Month: October 2025

By Ava Rash

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    FORD CITY, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — During Jessica Mauthe’s preliminary hearing in Armstrong County on Tuesday, Pennsylvania State Police troopers said four dead babies were found inside her home, some of which they say had been there for years.

Mauthe faced a judge and Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, but had no comments about her case.

Troopers testified that the dead babies were found in various parts of the home she was renting on Oak Lane, including her children’s toy room closet.

Troopers said that during an interview with Mauthe, she detailed each birth and how at least two of the births dated back five to six years, one as recent as a year and a half to two years ago.

Those births, a trooper said, happened in her bathroom. She then allegedly took the dead infants and hid them away in the home.

Authorities say the investigation began when Mauthe was evicted from a home in Cadogan Township. The landlord previously told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 that while clearing the home, he discovered a deceased baby wrapped in plastic in a closet.

Her attorney, Chuck Pascal, said there was no scientific evidence provided during the hearing, and she could have dreamed up the whole scenario she told police.

“You have got to question everything Ms. Mauthe may have said, whether it was accurate or not; she may not know,” he said. “I want everybody to keep an open mind until the end of the case.”

A judge sided with the commonwealth and held all charges against Mauthe, including homicide and involuntary manslaughter.

The case will now head to the court of common pleas.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Caleb Califano

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    FORT PIERCE, Florida (WPBF) — A man is facing several felony charges after deputies say he led them on a dangerous chase through multiple populated areas of St. Lucie County Monday evening before crashing in Fort Pierce.

Deputies say 34-year-old Brian Lassonde of Altamonte Springs was behind the wheel of a U-Haul truck that sped through a Winn-Dixie parking lot in Lakewood Park around 5 p.m. Monday. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office says Lassonde forced multiple cars off the road and even intentionally hit two of them as he fled down a Turnpike feeder road.

Body camera video shows the chaotic end to the chase, when Lassonde crashed near Avenue H and U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce. The truck hit several vehicles, damaged traffic signs, and broke a water main. One woman was taken to the hospital with injuries.

“This was a significantly dangerous situation, and there was a blatant disregard by this driver for anybody’s safety or well-being in the public,” said Andrew Bolonka with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.

Vlad Bradescu, owner of Swift Grill near the crash site, said the scene was unlike anything he’d seen before.

“It’s unbelievable. I couldn’t believe he made it all this way,” he said. “I was just hoping everyone was okay. It was just more about figuring out what he did and why.”

Bradescu said his restaurant lost water for about five hours due to the damaged water main.

Lassonde was taken into custody and is facing multiple felony charges, including three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

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By Tony Atkins

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    MAITLAND, Florida (WESH) — A proposed – and partially built – swimming pool is creating tension between longtime neighbors in a Maitland community.

The dispute centers on one man’s plan to build the pool in his front yard.

Jason White and Robbie Taylor have lived across the street from each other for more than 20 years. But White says they haven’t spoken in years, and the pool project has made things worse.

“They started construction. They dug the hole. There’s some rebar, rough-in plumbing so far. Then a hold was held on the permit,” White said.

White believes the front-yard pool violates Seminole County’s land development code and could cause flooding issues since his home sits downhill from Taylor’s.

“My biggest concern is flooding,” White said. “I live downhill, and that’s how my house was bought. I can deal with it, just like their house was bought with a weird yard.”

On Monday, the Seminole County Board of Adjustors approved Taylor’s plan to continue building the pool after a temporary stop on the permit.

“The applicants proceeded with construction, but it was stopped when it was discovered that the pool was issued in error,” said Kathy Hammel, the county’s principal planner.

For now, a black tarp covers the front yard project. The board’s approval allows construction to continue as long as the pool isn’t visible from the street.

“We do want our privacy, so we’ll definitely have something that’s going to be blocking it,” Taylor said.

Hammel noted the county will still need to review fencing plans. “We need to be mindful of the variances for the fence,” she said. “A six-foot private fence may not meet the setbacks.”

Some neighbors, like Rick Anderson, say they don’t see a problem with the front-yard pool.

“It’s a tough situation,” Anderson said. “From a visual standpoint, most of the neighborhood does not see it as a detriment.”

But White disagrees.

“It’s going to decrease my property values, increase my flooding chances, and it’s just an eyesore for my front yard,” he said. “I look in my front yard, I’m going to see somebody in a pool.”

White said he plans to appeal the board’s decision to the Seminole County Board of Commissioners.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Gina Tomlinson

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — A video shows a pair of kids riding bikes through owl nest territory in southeast Cape Coral, and now FWC is investigating.

In the footage, you can see a child on a dirt bike and a kid on a bicycle driving straight over marked burrows on the corner of Southeast 10th Avenue and 43rd Street, yesterday.

The neighbor who shot the video says it went on for nearly 20 minutes until he yelled at them to stop.

“It looked like it was on purpose,” said neighbor John Kinnett. “There’s an awful lot of open ground to ride on…it didn’t have to be right there.”

The clip quickly spread online, with people pointing out the threatened species is protected under both state and federal law. Disturbing or damaging their burrows can lead to fines or even jail time.

Janet Windisch, the corresponding secretary with Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, met Gulf Coast News at the lot marked with PVC pipes and wooden perches.

“We can see that these burrows are active. There’s some in there right now,” said Windisch. “Per state and Cape Coral regulations, you need to stay ten feet away from the burrow. It causes stress to them. It causes them fear. It could have collapsed the burrow or injured an owl.”

A 2019 city ordinance that allows Cape Coral Police to act on wildlife harassment cases concerning burrowing owls. Neighbors say it’s a tough situation, but not one without a lesson.

“They’re not supposed to be on the private property anyway,” said Diane Dramko, another neighbor. “We need to punish the kids, but educate the kids. And that’s the first step. I think we do need a lot more education that’s out there.”

Gulf Coast News talked to the mother of the children in the video. She says, “They’re aware and have disciplined the kids.”

As the investigation continues, at least a couple of owls were spotted returning to their burrows Tuesday. Wildlife experts say that’s a positive sign and a reminder that in Cape Coral, sharing space with wildlife comes with responsibility.

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By Breana Ross

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    UNION BRIDGE, Maryland (WBAL) — Longtime residents on a Carroll County street randomly stopped receiving mail after a small change left a big impact.

It was a mail mystery over the past week for 13 homes on Clear View Road, where the ZIP code changed from Union Bridge to Westminster — which took residents by surprise.

Kathy Jones has lived on Clear View Road for 34 years. She now has a new mailing address, and not because she moved to a new home. It’s because she now has a new ZIP code.

“They are not changing everybody’s on the road,” said David Roberts, Jones’ neighbor. “They are changing from this address, 1700, all the way to the end, so both carriers have to turn around in the middle here and go back in the other direction. It made no sense to them, didn’t make any sense to us.”

Jones told WBAL-TV 11 News she received a letter last week from the U.S. Postal Service that informed her of the change to the ZIP code.

“It said in the letter, ‘effective immediately,’ and we hadn’t been getting our mail (for the) last two weeks,” Jones told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Roberts was the first to notice the mail issue days before anyone received the letter.

“I had a package that was supposed to be delivered, and it said that it was out for delivery. When I got home, it said it was returned to sender and it said the address was bad,” said Roberts, a 29-year resident.

The change left residents scrambling between post offices to get their undelivered mail.

“I’ve driven down there Saturday and I drove yesterday. It’s 6 miles one way to the post office,” Jones told WBAL-TV 11 News. “We are in-between a rock and a hard place, and this affects only 13 families, and they are not in their 20s. There’s nobody here that lives here that’s 20. They are older people or disabled, and they need their mail.”

“Besides not getting my mail, having to run every day down to Union Bridge to try to find it, or to go to Westminster twice, trying to get my package, let alone, now, we are saying (to) everybody in our whole life, ‘We have to change our ZIP code,'” Roberts told WBAL-TV 11 News.

And, they have to make changes to important documentation.

“I’ve changed some. I want to change with my bank, which is Truist Bank, and it says it’s an invalid address and it wouldn’t let me change it,” Jones told WBAL-TV 11 News.

“Just trying to figure out what you need to change when you haven’t physically moved is a big inconvenience,” Roberts told WBAL-TV 11 News.

The big question residents asked was, why the sudden change?

“I called everyone you can possibly think of and nobody knows anything,” said Marcia Burns, a 13-year resident. “I’ve done from the county to our senators, the commissioners, the tax office. You name it and I’ve done it, and we still have no results.”

A U.S. Postal Service representative told WBAL-TV 11 News, “The Postal Service takes these matters seriously, is aware of the issue and is looking to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.”

“It’s a major inconvenience, let alone that last year I just got my driver’s license renewed, so now I’m like, ‘Do I have to go get a new driver’s license?’ and all of that,” Roberts said. “Just trying to figure out what you need to change when you haven’t physically moved is a big inconvenience.”

A representative of Carroll County told WBAL-TV 11 News, “Carroll County is aware of constituents’ concerns and has been in touch with members of the federal delegation, asking for assistance to rectify the issue.”

“I just want it settled,” Jones told WBAL-TV 11 News.

Residents said they were told their mail would soon be forwarded from the Union Bridge post office to Westminster for delivery, but that has yet to happen as of Tuesday.

“My hope is that they would just put it back to what it was, that I’ve been told that’s probably not going to happen again. But I don’t know who are the people that made the decision, because I can say they weren’t around when these houses were built,” Roberts said.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Rebecca Klopf

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    DELAFIELD, Wisconsin (WTMJ) — A Delafield couple has transformed their empty nest years into a mission to showcase the hidden gems of Wisconsin and the Midwest, building a devoted YouTube following along the way.

Jeff and Debbye Sprang launched their YouTube channel “LoveNesters” almost by accident after their children left for college. What started as a way to reconnect with each other has evolved into a platform that celebrates local attractions and encourages others to explore the region.

“The goal of LoveNesters is to stay married,” Debbye said.

The couple’s journey began when they found themselves with a quiet house and a desire to rediscover their surroundings.

“The house is quiet, and we said, let’s find some fun things to do, and let’s share this with others,” Jeff said.

Two and a half years later, the Sprangs have attracted thousands of viewers and subscribers while maintaining their day jobs. Jeff serves as CEO of Phantom Lake YMCA Camp, while Debbye volunteers there and works elsewhere. The demanding schedule of content creation means sacrificing most of their free time.

“When I was down not working, I had the laptop open. I’m editing videos. When I’m in the car, I’m editing videos,” Debbye Sprang said.

Their adventures have taken them to unexpected places, including a memorable tandem bike ride on Mackinac Island.

“Mackinaw Island is absolutely incredible. We rode around on a tandem bike. They call that the divorce horse, and we survived,” Debbye said.

The couple has discovered that creating content pushes them to explore Wisconsin in ways they never imagined. Their recommendations range from well-known destinations to surprising local attractions.

“My favorite is Epic Systems, for us, when you are our age, you check MyChart more than you check Facebook. This is the place that creates MyChart, and they open it up to the public on weekends and during the week for select hours,” Debbye said.

Jeff highlighted another hidden gem in their backyard.

“Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay. A world-class observatory and the history behind it, it was one of Albert Einstein’s favorite places to go to, and it is right here in our backyard,” Jeff said.

The LoveNesters continue to seek suggestions from their audience about where to explore next, turning their channel into a collaborative celebration of Midwest attractions.

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

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By Ben Jordan

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    RACINE (WTMJ) — A Racine firefighter is opening up about responding to Wisconsin’s first newborn placed inside a Safe Haven baby box nearly two weeks ago, describing the emotional moment that will stay with him for the rest of his career.

Marco Ostricki was cleaning the workout area at the Racine Fire Station when an alarm rang through the building, signaling that a newborn had been placed inside the department’s baby box. The system comes with a 10-second delay to allow mothers to leave anonymously before first responders are alerted.

“I was just in awe,” Ostricki said.

Standing just feet away, Ostricki witnessed something he thought he would never see.

“Instantly, I came over to see what was in the box, because you never know what’s going to come through, right? So I wanted to verify that there was a real baby in there. And sure enough, there was,” Ostricki said.

“I immediately grabbed the baby out of the temperature-controlled box,” Ostricki said. “I heard them cooing and that was already a good sign there that they were breathing OK,” Ostricki said.

The baby girl was rushed to the hospital in good condition by paramedic Aaron Sanjuan.

“It was kind of wild, never expected to be part of a call like that,” Sanjuan said.

Ostricki said the situation demonstrates the importance of the $15,000 investment in the baby box system.

“I kind of saw the beauty in why this box is here,” Ostricki said.

The baby box serves as a safe, legal and anonymous resource for mothers in crisis. Wisconsin updated its law in 2023 to allow parents to anonymously surrender their unharmed baby up to three days after birth. When asked what he would tell the mother who had the courage to use the system, Ostricki had a heartfelt message.

“God bless you. It takes a lot of strength to go through something like that and God bless you for picking a very safe route and giving us an opportunity to take the baby in,” Ostricki said.

The next step for the baby is being adopted.

The Racine location is one of at least 5 baby boxes across southeast Wisconsin.

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

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Leigh Searcy

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    RICHMOND, Kentucky (WLEX) — A 44-year-old Richmond man died days after being tased approximately 40 times at the Madison County Detention Center, according to a wrongful death lawsuit filed by his family.

Johnathon Mansfield, described as a husband and father with no violent criminal background, suffered cardiac arrest on September 27, 2024, and died on Oct. 10, 2024, several days after the incident at the jail, the lawsuit states.

His family is suing the jail and other county officials for wrongful death, claiming Mansfield’s cardiac arrest and subsequent death was caused by the “actions, inactions, conscious disregard, willful and wanton, and depraved behavior of the defendants.”

The incident began late on Sept. 27, 2024, when Mansfield was arrested for public intoxication. According to the arrest citation, he went to Baptist Health Richmond and stated he smoked methamphetamine. Before he was treated, police say Mansfield ran away toward the Eastern Bypass and was trying to jump on moving vehicles. Officers reported he was a danger to himself and others.

The lawsuit alleges what happened next at the Madison County Detention Center was tragic and avoidable.

The 28 page lawsuit contains still images of jail video that the plaintiff’s attorneys claim show Mansfield handcuffed and placed in a restraint chair after he slowly fell to the floor. The lawsuit claim this was the first of what would be approximately 40 taser and/or G.L.O.V.E. electronic shocks unlawfully administered to Mansfield before he was put in a spit mask without spitting or threatening to do so.

After 55 minutes in the restraint chair, the suit states Mansfield was put in isolation and excessively tased by two deputy jailers, then left alone.

The lawsuit states that despite being compliant and calm, and lying down in his cell, deputy jailers and two Madison County Sheriff’s deputies rushed back into Mansfield’s cell and pounced on top of him with a shield. They then put him in a full body restraint device described as a full body straight jacket.

The plaintiffs claim video surveillance shows Mansfield was having a medical emergency because blood could be seen forming around his mouth. They say he went quiet and completely motionless with his head slumped down.

The lawsuit alleges approximately 10 minutes went by before staff realized Mansfield was in cardiac arrest and began life saving measures.

According to the lawsuit, after being taken to two hospitals, he died several days later on October 10, at UK Hospital.

The suit states the Madison County Sheriff’s Department conducted an investigation and reported that a treating physician at UK Hospital said she and other doctors believed Mansfield’s condition and cardiac arrest was caused by being tased multiple times at the jail.

Kentucky State Police continue to investigate the incident and said they will turn over their findings to the commonwealth’s attorney when their inquiry is complete.

LEX 18 reached out to several defendants in the lawsuit. The current Madison County jailer, who was not in office at the time of the incident, said he could not comment. Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor said he would wait for the county’s attorney to respond to all questions.

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