Author: CNN Newsource

By Matt Schooley

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    WAYLAND, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Family members have identified the boy killed by a falling tree branch at a summer camp in Wayland, Massachusetts, as 8-year-old Mason Sundberg of Sudbury.

Sundberg was taken by MedFlight to Massachusetts General Hospital on Tuesday in critical condition after a large tree came crashing down at YMCA Camp Chickami, causing what firefighters described as a domino effect. He later died due to his injuries. On Thursday, Mason’s family released a statement identifying him.

“Mason left us yesterday, but his kindness, love and smile never will,” the family said. “A fiercely loyal, loving, and empathetic friend to old friends and new. A perfect son, grandson, nephew and cousin – he loved his family more than anything (and his dog River.) Mason was funny, goofy and crazy in all the right ways; he will be remembered for singing and dancing around the house with a wide smile on his face and a skip in his step.”

The Sundberg family said Mason loved video games, good sushi, swimming and skiing. They added that he loved to draw and create stories with his friends and carried a notebook in his bag everywhere he went.

Funeral services have not yet been announced.

“His brightness will be missed, but never forgotten to those who loved him,” the family said. “He may be gone, but his soul lives on in the hearts and minds of everyone who knew him.”

The Sudbury Police Department is providing grief counseling for students in Sudbury on Thursday.

“Today, our Sudbury community is grieving the heartbreaking loss of one of our youngest residents,” police said. “Words cannot fully express the sorrow so many are feeling, and we understand how difficult it can be to help children process the unimaginable loss of a friend or classmate.”

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 Mike Darnay, Erika Stanish

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    CALIFORNIA, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — An 18-year-old man and his mother are facing charges after his girlfriend, an 18-year-old soccer player from PennWest California, was found dead inside a vehicle near the Washington County campus early Thursday morning.

Karoline Heintz of McMurray was found dead inside a vehicle near the California Public Library along Wood Street around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, according to a release from the Washington County Coroner’s Office.

Man, mother charged in college student’s death Royce Moser, who Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh confirmed was in a relationship with Heintz, was charged with homicide. His mother, Rachel Moser, was charged with hindering apprehension, tampering and obstruction. Both mother and son, who are from Beallsville, were taken into custody.

Walsh called Heintz’s death “the result of a domestic situation.” In an update on Thursday night, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said the two met up on Wednesday to discuss the future of their relationship, leading to Royce Moser fatally stabbing the 18-year-old. He then allegedly recruited his mother to help move the body and clean up.

“We’re talking about an 18-year-old girl that was ready to start life, and now she no longer gets to pursue her dreams, which is really unfortunate,” Gagliard said.

The coroner’s office said that Heintz was with family earlier in the day on Wednesday and was to return to campus housing. Family members tracked the location of her vehicle and contacted 911 after she failed to check in at an agreed-upon time.

Gagliardi said when officers saw “some indicators from the vehicle which indicates blood” on the Jeep Cherokee, they opened the vehicle and found Heintz in the back hatch.

She was stabbed in the chest area after Moser said he heard “demons” telling him to hurt his girlfriend, according to the criminal complaint.

PennWest “deeply saddened” by “tragic death” A spokesperson for the university confirmed to KDKA that Heintz was a first-year student at the California, Pennsylvania campus of Pennsylvania Western University and was a member of the university soccer team.

“PennWest University is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Karoline Heintz, who was a first-year student at the California campus,” a statement from the university read. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and all those affected by this tragedy.”

A university spokesperson said that while the incident occurred off campus, PennWest University police are “cooperating with the investigation.”

A woman whose daughter played soccer with Heintz for years described her as “the sweetest girl” who was always positive and made the other girls feel like they belonged.

Heintz was a recent graduate from Peters Township High School, according to her bio on the soccer team’s roster. A spokesperson from the school district said the community was “deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of a member of the PTHS Class of 2026.” Additional counselors and social workers will be made available to high school students.

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 Carolyn Gusoff

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    NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — Disturbing attacks by two dogs were caught on camera in the Dix Hills neighborhood on Long Island.

Video from Aug. 10 shows the two pit bulls exploring a neighbor’s front yard as a woman jogs by on the opposite side of the street. Suddenly, the dogs start chasing her and maul her. The attack goes on for several minutes.

A good Samaritan is seen trying to help, but he is also attacked. Moments later, the dogs turn on the jogger’s husband, Larry Ballerau.

“I was spinning around saying, ‘Stop, stop, stop, get off, get off,’ and the dogs were just gnawing at me,” Ballerau said. “I’m black and blue … everywhere, and slashes and cuts.”

The Huntington Department of Public Safety’s Animal Control Division was called and responded.

Ballerau says his injured wife is afraid to come outside.

Dix Hills neighbors say the same two dogs attacked a teen on a bike in July, and after this second attack, now they fear for their lives.

“I’m a dog lover, but this is not like a chihuahua. This is a dog that can do grave bodily harm,” resident Patrick Stanton said.

“These dogs are just out, and they’re vicious. They’re predators, you know?” Ballerau said. “And the [owner] comes up to me and says, ‘Oh, that dog’s a mush.’ I said, ‘Really? Because it was biting, it was eating my hand.'”

The dogs’ owners, mother Helen Tarnaras and daughter Anastasia Tarnaras, defend their pets, named Buddy and Henna. They say Henna is an 18-month-old rescue who was badly abused.

“The little one has fear issues,” Helen Tarnaras said. “Why would we want vicious dogs?”

Anastasia Tarnaras says back in July, the dogs escaped through a gate left open by gardeners, and this month, a realtor left the gate open. She insists it won’t happen again, saying the gate is now padlocked.

“I feel horrible. I went to the hospital. My mother went next door to check on the woman, OK? We don’t have vicious dogs,” Anastasia Tarnaras said.

The owners are due to appear before a district court judge for a hearing about the dogs. The judge will then determine whether the dogs should be legally designated as dangerous, which could result in strict requirements for confining the dogs or even in dogs being euthanized.

“I’m not putting my dogs down, no matter what,” Anastasia Tarnaras said.

“I want these dogs not hurting anyone else,” Ballerau said.

A judge will hear both sides on Friday morning.

The owners of the dogs have also been issued a notice to comply for state and town violations regarding containment and control of animals.

Officials say the Aug. 10 attack is the first time any complaints or issues have been filed against the dog owner.

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 Noelle Lilley

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    NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — New York City sanitation workers say their job has been pricklier than usual after the Department of Sanitation reported an increase in needle stick injuries.

According to DSNY, as of Aug. 10, there have been 49 sanitation workers injured by needle sticks in 2026, compared to 46 in 2025 and only 18 in 2020.

“It makes our jobs a lot harder and a lot more dangerous,” sanitation worker Jason Leavy said. “We don’t know what’s in these bags when we’re picking them up day-to-day, and we just want to go home the same way that we came in.”

Doctors say it may be in part due to an increase in Americans using injectable medication, such as GLP-1s for weight loss.

While DSNY says it cannot confirm exactly what kind of needles caused these injuries, healthcare professionals say injectable medication is becoming more common, including for in vitro fertilization treatment, EpiPens and insulin shots.

“Whenever we puncture the skin, there’s also a risk of bacteria that normally live on the skin and don’t cause any issues to travel inside that puncture wound and cause a localized infection,” Dr. Valeria Grijalva, with Mount Sinai Health, said.

In a new PSA, DSNY is reminding residents of how to properly dispose of needles. Patients should put any items in a leak-proof, puncture-resistant container, such as a laundry detergent bottle. Then, be sure it is sealed, labeled as “SHARP,” and placed it in trash.

DSNY also says it is taking steps to increase the fine for improper disposal of needles from $100 to $250.

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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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WUPA) — A man who police say has been arrested over 100 times is back in custody accused of shoplifting from an Atlanta store, officials say.

The Atlanta Police Department says that 45-year-old Edward Stewart was arrested on Aug. 12.

According to investigators, officers were called to a store on the 3500 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW after receiving reports of a shoplifting.

Authorities say the officers knew Stewart due to previous incidents at the same store, including one just two days before. He was spotted walking into a nearby business, where he was taken into custody.

The police department says that Stewart has been arrested more than 100 times, including for 15 felony convictions. Jail records show that a man with the same name has an arrest record going back decades for charges that include drug possession, criminal trespass, battery, and aggravated assault.

Stewart remains in custody at the Fulton County Jail on three misdemeanor theft by shoplifting charges.

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 Kaley Fedko

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    COBB COUNTY, Georgia (WUPA) — For most parents, hugging their children is something they might not think twice about, but for a group of mothers inside the Cobb County Jail, that physical connection is something they don’t usually get.

For a few hours on Thursday, some of the usual barriers between the mothers and their children were removed, giving them a chance to connect as a family as part of Cobb County’s Bond Beyond Bars: Mother’s Edition.

CBS News Atlanta spoke to one mother who said she has not been able to hold her 6-year-old and 8-year-old in four months.

“I was nervous. I was shy. I was excited. I don’t know, it was a crazy feeling,” said the mother.

For a few hours, the jail looked different.

There were games, music, lunch, and back-to-school supplies.

Unlike a regular visit, these mothers could physically touch and hold their children.

Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens said keeping bonds alive among families during incarceration is important.

“Sometimes when mothers are separated from their children, they lose that bond,” Owens said. “We want to make sure they don’t lose that bond. We want that child to know their mother always loved them, even though they’re not there with them every day. That love is not missing or not broken.”

For the 25-year-old mother CBS News Atlanta spoke with, that is the message she wants her children to leave with.

“I just feel like I’m gone for this little minute, but I want them to know that I’m still here. I’m still a great mom,” she said.

The mothers also wrote letters of encouragement for their children, giving them something to take home as they begin the new school year.

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 Abby Dodge

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Florida (WFOR) — A man was hospitalized after his father allegedly shot him during an argument at a Miami Gardens home Wednesday evening, police said.

The shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. in a residential neighborhood near an elementary school. Miami Gardens police say an argument between a father and son escalated before the father fired through a glass door, striking his son.

The victim was taken to a local hospital in stable condition, and a second person inside the home suffered minor injuries, police said.

Neighbor Karen Mike said she and her daughter heard several gunshots.

“When she opened up the door, we heard pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” Mike said. “We looked like, ‘Is that nearby or what?'”

Mike said she was walking her daughter to her car for a night class when the shooting occurred.

“She came, and she said, ‘Momma, should I go out?’ and I said, ‘Well, let’s look and see, make sure nobody is out shooting,'” Mike said.

Neighbors told CBS News Miami they did not see anyone running from the area after the gunfire. Several residents also said police had responded to the home days earlier for a separate disturbance.

Police had not taken the suspect into custody as of Thursday night. Anyone with information is asked to contact Miami Gardens 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 Steve Maugeri

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    HOLLYWOOD, Florida (WFOR) — Hollywood lifeguard Marcelo Lorenzo didn’t hesitate when disaster struck.

Vacationing with family in Aruba on Aug. 11, he watched a float carrying his father, cousin, and aunt slam into a catamaran.

Within two seconds, he was in the water, racing to help them.

“It wasn’t even thinking,” he said. “It was flow state. I saw it, and I just jumped into action.”

He said his father was trapped under the catamaran.

“Swimming over there, I was like ‘This is scary,’ and I don’t know if I was thinking of the worst,” he said. “I didn’t know if they were dead or possibly very hurt.”

Lorenzo said that since there were no other first responders around, he pulled his father towards a ladder to get him to safety.

He said he also made a sling out of a life vest for his aunt’s injured arm, and he kept his unconscious cousin afloat.

“I don’t wanna say I’m a hero. I was just doing the right thing, taking care of my family,” Lorenzo said.

Lorenzo said he learned all these skills in his training.

“I’m grateful that the beach taught me so many different maneuvers, and I didn’t want to extend her injuries more,” Lorenzo said.

Lorenzo’s mother said she wasn’t there, but when she heard about what her son did, she said he didn’t react; he just acted.

“He went from one minute from having the time of his life to seeing his family like this,” said Claudia Chavez. “That’s just a testament for the amazing love that he has for them.”

Lorenzo says his family is still recovering in Aruba but should be OK.

Beach safety says the city of Hollywood plans on honoring Lorenzo at the next city commission meeting on Aug. 26.

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 Chloe Godding

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    ROELAND PARK, Kansas (KMBC) — The former president of Bishop Miege High School, who has been at the center of an investigation for more than a year, has been deemed “unsuitable for ecclesiastical employment” by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Following an independent investigation, Archbishop Shawn McKnight announced Thursday that Phil Baniewicz, the former leader of the Catholic high school, is not suitable for ecclesiastical employment, appointment, volunteer service or ministry involving minors within the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

“The protection of minors and persons in vulnerable situations is fundamental to the mission of our church,” McKnight said in a news release. “As believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we have a sacred responsibility to safeguard the innate human dignity of every person and to hold one another, especially those who exercise authority and power in the Church, to the high moral standards of our faith.”

Baniewicz was placed on administrative leave from his role at Bishop Miege in June 2025 and officially let go a few months later.

He was restricted from all ministry shortly after being placed on administrative leave due to allegations of inappropriate behavior with a minor, the archdiocese said at the time.

The archdiocese conducted an independent investigation into Baniewicz’s conduct, examining 16 allegations spanning from 1985 to 2025. Over the course of those decades, he worked as a youth minister in Arizona, a senior officer of Life Teen, president of Maur Hill Mount Academy and president of Bishop Miege.

During the investigation, 68 people were interviewed, reports were analyzed and authorities were consulted. Most of the people interviewed were not evidently connected but had “a substantial consistency” in their accounts of Baniewicz’s conduct.

“The investigation disclosed serious concerns regarding Mr. Baniewicz’s conduct and determined a consistent pattern of imprudent professional conduct, repeated failures to maintain appropriate ministerial and professional boundaries with minors, deficient safeguarding practices and conduct incompatible with the standards expected of those entrusted with ecclesiastical service involving children and vulnerable people,” the news release said.

Because of that pattern, the archdiocese decided action needed to be taken, leading to the ministerial restrictions imposed upon him.

Baniewicz was interviewed and submitted a written statement during the investigation, the archdiocese said. What he said or wrote was not disclosed.

The archdiocese said Baniewicz’s current safety plan will remain in place, which in June 2025 was described as his agreement not to contact anyone “known to have made an accusation of abuse or misconduct against him, or who may be a witness known to him.”

No criminal charges have been filed.

The archdiocese advises anyone who would like to report misconduct involving a church volunteer, employee, or religious or clergy member to first contact authorities and then call or text the archdiocese’s confidential line at 913-276-8703 or report it online.

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