Author: CNN Newsource

By Shakeria Hawkins

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    LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Amber Legan wakes up every morning and searches Facebook for posts about stolen Hyundais. She and her sister spend about 3 hours after work each day driving through parking lots, apartment complexes, and neighborhoods across Las Vegas looking for her 2014 dark gray Hyundai Elantra.

“My sister and I go out after work… we hit every side of town about three hours every day,” Legan said.

That daily routine recently paid off — not for her own car, but for another Las Vegas woman who had also reported her Hyundai stolen.

“She went on Facebook and typed ‘Hyundai Elantra,'” Legan’s sister, Heather Legan, said.

The sisters drove to the area and found the car sitting in a Walgreens parking lot.

“We found her car in the Walgreens parking lot,” Amber said.

“With all the windows down, and one busted out,” Heather said.

They called the owner, who was able to recover her car.

Just days earlier, Amber had also reported an abandoned Hyundai near her neighborhood. Police confirmed that vehicle had also been stolen.

While her own car remains missing, her search has now helped recover 2 stolen vehicles.

The experience changed how Amber looks at abandoned vehicles.

“If you see something that doesn’t look normal… call it in,” she said.

Metro Police say motor vehicle thefts are down 30% this year compared to last year. But Hyundai and Kia models remain among the most common targets. Officers urge owners to visit a dealership to make sure their vehicles have the latest security updates.

Amber is still waiting to get her own vehicle back and hopes sharing her story will encourage other Hyundai owners to take extra precautions.

“I just want people with Hyundais to be aware… there need to be extra precautions,” she said.

Anyone who spots a dark gray 2014 Hyundai Elantra with license plate 4046F4 is asked to call it in.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KTNV verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Tyler Layne

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    RICHMOND, Virginia (WTVR) — More than 10 months after video appeared to show a Richmond deputy pepper-spraying a 15-year-old boy at a concert, Sheriff Antionette Irving has not said what, if anything, she did about it.

The incident happened in September 2025 at a Turnstile show on Brown’s Island. Witnesses say the band was inviting people on stage when the officer deployed pepper spray toward the teen’s face.

The incident sparked outrage from concertgoers, and experts raised questions about whether the use of force was necessary.

“It doesn’t appear to be appropriate or really warranted,” policing expert Jerry Rodriguez said in a previous interview.

Irving said at the time she opened an internal investigation. In the months that followed, I continued to ask for the results but was told the matter was under review.

This week, I submitted another Freedom of Information Act request for the report.

Irving’s office said it was withholding 14 pages of records, with a spokesperson citing a FOIA exemption that allows the government to keep secret information pertaining to allegations of wrongdoing by law enforcement officers and personnel.

Those exemptions are discretionary, meaning the sheriff’s office could choose to release the records. I asked why they are not opting to do so and have not received an answer.

I also asked Irving’s office to at least confirm the findings of the investigation — whether the officer violated policy, whether any actions were taken against him, and whether the sheriff implemented any changes moving forward. I have not heard back.

Richmond City Councilmember Reva Trammell, chair of the council’s Public Safety Committee, said the report should have been made public long ago.

“Why she’s not released the report? It should have been released a long time ago,” she said.

Trammell said she expects more transparency from Richmond’s law enforcement leaders.

“How come you haven’t got your answer about something this important that people are still waiting for? What, since last year for an answer? It’s not right,” she said.

Trammell said she is asking Irving to attend the next Public Safety Committee meeting in September to answer questions about the incident and her decision to withhold the report.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Kayla Moeller

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    ELK GROVE, California (KOVR) — A routine drive home on Highway 99 turned into a frightening ordeal for an Elk Grove family when a large metal bolt crashed through the windshield of their minivan, narrowly missing their 12-year-old daughter.

This happened somewhere between 12th Street and 47th Avenue; the driver was so flustered during the incident, they can’t pinpoint exactly where it happened.

With three kids in the car, it was a close call. The family says they are grateful no one was seriously hurt.

“I was driving, and all of a sudden heard a boom sound,” said Gulnaz Siddiqui, the driver and mother

The bolt flew into the passenger-side windshield, where Siddiqui’s 12-year-old daughter, Aisha, was sitting. The impact shattered the glass, sending fragments across the front seat.

“Then there was glass all over her,” Siddiqui said.

Aisha said she was stunned in the moments after the impact.

“I didn’t really know what happened for a few seconds,” she said. “This just came, and I felt like something exploded in the car.”

The bolt lodged into the glass just inches from Aisha’s face. This was her first time riding in the front seat.

“I just screamed,” Aisha said.

Siddiqui said her first concern was making sure her daughter wasn’t seriously hurt.

“I looked at her and I was like, OK, she’s not injured. There’s no bleeding, nothing,” Siddiqui said. “Then there was all this glass on her and in her shoes too.”

With nowhere to safely pull over immediately, Siddiqui continued driving until she could stop and assess the damage. During that time, Aisha kept her eyes closed.

The family said it’s unclear where the bolt came from. Siddiqui believes it may have been kicked up from the roadway by a vehicle traveling ahead of them. She said she was following a passenger car, not a truck, at the time.

“Just watch out. Be safe on 99, of course, because there’s a lot of construction going around,” Siddiqui said.

Mohammed Kazi, Aisha’s father, said the experience left the family shaken.

“These things you can never expect. It can happen to anyone,” Kazi said. “It happened to us. Luckily, no one was that badly injured. They have a shock, a trauma.”

Although no one suffered serious injuries, the family said the frightening experience will stay with them. Aisha said she plans to wear her eyeglasses whenever she’s in a vehicle as an added layer of protection.

The family is also asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or captured it on a dash camera to come forward with video that could help determine where the bolt came from.

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 Brittney Ermon

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    WEST COVINA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — A West Covina family learned about Saturday’s deadly mass shooting at an In-N-Out in Idaho the same as many did — a news alert on their phone. And for the ensuing moments, time felt like an excruciating, panic-inducing eternity.

Their Southern California-based 24-year-old daughter was part of an “all-star team” assembled to travel to Twin Falls, Idaho, to help train new associates as they open the new location. Around 2:30 p.m. local time, shots rang out as a gunman entered the store.

The Ahern’s were alerted to the shooting through the Citizen App, and knowing their daughter was there, they awaited a phone call from their daughter. It never came, at least from her phone, they said.

While the shooting was active, their daughter fled the scene without her cell phone, delaying her ability to contact family to let them know she was OK. She was later able to reach her parents from a friend’s phone, but for Nikki and Micheal Ahern, that wait was excruciating.

“All she could get out [on the initial phone call] was ‘mommy, mommy, mommy,’ crying, ‘mommy, I’m alive’,” Nikki said.

Micheal said he asked his daughter if police officers had arrived yet and if she was safe, which she said yes to, but added that a co-worker had been shot.

The Twin Falls Police Department later confirmed that three died and seven others were wounded after 24-year-old Chad Williams opened fire at the restaurant. In-N-Out President Lynsi Snyder said a female employee was one of those killed.

Williams later turned the gun on himself and died.

Even hundreds of miles away, the fear centered in a Southern Idaho city was felt in West Covina.

“[It felt like] being powerless,” Nikki said. “It took a long time for clarification.”

The Ahern’s turned their attention to In-N-Out, saying that the company failed to alert them to the active situation and didn’t provide crucial information.

“There’s got to be a protocol,” Micheal said. “Like, you have an emergency contact list, right?”

CBS LA reached out to In-N-Out to ask about those protocols, but is yet to hear back.

The Ahern’s said their daughter still is without a cell phone, but she’s expected to return to Southern California on Monday.

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 Holden

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    LAKEWOOD, Ohio (WEWS) — The City of Lakewood is making it easier for businesses to offer gender-neutral, single-user restrooms through a new voluntary program approved by City Council.

The resolution, which passed unanimously, allows businesses to convert existing single-user men’s or women’s restrooms into all-gender restrooms.

City leaders say participating businesses can also receive restroom signage at no or reduced cost.

Officials stress the program is entirely optional.

“This is not a mandate,” Ward 3 Councilwoman Cindy Strebig said. “People are just like, ‘Well, that makes sense.’ It’s easy. It’s not a controversial thing here.”

Strebig sponsored the resolution, saying the goal is to improve accessibility while giving business owners more flexibility.

She said the effort was supported immensely by members of the Lakewood Youth Council, who highlighted how all-gender, single-user restrooms can benefit LGBTQ+ individuals, parents with children of the opposite sex, caregivers and others who may need assistance.

The city says businesses with eligible single-user restrooms can opt into the program, and officials will help guide them through the signage process.

Some Lakewood businesses have embraced the concept.

At Cleveland Vegan on Detroit Avenue, co-owner Laura Ross said the restaurant has offered gender-neutral, single-user restrooms since it opened more than a decade ago.

“We always felt just keep it very simple,” Ross said. “It’s just a basic everyday thing to use the restroom.”

Ross believes the approach reflects the welcoming atmosphere she hopes customers experience when they visit.

“I mean, that absolutely all are welcome,” Ross said. “I think it’s a testament.”

Some residents who spoke with News 5 also supported the change, provided it doesn’t create an unnecessary financial burden for small businesses.

“I think it’s fine, as long as it’s done in a way that doesn’t burden small businesses financially,” Lakewood resident Chuck Greanoff said. “I think something that’s more accessible to everybody is good.”

Another resident, Zandra Mannion, said the change could help families.

“I myself have a grandson who would benefit from that and not worry about whether it’s for women or men,” she said.

Strebig said she reviewed similar programs in other communities, including Cincinnati, before introducing the resolution in Lakewood.

City officials are now accepting interest from businesses that want to participate in the voluntary program.

Strebig says interested businesses should contact the mayor’s office for additional guidance and ways to participate in the program.

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 Joshua Sidorowicz

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — When Marisa Penate bought a brand-new Toyota Sienna, she says safety was her top priority.

The grandmother from Mount Airy in Philadelphia paid more than $63,000 in cash for the vehicle using retirement savings. She needed a minivan large enough to transport her four young grandchildren.

“The most important thing, I bought it because it was safe,” Penate said.

Months later, Penate says that sense of security disappeared when a recall notice arrived from Toyota.

Penate purchased the 2025 Toyota Sienna last March.

In December, Toyota notified owners of certain 2025 Sienna vehicles that second-row seat rails may have been improperly welded. The recall notice warned that in certain high-speed crashes, the seats could lose structural integrity, increasing the risk of injury.

Penate says she immediately thought about her grandchildren, who regularly rode in those seats.

“Panic! I said, ‘Oh my God, I’ve been driving my little babies,” she said.

The recall notice also included a recommendation from Toyota until repairs could be completed.

“The warning says, ‘no one sit in or use a child restraint in the second row … until the remedy is performed on the vehicle,'” Penate said while reading from the notice.

Toyota informed owners that dealers would replace the affected seat rails at no cost once parts became available.

Penate says when she brought her Sienna to the dealership, she learned there was another problem.

There was no repair available yet.

Attorney Bob Silverman, who now represents Penate, says situations like this have become increasingly common across the auto industry.

“You’ve got these recalls, ‘hey your car’s unsafe but we can’t fix it,'” Silverman said. “That’s crazy.”

Consumer Reports has found millions of vehicles are recalled each year before a remedy is ready, leaving some consumers waiting weeks, months, or even years for repairs.

Penate told CBS News Philadelphia her Sienna remained out of service for 102 days while waiting for replacement parts and repairs.

She was provided with a loaner vehicle during that time.

Penate filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas alleging the vehicle qualifies as a lemon under Pennsylvania law because it was out of service for more than 30 days due to a warranty-related defect.

Lemon laws are different in every state.

Penate is asking Toyota to buy back the vehicle and refund the purchase price, along with other damages and attorney fees.

Court filings show she initially tried to work directly with Toyota to resolve the issue, including seeking a trade-in or buyback. When those efforts failed, she filed suit.

Toyota declined to address the allegations.

A spokesperson told CBS News Philadelphia the automaker can’t comment on pending litigation.

Silverman says consumers should not ignore recall notices, especially when safety concerns are involved.

“Read those recalls carefully,” he said. “You should immediately contact the manufacturer and the dealer and say, ‘fix my car, and if you can’t, put me in a safe car while I’m waiting,’ and document everything.”

He advises drivers to keep:

Repair orders Emails Text messages Recall notices Records of conversations with dealers or manufacturers That documentation, he says, can become crucial if a dispute develops later.

For Penate, the case is about more than a vehicle.

“You have rights,” she said. “You have rights, and you need to exercise them.”

If your vehicle is recalled and a repair is not immediately available:

Read the recall notice carefully Ask the dealer for written documentation Request a loaner vehicle if safety is a concern Save every repair order, email and text message Keep records of all communications with the manufacturer and dealership

Consumer advocates say those records can make a significant difference if a warranty, recall or Lemon Law dispute later arises.

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.