Mother donates kidney to daughter, both now encouraging more donors

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Jim Abath

Click here for updates on this story

    HARVEST, Alabama (WAAY) — Mothers and daughters are naturally very close, but for one particular duo from Harvest, there’s an extra special bond.

Before she was even born, De’Azya Blake was already having kidney issues. At six months old, doctors removed her polycystic kidney. Then at five years old, she had a biopsy.

“And that’s when they realized that my kidney, the one that I still had, which was my left kidney, started failing a little bit,” Blake said.

And so, her journey started. She took monthly trips and celebrated birthdays at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She also took eight to ten pills a day to regulate her levels.

It wasn’t easy for Blake or her mother, Dimeccia Ford.

“You never knew how it would be until you get to the point where, OK, it’s getting worse,” Ford said. “You know, we got to decide what we’re going to do.”

That point came when Blake was 21. Dialysis? Not an option.

“Trying to have conversations with her about dialysis was like talking to this wall,” Ford added. “She did not want that at all.”

So, they put Blake on the transplant list, and they had family tested for compatibility.

“My mom was like ‘Oh, I’ll get tested,’ ” Blake said. “I was like ‘Girl, please. Don’t do that.’ You know, just like what am I supposed to do? You know, all I have is my Mom.”

But her Mom was a match. They not only moved forward with Ford donating a kidney to her daughter. It was a huge success!

“You wouldn’t believe that they had to quiet me down because like an hour or two, after the anesthesia wore off and I was in the back room, I was screaming, and want to get up,” Blake said. “It was exciting to me, and it was changing to me, like I feel like a whole new person.”

Four years later, Blake is still checking in at Vanderbilt, and her mother still kids her.

“Don’t ask for any more Christmas, birthday, any more gifts because that was a major gift,” Ford said, with her daughter giggling next to her.

Now, the two spread the word about kidney donations. Their message to anyone thinking about donating their own kidney?

“Think of someone else who could possibly benefit from that, who could live to see another day, who could live and try to be on the journey that you’re on, the inspiration you can create for someone else,” Blake said.

You can count on Blake and Ford being at the 2026 Huntsville Kidney Walk and Celebration. This year’s walk is Saturday, April 18 at the Alabama A&M Agribition Center. It starts at 9:30 a.m. The Florence walk is one week later, April 25 at River Heritage Park. That one starts at 9:00 a.m. You can get more information on both and how to register here.

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.

Artists who overcame homelessness teach new workshop for children

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Forrest Sanders

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — Growing up, we all had those teachers we will never forget. A class is now spending time with one of those unforgettable teachers who also has an unforgettable story.

A group of students filed into a a classroom at Shwab Elementary. Over the classroom was a sign reading ‘Do Your Thing.’

Mission accepted by nine-year-old Ander.

“I’m just doing different colors,” he said, carefully painting a canvas. “Look at my drawing! It’s just abstract. I don’t even know what I’m doing!”

That’s part of the beauty of abstracts.

“It doesn’t have to make sense,” Ander smiled.

Right. Sometimes it’s just capturing how you feel.

“If you want abstract paint that’s happy, you want light colors,” Ander explained. “If your abstract is sad or lonely you can use dark colors.”

So, where’d Ander and this crew learn all this stuff? Well, let me take you to meet someone.

“It’s kinda like an escape,” artist Helen Stackhouse said of her art. “I paint places where I would like to be.”

Stackhouse paints under the name A.M. Hassan. A lot of what she does is bold, beautiful landscapes.

“The cold temperatures, I pretend I’m looking out the window somewhere of a resort,” she said.

Finding beauty is important to Stackhouse after all she’s lived.

Back in the 90s, Stackhouse shares she was let go from a job and had an unemployment check stolen. She ended up living in a car in San Jose, California.

“It was a year,” Stackhouse nodded. “I feel like God let me be homeless, so I could understand what homeless people go through. On a day to day basis, it was not knowing where you’re going to sleep, not know what you’re going to eat.”

Now living in Nashville, Stackhouse joined the Daybreak Arts non-profit about ten years ago. They work with artists who have lived with some sort of housing instability.

Recently, Daybreak launched a program called Gigi’s Creative Corner where Daybreak artists teach hands-on workshops at Shwab.

“One thing I like about that class at Shwab is all of these children are seriously interested in art,” Stackhouse said.

“She showed us how to mix the paint and how to do abstract paint!” Ander added.

At one point, Ander said something that caught my attention.

“I want to be an artist who draws, like, nature,” he said.

Right. Just like what Stackhouse does.

Stackhouse is happy to work with all the kids as their creative visions take shape.

“If I can help one child really understand art, the way he or she wants to express themselves, they can paint their own world,” she said.

Do your thing, Ander.

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.

Woman ‘adopts’ 80-year-old widow who moved to Tennessee

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Nick Beres

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    MURFREESBORO, Tennessee (WTVF) — These days plenty of people are moving here from California, but no one quite like this woman. An 80-year-old who decided Tennessee is where she wants to be.

Meet sweet Lois Mayo, one of the latest transplants to the Volunteer State.

“Why did you move to Tennessee from California?”

“The history and the people and the southern hospitality – people are so nice. Had you ever been here before? No, never. I don’t even know the area,” said Lois.

Never visited once in the past eighty years, which is her age.

But about two weeks ago, Lois who is widowed — simply decided to load up her SUV and move to Tennessee.

Some people are going to say an 80-year-old driving cross country by herself to a place she’s never been…wow.

“Yeah, I’m proud of myself that I did that,” said Lois.

Truth is she didn’t come alone. Lois had her two cats as traveling companions.

The three made the two thousand mile drive in five days without a map. Lois just followed the interstate.

“Because I knew I-40 would take me to Tennessee,” she said.

She and Vanilla and Bubbs arrived in Murfreesboro pretty much without a plan.

Lois knows this may sound odd to some — but calls the move an adventure and she’s not worried.

“It makes you feel more alive.”

Lois says the trip ate up her latest Social Security payment and she figured she’d sleep in her KIA until she could get settled.

“I feel I can meet new people and the joy of southern hospitality and there’s angels everywhere.”

Well, talking about that…

“How are you? She’s my angel. Laughing”

Paris Barnes works at Walmart. By chance, she met Lois in the store and learned of her situation.

“I think it was meant for us to meet and God is using me to help you. I’m going to cry…I love you,” said Paris.

Paris had to help, first starting a GoFundMe for Lois and then setting her up in a motel.

It’s not clear where Lois will go from here, but she’s already made more friends at that motel — amazed at her story and wishing her well.

“You gotta follow your dreams and life begins at 80,” she said.

Lois is still staying in a motel in Murfreesboro while Paris works with her to find a more permanent place to live.

The GoFundMe is posted:

gofund.me/875b49dbe

And, you can message Nick Beres on Facebook if you’d like to help her.

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.

Nashville International Airport announces a $40 million renovation to improve passenger flow

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Chris Davis

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WTVF) — Nashville International Airport has a 40 million passenger problem. That’s how many people are projected to use BNA each year in the next decade.

To prepare for all of the growth, before a second BNA airport is constructed, the current terminal is about to undergo another big renovation project.

As a result, Nashville International Airport is launching a $40 million renovation project to expand its terminal entrance areas. This will require the main section of escalators and elevators to close for a year and a half, starting this summer.

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority announced the “Central Core Enhancement” will begin June 1, 2026, with an expected completion date of December 2027. The project aims to streamline terminal access and ease congestion as the airport’s passenger volume has more than doubled in the past 10 years.

Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of MNAA, took NewsChannel 5’s Chris Davis on an exclusive tour of the footprint of this project. Look for the story tonight on NewsChannel 5.

“These enhancements aren’t just about managing higher volumes; they represent our commitment to long-term flexibility, traveler safety and an uninterrupted flow through the terminal. Our priorities are, and always will be, to ensure that ease of access and exceptional experiences remain the hallmarks of Nashville International Airport,” said Kreulen.

The renovation will increase the number of escalators from six to 16, along with adding a landing on Level 4. The project will also add a third elevator and replace the two existing elevators with upgraded, bigger, and faster machinery to double overall capacity.

Funding comes from bonds, federal and state aviation grants, Passenger Facility Charges, and other airport funds, with no local tax dollars used.

With the center escalators and elevators closing temporarily, travelers will be able to still use escalators and elevators on the left and the right to access upper levels. The airport is implementing a communications plan that includes additional staff to guide travelers, enhanced signage, and updates on social media and its website to help travelers navigate.

During construction, the Central Core atrium art installation, “The Unscalable Rampart of Time” by Jacob Hashimoto, will be removed. It will be reconfigured and returned when the project is complete with Hashimoto’s oversight.

A 2016 forecast originally projected 30 million travelers, but the airport now expects 40 million, including 3.8 million during a peak month. Kreulen says upgrading the main terminal will buy them time to be able to construct the proposed second terminal along Donelson Pike as Nashville International continues to rapidly grow.

Chris asked Kreulen why these additional escalators and elevators weren’t included in the original version of Nashville’s most recent renovation of the airport. You’ll hear his answer tonight at 6.

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.

Baltimore to Antarctica: The woman who made history and the one inspiring the next generation of travelers

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Kara Burnett

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WMAR) — As Women’s History Month comes to a close, the stories of two Maryland women, decades apart show how representation in travel has evolved.

In 1946, Baltimore native Edith “Jackie” Ronne, made history as the first American woman to visit Antarctica.

It was at a time when exploration was dominated by men. Ronne joined a nearly two-year expedition as the only woman on a team of 20. The group of men weren’t pleased, as she was tasked to lead the exploration if something happened to her husband.

Despite the resistance, she played a key role in collecting data and helping map the Antarctic coastline. According to the Maryland Commission for Women, she’s considered an early pioneer in Antarctic tourism, paving the way for women who would later explore and make policy decisions there.

In her lifetime, she visited the continent 16 times, setup a scholarship for women geographers and received a congressional medal for her work. Ronne’s husband even named an ice shelf in honor.

Decades later, that impact is still being felt.

Baltimore County resident, Kalin Thomas, has traveled to 6 continents and more than 20 countries.

“It was like I was blazing a trail for the next people coming through, the next black woman coming through,” Thomas said.

She followed in Ronne’s footsteps, visiting Antarctica herself, a full-circle moment for two Baltimore women. But even in a sea of people, there were moments were she felt alone.

“I went to a lot of places where people who look like us were the help,” Thomas said. “At that time I really wanted to see more of us enjoying the travel as opposed to being the workers.”

Thomas went on to become CNN’s first Black travel reporter, often finding herself as the only Black woman in the room while reporting abroad.

“A lot of places that I went to, I was the only one. A lot of times I was with a crew of 3 white men and me,” Thomas said.

Not every trip was a welcoming one, she recalls one trip to Tennessee.

“A guy who lived there saw me with my white crew and he yelled to the cameraman, hey man, do you know she’s black?,” Thomas said.

Thomas is writing a book about her travels, the joys and hardships of exploring the world as a black woman in the 80s. That includes one of her trips to Japan.

“They ignored me. I thought it was racism but when I spoke to another Japanese woman who they were treating the same way, she says no, it’s sexism. They only talk to men they don’t talk to the women,” Thomas said.

She hoped that someone watching her on TV, would see themselves in her. Kalin started behind the scenes, working camera, floor directing, and teleprompter before making her way on-air as a reporter for CNN ‘Travel Now’.

“As African Americans and our ancestors, we have spread out from Africa to all over the black diaspora and so wherever we go we belong,” Thomas said. “And I feel like a lot of the younger travelers now know that, they feel that they belong.”

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.

Highland Park City Council votes down proposed museum idea for Michael Jordan mansion

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Adam Harrington, Marissa Sulek, Dylan Olsen

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    HIGHLAND PARK, Illinois (WBBM) — The Highland Park City Council voted down the idea proposed by the owner of Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan’s former mansion in Highland Park, Illinois, to turn the house into a museum.

Jordan’s home has long been iconic. As described in a 2024 real estate listing on Zillow, the 7.4-acre estate features nine bedrooms, 15 full bathrooms, four half bathrooms, a circular infinity pool, a putting green, a tennis court, and a cigar room.

The mansion also features an indoor basketball complex with its own entrance, which was completed in 2001. The complex features a full-size basketball court and a special sound system.

CBS News Chicago was there in August when a group of Chicago youth basketball players had the chance to play on the court of dreams inside the mansion.

The owner said he wanted the mansion to become possibly the next Graceland, which could grow Highland Park’s economy.

The museum would’ve been called “Champions Point,” which the owner, John Cooper, presented to the city council. It would have been free admission for Highland Park residents the first year, Highland Park public and private schools will be able to come once a year for free, and 48 days of the year will be used for youth and community programming.

Neighbors who attended Monday night’s meeting said they were concerned about traffic, noise, and safety. However, not everyone shared those same concerns.

“I think it’s all going to be done in a very controlled way,” Crushers Club executive director Sally Hazelgrove said before the meeting.

She said she understands neighbors’ concerns, but kids in underserved communities need to have experiences like this to dream big and work hard to reach those goals.

“For places like Highland Park to open their arms up to the inner city youth and for others that are not, you know, or disadvantaged and more marginalized, and the oppressed and the poor, we need to open our arms to them,” she said.

Again, the Highland Park City Council voted down the museum idea during the meeting. If the decision had passed, the owner said tickets would have cost $75, and there would be a $50 upcharge for certain places like the basketball court and putting green.

The mansion’s history The house was built between 1993 and 1995, in accordance with Jordan’s exact specifications, including its distinctive wrought iron front gate bearing his famous number 23.

Jordan and his ex-wife, Juanita, raised their sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, and their daughter, Jasmine, in the mansion. Michael and Juanita Jordan divorced in 2006.

In 2010, Jordan had an opulent new home constructed on Jack Nicklaus’ Bears Club development in Jupiter, Florida.

In recent years, the mansion has been in the headlines for the yearslong attempt to sell it. Jordan originally put the mansion up for sale with a $29 million asking price in 2012, but it didn’t sell until December 2024.

The final sale price was $9.5 million, about a third of the original asking price.

The owner told the Chicago Tribune he is thinking of offering tours of the mansion.

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.

Charges dropped for man accused in downtown fight last summer

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Felicia Jordan

Click here for updates on this story

    CINCINNATI (WCPO) — Charges against a man accused of taking part in a downtown fight last summer were dropped Tuesday, the same day the criminal trial was scheduled to begin.

Alex Tchervinski was charged with disorderly conduct; Videos of a man later identified as Tchervinski showed him slapping another man during a downtown brawl caught on clips that went viral online last summer.

In court Tuesday morning, witnesses for the prosecution failed to appear for what should have been the first day of Tchervinski’s trial; after defense attorneys protested any additional delays to trial, the judge announced the charges were instead dismissed.

Following court, a city spokesperson sent the following statement:

“Witnesses who the City anticipated would provide key evidence were not present at court today. As this was the second trial setting for this matter, the case was dismissed for want of prosecution.”

Police originally announced a 45-year-old white man has been charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, in connection with the fight near the intersection of 4th and Elm streets in the early morning of July 26. Police did not name the man, citing Marsy’s Law, as he has also been identified as a victim in the fight.

We spoke with Tchervinski who told us he was the person charged with disorderly conduct.

He was one of eight people charged in connection with the fight. The seven people charged first were Black, something Black community leaders took issue with — calling for police to charge a white man they believed to have incited the fight.

“The Black community of this city demands to be respected, and until justice is fully served, this city can not and will not move forward,” state Rep. Cecil Thomas (D-Cincinnati) said during a community meeting about the fight last summer.

Tchervinski has pleaded not guilty to the charge he faces; his legal case has been unavailable online.

The City Solicitor’s Office, which filed the disorderly conduct charge, explained the sealed nature of the case in a statement to WCPO 9 News.

“In an effort to comply with Marsy’s Law, the city has filed a motion with the court to have the court weigh in on what should be made public and what should not,” a spokesperson said.

Marsy’s Law is designed to protect crime victims’ rights and privacy.

Tchervinski’s attorney, Doug Brannon, told us last year he’s not sure why the city decided to file charges yet keep the case under seal.

“I can’t explain why the city brings a charge and then wants to try and conceal it at the same time,” Brannon said. “I think that this is something that needs to be aired to the public.”

Brannon said Tchervinski and his friends were celebrating a friend’s birthday at a bar on Fourth Street that night. He said nothing happened inside the bar that spilled over outside and that Tchervinski was acting in self-defense.

“We’re not aware of anything that led up to the assault that happened for my client. It appears to be a racially motivated assault,” Brannon 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.

‘They could really have killed her’ | Family demands justice after teens attack 13-year-old on Opening Day

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Valerie Lyons

Click here for updates on this story

    CINCINNATI (WCPO) — Opening Day in Cincinnati is supposed to be about celebration, community and lasting memories. But for one 13-year-old girl, the day quickly turned into a horrifying ordeal — captured on video — that has left her family and community advocates calling for justice.

Cellphone footage shows the girl lying on the ground while multiple teenage girls kick, punch and pull her hair. Even as she struggles to get up, they continue to beat her. Her aunt says the assault could easily have been fatal.

“They could have really killed her,” she told WCPO. “Every time I hear it — I don’t have to look at the video, I just hear it — and I want to cry.”

The victim’s aunt — who asked to remain anonymous — said her niece had been enjoying Opening Day at Washington Park when a group of about four or five began following her toward Republic Street.

“They were walking behind her, antagonizing her. She was alone, and they were a group. They decided, ‘Come on, y’all, we’re going to get her.’ And that’s exactly what they did,” the aunt said.

The girl approached nearby police after her purse was taken, but was told to call her parents, her aunt said. By the time relatives arrived, her niece was sitting on a curb, injured and soaked with mace.

It is unclear if the assault stemmed from a fight involving 20 juveniles in Washington Park.

The girl spent several hours at the hospital. A police officer met them there and helped them file a report, the aunt said.

“Her vision came back later, but she was swollen all over — her face, eyes, head. Her body was bruised. She’s only 13 and still has to get up and go to school. That’s hard,” she said.

In addition to her purse, the group made it out with the girl’s two phones, AirPods and a necklace.

“Her dignity, everything,” the aunt said. “They took it all.”

“We got to do better”

Sheila Nared, director of the Trauma Recovery Center in the West End and a relative of the victim, said she first learned of the attack when someone sent her the video.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” Nared said. “We got to find out who these ladies are and get them off the street, not only for her, but for anybody else that may get harmed.”

Nared said she believes incidents like this expose deeper issues affecting youth.

“It’s terrible, because these kids are angry … They don’t know how to deal with rejection, they don’t know how to deal with emotions and I really think they’re struggling with building relationships,” Nared said. “We robbing these kids in their childhood when we tell them they can’t go out and be kids.”

For Nared, the attack sullies what should be a cherished tradition.

“You want to go to Opening Day when you’re 13, and when you get 21 you want to be like, ‘I remember I was at Opening Day at 13 and I seen this…'” Nared said. “You don’t want to say, ‘I got beat down at the last Opening Day.’”

Both Nared and the girl’s aunt said accountability needs to start with both the teens involved and their parents.

“We got to do better with this teen violence. We got to do better with being friends with each other. These were all young ladies, to my understanding. Come on, girls, y’all supposed to lift each other up and support each other, not attack each other like this,” Nared said. “If kids have nothing to plug into, they’ll keep making bad choices. We can’t only react when violence happens. We need outlets, options, and preventative measures.”

Nared said the Trauma Recovery Center will continue supporting the girl and her family through legal, emotional and physical recovery. She also announced a community healing vigil on April 18 at Laurel Playground in the West End for families affected by violence, including the 11-year-olds QueenEr’Reed and Dominic Davis.

“We’re going to talk to these kids. We must get to the root cause. This is not the answer,” Nared said.

For now, the family’s focus is on justice.

“Everybody in that video needs to be held accountable,” the girl’s aunt said. “I want everything back — her belongings, her dignity. What happened was not right, and we won’t stop until justice is served.”

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WCPO’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.

Pit bull located after vicious attack on jogger

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Darren Cunningham

Click here for updates on this story

    PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WXYZ) — Plymouth Township police reported that a dangerous dog has been found and is in custody after a vicious attack of a runner over the weekend.

The police previously asked the public for help in finding the pit bull. The attack happened on Saturday, around 6:30 a.m. outside of a home near Ann Arbor Trail and Canton Center Road.

There have been several reported sightings. Police said the pit bull is brown and white and was joined by two Cane Corsos in the attack.

After three days of searching, Plymouth Township Police found the dog, thanks to community help.

“(It was) near a playground where children play, the pitfall that we’ve been looking for, tracking since saturday the day of the incident,” said Chief James Knittel with the Plymouth Township Police Department. “unfortunately had to fire rounds at the animal. The animal was tracked to a gas station, where we were able to use snares to bring the dog into a police vehicle and get dog to vet.”

Right now, it’s unclear if the dog will survive, but Chief Knittle said they were concerned the dog would attack again while loose. The runner is in intensive care, but is stable.

The other dogs live in Plymouth, the Chief Knittle couldn’t tell us how far away from home they were when the runner was attacked.

“That’s part of the investigation we’re working on, it’s certainly concerning. In our community, you have to maintain control of your animals. These were out away from the residence unsupervised, and clearly the results of that were significant, with injuries to one of our residents who was out for a morning jog.”

Kendall Cusmano said she just so happened to let her dog out to relieve herself Saturday morning when she heard screams.

“I heard someone screaming in the distance,” she recalled.

Cusmano said she put her dog back in the house and went to investigate.

“I walked right up. I said ‘who are you? Are you OK?’ And they weren’t responding and then I walked a little bit closer and that’s when I found out what I was seeing was somebody was on the ground and there was three dogs on top of him,” she explained.

Cusmano called 911 and learned another person had also made the call.

“As I stood there, I was yelling to the man ‘cover yourself! Cover yourself. They’re coming! They’re coming.’ And as this was going on, one of the three dogs came and run up to me,” she said.

“I was on the street and the dog was in my face and I yelled at the dog to stop. And the dog stopped.”

She stood her ground.

“And then he kind of stopped and he unfortunately started, continued the attack,” Cusmano said. “The police officer pulled right up front, stopped, got out of his car, walked right into the danger, walked right into this.”

Plymouth Township Police Chief James Knittel told 7 News Detroit, “When our officers arrived at the scene, all three of the dogs were attacking the gentleman who was on the ground.”

He said the two Cane Corsos then moved aggressively toward the officers.

“One of the officers pulled their firearms, and three rounds were discharged. We believe two struck one of the dogs. All three of the dogs ran from that location,” Knittel explained.

Officers secured the area to get the victim help. The man is currently receiving treatment in intensive care, but we’re told he’s stable.

As for the dogs: one Cane Corso was caught at a nearby elementary school. The second was found four blocks away and had to be put down due to its injuries and public safety.

“We’re utilizing every resource that we have to locate this pit bull,” Knittel said.

The last sighting was in Canton late Monday afternoon in the area of North Joy Road between Lilley and Morton Taylor roads.

The chief said the owners are cooperating. The case is headed to the prosecutor’s office for review.

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.

Toddler safe after being accidentally towed inside a repossessed car

CNN Newsource on March 31, 2026

By Tiarra Braddock

Click here for updates on this story

    DETROIT, Michigan (WXYZ) — A 2-year-old is safe after being inside a car that was repossessed in Detroit on Friday.

Detroit police say as soon as the repo driver was notified the toddler was in the car, he turned around and the child was reunited with their mother.

I learned the driver who took the car was with the company Bulldog Recovery. I stopped by the business and spoke to the driver off camera. He told me he looked inside the car, but the windows were so dark he did not see a child inside. He also told me the child was covered in a blanket.

Jenny Liagre is the owner of Rockwood Recovery in Roseville and the past president of the Michigan Association of Repossession Agencies. She spoke to the driver who took the car with the toddler inside.

“He did his due diligence. He did exactly what he was trained to do. He followed protocol to a T,” Liagre said.

“He is a seasoned vet. He knows what he’s doing. He did everything he was supposed to do,” Liagre said.

“The first thing the agent is going to do is check the VIN on the vehicle to make sure he has the right vehicle and then he’s going to check the inside of the vehicle to make sure there was no one inside the vehicle as well,” Liagre continued. “If those windows weren’t as dark as they were, he would’ve noticed that there was a child in that vehicle.”

Liagre said the driver from Bulldog Recovery told her he is happy the child is safe.

“He said he pulled over about four or five different times just to make sure the kid was OK and luckily, the child was sleep for the entire ride,” Liagre said.

Earlier this month, a 13-month-old child was found alive inside a locked car at an impound lot in Eastpointe nearly two days after the car was towed from a Harper Woods street. The child’s father was arrested and has since been charged with child abuse.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.