Author: CNN Newsource

By Conor Wight, Stephen Swanson

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    BROOKLYN PARK, Minnesota (WCCO) — Saturday evening, leftover food is still stuck to the grill at Crumbs and Coffee in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

The workstation has been left uncleaned since Friday morning, when the co-owner of the coffee shop said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained his cook after luring him outside into the parking lot.

Marcio Luis De Morais said that he heard from another employee that ICE took Jorge Leonardo Vergara Rubio at around 9:30 a.m.

According to his co-worker, two people had come into the coffee shop in civilian clothing and ordered drinks like “regular customers.” The employee noticed that they took photos, possibly of Rubio, before leaving and waiting in their car outside. A half an hour later, another car arrived: De Morais said that he was told the occupants of that car came into the coffee shop claiming they had hit a parked car. It was Rubio’s.

“As soon as he walked outside, that’s when they arrested him,” De Morais said.

Rubio’s car is still sitting in the parking lot with no obvious signs of damage. De Morais believes the agents, later identified as ICE, lied in order to draw Rubio outside the store.

Once Rubio was gone, the other employee at work that morning cleared the store and ran in a panic, according to De Morais. He showed up an hour later and locked up; he said that Saturday morning, another employee delivering supplies to the store may have forgotten to lock the doors. He said it’s how Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman came across the scene, preserved from 24 hours earlier with a customer’s sweater still on a chair and loose items on tables.

Sen. Hoffman took to Facebook, detailing how he called the police to secure the store.

“These are small business owners. Taxpayers. People who invested in our community, created jobs, and served their neighbors every day. Since when are they considered the ‘worst of the worst?'” This isn’t right,” Hoffman wrote. “And it’s not who we should be targeting if we care about safe, strong communities.”

The senator was likely referencing a Homeland Security press release on Friday, in which Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed the department’s agents have “arrested more than 400 illegal aliens including pedophiles, rapists, and violent thugs since Operation Metro Surge began” earlier this month in the Twin Cities.

Brooklyn Park police confirmed that ICE had detained an employee. WCCO reached out to ICE to ask what charges Rubio faces and why he was detained but has not heard back.

De Morais said that he wasn’t sure of Rubio’s status, but knew that he was checking in with authorities regularly. He said that Rubio had taken time off the in the past for court dates that he was told were related to his desire to achieve asylum status.

What he’s more sure of is that he’s likely going to have to close down Crumbs and Coffee. He said it’s already been difficult trying to keep his other restaurant ventures in the Twin Cities afloat given the fear that has gripped the metro; with employees afraid to come to work, he said he doesn’t see how he can reopen the coffee shop that opened its doors just six months ago.

“This one is done,” De Morais said, “we are unfortunately are not going to reopen.”

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By WCCO Staff

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — Police in Richfield, Minnesota, say a woman is dead following reports from neighbors who witnessed a man “dragging a dead body” out of an apartment early Saturday morning.

Officers were called just after 3 a.m. to the Fountainhead Apartments, located east of Best Buy’s corporate headquarters off West 76th Street and Knox Avenue South.

Neighbors told police they saw the suspect load the body into a vehicle. Officers “attempted to initiate a traffic stop,” police say, leading to a pursuit that ended about 2.5 miles northwest at the ER entrance of Edina’s M Health Fairview Southdale hospital.

Officers arrested the driver, police say, and found an unconscious 23-year-old woman in the back seat who had been shot. She was pronounced dead soon after.

Police say they’re still investigating.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-799-SAFE or Minnesota Day One at 1-866-223-1111.

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By Hunter Geisel

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A death investigation is underway after a woman was found dead inside a Dollar Tree freezer on Sunday morning, City of Miami Police said.

Around 8 a.m., Miami Police officers responded to the Dollar Tree location at 968 SW 8th St. after an employee called saying that there was a deceased woman inside the business.

According to Miami Police, the woman was found inside the store’s freezer.

Miami Police is investigating the discovery as an unclassified death at this time, as the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death remain unclear.

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By KITV Web Staff

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — A Hawaiʻi County Grand Jury has indicted 24-year-old Alohi Kaupu-Grace for allegedly embezzling over $40,000 from bank customers, including two elderly individuals, while working as a bank teller.

Kaupu-Grace faces multiple charges, including computer fraud and theft. The charges carry potential prison sentences ranging from five to 20 years and fines up to $50,000.

Attorney General Anne Lopez said, “As alleged, Kaupu-Grace stole money from residents who were simply trying to conduct financial transactions at their bank. This indictment reflects the department’s continued commitment to protecting Hawaiʻi residents and maintaining the integrity of our financial institutions.”

The investigation was conducted by the Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division (SIPD), which handles corruption, fraud, and economic crimes in Hawaiʻi. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Thomas Michener.

Kaupu-Grace is also awaiting trial in two other theft cases in Hawai‘i County. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Residents can report suspected fraud and economic crimes to SIPD online, or call 911 in emergencies.

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By Deanna Sipe

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    RALEIGH, N.C. (WLOS) — Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced that North Carolina won its lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

According to a news release from Jackson’s office, the lawsuit was won after a federal court ordered the reinstatement of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant (BRIC) disaster mitigation program.

“Our towns spent years doing everything FEMA asked them to do to qualify for this funding, and they were in the middle of building real protections against storms when FEMA suddenly broke its word. Keeping water systems working and keeping homes out of floodwater isn’t politics; it’s basic safety. This ruling puts the money back where it was promised so these communities can be ready for the next storm,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson in a news release.

As previously reported, Jackson sued FEMA over its decision to cancel the program providing over $200 million for more than 60 infrastructure projects across North Carolina.

According to the release, the court wrote that the BRIC program is designed to protect against national disasters and that “the imminence of disasters is not deterred by bureaucratic obstruction.”

The court order concluded that FEMA’s actions in canceling the $200 million were an “unlawful Executive encroachment on the prerogative of Congress to appropriate funds for a specific and compelling purpose.”

“North Carolina, unfortunately, is no stranger to natural disasters, and building better infrastructure saves lives,” said Governor Josh Stein in a news release. “I thank Attorney General Jackson for taking action to preserve our $200 million to protect our water and sewer systems, bridges, and more from floods and wildfires.”

The release detailed the following BRIC projects in North Carolina, which include:

Salisbury was awarded $22.5 million to relocate its sewage station along the Yadkin River to higher ground so it can be safely accessed during storms to maintain a drinking water supply. The existing pump station increasingly gets flooded and can be surrounded by water for days after the storm. The city had invested $3 million in local funds for this project before it was canceled.

Hillsborough was awarded nearly $7 million to relocate its pump station out of a floodplain, expand its water and sewer capacity, and maintain emergency water connections with Jordan Lake and other water reservoirs.

Gastonia was awarded $5.9 million to restore the banks of Duharts Creek and relocate sewer lines to prevent floodwater damage.

Mount Pleasant was selected to receive more than $4 million to improve stormwater drainage and secure electrical wires to greatly reduce the risk of losing electric and telecommunications services during storms and floods.

Leland was selected to receive $1.1 million to relocate the town’s sewer system away from Sturgeon Creek, which often floods after storms and natural disasters.

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By Ivan Taylor

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — Police are searching for a man caught on surveillance video driving a pickup truck, investigators say, who was carrying a woman’s body – a body later dumped in a secluded industrial area of South Miami‑Dade.

The discovery was made early Friday morning at the entrance of a business near Southwest 170th Street and 99th Avenue, an area business owners say few people know about.

Ron Von Paulus, a business owner in the area, shared the surveillance footage with investigators.

Footage shows truck making U‑turn The video shows the pickup pulling in, making a U‑turn and driving toward the spot where police later found the victim.

Police told Paulus the victim was a woman.

“It was a female and she was badly beaten up… that’s all they shared with me,” he said.

Workers arrived minutes after suspect left Paulus said his workers pulled into the lot just minutes after the truck drove off.

“My guys got here just like two or three minutes after – you can see it on the video,” he said.

One of those workers, Farrell Scott, said he narrowly missed witnessing the crime in real time.

“If I was here early, I would have seen the guy,” Scott said.

“I would have seen everything happening – but I stopped and got a coffee.”

Witness describes video as chilling Scott described the video as chilling.

“The video is shocking because the guy made a U-turn right here and stopped. I see him get out and dump the body, but I just couldn’t see his face.”

The Miami‑Dade Sheriff’s Office confirms it is investigating but declined to comment further.

Authorities urge public to help The business owner hopes the suspect will be found quickly.

“I just hope they catch this guy – whoever he is. He needs to be taken care of properly,” Paulus said.

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By Loureen Ayyoub

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Beneath towering redwoods in Marin County, an outdoor storytelling series is drawing audiences back to one of humanity’s oldest traditions.

Redwood Nights brings together passionate storytellers to share true, personal narratives in a natural setting designed to foster connection, according to producer Don Reed.

“People here are coming from The Moth, NPR, HBO, Tonight Show, late-night television, here telling stories that are sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, but all of them are true,” Reed said.

In an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the emphasis on real-life experiences has taken on new significance. Reed said while technology can help streamline creative work, Redwood Nights offers a different kind of interaction.

“A lot of artificial intelligence sometimes, it gets projects done faster, it can help with that. But when you come here, we do a different form of AI. We call it authentic interaction,” he said.

The event, titled Storytelling Under the Stars, is held outdoors in Fairfax at Deer Park Villa, where audiences gather beneath redwood trees to experience stories in an intimate, natural environment.

“It’s always great to be out in nature. We spend too much time surrounded by four walls and a roof. And to come out into the natural world, these trees hold stories generations longer than the people who are here,” attendee Suzanne Pullen said.

Reed has spent nearly two years curating the themed gatherings with the goal of slowing down time and encouraging presence.

“Human connection over digital connection will always be superior. There will never be anything better or stronger than another human being talking to you, another human being, sharing their story,” Reed said.

Stories that are meant to spark curiosity, hope and connection.

The next Redwood Nights event is scheduled for Dec. 30.

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By Tori Mason

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A mother is grieving after a crash in the Denver metro area last weekend left her son brain-dead and two of her other children fighting for their lives.

Lakewood police say 22-year-old Andrew Logan Miller has been arrested in connection with the crash, which happened Dec. 6 around 7:30 p.m. near Kipling Parkway and West 6th Avenue.

Police say Miller was driving an SUV southbound on Kipling Parkway at a high rate of speed when it collided with a bus carrying a wrestling team from Central High School, which is located in Grand Junction in Mesa County.

Sixteen people were taken to hospitals.

Among the injured were three siblings who were riding inside the SUV.

On Friday, their mother, Suleyma Gonzalez, identified them as Julio Gonzalez, 18, Analelly Gonzalez, 17, and Christopher Gonzalez, 14.

Analelly and Christopher remain in critical condition. Julio will never wake up.

“I didn’t want to believe it, until they had to do the second testing where they didn’t find blood going through his brain,” she said. “My other two are in comas.”

Gonzalez said doctors ultimately declared Julio brain-dead.

She describes her children as disciplined students and ROTC members with plans for the future.

“Two of my kids were going to graduate this year,” she said. “No drugs. No alcohol. They were good kids.”

Gonzalez confirmed that Miller, who was driving the SUV at the time of the crash, was her daughter’s boyfriend.

“I know he loved my daughter,” she said. “I don’t think he did this on purpose or intentionally. It was an accident.”

Police say the investigation is ongoing, but believe speed played a major role in the crash.

Miller was arrested Wednesday night and is facing multiple charges, including:

• Vehicular assault (7 counts) • Speeding 40 mph or more over the limit • Reckless driving • Child abuse (2 counts) • Reckless endangerment

“My kids know when you get in somebody’s car, there’s always a risk. Always,” she said.

Julio’s organs will be donated. He’s on life support, while the hospital searches for matches.

“He wanted to give to the world,” she said. “Now that I can’t get him back, we want to give life to somebody else.”

Miller is currently being held in the Denver County Jail and is awaiting transfer to the Jefferson County Jail. His bond and court appearance have not yet been announced.

Lakewood police say the investigation remains active.

Gonzalez, a single mother of five, says her focus now is on her surviving children and getting clarity.

“I just want answers.”

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