New evidence reveals fifth child dead in murder case

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Eric Miller

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    North Carolina (WRAL) — New warrants released Monday reveal the Zebulon father accused of murdering his four children had a fifth child, whom he buried behind the family’s home.

Wellington Dickens III is facing multiple counts of first-degree murder. He was arrested in October, after calling 911 and telling the dispatcher he’d killed the children through a combination of neglect and over-discipline.

The warrants released Monday say Dickens and his wife also had a fifth child, named Riley, who died shortly after the family moved into the Zebulon home. Court records show Dickens took possession of the home in May 2023.

Dickens told investigators that Riley was about a month old when the child’s health began to decline. It’s not clear how Riley died.

After the child died, Dickens said he wrapped the body in paper or plastic material and buried the child in a four-foot-deep unmarked grave in a wooded area behind the home. Investigators said Riley’s death was never reported in any capacity.

Family members told investigators they had never seen, heard from or about Riley once the family moved.

Investigators have been searching for Riley’s grave, but so far, they have not found any signs of the baby’s body.

Neighbors told WRAL News that sheriff’s deputies and members of the State Bureau of Investigation have visited the home multiple times since Dickens was arrested. That includes one visit on October 31, when a video shared by neighbors shows Dickens himself leading investigators across the property. In the video, Dickens is wearing an orange and white jumpsuit and has his hands and feet shackled.

He told dispatchers he did not use a knife or gun to kill the children. According to arrest warrants, he over-disciplined them and wanted to turn himself in.

The warrants also revealed the order in which the other children died.

According to investigators, Dickens said his 5-year-old daughter, Leah Dickens, was the first to die. He said he had disciplined her, and after returning to her room to check on her, she was dead.

Dickens said his 9-year-old daughter, Zoe Dickens, was the next child to die. According to warrants, Dickens told investigators that Zoe began asking about her sister. Dickens admitted to investigators that he taped her mouth shut to discipline her, and when he returned to check on her, she was also dead.

Dickens told investigators his 10-year-old son, Wellington Dickens IV, was the third child to die. According to arrest warrants, Dickens said he was teaching the boy how to box. He said the boy had stopped eating, and his father believed he died from malnutrition.

The fourth child to die was his 18-year-old stepson, Sean Brasfield, who he believed also died from malnutrition.

Warrants also revealed that much of the inside of Dickens’ home had recently been repainted. These warrants say Dickens had also been searching Amazon for a type of paint capable of covering up stains.

Investigators now want to bring in chemicals that could reveal bloodstains under that paint.

The investigation is still active and ongoing.

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Coach John Beam voiced concerns about Laney College safety a day before shooting

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Luz Pena

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    OAKLAND, California (KGO) — A day before the legendary Laney College Athletic Director John Beam was shot and killed, he raised concerns about campus security.

“We lost something that we can’t really grasp yet, but you can feel it. You can feel it in the air; you can feel it around,” said Nolan White, a Laney College student.

One of the last times many saw Coach Beam was at a public presentation with the interim director of community safety, advocating campus safety.

“I believe his exact words as he was expressing frustration about the response was ‘six guards, 24 hours – how does that work?'” said Desmond Meagley, Editor-in-Chief of the Peralta Citizen. “He was saying that there was inadequate response, that there weren’t enough guards, and the response time wasn’t sufficient and that the follow-up wasn’t there.”

Student journalists with the Peralta Citizen publication reported on coach Beam speaking up about a break-in that happened at the field house days earlier and his push for answers just one day before he was shot and killed.

Here’s what we know about Laney College Athletic Director John Beam and his legendary career in Oakland sports, following the campus shooting. “He was dissatisfied with the response that came from our security. He said that they were able to show him essentially footage of what happened but were not actually able to pursue or detain a suspect because they are armed private security guards and their job is to observe and report. They are limited in what they can do, they can’t arrest as private security,” said Meagley.

According to a student at the event, Coach Beam said he felt the campus was less safe after the Peralta Community College District, which includes Laney College, terminated its contract with the Alameda County sheriff’s Office in 2020.

On campus, ABC7 News saw several security guards with Diligence Security Group. On their website, Diligence offers both unarmed and armed officers. ABC7 News contacted Laney College to get more clarity on their contract and have not heard back in the aftermath of the shooting, many students are still questioning campus security.

Those who knew Coach Beam want to carry on his legacy.

“He kind of used to tell me don’t ever give up on yourself. Not just him but other groups but he was the one who always told me that,” said White and added, “Give back to the city that raised me. I owe it to the city. I owe it to coach Beam.”

Students say Beam would want them and Laney to keep growing.

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2 injured after high-speed SF crash leaves truck in building: officials

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By KGO staff

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — San Francisco fire crews responded Tuesday morning to the scene of a truck that went into a building, sending two people to the hospital.

It happened in the area of Broderick Street and Lombard Street.

Videos posted by SFFD on social media show the bed of the truck sticking out of the side of the building.

Two other vehicles were damaged in what officials are calling a high-speed crash.

Boderick Street is currently closed between Lombard and Greenwich Street.

The Department of Building Inspection is on the scene, assessing the damage.

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Deputies capture escaped inmate after bike theft, pond chase

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Frances Lin

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    SUMTER COUNTY, Florida (WFTS) — According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), deputies from Sumter and Citrus counties worked together Sunday night to capture an escaped inmate who authorities said fled from a jail kitchen work detail, stole an e-bike and a vehicle, and tried to hide in a pond.

Deputies said Joseph Brown, 39, removed the top of his green and white striped inmate uniform about 50 yards east of the jail kitchens before escaping.

A search involving K-9 units, deputies, drones, and helicopters from both counties began quickly, with Brown later spotted on a doorbell camera taking a white e-bike from a home on North Jasper Street.

Deputies determined Brown also stole a vehicle and was in the area of County Road 675. He ran into a pond in an attempt to hide but was found and exited without problems.

Officials said new security measures are being implemented to prevent similar escapes in the future.

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U.S. Marshal announces results of Florida-based child rescue operation

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Kiley Vaughan

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    TAMPA, Florida (WFTS) — The United States Marshals Service (USMS) said it led a Florida-based youth recovery initiative resulting in the recovery or safe location of 122 missing or endangered children.

This joint multi-disciplinary task force operated for two weeks and located or recovered vulnerable children belonging to multiple Florida metropolitan areas.

The release said it recovered 57 youth individuals belonging to the Tampa Bay metropolitan area. USMS also said it recovered 14 belonging to the Orlando metropolitan area, 22 belonging to the Jacksonville metropolitan area and 29 belonging to the Fort Myers metropolitan area.

The U.S. Marshal held a press conference in Tampa on Nov. 17.

This initiative was called “Operation Home for the Holidays,” and the release the goal was to also provide services for those children found.

“What allows our Middle Florida-based child recovery initiatives to stand out is the emphasis placed on what happens after. We know these children will have needs once we find them. It only makes sense to build these operations alongside like-minded partners from across the child welfare space, ” said Bill Berger, United States Marshal – Middle District of Florida.

The operation’s partners located or recovered children across Florida and in nine other states, and the USMS said some of these kids disclosed experiences relating to various types of abuse and proximity to other criminal activity.

USMS said these allegations, in conjunction with information developed by the task force, led to six felony arrests. Several other criminal investigations are active following information found through the operation, and additional felony arrests are anticipated, per USMS.

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Shocking video shows black bear chasing boy into Family Dollar

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Shelley Bortz

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    Pennsylvania (KDKA) — An 11-year-old boy ran into a Pennsylvania Family Dollar with a black bear right behind him. The bear charged through the front doors, sending the boy and the cashier scrambling for cover. The moment the bear leapt over the front counter was caught on video.

“I was like, ‘I’m probably going to get eaten by a bear,'” Cole Frazee said.

Boy recounts outrunning bear

Frazee said he and his dad stopped to grab a few things at the Family Dollar in Markleysburg. Cole went outside to see what was taking his dad so long, and that’s when he saw it: a black bear looking right at him.

At first, Frazee thought it was going to turn around. Instead, it started chasing him.

“When it runs after me, I turn around, I run in the store, I’m screaming and stuff. The thing was like a foot and a half away from me,” Frazee said.

“I took a left and the bear went straight,” he said.

Frazee says his heart was pounding as he raced up and down the aisles trying to escape the bear. The only other person inside the store was the cashier, so he ran to her for help. She grabbed Frazee and they both jumped on top of the counter to get a better view. The moment the bear turned and walked toward the back, they saw their only chance.

“She grabbed her coat, the keys and the phone and we ran out of there. When we ran out of there, we all got in the car,” Frazee said.

Video captures bear on counter Seconds later, the bear returns to the front of the store, and that’s when the video captures it leaping over the counter where Frazee had just been. The bear stayed inside the store for about 10 minutes, wandering around before finally finding its way out. Meantime, outside, sitting in a locked car, Frazee says he finally felt safe.

“I was relieved,” he said. “It was definitely a crazy experience.”

It’s an experience he’ll share for years to come, and it started Monday at school. Frazee said when his friends found out what happened, they couldn’t believe it. He’ll be forever known as the boy who outran a bear.

“That’s like one in a million right there,” he said.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says bears are actively searching for food this time of year, and that leads to sometimes dangerous and unexpected encounters.

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Woman gives birth in car minutes after hospital told her to leave, despite being in obvious pain, family says

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Asal Rezaei

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    Indiana (WBBM) — A mother says she gave birth to her baby in a car minutes after being turned away from a hospital over the weekend in Crown Point, Indiana. Video shows her being wheeled out by hospital staff, and she’s clearly in pain.

Mercedes Wells and her baby are now recovering at a different hospital in Munster.

The videos posted by her family online have quickly gone viral. The footage shows Wells being pushed down the hallway in a wheelchair at Franciscan Health Crown Point.

Her family said she was in active labor, but hospital staff told her that because she was only dilated three centimeters, she would have to come back later.

Wells’ sister-in-law, Cherice Joy Thomspon, said they were visiting family in Indiana, and the baby wasn’t due for another couple of weeks.

“I feel like my family’s rights have been violated,” she said.

Eight minutes after being discharged from Franciscan Health, Wells’ baby was born in the family’s car, according to Thompson.

“She said, ‘I’ve got to push.’ … He was driving with one hand, ripped her pants off with the other hand, and looked down, and he said he could see the baby’s head. And he was like, ‘Oh my God, here’s the baby’s head,'” Thompson said. “He grabbed a blanket, caught the baby, and then put the baby on my sister-in-law’s chest, Mercedes’ chest, and the umbilical, everything was still attached, and they kept on driving.”

The family said 911 dispatchers were on the phone with them at the time, and led them to Community Hospital in Munster, where they were welcomed with open arms. Thompson said they’re grateful for the staff at Community Hospital, where Wells and her baby were recovering on Monday.

“911 was able to call the hospital and give them notice that they were coming, and so there were 15 doctors and nurses outside waiting for them to arrive,” Thompson said.

She called her brother a hero.

“He was able to be calm and deliver his baby in that kind of pressure,” she said.

Thompson shared how Wells is feeling now.

“When I went to the hospital yesterday, when I opened up the door, Mercedes saw me, she just started crying, because she feels violated, she feels unheard. You know, she feels dismissed,” she said.

The family said they hope hospital staff who turned Wells away are held responsible.

Franciscan Health said they’ve opened an internal investigation into what happened.

Full statement from Franciscan Health Crown Point President and CEO Raymond Grady “We are aware of the video and the concerns expressed on social media regarding the discharge of a pregnant patient from Franciscan Health Crown Point. We are grateful to learn from online and media reports that both mother and child are reportedly doing well.

“The video and the comments it has generated are deeply troubling, and we understand the concern this has raised. The video is just one part of the information we are reviewing as part of a thorough investigation into this alleged incident.

“While patient privacy laws make it difficult for us to comment more deeply, it is important to note that the videos and the narrative surrounding them do not accurately represent Franciscan Health Crown Point’s Catholic healthcare ministry’s values, which include respect for life, compassionate concern and Christian stewardship. Our goal is to make everyone who walks through our doors feel the love of Christ through our actions.

“The reality is disparities in healthcare outcomes exist and Franciscan Health Crown Point strives to be part of the solution, not the problem.

“We remain committed to meeting and exceeding all regulations and best practices for care, and we will take appropriate action based on the findings of our review.”

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Woman set on fire during fight on CTA train in Chicago’s Loop

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Jermont Terry, Darius Johnson, Elyssa Kaufman

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — An arson investigation is underway after a woman was set on fire while riding a CTA Blue Line in Chicago’s Loop on Monday night.

According to Chicago police, a 26-year-old woman got into an argument with a 45-year-old man while on a train at Clark and Lake streets around 9:25 p.m. Police said the fight escalated when the man poured a liquid on the woman and set her on fire.

Police said the woman got off the train and collapsed on the platform. A witness told CBS Chicago they saw the victim jump off the train and bystanders come to her aid.

She sustained severe burns and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

CBS Chicago has obtained video of the aftermath, which shows a woman with significant burns on her head.

No arrests have been made.

Chicago police arson detectives are investigating.

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Neighbors recall rushing to help family hurt in explosion, seeing children with burns

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Leticia Juarez

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    CHINO HILLS, California (KABC) — A home in Chino Hills was partially destroyed in an explosion on Sunday, which injured eight people and damaged two other homes.

Children were among the victims hurt in the blast. The Chino Valley Fire District confirmed the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

“I thought it was a third World War. I thought it was a missile,” said neighbor Larry Lubak.

It was no missile that struck the home on Sierra Vista Drive in Chino Hills Sunday afternoon.

According to a GoFundMe page set up for the Sotelo Family, they had arrived home when one of the children turned on a lamp, and the home exploded.

“My son and I were cooking, and all of the sudden, the house just shook, just really hard,” neighbor Monica Kelly said. “And I told my son, ‘That was an earthquake,’ and he said, ‘No, mom. Something exploded.'”

AIR7 captured images of the destruction and devastation that rocked the Los Serranos neighborhood around 3:45 p.m.

The explosion blew out windows and sent neighbors running outside, unprepared for what they saw next.

“The people next door were screaming. A girl was out in the middle of the street. One of the kids, one of the younger kids, his hair, I guess, got torched,” Larry said.

“The whole house was lying on the ground, you know, the whole front of it… gone,” Larry’s wife, Mary Ellen Luback, said.

“We got out, and I asked, ‘Do they need help?’ And then they said, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ And I said, ‘Get them in the car. Get them in the car, and we’ll drive there. I will drive them to the hospital,'” Kelly said.

Kelly rushed four of the victims, including the children’s mother, to the hospital. Another four were taken by ambulance to a burn center, according to the GoFundMe page.

The family of eight suffered from first, second and third-degree burns.

On Monday afternoon, SoCal Gas was out assessing the damage and investigating the cause of the gas leak. Workers were seen jackhammering in the street.

Meanwhile, neighbors like the Lebaks, who live next door to the Sotelo Family, are praying for their recovery.

“They are wonderful people, wonderful little family, big family, and they are very kind to us,” Mary Ellen said.

According to the GoFundMe page, at least two of the children had to be intubated as they continue their treatment. Further details about the other victims’ conditions were not immediately available.

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Neighbors kayak in the streets as Long Beach is hit with street flooding

CNN Newsource on November 18, 2025

By Tim Pulliam

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    LONG BEACH, California (KABC) — Long Beach dealt with major street flooding on Saturday after a storm brought heavy rain through the area.

Many neighborhood streets looked like rivers, and some residents even got out on the water on kayaks.

Although the water had drained by Saturday night, many neighbors say they aren’t taking any chances with more rain in the forecast. Eyewitness News spotted many homes with sandbags outside.

Neighbors on Naples Lane in Long Beach sloshed through murky rainwater on Saturday.

Tim Morrisse captured video of flooded streets around his neighborhood. One shot shows his dog trying to wade through the water.

Forget the beach — families made the most of the weather event. The rainstorm transformed their neighborhood sidewalk and street into a shallow pool.

“The water just started coming up really fast,” Morrisse said.

Overnight, Long Beach was walloped by water. Neighbors took cover underneath hoodies and umbrellas.

By Saturday afternoon, Morrisse and his neighbors living near Naples Lane and Ravenna Drive were overwhelmed. He admits he was not completely prepared for the rain.

Video shows the water getting too close to residents’ garages.

“I put some sandbags around the house. It’s almost in the house. It’s a little scary,” Morrisse said.

Morrisse said this typically happens when there’s heavy rain and storm drains are clogged, and he believes this is one of the worst times he’s seen the flooding.

The Long Beach Public Works Department said there was a power outage that caused a couple of L.A. County-maintained pumps to go offline. Officials said work is being done to minimize the impact.

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