Police warn of group beating, robbing people in Chicago’s South Loop

By Adam Harrington

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    CHICAGO, Illinois (WBBM) — Chicago police on Sunday issued a community alert after two violent robberies in the South Loop area this weekend.

In each incident, a group of robbers has surrounded victims before beating and kicking them. The victims’ cellphones and jewelry have been taken by force.

The first incident happened at 7:58 p.m. Friday in the 1100 block of South Michigan Avenue, alongside Grant Park. The second happened between 1 a.m. and 1:16 a.m. Sunday just to the south and west in the first block of East Roosevelt Road.

Police said 10 to 16 males have been involved in each robbery, and they appear to range in age from 14 to 19.

Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call Belmont Area detectives at (312) 744-8263, or to or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com and use Reference # P26-3-024.

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.

Man due in court on charges in fatal boat crash on Fox River

By Darius Johnson

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    LISLE, Illinois (WBBM) — A Lisle, Illinois, man was due in court Monday, accused of causing a deadly boat crash on the Fox River this past weekend.

Richard Stevenson, 45, was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence after investigators said the triple-engine pontoon boat he was operating collided with another boat on Saturday — killing one woman and injuring another.

A passenger on the boat with Stevenson suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said Stevenson left the scene and was taken into custody early Sunday morning.

CBS News Chicago has obtained multiple videos that show the pontoon racing down the river what was estimated to be about 70 mph just before the crash.

The boat’s three-engine setup also drew attention. Some boating experts have questioned whether that much power is necessary on a pontoon.

“It’s becoming more common, but in my opinion, it seems a little bit overkill,” said Ben Brandano with Boat Safe Chicago.

Stevenson was to appear for a detention hearing at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday in McHenry County court in Woodstock. The hearing could reveal what investigators believe led to the deadly collision, and whether prosecutors ask a judge to keep Stevenson in custody as the case moves forward.

The woman who was killed has yet to be identified. CBS News Chicago is also awaiting an update on the condition of the second victim.

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Illness at Maryland military-style youth academy sends 19 to hospital

By Adam Thompson

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    LAUREL, Maryland (WJZ) — Nineteen people were taken to the hospital after reporting an illness at Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy in Laurel, Maryland, on Sunday afternoon.

A mass casualty incident was declared after 19 patients were evaluated for an illness and then transported to the hospital, according to the Anne Arundel County Fire Department.

The fire department responded around 2:20 p.m. to the military-style youth academy in the 3200 block of Oak Hill Drive after receiving three calls from the facility within 90 minutes.

The Anne Arundel County Fire Department, with assistance from Fort Meade Fire Department and the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, determined that no carbon monoxide readings were detected during the investigation.

During the investigation, 19 patients reported experiencing similar but minor symptoms.

Officials believe the illnesses may be related to food, but a definitive cause has not been confirmed.

Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy is a life intervention, dropout reintegration, and General Educational Development (GED) preparatory program, that is run by the Washington, D.C. National Guard and thee Office of the State Superintendent of Education for the District of Columbia, according to its website.

The academy is a nearly six-month long residential military style academy to “promote an academic environment where students will earn a District of Columbia High School Diploma, develop leadership, job skills, and academic skills, while improving self-esteem, pride, and confidence.”

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Support grows for 74-year-old violently attacked outside Baltimore 7-Eleven

By Drew Aunkst, Adam Thompson

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — A community came together on Sunday in support of a 74-year-old man who was brutally attacked by a group of young males outside of a 7-Eleven in Northwest Baltimore on July 7.

A video obtained by CBS News Baltimore shows six people shoving the man and throwing things at him before they knocked him to the ground. One of the suspects had a sword, and another was armed with a rifle.

There have been no arrests in the case.

Community calls for accountability for 7-Eleven attackers Dozens of people walked from Mondawmin Mall to the 7-Eleven on Liberty Heights Avenue on Sunday, calling for accountability for the people responsible for attacking the 74-year-old man and leaving him with several cracked ribs and broken teeth.

People at the rally said they want to see better actions from young people in the area.

“That’s why we stand here and say turn yourself in to us,” said Queen Mother Victory Swift, who was an organizer of the march.

Local organizations started a fundraiser to cover the victim’s medical expenses, as well as to offer a reward for information that leads to arrests.

“Any one of these organizations is willing to stand with you, while you accept the accountability for your actions,” another organizer Gwen Levi said. “We want your parents to know, we will not leave them alone.”

Swift helped organize the march because the attack at that same 7-Eleven was where her youngest child was brutally murdered in 2017.

“When I was watching the video, all I was saying was, please don’t kill him,” Swift said. “Because I knew what it would have meant to my direct family, and I knew what it would have meant to the city to see an elder beat to death.”

The man attacked at the 7-Eleven attended the event but was not ready to talk on camera.

Video shows attack of man outside 7-Eleven Surveillance video shows the 74-year-old standing outside the 7-Eleven shortly before 3:30 a.m. on July 7, when two suspects approached him while appearing to display a gun.

Four others then joined the attack. The video shows them shoving the man and throwing things at him before they knock him to the ground.

The video shows the suspects hitting the man in the head with the gun and kicking him while he’s down. One of the suspects appeared to be wielding a sword.

“This is our community, and we have to protect it,” said Ujimma Masani, another organizer of the rally. “Not just this local community in Park Heights, but we are also talking about citywide.”

WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren obtained multiple security camera videos that showed the suspects hitting the man with the rifle and several crates.

One suspect repeatedly pointed a gun at the man’s face. The man continued to get up and confronted one of the armed attackers.

The attack continued for approximately 10 minutes before the man got into his vehicle and drove away.

“He’s tough for real. He’s a G, basically. He could’ve run,” Tat Burch, a regular customer who lives in the area, told CBS News Baltimore.

Employees told CBS News Baltimore that the store was closed at the time of the attack, but the victim may have believed it was open. The convenience store was once open 24 hours per day.

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call the Citywide Robbery detectives at 410-366-6311 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.

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.

Body found in search for missing swimmer in Milford, Massachusetts quarry

By Logan Hall, Neal Riley

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    MILFORD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A body has been found during the search for a swimmer who went missing in a Milford, Massachusetts quarry Saturday afternoon. The incident happened less than one week after police issued a warning about the dangers of swimming there.

Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino said on Saturday they were looking for a missing swimmer but did not provide any other information. The Douglas Fire Department, which was one of several towns assisting in the search and rescue operation, said it was in Milford “for a potential drowning.”

There were dozens of first responders at the scene including police officers, fire personnel and emergency dive teams. The search was suspended Saturday night, and resumed in the morning.

On Sunday, authorities confirmed only that a body had been found. No additional details were released.

Milford quarry warning Last Sunday, Milford police urged people to avoid the area after an 18-year-old woman fell from a rock ledge in the Shadowbrook Quarries. She survived, but was found bleeding with no memory of the fall and required a medflight to the hospital.

Tusino said the quarries “are not a safe place for recreation.”

“We continue to strongly discourage anyone from entering the property or swimming in the quarries,” he said. “The steep rock faces, unstable terrain, and limited access for emergency responders create an extremely dangerous environment where a single misstep can have life-altering consequences for civilians and responders.”

Illegal swimming spot The area has been a popular but illegal spot for swimming for decades. Last summer, Milford police said they would be cracking down on trespassers by threatening thousands of dollars in fines.

Milford police detective Kevin O’Loughlin explained to WBZ-TV last year how easy it is for swimmers to get in trouble at the quarry.

“There’s cars in there, there’s old rusty barrels people have thrown in there, scrap metal,” he said. “There’s high ledge points so if you drop off that and you’re not a good swimmer, you’re not realizing you’re going 20-plus feet under the water.”

An 18-year-old from Rhode Island died in the quarry in 2014 after jumping off a cliff into the water and never resurfacing.

Deborah Draycott lives in the area and said hundreds of teenagers regularly swim there.

“It’s very dangerous back there. There’s falling rocks all the time, there’s cars back there. There’s even coyotes out in the woods and you don’t know when they’re going to come out,” she said. “They think it’s fun back there, it’s really not. It’s really not a fun place to be.”

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Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband Patrick to testify first in trial of mother charged with murders of 3 kids in Massachusetts

By Matt Schooley, Kristina Rex

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    DUXBURY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury, Massachusetts mother charged with the murders of her three children, will begin with opening statements and testimony from her ex-husband Patrick Monday in Plymouth Superior Court.

Clancy, 35, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first degree murder in the deaths of her children – 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan – in the family’s home on Jan. 24, 2023, before trying to take her own life.

Clancy admits to killing her children, according to her attorney Kevin Reddington, but he claims she was overmedicated for postpartum mental health issues and had a moment of psychosis.

Eighteen jurors – 12 women and six men – will hear the case before Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan Monday.

Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband Patrick Clancy is expected to be the first witness the prosecution calls to the stand when testimony starts. Patrick Clancy was the first person to find the children that night.

“Why would a loving, devoted mother do this is the million dollar question that both sides need to answer for that jury,” said WBZ-TV legal analyst Jennifer Roman.

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, is accused of strangling her three children with exercise bands.

“Both sides are going to lean into the very gruesome nature of this alleged crime. But they’re going to take a very different approach,” Roman said.

“The prosecution is going to show signs that they think show premeditation, that she had been planning this and thinking about it and being methodical about it. The defense is going to throw the question, I think, back at the jury. How could somebody that’s otherwise been known to be a loving and devoted mother, a caregiver, how could she have done this to her children unless she was suffering from a mental defect.”

When the prosecution calls Patrick Clancy to the stand, Roman believes prosecutor Jennifer Sprague will focus on the tragedy of the case.

“They want to seize that jury pool and say, ‘this is what it looks like. This is the aftermath,'” Roman said. She expects the defense to also target the emotion, but from a different angle while questioning Clancy’s ex-husband.

“Patrick Clancy has historically, from what we’ve seen, been very sympathetic and supportive of Lindsay Clancy, even coming out earlier on and saying she couldn’t have done this unless she was suffering from some type of psychosis,” Roman said.

Jury selection, which took four days, was emotional at times as candidates were asked about their families’ experience with psychiatrists, psychologists, or mental health facilities. Potential jurors were also asked about exposure to postpartum depression and bipolar disorder.

On the night of the children’s deaths, Clancy was paralyzed when she jumped out of a window in an attempt to take her own life. She appears in court in a wheelchair, and has been receiving treatment at Tewksbury State Hospital since January 2023.

The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks. A list of potential witnesses has nearly 200 names on it.

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Boat crash in Barnegat Bay leaves man dead, 3 other people injured, New Jersey State Police say

By Tom Ignudo

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    TOM’S RIVER, New Jersey (KYW) — A 26-year-old man died, and three other people were injured when a boat crashed into a channel marker in Barnegat Bay in Toms River Township, Ocean County, New Jersey State Police said Sunday.

The crash happened around 11 p.m. Saturday in Barnegat Bay when a 32-foot Boston Whaler traveling through the Intracoastal Waterway struck a channel marker, according to state police.

NJSP identified the 26-year-old man who died in the crash as Michael T. Bereheiko of Green Brook, New Jersey.

NJSP said after the crash, 39-year-old Kevin Wells, of Warren, New Jersey, drove the Boston Whaler to a residence on Silver Lagoon Drive in Toms River Township, where emergency personnel provided aid.

According to NJSP, Bereheiko was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Two 27-year-old men — Steven Pochick and Nicholas Cherasaro — both sustained serious injuries in the crash, NJSP said. Pochick is from Green Brook, while Cherasaro is from North Plainfield, New Jersey, NJSP said.

Sarah Stulh, 24, of Bayville, New Jersey, sustained minor injuries in the crash, NJSP said.

The crash remains under investigation.

Earlier in July, two kids were killed in a boat crash in Barnegat Bay.

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30th annual Christmas in July Toy Run spreads holiday cheer for kids at Philadelphia hospital

By Raymond Strickland

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    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Christmas came early at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia as members of the Centurion Motorcycle Club dropped off gifts and delivered joy to the kids during their annual toy run.

“Being able to see them smile and grab a toy and be happy even if it’s for the one day, it means everything to us,” said Brian Cain with Philadelphia’s Chapter of the Centurions Motorcycle Club. “This is why we do it.”

The toy run has become a tradition at the hospital. It’s an event kids like Yair Bonilla look forward to every year.

“I see the happiness that they put on these kids’ faces, especially mine. It really makes me emotional, and they really do a lot for these kids and they help out a lot,” said Bonilla, who is a patient at the hospital.

This year’s toy run was even more special for the motorcycle club as they celebrated their 30th anniversary. In the past three decades, the club has been able to raise $1 million, with all of the money going to the kids at the hospital. So far this year, the club has raised $100,000.

“To see the kids’ faces is special, but to see these big burly guys pulling up in a Harley-Davidson with a Barbie in one hand and wiping a tear with the other because they know they are doing something so great for our hospital is amazing,” said Mario Salvati, who is the interim administrator at Shriners Children’s Hospital.

But for members of the motorcycle club, the money raised pales in comparison to amount of happiness they provide to kids who are battling difficult circumstances.

“It really brings tears to your eyes. It’s so wonderful,” Cain said.

And even though it wasn’t winter in Philadelphia, the moment with the kids could still easily give you the chills.

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NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on accusations he’s fueling antisemitism: “There’s no room for hate or bigotry of any kind”

By Ali Bauman

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    NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday responded to criticism that he’s fueling antisemitism.

He did so as Jewish New Yorkers rallied on Manhattan’s Upper West Side against antisemitism and hate in the wake of the stabbing of a Jewish man and Asian man in the neighborhood last week.

Mamdani is “throwing gasoline on the fire,” New Yorker says Protesters rallied against Mamdani and a video he released earlier this week in which he conceded he does not have authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He instead called on the federal government to arrest him.

“Benjamin Netanyahu is not welcome in New York City,” Mamdani says on the video.

Some Jewish New Yorkers at Sunday’s rally did not take too kindly to the footage they saw.

“That is an inciteful video inciting violence,” Lizzy Savetsky said.

“You, Mamdani, are throwing gasoline on the fire, pitting one community against the other,” another person said.

“It’s important to come here today to show we will not be silenced,” Ari Afilalo said.

Mamdani responds, as do his defenders CBS News New York’s Ali Bauman asked the mayor for his response to New Yorkers who feel he is fanning the flames of antisemitism.

“I would say first and foremost there’s no tolerance for antisemitism in this city. We have to root out antisemitism from across the five boroughs and that’s because the city is one that has no room for hate or bigotry of any kind, and when we make criticisms of a nation state or policies, we have to remember those are criticisms of exactly that — never of a people, never of a faith,” Mamdani said.

The rally was met with counter-protesters defending the mayor.

“People are against Jews not because of Judaism. They’re against Jews because of what the Zionists are doing and they think Jews are responsible. He is doing a job to clarify that it’s not Judaism. He is doing the Jews a favor,” said Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, of the group Jews United Against Zionism.

51-year-old arrested in UWS stabbings Raul Morales, 51, was arraigned on two counts of second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime in the attack on the two men.

The Department of Justice says its Civil Rights Division, along with the NYPD, is investigating the double stabbing. Both victims are expected to survive. The suspect is being held without bail.

The latest NYPD data shows about a 2% increase in anti-Jewish hate crimes citywide so far this year.

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12-year-old killed in triple shooting in front of Bronx bodega. Here’s the latest on an arrest in the case.

By Noelle Lilley, Naveen Dhaliwal, Jeff Capellini

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    NEW YORK, New York (WCBS) — A young boy was killed in a triple shooting in the Bronx on Saturday.

The NYPD identified the victim as 12-year-old Jacob Freytes. He is the son of a retired NYPD sergeant detective, according to the Sergeants Benevolent Association.

The child was not the intended target of this shooting, according to police sources. Local leaders are calling him an innocent bystander.

William Ferrer, 45, of the Bronx was arrested Sunday. He is facing a slew of charges, including second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter.

Ferrer had nothing to say as he was escorted out of the 44th Precinct stationhouse in handcuffs. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is being held without bail.

“No arrest can ever ease the pain of this unimaginable loss, but the NYPD will continue to do everything in our power to seek justice for Jacob,” Tisch wrote on social media.

Here’s what police say happened Saturday The gun violence erupted in broad daylight at around 5 p.m. in front of a bodega on Elliot Place in the Mount Eden section of the borough.

Surveillance video shows the 12-year-old on his bike as shots ring out, and then he is seen running inside the business for help. Police later said the boy was shot in the left shoulder and was rushed to Lincoln Hospital, where he died. Officials said the bodega did have a panic button inside, but it’s unclear if it was used.

Two other people were also shot, including a 25-year-old man and a 34-year-old man. Authorities said they are in stable condition.

The tragic loss of life has shaken the neighborhood. Neighbors described a chaotic scene.

“All of a sudden, I heard like two gunshots going off. I thought they were fireworks, but then I heard, like, commotion going on,” Alex Peralta said, adding, “I look out the window, I saw people, like, running away. I saw guys going into their cars in the driveway, and they just drove off real quick.”

Read more: Gunman sought in robbery and attempted carjacking of Brooklyn car service driver The United Bodega Association had offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the boy’s shooting, and the New York State Federation of Taxis drivers put forth a $10,000 reward for information pertaining to the two other people who were shot.

The organizations held a joint news conference on Sunday morning, demanding an end to gun violence in and around their businesses. They specifically singled out the Bronx and Brooklyn.

“We cannot accept this violence as normal” On Sunday, just around the corner from where the 12-year-old was shot, there was a growing memorial of candles, flowers, and messages outside his building from a community that knew him by his nickname, “Kai.”

“I started crying. Me and Kai had been childhood best friends. He was a nice kid. He didn’t deserve that,” Marlyn Rosario said.

Not long after the shooting, elected officials took to social media to denounce the violence.

“Our children should be able to ride their bikes on a nice summer day in their neighborhood without fear of being shot. We cannot accept this violence as normal,” New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.

“We have to do better,” Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson added.

“We mourn with 12-year-old Jacob Freytes’ family. Nothing could be more tragic: An innocent child on his bike, killed by a stray bullet. Our children’s safety is our collective responsibility. We must meet this crisis by urgently implementing strategies proven to make us safer,” the office of Public Advocate Jumaane Williams wrote on social media.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.

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.