Palisades Fire victim scammed out of $38K meant for home repairs after death of husband

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Tim Pulliam

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    PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The Pacific Palisades community is rallying behind a woman who, in one year, had much of her home damaged in the fire and lost her husband to cancer – only to be victimized again.

Just as Ellen Rudolph was starting to rebuild her home, she says scammers tricked her out of $38,000 meant for repairs.

“Every time I think about it, I’m re-living it,” said Rudolph.

She says the crooks sent her an email pretending to be PayPal, claiming there was a suspicious charge on her account that needed to be addressed. She gave them access to her bank account, including the money she was using to repair her home.

“I just didn’t see that it was a scam. … I was extremely vulnerable, given my other two huge life events,” she said.

While recovering from the Palisades Fire, her husband of 13 years, Steve, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in April. In October, he passed away at 81.

“It hits me usually when I’m alone. Often when I’m driving in the car or I’m getting up in the morning,” said Rudolph. “He was an extraordinary man. I loved him.”

She says the situation is scary, but important for her to go back to her home.

“Steve would want me to… It was our home,” she said. “Going back to the house, I’m filled with mixed emotions. Steve will not be there.”

Rudolph filed a police report and hopes sharing her story prevents others from being scammed.

“F them. You know. They took advantage when I was, and am still, at my most vulnerable in my entire life,” Rudolph said.

Rudolph already raised more than $23,000 through a GoFundMe, hoping to reach her goal of $28,000 to cover some of her losses.

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.

Velo Vets creates cycling community for disabled veterans in Sierra Vista

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Alexis Ramanjulu

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    SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Sierra Vista nonprofit is using cycling to create community for disabled veterans, proving that physical limitations don’t have to end an active lifestyle.

Velo Vets, a nonprofit in Sierra Vista, creates community for veterans while getting them outdoors through cycling. For some members who are disabled, they didn’t think they’d ever be able to get on a bike again.

“It gets the endorphins running, it gets your blood pumping, and people just enjoy doing it,” Ken Kingsley said.

Kingsley co-founded the organization in 2017. The group now has over 100 members who meet twice a week for 15-mile rides, making sure to stop for coffee and conversation.

For many disabled veterans, social opportunities can be limited.

“You know, they don’t have as much of an opportunity or even an incentive to get out in the world and to associate and socialize, and so we give them that opportunity to,” Kingsley said.

“I think the exercise is one of the best things. But then, like he said, when we get together for coffee, we have a great time together,” Scott Andres said.

Andres serves as a board member for Velo Vets. The social aspect proves just as important as the physical benefits for the veteran community.

“Veteran community is, of course, a fraternity, and we love associating with our veteran brothers and sisters, and that’s a very, very important part of development’s mission,” Kingsley said.

The group is pedaling with more purpose this year, months after co-founder Stu Carter died from a heart attack while on a ride.

“On November 5 of 2025, it’s a day that’s going to live in infamy for Velo Vets, totally unexpected, but you know, first for his age, I’ve never known anybody who was more fit than Stu Carter, so it was such a shock,” Kingsley said.

The nonprofit has memorial rides planned for this year in honor of Carter.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­KGUN 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.

‘They are overwhelmed:’ Denver Health expands school-based centers as student mental health needs rise

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Sophia Villalba

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    DENVER (KMGH) — Mental health professionals within Denver Public Schools say they’re seeing more students in crisis and at younger ages than ever before.

Because of this, Denver Health is expanding its school-based health centers within the district to meet the growing need.

“Our school social workers and school psychologists are mental health providers in our schools. They are overwhelmed,” said Meredith Fatseas, DPS director of mental health & student well-being.

From anxiety and depression to behavioral outbursts and school avoidance, mental health needs among DPS students are rising.

“More recently, we have really seen an increase in the need across all of our student population, but also the severity and acuity, particularly for our younger kids,” said Fatseas.

DPS says the increase is not just the number of students seeking help, but in how serious their needs have become.

We universally screen all of our students for behavioral and social-emotional needs, and we’ve seen an increase not only in need, but also in severity or acuity of need,” said Fatseas.

In 19 schools across the district, Denver Health operates school-based health centers that provide both physical and behavioral healthcare to students.

“Currently, we’re serving students who are the most acute and have the most chronic mental health issues,” said Danielle Vice, Denver Health director of school-based integrated behavioral health services. “We’re really looking at shifting our model a little bit so that we’re going to have a tiered level of care.”

That new tiered model will expand services, meeting students before they experience a crisis, while still serving those who need it most.

“Our expansion will look like providing more care in our clinics to students with mild behavioral health issues, all the way up through students who may need more of that crisis care,” said Vice.

Denver Health says last year its Therapeutic Response and Urgent Stabilization Team saw more than 500 visits, with referrals for kids as young as 7, a dramatic increase.

“The reason is multi-factorial. It’s really hard to say exactly what the cause would be. We know social media plays a part in that. We know there are academic pressures as well,” said Vice.

DPS says offering care inside of schools removes barriers, and the numbers show.

“Almost 90% of students receiving treatment see an improvement in attendance, but we also see safety needs decrease and other behavioral health support changes that are positive for our young people,” said Fatseas.

Any DPS student can access the school-based health centers for free, even if it’s not at the school they currently attend.

Denver Public Schools and Denver Health say they are currently in the planning phase of adding another school-based health center, with the hopes of opening it for the 2027-2028 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.

Marquette florist shares crucial role in creating original UP200 sled dog race

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Andrew Hansz

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    MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) — In 1989, mushers Jeffery Mann and Tom Lindstrom, Mining Journal Advertising Manager Willie Peterson and Marquette Chamber of Commerce member LouAnn Balding came together to discuss a new event for the Upper Peninsula. This soon grew into the UP200 sled dog race.

Balding, who now works as a florist at her family shop Forsberg Flowers, shared her story with WZMQ 19 on how even after all these years, she is still proud to showcase her part in its history.

“I had never seen a sled dog race, but I was willing to sell it, because I knew the community was ready,” she explained. “We would meet down at my mom’s home in Rapid River and brainstorm. We raised money and gathered volunteers, then we went out in the woods and walked across the lakes to design the route.”

Also at the helm for many of its staple years was Marquette artist, Carl Mayer, who created banners for each of the musher’s sleds. Unfortunately, Mayer passed away in December, but his watercolor paintings live on to carry a perspective of the UP200’s early years.

In light of the race weekend, Forsberg Flowers is proudly displaying one of his pieces front and center.

“We loved Carl, we worked well together,” said Balding. “This was his idea of the community. That’s what makes this race great. This is history, it’s legacy here.”

Pulling each race together is the combination of everyone involved, across both locals already here and the far-and-wide mushing community. Balding also brought up the phrase “the dog yard conversation never ends,” meaning each year these teams can pick up right where they left with one another, continuing the heavy love for the sport.

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.

He’s been to 8 Winter Olympics — and this Kenosha man is passing the dream to his daughter

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Glenda Valdes

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    KENOSHA (WTMJ) — Mark Chestnut’s Olympic journey began in 1992 in France. What started as one trip to the Winter Games turned into something much bigger — a passion that would span three decades and eight Winter Olympics.

But for Mark, it’s never just been about the events.

“It’s not necessarily a matter of being able to go to the sporting events — it’s meeting the different cultures,” Chestnut said. “My favorite memories are just from meeting people in general.”

At every Games, Mark trades Olympic pins with fans from around the world. His growing collection tells the story of friendships formed across continents and moments that go far beyond medals.

This year in Milan, he shared that experience with his daughter, Madison — continuing a tradition that began when she was just 11 years old.

“Olympic Mark Chesnutt is his own beast,” Madison said. “He gets into these other countries and becomes this totally different, unrecognizable person. It’s really cool to share that with our whole family.”

Over the years, Mark has collected stories most fans only dream about — including riding the subway next to hockey legend Sidney Crosby during the Games.

But his most meaningful Olympic moment? Meeting Diane de Coubertin — the great-great-grand-niece of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games.

“That was my Olympic moment,” Chestnut said.

In Milan, they also experienced their own unforgettable memory — watching a Norwegian skater break an Olympic record and glide past them with a gold medal and his country’s flag draped across his back.

For Mark and Madison, the Olympics are about something bigger.

“Everyone coming from different countries and we’re all there for the same reason,” Chestnut said. “It’s friendly competition at the end of the day. We’re going to have fun together.”

For this Kenosha family, that spirit has become a tradition, one that now spans generations.

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.

Local roofing company now banned from Kansas, fined $500K for ‘deceptive acts’

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Sydney Ferguson

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    WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) — A local roofing contractor is now banned from doing business in the state of Kansas until he pays back over half a million dollars after being found guilty of 29 violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.

The first time KAKE reported on the business practices of Tyler Sims and Flint Hills Roofing Company was April of last year, when local High School Teacher Rachel Shellhammer reached out to say she worried she’d been scammed.

Shellhammer’s home was left uncomplete 9-months after hiring Sims to replace her roofing and siding.

Saturday, Tammy Blunt shared a similar story to Shellhammer’s about Sims and his company.

“Those first couple weeks, he was helping,” said Blunt. “But it just became a nightmare from there.”

A storage building on Blunt’s property still hasn’t been fixed in the two years since it was hit by a tornado. Blunt hired Sims to replace three sides of the 45 by 60 storage building, repair the roof, and replace the windows.

Despite promising to get it done, Blunt says Sims would frequently disappear. The little bit of work he did do was not up to code and the shingles used on the roof don’t match what insurance approved — they’re so heavy they’re now causing her storage unit to collapse.

“I called consumer protection, and obviously, I was not the first one that had contacted them, and after that, it just started rolling forward,” said Blunt.

Blunt is one of three people named in a judgment secured by the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office against Sims on February 3 for “unconscionable and deceptive acts.”

He was found guilty of 28 violations of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, which Daryn Keeter of Keeter Roofing and Remodeling was happy to hear.

“I was just elated that they finally got the guy. I was worried that, you know, he was going to be a slap on the wrist, because a lot of damage had been done here,” said Keeter.

Keeter and his company stepped forward to fix Shellhammer’s home for free after our previous reporting. He says he sees cases like this all the time, though not as severe, and it can all be blamed on a lack of regulation in the construction industry.

“Our local code enforcement department is only inspecting for ventilation. That’s it. They’re not inspecting to see if the jobs are done right,” said Keeter. “Who is the homeowner going to get to come over to make sure this is done right?”

Sims must now pay $470,000 in fines and $36,558.40 in restitution. Of that, $25,000 in restitution will go to Blunt.

“It’s been a challenge. Can’t get a hold of him. We don’t know where he is,” said Blunt. “If he doesn’t have any money, I don’t know where– I don’t know where that’s going to land.”

Until he pays the money back, Sims is banned from doing business in the state of Kansas. Blunt calls it a step in the right direction, but it still leaves her to fix her own storage unit when she’s already battling health issues.

“I just need to focus on myself getting healthy, and this building getting done by May 18,” said Blunt. “You only have two years to get the building finished, and then the insurance claim is closed and there’s no more money.”

She says a specific agency dedicated to helping the consumer might’ve helped her avoid all of this. Keeter says it’s something homeowners could definitely benefit from, but until one is formed, he encourages homeowners to follow a few tips.

His first is to be patient, especially when many contractors try to reach out within hours of weather events.

“You look up and you see them circling, and you think they’re all eagles, but they’re mostly buzzards,” said Keeter.

He says most structures can afford to wait after a storm, while homeowners do their best to vet who they plan to hire. Keeter says to check Google reviews, make sure the company is registered with the state of Kansas, and don’t be scared to ask for a bad reference.

“Everybody’s going to put their best foot forward. Ask them, ‘give us a job that went really wrong,'” said Keeter. “If you talk to my consumers where we’ve made big mistakes, they will tell you, yes, they messed up really bad, but they came and fixed it and made it right.”

Still, Blunt says the lack of regulation Keeter mentioned leads her to worry Sims will just take his scam to another state.

“He needs to be in prison, and that’s where I stand,” said Blunt. “If he doesn’t go to prison, all he’s going to do is do this again.”

We reached out to Tyler Sims for comment, but did not get 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.

20-year-old raising money for a new wheelchair after crash that left his car ‘skewered’

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Kaitlyn Hart

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    BLACKFOOT (eastidahonews.com) — Driving to work on a cold November morning, a local 20-year-old’s life changed forever in a split second.

Karter Robison had just graduated from the College of Eastern Idaho almost six months before, and was on his way to Blackfoot on Nov. 5 from his home in Pocatello, to go to his job as a welder.

“I was going to Blackfoot at like four in the morning, and I guess I dozed off, closed my eyes for a second, and the road curved to the right. I drove right into a construction zone on I-15,” Robison says. “I hit a pile of asphalt, and my car basically jumped on top of a bunch of beans, and it like skewered the car.”

Robison’s girlfriend of four years, 19-year-old Paisley Peterson, says Robison always texts her when he gets to work. That morning, she didn’t hear from him.

“I woke up at like 5:30 a.m. or 6 a.m., and saw that he didn’t text me. Luckily, we have Life360, so I was able to check his location and saw that he was on the side of the road for like an hour and a half.”

Peterson says once she saw Robison had been on the road for so long, she decided to go looking for him.

“I called him a few times, and he didn’t answer, so I just started driving toward his location. I looked on (Idaho 511) and saw there was an accident, so I started freaking out a little bit,” Peterson says. “I didn’t tell anyone until I got to (Robison’s) car. I was the one who called our families to tell them, so they were all able to meet us at the hospital like ten minutes after the ambulance got there.”

Robison doesn’t remember much from the aftermath of the crash, but says it took first responders almost two hours to get him out of the car.

“When I first remember being in the car, I remember not being able to feel my legs and having lower back pain. As time went on, the back pain grew worse,” Robison says. “I started to feel my sternum in my ribs … I cracked my sternum, and I completely broke off my tailbone as well as a spinal injury with (two) broken vertebrae.”

Robison was eventually transported to Portneuf Medical Center, and from there was flown to the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake, where he had a ten-hour surgery to try and repair the damage.

“I didn’t really start to feel it until maybe a couple of days after surgery,” Robison says. “I am unable to walk or stand without any assistance. I can’t just like, stand up out of bed in the morning and stuff like that.”

After a 46-day hospital stay, Robison was finally released to go home, but the challenges aren’t over.

“We have to drive to Salt Lake every weekend because they’re the closest place that specializes in spinal cord injury for physical therapy,” Robison says.

According to Peterson, many of the clinics in Pocatello refused to treat Robison because they lacked the experience and specialty doctors to treat him.

“I want to walk again, but I’m also realistic, and I understand the seriousness of the injury, and how often people recover from it,” Robison says, “It’s not a very common thing to recover from. It happens, but it’s just very uncommon.”

During his recovery, Robison requires a wheelchair to get around, but currently only has access to a manual wheelchair that requires him to push it himself. But his doctors have strongly recommended that Robison get a power wheelchair that will keep him from needing shoulder surgery in the future.

“The therapist keeps saying that your legs are completely different than your shoulders, and your shoulder joint isn’t meant to push a wheelchair around all day,” Peterson says. “People who have spinal cord injuries often have to get shoulder replacements and stuff because of how consistently they use their shoulder. Having a motorized attachment will take some of the stress off his shoulder and prevent further injury.”

Because Robison is so young, and he will likely be using the wheelchair for an extended period of time, doctors are trying to prevent him from wearing out his shoulder. Unfortunately, insurance will only cover part of the cost, leaving Robison to come up with thousands of dollars to afford the wheelchair he needs.

Robison’s family has organized a GoFundMe to raise money for a motorized wheelchair and travel costs to and from Utah for treatment, and hopefully a full recovery. “I’m getting stuff back as time goes on, so (doctors) are optimistic, but there’s no way to tell me if I’m going to be able to walk again or not,” Robison says.

During his recovery, Robison says he’s been able to lean on his family and friends for support and urges anyone else in a similar situation to keep pushing through.

“Without family and friends, we probably wouldn’t be able to do this stuff for sure,” Robison says. “With somebody in a similar situation, (if) you’re given a bad hand, you just have to do it. Do the best you can, keep your head up, and try to keep moving forward. The world doesn’t stop for you.”

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.

Fire at San Jose home displaces 6 and injures multiple people, including firefighter

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Brandon Downs

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A fire at a single-story home in San Jose has left six people displaced and three people injured, fire crews said Sunday evening.

The San Jose Fire Department responded to Endfield Way, located off Story Road near S White Road, for a second-alarm fire at a one-story single-family home.

The fire caused major damage to the home and an adjacent home sustained exterior heat damage and internal smoke damage.

Fire crews said one firefighter and two residents were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The residents self-transported and the firefighter was taken to a hospital by fire personnel. Crews added that a dog died.

The American Red Cross is assisting the people displaced by the fire.

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.

California almond farmers prepping for rain during critical blooming weeksNews investigation finds

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Charlie Lapastora

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — With rain forecasted this week, it could impact almond farming during their crucial blooming season over the next few weeks.

CBS Sacramento spoke with almond farmer Mike Weststeyn on Wednesday and followed up with him on Sunday before potential rain on the horizon. Mike farms 700 acres of almond trees throughout San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties with his son, Erik.

Almonds make up a $5 billion industry in California and that triples with the economic output and ripple effect, according to UC Agricultural Issues Center director Daniel A. Sumner. In San Joaquin County, it’s the second largest crop.

“That’s how we make a living,” Mike said. “We’re producing those and that’s what we’re trying to sell, those, as in if we don’t have a crop to sell, that’s hard on the bottom line. If we don’t have a crop to sell, yeah, not making money.”

That is why these next few weeks of the almond blooming season, which will end around March 1, are crucial for farmers like Mike, his son Erik, and the more than 7,000 almond farmers throughout the state, who make up 80% of the world’s almond production.

“It’s really a critical time, even after bloom, and that nut starts to grow, it’ll shed this outside covering, and it’ll be sitting there, like with this little green nut, was really sensitive to frost at that stage. If we get a frost, any temperate down below 32 degrees, that will freeze that little nut there and it’ll fall off,” Mike said. “It’s not going to bloom again. You’re going to have to wait again until next year.”

With rain in the forecast this week, farmers are putting fungicide sprays on trees before the rain to hold it over until there’s clear skies again.

“The last couple nights you could hear the sprayers running out in the orchards. Lot of guys have been doing that, getting everything covered, so it gets a fungicide treatment on before the rain, so it will hold until we can get back in the orchards after the rain,” Mike said.

Mike is expecting, with the rain, that California won’t get a bumper crop, which would be between 2,500 and 3,000 pounds an acre. He says it may be a little less than that. If that’s the case, he’s hoping almond prices will go up to help the bottom line.

Since CBS Sacramento spoke with Mike on Wednesday, he gave an update on how the crops have been since then – and what he’s expecting this week.

“The last couple days have been really good,” Mike said. “The bees have been out, buds are pollinated. We’ve had pretty decent weather, looks like there’s some rain coming in tonight, so yeah, maybe the next couple of days, the bees are going to be hold up in their house and not too much pollinating going on. But, we’ll see if the weather clears up by Thursday and they’ll get back to work after that. Maybe a little hit on the crop but hopefully not too big of a hit. That’s what we’re hoping for.”

But whether or not this weather affects their crop, for Mike, he’s just grateful he gets to farm through this with his son.

“Having the opportunity to be with him every day, I get the phone calls, I always have somebody to talk to,” Mike said. “It’s different for me, my dad passed away when I was just graduating from college and I never had the opportunity to really farm with my dad. So, this is, it is special, have a kid that wants to farm and is willing to learn and is good at doing that stuff, it’s really special.”

Erik graduated from UC Davis in 2024 with an ag systems management degree and came back home.

“Could’ve gone some other places and made some more money, but the dream of growing the family business and the hope to keep that going for generations and someday pass it down to my kids really was the main draw,” Erik said.

Erik also got married recently and his wife works in the ag finance industry. Mike and his wife, Amy, enjoy having them around, making home-cooked meals, and Mike said Amy especially is looking forward to having grandkids. Mike said his daughter works in Sacramento at the Blue Diamond office. Almonds are very much a part of this family, as Mike grew up on an almond farm with his dad farming it at a property near where they are today in Ripon.

And almonds need the bees. With two beehives per acre on their property, Mike also calls these bees “vitally important” to their operation. If there’s rain or temperatures below 50 degrees, the bees can’t fly. If the bees can’t fly, they can’t pollinate, and there’s no crop. But, they’ve been able to fly and pollinate these last few days and they’re hoping that after the rain, they can still get a good crop.

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.

Video shows San Bernardino County jewelry store employee fighting back during robbery

CNN Newsource on February 16, 2026

By Dean Fioresi, Lauren Pozen

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Dramatic video shows the moments when a Montclair jewelry store employee fights back during a robbery last week.

It happened on Thursday, Feb. 12, at around 7:45 p.m. at Fast-Fix Jewelry and Watch Repairs, located in the 2000 block of E. Montclair Plaza Lane, according to the Montclair Police Department.

Investigators say that the suspect entered the store holding a small bag, which he put down before walking back out of the door. The suspect then “looked around outside the business” before going back inside and walking to the rear of a glass jewelry display case inside, where the employee was standing.

He allegedly pulled a handgun from his jacket and began demanding that the woman open the jewelry case.

“The suspect raised the gun toward the employee multiple times and used a flashlight in his other hand to push the employee,” the Montclair police release said. “The suspect shattered the glass case with the gun and attempted to grab items from the case, but was pushed out of the business by the employee.”

The employee, who wished to only be identified as Alin, said that she was scared but overcome with anger when she fought back.

“He said, ‘Don’t scream. Don’t anything, just open the case,'” Alin recalled. “I said, ‘What?’ I said, ‘Go, come back, go,’ and push him. He said, ‘No, just calm down.'”

She says that before running off, the suspect shocked her lower body with a stun gun. He grabbed a few items and took off, she says.

Despite being shaken, Alin says she was uninjured in the incident. She says that for her, it was personal because it’s more than a job to her.

“It’s my brother’s store, you know,” she said.

The store owner says that among the stolen items were gold pieces, watches, diamond rings, gold chains and bracelets, all of which combine for thousands of dollars of loss.

“When you have a jewelry store, you feel like you are targeted in these kind of places, to be honest,” the store owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “Especially with gold prices soaring so high, now you become a really target.”

He says that this is the second time that his store has been hit by a thief and is hopeful that state laws can be changed to protect store employees and customers.

“I don’t want to have that kind of feeling where every customer comes in wearing a hoodie and put on sunglasses and I have to now tell them, ‘Get your sunglasses off, get your hoodie off, get your cap off.’ Is that the way that we should be working?”

Police say that as the suspect ran from the store, another person hit him with a chair to try and slow him down, but the suspect was able to continue running and was last seen heading west through the mall.

A gun recovered at the scene was found to be an unloaded and inoperable BB gun, according to 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.