Author: CNN Newsource

By Tammy Mutasa

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    WATERTOWN, Massachusetts (WBZ) — What started as a Halloween party turned into an unforgettable surprise for dozens of young Boston Celtics fans in Watertown, Massachusetts, on Thursday.

More than 60 kids at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club got the chance to meet some of their favorite basketball players, who traded their green jerseys for colorful costumes.

Mike Conley Jr. showed up dressed as Scooby-Doo, Ron Harper Jr. transformed into the Cat in the Hat, and Dillon Mitchell brought SpongeBob SquarePants to life.

“I felt really excited; I got a rush of adrenaline,” said Celtics fan Elisa Beck.

The Celtics teamed up with Xfinity to host the surprise celebration, featuring Halloween activities, games, and one-on-one time with the players.

The young fans got to pick up basketball pointers from the pros, challenge them in games and enjoy a dunk show from Celtics mascot Lucky the Leprechaun and his crew.

“It’s very exciting,” said Alex Faria of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club. “I’ve never seen Celtics players like this up close.”

But beyond the costumes, high-fives and cheers, the event was also about inspiring the next generation to dream big.

“I want to be a basketball player,” Beck said, sharing her hopes of one day playing the sport herself.

Conley, who spent time interacting with the children while dressed as Scooby-Doo, offered some encouragement.

“Never let anybody tell you what you can’t be or can’t do in this world,” Conley said, urging the young fans to aim high and dream big.

For Harper, the celebration was also a reminder of his own childhood, and the impact professional athletes can have on young fans.

“I remember being a little kid, meeting NBA players, meeting basketball players and just people I looked up to and those are memories I still carry with me,” Harper said.

He said he was grateful to help create those same experiences for the children in Watertown.

“It’s a day that none of these kids will forget,” Harper said.

For the young Celtics fans, the Halloween celebration delivered more than costumes and basketball. It was a chance to meet their heroes and make memories that could last a lifetime.

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 Aaron Parseghian

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    BOSTON, Massachusetts (WBZ) — As colorectal cancer rates continue to rise among younger adults, a team of Boston researchers has identified differences in tumor cells that could potentially lead to new treatments.

The findings offer hope to survivors like Kristen Vincent of Orleans, who was just 37 years old when she learned she had stage 3 colorectal cancer.

“I was actually staged on my youngest daughter’s second birthday. So, I found out that I had stage three cancer on her second birthday, and that was my biggest fear was missing their lives,” Vincent said.

Her treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute included 28 days of radiation, surgery, eight rounds of chemotherapy and 11 months with an ileostomy bag.

Throughout her battle, Vincent said she tried to maintain a positive outlook.

“Every day I would tell myself, cancer is not going to kill me today,” Vincent said.

Now, Vincent has had five years of clean scans. She also has a few years participating in the Pan-Mass Challenge, raising more than $25,000 for cancer research at Dana-Farber, the hospital she credits with her positive outcome.

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer rates among people under 50 have been increasing by nearly 3% annually in recent years. The disease is now the leading cause of cancer-related death in that age group.

Researchers at Mass General Brigham, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute published a study examining why younger patients are increasingly being diagnosed with the disease.

“We’ve seen, as you said, this trend has been increasing, the incidence of colorectal cancer in individuals under 50 for some time. But we really didn’t know why. We didn’t know if the disease was different in younger people versus older people. And that’s what our study aimed to address,” said Dr. Ana Anderson, one of the study’s senior co-authors.

The research team analyzed 189 tumors and more than 850,000 individual cell nuclei, including samples from more than 50 patients under age 50.

Anderson said researchers discovered differences in both the cells and gene expression within tumors from younger patients compared with older patients.

“Specifically, we found that stromal cells, the cells that kind of make the connective tissue, are in higher proportion compared to the malignant cancer cells in the younger patient tumors,” Anderson said.

According to Anderson, those stromal cells can produce factors that suppress the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight cancer. They can also form a barrier that prevents drugs from entering tumors.

Researchers also identified differences in genes that may contribute to more aggressive forms of the disease.

The findings do not yet explain why more young people are developing colorectal cancer, but Anderson said they provide new avenues for researchers to investigate and could eventually lead to treatments specifically designed for younger patients.

“Before we were just trying to look for differences, now we have some differences that we can kind of dig into further to hopefully understand biology, and that could lead to interventions down the road,” Anderson said.

For Vincent, the new research and potential for more is encouraging.

“It’s exciting to me because the last thing I want is another young person with a young family to have to go through what I went through,” Vincent said.

She is also encouraging others, particularly younger adults, not to ignore potential warning signs.

“If you are finding blood in your stool, you need to call your doctor right away if it is a consistent thing, because the earlier you’re able to get the diagnosis, the higher likelihood you will have to beat this,” Vincent said. “So please don’t be embarrassed. Colonoscopies are not that bad. It’s just so critical to catch it early.”

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 Adam Thompson

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    HOWARD COUNTY, Maryland (WJZ) — A Howard County police officer will not face charges for his role in a pursuit that ended in a crash, killing one man and injuring two others in Jessup on Sept. 6, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General announced Thursday.

Investigators said that around 2 a.m., Police Officer First Class Amir Parker was on duty in an unmarked Ford F-150 in the parking lot of a Royal Farms gas station in the 7100 block of Montevideo Road in Howard County when a white Infiniti Q60 struck his vehicle.

The Infiniti driver fled, prompting a brief pursuit that lasted about one minute. During the pursuit, Parker’s vehicle reached speeds of 80 mph, investigators said. Parker maintained radio communication and slowed down while traveling through an intersection, according to investigators.

The Infiniti driver lost control after crossing railroad tracks and struck a retaining wall after entering Anne Arundel County, investigators said. Three occupants were ejected from the vehicle.

Anthony L. Bowers Jr. died in the crash, and two other occupants were taken to a hospital.

“After completing its investigation and evaluating all the available evidence, the Office of the Attorney General has determined that the officer did not commit a crime under Maryland law. Accordingly, the Attorney General has declined to prosecute the officer in this case,” the office said.

The Attorney General’s Office released police body-worn camera footage of the crash.

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By Dan Raby

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    ATLANTA, Georgia (WUPA) — Investigators have charged a second woman with murder in connection with a child found dead in a southwest Atlanta home on Monday.

Authorities say Jasmine Jenkins will be charged with murder and first-degree cruelty to children.

The Atlanta Police Department tells CBS News Atlanta that officers were called to do a welfare check at a home on the 3500 block of Cardinal Drive SW on Monday evening. After officers and members of the Atlanta Fire Department forced their way inside the residence, they found the body of a 4-year-old inside. The child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators tracked a vehicle believed to be connected with the case to Wilkes County. Early Tuesday morning, deputies arrested 32-year-old Jasmaine Smoak, charging her with second-degree cruelty to children and concealing the death of another. On Thursday, authorities said that Smoak now also is charged with murder, aggravated assault, and first-degree cruelty to children.

Officials have not shared many details about the investigation or what led to Jenkins’ arrest. She remains in custody in Wilkes County and will be transported to Atlanta to be interviewed in the near future.

The investigation remains ongoing, and officials are asking anyone with information to call the Atlanta Police Department.

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 Chelsea Jones, Ana Maria Soler

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    MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Florida (WFOR) — The cousin of a woman killed in a murder-suicide at a northeast Miami-Dade apartment complex says she begged the gunman to let her, her cousin, and their aunt leave before he shot her cousin and then himself.

Maria Espinosa said she watched her cousin, Denise Polo Fuentes, die. She said she, Polo Fuentes, and their aunt went to the 55-and-over complex on Wednesday night to pick up Polo Fuentes’ belongings. Espinosa said Polo Fuentes’ ex, Frank Paba, was there and wasn’t acting like himself.

“He told us everyone here is gonna die tonight,” Espinosa said, according to a translation of her remarks in Spanish.

“I was begging for the lives of the three of us, for my life, my cousins, and for my sisters. Pleading with him to let us leave, saying we had our children,” she said, in translation.

Espinosa said Paba then shot Polo Fuentes in the heart and then shot himself.

Paba’s sister, Yolima Paba, said her brother and Polo Fuentes had not been together for two months.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the woman went to the apartment near Northeast 14th Avenue and 170th Street shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday to retrieve her belongings. Investigators said the man shot and killed her and then turned the gun on himself.

A neighbor who didn’t want to be identified said she knew the couple and that Polo Fuentes had told her she was done with Paba. The neighbor said the area is typically quiet.

It is unclear whether this was the first domestic incident between the two. CBS News Miami has asked the Sheriff’s Office and is waiting for a response.

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 Tim Fang

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KOVR) — A San Francisco Bay Area man who has two previous strikes is facing a potential sentence of life in prison after he allegedly threw scalding hot coffee at a fast-food restaurant manager, authorities said.

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe’s office announced Tuesday that 64-year-old Willie Anthony Quinn of San Mateo was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, assault likely to produce great bodily injury and possession of methamphetamine.

According to San Mateo police, Quinn was charged in connection with an incident at the Jack in the Box restaurant on 3rd Avenue on Saturday morning. Officers said Quinn went to the restaurant around 9:30 a.m. and asked the manager for free food.

The manager, a 55-year-old woman, declined and said it was against company policy.

A customer stepped in and purchased a meal and a cup of hot coffee for Quinn, police said. Quinn then demanded a fresh cup of coffee from the manager and began cursing and yelling at her when she refused.

Police said the manager was escorting Quinn out of the restaurant when he threw a cup of hot coffee on her face and neck. The victim’s face was already beginning to blister when 911 was called.

The temperature of the coffee was about 200 degrees. With the help of security video, officers found Quinn the next day and he was arrested after being identified by the victim. Police said he was found with a small bag of methamphetamine in his pocket.

According to the DA’s office, Quinn’s two strikes consisted of a 1995 assault with a deadly weapon conviction and a felony assault with a gun conviction in 2009.

Quinn was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty to all charges, prosecutors said. He remains in custody at the San Mateo County Jail on $10,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 5.

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By Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — A Los Angeles Police Department officer faces several charges after he allegedly assaulted and kidnapped his children’s mother after an apparent argument.

The LA County District Attorney’s Office said Officer Anthony Guiterrez was charged with kidnapping, assault with a firearm and two felony counts of child abuse on Oct. 28.

He pleaded not guilty. His bail was set at $350,000. Guiterrez faces 20 years, eight months in state prison if convicted as charged.

“A law enforcement officer takes an oath to serve and protect, and that responsibility does not end when the uniform comes off,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said. “The defendant allegedly betrayed that oath by committing an act of violence against his own family.”

The alleged assault and kidnapping happened on Oct. 26 after Guiterrez and a woman he was dating got into an argument. The altercation escalated when Guiterrez allegedly pointed a gun at the woman and walked out of the house with her. LAPD officers arrived shortly after and arrested Guiterrez.

Prosecutors said the ordeal happened while he was off duty and in front of the couple’s two children.

“Domestic violence leaves lasting scars, causing harm that extends far beyond the immediate incident and can affect victims and their loved ones for years to come,” Hochman said.

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 Jon Dowding

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    RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) — A message posted outside a North Carolina State University fraternity house has drawn attention as the chapter remains under an interim suspension during a hazing investigation, with prevention experts saying incidents like these highlight the need for transparency and reporting resources on college campuses.

The words “Relax Pal” were displayed on a white sheet outside the Sigma Nu Beta Tau chapter house Wednesday afternoon. The message was later removed, and it is unclear whether it was related to the ongoing criminal hazing investigation involving the chapter.

The display comes as Sigma Nu’s Beta Tau chapter remains under an interim suspension imposed by both NC State and the fraternity’s national organization. The suspension requires the chapter to halt all activities while the investigation continues.

Sigma Nu National referred ABC11 to its previous statement when asked about the message displayed outside the fraternity house Wednesday.

NC State senior Reagan Streeter said the hazing allegations were disappointing, though not entirely surprising.

“I think that doesn’t super surprise me that things like this happen. It is inherently sad to hear about,” Streeter said.

As questions remain about the investigation, hazing prevention advocates say the issue continues to affect students across campuses nationwide.

“55% of college students participating in clubs, teams, and organizations are experiencing hazing,” said Meredith Stewart, director of strategy and operations for StopHazing.

Stewart said students often join organizations to find support and belonging, making hazing particularly harmful.

“Hazing is a form of interpersonal violence, and students are joining clubs, teams, and organizations to find community, to have a sense of belonging and connection,” Stewart said.

The NC State investigation comes amid renewed national attention on hazing allegations at colleges and universities, including scrutiny surrounding how Cornell University handled allegations involving sexual assault and hazing.

Streeter said organizations should provide opportunities for students rather than cause harm.

“If that’s something you want to do, you can use that as a space to find community. But if you’re using it as a way to hurt other people or to just get what you want, that’s not something that really is going to be beneficial for your self-worth, for the betterment of society,” Streeter said.

While Stewart said federal and state laws have increased transparency around hazing, challenges remain when it comes to reporting incidents.

“Making sure you’re having the courage to take that next step is what will continue to help make a difference,” Stewart said.

StopHazing staff encouraged students who may be affected by hazing to seek resources through their universities as the investigation at NC State continues.

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