Author: CNN Newsource

By Madison Perales

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — The Omaha Police Department is leaning into modern technology with a little over $2 million in grant money.

OPD announced its ‘Drones as First Responders’ program Thursday, with the Omaha police chief saying no taxpayer dollars went into making this happen.

The police agency has two new drone docks on their rooftop which have already been in use since Monday.

It’s designed to respond to 9-1-1 calls and arrive in just two minutes.

“We are constantly looking for new ways to improve,” Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said.

He said this new initiative is meant to enhance safety for both the public and for OPD law enforcement.

“If you need help, you could see a drone in two minutes, coordinating, speaking with the officers responding to help,” Schmaderer said.

That includes better resource allocation, and situational awareness for officers on the ground.

“It’s critically important that we always keep safety in mind,” Omaha Mayor John Ewing Jr. said. “And that we always keep response times in mind and make sure that we are there when people need us in their most critical moments of their lives.”

Schmaderer said it’s the first drone first responder program of its kind in Nebraska.

“The first beyond visual line of sight waiver in the state of Nebraska,” Schmaderer said. “Which is critical for allowing drones to fly and launch autonomously without a pilot physically present on the scene.”

Omaha Police Chief Pilot Frank Peck said the drones can even fly through buildings, if necessary, but it has safety features.

“The Omaha Police Department drones have a parachute on it,” Peck said. “That’s to mitigate any issues that maybe we have should something happen.”

OPD is partnered with Axon, which also provides body-worn cameras, and in-car video recorders to connect seamlessly with the drones.

Officials said in severe weather like blizzards or fog, the drones will not operate. But the docks are weather resistant to combat Omaha’s intense climate.

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

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By Alexi Cohan & Mike Beaudet

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    CHELMSFORD, Massachusetts (WCVB) — When 85-year-old Chelmsford resident Janice Peltz got a phone call from her bank about a fraud issue, she believed them and followed every instruction they gave.

“That was what suckered me in,” Peltz said.

But it was not TD Bank on the end of the line; it was a scammer.

The scammer, who kept Peltz on the phone for hours, directed her to the bank, where she took out $18,000 in cash.

“He said, ‘I don’t want you to tell anybody. We don’t know who was doing this, and we don’t know if it’s somebody in the bank or it could be even somebody you know,'” Peltz said.

She then drove to Village Variety in Lowell, where she deposited the cash into a Bitcoin Depot ATM. She did it one bill at a time and said it took around three hours to complete.

“Being of an elder age, I didn’t know what a Bitcoin was,” Peltz said. “It’s almost like I was hypnotized.”

Once in the machine, the money was gone, and Peltz was out $18,000, a sum she still has not recovered, though she is working with police in hopes of getting it back.

“It’s more than devastating. For a long time, I couldn’t stop blaming myself,” Peltz said.

Peltz is one of many people tricked by a Bitcoin ATM scam.

Hundreds of the machines are scattered across the state in convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores. The machines convert cash to crypto, and charge fees of up to 35% to do it.

Once the money goes in, it’s difficult to get back, according to Jim Carney, an investigator in the Essex County district attorney’s office.

“It’s almost instantaneous, the speed of light that money, that cryptocurrency can transmit to these bad guys’ wallet,” Carney said.

Massachusetts residents have lost at least $77 million to Bitcoin ATM scams just this year, according to Carney. He said the scammers are primarily operating through call centers in other countries, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Massachusetts lawmakers are trying to prevent Bitcoin ATM scams with a bill that would implement daily transaction limits, refunds for fraud victims and fee caps, among other measures.

AARP is sponsoring the bill. Jennifer Benson, the organization’s Massachusetts director, said she has seen a “huge increase” in the number of people getting scammed through Bitcoin ATMs in the past year.

“It is the Wild West. It’s hard to track down the money. It’s hard to get the money back. And it’s using a device that many people feel familiar with because they use ATMs all the time,” Benson said.

At least two Massachusetts cities, Waltham and Gloucester, have banned Bitcoin ATMs completely.

The bill underwent a public hearing last month, during which representatives of CoinFlip and Bitcoin Depot testified. The companies operate most of the Bitcoin ATMs across the state.

“We have serious concerns with certain provisions that represent an effective ban on a new industry due to the overly aggressive nature of the limits on daily transactions and unreasonably low fee cap provisions,” Ethan McClelland, director of government relations for Bitcoin Depot, said during the hearing.

When asked for an interview, the company sent a statement, saying in part, “Hundreds of people in Massachusetts use Bitcoin Depot kiosks legitimately every month, from sending money to family to safely buying small amounts of Bitcoin for the first time. Many prefer in-person, cash-based transactions because they’re simple, accessible, and provide immediate access.

A CoinFlip spokesperson said in a statement, “We hold ourselves to the highest standards of consumer protection, compliance, and transparency. CoinFlip never wants to profit when honest people are duped by bad actors, which is why we refund transaction fees to victims in instances of fraud.”

TD Bank said in a statement, “While we cannot comment on specific preventative measures for security reasons, TD provides clients with a range of helpful resources, including materials posted online and in our stores, to equip them with the knowledge and know-how to detect and avoid scams which are becoming increasingly sophisticated across the global financial industry.”

The bill currently sits with the Joint Committee on Financial Services.

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By Meredith Jorgensen

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    PENNSYLVANIA (WTAE) — A network of self-styled “predator hunters” in Pennsylvania claims to have helped catch hundreds of alleged child predators, but the state’s attorney general warns that these vigilante stings can be dangerous.

Brian Knepp, who runs 814PredHunters, a team of 15 people known as decoys, posing online as kids based out of western Pennsylvania, started the group three years ago after a man Knepp thought was a friend raped a child.

“I want every adult online to be completely afraid of even talking to a child,” Knepp said. He added, “I was fooled, and I’m pretty hard to fool, I felt anyways. But I wanted to do everything that I could possibly do to have this not happen again.”

Knepp’s team members say they have helped catch nearly 300 people they say are accused child predators. “It is that bad of a problem,” Knepp said.

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Dave Sunday advises against such actions, urging caution with what he calls vigilante-type predator hunters.

“We don’t advocate for this,” Sunday said, noting the potential dangers and lack of training for those involved. “Because there’s a lot of situations that someone could find themselves in that could be very dangerous, and they may not be trained or prepared for that,” Sunday said.

Despite this, groups like Knepp’s are emerging across the state. Justin Perry, who operates in Leola, Lancaster County, poses as a 15-year-old girl online and claims his efforts have led to significant arrests.

“I never thought in a million years that I would go and get one of those guys and the police would use what I do and put these guys behind bars, and not just for a couple of days, the last guy got 10 years,” Perry said. Perry describes the conversations he encounters online as inappropriate. “It’s just not the way you would talk to a lady or woman at all, let alone a child. A lot of it is pretty gross and vulgar,” Perry said.

Perry admits he had a rocky start, finding that the Lancaster Bureau of Police didn’t want to work with him, and police departments don’t endorse his actions. The Lancaster County District Attorney issued a statement discouraging vigilante actions due to the risks involved.

“We strongly discourage vigilante actions as they pose serious risks to themselves and others,” the statement read. Perry said, “I would say for the most part, they can’t say it, like you are doing a good job, because then they would be like justifying it.”

Sunday emphasized the existing system in place for handling such cases, expressing pride in the work done by his office, local police, and the Pennsylvania State Police. “These cases are horrific, they’re disgusting, they’re tragic,” Sunday said. “I’m very proud of the work that our office does in this area. I’m proud of the work that the local police do, I’m proud of the PA State Police, like this is an area where we all work together literally every day,” Sunday said.

Knepp and his team at 814 say they have developed successful working arrangements with multiple law enforcement departments in as many as five different counties, including departments like Brookville Police.

“They trust us really well. And as I trust them, you know, I have zero problems giving them every little bit of evidence that I have,” Knepp said.

Perry noted the importance of thorough evidence collection. “Charging somebody, everything has to be like, everything has to be in line, all your ducks have to be in a row. After multiple guys, it’s like here are all the text messages,” Perry said.

814PredHunters claim they never initiate conversations online and try to give the person they’re chatting with an out, encouraging them to walk away. “Give them an opportunity,” Knepp said. However, many suspected predators still make plans to meet who they think are children, at which point the group turns over their evidence.

Sunday advises that if someone believes a child is being exploited, they should call 911.

“They need to immediately get the police involved so that the trained professionals can handle that situation and make sure they intervene as quickly as possible,” Sunday said.

Perry claims his system works, stating he says has caught more than 40 suspected alleged predators in multiple states. “I don’t know about making a difference, but I know it’s getting one more perv-, person off the street. I almost said pervert,” Perry said.

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By Rachael Lardani

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    YORK, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A York County man faces charges after allegedly pulling a kitchen knife on bus passengers.

According to the Springettsbury Township Police Department, the incident happened on a Rabbit Transit bus along East Market Street around 11 a.m. on Oct. 24.

Police said Angel Velez, 63, of York, pulled a silver kitchen knife on other bus passengers and threatened to kill them.

Witnesses on the bus said three passengers were having their own conversation about jobs and whether certain employers hire people based on their criminal history, according to the court documents.

During the conversation, Velez turned around and started arguing with them and questioning whether they were talking about him, witnesses told police.

Velez then pulled out the knife and pointed it at the passengers, threatening to stab them to death once they got off the bus, according to the documents.

The victims told police that they think Velez mistakenly thought that they were talking about him, officials said.

One of the victims said she grabbed a car jack that was on the side of the bus because she feared that Velez would stab her, according to police.

Investigators said Velez admitted to having the knife on the bus and pulling it on the passengers.

Velez was charged with terroristic threats, simple assault and disorderly conduct.

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By Baylee Martin

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    EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A special needs teacher in Lancaster County has been banned from teaching after allegations of child abuse involving a nonverbal student with autism came to light, leading to an investigation by the district attorney’s office.

Heather, the mother of 5-year-old Vann, who is diagnosed with autism, shared her ongoing struggle to understand the situation.

“It is difficult. And it’s a journey, and it’s an ongoing learning experience. I learn from him every day, you know, how to be a better person and a better mom,” she said.

Vann was enrolled in the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13’s early intervention program in East Lampeter Township, which Heather initially felt was meeting his unique needs.

“Prior to him starting preschool, I was so worried,” she said. “Just when I got to the point where I’m like, I was worrying for nothing, and then just this bomb gets dropped.”

‘Wish I would have listened’

The incident surfaced this summer when Child Protective Services knocked on Heather’s door, detailing an incident on Feb. 27 where Vann’s teacher allegedly dragged him by his ankles, pinned him to the floor by his wrists, and confined him to a 4-foot-by-4-foot space for over an hour.

Heather noticed changes in Vann’s behavior, including meltdowns and refusal to get dressed for school.

“I wish I would have listened to what his behavior was telling me,” she said.

Heather learned about the incident months after it occurred.

“She is the first person, family included, the first human being I have ever trusted to care for him. And she is the first human being who hurt him,” Heather said.

Despite her trust, Heather would park across the street from the school to wait for Vann to be done.

“To know that it happened inside of that building when I was across the street eats me alive, too,” she said.

Case reopened

The teacher was immediately placed on leave, had her teaching license revoked in October, and was officially terminated. IU13 stated, “We will continue to cooperate with authorities as this matter moves through the formal channels, and we are prepared to take any additional actions necessary to ensure student well-being and care.”

The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced on Facebook on November 10 that they reopened the case because it “was not sent to or reviewed by the Special Victims Unit as protocol requires.”

Heather is seeking accountability and wants to raise awareness for other parents of children like Vann.

“How many times did he go through this where nobody else was around? How many times was his arm grabbed tighter than it should have been? Was he screamed at? Was he pushed? I mean, the questions are endless, and the answers are not coming, and they haven’t. And that’s a struggle,” she said.

Heather and Vann The district attorney’s office has stated that additional investigation is necessary to determine if there will be criminal charges in this case.

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