Month: January 2026

By Kaitlin Knapp , Eric Lovelace

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    LEHIGH ACRES, Florida (WFTX) — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said a 14-year-old boy attempted to kill four people inside a home by igniting a propane tank at their front door.

According to Sheriff Carmine Marceno, firefighters rushed to the home on Paisley Avenue on Saturday, Jan. 5 around 6 a.m. in Lehigh Acres.

Namiry Álvarez said she woke up to the smell of smoke.

“Erika called me and said, “Miri, run, the house is on fire!”, Álvarez said. “I thought it was just the kid baking bread and burning it.”

Álvarez, who is pregnant, said smoke quickly filled their home.

“We didn’t know what was outside, and there was already a lot of smoke inside the house,” she said. “We couldn’t breathe.”

The sheriff said the suspect, Maikol Estrada Gomez, parked down the road and walked up to the house. Deputies said he had a five-gallon propane tank, a glass bottle full of gas and a wick.

It caught fire and video shows part of the front door charred. No one was hurt inside the house.

As investigators worked to figure out the motive, the sheriff said Gomez knew someone in the house. Marceno said they were friends at one point, but the friendship “went south” and there was “extreme hatred” between the two of them.

Yulando Enrique was also in the home. He said he’s still in shock because he never thought Gomez would do something like this to him.

“I felt bad because I never thought he’d do that to me, and well, that’s it.”

The sheriff said Gomez admitted to wanting to kill the people inside the house and hurting his former friend, who the sheriff said was around his age.

Gomez is charged with four counts of attempted murder, armed burglary, arson, making a destructive device, and possession/use of a weapon.

According to LCSO, Gomez has a criminal history including burglary and criminal mischief.

The State Attorney’s Office will determined if Gomez will be charged as an adult.

He was booked and released from jail, according to jail records.

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.

KDKA

By Shelley Bortz

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    UNIONTOWN, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — For nearly a month, the city of Uniontown operated without a permanent police chief, raising concerns about leadership and accountability inside the department.

City leaders finally filled that vacancy on Monday, swearing in a new chief and making history in the process.

For the first time, the department is being led by a woman, Chief Alexis Metros, who is stepping into the role amid scrutiny and high expectations.

“This will be 15 years now that I’ve been involved in law enforcement. I worked hard over the years, and like anything else, you have goals, and at the end game, that was my goal one day when the chance arrived, and it arrived,” Chief Metros said.

Metros told KDKA-TV that law enforcement has always been a part of her life.

She comes from a family of law enforcement officers and says that serving the community was ingrained in her at a young age, but she also understands the significance of this moment.

As the first woman to lead this department, Metros says she hopes her appointment sends a message, especially to young girls, that they belong in leadership roles, too.

“I hope it gives little girls or teenage girls something to look up to,” Chief Metros said. “I’ve always felt like one of the team, so to me, one of us taking over a position, we’re one big family.”

Metros is no stranger to Uniontown. She is from the area and has spent her career policing the communities she knows.

Since graduating from the police academy, she worked in Brownsville and Masontown boroughs before joining the Uniontown Police Department three years ago.

The experience, she says, has prepared her for this role.

“Over those years, I have had the chance to network with a lot of the community throughout Fayette County,” she said. “I feel like I have a great working nature with a lot of them.”

It’s no secret, though, that Metros takes over a department emerging from weeks without a chief, facing challenges that include morale, staffing concerns, and public expectations.

She said her focus moving forward couldn’t be clearer, with the safety of the city as her top priority.

“This past year was a big year for us. We didn’t have any violent homicides, and we can thank that to the men and women who are out here day and night sweeping these streets, getting the guns and drugs and keeping the violence down,” she said.

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 Shelley Bortz

Click here for updates on this story

    UNIONTOWN, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — For nearly a month, the city of Uniontown operated without a permanent police chief, raising concerns about leadership and accountability inside the department.

City leaders finally filled that vacancy on Monday, swearing in a new chief and making history in the process.

For the first time, the department is being led by a woman, Chief Alexis Metros, who is stepping into the role amid scrutiny and high expectations.

“This will be 15 years now that I’ve been involved in law enforcement. I worked hard over the years, and like anything else, you have goals, and at the end game, that was my goal one day when the chance arrived, and it arrived,” Chief Metros said.

Metros told KDKA-TV that law enforcement has always been a part of her life.

She comes from a family of law enforcement officers and says that serving the community was ingrained in her at a young age, but she also understands the significance of this moment.

As the first woman to lead this department, Metros says she hopes her appointment sends a message, especially to young girls, that they belong in leadership roles, too.

“I hope it gives little girls or teenage girls something to look up to,” Chief Metros said. “I’ve always felt like one of the team, so to me, one of us taking over a position, we’re one big family.”

Metros is no stranger to Uniontown. She is from the area and has spent her career policing the communities she knows.

Since graduating from the police academy, she worked in Brownsville and Masontown boroughs before joining the Uniontown Police Department three years ago.

The experience, she says, has prepared her for this role.

“Over those years, I have had the chance to network with a lot of the community throughout Fayette County,” she said. “I feel like I have a great working nature with a lot of them.”

It’s no secret, though, that Metros takes over a department emerging from weeks without a chief, facing challenges that include morale, staffing concerns, and public expectations.

She said her focus moving forward couldn’t be clearer, with the safety of the city as her top priority.

“This past year was a big year for us. We didn’t have any violent homicides, and we can thank that to the men and women who are out here day and night sweeping these streets, getting the guns and drugs and keeping the violence down,” she said.

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 Joe Holden, Tom Gardiner

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    SPRINGFIELD, Pennsylvania (KYW) — A Delaware County woman was determined to capture the fading memories of her dying furry best friend, Momma Wiggles. It’s known as end-of-life pet photography, and over the last decade, the demand for the service has grown exponentially.

It’s Monday morning in Springfield. This wasn’t a day Shelby Crowding was looking forward to. There was a flood of memories of better times for Crowding and her loyal companion, Momma Wiggles.

“She taught me patience,” Crowding said. “She taught me forgiveness. She taught me how to love.”

Momma Wiggles is 12 and deaf.

“Momma came from a very bad past,” Crowding said. “She was abandoned.”

The vet on Friday had bad news for Crowding and her husband, Rob. There wasn’t much that could be done except make Momma Wiggles comfortable.

“Spoil her, give her whatever she wants to eat,” Crowding said. “Just spend the last moments with her because of her diagnosis.”

Photographer Matt Gruber visited to capture Momma Wiggles’ final days.

“It’s a beautiful thing you can do, being a photographer,” Gruber said.

Crowding posted in community forums. She wanted photos of her beloved pet before saying goodbye.

“Tons of people responded,” she said. “I had no idea that was a thing.”

End-of-life pet photography has increased in popularity, according to numerous veterinarians and organizations.

Lauren Smith-Kennedy, founder of The Tilly Project, is an end-of-life pet photographer. She said her interest grew out of a 2011 experience when she was a senior in high school.

She said that four years ago, she shared her first session on social media.

“It went viral, and I had folks across the world reaching out,” she said. “That’s why I created The Tilly Project, because I couldn’t keep up with the demand. We now have over 1,400 photographers across the world who are a part of our directory. I think the power of social media has really helped to spread this as a resource.”

Gruber acknowledged he’s only provided this service once or twice before.

“I just figured, we’ve all lost pets and had to go through that process,” Gruber said, “and if I could just be here, help them out and take photos to have lasting memories, why not?”

There were cheeseburgers, a favorite pink pearl collar and reminiscing. Momma loved her other furry family members, the Eagles and Phillies, Crowding said. She also explained Momma offered a strong lesson in perception.

“She was often looked at as a pit bull even though she is an American Bulldog,” she said. “I feel the one thing she did in this world — she showed people that just because I look like a stereotype, I’m not: not to judge a book by its cover.”

Cradled and comforted by warmth and love, now with photographic memories to last.

“She really did have a purpose in my life,” Crowding said. “I love her so much. I’m really going to miss her. She is that once-in-a-lifetime dog. I know her memory will live on.”

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 Alexandra Simon

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    GLOUCESTER CITY, New Jersey (KYW) — The Marine Mammal Stranding Center is investigating the death of a whale found caught on a ship’s bow in Camden County, New Jersey.

The center said the whale, which was tentatively identified as a Fin whale, was discovered by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay at the Gloucester City marine terminal on Saturday, Jan. 4.

Fin whales are found throughout the world’s oceans, and are the second-largest species on Earth behind the blue whale, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The species typically lives in “deep, offshore waters,” NOAA says, and “travel in the open seas, away from the coast.”

Gloucester City, New Jersey is located along the Delaware River, just south of the Walt Whitman Bridge.

The MMSC said it’s working with local agencies to perform a necropsy on the 25-30 foot whale, and NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is also investigating the death.

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 Tim McNicholas

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Wegmans, a popular supermarket chain, is now scanning the faces of customers and storing data so its security system can recognize them.

The company, which has more than 100 stores across 10 states and the District of Columbia, says it’s all about safety, but some in New York City worry it’s an invasion of privacy.

Shoppers at the Wegmans at Broadway and 8th Street are greeted not just by the produce section, but by a new sign warning the store is scanning customers’ faces and storing information. The company says it’s using facial recognition tools at a small number of stores to identify people who’ve been previously flagged for misconduct.

Facial recognition tools are front and center at the airport, but at some supermarkets, including Fairway and now Wegmans, the cameras are often out of sight. The City Council has been considering banning the practice since 2023, after the owner of Madison Square Garden started using it to block attorneys from events at its venues if their law firms are involved in cases with MSG.

“If there is a hack or a breach of that data, you can’t change your face like you would change a password,” said Michelle Dahl, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a nonprofit that fights for consumer privacy. “It’s also a civil rights issue. We know that these systems disproportionately misidentify and burden communities that are already targeted by police most often.”

The supermarket chain would not agree to an interview with CBS News New York, but sent a statement saying it never shares the data it collects with any third party.

“At Wegmans, the safety of our customers and employees is a top priority. Like many retailers, we use cameras to help identify individuals who pose a risk to our people, customers, or operation. In a small fraction of our stores that exhibit an elevated risk, we have deployed cameras equipped with facial recognition technology. In New York City, we comply with local requirements by posting the mandated signage to notify customers about the technology.

“This technology is solely used for keeping our stores secure and safe. The system collects facial recognition data and only uses it to identify individuals who have been previously flagged for misconduct. We do not collect other biometric data such as retinal scans or voice prints. Images and video are retained only as long as necessary for security purposes and then disposed of. For security reasons, we do not disclose the exact retention period, but it aligns with industry standards.

“Persons of interest are determined by our asset protection team based on incidents occurring on our property and on a case-by-case basis, by information from law enforcement for criminal or missing persons cases. We do not share facial recognition scan data with any third party.

“We understand concerns about fairness and bias in facial recognition systems. We employ a multitude of training and safety measures to help keep people safe. Facial recognition technology serves as one investigative lead for us. We never base our decisions on a single lead alone.

“Our goal is simple — to keep our stores safe and secure.”

Like it or not, the barcode on your milk isn’t the only thing getting scanned at some Wegmans locations.

“It’s kind of invading privacy. I could see that. It’s good and bad,” shopper Victor Cash said. “It could be like a little nuisance, but at the end of the day I don’t think it’ll ever stop me from coming here.”

“You never know for what purpose the information is being collected,” Ivan Klimkou said. “I mean, I’m not shoplifting so it’s no concern for me.”

“They probably do that in airports, too, right? And to me this is more important because it’s really a part of my daily life,” Jeff Miller added.

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 Nick Caloway

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    WOODBRIDGE, New Jersey (WCBS) — Drone technology is being credited with helping find a lost dog that escaped from a car during a pit stop last weekend on the New Jersey Turnpike.

The 9-year-old dog named Abbie was on the move from a South Carolina animal rescue to her forever home on Saturday when she got loose in East Brunswick. She was later tracked to Woodbridge – more than 20 miles away.

The U.S.A.R. Drone Team, a New Jersey nonprofit search and rescue organization, was called in to help find Abbie, who was being tracked with an AirTag. Drone team member Michael Parziale said he was surprised to learn the dog had wandered as far as she did.

Parziale launched a drone using thermal imaging and located Abbie within a few minutes. Video captured Parziale, police and animal control talking with each other as they work to rescue the pup.

When Abbie was spotted in the woods, nearby officers were told where to stop driving along the road. Video shows her standing in the brush while rescuers carefully walk toward her before capturing her.

It wasn’t the first time Parziale’s team found a missing furry friend. Last February, the U.S.A.R. Drone Team located a lost puppy after it got startled by a loud noise, ran away, and was missing for more than 24 hours. Once Parziale was called in, he was able to find the uninjured dog in 41 minutes.

“Our reward is seeing the smiles on everybody’s face, especially the owners of their pet. I mean, we consider them family members,” Parziale said.

Abbie will undergo surgery for her injuries before heading to her new home, officials said.

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.