Author: CNN Newsource

By AJ Sisson

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    HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A student at Camp Curtin Academy, part of the Harrisburg School District, is afraid to return after her mother says another student lit her hair on fire, leaving the girl traumatized. The family asks the school and district to investigate further and that those involved are held accountable.

Catherine Vargas, the girl’s mother, said her daughter called crying and told her what happened.

“Her exact words were, ‘Mommy, my hair is falling,'” said Vargas. “Some other kid in the hallway, he just was passing by. He just turned on a lighter and put it to her hair.”

The mother told News 8 that her daughter initially didn’t know that her hair was on fire, only smelling and seeing the smoke at first.

Her daughter’s friends at the school put out the flames, and there were no physical injuries. Vargas said her daughter’s hair is damaged to the point that when she runs her hand through it, hair is still coming out a week later.

Vargas said the incident was not visible on school cameras because a wall blocks the camera’s view near the bathrooms in the hallways.

“If it was a lighter or matches, there’s security scanners, there’s metal detectors, (students) go through a scanner. They’re supposed to find things like that out and keep the boys and the girls and school safe,” said Vargas.

After the incident, Vargas’ daughter did not go to school the next day, visiting her primary care doctor to check her scalp for injuries, which she did not have. However, her mother says she was always excited for school, but no longer is, and expressed concern for her daughter’s safety at school.

When asked if she also fears her daughter at school, Vargas said, “Of course I do. That is my fear. Because I expect that if I drop off my kids at school, they’re going to be safe.”

Her daughter’s uncle, Lenin Rosa, sent an email to the school, school district, Harrisburg city and Dauphin County officials, requesting that the school district investigate further, that the student is disciplined accordingly, that staff who they believe did not act accordingly are held accountable, and that they assure parents that something like this would never happen again.

“This failure to conduct transparent due process exposes corruption and violates our laws,” wrote Rosa.

Superintendent Benjamin Henry said the district will look into the matter because of the facts Rosa raised and that officials would reach out soon.

“I am truly sorry for the trauma and fear this incident has caused your family,” Henry wrote in the statement.

News 8 contacted the district for more information about any discipline and how a lighter was brought into the school. Vargas said criminal charges remain possible if the family believes the investigation is not adequate.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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 David Collins

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    FREDERICK, Maryland (WBAL) — A police investigation is underway after a bizarre call to a radio station led officers to a body in a wooded area in Frederick.

The caller told DC101’s “Elliott in the Morning Show” that he had found a dead body near East Avenue and Monocacy Boulevard almost three weeks ago.

Frederick residents hope police get to the bottom of what happened and why.

“I sent Diane a few pictures of me exploring nature, and look what I came upon,” the caller said on the show.

“Dude, you found a dead body?” the host replied.

The caller, who said his name was Joseph before saying that it is not his real name, told the hosts he found a dead body 18 days ago at a campsite in a wooded area in Frederick.

“Dude, call the cops. Call the cops. Are the remains still at that campsite?” the host asked.

Frederick police confirmed to WBAL-TV 11 News that they found a body in the location. On Tuesday, police said they have yet to identify the remains due to the advanced state of decomposition. Preliminarily, police said the investigation does not indicate foul play.

Laura Smith, a Frederick resident, said the situation is bizarre, and Ray Rudolph, another Frederick resident, said it is strange and unusual.

Detectives are still working to identify the individual. In a statement, the state medical examiner said, “The responding agency is in the process of attempting to obtain positive identification and the autopsy results are pending.”

Frederick residents wonder if the death was an overdose or even weather-related.

“Something that needs to be investigated to see if there is anything pertinent,” Rudolph said.

The radio caller said he found the body at a campsite in a tent city. Frederick police said they do not believe there is any threat to the public.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Nicole Smith at 301-600-2102 or email her hat NESmith@FrederickMDPolice.org.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Kevin Haggenmiller

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Recycling in Oklahoma City is going strong, but leaders say it could be better due to issues with plastic bags that cannot be processed.

KOCO visited the WM Materials Recovery Facility, where Jennifer McClintock, spokesperson for the Oklahoma City Utilities Department, explained that only 70% of recycled materials can actually be reused. They’re now trying to bring awareness to that other 30% of materials that are considered “contaminated,” so OKC residents can help the city get closer to the national average of 25%, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

“Our number 1 issue that we see is plastic bags,” McClintock said. “Unfortunately, because the way the single stream process works, we don’t have the sorting equipment to rip those bags apart, and then we can’t guarantee what’s inside those bags can actually be recycled.”

McClintock advised residents not to place items to be recycled in plastic bags to ensure that everything thrown in the bin can find a new home by being recycled.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Nicole Comstock, Dean Fioresi

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    HERMOSA BEACH, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Disturbing video captured the moments that a group of teenagers on e-bikes attacked a man seemingly at random outside of a pizza shop in Hermosa Beach last week.

Locals say that the group targets people at random, surrounding them in a circle before harassing or assaulting them. They believe that the teens are being protected because they’re minors, even as the encounters become increasingly violent.

The latest incident happened in an alley near the pizza shop, as the victim, a man in his 60s, was walking home with a slice of pizza. The violent encounter saw six teenagers attack the man, ending the beating by stomping on him while he laid on the ground.

“He was fighting back as best he could, but you could tell he was gonna be facing severe injuries and he needed medical help there,” said Matt Terrill, a good Samaritan who jumped in to help the man.

He said that he called 911 and tried to assess the man’s injuries while he spoke with paramedics.

“They immediately transferred me over to the live ambulance team that was on the way so they could get prepped for what was going on,” Terrill recalled.

He says that the man was hospitalized with a concussion, and Hermosa Beach police now say that they’re investigating the incident as an assault.

Some residents are skeptical that anything will be done.

“It is pervasive and it continues to go on without any form of recourse,” said Tracy Robinson. She says that the increasingly dangerous incidents have been reported to police time and time again, including the time that they allegedly launched fireworks at people on the pier and chased a man on a motorized scooter while hurling objects at him.

“It was actually a friend of mine who was on his Vespa, and the e-bike kids were coming after him with big stones and rocks,” Robinson said.

She says that the teenagers have yet to face consequences from any of the incidents, and is one of many in the community who are concerned that if something doesn’t change, someone innocent could end up dead.

Hart Cardoza says that he was victimized by the group in early November.

“All of a sudden, I get whacked on the back of the head,” Cardoza said. “Bleeding profusely. Concussion. Fourteen staples.”

He says that the e-bikers surrounded his car and stabbed his tires before hitting him over the head with a collapsible baton, near the same spot that Friday’s attack took place. He says that he hasn’t received any new information on the investigation from Hermosa Beach police after filing a report.

“I have no doubt there are more of us out there that have reported or have tried to report, and there’s no follow-up,” Cardoza said.

HBPD officers say that they are currently working on another press release on the incident, which they expect to be released early Tuesday.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.