Month: January 2026

By Jacquelyn Quinones

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    SAN JOSE, California (KSBW) — A high-speed chase in San Jose ended with police shooting and killing a suspect after he stole multiple vehicles and engaged in a shootout that left a police sergeant seriously injured but expected to survive.

San Jose police said the incident began just after 2 p.m. near 900 Capitol Expressway when an armed suspect entered a car dealership, stole a green Corvette, and fled down Highway 101.

Helicopters assisted in tracking the suspect’s vehicle as police pursued him south to Hollister, where he was cornered near Buena Vista Road and Westside Boulevard. Witnesses described the scene as something out of a video game.

“First of all, I heard it was like 2 o’clock when I heard the chopper over town saying ‘put the weapon down, put the weapon down,’ and so I run to my backyard,” a witness, Jhobany Jacobo, said. “I was like, well, that looks interesting because that’s not something you see often here in town.

“As he kept going, he kept jumping fences, so I saw this man climb over the fence and jumped over like nothing straight out of a GTA game, bro,” Jacobo continued.

The suspect then stole another vehicle, a white sedan, and headed back to San Jose with police in pursuit.

According to police, “That suspect collided with a vehicle where the suspect then exited the vehicle, engaged officers and gunfire, prompting an officer-involved shooting.

The suspect attempted to flee, attempted to carjack another vehicle when they were struck by a police vehicle. That suspect was declared deceased at the scene.”

San Jose police have blocked off the area around North San Pedro Street and St. James Street as they continue their investigation.

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.

WCBS

By Jenna DeAngelis

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A Long Island woman has been charged after officials say more than 100 cats were rescued from deplorable conditions at her West Islip home.

The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called several animal rescue groups for assistance Tuesday after receiving an anonymous tip.

When the groups arrived at the Patricia Avenue home, they found about 100 cats inside the house and in a backyard structure.

“Everywhere you looked, there was just cats,” said Renee Kraft, founder of Save a Stray Rescue. “The smell hits you first before you even get into the house. It was gross.”

“The conditions were absolutely horrific. They were living in their own feces,” said Frankie Floridia, with Strong Island Animal Rescue League. “Just absolute filth.”

“You just seen all these animals, and they were just crying, coming up, like begging us to take them,” said Doreen Simonson, with Last Hope Animal Rescue. “It was like they knew, you know, that here’s help, it’s on the way.”

“This is a horrible situation, and I’m glad that these cats will get a second chance on life,” Floridia said. “And we’ll keep on rescuing on, to keep these animals safe and in good hands.”

Last Hope Animal Rescue is now caring for 32 of the cats.

“Right now, we’re just trying to make them all comfortable to let them know they’re safe,” Simonson said.

Paws Unite People, a rehabilitation facility, took in 22 cats. Eight are currently at its facility, and the rest are in foster care. Save a Stray Rescue currently has six kittens from the home, and North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue took 11 cats, which volunteers are fostering.

The rescue groups said some of the cats have health problems – like respiratory infections, skin and eye conditions, fleas and matting – so the next step is for each cat to see a vet. Once they have been checked out, they should be up for adoption within the next few weeks.

“They will have a happy ending,” Simonson said.

The SPCA said the conditions inside the home were the result of a breeding operation.

“Ultimately, we need to educate people why it’s important to rescue from small rescues and shelters,” said Virginia Scudder, with the North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue. “When we support breeders like this, we’re basically giving them the OK to continue this.”

A neighbor told CBS News New York he had no idea what was happening inside the home.

“Happy someone actually did something about it, that it’s no longer here,” he said.

Grace Etzelsberger, 66, has been charged with animal neglect, and the house has been condemned.

Officials said Etzelsberger also goes by the name Grace Rovtar, and they’re looking into if she was licensed to breed the cats. She’s due in court in February.

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 Jenna DeAngelis

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A Long Island woman has been charged after officials say more than 100 cats were rescued from deplorable conditions at her West Islip home.

The Suffolk County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals called several animal rescue groups for assistance Tuesday after receiving an anonymous tip.

When the groups arrived at the Patricia Avenue home, they found about 100 cats inside the house and in a backyard structure.

“Everywhere you looked, there was just cats,” said Renee Kraft, founder of Save a Stray Rescue. “The smell hits you first before you even get into the house. It was gross.”

“The conditions were absolutely horrific. They were living in their own feces,” said Frankie Floridia, with Strong Island Animal Rescue League. “Just absolute filth.”

“You just seen all these animals, and they were just crying, coming up, like begging us to take them,” said Doreen Simonson, with Last Hope Animal Rescue. “It was like they knew, you know, that here’s help, it’s on the way.”

“This is a horrible situation, and I’m glad that these cats will get a second chance on life,” Floridia said. “And we’ll keep on rescuing on, to keep these animals safe and in good hands.”

Last Hope Animal Rescue is now caring for 32 of the cats.

“Right now, we’re just trying to make them all comfortable to let them know they’re safe,” Simonson said.

Paws Unite People, a rehabilitation facility, took in 22 cats. Eight are currently at its facility, and the rest are in foster care. Save a Stray Rescue currently has six kittens from the home, and North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue took 11 cats, which volunteers are fostering.

The rescue groups said some of the cats have health problems – like respiratory infections, skin and eye conditions, fleas and matting – so the next step is for each cat to see a vet. Once they have been checked out, they should be up for adoption within the next few weeks.

“They will have a happy ending,” Simonson said.

The SPCA said the conditions inside the home were the result of a breeding operation.

“Ultimately, we need to educate people why it’s important to rescue from small rescues and shelters,” said Virginia Scudder, with the North Fork Country Kids Animal Rescue. “When we support breeders like this, we’re basically giving them the OK to continue this.”

A neighbor told CBS News New York he had no idea what was happening inside the home.

“Happy someone actually did something about it, that it’s no longer here,” he said.

Grace Etzelsberger, 66, has been charged with animal neglect, and the house has been condemned.

Officials said Etzelsberger also goes by the name Grace Rovtar, and they’re looking into if she was licensed to breed the cats. She’s due in court in February.

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 Naomi Ruchim

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Swastikas were found painted all over a playground in Borough Park, Brooklyn, twice this week.

Local officials and community members are condemning the antisemitic vandalism.

On Monday evening, police say about 16 swastikas were found painted in the playground area of Gravesend Park, located at 56th Street and 18th Avenue.

Just over 36 hours later, police say nearly 60 swastikas and other antisemitic language were found painted on a slide, a wall at the handball court, and on the sidewalk.

Crews spent hours washing it all away Wednesday.

There are no cameras in the park, but community board members believe surveillance video from other cameras in the area may show the culprit or culprits.

Police said the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made.

In a post on X, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, “I am sickened by this antisemitic vandalism in Borough Park. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish New Yorkers who were targeted. My administration is working closely with the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force as well as our Parks Department, and those responsible will be investigated and held accountable.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote in a post on X, “A depraved act of antisemitism. In a children’s playground where our kids should feel safe and have fun. There is no excuse. There is zero tolerance. I’ve directed the New York State Hate Crimes Task Force to offer assistance to the NYPD in identifying those responsible.”

Community members told CBS News New York they are heartbroken by how common antisemitic incidents have become.

“This is absolutely uncalled for,” one mother said. “Our community is very welcoming, very open to every race, every type, and we are very insulted.”

“My initial reaction is sadness,” said Barry Spitzer, district manager of Community Board 12. “We’re way past being angry, being mad. It’s sadness that it’s come to this, that stuff like this has been normalized.”

“What it feels like is like, here it comes all over again,” Rabbi Edgar Gluck said.

Gluck lost most of his family in the Holocaust. His immediate family fled Nazi Germany in 1938, and he’s lived in Borough Park for 60 years. He said these antisemitic incidents have been extremely painful.

“This happens to be a very Orthodox Jewish area, and they know if they hit here, it will hit the Jewish community all over,” Gluck said.

Members of the Brooklyn community say these incidents will not stop them from coming to the park, as they always have.

“We get up, and we continue with our lives, and we hope and pray that these incidents stop happening,” Spitzer 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 Abby Dodge

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    FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (WFOR) — Fort Lauderdale police are searching for a young boy seen on video killing a duck in a resident’s yard this week, an incident investigators are treating as an animal cruelty case.

Neighbors say the area is usually filled with ducks, but the neighborhood has grown noticeably quieter since the attack.

Police released surveillance video showing two children running toward a duck in the 300 block of Southwest 8th Avenue on Sunday. One child chases the duck, catches it, and stomps on it repeatedly. CBS News Miami counted seven stomps in the footage.

Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying the child. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

A man who lives nearby said he had not seen the video before and was horrified by what it showed.

“I think the kid maybe has been abused or something. Because of that, they need to look into who the parents are,” said Jett, who lives in the area. “I think that’s the most important thing because, I don’t know, I think maybe he has seen something that has caused a lot of trauma for him to be capable of doing something like that, that’s, I have no words. I don’t even know what to say. That’s terrible.”

Anyone who recognizes the child or the child’s family is asked to contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Animal Cruelty Unit or Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493‑TIPS. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

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 James Taylor, CBS13 Photojournalist

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — A beloved building in north Sacramento is getting some new recognition. The distinctive design catches the eye of thousands of people passing by each day.

It looks right out of the space race, with prominent triangular canopies pointing towards the stars. Now there’s a new effort to preserve an old Orbit gas station.

“It has a futuristic design. That parabolic roof is so unique,” said Sean de Courcy, a preservation director for the City of Sacramento.

The building on Northgate Boulevard near Garden Highway dates back to 1963. It’s one of the few structures still standing in Sacramento with this unusual Googie architectural style.

“It says, ‘Look, here I am. If you need gas, here’s where you get it,’ ” said William Burg, president of Preservation Sacramento.

After the Orbit brand went out of business, the property was used as an auto sales lot, but neighbors say it’s been vacant and fenced off for months.

Many people now want to see it saved.

“To have that go away would be a disservice to our community,” said Marbella Sala, president of the Gardenland Northgate Neighborhood Association.

Now, the city is taking the first steps to list this property as a local historical landmark.

“There is a lot about this building that is worth saving, especially that parabolic roof,” de Courcy said.

The city’s preservation commission has unanimously voted to recommend placing it on the local register of historic resources.

Being listed makes the property eligible for grants and tax breaks and makes it more difficult to be demolished.

Some people in the Gardenland neighborhood hope it’s reopened as a community gathering spot.

“I would like to see a coffee shop where people can sit and eat,” Sala said.

A blast from the past is now on a journey towards a new future.

“I hope that this Orbit station continues to have many more years of usefulness ahead of it,” said Ella Cross, the Sacramento preservation commissioner.

The recommendation now goes to the full city council for a vote. The entrance to the Sacramento Zoo also has a similar architectural design and it’s also listed on Sacramento’s historical register.

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 Monique John

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — A Conyers woman is celebrating her mother’s memory in a special way.

Sham Redmond says “Family Feud” was her late mother’s favorite show. So her family appeared as contestants to celebrate her legacy.

Redmond and her family, the grief is still present. In 2021, her mother, Eva Peele Speller, died from COVID-19. She says doing her mom’s favorite things, like giving away bags of food to help others, eases the pain.

“This is something that my mom always did, and we just wanted to keep the tradition going,” Redmond said.

Another one of her mother’s favorite things was watching “Family Feud.” She always wanted to be on the show, so Redmond and her family appeared in her honor.

“I kind of feel bad that I forgot. And I kind of was like, ‘You really didn’t do this.’ And so last year, I said, ‘I’m going to go back and apply,'” Redmond said.

Kanishia Peele shared a deep bond with her grandmother. She often found her watching the show in her rocking chair.

“Being on her favorite show, it feels like everything is coming full circle,” Peele said.

Another thing keeping the family matriarch’s memory alive is her Bible.

Redmond found a surprise inside when she opened it, a note written just days before Speller died in the hospital.

“Gonna keep on calling His name through sickness and pain because I believe one day…,” Redmond read.

“…He will answer my call,” Peele said, finishing the sentence.

Redmond and her loved ones were already close. The experience, she says, brought them even closer. The family says they can feel Speller watching down on them.

“You may not have talked to her every day, but you knew she loved you. You may not have heard her say ‘I love you’ every day, but you knew she loved you,” Redmond said. “And there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for us, for grandkids, for children. Just for family. For friends, for people. She was just that person.”

You’ll be able to see how the Peele family does on a new episode of “Family Feud” on Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. on CBS Atlanta.

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.

WBZ

By Penny Kmitt

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    FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Massachusetts man was reunited with the first responders who saved his life last month when a massive tree slammed onto his car, trapping him inside and leaving him seriously injured.

With his arm in a sling, neck in a brace, and gratitude in his heart, Eric Freeman helped honor those Framingham first responders on Wednesday along with Massachusetts Sen. President Karen Spilka during a small ceremony at the fire station.

“This could have been a very different outcome but we are here surrounded by Framingham’s finest,” Spilka said. “It was a random, freak accident that was just very unfortunate. Because of those that came, the public safety, because of their expertise, their fast action, their compassion, and knowing exactly what to do during this very difficult time helped save Eric.”

The 67-year-old Freeman was driving through Framingham on an early December night when a pine tree suddenly came crashing down. The tree crushed Freeman’s Audi and nearly killed him.

“I was driving along and all of the sudden my head was on the center console of the car, and I was looking out through my moon roof,” he said. “It took a while before I could finally say ‘Help!’ and put some volume into it which was scary.”

Freeman said it was the epitome of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the right people at the right time is what saved his life.

“I just shook his hand. I can’t believe he’s standing,” Brewster paramedic Don Avery said.

Avery was on his way to a different call when he happened to come across the scene.

“I didn’t expect to see anybody alive,” Avery said. “The center part of the tree, we were able to get that off with some bystanders.”

Freeman said he doesn’t remember much. But he does remember the sirens, and people helping.

“It gives me a lot of appreciation for civilization, community,” he said. “It’s a lot of people working together. It’s delightful.”

Though Freeman said his recovery has been slow and frustrating, he added that he feels fortunate to be alive. He has a plate screwed into his skull and a bar that goes down into his spine.

Today, Freeman and his wife Kathleen say they have a new appreciation for life, and the community around them.

“It’s nice to hear the different accounts from the first responders and understanding how this all came together and worked so well,” Kathleen said.

Eric is an avid skier and hiker, two activities now on hold as he still faces a long road to recovery.

“Skiing, going back and letting Wildcat know whose boss,” he said. “I may not be able to do what I did before. But hopefully I’ll still be able to hit the mountains hard.”

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.