Month: December 2025

By Jake Shindel

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — A former Harford County Sheriff’s Office detective pleaded guilty on Monday to sexual exploitation of two children.

Ryan Hall, 50, of Woodbine, who worked for the Harford County Sheriff’s Office for 27 years, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and possessing child sexual abuse material, according to a news release.

Hall was arrested in October 2024.

Charging documents allege Hall sexually abused two minor children. An investigation revealed that Hall allegedly took pictures and videos of the abuse via cameras installed in a bedroom and bathroom at a residence, according to charging documents.

According to a news release, Hall faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison for each count of sexual exploitation of a child. In addition, he’ll be under lifetime supervised release, and will be registered as a sex offender for life.

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By Tim Fang

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Authorities in San Jose have launched a hate crime investigation after students at a high school formed what was described as a “human swastika” on the school’s football field.

San Jose police told CBS News Bay Area that officers responded to the campus of Branham High School Friday morning for a hate crime that allegedly happened two days prior.

“Students shared a photo via social media of a ‘human swastika’ made with their persons,” police said Monday.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a group of students formed a swastika with their bodies on the school’s football field. The students then posted a photo on social media with an antisemitic quote from Adolf Hitler.

The incident was denounced by school and local leaders.

“Our message to the community is clear: this was a disturbing and unacceptable act of antisemitism. Actions that target, demean, or threaten Jewish students have no place at Branham,” said principal Beth Silbergeld. “Many in our community were rightly appalled by the image. Personally, I am horrified by this act. Professionally, I am confident and hopeful that our school community can learn from this moment and emerge stronger and more united.”

Silbergeld said the photo was shared via an anonymous tip line on Wednesday evening and school staff worked quickly to identify the students involved. Citing the Family Rights and Privacy Acts, the principal said the school is prohibited from sharing the names and details of discipline actions for the involved students.

The principal added that the school was “implementing multiple educational approaches” to help students understand the history of the Holocaust and impact of hate symbols, hate speech and antisemitism.

Silbergeld said Branham also will be partnering with the Anti-Defamation League, Bay Area Jewish Coalition and the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Bay Area “to ensure we have the appropriate support and resources as we work to repair the harm caused.”

State Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) said in a statement that he was “deeply disturbed” by the incident.

“Acts of hatred—no matter where they occur—have a profound impact on our young people, our families, and our broader community. There is absolutely no place for anti-Semitism, or any form of bigotry, in our schools or in our society,” Cortese said.

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By Cecilio Padilla

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — Remains found nearly four decades ago have finally been identified as those of a woman reported missing in 1982.

Marjorie Linehan was reported missing in October 1982 out of Sacramento County. She was 49 years old at the time.

Part of a human skull was later found along Dry Creek near Booth Road outside of Roseville in February 1986. Investigators weren’t able to identify the remains with the technology available at the time.

The Placer County Cold Case Team has since been taking advantage of advancements in DNA technology to re-examine old cases.

On Tuesday, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office announced that DNA analysis found the remains belonged to Linehan.

No foul play was suspected at the time of Linehan’s disappearance, and no cause of death can be determined from the partial remains.

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By Laurie Perez, Dean Fioresi

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A Los Angeles man who has gained popularity in recent months for his volunteer vigilantism by painting crosswalks at busy and dangerous intersections across the city was arrested over the weekend for alleged vandalism.

Jonathan Hale, who says his work is an act of civil disobedience and a protest with paint brushes, says that he’s just doing the work that the city isn’t.

“Too many people die for us to not act with urgency on this,” Hale said.

He was inspired by a nonprofit organization called Crosswalk Collective, which similarly paints crosswalks across Los Angeles to create safer conditions for pedestrians and drivers. They target intersections or areas where pedestrians have been hit or killed, but only after first asking the city to take action. After a few months without help, they take matters into their own hands.

He was with a group of other vigilante volunteers on Sunday at the corner of Kelton Avenue and Wilton Avenue in Westwood, painting another set of crosswalks, when he was arrested by Los Angeles police.

Though the crowd of volunteers tried to defend him, an LAPD officer can be heard explaining the arrest in cellphone video captured during his detainment.

“Vandalizing city property without a permit, so I’m gonna ask you all nicely,” the officer says. “You can record all you want, but back up, or I will take everybody to jail.”

Hale’s group has taken street safety into their own hands since July, when they took to the intersections surrounding Stoner Park in the Sawtelle neighborhood of West LA. In that instance, city crews responded to the area days after the volunteer’s work first appeared. They removed the community-painted sections and replaced them with the official white paint.

The city also installed a roundabout in the area to slow traffic around the busy park. Hale applauds the city for that, but says that their work, permitted or not, will continue.

“I saw this ad on a bus stop mention, it said that guns are the leading cause of death for kids in the United States,” Hale said. “I realized that’s not true in Los Angeles, I believe cars are the leading cause for kids.”

Mayor Karen Bass’ office responded to a request for comment from CBS Los Angeles, sharing a statement that said, in part: “Despite communication about City, State and Federal laws and parameters, Jonathan has chosen to continue to pursue his own course of action. Our office called him again today to offer to work together.”

Hale says he’s open to the idea and that his group would only stop if Mayor Bass’ office publicly condemns them or makes safer streets an urgent priority.

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By Austen Erblat

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A 37-year-old Colorado man pleaded guilty on Monday to the murder of a champion dog breeder and robbery after stealing his puppies in Idaho Springs last year.

Sergio Ferrer pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, both felonies. Police say he killed 57-year-old Paul Peavey and stole several Dobermann pinscher puppies that Peavey bred.

Ferrer was also charged with first-degree murder, tampering with a dead body, burglary, and theft valued between $20,000 and $100,000, but those charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal, court records show.

Peavey was discovered dead at his home in late August 2024, several days after friends said they couldn’t reach him. Friends and neighbors told CBS News Colorado at the time that four adult Dobermanns were on his property in the 1000 block of Two Brothers Road in Idaho Springs, but the 10 puppies he was raising were gone.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office admitted to not initially handling the investigation with as much care as it should have.

“There were some missteps in our initial reaction and response to the reports that came in on Wednesday evening,” sheriff’s office spokesperson Jenny Fulton said at the time. “There were some additional things that we should have done, including push information out on Mr. Peavey while he was reported missing on our social media sites.”

Days later, after more friends called the sheriff’s office, a deputy came to Peavey’s property to investigate, but “he didn’t have reason to believe there was foul play,” Fulton said.

Several more days went by before a deputy returned and found Peavey’s body in “about 4 minutes,” Bruce Boynton, a friend of Peavey’s and organizer of a volunteer search party, told CBS Colorado.

It was another blemish on the department, still in the spotlight from the killing of Christian Glass by a Clear Creek deputy in 2022.

Ferrer was arrested on an unrelated warrant for a weapons charge out of Hamilton County, Nebraska, on Aug. 24, 2024.

The existence of some of the stolen puppies was reported to law enforcement by the mother of a friend of one of Ferrer’s children, who said she heard her daughter talking with a friend about puppies for sale.

After interviews with several witnesses and acquaintances of Ferrer, law enforcement from multiple agencies served a search warrant on the home Ferrer was staying at, where they found items stolen from Peavey’s property, a 9mm handgun, clothing with blood on it, and other items.

Ferrer was interviewed at the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office. Officials say he changed his story multiple times, initially saying he bought a puppy from Peavey. He also said that, at one point, Peavey shot at him, that he shot Peavey in self-defense, and that he later covered Peavey’s body, “out of respect,” according to an arrest warrant. He told investigators he couldn’t remember if he stole any items from Peavey’s property.

He later admitted to taking the puppies and giving them away in Denver.

Ferrer is set to be sentenced on Jan. 12, court records show, and he faces the possibility of 16 to 48 years in prison. He was represented by the Public Defender’s Office.

His wife, Ana Ferrer, was arrested in connection with the case on April 4 of this year and pleaded guilty in September to felony accessory to a crime and misdemeanor theft. As part of her plea deal, an additional accessory charge and a tampering with evidence charge were dismissed, and she received a deferred sentence.

Three of the puppies have since been located. The Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office on Monday told CBS Colorado that the other seven are still unaccounted for. Of the four adult Dobermanns that were taken to the shelter, three were released to a friend and family members of Peavey’s, and the fourth was given to a rescue.

Peavey’s friend Boynton described him as “a phenomenal dog trainer,” going on to say that Peavey trained service dogs, often walking them through town without a leash. “He was better than the rest of us.”

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By JT Moodee Lockman

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Eight African penguins hatched at the Maryland Zoo during the recent breeding season, adding to the population of the critically endangered animal, officials said Monday.

The zookeepers have chosen to name the birds after fruits and vegetables. The first two names – Kiwi and Cayenne – were announced Monday. More names will be announced in the coming weeks, according to zoo officials.

Maryland Zoo Bird Curator Jen Kottyan said the number of wild African penguins is declining dramatically, despite their classification as a protected species.

Data shows African penguins could become extinct within the next ten years.

“If we can fix the issues these birds face in the wild, such as overfishing and habitat loss, one day penguins from our highly managed SSP could be sent to their native South Africa and Namibia to repopulate the wild colonies, which means every chick hatched here is important to this species’ global survival,” Kottyan said.

Breeding season for African penguins at the zoo is between mid-September and the end of February, according to zoo officials. The timeline mimics the spring to summer breeding season that African penguins follow in their native habitats in South Africa and Namibia.

The Maryland Zoo has the largest collection of African penguins in North America, with more than 1,000 chicks hatched in the past 50 years.

While some of the chicks stay at the zoo in Baltimore, some have been sent to help establish new colonies at zoos and aquariums in 35 states and in Canada, according to zoo officials.

African penguins at the Maryland Zoo At the end of the previous breeding season, a new female penguin – Gerry from the Monterey Bay Aquarium – joined the Maryland Zoo to breed with a genetically matched male after a recommendation by the African Penguin Species Survival Plan.

In 2024, two African penguin chicks hatched during the breeding season.

In September 2024, the Maryland Zoo euthanized its oldest African penguin, known as Mr. Greedy.

Mr. Greedy outlived the median life expectancy for his species at 33 years old, and he left behind 230 descendants.

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By Ivan Taylor

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A South Florida man being held at the immigration detention site known as “Alligator Alcatraz” told CBS News Miami he wants to be deported, as international human rights advocates raise concerns over conditions inside the facility deep in the Florida Everglades.

Alexis Rodriguez, 59, a Cuban national, was detained last month after reporting for what his family says was a routine appointment at the Miramar immigration office — something he’s done for 25 years.

His wife, Magda Berge, said Rodriguez appeared at the center on Nov. 5, when officers informed him he would not be returning home.

“In Miramar they told him, ‘you’re going to be detained because we’re going to execute your deportation order,'” Berge said.

Federal records show Rodriguez was convicted in the late 1990s on cocaine trafficking and smuggling charges. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lists his case – including a two-year federal sentence – on a recently launched public website.

“I know he made a mistake, and he made it more than 25 years ago. He paid for that mistake,” Berge said.

While CBS News Miami interviewed her, Rodriguez called from detention. Speaking in Spanish, he pleaded for one thing:

“The only thing I am asking for is to allow me to leave this country,” he said.

Rodriguez said he has been held at the facility for more than a month. He described food that arrives cold, in small portions, and says detainees are allowed to shower once every three days.

He says he stopped taking medication because of conditions “The food is terrible – very little, and they give it to you cold,” he said, adding that 32 detainees share three bathrooms located beside their living area.

He also claims he has stopped eating and taking medication despite being diabetic, saying he cannot tolerate the conditions.

A 61-page report released last week by Amnesty International includes accounts from four immigrants held at the Krome Detention Center who said they spent time at the Everglades facility. The report alleges:

People detained in “Alligator Alcatraz” are being held in inhumane conditions, including overflowing toilets leaking fecal matter, restricted shower access, insect exposure, constant overnight lighting, poor food quality, limited clean water, and lack of privacy.

CBS News Miami contacted the Florida Division of Emergency Management – the state agency overseeing the facility. A spokesperson pushed back strongly against Amnesty International’s claims.

“This ‘report’ is nothing more than a politically motivated attack. None of these fabrications are true,” said Molly Best, Press Secretary of the Executive Office of the Governor, in a statement.

Berge says her husband’s health is deteriorating, and she hopes speaking publicly will bring attention to the conditions.

“Obviously we want people to hear what we’re experiencing, because it’s really bad,” she said.

ICE states that only foreign governments – not detainees – decide whether they will accept a person facing removal.

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