime rates in Athens, GA as well as a Athens crime density heat map.

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ACCPD Transparency Hub-Crime Transparency Hub Site Directory This Police Transparency Hub shares the latest statistically-based information with the ACC community. Using this information, the public can learn more about our efforts to maintain and enhance productive partnerships with the community a…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ACCPD Transparency Hub-Crime Transparency Hub Site Directory This Police Transparency Hub shares the latest statistically-based information with the ACC community. Using this information, the public can learn more about our efforts to maintain and enhance productive partnerships with the community a…

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Aggravated assault, larceny, motor vehicle theft and kidnapping increased in the past 4 years

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Aggravated assault, larceny, motor vehicle theft and kidnapping increased in the past 4 years

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https://accpd-public-transparency-site-athensclarke.hub.arcgis.com/pages/crime

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ACCPD Transparency Hub-Crime Transparency Hub Site Directory This Police Transparency Hub shares the latest statistically-based information with the ACC community. Using this information, the public can learn more about our efforts to maintain and enhance productive partnerships with the community a…

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Marion K

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Online Athens - Blotter
The Athens Banner-Herald provides a police blotter reporting on crimes.

Athens-Clarke County Police Department
Provides information for the public about most wanted criminals, unsolved crimes, traffic citations, crime prevention, public announcements and more.

Clarke County Sheriff's Office
Provides services for the protection of life and property and the preservation of the public peace. Offers information about recent arrests, current inmates at the county jail, sex offenders, community programs, etc.

Athens-Clarke County Corrections Department
The mission of the ACC Corrections Department is to provide a humane and safe environment for inmates, staff, and the community through use of modern correctional management techniques and supervision.

Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Athens
Conducts the Basic Police Officer Training program, the Basic Jail Officer Training program, and selected advanced and specialized training courses.

University of Georgia Police Department
Information about the activities & services of the UGA Police Department.

Staying on the Right Side of the Law
A handy flyer summarizing some local ordinances that you should know while visiting or living in the Athens community.

Crime Statistics 1980-2014
Crime statistics for each county in Georgia by year / month. Covers murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, and vehicle theft.

Family Violence Statistics 1996-2014
Family violence statistics for each county in Georgia by year / month.

UGA Crime Statistics
Data on crimes committed on the University of Georgia campus, including offenses reported, arrests, victim status, etc.

CrimeReports.com Map
Enter an Athens street address to search this online mapping service that combines police data with the ease-of-use of Google-based mapping. View locations of thefts, robberies, assaults, and other crimes reported by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and the UGA Police Department.

Police Scanner Live Audio Feed
Listen to live police and fire scanners from Athens-Clarke County.

Safe and Secure
A guide for students, faculty, staff, and visitors of the University of Georgia. Topics include preventing theft and assault, alcohol and drugs, and more.

Athens Justice Project
Empowers its clients to break the cycle of crime and poverty and create lives as self-supporting and law-abiding citizens by providing legal representation, counseling and employment opportunities.

Georgia Legal Services Program
A non-profit law firm offering free legal services in civil cases to people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. The Athens location provides special focus on serving the growing Latino population, serving rural victims of domestic violence, and addressing needs of homeless people in Athens.

Public Defender Office
The public defender's office represents indigent individuals who have pending criminal charges or juvenile court cases in Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County.

Families4Change
A nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce juvenile offenses, problem behaviors, and truancy in school using a family-based early intervention program serving at-risk youth.

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Athens - Clarke County GA (Georgia) | Crime & Law Enforcement

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Online Athens - Blotter The Athens Banner-Herald provides a police blotter reporting on crimes. Athens-Clarke County Police Department Provides information for the public about most wanted criminals, unsolved crimes, traffic citations, crime prevention, public announcements and more. Clarke County Sheriff's Office Provides services for the protection of life and property and the preservation of the public peace.

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https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ga/athens/crime

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The crime rate in Athens is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 31 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Athens is 1 in 32. Based on FBI crime data, Athens is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Georgia, Athens has a crime rate that is higher than 74% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Importantly, when you compare Athens to other communities of similar population, then Athens crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average. Regardless of how Athens does relative to all communities in America of all sizes, when NeighborhoodScout compared it to communities of similar population size, its crime rate per thousand residents stands out as higher than most.

Now let us turn to take a look at how Athens does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Athens.

From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in Athens occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Athens; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 254. This equates to a rate of 4 per one thousand inhabitants.

NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that Athens's rate for property crime is 27 per one thousand population. This makes Athens a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in Athens is one in 37.

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Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Athens, GA. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Athens is 1 in 254 and property crime is 1 in 37. Compare Athens crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout.

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Has trends available

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SpotCrime's Athens, Georgia crime map shows 180 assaults, 40 shootings, 38 burglaries, 321 thefts, 11 robberies, 1 vandalism, and 58 arrests over a one month period. The previous month crime map in Athens, Georgia showed 191 assaults, 25 shootings, 29 burglaries, 323 thefts, 7 robberies, 1 vandalism, and 58 arrests.

According to the reports SpotCrime receives from local police agencies, crime overall in Athens, Georgia is currently down by 0% when compared to the previous month.

Property crime such as theft, vandalism, and burglary is up in Athens, Georgia. Even with a property crime increase of 1%, overall crime is still down 0% from the previous month.

Violent crime including shootings, assaults, and robberies is up in Athens, Georgia. Even with a violent crime increase of 3%, overall crime is still down 0% from the previous month.

Stay aware of the crime happening in your neighborhood. Make sure to sign up for your personalized SpotCrime crime alert for Athens, Georgia. SpotCrime email alerts include a crime map and crime blotter for Athens, Georgia and are a great community watch tool.

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SpotCrime's Athens, Georgia crime map shows 180 assaults, 40 shootings, 38 burglaries, 321 thefts, 11 robberies, 1 vandalism, and 58 arrests over a one month period. The previous month crime map in Athens, Georgia showed 191 assaults, 25 shootings, 29 burglaries, 323 thefts, 7 robberies, 1 vandalism, and 58 arrests.

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Athens-Clarke County GA Crime Rate 1999-2017

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Interactive chart of the Athens-Clarke County, Georgia violent crime rate and statistics by year from 1999 to 2017. In the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, violent crime statistics are composed of four offenses: murder/homicide and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravat…

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The crime rate in Athens is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 31 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Athens is 1 in 32. Based on FBI crime data, Athens is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Georgia, Athens has a crime rate that is higher than 74% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Importantly, when you compare Athens to other communities of similar population, then Athens crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average. Regardless of how Athens does relative to all communities in America of all sizes, when NeighborhoodScout compared it to communities of similar population size, its crime rate per thousand residents stands out as higher than most.

Now let us turn to take a look at how Athens does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Athens.

From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in Athens occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Athens; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 254. This equates to a rate of 4 per one thousand inhabitants.

NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that Athens's rate for property crime is 27 per one thousand population. This makes Athens a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in Athens is one in 37.

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Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Athens, GA. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Athens is 1 in 254 and property crime is 1 in 37. Compare Athens crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The crime rate in Athens is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 31 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Athens is 1 in 32. Based on FBI crime data, Athens is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Georgia, Athens has a crime rate that is higher than 74% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Importantly, when you compare Athens to other communities of similar population, then Athens crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average. Regardless of how Athens does relative to all communities in America of all sizes, when NeighborhoodScout compared it to communities of similar population size, its crime rate per thousand residents stands out as higher than most.

Now let us turn to take a look at how Athens does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Athens.

From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in Athens occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Athens; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 254. This equates to a rate of 4 per one thousand inhabitants.

NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that Athens's rate for property crime is 27 per one thousand population. This makes Athens a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in Athens is one in 37.

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Most accurate 2021 crime rates for Athens, GA. Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Athens is 1 in 254 and property crime is 1 in 37. Compare Athens crime data to other cities, states, and neighborhoods in the U.S. on NeighborhoodScout.

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With the Next to Die, The Marshall Project and our reporting partners tracked every execution in the United States from August 2015 to February 2021. By recording each story and noting every death, we wanted to show how the machinery of capital punishment quietly grinds forward while few are watching. Despite the trauma suffered in these cases-all of them marked by profound losses-they are all too often invisible to most of us.

When we started, there was no detailed, up-to-date schedule of coming executions. We wanted to tell the stories of the people facing death and the lives lost in the crimes for which they were convicted. We wanted to chronicle how their cases proceeded toward their ultimate end. In the process, we hoped to better understand how our courts and prisons dispense their most severe punishment.

On paper, the federal government and 27 states allow juries to impose death sentences for the worst crimes. In practice, fewer than half carry out such sentences. Over the course of our reporting, we followed cases in 15 states and the federal government, which resumed executions in 2020 after a lengthy hiatus. Four of the states we watched-Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma and South Carolina-did not put anyone to death, though they made efforts to. What you'll find here on the pages of The Next to Die are the histories of capital punishment and the stories of the men and women put to death.

Our aim was to bring attention to these overlooked executions.The Marshall Project and its journalistic partners do not take a stance on the morality of the death penalty, but we do see a need for better reporting on a punishment that so divides Americans. Even as The Next to Die ends, The Marshall Project will continue to focus on the death penalty and has launched Death Sentences, a new series on important trends and broader issues in capital punishment. We hope after you explore the stories collected here, you'll continue to follow our coverage on this critical criminal justice issue.

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With the Next to Die, The Marshall Project and our reporting partners tracked every execution in the United States from August 2015 to February 2021. By recording each story and noting every death, we wanted to show how the machinery of capital punishment quietly grinds forward while few are watching.

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https://accpd-public-transparency-site-athensclarke.hub.arcgis.com/pages/crime

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ACCPD Transparency Hub-Crime Transparency Hub Site Directory This Police Transparency Hub shares the latest statistically-based information with the ACC community. Using this information, the public can learn more about our efforts to maintain and enhance productive partnerships with the community a…

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The astronauts who will depart the International Space Station on Sunday will be stuck using diapers on the way home because of their capsule's broken toilet.

NASA astronaut Megan McArthur described the situation Friday as "suboptimal" but manageable. She and her three crewmates will spend 20 hours in their SpaceX capsule, from the time the hatches are closed until Monday morning's planned splashdown.

"Spaceflight is full of lots of little challenges," she said during a news conference from orbit. "This is just one more that we'll encounter and take care of in our mission. So we're not too worried about it."

After a series of meetings Friday, mission managers decided to bring McArthur and the rest of her crew home before launching their replacements. That SpaceX launch already had been delayed more than a week by bad weather and an undisclosed medical issue involving one of the crew.

SpaceX is now targeting liftoff for Wednesday night at the earliest.

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who will return with McArthur, told reporters that the past six months have been intense up there. The astronauts conducted a series of spacewalks to upgrade the station's power grid, endured inadvertent thruster firings by docked Russian vehicles that sent the station into brief spins, and hosted a private Russian film crew - a space station first.

They also had to deal with the toilet leak, pulling up panels in their SpaceX capsule and discovering pools of urine. The problem was first noted during SpaceX's private flight in September, when a tube came unglued and spilled urine beneath the floorboards. SpaceX fixed the toilet on the capsule awaiting liftoff, but deemed the one in orbit unusable.

Engineers determined that the capsule had not been structurally compromised by the urine and was safe for the ride back. The astronauts will have to rely on what NASA describes as absorbent "undergarments."

On the culinary side, the astronauts grew the first chile peppers in space - "a nice moral boost," according to McArthur. They got to sample their harvest in the past week, adding pieces of the green and red peppers to tacos.

"They have a nice spiciness to them, a little bit of a lingering burn," she said. "Some found that more troublesome than others."

Also returning with McArthur and Pesquet: NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. SpaceX launched them to the space station on April 23. Their capsule is certified for a maximum 210 days in space, and with Friday marking their 196th day aloft, NASA is eager to get them back as soon as possible.

One American and two Russians will remain on the space station following their departure. While it would be better if their replacements arrived first - in order to share tips on living in space - Kimbrough said the remaining NASA astronaut will fill in the newcomers.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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No toilet for returning SpaceX crew, stuck using diapers

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The astronauts who will depart the International Space Station on Sunday will be stuck using diapers on the way home because of their capsule's broken toilet. NASA astronaut Megan McArthur described the situation Friday as "suboptimal" but manageable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The astronauts who will depart the International Space Station on Sunday will be stuck using diapers on the way home because of their capsule's broken toilet.

NASA astronaut Megan McArthur described the situation Friday as "suboptimal" but manageable. She and her three crewmates will spend 20 hours in their SpaceX capsule, from the time the hatches are closed until Monday morning's planned splashdown.

"Spaceflight is full of lots of little challenges," she said during a news conference from orbit. "This is just one more that we'll encounter and take care of in our mission. So we're not too worried about it."

After a series of meetings Friday, mission managers decided to bring McArthur and the rest of her crew home before launching their replacements. That SpaceX launch already had been delayed more than a week by bad weather and an undisclosed medical issue involving one of the crew.

SpaceX is now targeting liftoff for Wednesday night at the earliest.

French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who will return with McArthur, told reporters that the past six months have been intense up there. The astronauts conducted a series of spacewalks to upgrade the station's power grid, endured inadvertent thruster firings by docked Russian vehicles that sent the station into brief spins, and hosted a private Russian film crew - a space station first.

They also had to deal with the toilet leak, pulling up panels in their SpaceX capsule and discovering pools of urine. The problem was first noted during SpaceX's private flight in September, when a tube came unglued and spilled urine beneath the floorboards. SpaceX fixed the toilet on the capsule awaiting liftoff, but deemed the one in orbit unusable.

Engineers determined that the capsule had not been structurally compromised by the urine and was safe for the ride back. The astronauts will have to rely on what NASA describes as absorbent "undergarments."

On the culinary side, the astronauts grew the first chile peppers in space - "a nice moral boost," according to McArthur. They got to sample their harvest in the past week, adding pieces of the green and red peppers to tacos.

"They have a nice spiciness to them, a little bit of a lingering burn," she said. "Some found that more troublesome than others."

Also returning with McArthur and Pesquet: NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide. SpaceX launched them to the space station on April 23. Their capsule is certified for a maximum 210 days in space, and with Friday marking their 196th day aloft, NASA is eager to get them back as soon as possible.

One American and two Russians will remain on the space station following their departure. While it would be better if their replacements arrived first - in order to share tips on living in space - Kimbrough said the remaining NASA astronaut will fill in the newcomers.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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No toilet for returning SpaceX crew, stuck using diapers

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - The astronauts who will depart the International Space Station on Sunday will be stuck using diapers on the way home because of their capsule's broken toilet. NASA astronaut Megan McArthur described the situation Friday as "suboptimal" but manageable.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two California couples gave birth to each others' babies after a mix-up at a fertility clinic and spent months raising children that weren't theirs before swapping the infants, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles.

Daphna Cardinale said she and her husband, Alexander, had immediate suspicions that the girl she gave birth to in late 2019 wasn't theirs because the child had a darker complexion than they do.

They suppressed their doubts because they fell in love with the baby and trusted the in vitro fertilization process and their doctors, Daphna said. Learning months later that she had been pregnant with another couple's baby, and that another woman had been carrying her child, caused enduring trauma, she said.

"I was overwhelmed by feelings of fear, betrayal, anger and heartbreak," Daphna said during a news conference with her husband announcing the lawsuit. "I was robbed of the ability to carry my own child. I never had the opportunity to grow and bond with her during pregnancy, to feel her kick."

The Cardinales' complaint accuses the Los Angeles-based California Center for Reproductive Health (CCRH) and its owner, Dr. Eliran Mor, of medical malpractice, breach of contract, negligence and fraud. It demands a jury trial and seeks unspecified damages.

Yvonne Telles, the office administrator for the center, declined to comment on Monday. Mor could not be reached for comment.

The two other parents involved in the alleged mix-up wish to remain anonymous and plan a similar lawsuit in the coming days, according to attorney Adam Wolf, who represents all four parents.

The lawsuit claims CCRH mistakenly implanted the other couple's embryo into Daphna and transferred the Cardinales' embryo - made from Daphna's egg and Alexander's sperm - into the other woman.

The babies, both girls, were born a week apart in September 2019. Both couples unwittingly raised the wrong child for nearly three months before DNA tests confirmed that the embryos were swapped, according to the filing.

"The Cardinales, including their young daughter, fell in love with this child, and were terrified she would be taken away from them," the complaint says. "All the while, Alexander and Daphna did not know the whereabouts of their own embryo, and thus were terrified that another woman had been pregnant with their child - and their child was out in the world somewhere without them."

The babies were swapped back in January 2020.

Mix-ups like this are exceedingly rare, but not unprecedented. In 2019 a couple from Glendale, California, sued a separate fertility clinic, claiming their embryo was mistakenly implanted in a New York woman, who gave birth to their son as well as a second boy belonging to another couple.

Wolf, whose firm specializes in fertility cases, called for greater oversight for IVF clinics.

"This case highlights an industry in desperate need of federal regulation," he said.

Breaking the news to their older daughter, now 7, that doctors made a mistake and that the new baby wasn't actually her sister "was the hardest thing in my life," Daphna said.

"My heart breaks for her, perhaps the most," she said.

Since the mix-up came to light, both babies have been returned to their biological families. All four parents have since made an effort to stay in each other's lives and "forge a larger family," Daphna said.

"They were just as much in love with our biological daughter as we were with theirs," Alexander said.

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California parents sue after getting another couple's embryo

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LOS ANGELES (AP) - Two California couples gave birth to each others' babies after a mix-up at a fertility clinic and spent months raising children that weren't theirs before swapping the infants, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles.

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Before the Astroworld Tragedy, Travis Scott’s ‘Raging’ Made Him a Star (Published 2021)

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The multiplatinum rapper earned a reputation for concerts that teetered on the edge of mayhem. Then eight people died during his performance in Houston on Friday.

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Concert victims included 9th-grader, ‘life of the party’

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As young as a high school freshman and from as far away as Washington state. Authorities on Monday released the identities of the eight people who died after fans at the Astroworld music festival in Houston suddenly pushed forward when rapper Travis Scott came on stage.