FBI joins Bay Area, Central Coast police in busting alleged fuel theft ring

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Tim Fang

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Law enforcement agencies from across the Bay Area and Central Coast, along with the FBI, busted an alleged fuel theft ring in a multi-agency operation Wednesday.

The Greenfield Police Department said it partnered with other agencies to serve search warrants in the East Bay related to an investigation into organized fuel theft affecting communities across Monterey County.

“Organized fuel theft operations often involve the illegal resale of stolen fuel and pose serious public safety risks due to unsafe handling and storage of highly flammable materials,” the agency said in a statement. “These crimes are commonly associated with broader organized criminal activity.”

During the operation, warrants were served at locations on the 4200 block of Alameda Avenue and the 1000 block of 45th Avenue in East Oakland, the 1600 block of 6th Street in Richmond and the 3100 block of Alvarado Avenue in San Leandro.

Police told CBS News Bay Area that four firearms were recovered, along with a stolen vehicle and evidence of unregulated fuel storage and dispensing.

One person was taken into custody by the Oakland police in connection with the firearms. Police did not release the person’s name.

Along with Greenfield police, agencies that took part included the FBI Monterey Bay Safe Streets Task Force, Monterey police, Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, Oakland police, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office and the California Highway Patrol.

Police said Wednesday the operation was not related to immigration and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was not involved.

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Texas girl reunited with mother after police track her to Mexico

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Suzanne Stevens

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    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (KRIS) — Portland police say a 12-year-old girl has been reunited with her mother in Houston after being taken to Mexico by her father, ending a years long investigation that began as a welfare concern.

Investigators said the case started in 2021 when authorities began looking into the child’s well-being. At the time, police said the father, Neftaly Garcia, had physical custody of the girl because her mother was in the United States on a visa. That custody arrangement, however, came with restrictions.“There was custody paperwork between the two, and after reviewing that paperwork, I found that one of the restrictions was that no party could ever leave the country,” said Lt. Joe Tamez of the Portland Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division during a news conference Tuesday.

Despite that restriction, investigators later learned the child had been taken to Mexico. Police said a tip from the girl’s babysitter helped confirm her location.

Authorities said they contacted the U.S. Marshals Service early in the investigation and continued working with agencies across borders to locate the child and bring her home.“The healing process now begins for them,” said District Attorney Margie Silva Flores. “But we celebrate the fact that she has been rescued and that a mother and her daughter are reunited.”

Police did not release additional information about Garcia, saying only that kidnapping charges have been filed and that federal charges could be added.

The 12-year-old is currently undergoing assessments, authorities said.

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Home schooling family just steps away from proposed Kennewick sex offender housing speaks

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Austin Reed

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    KENNEWICK, Wash. (KAPP) — Residents in central Kennewick had their first opportunity Tuesday night to speak directly to city leaders about a proposed home for Level 3 registered sex offenders near the intersection of 8th Avenue and Edison Street. It was standing room only, with more than 100 people in attendance, many holding signs.

The controversial placement has sparked ongoing community concern, with neighbors voicing fears about safety and proximity to families, schools, and places of worship.

City officials said doors for the City Council meeting opened at 6:15 p.m., with public comment limited to 30 minutes total. Each speaker had up to three minutes to address the council. Once the allotted time expired, no additional speakers were heard.

Officials also confirmed the mayor and at least one council member were not in attendance. Council members said follow-up responses will be provided at a later date. Home school across the street raises safety concerns Apple Valley News Now toured a home school located directly across the street from the proposed site at 5304 West 8th Avenue, where sexually violent predators from McNeil Island in western Washington would live full-time. Rachel Sambrano lives across the street from the property and has homeschooled her two children for the past five years. Both are in fifth grade, and one of her children is autistic. “I never would’ve thought we’d be protesting in our driveway,” Sambrano said. “This is crazy.” Sambrano said her children are now fearful of everyday activities, like checking the mail or taking out the trash. “We have crafts, games — they’re really nervous to go outside,” she said. “My son asks me, ‘Are those people there yet?’” Along with dozens of neighbors, Sambrano has joined protests and prayer gatherings, hoping the home will not be used to house the offenders. She also said she is frustrated over the location’s proximity to Edison Elementary School, a nearby church, and her family’s home — just 66 feet from where the facility would be located. “Pot shops can’t be put up here,” she said. “This is worse than that.” While Sambrano said she believes in rehabilitation and forgiveness, she maintains that the proposed site is not appropriate. “It’s the wrong place,” she said. “I believe in rehab, but there is a place — and this isn’t it.”

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Grant County deputies arrest Jamaican man in $100,000 elderly scam operation

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Ian Cull

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    Grant County, WASH. (KXLY) — The Sheriff’s Crime Reduction Team (CRT) arrested a man from Jamaica on Sunday, accusing him of scamming an 87-year-old Grant County man of over $100,000.

Investigators learned that since October, the victim had been scammed with the promise of luxury cars, real estate, and other items. GCSO says the victim had sent money to the scammer through cash exchange, money transfers, and gift cards.

The Sheriff’s Office wrote in a press released that on Sunday afternoon, with the victim’s cooperation, CRT staked out the intersection of SR 26 and Beverly Burke Road-SW near the Vantage bridge. That’s where the scammer told the victim to meet him with $64,000 cash. They witnessed a black SUV park next to the victim’s car and watched as the SUV’s rear passenger received the $64,000 from the victim.

Deputies say they stopped the SUV as it drove away and quickly established that the vehicle was a ride-share and that the driver had no knowledge of a crime being committed.

The Sheriff’s Office says the passenger, 36-year-old Damion O. McDonald, had flown into the US from Jamaica on January 16. They say McDonald flew into SeaTac Airport and hired the ride-share to drive him to the Grant County meeting location.

Deputies learned that once the money had changed hands, McDonald was going to be driven to the Tri-Cities Airport for an outbound plane.

McDonald is lodged in the Grant County Jail, accused of first-degree theft from a vulnerable adult and first-degree possession of stolen property.

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Deputies: Man strangled pregnant wife at park with their children nearby in hopes he would kill her

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By East Idaho News Staff

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    MELBA (eastidahonews.com) — A California man is being held on a $2 million bond for attempted murder after being arrested by the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office following a domestic violence incident.

Robert Seviano Howell, 32, of Orangevale, CA, was arrested on Friday after deputies responded to an attempted strangulation call at Celebration Park south of Melba.

While deputies were en route, Howell admitted to park employees that he had choked his pregnant wife. Deputies arrived on scene and immediately detained Howell while EMS personnel began providing life-saving medical care to the victim.

According to court documents, Howell sent his five children, aged 1 to 14, away from the family vehicle; however, they remained close by. Howell confirmed to detectives that he entered the back seat and began strangling the victim with the intent to kill her.

Howell stated he continued strangling the victim and only stopped when he believed he accomplished his task of killing her. Howell told detectives he then exited the vehicle, leaving the victim inside. Howell stated he left and went and looked out over the Snake River for an unknown amount of time before returning to his vehicle.

Court documents state that Howell opened the door and discovered the victim was still alive and ran to find help from park employees, who then contacted 911. According to court documents, Howell clarified that there wasn’t an argument that led up to the strangulation and that he didn’t strangle her in the midst of a disturbance, but that he made the deliberate attempt to kill the victim and end her life.

The 33-year-old victim, also from California, remains hospitalized after being transported to a Boise hospital in critical condition. The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office declared the children to be in imminent danger. The five children were placed in the custody of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

“Domestic violence is one of the most horrific crimes we encounter because it strikes at the very heart of safety and trust. This case is tragic. A woman was nearly killed by someone she trusted. It is our sincere hope and prayer that she fully recovers from this horrible experience. Unfortunately, a family unit has been destroyed. This is the true face and tragedy of domestic violence. I am extremely grateful the victim had the strength to endure and survive, especially for the children, thanks in part to the quick actions of the park employees, EMS personnel, and the deputies on scene,” said Sheriff Kieran Donahue. “No one should ever have to endure this kind of pain, and we will continue to fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves and bring awareness to this massive issue.”

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21-year-old Rigby man who had a ‘heart of gold’ continues to bless others after unexpected death

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Brittni Johnson

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    RIGBY (eastidahonews.com) — A Rigby man, remembered for the selfless life he lived, was able to bless others through organ donation.

Noel Rios, who went by the name Titus Freeman, died on the evening of Oct. 19, 2025, at the age of 21. He was riding his dirt bike — he’s been riding since he was 3 years old — when he was involved in a crash with a truck half a mile from his home in Rigby.

“He was most likely killed on impact,” Janice Bell, who is Freeman’s aunt, told EastIdahoNews.com. “He had a helmet and all his riding gear on, and it didn’t save him.”

On Oct. 13, just days before the accident, Freeman turned 21. Bell said her nephew’s best friend, who is in his late 60s, told him he needed to get a “big boy license” since he was now 21.

“He took Friday off to go get his new driver’s license … and he thought to himself (and told his mom), ‘I’m an adult now, I should be a donor.’ He wasn’t a donor before,” Bell explained. “When he went down there (to renew his license), he became a donor. That was Friday, and he was killed Sunday.”

After the accident, Freeman was rushed to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, where his family was told he wouldn’t survive. The hospital found out he was a donor, and he was taken to the Intensive Care Unit and put on life support.

A donor honor walk took place Oct. 22, where Freeman, who had been declared brain dead, was wheeled down to the operating room as family, friends, coworkers and hospital employees lined the hallways.

Thanks to Freeman’s decision to become a donor, he helped save the lives of seven other people.

“His heart went to another 21-year-old boy in Utah,” said Bell, who said she hopes that person goes on to “do great things.” “We don’t know much about his other ones (like) his kidneys and lungs.”

Freeman not only helped others as a donor but also by giving freely and serving those around him, which he did throughout his life.

Freeman worked for Knife River in Idaho Falls at the time of his death. Bell mentioned that he led a crew of men twice his age, and he’d get to work at 5 a.m. to start everybody’s machines so they’d be warm for them.

“He gave his whole crew lunch money (and gas money) all the time,” she said. “When he passed away, they all paid him back in his front loader (that) was his machine. It was full of money.”

Freeman, who was born in Caldwell, has one older and one younger sister. Bell said Freeman had a challenging childhood, but he rose above it. At 19, he decided to buy a house in Rigby for his mom.

“She not only loved him — every parent has a favorite, I don’t care what they say. If they say they don’t, they lie — but Titus, the reason he was her favorite is he also loved her the most,” Bell said.

Freeman was a gifted baseball player who enjoyed playing disc golf and going fishing. When he was 12, he rebuilt a snowmobile, and most recently, he was rebuilding the engine in his truck. He got his truck running the day of his accident, but he never got a chance to drive it.

“He was such a good boy. Never in trouble in his life,” Bell recalled. “He didn’t go out drinking. He was in bed by 8 or 9. We call him the old man of the family. He was an anomaly.”

Bell said losing her nephew was “the worst thing possible,” but she is proud of the lives he was able to save.

“You don’t have to be religious, or you can be, but God — if there is a God — he did this. This must have been part of his plan … of some plan,” she said. “I guess he had a plan for my beautiful, sweet nephew.”

Freeman will be honored in Utah this summer when his name is added to “The Celebration of Life Monument.” The monument is a memorial and tribute to individuals both living and deceased that have donated organs, tissue, and eyes for either transplant or research in the intermountain area.

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Family remembers father and grandfather killed in fast-moving trailer fire in Helper

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Dan Rascon

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    HELPER (KSL) — A fast-moving and devastating fire has claimed the life of a beloved father and grandfather in the small central Utah town of Helper.

Family members said Rudy Draper, 73, had no time to escape when his trailer suddenly went up in flames.

The fire consumed his 32‑foot Fleetwood trailer within minutes, leaving behind only charred debris. Cellphone video taken by family shows the interior completely destroyed as they walked through the remains.

“It went up so fast. So fast,” his daughter, Deyette Forsythe, told KSL.

Forsythe said the blaze erupted just before 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at Pam’s RV Park. She explained that the park manager tried desperately to save her father but was forced back by the intense heat and heavy smoke.

“He was crying and he said, ‘I tried to get the person out, and I couldn’t. I opened the door, (and the) smoke was coming out so heavily. The flames, the heat of it, just blew me backwards,'” Forsythe said.

Rudy Draper lived in the trailer with his dog, Tilly. Both died in the fire.

Draper was a father of three, a grandfather of eight, and a retired truck driver who was born in Price. He was a truck driver who had traveled to every state in the country except for three.

“He was a good man. You can never imagine losing somebody so close and in that way,” said Forsythe. “I’m going to miss everything about him. Everything.”

Investigators say the fire was started by the trailer’s furnace. It remains unclear what caused the furnace to malfunction.

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Two Army soldiers convicted of poaching on Fort Carson land

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Alexander Brunet

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    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — Two Army Sergeants are facing charges for poaching five mule deer on Fort Carson and one on state land.

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Army Sergeant Jacob Curtis Keyser, Staff Sergeant Juan Salcedo, and a third unnamed soldier have all been convicted of misdemeanors. Keyser originally faced 30 wildlife charges, $19,005 in fines, and was issued 180 suspension points, and forfeiture of his hunting rifle. Salcedo faced 15 charges, $8,817 in fines, and was issued 65 suspension points. The third, unnamed soldier who disposed of the poached meat received a $900 fine.

CPW says the investigation began when a hunter reported a poached mule deer on Fort Carson. The investigating officer found a dead buck partially processed and abandoned, with select cuts of meat missing and its antlers removed. CPW officers located a second deer, a doe, approximately 100 yards away from the first. The doe was also partially processed and abandoned.

Investigators say they were able to identify a vehicle connected to the case, as well as social media images that identified Keyser and Salcedo. CPW obtained search warrants for Keyser, his car, and his cell phone, rendering evidence of multiple instances of poaching and trespassing on military and state lands.

“This case would not have moved forward without the help of the Fort Carson Conservation Law Enforcement Officers, Mike Allen, Paul Everett, 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Christian Wiesenberg and James Malis, and the timely reporting from hunters who discovered the crime scene,” said Demetria Wright, District Wildlife Manager and investigating officer. ”Poaching is a serious, costly crime which harms legitimate sportspersons, wildlife viewers, small business owners and taxpayers.”

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Man reunites with deputies who revived him after crash caught on body cameras

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Christopher Harris

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    PAULDING COUNTY, Georgia (WUPA) — More than a month after deputies pulled him from a collision on the highway and brought him back to life, Tim Gayton reunited with the Paulding County first responders who saved him.

The Paulding County Sheriff’s Office says Gayton met with Deputies Tanner Hambrick and Christopher Resko on Jan. 20 at Wellstar Paulding Medical Center. The reunion came as deputies and other first responders were recognized for their life-saving actions during the December rescue.

The incident happened Dec. 13 along Highway 278 in Hiram. Deputies were called to a crash involving Gayton’s Ford F-150 and found him unresponsive and without a pulse after he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.

Body-worn camera video shows deputies moving quickly. Without hesitation, they pulled Gayton from the truck and began hands-only CPR. Officials say Deputy Hambrick’s fast response helped keep blood flowing to Gayton’s brain and heart while other emergency crews were on the way.

Deputies and EMS crews continued life-saving efforts, including defibrillation, until Gayton regained a pulse. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. Just two days later, Gayton was able to walk out of the hospital and spend the holidays with his family.

The entire rescue was recorded as part of the sheriff’s office’s newly launched body-worn camera program — a moment the department says shows the importance of being prepared and acting quickly in a crisis.

During the Jan. 20 reunion, Gayton thanked the deputies and first responders who helped save his life.

“I wanted to put a face with a name and say thank you,” Gayton said. “I’m happy, glad I’m here. I was fortunate. The man upstairs, he’s got other things in store.”

Deputies Hambrick and Resko, along with other EMS responders, received the Lifesaver Award from Wellstar Paulding Hospital for their actions. Sheriff Henson also commended the deputies, calling their actions a powerful example of service under pressure.

“What our deputies did on December 13 showed the best of humanity,” Henson said. “They face difficult situations every day, and I could not be more proud.”

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Roswell police warn of ‘virtual kidnapping’ scam

CNN Newsource on January 21, 2026

By Katie Marshall

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    ROSWELL, N.M. (KOAT) — The Roswell Police Department is warning residents about a scam that has resurfaced.

They have been receiving reports of callers claiming to be holding someone hostage and demanding money. In many cases, the caller says the supposed victim is a relative of the person being contacted and may even have personal information to make the threat seem legitimate.

Police say these incidents are consistent with what the FBI calls “virtual kidnapping,” a scam in which no one is actually abducted. Instead, the caller attempts to create panic and pressure victims into sending money quickly.

Police advise anyone who receives one of these calls to immediately verify the whereabouts and safety of their loved ones. If those attempts raise legitimate concern, residents are urged to contact police at 575-624-6770.

RPD says residents should not send money to the caller under any circumstances.

Anyone who believes they have been targeted by this scam is encouraged to report it to the police.

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