Author: CNN Newsource

By Felix Cortez

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    CASTROVILLE, California (KSBW) — A near-fatal experience for a victim of human trafficking near a Castroville shopping center on the 11000 block of Merritt Street, fortunately, ended with bystanders stepping in to help.

“They were watching our suspect strangling our female victim, and they did the right thing and called for emergency help,” said Andres Rosas, spokesman for the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

That suspect is 42-year-old Eric Melendrez of Castroville, and investigators say his victim may not be the only one. Monterey County sheriff’s deputies say that when they searched homes in Castroville and Salinas connected to Melendrez, they allegedly found evidence associated with pimping, including condoms, lingerie, and perfume.

Investigators say drugs and weapons were also allegedly found.

“When these search warrants were executed, they were able to locate indicia that there could be multiple people being trafficked for the purpose of sexual acts,” Rosas said.

Investigators say it almost turned deadly for one of them. Counselors with the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center say the lifespan of a woman being trafficked can be as short as seven years.

“That can lead to early death just because of diseases, disabilities, health risks, suicides, and a bunch of different causes that lead to that,” said Desteney Garcia, a human trafficking outreach manager for the Rape Crisis Center.

Help is available for those hoping to escape a pimp or the grip of human trafficking. At the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center, counselors can help someone get to a safer place.

“There’s always a way to make a change in your life, right? Because people are worthy, everyone’s worthy, they matter, and we’re here to make sure that they can make a safety plan and figure out their next steps,” Garcia said.

If you need help or services, call the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center at 831-424-HELP in Salinas or 831-375-HELP in Monterey.

If you believe you are a victim of Eric Melendrez, call 911 or the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

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 Kendra Broddus

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    ESSEX, Massachusetts (WMUR) — Two New Hampshire brothers and their dog are recovering after being rescued from a sinking sailboat off Coffins Beach in Essex, Massachusetts, Friday night.

Essex police Chief Thomas Shamshak Jr. said the men were sailing along the coast when their 30-foot sailboat, Jenny Lee, ran aground and drifted into the mouth of the Essex River.

“Essex River is not an easy place to navigate,” Essex Deputy Fire Chief David Pereen said. “It’s very tidal, frequently moving, there are sandbars.”

At about 8:12 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard alerted the North Shore Regional 911 Center to an emergency beacon from the vessel.

First responders found the brothers, ages 28 and 30, and their dog at 8:57 p.m. in a fire-rescue skiff roughly a quarter-mile from the sailboat.

Officials said the brothers had been in chest-deep water for nearly an hour in about 48-degree temperatures. Both were wearing life vests, and the dog was found floating next to them in a fishing tote.

“Essex River is not an easy place to navigate,” Essex Deputy Fire Chief David Pereen said. “It’s very tidal, frequently moving, there are sandbars.”

At about 8:12 p.m., the U.S. Coast Guard alerted the North Shore Regional 911 Center to an emergency beacon from the vessel.

First responders found the brothers, ages 28 and 30, and their dog at 8:57 p.m. in a fire-rescue skiff roughly a quarter-mile from the sailboat.

Officials said the brothers had been in chest-deep water for nearly an hour in about 48-degree temperatures. Both were wearing life vests, and the dog was found floating next to them in a fishing tote.

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 Duke Carter

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — The Milwaukee County Zoo has opened its new Rhino Care Center, a $22.6 million facility designed to protect endangered rhinos and provide visitors with interactive experiences.

The center is part of the Adventure Africa exhibit and spans approximately 100,000 square feet, with more than a third of the space dedicated to an outdoor area where the animals can graze.

“I never really saw the rhinoceros as much before this exhibit. I felt like they were not outside much. And so this is nice having an exhibit to come in, especially in the winter months,” Abby Sindelar, a visitor, said.

Zoo officials said the project was funded mostly by county funds, with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee making a major contribution.

“That was a $22.6 million project. Mostly county funds, but our nonprofit partner, the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, contributed about $7.4 million,” Megan O’Shea, a zoo official, said.

“We have really great, interactive experiences. You can learn about other species of rhino at the Milwaukee County Zoo. We have eastern black rhinos. But you can learn about the other species that exist. You can learn their weight, their height. You can touch rhino horn,” O’Shea said.

Zoo officials emphasized the importance of the upgraded facility, which replaces a structure built in 1950, in aiding rhino conservation efforts.

“Rhinos are an endangered species. So they’re here on a species survival plan. Ultimately, Zari and Kierkegaard together to be a potential breeding mate in the future. So we hope for rhino babies eventually,” O’Shea said.

The exhibit offers visitors of all ages the opportunity to connect with and learn about these endangered animals while supporting their survival.

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 Emily Pofahl

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — Milwaukee homeowners will need to bag their leaves this fall instead of sweeping them into piles or onto the street, following a surprise policy change announced Wednesday by the Department of Public Works to address flooding concerns.

Beryl Harper, a resident of Cold Spring Park, said leftover leaves on her street contributed to flooding after record rainfall earlier this month. She’s not convinced the new policy will help.

“Are you going to actually come out on a scheduled time and actually get those bags up, or are we going to turn around, and it’s blowing down the street?” Harper said.

Jerrel Kruschke, commissioner of the Milwaukee Department of Public Works, announced the city will require residents to bag their leaves instead of piling them along curbs. Kruschke says the change will start this fall.

It took the Public Works Committee by surprise.

“We do not need city approval. I think, as we just discussed in this committee meeting, that we’ll come back and lay out the plan for them so everyone understands,” Kruschke said after the meeting Wednesday.

Alderman Lamont Westmoreland said he wished DPW had consulted the public and the council before implementing the policy.

“They say it’s going to start this fall. The hell it is. Not over my dead body,” he said.

He noted that the change has overwhelmed his office with constituent calls.

“It killed the efficiency of my office today,” Westmoreland said.

Alderman Scott Spiker also criticized the decision, saying it places an undue burden on residents.

“You’re telling me I have this city service that’s been provided for decades, and now I have to tie everything up in a bow?” Spiker said. “Some folks have trouble enough raking to the curb. Asking this puts them to the breaking point.”

While DPW does not require council approval to change the policy, aldermen can file a resolution to block it.

Harper voiced her concerns about the impact on retirees like herself.

“Now you’re telling me that now that I’m retired and I’m on Social Security, we want this? You’re constantly raising the taxes, and I don’t understand it,” she said.

A DPW spokesperson said the announcement was just the beginning of the process and that the department is working on a detailed plan for bagged leaf pickup to present to the Common Council later this year. The spokesperson added that DPW welcomes the aldermen’s debate and is committed to collaborating on a solution.

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 Erin Lowrey

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    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (WDSU) — A Shreveport cemetery is donating plots and vaults to eight children who died in a mass shooting last month.

Forest Park Cemetery is donating the space for the children who were shot and killed by Shamar Elkins on April 19.

The children were identified by their mothers as Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5.

Elkins was the father to seven of those children.

A spokesperson for the cemetery issued the following statement regarding the donation.

“It’s the least that we could do, we can’t imagine what they are going through,” the statement read.

According to KTAL news, the children will be buried on Saturday, May 9. A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. that day at Summer Grove Baptist Church, located at 8924 Jewella Ave.

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 Shanice Hopkins

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    EDMOND, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Thirteen people were injured when gunshots rang out Sunday night during a party at Arcadia Lake in Edmond.

The shooting happened around 9 p.m. Sunday, prompting a large law enforcement presence at the lake near 15th Street.

Amid the chaos, uninjured people were taken to a Walmart near Interstate 35 and 15th Street to be reunited with friends and family.

Several witnesses told KOCO 5 that the incident started with an argument that led to gunfire. Some were separated from their friends, and others were left not knowing how many people were hurt.

Those who were at the reunification center said they were grateful that they made it out safely.

The Walmart has since been cleared and is open for business on Monday. The law enforcement investigation and suspect search are ongoing.

Information about the victims and suspects has not been released.

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 Patrick Talbot

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — May is Trauma Awareness Month, and Andrew Reyes, an Oklahoma resident, is sharing his journey of recovery and how he turned a traumatic accident into a mission to help others.

Reyes was struck while riding an electric scooter across a street last year and was transported to OU Health in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

He spent more than a month recovering in the hospital.

“I was crossing the street on an electric scooter and, next thing I remember, I was lying in the middle of the street,” Reyes said.

He recalled the paramedics asking him where he wanted to go.

“I was like, I don’t know either. Well, it looks like you’ve been through some really traumatic stuff, so we’re going to take you to OU,” Reyes said.

Reyes’ recovery extended beyond physical healing. Catheren Miller, a trauma program social worker with the Trauma Survivor Network, worked closely with him during his recovery.

“It is about the person as a whole. It is about the emotional aspect, the social aspect, the family, the friends, everything,” Miller said.

At the time of the accident, Reyes was working toward sobriety. He leaned on his recovery community for support, enrolled in college, earned his peer recovery support certification, and has now been sober for 20 months. He is using his experience to help others.

“I think that’s one of the most powerful things that somebody can have, especially to help the next person that might be going through addiction or a traumatic experience,” Reyes said. “Just anything that, I think, lived experience is such a powerful tool. And any recovery field, whether it’s trauma or addiction.”

Miller praised Reyes’ contributions to the Trauma Survivor Network.

“He’s just been an integral part of Trauma Survivor Network with me, with everything that we do,” she said. “I always reach out to him with any needs that I have. He’s my first call that I’m like, ‘Hey, let me get Andrew on this one because he would be as excellent on it.’”

Reyes’ doctors at OU Health have been amazed by his progress and his willingness to return to speak with healthcare providers to help them better understand situations like his.

“I think one of the special things about Andrew’s story is that he has really come full circle for us,” said Dr. Alisa Cross, OU Adult Trauma medical director. “He comes back to OU to teach about trauma, to help us be a lived expert for our trauma-informed care course, which really talks about recovery outside of trauma.”

For Reyes, his message is simple: recovery is possible and can lead to something greater.

“The life I have now compared to the life I had 20 months ago, I couldn’t imagine,” Reyes said. “The relationship I have with my parents is awesome, you know, to where it wasn’t before. In 20 months, I would never imagine I’d be where I’m at today, and I’m so grateful for that.”

Reyes said he hopes to continue helping people around him.

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.