Month: October 2025

By Charlie Lapastora, Irene Gonzalez

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — It is Filipino American Heritage Month, and CBS Sacramento is celebrating the rich culture and prominent leaders.

In downtown Stockton, the Filipino American National Historical Society remains a pillar in the community.

“The museum is here to kind of let them recognize and discover themselves, and discover the strength that their parents, parents’ parents, all the way down to the time that we first came here,” said Erwin Mina, the museum’s board president.

Among the many historical artifacts are items and photographs of the late labor leader Larry Itliong.

Through his work, Itliong led the 1965 Delano Grape Strike that sparked the farm labor movement.

Itliong’s leadership would be pivotal in forming the United Farm Workers, along with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

It’s one of many historical events defining what it means to be Filipino.

“We are stewards of the land and stewards of culture,” Mina said. “Ours isn’t about conquest. Ours is about copwah, mahneehan, where a community is uplifting an individual and an individual in turn uplifts the community.”

It’s places like this where so many Filipino elders, affectionately known as manongs and manangs, want to ensure the next generation understands their own history.

“It’s really helped me to learn about myself and I want other people to have that experience also,” said June Bond, a retired educator at the Stockton Unified School District.

Bond is the vice president of the museum and a long-time educator. She says her motivation comes from the elders who paved the way.

“They took their dreams and put them on my shoulders,” Bond said. “The question was never, ‘Are you going to college?’ The question was, ‘What college are you going to?'”

Even though she’s retired, Bond is constantly teaching others about culture and unity.

“It’s about caring about others and making sure that everybody is pulled upward, along the way,” Bond said.

For the first time ever, Stockton’s Filipino history will be on display in our nation’s capital.

“What’s so exciting for us, those of us here in this area, is the story centers around Little Manila in Stockton,” Bond said.

A few years ago, 26 steamer trunks were discovered at a lodge in Stockton that once housed Filipino farmworkers.

“What’s going to be exhibited in the Smithsonian American History Museum in Washington, D.C., are three of the trunks that have belongings of this generation of Filipinos,” said Marissa Aroy, an award-winning documentarian and filmmaker.

Aroy’s documentary, “The Delano Manongs,” will be featured alongside the exhibit, showcasing items from those time capsules.

“Their letters, their photographs, their really cool suits, everything from the farm tools that they used,” Aroy said.

“This museum is not our museum, it’s yours and everybody else’s,” Erwin said.

The Filipino American National Historical Society is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

And the Filipino exhibit titled, “How Can You Forget Me” will run Nov. 20 through Nov. 28 at the Smithsonian American History Museum.

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By Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A Santa Ana pastor has been sentenced to 45 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting three young girls.

Carlos Ramirez Valdez, 61, was convicted of 14 counts related to the child sexual abuse cases that happened while he was the leader of Iglesia De Dios Ebenezer Church between 2012 and 2019. He became a pastor at another Santa Ana church after the assaults.

“Churches should be safe sanctuaries, not hunting grounds for child molesters,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. “These young girls were subjected to unimaginable abuse by someone in a position of trust. The sexual exploitation of children will never be acceptable, and predators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Valdez allegedly sexually assaulted three girls, between the ages of 4 and 10, who attended masses at Iglesia De Dios Ebenezer Church.

Prosecutors said he sexually assaulted one of the girls over a seven-year period, beginning when she was four years old. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said she reported the abuse to a school counselor. In 2017, Valdez also repeatedly sexually abused a 7-year-old girl over an eight-month period.

The third case happened between 2014 and 2015. The girl told the Garden Grove Police Department that he sexually assaulted her while he drove her home from church.

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By Reg Chapman

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — Investigators are working to determine if two shootings that happened a block away from a fire they’re calling “suspicious” are connected.

The fire happened late Thursday on the 3200 block of Penn Avenue and prompted a large response, including the crime lab.

Video on social media shows police rushing in before firefighters arrived to pull people out to safety. Fire crews came on scene to heavy smoke and fire coming from the first floor apartment.

“They rescued about four people last night,” said property owner Omar Robe.

One of the tenants says he and his friend barely made it out with their lives.

“They had been working all day at some other apartments that we own, and then they came home tired, and they were sleeping,” said Robe. “Then all of a sudden after sleeping for about an hour, they just woke up because the building was burning down.”

Members of the Red Cross are helping four residents, as the home is now considered uninhabitable.

According to police, one person said they were walking near the 3200 block of Penn Avenue and heard a gunshot, before realizing they were hit. Law enforcement say an argument may have happened before the shootoing.

The victim drove themselves to the hospital with survivable injures. A second person was taken to the same hospital after he was shot on the 3300 block of Penn Avenue.

Investigators are working to see if there is any connection between the shootings and the fire.

People ran into the apartments and took TVs, valuables and clothes from the units that were not burned. A fund has been set up to help those displaced by the fire.

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By Doug Myers, Amelia Mugavero

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    TEXAS (KTVT) — Dramatic video released Friday by Fort Worth police shows the moment officers and bystanders lifted an SUV to rescue a 1-year-old girl trapped underneath — a heart-stopping rescue followed by life-saving efforts that helped the child survive.

The incident happened the morning of Thursday, Oct. 23, at Eastchase Parkway and I-30, in East Fort Worth.

Moments before the rescue, the child and her mother had been ejected in a violent crash.

During the rescue, onlookers pointed, shouted, and scrambled beneath the wreckage. It’s unclear exactly who said what, but everyone on the scene appeared actively involved.

One voice cried out: “I think the baby’s under.”

Officers and civilians began pushing the vehicle. Urgent commands echoed: “Keep moving. Keep moving.”

They lifted the SUV and found the child.

“She has a pulse. Is she breathing, though?” one person asked.

An officer began chest compressions.

“There it is. Keep working.”

“Come on, momma.”

Signs of life emerged — a hum, then a cry.

“There you go, momma.”

“Cry, please.”

The baby was alive.

Training meets instinct As they worked to rescue the child, their training guided their actions in a high-pressure moment.

“You don’t feel the relief right then and there,” said Officer Buddy Calzada, a spokesperson for Fort Worth police. “You feel the relief moments later, after your adrenaline is all worked up. You do what the police department has trained you to do.”

A chief’s decision to share heroism The dramatic bodycam footage was posted to social media shortly after the incident. Calzada said it was a direct call from the department’s new chief, Eddie Garcia.

“He said these officers are heroes. The community needs to know how amazing the Fort Worth Police Department is, and he wanted to get it out immediately,” Calzada said.

A message from the chief Chief Garcia also posted to X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Our prayers are with this little angel as a full recovery is expected. Not quite sure a better example of PROTECT and SERVE, exists.”

A department’s mission, reflected in action For Calzada, the video is more than just a viral moment — it’s a reflection of the department’s values.

“It says on our vehicles that we’re dedicated to protect,” Calzada said. “You know, we give you service with respect. And nothing says that more than the video…”

Ongoing investigation The baby is now stable in the hospital. Her mother remains hospitalized with serious injuries.

Investigators are still working to determine whether the child was properly restrained in a car seat.

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By Elyssa Kaufman

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Chicago’s beloved Leo High School choir is being honored with a welcome home celebration after its run on “America’s Got Talent.”

After an incredible run made possible by voters throughout the country, the Leo High School choir made the top five of this season’s “America’s Got Talent.”

The celebration will be held in Merionetter Park on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. There will be behind-the-scenes footage of the AGT journey, alumni, and special guests.

The choir first caught the attention of CBS News Chicago’s Audrina Sinclair more than a year ago, and since then, the group of young men has captured the hearts of Chicago, as well as the show’s judges and voters across the country.

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By Andrew Ramos

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A Rutgers University fraternity has been shut down after an investigation found hazing occurred at an off-campus house where a student suffered serious injuries, the frat said.

Alpha Sigma Phi said Friday it was closing its Rutgers chapter after concluding hazing was a factor in the 19-year-old’s injuries at the home in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

“Any member involved, directly or indirectly, will be permanently expelled. We will continue to fully cooperate with the University and criminal investigations and hope the students involved face the maximum penalties allowed,” Gordy Heminger, president and CEO of Alpha Sigma Phi International, said in a statement to CBS News New York.

Police found the teenager unresponsive at the frat house on College Avenue just after midnight on Oct. 15.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed at the time it was investigating an incident there, but did not provide additional information about what happened.

After the fraternity announced the results of its own investigation, an official with the prosecutor’s office told CBS News New York it had no update on the incident and, “it is still under investigation.”

The official said the student remains hospitalized, but is no longer in critical condition.

Neither Rutgers nor county prosecutors have identified the teen.

It is unclear if the hazing incident was an isolated incident or if it was a regular practice that took place at the fraternity house.

Rutgers officials said the university is fully cooperating with the county prosecutor’s investigation.

Students react to hazing incident Some students who spoke to CBS News New York said the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity did not have the best reputation on campus.

“Nothing’s gonna change if these guys don’t face some serious punishments,” former Rutgers student Novle Avellino said. “I think there are some frats that can be run really well. Some others, if they’re not able to play by the rules and keep everyone safe, then I don’t know why they’re on campus.”

“I mean, I never thought it would get this bad, honestly. I never thought people would, like, get hurt,” Rutgers sophomore Jacob Buss said.

“You hear about it so much, but when it actually happens, like, this close to home, it’s like, wow, this is reality,” Rutgers sophomore Prithish Srinivasan said.

Despite the fraternity house being declared unsafe for human occupancy by the City of New Brunswick due to a number of building code violations, CBS News New York’s cameras captured at least one individual inside Friday evening.

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By Nikiya Carrero

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — An 8-year-old girl is recovering in the hospital after being attacked by a dog outside a Hollywood apartment building Friday afternoon, according to her mom and local officials.

Mom recounts terrifying attack outside apartment Keyrelly Jean Castro told CBS News Miami she had just picked up her daughter from school when the attack happened.

As they were walking into their apartment building, her daughter — who is autistic — ran toward their door and that’s when the dog attacked.

Jean Castro said in Spanish that she stood by and screamed “kill it” repeatedly as she watched her daughter being bitten by their neighbor’s dog.

She showed CBS News Miami photos of her shirt covered in her daughter’s blood after the attack.

“I looked at the guy and I didn’t even open the gate fully and she started running. My daughter. She was over there. And the dog attacked her,” Jean Castro said in Spanish.

Dog had reportedly shown aggression before Jean Castro said this was not the first time the dog had been aggressive. She shared a video from last month that she said shows the same dog trying to attack her and her older daughter while they were moving furniture.

Although the dog was on a leash, Jean Castro said it was long enough for the animal to run from one side of the courtyard to the other.

Witnesses describe chaotic moments after attack Hollywood Fire Rescue said Friday’s attack happened around 2:30 p.m. on the 1800 block of Funston Street.

A witness who did not want to show their face described the scene as chaotic, saying people rushed to help and wrapped the girl’s head in a towel.

“I see somebody is running. So, I just stepped out and I see somebody is sitting on the grass. And I walk out. And I see the little girl and her mom sitting on the grass and all over the blood,” the witness said off camera.

Officials investigate as child recovers Hollywood Fire Rescue said the girl was treated at the scene for facial injuries before being taken to the hospital, where she is now recovering.

While there has been no official update on the dog’s status, Jean Castro said police took the animal away.

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