Category: Regional & State News

Florida Parents Charged in Death of Toddler Left in Car Overnight After Fourth of July Party

LAKELAND, Fla.—A toddler died after her parents left her in a hot car overnight following a Fourth of July party in Florida, authorities said Thursday. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Lakeland couple Joel and Jazmine Rondon have been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. Authorities said the Rondons accidentally left the 18-month-old girl…


Woman Found Dead in SUV Near Mexican Border; Husband Suspected

SAN DIEGO—Authorities reached out to the public on July 6 for help in finding a fugitive suspected of killing his wife, a Santa Barbara County resident whose body was found just north of the U.S.-Mexico line in San Ysidro on the Fourth of July. German Luna Salazar, 44, allegedly bludgeoned 32-year-old Leyva Oregel Garcia to…


US Destroys Last of Its Chemical Weapons Stockpile

The United States has destroyed the last of its declared chemical weapons stockpile at a military installation in Kentucky. President Joe Biden said in a White House statement that the final munition in the country’s stockpile was “safely destroyed.” The disarmament milestone brings the country “one step closer to a world free from the horrors…


UNC to Offer Free Tuition to Some Students After SCOTUS Affirmative Action Ruling

The University of North Carolina (UNC) will be offering free tuition to some students following the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 29 ruling to strike down race-based admissions policies at U.S. colleges—also referred to as affirmative action policies. The high court ruled in favor of Students for Fair Admissions in its cases against Harvard College (the undergraduate college of Harvard…


Suspect Killed, Officer Wounded as Robbery Spree Ends With Pursuit, Shootout on Ohio Interstate

COLUMBUS, Ohio—An armed robbery spree in Ohio ended with a police chase and shootout that left one suspect dead and an officer critically wounded, authorities said. Two other suspects who fled on foot from the shootout were later captured. The spree began around 2:15 p.m. Thursday, when a man stole the keys to an SUV…


Baltimore Police Arrest 17-Year-Old Suspect in Block Party Shooting

BALTIMORE—Authorities have arrested and charged a teen who detectives believe was involved in a shooting at a Baltimore block party over the holiday weekend that left two people dead and 28 others wounded, officials announced Friday. Members of the homicide and SWAT teams arrested the 17-year-old boy around 7 a.m. Friday after a search warrant…


Father of the Bride and Teen Who Tried to Save Friend Among 5 Killed in Philadelphia Shooting

PHILADELPHIA—A father who was preparing to walk his eldest daughter down the aisle. An aspiring actor who appeared as an extra in the “Creed” movie franchise. A teenager who tried to help a wounded friend. These are the stories of those killed in the all-too-familiar thrum of another mass shooting. Five people in a working-class…


Life in Prison for Man Involved in Street Feud That Led to Woman’s Death and Shooting of 6-Year-Old

DOVER, Del.—A Delaware man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for his role in a street feud involving a drug kingpin that resulted in the kidnapping and slaying of a woman and the shooting of a 6-year-old boy. Dion Oliver, 43, was sentenced to the mandatory life term after he was convicted in federal…


Texas Officials Name Suspect Arrested and Charged in Arson That Killed 5 in San Marcos in 2018

SAN MARCOS, Texas—Officials in San Marcos, Texas, have named the man charged with intentionally starting a fire five years ago which killed five people and displaced 200 others. Jacobe De Leon O Shea Ferguson, of Austin, was arrested early Wednesday, Jonathan Henderson, Fire Marshal for the San Marcos Fire Department announced in a news conference…


Fire That Killed 2 Aboard a Cargo Ship in New Jersey Is Expected to Burn for Days

NEWARK, N.J.—A cargo ship docked at the East Coast’s biggest port smoldered for a third day and will likely burn for several more after the fire claimed the lives of two New Jersey firefighters, officials said Friday, acknowledging that they’ll be discussing how first responders are trained. What caused the fire aboard the Grande Costa…