Month: May 2026

By Michael Guise

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    ERIE, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A mother in Erie, Pennsylvania, was at a drug deal when a fire broke out at her home, killing her three children, authorities said.

Danozjna Williams has been charged with third-degree murder, endangering the welfare of children, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the fire that broke out on March 29, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Officials said Williams left her children unsupervised at her apartment on March 29 and was gone for nearly one hour while at a drug deal in Corry. The fire started around 4:30 p.m. and killed her three kids, ages 5, 3 and five months, CBS affiliate Erie News Now reported.

“This is a heartbreaking, but completely preventable tragedy,” Erie County District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz said in the news release. “The evidence shows these young children were left without supervision in a situation where they needed their mother to protect them and keep them safe. That duty was abandoned, with devastating consequences.”

According to court paperwork obtained by Erie News Now, firefighters had trouble getting into the apartment because a mattress was blocking the stairwell and a couch was in front of a door at the top of the stairs. Fire crews had to use another door to get into the home, where they found the three kids dead inside a bedroom, according to the paperwork.

Williams left the home around 4:01 p.m. and did not return until around 4:51 p.m., officials said in the paperwork obtained by Erie News Now. The fire reportedly started in the kitchen on the second floor, but the cause of the blaze has not been determined.

Williams’ bail was denied, and she is in the Erie County Prison.

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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    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — For the second time in two months, New York Bagels in Philadelphia’s Overbrook neighborhood was damaged in an explosion.

The explosion was first reported around 5 a.m. Sunday at the shop on the 7000 block of Haverford Avenue.

Philadelphia fire dispatch said no injuries were reported in the blast.

Philadelphia Gas Works responded to the scene and turned off gas for the property, a spokesperson for PGW said. No other service was interrupted, and the explosion appears to be connected to the shop’s commercial range, the spokesperson said.

In March, an appliance malfunction and subsequent gas explosion forced New York Bagels to shut down for repairs.

Owner Rayyan Kayyali said the bakery was planning a grand reopening on Mother’s Day and had more than 10,000 bagels prepared, along with 500 pounds of cream cheese and other deli items.

“It’s unfortunate, but it’s God’s plan,” Kayyali said.

Kayyali said he’ll start working to reopen the shop as soon as possible.

The Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the incident, a spokesperson for the fire department 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 Laura Fay

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    WILMINGTON, Delaware (KYW) — A Delaware man is in custody after he barricaded himself and two colleagues inside a Wilmington Wawa and started a fire Saturday night, police said.

Police were called to the Wawa at 2030 Limestone Road around 8:20 p.m. They found Raul Zavala, 36, of Wilmington, had barricaded himself and two of his coworkers in the manager’s office, according to a press release from Delaware State Police. Zavala allegedly refused to leave and set fire to the electrical closet in the office. The fire spread, forcing Zavala out of the office, and officers were able to take him into custody after using a taser.

One of the other Wawa workers, a 21-year-old man, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The other worker, a 50-year-old woman, was not hurt, police said.

Before the police arrived, the 21-year-old went into the office to talk to Zavala, who slammed the door on him. Zavala then let the coworker in and assaulted him, according to police. The other coworker then went into the office, and Zavala threatened both of them with a knife. When police tried to enter the office, Zavala ran into the electrical closet and locked the door, police said.

Zavala was taken to an area hospital for treatment for burns. He will be charged with aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment, arson and other counts, according to police.

Delaware State Police are investigating the incident.

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 Penny Kmitt, Logan Hall

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    LYNN, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Dozens of people in Lynn, Massachusetts are protesting the impending deportation of a mother from Guatemala.

Mariola Perez came to the United States 16 years ago and has been seeking asylum here for more than a decade. She has a 15-year-old son with complex medical needs who is a U.S. citizen. Perez has worked in Lynn as a trained medical interpreter and para-educator in the city’s public schools.

Perez said she was told to expect to be detained at her next regularly scheduled check-in with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Burlington on Monday. She has not clarified exactly who told her this or where she might be deported.

“The fear is real. The fear of the possibility of not seeing my son graduate from high school, or not being able to keep driving him to his soccer game and becoming a professional soccer player. I can’t even explain to you the mental health toll that has taken on my family, despite of all the support I’m getting,” Perez said at a rally for her in Lynn on May 6.

Another rally was held for her Sunday night at Red Rock Park in Lynn.

“Mariola is a beloved member of our community. She’s a mom, you can see her here with her son, and we are not going to stand by and watch her get ripped away needlessly and cruelly,” said Isaac Simon Hodes from the community group Lynn United for Change. “We’ve got her back. The community is standing together to say no to this deportation (and) yes to keeping this community together.”

Perez is also getting support from the mayor, city councilors and fellow teachers.

“We’re here to show not just support to her, but to all of our immigrant brothers and sisters and siblings that are going through this difficult time,” said Phill O’Connor of the Lynn teachers’ union.

“She comes and supports us to have important meetings, important information to be translated for the community,” said Lynn resident Lupita Panameno. “As a friend, as a mother, as a community member, she is so valuable.”

CBS News Boston has reached out to both ICE and the agency’s field office in Burlington, Massachusetts for comment on Perez’s case but there has been no response.

Lynn, Massachusetts is 13 miles north of Boston.

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 Adam Thompson

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — Hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur, who lived in Baltimore during his teenage years, had a street named after him on Friday, nearly 30 years after his death.

Tupac was born in New York City, but in 1984, he moved to Baltimore, where he attended Roland Park Middle School, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, and the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Now, a portion of Baltimore’s Greenmount Avenue has been named “Tupac Shakur Way,” where Tupac’s childhood home is located.

The Tupac Shakur street rededication event included rap and spoken-word performances, a special appearance by the Baltimore Oriole, and the unveiling of the Tupac Shakur street sign and peace pole.

Tupac’s sister, Sekyiwa “Set” Shakur, attended the ceremony, saying she hopes these symbols will have a positive impact on the city.

“I’m begging the community to allow this park to be a place of safety and refuge,” she said. “When children are in pain, or in need, or running from danger, any adult that’s around should offer protection.”

Mayor Brandon Scott said Baltimore was where Tupac “really became a rapper,” citing his early work that was written at Mullan Park, winning his first rap contest at Enoch Pratt Free Library, and performing his first concert at the Cherry Hill Recreation Center.

“We have to continue to live and walk in the honor and legacy of Tupac Shakur, not just because he’s a Baltimorean, but most importantly because he was a man who lifted up and fought for his people and wanted us to be better for each other,” Scott said.

The Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation plants peace poles in cities across the country, with an effort to create safe spaces for communities.

On Friday, the Baltimore Orioles gave away Tupac Shakur bobbleheads to fans attending the game, and his sister threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Tupac’s resume Starting in 1984, Tupac lived in a rowhome in the 3900 block of Greenmount Avenue with his mother and sister.

He transferred to the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting, poetry, jazz, and ballet, and befriended actress Jada Pinkett Smith.

Tupac was shot and killed in September 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was known for his rapping and acting.

“I will never forget the call I got when Pac got to be with the ancestors. My cousin rang my phone off the hook,” said Mayor Scott, who was in seventh at Roland Park Middle School. “It felt like a gut-punch. We cried in school for days. What we felt was that our voice, the voice of young, Black America, had just been snuffed out like that. Then we had to remember his words, and it’s my favorite quote from Pac, ‘I’m not saying I’m gonna change the world, but I guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world.”

Some of his top songs include, “Changes,” “California Love,” “Dear Mama,” “Hit ‘Em Up,” “Hail Mary,” “Keep Ya Head Up,” and “Ambitionz Az a Ridah,” and others.

He also acted in movies, “Poetic Justice,” “Above The Rim,” “Juice,” Bullet,” and “Gridlock’d.”

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.