Month: January 2026

By Justin Schecker

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — A family is demanding justice after a 92-year-old woman died following a car crash over the weekend with an Orlando Police cruiser.

Orlando Police told WESH 2 Investigates the Traffic Homicide Unit is now investigating the accident that happened early Sunday morning at the intersection of Semoran Boulevard and Hoffner Avenue.

The initial traffic crash report found the marked Orlando Police vehicle was at fault.

The family said Milagros Ortiz took her last breath at 6:59 Monday night at Orlando Regional Medical Center while surrounded by her loved ones.

“Just because you’re a police officer, that doesn’t allow you to just go and run a red light to do whatever it is that you’re doing,” Ortiz’s daughter Judy Santiago said.

Ortiz was the matriarch of her family. She was living her life to the fullest at 92-years-old.

“My mom wasn’t the average 92-year-old,” Ortiz’s daughter Evelyn Alicea said. “Like when we go to the hospital, all the doctors would think, but she’s 92-years-old. But she was a strong 92, a vibrant 92.”

Ortiz’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren said they are devastated by her sudden death after she was badly injured in the crash around 1:45 a.m. Sunday.

“I know it’s going to be harder for my sister,” Santiago said, “because my sister lived here with her, so she’s got the brunt of the memories, because waking up, doing mom’s coffee. Like just now, when we were sitting here, we both were thinking at the same time, but where’s mommy? We got to get her so she could come join us to sit down, because and we can no longer do that.”

The family said a 64-year-old friend was driving Ortiz home from her weekly Saturday night bingo game.

“I could have expected that, maybe from a drunk driver, which is what I used to tell my mom, be careful, because early hours in the morning, there’s a lot of drunk drivers out there,” Alicea said. “And that’s what I would always worry about. And like I said, that’s why we had her location. But it never in a million years I would have thought it was a police officer that was going to hit her.”

According to the traffic crash report, there’s video of the collision that corroborated a witness account.

The witness said a marked Orlando Police vehicle was stopped at a red light while headed westbound on Hoffner Avenue, but then drove into the intersection of Semoran Boulevard and hit the driver’s side of Ortiz’s friend’s Jeep going southbound.

The report said the police vehicle “was at fault for the collision due to failure to yield right of way.”

Both vehicles had to be towed away from the scene, and firefighters took the officer, Ortiz, and her friend to ORMC.

“We got to see her, and she was just, my chest pains, my chest hurts,” Alicea said. “She was afraid.”

Ortiz’s family is calling on the State Attorney’s Office to hold the officer accountable.

“And now that my mother’s gone,” Santiago said, “he needs to be charged with vehicular manslaughter. I don’t know if that’s the right term, whatever, but he needs to be charged for taking my mother’s life.”

The condition of the officer is not known.

WESH 2 Investigates asked Orlando Police whether he was on or off duty at the time of the crash, but they replied they had no additional information to share on Tuesday afternoon.

WESH 2 received this statement from OPD after the story aired.

Orlando Police Department Official Statement:

The Orlando Police Department has initiated an internal investigation following a traffic accident involving an Orlando Police officer that occurred at the intersection of South Semoran Blvd and Hoffner Avenue early Sunday morning.

In addition to the preliminary accident investigation conducted at the scene, a comprehensive Traffic Homicide investigation is also underway.

Both the internal review of the officer’s actions and the Traffic Homicide investigation remain ongoing and have not yet been completed.

To preserve the integrity of these investigations, no additional information is available for release at this time.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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 Madison Monroe Adams

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    CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Florida (WBBH) — The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has accused Irlene Innocent Saint Armand of stealing more than $30,000 from Michael Kraft, a 79-year-old Vietnam War veteran she was hired to care for through Visiting Angels.

“People do desperate things, but thieves are thieves,” Kraft said.

Kraft, who has been on 179 cruises, most recently last year, kept jewelry, rare coins, cash, and a collection of 1,000 two-dollar bills in his safe. He recounted an incident when he wanted to tip one of his caretakers for Christmas and asked her to open the safe for trip money, only to find it empty.

“I wanted to give one of my caretakers a tip. So I had her open up the safe for the trip money. And it wasn’t there,” Kraft said.

Kraft, who rarely wears the 22-carat gold chain he bought in Dubai, said, “It’s just it’s too Mr. T for me,” but acknowledged its sentimental value, adding, “I don’t know if I’ll ever go to Dubai again.”

Recently, Parkinson’s disease has confined Kraft to a wheelchair, but he remains hopeful. “I’m trying to get well because I want to start traveling,” he said.

Deputies reported that Saint Armand, one of 33 Visiting Angels caregivers in Kraft’s home, was identified in a database and accused of pawning Kraft’s coins, leading to her arrest on Friday.

“Why did you do this? You ruined your life,” Kraft said.

Visiting Angels stated they conduct several employee background checks and confirmed that Saint Armand has been fired.

“Their owner came over yesterday and apologized for everything,” Kraft said.

Despite the incident, Kraft has formed a special bond with a few of his caretakers. He advises others to avoid using the same code for their garage and safe, and to regularly check their home security cameras to ensure they are functioning properly.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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 Mallory Anderson

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — At American Family Field Tuesday, three young Aurora Health Care patients received the surprise of a lifetime when they learned they would be going on an all-expenses-paid trip to the Milwaukee Brewers’ spring training in Arizona.

As snow covered the parking lot, the atmosphere inside the stadium was melting hearts as the boys discovered they were chosen for this special opportunity through a special video featuring several current and former Brewers players.

“I’m Quinn Priester, pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, here to tell you we’ve got a major surprise coming your way from my team and our friends at Aurora Health Care,” said Priester in the video. “What do you think about ditching the cold Midwest winter and trading it for sunny Arizona where your favorite team in baseball takes part in spring training?”

The three pediatric patients, hailing from Kewaunee, Jefferson, and Marinette counties, have faced serious health challenges, including cancer and brain hemorrhages. Among them is 13-year-old Andersen Kerls from Ixonia, who has been dealing with Crohn’s disease for a year.

“It’s been up and down, definitely. It’s been a lot better lately, but when I first was diagnosed, it was terrible,” Kerls said.

While new medication has helped him manage his pain and find foods he can eat again, Crohn’s is a disease he’ll deal with the rest of his life. Kerls’ courage to continue fighting and smiling is just one reason why his doctor nominated him for the trip.

“Their bravery, their tenacity, and their dedication to get through, that is by far the best qualities that we really look for when saying, ‘Hey, this is a great candidate to be considered,'” said Dr. Kevin Dahlman, medical director of Aurora Children’s Health. “But we wish we could do this for all of our patients. Truly.”

During the VIP trip in February, the boys and their families will meet Brewers players, participate in warmups, and even throw out the first pitch at a game.

This is the fifth year Aurora Health Care and the Milwaukee Brewers have teamed up for the surprise trip.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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 Krystle Rich

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — St. Joe’s Prep junior pitcher Cole Kuhn models his game after a few Phillies legends.

“Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels,” Kuhn said. ” In 2008, they won it, and I was born in 09, so I’m definitely a big Cole Hamels fan.”

Kuhn is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, and at only 16, he throws over 100 mph. After working with Ascent Athlete, a baseball development program in Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania, Kuhn saw his velocity jump from 90 mph in March 2025 to 101.8 in January.

“I was overwhelmed with joy,” Kuhn said. “I was really focused on this winter, getting stronger and more explosive. Then 101 comes, and I feel great about it.”

As a freshman, Kuhn stood at 5-foot-11, 165 pounds and played three sports. Then he hit a growth spurt, shooting up to 6-foot-6 in two years. He put soccer and basketball aside and now solely focuses on his game on the mound.

“The goal for him is throw hard, throw strikes, get guys out at the highest level possible,” David Keller, a pitching coach at Ascent Athlete, said. “Building that frame on him was the biggest part.”

Kuhn attributes his flame-throwing capabilities to his work in the weight room and training five days a week at Ascent Athlete, where he said he had a total physical transformation.

“That is where I really started to mature in the weight room,” he said.

Kuhn still knows the real work is mental.

“Being a pitcher, you have to stay in control,” he said. “And to be in control, you have to have control over the physical game and the mental game. Visualization, my biggest one. I visualize myself on the mound doing what I do best: throwing strikes.”

The Philly phenom committed to Duke University and can’t wait to bring the heat.

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

KYW

By Ross DiMattei, Joe Brandt

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    LEHIGH COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, is terminating its lease agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, which had been renting office space used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from the county, an official said Tuesday.

Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel said he was terminating the agreement and DHS “should consider themselves evicted” in an announcement Tuesday afternoon.

“The department’s failure to pay rent, combined with DHS’s national reputation for recklessness, chaos, and public disorder, warrants ending any relationship with the County. We will not accept their blood money,” Siegel said in a statement.

The county “will take all necessary steps to enforce the lease termination and protect the interests of Lehigh County residents,” the statement said.

CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

The announcement comes after Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security owe more than $100,000 in unpaid rent for an Allentown office space owned by the county.

In a letter to Siegel and the board of commissioners shared earlier Tuesday, Pinsley called for ICE and DHS to pay back rent for the space and urged the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners to evict the federal tenants immediately.

“I think the county should be unequivocal and tell ICE: pay your bills, pack your s***, and get the hell out,” Pinsley said in the letter.

Pinsley explained his demands during a press conference Tuesday. He said he feels “a growing sense of alarm and sadness” following recent ICE activities in Minneapolis.

“As Lehigh County controller, I have watched Minneapolis but worry about Lehigh Valley. There were no pepper balls flying across Hamilton Street on my way to work today, but that’s no guarantee that there won’t be tomorrow,” he said.

“We can give them a taste of their own medicine. We’re going to deport ICE,” Pinsley said.

In a statement, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who represents the Lehigh Valley in Congress, said in part, “You don’t need to hold a press conference to address a rent dispute with law enforcement. Instead of negotiating in good faith with HSI, Mr. Pinsley has chosen to attack an office that — I’m sure he knows — works to investigate human trafficking and other serious crimes.”

Pinsley, a Democrat, is seeking his party’s nomination to run against Mackenzie in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.

Pinsley said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) entered into a “memorandum of agreement,” or MOA, with the county in November 2022 to lease county-owned office space inside the Hamilton Financial Center building in Allentown. County commissioners intended that agreement to be a binding contract for 10 months, and then HSI and ICE would enter into a standard three-year lease of the office space through September 2026, Pinsley claimed.

Pinsley said HSI would pay $29,250 for the first 10 months under the MOA, and then shift to yearly rent costs of $36,153 for the first year under the lease, increasing annually until reaching $38,354 for the final year.

HSI’s Special Agent in Charge at the time signed the MOA, but not the lease. HSI later said the person who signed the agreement lacked the authority to do so.

The county and HSI are also seeking a 3-year renewal for the lease, which would keep HSI and ICE in the space into the fall of 2029. Pinsley noted that HSI intends to pay the county once the lease terms are agreed upon.

“While the MOA was agreed to, both parties have not agreed to the terms of a lease agreement, which is still pending to date. As such, no payment has been made by HSI to the county since the commencement of the MOA and lease agreement on December 1, 2022,” Pinsley’s letter said.

The county’s fiscal records don’t show that any rent was received for this property, despite it being occupied since 2022. Pinsley said the total amount of back rent uncollected totals to about $115,000, with the potential for $7,600 in late fees.

HSI has been using the space to collaborate with local law enforcement and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.

Pinsley said continuing to allow HSI and ICE to use the space could create “public perception risk that the County is enabling ICE,” and could be “creating the impression that County government is not standing with working families or protecting community stability.”

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. 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 Ross DiMattei, Joe Brandt

Click here for updates on this story

    LEHIGH COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, is terminating its lease agreement with the Department of Homeland Security, which had been renting office space used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from the county, an official said Tuesday.

Lehigh County Executive Josh Siegel said he was terminating the agreement and DHS “should consider themselves evicted” in an announcement Tuesday afternoon.

“The department’s failure to pay rent, combined with DHS’s national reputation for recklessness, chaos, and public disorder, warrants ending any relationship with the County. We will not accept their blood money,” Siegel said in a statement.

The county “will take all necessary steps to enforce the lease termination and protect the interests of Lehigh County residents,” the statement said.

CBS News Philadelphia has reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

The announcement comes after Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security owe more than $100,000 in unpaid rent for an Allentown office space owned by the county.

In a letter to Siegel and the board of commissioners shared earlier Tuesday, Pinsley called for ICE and DHS to pay back rent for the space and urged the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners to evict the federal tenants immediately.

“I think the county should be unequivocal and tell ICE: pay your bills, pack your s***, and get the hell out,” Pinsley said in the letter.

Pinsley explained his demands during a press conference Tuesday. He said he feels “a growing sense of alarm and sadness” following recent ICE activities in Minneapolis.

“As Lehigh County controller, I have watched Minneapolis but worry about Lehigh Valley. There were no pepper balls flying across Hamilton Street on my way to work today, but that’s no guarantee that there won’t be tomorrow,” he said.

“We can give them a taste of their own medicine. We’re going to deport ICE,” Pinsley said.

In a statement, Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who represents the Lehigh Valley in Congress, said in part, “You don’t need to hold a press conference to address a rent dispute with law enforcement. Instead of negotiating in good faith with HSI, Mr. Pinsley has chosen to attack an office that — I’m sure he knows — works to investigate human trafficking and other serious crimes.”

Pinsley, a Democrat, is seeking his party’s nomination to run against Mackenzie in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District.

Pinsley said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) entered into a “memorandum of agreement,” or MOA, with the county in November 2022 to lease county-owned office space inside the Hamilton Financial Center building in Allentown. County commissioners intended that agreement to be a binding contract for 10 months, and then HSI and ICE would enter into a standard three-year lease of the office space through September 2026, Pinsley claimed.

Pinsley said HSI would pay $29,250 for the first 10 months under the MOA, and then shift to yearly rent costs of $36,153 for the first year under the lease, increasing annually until reaching $38,354 for the final year.

HSI’s Special Agent in Charge at the time signed the MOA, but not the lease. HSI later said the person who signed the agreement lacked the authority to do so.

The county and HSI are also seeking a 3-year renewal for the lease, which would keep HSI and ICE in the space into the fall of 2029. Pinsley noted that HSI intends to pay the county once the lease terms are agreed upon.

“While the MOA was agreed to, both parties have not agreed to the terms of a lease agreement, which is still pending to date. As such, no payment has been made by HSI to the county since the commencement of the MOA and lease agreement on December 1, 2022,” Pinsley’s letter said.

The county’s fiscal records don’t show that any rent was received for this property, despite it being occupied since 2022. Pinsley said the total amount of back rent uncollected totals to about $115,000, with the potential for $7,600 in late fees.

HSI has been using the space to collaborate with local law enforcement and the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.

Pinsley said continuing to allow HSI and ICE to use the space could create “public perception risk that the County is enabling ICE,” and could be “creating the impression that County government is not standing with working families or protecting community stability.”

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