Author: CNN Newsource

By Bianca Buono

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    SANTA ANA, California (KABC) — A longtime Transportation Security Administration officer at John Wayne Airport was celebrated this week as colleagues, friends and family gathered to honor his 90th birthday.

Lawrence Santucci, known throughout the Orange County airport for his upbeat greetings and steady presence, has spent years screening passengers, training new hires and assisting travelers with special needs.

“I love people. I’ve been a people person from day one,” he said.

Santucci’s life has been shaped by service, from working on a farm in Rhode Island to serving in the Army.

“It’s been a beautiful journey. It really has. All the people I’ve ever met, including my crew here,” Santucci said.

He joined TSA in 2008 in his 70s. He had gone through a challenging time financially after spending many years in the telecommunications industry and had to find a new career path. He was elated when he got the job.

“You had to be able to carry weights … Sixty pounds,” he recalled. “So I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods, I put two 60 pounds, I was walking around Dick’s Sporting Goods with these two weights to make sure when I came in here I could. I was in great physical shape.”

Now recognized as the oldest TSA officer in the country, Santucci arrived at work before sunrise this week unaware that a celebration was waiting for him. Colleagues described him as a positive force at the airport.

“He greets the day with a smile and it shows and he treats the passengers and his co-workers exactly that way. It’s uplifting,” said Kevin Gregory of TSA.

TSA Federal Security Director Jason Pantages called Santucci “inspirational”, adding that he “gets more compliments than probably most of our people here.”

Santucci’s daughter, Marie Pickard, said his dedication has always been rooted in putting others first.

“My dad is so special. He always puts people first and our country first before himself. I think that gives him the sense of purpose that he has to everyone,” Pickard said.

Asked whether he had plans to retire, Santucci brushed off the idea.

“What am I going to do if I retire? Sit down?” he 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 Chelsea Hylton

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    VENTURA COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Britney Spears pleaded guilty to reckless driving on Monday, a lesser charge that will allow her to avoid jail after she was charged with a misdemeanor of driving under the influence following her arrest in March.

Spears, 44, did not appear in Ventura County court and was represented by her attorney, Michael A. Goldstein. She agreed to a plea that’s commonly known as “wet reckless,” which allows a defendant to plead guilty to reckless driving involving alcohol and/or drugs. Under the offer, the defendant is placed on probation for 12 months, receives credit for any time spent in custody, is required to complete a DUI class, and must pay state-mandated fines and fees, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.

This plea offer is common for defendants who have shown motivation to address their problems and seek treatment. Last month, Spears voluntarily checked into rehab, a representative for the singer told CBS LA. The court also ordered her to visit with a psychiatrist twice a month and a psychologist once a week.

“We do not want Ms. Spears to reoffend,” said Erik Nasarenko, the Ventura County DA. “We do not want her before our case load again.”

Nasarenko said that the reckless driving charge is priorable, which means that if Spears reoffends in the future, she will not be offered the same plea.

On March 4, Spears was arrested by the California Highway Patrol in Ventura County on suspicion of DUI. At the time, officers said they received a report of a speeding car on the southbound 101 Freeway.

When officers located Spears, she appeared to be impaired. She was arrested after undergoing field sobriety tests.

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 Pulliam

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    LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver accused of crashing into a car in Playa del Rey, killing a man and his 1-year-old baby nephew.

The crash also injured two other people, who were taken to the hospital in critical condition. It happened just after 4:30 a.m. on Sunday at Vista Del Mar and Culver Boulevard.

Police said a white Jeep collided with a blue sedan at the intersection. The driver of the white Jeep fled the scene and remains on the run.

A witness captured the aftermath of the crash. The video appears to show the driver frantically running away from the scene.

Now, a memorial honoring the victims’ lives is growing near the scene.

At the memorial, Elsa, a friend of the crash victims, pleaded for the driver to come forward.

“Please turn yourself in,” she said in Spanish.

“You kind of knew how bad it was because those screams — you can’t deny it. It was so hard to hear,” said Michael Moloney, who lives nearby.

It’s a familiar sound for Moloney as he woke up Sunday morning. He says people often drive too fast in the neighborhood.

“They come down that hill, and they hit it, and they think they’re cool. I hear screeches all the time, and there’s a lot of close calls, but that one was too close for comfort,” Moloney said.

Video from the aftermath of the crash shows car parts scattered across the intersection at Vista Del Mar and Culver Boulevard.

Police say the driver of the white Jeep ran away, while several victims inside the blue sedan were suffering.

A 25-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, and a 1-year-old baby died at the hospital. Loved ones at the scene said the victims were an uncle and nephew.

“That little baby was always happy, always with a smile,” Elsa said.

Elsa says the boy’s father and aunt remain in the hospital. She says the group was visiting the beach and was on their way back to Van Nuys when they were struck.

Neighbors say they are frustrated, but are not sure what can be done to prevent crashes in the area.

“It’s just not right,” said neighbor Polly Rose. “People just need to slow down. They need to be considerate.”

Relatives of the victims grieved at the memorial by the crash site. They told Eyewitness News they were too distraught to talk on camera.

Anyone with information on the driver who ran away is urged to call 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.

By Ryan Jeltema

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    LAPEER COUNTY, Michigan (WJRT) — A Davison Township couple is facing torture and child abuse charges after bringing their 3-month-old son to an area hospital with severe injuries last fall.

Court records show 30-year-old Troy Holt and 27-year-old Alyssa Holt were charged last week with first-degree child abuse and torture for allegedly causing severe and permanently disabling injuries to the infant.

Troy Holt is facing an additional charge of third-degree child abuse. Both parents face up to life in prison if they are convicted.

Lapeer County Prosecutor John Miller called the case one of the worst incidents of child abuse in his career.

The Holts sought medical attention for their son at McLaren Lapeer Region hospital last September because he was lethargic and unresponsive, according to the Lapeer County Sheriff’s Office.

Hospital staff realized the boy was suffering from numerous fractures, detached retinas in his eyes and a serious brain bleed.

“There were extensive injures that were very, very irregular for a baby that was only a couple months old,” Miller said.

He said the Holts allegedly blamed the injuries on a series of accidents in their home in the 900 block of Martin Drive in Lapeer County’s Attica Township.

The boy was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit at Hurley Children’s Hospital in Flint and C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, where he received treatment for a couple months.

Miller said the abuse likely happened over a long period of time. The baby survived his injuries, but he has permanent disabilities.

“He is going to suffer from these injuries from the rest of his life,” he said.

The prosecutor’s office obtained a emergency court order soon after the child’s injuries were discovered that limited the Holts’ parental rights. They were allowed only supervised visits while the investigation continued.

“We took precautions pretty early on because we knew these injuries were definitely not normal,” Miller said.

Michigan Child Protective Services and the prosecutor’s office eventually obtained a court order that permanently terminated the Holts’ parental rights. Their son now is living with a foster family.

Miller worked with an expert from the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor, who determined the child’s injuries were the result of abuse. Miller issued arrest warrants for the couple last week based on the expert’s opinion.

Police arrested Alyssa Holt at a residence in the 2000 block of Lily Court in Davison Township on Friday morning. Police arrested Troy Holt on Friday afternoon at the Fort Custer military base near Battle Creek, where he was attending training with the Michigan National Guard.

The Holts appeared in Lapeer County District Court for arraignment last Friday. They remain in custody at the Lapeer County Jail on $200,000 bond apiece while awaiting a probable cause hearing on May 8.

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 Lysée Mitri, Daniel Macht

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    BURKESVILLE, Kentucky (KCRA) — On Friday, a jury found Thomas O’Donnell guilty of murdering the estranged husband of a California Highway Patrol Commander.

After a week of testimony from dozens of people from all over the country, it took the jury at the Cumberland County courthouse in Kentucky just two hours to return with a verdict.

O’Donnell of Napa was convicted of the 2022 murder of Michael Harding, who was in the middle of a contentious divorce with CHP Capt. Julie Harding.

Things moved quickly in court on Friday.

The jury’s verdict came after the prosecution called its final witnesses and rested its case in the morning. Afterwards, the defense called just one witness, a DNA expert, before resting its case as well.

Then, jurors heard closing arguments.

“Julie came up with a plan involving another man and Tom,” said Sara Zeurcher, O’Donnell’s defense attorney. “Tom was involved with this plan but did not intend for this result to happen.

There has been no proof he had any idea that Michael Harding would be murdered.”

“There’s no evidence someone else killed him,” said Prosecutor Jesse Stockton. “All this evidence points to this amateur hitman from California. Do your duty. Find him guilty of murder.”

Prosecutors say Julie paid O’Donnell to murder Michael as the couple fought over money and property amid the divorce.

They say O’Donnell used a prepaid cell phone to lure Michael to a vacant house in Kentucky with a fake HVAC repair call before shooting him four times.

Prosecutors also say that DNA and phone data place O’Donnell at the scene on September 19, 2022.

However, during cross-examination by the defense, a detective testified on Friday that investigators never recovered the murder weapon.

Detective B.J. Burton with the Kentucky State Police said investigators recovered four guns throughout the course of their investigation.

“Were any of those the murder weapon?” the defense asked.

“No ma’am, we never recovered the murder weapon, the key fob or the prepaid phone,” Det. Burton said.

Instead, prosecutors focused on ammunition, specifically Hornady Critical Defense.

Jurors heard testimony that the reddish-orange color at the center of that brand of ammunition was found in Michael’s wound path during an autopsy, a similar shell casing was found at the scene and detectives found a full box of that ammunition in O’Donnell’s truck.

They also said they recovered one of Michael’s guns from O’Donnell’s truck.

Meanwhile, the defense admitted that O’Donnell had the prepaid cellphone at some point and that O’Donnell was at that house in Kentucky earlier in the day before the murder, but they said O’Donnell then gave that phone to a third unknown man, who actually carried out the murder.

They said that was largely based on what J.D. Willis told law enforcement. Willis lived near the crime scene, and he said he saw a young man, with short brown hair driving a silver car at the house that day.

KCRA 3 News spoke to that neighbor back in 2022. However, notably, the jury did not hear from him directly on Friday.

They also did not hear from O’Donnell.

After the jury’s ultimate decision was announced, KCRA spoke to Michael’s family.

“We got a guilty verdict for murder, and I think right now we’re just both in shock, happy but in shock,” said Heather Cavalieri, Michael’s daughter.

For different reasons, O’Donnell’s family had a similar reaction.

“It’s a little shocking,” O’Donnell’s sister, Sharon Goldberg, said. “I know my brother’s definitely not a murderer, so I was a little shocked that murder was the actual charge he was convicted of.”

The jury could have instead found O’Donnell guilty of complicity of murder or the criminal facilitation of murder because the defense claimed he did not pull the trigger, that he was set up by Julie.

The defense said Julie knows what really happened, but she died by suicide months after the murder.

Following O’Donnell’s conviction, the court will now move straight into the penalty phase on Monday. That is another thing the jury will weigh in on.

64-year-old O’Donnell faces anywhere from 20 years to life in prison.

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 Eric Green

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    PLACITAS, New Mexico (KOAT) — Adam Boswell, a 19-year-old from Placitas, turned his love for classic cars into reality by purchasing a 1968 Ford Mustang and creating a car club in his hometown.

When Boswell graduated early from Bernalillo High School, his parents promised to buy him a car. While they envisioned something new, Boswell had other plans.

“I’m a big fan of classic cars, and I thought that it would be a dream to have something like this,” Boswell said.

He discovered the Mustang for sale online and excitedly shared the news with his father. “I was just going online, trying to entertain myself, looking at cars for sale for fun. And I saw that this car was for sale in Placitas. So I ran into my dad’s office in the middle of the day. It was just yelling and jumping and I’m like, dad, dad, dad, we got to go check this car out!” Boswell said.

Fourteen thousand dollars later, Boswell became the proud owner of the classic car, which features a 302 V8 engine. The Mustang is described as solid and straight, with adequate power for a young driver. Its unique design includes a rear window that drops almost straight down.

Boswell has worked extensively on the car to restore and maintain its original charm. “We’ve done quite a bit of work to it. My personal taste is keeping the car original, but there were a lot of parts that did not work with this car anymore, so we had to replace practically everything under the hood. Aside from the block in the motor itself. And, we also just replaced the interior seats, to make them a little bit more stable,” he said.

Boswell’s enthusiasm for classic cars has inspired others in his community. He recently started a car club and organized a cruise in Placitas. “We had our first big turnout in January and February. We had 66 cars,” Boswell said.

In a town known for its art studios, Boswell and his Mustang have become local fixtures, hosting Cars and Coffee events on the first Saturday of each month.

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 Hamilton Kahn

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    ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (KOAT) — An eight-year-old boy’s story about surviving and recovering from a heart transplant will be accompanied with music played by the Albuquerque Youth Symphony in a concert titled “Sing Me a Story.”

To say Hunter Rael has been through a lot is a vast understatement. Afflicted with kawasaki disease — the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children — he was given a heart transplant last November that was not successful. Thankfully, the second heart transplant was a match and he is now regaining strength before returning with his mother Anna Moya, to their home in Valencia County.

Beth Ratay, a Czech-American composer and performer on the faculty at the University of New Mexico, explained the process that laid the foundation for the symphony’s performance at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 11, at Popejoy Hall.

“In Hunter’s case, he wrote a story specifically about what his experience has been with his illness, and the fact that he needed a heart transplant,” Ratay said. “There are five short sections that explain a little about Hunter’s life and where he came from, the things he had to change when he learned he was sick, and then his dream for the future and his hope once he gets a new heart.”

Tickets for the concert are available online at unmtickets.com.

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By Julian Mitchell

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    PELHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — Juan Valdez isn’t like most teenagers.

“I’d rather not party right now and party when I’m older,” Valdez said.

Instead of spending time doing other things, the 16-year-old spends all his time at Champions Boxing working on his craft.

“I love this sport, I can’t see myself without doing this sport,” Valdez said.

Since Juan was nine years old, boxing has been his passion. It started when his dad brought a punching bag home.

“He bought a punching bag off of Facebook Marketplace and he just caught me always punching the bag when he came home,” Valdez said.

Seeing that he took a liking to the sport, his dad, Juan Valdez Sr. took Juan to the gym.

“They put the gloves on him and he fell in love, he doesn’t want to do anything else just box,” Juan Valdez Sr. said.

Since then he’s spent countless hours in the gym, blossoming to become one of the top amateur boxers in Alabama.

“I didn’t have much confidence, I didn’t think I’d be good at it, but I had a good support team. Good coaches that always built me up when I didn’t feel as well, my dad always built me up,” Valdez said.

Many of the trainers at Champions Boxing have had a front-row-seat to his growth. Cordarrius Powell, a.k.a ‘Coach Mailman’ has nothing, but praise for Valdez.

“Exceptional, sensational, aspiring, inspiring and dedicated. There’s so many positive things you can see about this kid,” Powell said.

Coach Mailman has been able to see not just Juan’s talent, but how hard he works, something he says not many kids his age have.

“He doesn’t look at it like a sport, he looks at it like a job at his young age,” Powell said.

The work ethic comes from Juan’s will to be the next great fighter out of Alabama.

“There’s not a lot of world champions out of Alabama, I think it’s just Deontay Wilder and I want to be better than him. I love him, he’s a good person to look up to, but I want to be better than him. I want to do what he’s done and twice more,” Valdez said.

It’s a long road to get there, but with his dad by his side, Juan’s ready for it.

“He’s like my dad, my best friend, my brother, he’s everything to me,” Valdez said.

His dad set to be there every step of the way.

“God blessed me with this kid, I mean I say he’s one in a million,” Valdez Sr. said.

As he looks to achieve his dreams.

“People ask me if I have a plan B, I don’t have a plan B this is my only plan. I don’t see anything else but boxing,” Valdez 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.