Video shows thieves climb into charity donation bins to steal hundreds of thousands of pounds of clothes, police say

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2025

By Jesse Zanger

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Police announced the arrest of 16 people accused of systematically stealing hundreds of thousands of pounds of donated clothes at charity bins across Suffolk County.

Surveillance video shows some of the suspects climbing into the bins through the donation slot in order to steal the donated clothes within. The crews targeted bins placed by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, among others, authorities said. The charity relies on the donated clothes to raise money for its operations.

Police say there have been more than 70 incidents and that the thieves stole more than 500,000 pounds of donated clothing intended for the poor and homeless from the charity bins. Some 25,000 pounds of the clothing has been recovered, along with 14 vans allegedly used to carry the stolen clothes.

The case got started when representatives of St. Vincent de Paul contacted police after noticing “a substantial and troubling reduction in the amount of clothing they picked up from bins here on Long Island,” Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney said.

“Obviously and in essence, in stealing from St. Vincent de Paul, these individuals stole from our most needy individuals of our society,” Tierney said.

The thefts were carried out by two different crews, according to police, including one allegedly headed up by 67-year-old Alfredo Perez of Copiague, and the other allegedly by 62-year-old Manuel Cabrera of Lindenhurst.

Tierney called it a “massive burglary and theft operation.”

“By these thieves targeting donation bins, they stole from vulnerable residents and from the organizations that work tirelessly to support them,” said Suffolk County Sheriff Errol D. Toulon, Jr.

“Donation bins are placed in our communities as a gesture of goodwill, intended to help those in need,” Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said. “Unfortunately, these criminals exploited that generosity, stealing donations and profiting at the expense of others.”

The crews allegedly drove around Suffolk County targeting the donation bins. When they found one, one of the crew would climb in to the bin through the donation port and pass clothes back through the slot to an accomplice waiting outside. They’d then load the stolen clothing into a van.

The bins were owned and operated by multiple organizations, including the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Police say some 280,000 pounds of stolen clothing was sold to an exporter for more than $90,000.

Perez and Cabrera face grand larceny, burglary and conspiracy charges.

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Family of DoorDash driver injured in fight says they’re still waiting for accountability

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2025

By Riley Shoemaker

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    BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — A fight caught on camera on Greek Row at the University of Idaho left a 26-year-old DoorDash driver with a traumatic brain injury – and his family says they’re still waiting for accountability.

Video circulating online shows the confrontation escalating in the street as a crowd stands nearby.

In the video, Austen Dawson – out making a delivery – is thrown to the ground, his head hitting the pavement as the other man continues to punch him. Moments later, the crowd scatters.

Austen’s father, Adam Dawson of Nampa, says a group of sorority members ran to help his son until first responders arrived.

“It’s been really emotional. It’s been pretty hard,” Adam Dawson said. “He was just this side of death. I was afraid he was going to die the entire time. It’s a lot.”

Austen suffered a traumatic brain injury and spent days in a medically induced coma. He’s now awake and starting rehabilitation, relearning basic skills.

Adam Dawson says his son’s friends were gaming online when the fight happened and accidentally recorded audio of the incident.

“In the audio, you can hear the crowd react to him getting his head slammed on the curb. And then you can hear somebody say, ‘Don’t, stop it,’” Dawson said. “They continue to go for a couple more seconds, and Austin’s face is all beat up in the front.”

He says he gave that recording to detectives, who are also reviewing the video.

In a news release, the Moscow Police Department said the investigation remains ongoing.

As of now, no charges have been filed. The department added that the fight involved two adult men, not multiple attackers, and warned against harassment or threats toward anyone involved.

The University of Idaho’s Phi Delta Theta fraternity said the individual involved in the fight has been removed from membership, writing that the incident “does not reflect our house or chapter.”

“The detectives need to make the right decision,” Adam Dawson said. “The kid needs to be charged with something. It’s attempted murder.”

Austen’s family says they’re grateful he’s alive – now beginning rehabilitation – but they won’t stop pushing for accountability.

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Jury recommends death penalty for Joshua Rocha in murder of North Kansas City police officer

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2025

By Rachel Henderson, Sam Hartle

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    LIBERTY, Mo. (KSHB) — A St. Charles-based jury recommended Joshua Rocha be sentenced to death for the 2022 murder of North Kansas City Police Ofc. Daniel Vasquez.

Jurors needed less than a day to deliberate on the sentencing, in which they were tasked with determining whether Rocha would serve the rest of his life in prison or face the death penalty.

A Clay County Circuit Court judge set a Nov. 24, 2025, date for formal sentencing.

Rocha admitted to killing Vasquez during a traffic stop in 2022.

Earlier this month, jurors found Rocha guilty of first-degree murder.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Driver finds suspected pipe bomb in vehicle; police investigating

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2025

By KIVI Staff

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    BAKER CITY, Oregon (KIVI) — The Baker County Sheriff’s Office says a driver discovered what appeared to be a pipe bomb inside his vehicle on Tuesday and brought it to the sheriff’s office.

Officials say the citizen was driving toward Baker City when he noticed something roll out from under his seat. After inspecting the object, he believed it might be a pipe bomb and drove to the sheriff’s office.

Sgt. Craig Rilee confirmed the object was a destructive device, officials said. The area was secured and the Oregon State Police Explosives Unit was called to the scene.

No one was injured, and investigators are working to determine how the device ended up in the vehicle.

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Medical examiner says woman’s death at assisted-living facility was heat-related

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2025

By Anne Ryman

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    AVONDALE, Arizona (KNXV) — The Maricopa County Medical Examiner has ruled the death of a West Valley assisted-living facility resident, who died outside in July, as heat-related.

The report says 75-year-old Linda Hughes died of environmental heat exposure as the primary cause. Contributing causes include cardiovascular disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s/dementia, according to the report.

A police report obtained by ABC15 says Hughes had lived at Silver Birch of Avondale for about three years. One staffer told police she usually didn’t go outside, preferring to walk around inside.

Police believe Hughes entered a courtyard through a door on July 21 and was found there in the late afternoon, unresponsive. Temperatures that day reached triple digits.

The report says the door to the courtyard has an alarm that sounds when opened. Once outside, the door locks. Someone has to let the person back into the building, according to the police report. Staffers told police they did not see Hughes go outside.

She was outside between one and two hours. The report says her core temperature was about 110º when she was found.

As ABC15 previously reported, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office is conducting an investigation into what happened that day.

ABC15 reached out to Silver Birch for comment but has not yet heard back.

Silver Birch officials previously told ABC15 in a statement that they were cooperating with investigators.

“The health, safety, and well-being of our residents remain our highest priority. We are committed to upholding the trust that families place in us and will continue to provide the compassionate, quality care that defines our community,” the statement said.

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Follow KRDO 13’s live coverage Wednesday of School District 11’s one-day teachers strike in Colorado Springs

KRDO on October 8, 2025

Scott Harrison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — KRDO 13 will have a crew outside Palmer High School for the beginning of today’s planned teachers strike in School District 11 (D-11)

Around 600 teachers, a third of D-11’s total teaching staff, are expected to walk the picket lines at several schools starting at 7 a.m.

The Colorado Education Association — the teachers’ union — said in a release on Tuesday that union members from across Colorado will join the D-11 striking teachers as a show of support.

Striking teachers have also scheduled a rally at 2:30 p.m. in Acacia Park, across the street from Palmer.

Schools will remain open, with classes led by substitute teachers and staff.

D-11’s superintendent said that it will be a normal day for students.

The striking teachers are demanding higher pay and smaller class sizes — something the district said it has already provided.

D-11 administrators strongly oppose the strike.

What seems to be an obvious question is whether striking for just a single day will make a significant difference in resolving issues between teachers and administrators.

KRDO 13 will ask teachers that question during a news conference scheduled for 7 a.m. Wednesday.

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High school student develops website to compile resources for homeless population

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2025

By Emily Coffey

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    California (KGTV) — A Junior in High School, Hayden Hughes has been working with people experiencing homelessness, volunteering at a homeless shelter downtown with his sister and dad, for four years.

When he needed to complete a service project as an Eagle Scout, his experience working with people experiencing homelessness informed the idea to build a website, compiling resources for people needing help in the county.

“I’m working with upwards of fifty organizations now,” Hughes said.

The site filters resources by age category and includes everything from where to get a free shower to local shelters. Since its creation, Hughes said the site has gotten around 15,000 views.

“You know, the biggest improvement I’ve been seeing is the simplicity of the site,” Hughes said. “We try to make everything on the front page super simple.”

But the real stroke of genius is putting the sit on distributable QR codes, passed around and taped up in public parks, so people who need resources might be able to find them quicker.

“It feels really great to see the impact this is making,” he said.

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PD: Woman stole $100K worth of merchandise from Under Armour outlet

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2025

By Pat Mueller

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    CARLSBAD, California (KGTV) — The Carlsbad Police Department says a San Diego woman has been charged with 10 felony counts of grand theft after stealing roughly $100,000 in merchandise from the city’s Under Armour outlet store.

CPD says it started its investigation into a series of retail thefts at Under Armour’s Carlsbad location in May 2025. The department’s detectives worked hand-in-hand with the company’s loss prevention team, reviewing surveillance footage and analyzing evidence related to multiple thefts at the store. CPD says they determined the suspect was 65-year-old Yvonne Tran of San Diego.

As the investigation continued, detectives believe Tran was involved in more than 40 different thefts from the same Under Armour location, leading to “significant financial losses” for the store.

CPD detectives built a “comprehensive case” to link Tran to the thefts as they worked with Under Armour corporate investigators. On Oct. 1, detectives arrested Tran in San Diego as they served a search warrant at her home.

As the warrant was served, police found a “substantial quantity” of stolen Under Armour merchandise, with an approximate retail value of about $100,000.

Tran was booked into jail on 10 counts of felony grand theft. Police say the investigation continues; the department is looking into whether there are more victims and if Tran is connected to other retail theft plots around the region.

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Sedalia Board to hear demolition appeal for buildings on West Main Street

KMIZ on October 8, 2025

Jazsmin Halliburton

EDITOR’S NOTE: The meeting was moved to Oct. 22.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Sedalia Board of Appeals will meet on Wednesday to review the city’s dangerous building notice and demolition order, as the property owners argue that their properties are not in danger of collapsing.

The city has been actively collecting bids to demolish the buildings owned by Dana Melton and Travis Dixon at 207 and 209 W. Main St. Sedalia is looking to preserve other buildings that could be damaged in if those two were to collapse.

The city’s bids for demolition will end on Oct. 29 and the city council will review the bids in November.

A judge in July ruled the city has the ability to order a building to be demolished within its city limits.

Chief Building Official Bryan Kopp had determined the building at 207 West Main St. needed to be demolished to “protect the public,” court documents say. The city has described the building as being in “a state of collapse.”

However, an engineer hired by Melton and Dixon said in a report that the buildings can be saved and that the foundation was damaged from sidewalk work done by the city in 2022.

Melton and Dixon are asking the Sedalia Board of Appeals to go over and pause the demolition order while their evidence is considered.

According to the City of Sedalia, the owners submitted a proposal via their attorney in August. Melton and Dixon requested that the city hire and pay demolition contractors, reimburse the owners for engineering and attorney fees, permit the owners’ private engineer to oversee the work on-site and after demolition, backfill the lot to prepare it for future construction, among other conditions.

The city rejected the proposal, arguing that it shifted responsibility to the city and would have used public funds to improve a privately owned property.

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City council to decide on if the Mexican flag should be displayed in Downtown Orland during Hispanic holidays

CNN Newsource on October 8, 2025

By Margot Rowe

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    ORLAND, California (KHSL) — The Orland City Council will decide Tuesday night on the possibility of displaying the Mexican flag in Downtown Orland during Hispanic holidays.

The discussion centered around a local group’s request to display Mexican flags on Hispanic holidays such as Cinco de Mayo, Mexican Independence Day, and Dia de los Muertos. The flags would be displayed on Walker Street in flagpole holes created by Caltrans about 25 years ago.

J.C. Savage, a member of the Orland Mexican Heritage Flag Society, said they received support from Caltrans regarding the flags but were seeking approval from the City of Orland as well.

“The Hispanic community is asking for at least 5 to 6 days, you know, where we were able to fly the Hispanic culture flag up and down Walker Street and we’ve already been in talks with Caltrans and they’ve already have displayed their support and that it’s a great idea and we’re waiting on formal responses of letters to show that they’re okay,” said Savage.

Orland City Manager Joe Goodman told Action News Now that the city would remain neutral on the matter, leaving the decision entirely to the Orland City Council. Options included leaving the issue to Caltrans, drafting a city flag policy, or maintaining the current status quo.

The council meeting was scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Center on Third Street.

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