Month: April 2026

By Andrew Adeolu

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    MARYLAND (WJZ) — A 32-year-old man residing in Maryland is recovering in the hospital following an incident in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were accused of driving into his vehicle on Thursday.

His lawyers identified him as Ever Alvarenga Rios, and said he had been seeking citizenship for the past eight years after immigrating from Honduras.

One of his attorneys said that he was released from the hospital on Sunday and taken to Enforcement and Removal Operations.

The Baltimore Banner, quoted an attorney who alleged ICE agents had intentionally rammed into Alvarenga Rios’ van.

“I’m not aware of any law enforcement protocol in any scenario or setting across the country” that allows for federal agents to use their vehicle in that way to enforce immigration laws,” immigration attorney Adam Crandell told the Banner.

According to Baltimore Police, the incident took place at 7:36 a.m. Police said patrol officers responded to the 200 block of South Haven Street to investigate a car crash involving two vehicles. Homeland Security said that Alvarenga Rios “drove recklessly through the streets of Baltimore” before allegedly slamming the brakes, “causing a multi-car pileup.” ICE said that Alvarenga Rios then ran away before he was arrested.

Police confirmed that one of the vehicles was driven by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official and that the crash left both drivers with minor injuries.

“This illegal alien broke our laws, resisted arrest, sent two ICE law enforcement officers to the hospital, and endangered the general public. Thankfully, both our officers are expected to make a full recovery,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement Saturday.

Both individuals were transported to the hospital for evaluation, where the man remained on Friday with “significant injuries to his head, chest, back, and hands,” according to a statement from his lawyers.

Attorneys for Alvarenga Rios said they were denied visiting their client multiple times at the hospital. They also said that a pastor was not allowed to see Alvarenga Rios.

“We are deeply disturbed by the conduct of the ICE agents involved – not only for their actions that caused our client’s injuries and endangered the general public safety – but for the continued denial of his access to counsel and due process under the law. This incident underscores growing concerns nationwide about how immigration enforcement actions are being executed in our country,” said Eldridge Crandell, LLC.

On Thursday morning, Lurbin Vasquez said her husband’s employee called her saying ICE arrested Alvarenga Rios.

“In that moment, I started crying,” Vasquez said. “I got nervous without knowing what to do.”

Vasquez said she and her husband love the Lord, and he walks a fine line and obeys all laws.

“My husband doesn’t have a criminal record, not even in our origin country that’s Honduras,” she said.

Family and friends like Eyni Mancia saw him at the hospital and took pictures and videos of his injuries.

“I was able to see him for five minutes,” Mancia said.

Mancia said not long after the short visit, they were asked to leave the hospital. Meanwhile, Alvarenga Rios’ lawyers are still fighting to talk with their client.

“I’m just waiting for the moment for him to walk through the door. There’s family waiting for him to come back home,” Vasquez said.

Clarissa Lindsey, Alvarenga Rios’ attorney, said she had a brief conversation with Alvarenga Rios while third-party ICE agents were in the room.

“ICE has informed PPS, which is that third-party contractor, that the client is not able to have access to any legal counsel while he is in the hospital,” Lindsey said.

“At this point, because I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with him, I am unclear as to which injuries are a result of the rear-ending and the accident itself or are a result of the actual physical interaction with ICE agents,” she said.

Lindsey said Alvarenga Rios operates his own flooring business. She said he has no prior convictions or charges.

Senator Chris Van Hollen wrote on X, “Ever Alvarenga, an asylum seeker, was driving to work Thursday morning when he was rear-ended by an ICE vehicle. He is still in the hospital after suffering significant injuries to his head, chest, back, & hands. After the accident, he was detained & ICE now refuses to allow his attorneys to meet with him privately, a clear denial of the due process rights afforded to all under our Constitution. ICE tactics are endangering our communities & violating the Constitution.”

Lindsey confirmed with WJZ that Alvarenga Rios is expected to be released from the hospital on Sunday.

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 Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — At least a third of older adults in the U.S. experience loneliness, which is linked to a 50% higher dementia risk. With that in mind, two Minnesota high schoolers are launching a nonprofit called Blossom of Blessings.

There’s a lot going on at Indulge & Bloom at Maple Grove Floral. It’s time for a special delivery and a special announcement to two special customers, Andrew Heiden and Hayden Sterling.

“Our floral supplier, Len Busch Roses, has offered to give us some of their stuff so that we can help make most bouquets to give back to the community,” said Indulge & Bloom’s Raed Kakish. “Keep doing it. I’m supplying you now, move forward.”

And Kakish was surprised, in a good way, to hear about their mission to deliver fresh flowers to seniors for free.

“When I was in church one day, it was a message about love and kind of spreading love to others,” Heiden said. “It kind of just came up in my head one day and I decided to commit to it, and I called Hayden later that night.”

“I really like working with him so it’s perfect, and I like helping people out, too,” Sterling said.

“I was thinking like some of these people may not get a lot of visitors,” Heiden said.

And it’s just the beginning for the Wayzata and Armstrong high school students.

“I do want to turn it into like a registered nonprofit,” Heiden said. “That’s probably a goal probably sometime this year.”

They started making bouquets a year ago, and support is blossoming. WCCO tagged along during a visit to SilverCreek on Main, a senior living complex in Maple Grove.

“It’s so wonderful to see young men of their age be so kind and considerate to us elderly people, I think it’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful,” said one of the residents.

Both Heiden and Sterling plan to attend the University of Minnesota.

You can find more information on Blossom of Blessing on Instagram. Heiden and Sterling have also launched a GoFundMe account to help with their endeavor.

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 Jack Springgate

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    INDIANAPOLIS (WWJ) — The Michigan Wolverines are one game away from winning their second-ever men’s basketball national championship.

The team came up short the last two times they made it to the title game — in 2013 and 2018 — but fans are feeling like this year will be a different story.

CBS News Detroit found out exactly why there’s so much confidence as fans left the stadium in Indianapolis following Saturday night’s game against Arizona.

The Wolverines have now won seven straight national semifinals dating back to the 1960s, if you include the Fab Five years. Even though six of those past teams failed to win it all, fans are throwing the history books out the window after witnessing the Bear Down beatdown Saturday night.

“Best Michigan team I’ve ever seen,” said one Michigan fan who went to the game, Justin Zemanski.

And they proved it, a performance that left Michigan fans in disbelief as they poured out of Lucas Oil Stadium.

“Those guys played like I’ve never seen them play before. They were together. Their effort as a team was united. It was just absolutely spectacular,” said Michigan alum Andreae Wanders.

The Wolverines’ Yaxel Lendeborg, Big Ten player of the year, logged only 14 minutes in the game.

“You know that Yaxel is the best, but everyone else is so good, too. Just an incredible team. We’re going to finish it Monday,” said Zemanski.

“There’s so many guys on that team. If Cadeau plays well, you can’t beat Michigan,” said Michigan fan Jim Ruzicki.

Among the maize and blue faithful were Arizona fans who got a firsthand lesson in what this Michigan team is all about.

“Y’all are dogs,” said an Arizona fan.

“I mean, Michigan was built like this all year,” said another Wildcat fan.

“We didn’t expect this to be a runaway. We definitely didn’t expect it to be a blowout in the other direction,” said Arizona fan Steve Craig.

The game turned some Wildcat fans into Wolverine fans, at least for one night.

“They would have beaten anybody tonight. Beat UConn, please,” said an Arizona fan.

For the Wolverine fans that were in Lucas Oil Stadium, they get to extend their stay in Indy and they’ll soon be joined by a whole bunch more coming to the Circle City for the national championship.

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 Denzen Cortez

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — Scott and Ethan Pesch, a father and son, are cycling across the United States to visit 30 Major League Baseball ballparks, raising awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The journey began March 26 in Seattle and is set to end Sept. 26 in Miami, spanning more than 9,500 miles over six months.

“You have these things in life that you want to do, but you really never do them,” Scott said.

Scott Pesch first attempted a similar trip in 1994 with a group of track and field teammates, biking across the country to visit Major League stadiums. Now, more than three decades later, he is taking on the challenge again, this time alongside his son.

The journey carries a deeper purpose.

Pesch said he was inspired in part by the death of the daughter of a former professor at Cal Poly Humboldt, an experience that left a lasting impact. The loss of a family member, Rigo Sanchez, last year, also motivated the father and son to take on the ride together.

The pair is riding to support St. Jude, with all proceeds from their effort going toward research and treatment for children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Along the way, Scott and Ethan have already experienced unforgettable moments, including stepping onto big league fields, receiving a game ball and having it signed by players.

“This is all going to St. Jude, man,” Scott said.

A player responded, “We appreciate you guys.”

Their journey is also about connection, inviting others to join them for segments of the ride as they travel from city to city.

Those interested in supporting their journey and contributing to childhood cancer research can find more information and donate through their website.

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 Jason McNabb

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s former Zorro Ranch in rural Santa Fe County has attracted attention from all over the world, with some even trespassing to explore the property despite it being illegal.

Three young men from Colorado admitted to illegally entering San Rafael Ranch, as it is now known by the new owners, to gather content for a YouTube video. They said they are lucky to be alive after claiming they were shot at by the ranch’s manager.

Zorro Ranch has caused quite a stir recently following the release of over a million files and the Department of Justice’s new investigation into Epstein’s activities there. This piqued the curiosity of three YouTubers from the Denver area.

Ali Atfi, Mercius Louis, and David Nguyen made the drive to Stanley last week. They admitted to jumping the fence of the property, which had clear “No Trespassing” signs posted, to take a look around. They sent cellphone video clips they took while approaching the infamous 13,000-square-foot mansion located on private property.

“We were just taking videos of everything outside from the windows,” one of the men said.

Shortly after, they said trucks drove up, and they ran.

“We’re, like, trying to go down the hill at this point. They’re like, come back up here,” said another.

Mercius became separated from the rest of the group and said he saw someone behind him.

“Next moment, I see his hand raised, I turn my head. Bam,” he said, motioning a gun being drawn.

He said a man fired a gun at him.

“I just kept running,” he said.

Eventually, all three were detained by staff and turned over to Santa Fe County sheriff deputies.

“We were just glad to make it out alive. And it, just like, we just rode home, went back home,” they said.

In the police report, the property manager admitted to shooting and killing a rattlesnake that morning.

However, when an investigator asked him if he fired a gun when the men were caught, he said he would “lawyer up” and not answer any more questions.

KOAT’s legal expert John Day said it is illegal to shoot someone for trespassing unless deadly force is being threatened. The police report said the three men had no weapons. Deputies looked into aggravated assault charges against the property manager, but the district attorney’s office found there wasn’t enough probable cause to pursue charges.

“Would you say your experience is a cautionary tale for other YouTubers who might have similar ideas to go out there?” they were asked.

“One-hundred-percent. I don’t want anyone stepping near that ranch,” they replied.

Entering private property is illegal. The three men were hit with petty misdemeanor trespassing charges, and potential penalties include fines of $500 and even jail time.

KOAT is still waiting for a comment from both the property manager and attorney for San Rafael Ranch.

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 Felix Cortez

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    SEASIDE, California (KSBW) — A missing person case out of Seaside involving a San Francisco man is now being considered suspicious.

“His disappearance is extremely unusual. He’s never done this before,” said Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges.

Thirty-four-year-old Dewayne Williams of San Francisco has been missing since early Monday morning, when he left and never returned.

“He’s healthy. He doesn’t suffer from any type of mental condition. There have been no reports of any substance abuse and no reports of him being suicidal,” Borges said.

Williams and his wife were in town last weekend to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was their first time in the area, and now the husband is missing. Williams was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, black jeans and orange Nikes. His wife spoke to KSBW by phone from San Francisco.

“If anyone has seen him, please just give me a call or let me know something. We just want to know if he’s OK. His mom, his uncles, his son — everyone is worried. We have a lot of people out looking for him, even in San Francisco,” said Patrice Williams, the missing man’s wife.

His wife told detectives her husband went to the beach early Monday morning while it was still dark, then returned around 3:30 a.m., saying he was going to a bus stop where he had left his jacket. Surveillance video shows him walking north on Fremont Boulevard near Playa Avenue, close to the Gateway Lodge, where the couple was staying. Police said Williams does not own a cellphone.

“If that’s all true, that makes this extremely suspicious that a grown adult wanders off in the middle of the night and does not return home or to his hotel. It’s concerning,” Borges said.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Dewayne Williams is asked to call 911 or Seaside police.

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 Christiana Ford

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    LIVONIA, Michigan (WXYZ) — Sweet 220, a Livonia bakery, is seeing massive lines and selling out of thousands of cupcakes after a viral influencer review changed everything for the struggling business.

Owner Hassan Makki says ever since the viral video by social media influencer Chow Down Detroit, the bakery has had a line and sold out almost every day.

“Today we made 2,000 cupcakes, so I’m not trying to be out today,” Makki said.

The Arab American Muslim pastry chef started the business in 2008 with his wife, opening their current location in 2011, where everything is made from scratch. Makki said things were a lot different just one month ago, describing business as slow and quiet.

“Like every other small business, food or bakery establishment, it was tough. We were dealing with high inflation. We were dealing with all our prices going up on all our products. Our pastry products, our plastic products, our cupcake containers, our chocolate is crazy, our dairy is inflated. Everything has gone up, so for us, our profit margins, completely, just depleted, so, for us, we couldn’t just up our prices on everyday consumers because we’re everyday consumers serving everyday consumers,” Makki said.

Then Chow Down Detroit visited.

“He got a six-pack of cupcakes, and in his own words, his words ring in my head because I watch the video so much, he said, ‘these might be the best cupcakes in metro Detroit,” Makki said.

It has been four weeks since that visit, and the bakery has sold out almost every day and hired more help. Last Saturday, the bakery sold out of 1,800 cupcakes. Makki says he’s so grateful.

“I’d just like to just give this man his recognition because what he does for small businesses. It’s unbelievable, and he’s truly just a kind, humble human being,” Makki said.

The line is a sight that still makes Makki emotional.

“Wow,” Makki said. “Thankful, blessed, happy, proud, humbled.”

Customers lined up early, before doors opened at eleven, to get their hands on the popular treats.

“I been here since a quarter to ten this morning,” Alicia Crafter said.

Crafter was determined to pick up the perfect cupcakes for her husband, Michael’s, retirement party.

“We tried to order some two weeks ago, and he was not taking pre-orders. He said he was swamped,” Crafter said.

Crafter, a long-time customer, did not mind the wait and is happy to support the family behind the sweets they have grown to love.

“And it’s a blessing, now it’s all coming back,” Crafter said as she hugged Makki

Other customers are visiting for the first time after seeing the viral video.

“I came here to get some dessert for Easter. I follow Chow Down Detroit on TikTok,” Miranda Johnson said.

“I’m here because I want to try to banana pudding cupcake and my mom wants to try the lemon cheesecake and the pumpkin cheesecake,” Synedy Lawrence said.

Makki is relying on his faith to continue growing his business. He is proud to have cultivated a positive environment where kindness and community are their biggest values.

This story was reported on air by a journalist and has been converted for this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ 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.

By James Groh

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    MILWAUKEE (WTMJ) — There’s a man in Wisconsin who is foraging for all of his food for an entire year. For 365 days, he is eating berries, fruits, leafy greens, fish, and even venison.

“I harvest my venison from deer that were hit by cars. Some people call that roadkill, but I say deer that was hit by a car.”

That’s Robin Greenfield. He describes himself in many ways: “environmental activist, also forager, or activist forager, or human being, or some guy we found eating plants on the side of the road.”

He finds all of his food just growing out in nature. Normally, he brings a bag and a pair of shears to harvest his food, but sometimes, he likes to get on his hands and knees and eat like a goat.

“Just feels nice to be harvesting straight from my mouth. There’s something about it,” he said.

Greenfield lives in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. He’s on a mission to help promote environmentally friendly practices and encourage people to live more sustainably. He’s not asking you to be as intense as him – to sleep in parks or make your own clothes or eat like a goat – Greenfield just wants to inspire change in any way possible.

“I celebrate anybody who is doing a little bit, but a little bit’s not enough for me. I really actually want to live in a way where I’m living in harmony with this earth.”

That means he has taken some intense measures to fulfill that desire. Along with foraging for his food, he no longer has his I.D., passport, credit cards, a bank account, insurance, a phone, a car, or regular shoes. He makes all of his clothes from natural resources.

“And I’m really going to the essence of being a human, being like we have been for 99.9 percent of our existence,” he said.

In fact, he chooses to follow a different set of laws, if you will. Greenfield adheres to ‘Earth Code’ instead of Government Law.

“Looking at everything that I do and asking, is this providing a quality of life for the earth, for the plants, and animals we share this home with, and for my community of humans?”

That means critically thinking about why certain rules are the way they are.

“For me in Milwaukee, you’re not allowed to forage in some of the city parks. That would be an example of I would joyously follow ‘Earth Code’ first,” he said.

Greenfield also spent time sleeping in Griffith Park in Los Angeles, which was illegal. He doesn’t want to break rules to be reckless, violent, or harmful. To him, it’s a calculated decision about what makes more sense to him when it comes to living as sustainably a life as possible.

“My job is to go to this extreme to stimulate critical thought to help people to ask questions.”

Before his life of foraging, Greenfield, a UW-La Crosse graduate, owned his own marketing firm in San Diego. He helped put ads on grocery store loudspeakers and the back of hotel key cards. Then, in 2011, he gradually made changes to his life like having more reusable items in his home. Next, he started buying more from farmers’ markets, biking instead of driving, and volunteering with local organizations. As the years went on, his actions became more extreme – like cutting up his I.D.

“And, you know, here I am. I’m a human being. I still exist, and this is that exploration. My objective is to exist in a very non-attached impermanent way,” Greenfield said.

He’s based in Northern Wisconsin, but travels the country teaching people about foraging and living environmentally friendly lives. His nonprofit, Regeneration, Equity, and Justice, helps cover just the basic travel expenses. He is committed to living below the federal poverty line, so any money earned goes back to the non-profit to further spread his mission. He has more than 2.1 million followers across all social media platforms.

“One of the challenges of my life is creating that boundary and separation between myself and the nonprofit,” Greenfield said.

He drives most places, stays at friends’ houses or camps, and, of course, forages for his food.

It’s not a lifestyle meant for everyone. It’s just meant to inspire change in big or small ways.

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 Kaylee Olivas

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    EUCLID, Ohio (WEWS) — Can you believe Jellybeanville has been around in Euclid on Zeman Avenue for 65 years?

Steve Kaselak, a.k.a. Peter Cottontail, has been curating an Easter theme in his front yard — never repeating one.

This year’s theme is America’s birthday.

“This year is special. We’ve got America — 250, celebrating the birthday of our great nation,” Kaselak said. “Sixty-five years and there’s been no red eggs, but we had to use it for red, white, and blue.”

It’s taken months of planning and about two weeks to set it all up.

Kaselak strung eggs throughout his property, put up inflatables, and had hand-painted signage.

He said the message behind it all is joy and happiness and how he wants to color the community with it.

“Jellybeanville is just a tradition here in Euclid. Through generations, people were little, they’re big, they got grandkids, and it just keeps going on and on, and people come back almost every year to see Jellybeanville,” Kaselak said.

Not only did the attraction bring back returning onlookers, but lots of families who had never been before showed up this year.

“We’ve seen it online and were wondering where it was and if it was real and we came over to see it and I like it. It’s very nice,” one onlooker, Zemia, told us on Sunday. “This is a beautiful thing to see, to bring the family and enjoy it.”

Beyond the front yard masterpiece is a way for the community to give back.

There was a donation box set up on the lawn for anyone willing.

All proceeds will go directly to the Journey Center for Safety and Healing, an organization that supports those experiencing domestic violence, child abuse and trauma in Cleveland.

“They need the help, so we love helping them out each year,” Kaselak 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.