Month: September 2026

By Ashley Paul

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    HARTFORD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — Health officials in Harford County are warning residents after another animal tested positive for rabies Wednesday, pushing the county’s total number of cases this year past the number reported in all of 2025.

“It’s a little spooky, I guess. Definitely unexpected. We play outside all the time, so hearing about rabies is always scary, especially when there’s kids involved,” said Chris McIntosh of Forest Hill.

Neighbors in a Forest Hill community said they are concerned after a rabid groundhog was found in their neighborhood this week.

That case was one of four rabies-positive animals reported in the county this week. A rabid groundhog and raccoon were reported from Aberdeen on Tuesday.

“Surprising, I mean we’ve seen some foxes and some other stuff wandering around but having a rabid animal is always concerning,” said Christian Taylor of Forest Hill.

A fox that tested positive Wednesday marked the 28th rabies case reported in Harford County this year.

Why the uptick in rabies cases Ronya Nassar with the Harford County Health Department said the increase could be partly due to greater awareness and more people reporting suspected cases.

“Just the awareness in general has really gotten individuals to learn more about rabies. We’re really providing the education, and I think that’s kind of why we’ve been seeing more of those cases,” Nassar said.

Oral Rabies Vaccination Program The latest cases come just weeks after the county announced its Oral Rabies Vaccination Program.

So far, officials have distributed more than 1,000 bait packets throughout the county in an effort to vaccinate wild animals that consume them.

“We might not see this change overnight with the cases. But we are really hopeful that this program is going to work,” Nassar said.

Safety reminder for Harford County residents Nassar is reminding residents to make sure their pets are vaccinated and to teach children not to interact with wild animals.

Neighbors said they plan to be more cautious after the recent rabies cases.

“We always try to keep our distance with animals anyway, let them do their own thing. But yeah, I think I definitely will be more cautious seeing animals, especially if they’re behaving strangely,” McIntosh said.

“We’ll definitely look in the backyard a little closer before letting him out at night and make sure we keep an eye on him when he’s out there for sure, because that’s ugly,” Taylor said.

Anyone who thinks they may have been exposed to an animal with rabies in Harford County should contact the Harford County Health Department immediately at 410-877-2300.

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 Drew Aunkst

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — The family of a 3-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a 14-year-old driving a stolen car in Baltimore voiced frustration Wednesday after the teenager was sentenced in Juvenile Court.

Details of the sentence were not released because of the teenager’s age.

Jordan Bright was struck in June on West Pratt Street near South Monroe Street, according to police. The teenager was charged with auto theft and vehicular manslaughter and prosecuted in the juvenile justice system.

Jordan’s mother, Nyjada Billy, spoke out about her frustration but said she could not discuss details of Wednesday’s proceedings.

“This is so important and for me not to be able to talk about it is frustrating,” Billy said. “Because he’s a juvenile, I can’t even speak the truth about what just happened.”

Billy said she believes the juvenile justice system has failed her daughter and has given the teenager opportunities that Jordan will never have.

“Jordan will never get a chance at life, but throughout this process we have watched the juvenile justice system give chance after chance to the person that took her,” Billy said.

Because the defendant is a juvenile, officials did not release information about the sentence handed down Wednesday. Billy also said she was asked not to disclose details about what happened inside the juvenile justice center.

The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office said in an email that juveniles can be committed to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services until they turn 21 in certain cases.

Probation can range from six months of supervision to three or four years, depending on whether the offense is a misdemeanor or felony. Commitment is only available for felony cases, according to the office.

Baltimore attorney Warren Brown said sentences in juvenile cases can include placement in a juvenile facility followed by home detention and continued supervision, including counseling and other services.

For Jordan’s family, however, the prospect of rehabilitation for the teenager does not change the loss of their daughter.

Billy said her family must continue living without Jordan, whom she remembered for her big smile and her passion for skating.

She is now calling on Maryland lawmakers and local leaders to examine Jordan’s case and consider whether the juvenile justice system provides the level of accountability families expect after a child is killed.

Maryland’s juvenile justice laws are also undergoing significant changes. The Youth Charging Reform Act is scheduled to take effect next month.

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 Dan Raby

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    JACKSON COUNTY, Georgia (WUPA) — Officers have arrested two men in connection with a deadly shooting of a 23-year-old at an East Georgia Subway.

Authorities say the shots rang out at the Subway on U.S. Highway 129 in Jefferson shortly before 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, officers responded to the Subway after getting a 911 call and found 23-year-old Aaron Winston Johnson shot multiple times.

Medics took Johnson to a regional hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Investigators believe that the suspects in the case, identified as 21-year-old Terrance Singleton and 23-year-old Brian Taylor, had gone to a home in Commerce to talk with Johnson earlier that day, but Johnson never left the home.

Officers found Singleton and Taylor in DeKalb County on Wednesday. Both men are currently being held in the Jackson County Jail charged with murder.

The investigation remains ongoing. Officials are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Athens at 706-552-2309 or the agency’s tip line at 1-800-597-8477.

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 Nikiya Carrero

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — The fourth and final dog involved in a brutal attack that left a woman seriously injured in northwest Miami-Dade has been captured, giving the victim a moment of relief six days after she says she nearly died.

Miami-Dade Animal Services confirmed Wednesday that the fourth dog is off the streets. The news came the same day Ashley Perez spoke publicly about the Sept. 17 attack and the trauma she continues to experience.

“Yes?! Oh, thank God!” Perez said after learning the final dog had been captured.

For the first time in six days, Perez smiled as she received the news.

“That’s great,” she said with a sigh.

Perez said she was walking down the street when she heard aggressive barking and noticed an open gate at a nearby home.

“By the time I noticed the gate was completely open to this house, it was too late,” Perez said. “These animals acted as pack hunters. They began to make concentric circles and boxed me in against the fence.”

Perez said the four dogs attacked her, leaving open wounds across her body. She described the attack as a near-death experience and said neighbors rushed to help her.

“I was very concerned as I was laying in the grass dying,” Perez said. “I heard men and women screaming in complete anger, ‘I told her, I told that woman, I’ve been telling her for months, take care of those dogs. This is going to happen to somebody.'”

Attorney says dog owner could be held liable Perez’s attorney, Michael Goldfarb, said Florida law generally holds dog owners responsible when their animals bite or attack someone, with limited exceptions.

“If the owner of a dog attacks someone, bites someone, that owner is responsible with very few exceptions,” Goldfarb said. “And this case is very clear about what happened. The gate was open, and the four dogs saw Perez and ran and attacked her.”

The woman who lives at the home where the dogs were being kept has said the animals do not belong to her. She claims her ex-husband left the dogs at the property.

CBS News Miami went to the home Wednesday, but no one answered the door.

With all four dogs now off the streets, Perez said she has some relief, but she continues to recover from the physical and emotional effects of the attack.

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.