Month: September 2025

By Stephanie Aceves

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    MOHAVE COUNTY, Arizona (KTNV) — The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) from the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office was able to link two children who were found in a park restroom in Oxnard, California, to a cold case victim in Mohave County.

On Dec. 12, 1989, a woman was found dead on Old Temple Bar Road off White Hills Road, just 50 miles south of Las Vegas. She had been stabbed multiple times and left nude in the desert.

At the time, police were unable to identify the victim or any suspects involved in her death, but homicide investigators were able to obtain a DNA profile from the victim.

In February 2022, the SIU was able to obtain the victim’s fingerprints and matched them to a Maria Ortiz from Bakersfield, California. A records check revealed Ortiz was listed at a residential address in Bakersfield with two friends.

Authorities made contact with one of the friends, who was later discovered to be the victim’s cousin. The cousin revealed the victim’s real name was Marina Ramos, and she had been missing since 1989. Maria Ortiz was an alias used by Ramos.

Authorities also learned that Ramos had two young daughters, 2-month-old Jasmin and 14-month-old Elizabeth, at the time. After this discovery, the police tried to track the whereabouts of the two young girls. Using the DNA obtained from family members, investigators found a match to a woman and her sister who were found abandoned in a park in Oxnard, California, in December 1989. Through the use of DNA samples, results confirmed the two women to be Elizabeth and Jasmin Ramos, the daughters of Marina Ramos.

Reports revealed that the girls were found in a park restroom in Oxnard on Dec. 14, 1989, just two days after Marina’s body was found in Mohave County.

After the girls were found, they were placed in the custody of child protective services and later placed into foster care. They were eventually adopted by a couple in Ventura County and raised together in a loving home, according to authorities.

While the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office has found the mother of the two girls, authorities are still looking for the suspects responsible for the homicide of Marina Ramos.

Witnesses say they saw a woman and two men with the children at the park. They were seen in a black mini pickup. The witness told officers the woman was carrying the smaller child in a yellow blanket and one of the men was carrying the older child. The woman was described as a Hispanic female wearing a long red skirt with white boots. The two men were only described as Hispanic.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office at 928-753-0753 ext. 4408.

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By Nathan Smallwood

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    MURFREESBORO, Arkansas (KHBS, KHOG) — A family from Cookson, Okla. found a brown diamond weighing nearly three carats during a recent visit to Crater of Diamonds State Park.

According to a press release, Raynae Madison and her family came to Arkansas for the weekend to celebrate her nephew’s birthday. They visited Crater of Diamonds on Saturday, September 13.

The family picked a spot to dig on the north side of the park’s 37.5-acre diamond search area, near Prospector Trailhead. After digging a few buckets, they were sifting dirt through their screens when Madison noticed an unusual oblong, shiny stone.

After showing their family, the release says they took the stone to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center. The staff there identified it as a diamond weighing 2.79 carats.

Madison chose to name her gem the William Diamond, in honor of her nephew. It is the third-largest diamond registered at the park this year.

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By Pepper Purpura

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — The Animal Rescue League of Iowa is expanding its reptile response with help from Spock’s Sanctuary, the “largest reptile rescue in the state of Iowa.”

“I’d say about once a month we get a reptile in, whether it’s an owner surrender or a stray,” said Megan Matamoros, ARL’s director of shelter operations.

Matamoros said the shelter trains its animal control team on how to handle all varieties of pets in need. However, it can be difficult for the team to keep those skills sharp since they are rarely called to trap reptiles, and have them at the shelter to practice with even less often.

Once they are in the ARL’s care, the unique needs of each lizard, snake or amphibian are another hurdle.

“You need specialized UV lighting. You also need a warm area and a cool area in their tank. They may need a more tropical, humid environment or a more arid, desert-like environment, and every reptile can be very different in their dietary needs,” Matamoros said. “Some are strictly vegetarians, some can eat some proteins like crickets, and then some require strictly just meat.”

Those variations are a challenge, the founders of Spock’s Sanctuary in Des Moines understand.

“Between lizards, there’s such a variety,” co-founder Cole Reiman said. “Every single animal that comes in is their own challenge.”

Which is why Cole and Cam Reiman are giving the ARL access to their reptiles.

“We bring in and give them just a quick little set of tips and tricks on how to optimize their approach (when handling a reptile),” said Cam Reiman, co-founder of Spock’s Sanctuary. “Especially when they’re called in on an animal wandering around outside, where they don’t really have a lot of information on what they’re walking into.”

Matamoros said the opportunity is helping their team be better prepared when trying to capture and care for reptiles.

“That allows them to give our animal control officers that already have our exotic handling (training) some more different techniques to use, so they can have that in their back pocket to be successful when they’re out there in the field,” Matamoros said.

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By Matthew Dietz

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    LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLWT) — The second inmate who escaped from Brown County, Ohio, and was on the run for a week has been arrested.

According to online court records, Cooper is being housed at the Oldham County Detention Center, in La Grange, where he’s listed as being in federal custody.

It all started Monday, Sept. 15 at the Brown County Jail.

One week ago, deputies said Roy Butler and Jerry Cooper broke through a window at the jail and got over a fence.

Investigators say the two crossed the Ohio River in a stolen paddleboat but split up once they got into Dover, Kentucky, which is between Maysville and Augusta, and where the search has been focused for days.

Deputies found Butler the next day. He was in jail on drug trafficking charges. Cooper, who was on the run, is charged with attempted murder.

On Monday night, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office said Cooper was arrested in Louisville after being taken there by two people.

The sheriff’s office said Marlana and William Strausbaugh were also arrested and charged with hindering prosecution or apprehension.

“We want to thank the FBI, Kentucky State Police, Maysville Police Department, KY Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Bracken County Sheriff’s Office, Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Fleming County Sheriff’s Office, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Augusta Police Department, Brooksville Police Department, USMS, Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Maysville Fire Department, Dover Fire Department, and many other agencies for their assistance,” the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators said Cooper allegedly shot a man in the chest earlier this year. He is accused of shooting the man and taking money in a murder-for-hire plot.

On Monday, the FBI offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Cooper’s arrest.

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By Dacoda Wahpekeche

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Oklahoma City has taken a significant step in commemorating the 1950s protests against segregation with the installation of a new sculpture depicting the historic sit-ins led by Clara Luper.

Clara Luper was a historical figure in Oklahoma, who led protests against segregation at Robinson and Main streets in downtown Oklahoma City during the 1950s.

Marilyn Luper, daughter of Clara Luper and a participant in the sit-ins, expressed her excitement about the sculpture’s completion.

“This is a dream come true,” Marilyn said.

Marilyn, her brother Calvin and others participated in the Katz Drug Store sit-ins, and now Marilyn sees herself depicted in the sculpture, which brings back memories of that time.

“I feel good on the inside,” Marilyn said.

The sculpture, made of 8,000 pounds of bronze, required a crane to be placed in its permanent location.

“It brings back memories. It feels good, because I can see the change in this nation,” Marilyn said. “I just wish that my mother could have lived to see this day because she would have been so happy.”

Clara Luper’s statue is not yet in place, but it is expected to be completed by Nov. 1.

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By Rachel Henderson

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KSHB) — A Kansas City, Missouri, Fire Department firefighter who killed three people in a crash nearly four years ago has received approval from an arbitrator to return to driving fire trucks, shocking victims’ families and friends.

Dominic Biscari was driving a KCFD pumper truck when he ran a red light and crashed at an intersection, killing Jennifer San Nicholas, Michael Elwood and pedestrian Tami Knight.

An arbitrator affirmed his ruling earlier this month that Biscari can drive fire trucks again, receive back pay and serve only a three-day suspension.

A spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed on Thursday that Biscari did reapply for a license and is currently licensed as an EMT-Basic with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services’ Bureau of Emergency Medical Services.

His initial license, which he obtained in February 2020, expired on February 28, 2025.

The spokesperson confirmed Biscari is “still in compliance” with his settlement agreement which had a provision allowing the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to relicense him, and he agreed to continue on with his probation/probation requirements.

“We don’t think Dominic should walk away from this unscathed at all. He killed three people,” said Laura Norris, owner of Ragazza, where San Nicholas and Elwood worked. “It’s shocking, it really is.”

The emotions remain raw for Norris, whose former employees were leaving work when the fire truck hit them.

“You just couldn’t breathe,” Norris said. “You know, and it’s not okay.”

She said she and a group of people fighting for justice — including several Ragazza staff members — have protested at city council meetings before.

Norris recalls a recent one where the council decided against awarding Biscari a hefty settlement.

That decision, coupled with the department’s reinstatement of driver training, felt like small wins to Norris.

“I think anybody objectively looking from the outside in, which conduct resulted in a triple fatality, would question how someone in that position would receive compensation,” said Tim Dollar, the attorney representing the Elwood family. “As anyone might expect to hear, the news was disturbing and difficult.”

“While the family had made tremendous progress, personally, in extending forgiveness to Mr. Biscari on a personal level as part of their own healing, and Mr. Biscari had expressed remorse, which was all positive, that does not mean that the family wanted to return to a safety-sensitive position at the fire department,” Dollar said.

Dollar says the family’s goal has remained to promote safety and prevent future injuries at this intersection.

“It’s why the family paid for the Opticom system themselves, to electronically alert drivers,” Dollar said.

Union defends arbitrator’s decision The attorney representing the KCFD’s union shared a statement defending the arbitrator’s decision on Tuesday:

Local 42 is satisfied that the final arbitration award upholds the same findings and remedies set forth in the earlier interim ruling. The arbitrator concluded, after reviewing all the evidence from both sides, that the City of Kansas City failed to follow basic principles of fairness and due process when disciplining Firefighter Dominic Biscari.

The arbitrator’s findings revealed some procedural missteps in how the City handled the matter from the beginning, particularly its failure to provide the protections guaranteed by the collective bargaining agreement and long-standing City policy.

The arbitrator’s ruling was detailed, well-reasoned, and based on the facts in the record. We hope that if the Court confirms the award, the City will honor it promptly and fully, without the need for more legal proceedings.

Firefighters represented by Local 42 serve Kansas City with dedication and professionalism every day. The Union remains committed to standing up for our members when they are treated unfairly, and to holding all parties accountable to the agreements they’ve made.

Kevin Regan, the attorney representing Biscari, provided his own statement, attributable to Biscari’s union as well:

“Mr. Biscari has prevailed in his second arbitration against the city. He hopes the city fulfills its obligation to the arbitrator and reinstates him immediately.”

Both the city and the arbitrator declined to comment on the ruling.

Court confirmation expected The next step involves a Jackson County Circuit Court judge, who Dollar says has “no discretion” in the matter.

“The circuit judge must simply confirm the contract and confirm the arbitration award,” Dollar said.

Families remain hopeful for justice.

Norris says she’s determined to continue fighting.

“I remember thinking last night when I read this, and I was like, ‘What more do we do?’ But we’ll find out, and we’ll do it,” Norris said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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By Alyssa Jackson

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    KANSAS CITY, Kansas (KSHB) — The family of an inmate who died in the Wyandotte County Detention Center wants answers sooner rather than later.

Charles Adair died in the custody of the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department on July 5, 2025.

On Friday, the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office announced Richard Fatherley, a sheriff’s deputy, faces a second-degree murder charge.

However, Adair’s family does not believe the process is being handled ethically.

Adair has eight siblings. His oldest brother, Anthony, spoke exclusively with KSHB 41 on his behalf.

Over the weekend, the family reached out to KSHB 41’s Wyandotte County reporter Rachel Henderson.

“We want everything released … everything released,” Anthony Adair said.

On Sept. 25, Charles Adair would have turned 51 years old, his brother shared.

He went to jail for misdemeanor warrants on failure to appear for traffic violations.

“No one deserves to go to jail on the Fourth of July and be deceased the next day. Something doesn’t smell right,” Anthony Adair said.

The family is represented by Justice for Wyandotte and renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Members of the Adair family said they did not know Charles was arrested. Anthony said he never got a call from jail.

“Charles was a good person,” Anthony Adair said. “He wasn’t a street thug. He wasn’t a dope dealer. He wasn’t a pimp. He was a common person.”

Adair’s siblings and family members are frustrated Fatherley is not in police custody.

Instead, he was issued a summons for a November court appearance.

District Attorney Mark Dupree explained in a press conference on Friday the summons was “common practice in this county where there are charges for officers.”

“Where else does that happen?” Anthony Adair questioned. “I don’t know any other place but Wyandotte County. The good ole boy system at its best.”

The family listed several requests of the DA’s office, including:

Body camera and audio recordings from the time Charles Adair was picked up by police until he was booked in jail. Footage of Adair being taken to the infirmary and returned to his jail cell. Video footage of Adair’s last moments. The full investigative report from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). The coroner’s report revealed that before Adair was reportedly killed, there was a struggle with jail officers.

An officer kneeled on Adair’s back after the report claimed he did not obey orders.

The report detailed multiple fractures, and according to the coroner, the cause of death was ruled a homicide from mechanical asphyxia, which can result from something physically blocking an airway or restricting the chest from getting oxygen.

“Because he’s not here, he’s gonna have voices that speak out for him,” Anthony Adair said.

The Adairs told KSHB 41 they will not rest until Fatherley ends up where their brother took his last breath — jail.

“God is going to continue to push this family through this moment,” Anthony Adair said. “We’re not gonna let this die.”

There is no mug shot for Fatherley since he has not been arrested, and KSHB 41’s requests for a photo of the sheriff’s deputy have not been granted.

Fatherley remains on unpaid leave from the sheriff’s office.

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By WXYZ Staff

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    SOUTHFIELD, Michigan (WXYZ) — Southfield police say a 20-year-old man is facing criminal charges after allegedly attempting to have sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl.

DeAngelo Steele has been charged with unarmed robbery, 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct, and accosting children for immoral purposes.

Officers say that on Wednesday, September 17th, at around 9:40 pm., he approached the girl in the area of Inglewood Park in the area of 12 Mile and Lahser.

Police say the victim reported that Steele asked her to use her cell phone to call his mother. After getting the phone, Steele began walking away, at which point the girl chased after him. Officers say Steele pushed the victim away, ripping her shirt. They also say that Steele told the victim she would have to perform a sex act to get her phone back.

The victim told police she refused and that, after she refused, Steele tried pulling down her pants, tugging at her waistband, and touching her buttocks.

“During the physical altercation, the suspect told the victim that she would have to perform a sex act in order to get her phone back, which she refused,” said Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren. “The victim further stated the suspect tried pulling down her pants and tugging at her waistband.”

Police are saying the incident is random, despite both Steele and the girl living in close proximity to the park. They stress that the two do not know each other.

Body camera captured Steele’s arrest. He was ordered held on $100,000 bond, case or surety, and must wear a GPS tether if released. He is due back in court on October 1.

The incident has sparked outrage from the community.

“That’s disgusting. I’m lost for words. I wish I could’ve been in the area because I would’ve never let that happen,” said Shango Kuanda. “Jarring to hear that, I can imagine. That is. That is. You know, I bring my granddaughter up here a lot to play. My grandkids. A lot.”

“That’s scary because I walk this trail every day. Every day I walk this trail, and I walk different hours. Sometimes morning, sometimes evenings,” said Shantell Jones.

“It’s bad out here, man. It’s bad out here, and people have to be careful, and a 12-year-old girl? She should’ve been accompanied by someone,” said Damon Applewhite.

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