Author: CNN Newsource

By Carli Petrus

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    TAYLOR, Michigan (WXYZ) — Taylor police recently arrested four men they say believed they were going to meet children to engage in sex. Instead, they walked straight into handcuffs.

It was all part of a major undercover sting led by Taylor police, aimed at cracking down on alleged child predators. 7 News Detroit Reporter Carli Petrus got a rare behind-the-scenes look at the three-and-a-half-day operation, showing how local and federal law enforcement are teaming up to keep children safe.

Four arrests in three and a half days marked a high-stakes undercover operation led by Taylor police with help from local and federal agencies.

“If we can’t take care of this, what the hell good are we,” said Chief John Blair.

The goal: identify and arrest alleged child predators across the region before they can reach a real child.

It starts inside the Taylor Police Department, where detectives work behind screens, pretending to be minors using fake online profiles.

Once a suspect sends a phone number, another team jumps in, identifying them and tracking them using high-tech tools like drones and Flock cameras.

The suspect thinks they’re meeting a child for sex. Instead, they’re met by police.

“We’re watching, everyone’s watching. We don’t like what’s happening, it has to end,” Blair said.

Taylor police call it DRAGON – Downriver Response Against Grooming Online. Blair says the program launched last year, completing three previous operations and leading to 14 total arrests.

“2025 January, we did our little kick-off. This is our fourth operation,” Blair said.

The push to bring an operation like this to the local level came from Detective Mario Hinojosa.

“You see articles throughout the nation, all these operations going on, all these criminals that maybe don’t get caught or are underreported, so this is more proactive rather than reactive,” Hinojosa said.

“I have kids myself and there’s these guys walking around and doing stuff they shouldn’t be doing, reaching out to underage, depending on our profiles we have out there, usually 15, 14, 13-year-old females or boys and there’s predators out there that people are unaware of,” Hinojosa said.

Four men were arrested this time around, now facing multiple felony charges, including Child Sexually Abusive Activity and the Use of Computers to Commit a Crime.

Blair has a clear message for the community.

“We’re going to protect your kids, your grandchildren. We see the most vulnerable that are out there, we see the human trafficking, we see these child sex predators, we’re not going to back off. I’m going to take care of your kids, we’re going to protect them,” Blair said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WXYZ’s editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Miller

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    NORFOLK, Virginia (WTKR) — When Lillie Martinez had her son Jesse Joe seven months ago, she expected to feel overwhelming joy. Instead, she found herself struggling with postpartum depression and anxiety.

“I remember telling my friends and family this is supposed to be the happiest moment of my life and I’m so depressed and I’m so scared and this isn’t right,” Martinez said. “I was very shameful of that.”

Martinez isn’t alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, at least one in seven mothers experiences perinatal depression. Perinatal depression is a mood disorder that occurs during pregnancy and after childbirth.

Martinez and her husband Jaron are high school sweethearts who met 10 years ago on a bus in Virginia Beach. After school dances, two dogs and a wedding, they welcomed their son Jesse Joe in June.

But the early days of motherhood were darker than Martinez anticipated.

“I experienced postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, pretty early on after I had my son,” Martinez said. During a lactation consultation at Sentara Leigh Hospital with Jessica Schafer, a family nurse practitioner, Martinez broke down.

“We were sitting right here [and I] did not care about the lactation. I just started bawling. I was like, I, I feel crazy. I need help. What’s happening to me?” Martinez asked Schafer.

Schafer said this interaction was similar to ones she had in the past. She noticed a pattern during her lactation consultations.

“The lactation program was really, really successful, but I was also noticing there were quite a few moms opening up to me about their postpartum depression [and] anxiety,” Schafer said.

This led Schafer to advocate for expanding her role beyond lactation support.

“[My leadership team at Sentara] created this position for me and it was magical and it was everything I wanted to do. So, we started treating moms for lactation, but also now I can help them with the postpartum anxiety, depression [or] whatever they’re going through,” Schafer said.

The medical understanding of postpartum challenges is evolving. Schafer says Healthcare providers now use the term PMADs – perinatal mood and anxiety disorders – because the condition encompasses more than just depression.

“Research has shown that our hormones don’t even balance out until about 2 years,” Schafer said.

“Now we’re shifting to what’s called PMADs, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder, because it’s not just depression. I think that’s where it gets a lot of moms because they’re like, ‘well, I’m not depressed, but I’m anxious, I have rage, I have intrusive thoughts, I’m not bonding with my baby,'” Schafer said.

Schafer identifies several red flags that indicate when mothers should seek help, including crying over “minor” issues like not having the right bottle tops, extreme fear of walking downstairs with the baby, sudden intense anger toward family members, and obsessive behaviors like constantly checking if the baby is breathing.

Schafer said another one is getting really angry at your husband or your family or even at your baby for no particular reason.

“Generally speaking, the first and second weeks you’re going to be really sensitive [and] weepy [because] your hormones [are] shifting significantly. But if it’s like that after about two weeks or if it’s really severe and it’s impacting your daily life, then that is not ‘baby blues’ anymore, that is a mental condition,” Schafer said.

For Martinez, the honest conversation with Schafer was life-changing.

“She said ‘I promise you will get through this.’ Without those words I just don’t know if we would be in this situation [and] where we are today, if it wasn’t for her,” Martinez said.

Martinez wishes there were more awareness about postpartum mental health challenges.

“I wish that there was more awareness about it because I feel like if there were women wouldn’t feel so crazy,” Martinez said.

“Moms should be studied because I swear they’re superheroes.”

Schafer emphasizes that help is available.

“We’re here to validate you and guide you, and you do not have to live like this. There is a better way to live,” Schafer said.

Today, Martinez, Jaron and Jesse Joe are thriving.

“My son is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I feel like we’re finally getting into our routine and we’re flourishing,” Martinez said.

Martinez says some days she still has to take it one second at a time.

Schafer offers one-on-one meetings, mommy and me classes that are always full of often military moms and kids, and postpartum support groups.

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 Jay Shakur

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    CINCINNATI (WCPO) — An 82-year-old Cincinnati man trapped in his home by heavy snow got unexpected help from two volunteers who answered the call for assistance.

Bill Sparks, a CUF resident, found himself unable to leave his home after the recent snowstorm buried his driveway and sidewalk under thick snow.

“I can’t get out of my driveway. Even if I went and got in my car. I couldn’t even get out of my driveway,” Sparks said.

Sparks said he contacted multiple snow removal companies, but they were overwhelmed with requests.

“They’re so booked up,” Sparks said. “I think they want to charge and arm and a leg.”

The situation was particularly pressing for Sparks because of a Cincinnati city ordinance that requires property owners to clear snow and ice from sidewalks connected to their property. Failure to do so can result in a $25 fine.

“I have a shovel in the garage. But I can’t get out there and, you know, do it,” Sparks said.

After Sparks reached out to WCPO for help, we began researching what could be done. Two men responded: Derek Preston, owner of DAP Construction, and Caleb Feinauer. Preston said he had already been helping residents across the region.

“Started in Springboro and basically worked my way south. Did a little over 20 driveways, ranging anywhere between eight inches of snow all the way up to 18,” Preston said.

Feinauer said he and his wife are motivated by a desire to help those who cannot help themselves.

“We’re just really big on helping people who can’t help themselves or don’t have the means to seek help,” Feinauer said.

The two men cleared Sparks’ sidewalk and driveway in under an hour, shoveling, salting and using a snow blower to remove the accumulated snow.

Both volunteers said their willingness to help stems from personal experience with being stranded.

“I got stuck in the snow one time, and it was terrible. And I couldn’t get my car out. It took me four hours just constantly digging. People hate getting stuck. They hate feeling helpless. So, I like to be there when people feel low,” Feinauer said.

Preston said he tries to put himself in others’ shoes.

“I kind of like to put myself in their shoes. And I’m like, ‘What if I was stuck in my house and I need to get into my doctor’s appointment and I had a bad back and wasn’t able to do that?'” he said.

Sparks said he was grateful for the help of the volunteers, and that he was able to safely leave his home.

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 Beverly Kidd

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    VIRGINIA BEACH (WTKR) — Friday, Dec. 19, was more like “Freaky Friday” for Norfolk resident Danny Dietrich. Dietrich, a valet, was on the job when he saw a man drive past Chick’s Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach.

“I was standing right there and he drove all the way to the end of the road and I saw him hit the pylon between the boats and land on the boats. He was slowly sinking,” Dietrich said.

He ran down to the dock and saw the man was still inside the car. Without hesitation, he jumped in to save him with help from a few bystanders.

“He was sideways. It was weird. Once we got the door open he started sinking fast, and we got him out at the last second. It was really close,” Dietrich said.

The driver was taken to a hospital. Chick’s staff told News 3 the man had a medical emergency and accidentally drove off the pier.

When News 3 heard about Dietrich’s actions, we surprised him as he started his shift at Chick’s and presented him with a News 3 Everyday Hero Award.

“We are here to give you a News 3 Everyday Hero Award. Congratulations!” I said. “That’s awesome. Thank you very much.”

“We have a community partner, Southern Bank, and this is the best part: Southern Bank would like to give you $300,” I added.

“Thank you, I love it! Thank you, Southern Bank!” Dietrich said.

His supervisor Zack Desimas said, “Danny embodies the definition of selflessness. Next thing I know I’m parking a car and he’s in the water saving someone’s life.”

News 3 attempted to contact the man Dietrich saved but was unsuccessful.

One thing is for sure: Dietrich’s quick action saved a life.

“If there was anybody who would’ve done it that night, it was Danny,” said Desimas.

And that’s why he’s Positively Hampton Roads.

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 Jeff Hager

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    ELKTON, Maryland (WMAR) — It’s suspected a faulty power strip may have started the fire on the second floor of the townhouse on Thyme Street in Elkton just after midnight on Monday.

C.J. Fowler sprang into action when he learned his girlfriend and six-month-old son, Waylin, were trapped.

“Girlfriend was screaming upstairs,” recalled Fowler, “I got up to go see what she was screaming about. Couldn’t make it up the steps. Screamed to her, ‘Open the window! Throw the baby out!’”

Doctors have already released Waylin from the hospital, but his mother, Tiffany Honaker, is in critical condition at the Bayview Burn Center after crawling through the flames to make it downstairs.

“She is stable doing a little bit better. Hoping to remove the tube tomorrow as long as she keeps progressing,” said Fowler.

“So she got some smoke inhalation?” we asked.

“Yes, smoke inhalation and burns—face, neck, chest, arms and hands” he replied.

It was a busy night for the Singerly Fire Department after firefighters spent three hours extinguishing the fire on Thyme Street before receiving the call for another fire here on Weed Lane.

It’s suspected a deep freeze in the garage may have sparked the fire, and four adults and a child all made it out in time thanks to a special feature of the home.

“This was one of the newly-built homes with a fire sprinkler system,” said Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire, “That system there gave them time enough to actually get out of the house and get away.”

The owner did suffer from smoke inhalation saving two of his dogs and had to be restrained from going back in for the third, which tragically perished as smoke filled the home.

“I know that pets are like family members and that’s a very difficult thing,” said Chris Plank, the victims’ neighbor, “but it’s never a good idea once you get out of the house to go back in.”

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 Jose Fabian, Tim Fang

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A mountain lion recently spotted in San Francisco’s Pacific Heights has been captured Tuesday, after it was seen around the neighborhood and at a nearby park.

Officials with the city’s Animal Care and Control found the animal near California and Octavia streets Tuesday morning. The animal was contained and the agency was working with the San Francisco Zoo on next steps.

“I’m glad they’re they know where it is. I mean, mostly for ourselves, but also for the animal,” Abram Cortez, a neighborhood resident, told CBS News Bay Area.

Around 11 a.m., crews were on scene as they were attempting to capture the mountain lion.

The Santa Cruz Puma Project was also called to help. It was founded in 2008 in partnership with UC Santa Cruz to research how mountain lions and their habitats are impacted by people and housing construction.

One of the biologists who responded was Richie King, who had interacted with this lion before.

“On the way out, someone texted me and said, ‘Oh, he’s got an ear tag on.’ And I was like, ‘Is it orange? And is it in his left ear?’ And they were like, ‘Yep.’ And I was like, it’s that same guy,” King told CBS News Bay Area.

King was part of the team that originally tagged this mountain lion when he was 5 weeks old in the Rancho San Antonio area. Last September, the same mountain lion was spotted in a backyard in Saratoga.

He was tranquilized then and relocated to the area around the Lexington Reservoir. Then, within the last few months, King said he must have made his way north to get into the city.

“I don’t think he’s seeking out these areas. For the most part, he’s being pushed around by other males who have these home ranges that aren’t letting him go in there. Really, he doesn’t have much of a choice about where he’s going and he just happens to end up in these bad situations,” King said.

King said the lion is in good health and looks like he’s been eating well.

Shortly after noon, the captured mountain lion, which was in an enclosure, had been loaded onto a pickup. They did put a GPS tracking collar on him this time, and he will be released back out into the wild in an open space far away from people.

Animal Care and Control San Francisco had warned residents on Monday about the mountain lion, which was spotted near Lafayette Park Sunday night.

“It’s likely that the mountain lion got lost while dispersing, is confused, and will soon find its way south and out of San Francisco,” Animal Care and Control said at the time.

Madrey Hilton told CBS News Bay Area in an interview Monday that she saw the mountain lion between Sacramento and Gough streets as she was driving to work and recorded the encounter.

“It was super big too, so I knew it wasn’t like just a stray cat or anything, and it kind of walked up the road, like towards like where my car is,” Hilton said. “And so immediately I got out my phone to record because I wanted to send a video to my friends.”

When encountering a mountain lion, residents are advised not to go near the mountain lion, and if they see it, slowly back away — Do not run. And people with children should pick them up and keep their pets on leashes.

If a mountain lion approaches, people should make themselves “big” by waving their arms, yelling and throwing something, and again, do not run.

Katie Nielsen contributed to this report.

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 Ashley Sharp

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — Some residents living at the Hotel Woodland Studio Apartments on Main Street say a broken elevator has left people stranded inside their second, third and fourth-floor apartments for two months now.

One resident reached out to CBS Sacramento for help, saying she and other seniors and residents with mobility issues are unable to get up and down the stairs to leave their homes.

“How can they be allowed to get away with this?” resident Jennifer Rowland asked. “I feel like we have just been abandoned.”

Rowland says residents have gotten no communication about when the elevator will be fixed from property management.

Thanksgiving night, Rowland says the elevator first broke down. Now, nearly in February, frustration and isolation are growing for Rowland and fellow residents.

“I just don’t feel like anybody cares,” Rowland said.

Hotel Woodland is a 76-unit affordable housing community that offers furnished, single-room occupancy units for their residents.

Rowland lives on the third floor. She is disabled and relies on a walker and scooter to get around. She estimates a few dozen of her neighbors are in the same boat, stranded, with no way of leaving their upstairs apartments.

“We have nowhere to go. We have no means to get out,” Rowland said. Rowland is on a fixed income and has lived at the Hotel Woodland apartments for ten years, utilizing Section 8 housing vouchers. She is now having to rely on a friend to help bring her food and other necessities.

“I mean, the only thing keeping me sane is my, my crazy kitty here,” she said of her pet cat.

Aside from the loneliness, Rowland says day-after-day stuck inside has left her depressed and fearing the worst.

“I just feel like it’s gonna kill me eventually. I mean, if there is an emergency or something, I’d be dead for real. I don’t want to die for something stupid,” Rowland said.

There was recently a change in property management for these apartments.

Residents told CBS Sacramento that VPM Management, Inc., based out of Irvine, is now in charge. The company’s name is now listed on the communications being sent to residents in the mail, but we were unable to confirm directly with anyone from VPM that they are, in fact, managing the property.

Any information about the management change has not been clearly updated online and CBS Sacramento has been unsuccessful in reaching either VPM Management or the previously listed property managers, CHOC Housing, by email or phone for comment.

We first reached out to the city of Woodland with these concerns more than a month ago. On December 19, 2025, the City of Woodland sent CBS News Sacramento the following statement:

“The elevator is in question is out of service awaiting parts delivery. The Hotel Woodland’s property management company has staff on-site during business hours to help residents up and down the stairs and are also in the process of sourcing a ‘stair chair.’ The property management company is currently surveying residents and providing hotel rooms for those who are not ambulatory. While the City does not manage the historic Hotel Woodland property, we continue to work with the property management company and other community members to ensure the safety of all residents.”

Rowland told CBS Sacramento she could not go to a hotel because of her need for specific disability accommodations and her two pets. She says some residents who were moved to hotels have already returned to the apartments because it did not work out.

“I can’t be up here another month or two. I can’t,” Rowland said.

Nearly a month after our first inquiry, CBS Sacramento checked back in with the City of Woodland on January 14. City officials told us there was no update and that they were still waiting for the parts to fix the elevator.

We reached out on Monday to ask again. City officials responded and said the elevator is scheduled for repair next week.

Rowland says she isn’t holding her breath.

“Somebody with influence has to get involved, because we’re stuck,” Rowland said. “I just want to be able to be treated like a human being that has rights, that deserves a safe place to live.”

Rowland said the elevator also broke down in the Summer of 2025, but it was only out of order for a few weeks, at most.

CBS Sacramento will update this story if we hear back from the apartment’s management.

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.