Author: CNN Newsource

By Sam Schmitz

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    KENOSHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — The mother of a 6-year-old 2022 homicide victim has been charged in April 2026.

On April 20, 2022, deputies and detectives from the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home near Sheridan Road and 15th Place for reports of an unresponsive child. The sheriff’s office said the victim, 6-year-old Layla Stahl, was found dead in her bedroom.

At the time of the initial investigation, no obvious signs of trauma or foul play were found, according to the sheriff’s office. The Kenosha County Medical Examiner’s Office, with help from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, determined the cause and manner of the death to be undetermined.

In July 2024, detectives with the sheriff’s office were involved in a separate investigation involving Stahl’s mother, now 33-year-old Christina Torchia, in which she tried to solicit the homicide of another person, the sheriff’s office said. Torchia later plead guilty to solicitation of first-degree intentional homicide and was sentenced to the maximum penalty.

Investigators re-examined Stahl’s death early this year. The sheriff’s office said detectives conducted an extensive review of evidence, interviewed witnesses again and pursued additional investigative leads. Through this renewed effort, investigators developed new information regarding the circumstances of Stahl’s death.

On March 12, 2026, detectives interviewed Torchia again. During the interview, the sheriff’s office said investigators found multiple inconsistencies and statements contradicted evidence.

The sheriff’s office said a court order was obtained to amend the manner of Stahl’s death after the newest investigation and consulting the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office and medical examiner. A Kenosha County judge then approved the request, officially changing Stahl’s death to homicide. As a result of the investigation, Torchia has been formally charged with first-degree intentional homicide.

“Time does not erase responsibility, and it does not diminish our duty to seek justice,” Sheriff David Zoerner said. “This case remained a priority for our investigators, even when the answers were not immediately clear. Through persistence, professionalism, and a refusal to give up, we are now in a position to move forward with charges. Layla deserved better, and we will continue to pursue justice on her behalf.”

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 Carmela Karcher

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    SAN JOAQUIN, California (KOVR) — There are over 20,000 seniors in the Tracy and Lodi areas alone. For many vulnerable residents, some San Joaquin County bus services can’t get them where they need to go.

So one local nonprofit is stepping in.

Mary-Lou Burton of Lodi needed a ride to her storage unit. The only problem was that her car was broken down.

“[The bus] just pulls up and if they don’t see you standing out there or sitting out there, they go on,” she said.

She decided to call Scott Sorensen, founder of Knights of Care. He doesn’t arrive with any sword or shield, just a smile and a helping hand.

“We’re focusing on senior and veteran transportation,” he explained. “We’re here to take phone calls. You book an appointment and we take you wherever you want to go.”

Sorensen and his non-profit are new, but his dedication for the community is not.

So far, he’s picked up and dropped off about ten people, taking them to anything from doctor’s appointments to haircuts.

“I had one lady call me last week, say, ‘Hey, I’m out of food and so is my cat.’ It’s like, ‘Okay, I’ll be right there,'” Sorensen said. “Those are the kind of things where if it wasn’t for me, how is she feeding her cat? How’s she getting her own groceries? I’m sure she’d have managed but it was a very simple thing to do.”

Where local bus services can’t go, Sorensen can for free.

But now, he’s facing an issue.

“We’re still having problems with the state of California,” he explained. “The Department of Justice is tying me up from some funding that the great supervisors of the county want to give us, but here’s a rule that DOJ has to have us in their system and we’re over 120 some days past when I applied. It’s getting expensive with gas going up and such things.”

Donations from Raley’s and other businesses are keeping him afloat, for now.

All he wants is the word to get out so he can help more people.

“The seniors tend to get forgotten about and they’ve contributed so much,” Sorensen shared. “I’m lucky. I get to hear the stories and all that they’ve done.”

While he’s not a knight in shining armor, to Mary-Lou Burton, he might as well be.

“I live alone, I have a great family, but it really is a godsend,” she said.

Sorensen says as the fleet grows, so will their ability to serve more people, including the homeless, disaster survivors and first responders.

As of now, he’s available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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 Jonathan Greco

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    OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Authorities say a trooper and two other people, including a 4-year-old child, were killed in a crash on Interstate 35 in Oklahoma City.

The crash happened shortly before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday on I-35 between Britton Road and Hefner Road. Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials said the incident is considered a crime scene.

According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, they a vehicle was carrying heavy equipment that fell onto the road. Officials believe another driver heading south on I-35 tried to miss it when she crossed a cable barrier and then hit the trooper on northbound I-35.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed that the trooper, the driver and her child were killed.

Information about the woman and child have not been released. The trooper has been identified as Vernon Brake, who is survived by his wife and two children.

Brake served the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for nearly 20 years, with a significant time assigned commercial motor vehicle enforcement.

The interstate remains closed. Motorists are urged to avoid the area and find an alternate route.

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 Jasmine Viel

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    ALTADENA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Terry Kilgore sits in an upholstered wooden chair, outside a donated RV he now lives in on his burned Altadena lot, strumming his guitar, singing a new tune of hope.

The guitarist who once played for Van Halen and is known for shaping a legendary rock sound is now rebuilding his life from the ground up.

“Best songs I done, on a shoestring,” Kilgore said as he shared memories and what’s left after losing his home in the wildfire. “Altadena, it was a pretty place up here,” he said.

Kilgore retired after decades in the industry, but then the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena, destroying his historic ranch home and priceless guitars.

“I had a parlor guitar, 120 years old, never scratched.” He continued to explain that his insurance, Allstate, canceled him and many others months before the Eaton Fire, “I ended up on food stamps,” he said. “That’s what damn near killed me. I refused to leave,” he said.

Musician Kristy Cepielik sings along as Kilgore plays guitar, adding, “He’s the best guitarist on the planet!” Cepielik met Kilgore this year, inspiring him to perform and record again.

“It transcends time and space for me. That’s the only thing that’s really kept me alive is that the hope that I might be able to put something out, together, and I didn’t really plan on it this late in life,” he said. “But you know what, if the house hadn’t burned down, I’d have never met her.”

The two are working on a couple of new songs together. “You called it ‘Big Sky,’ and I thought, well let’s call it ‘Altadena Sky’ because people will pay attention to that,” Cepielik said.

Back in the rhythm, back in the fight, for Terry Kilgore, this isn’t just a comeback; it’s doing what he’s always done best.

“It changed my life when I had to go out, get out, and get in it again. Not so bad,” Kilgore 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 Dean Fioresi

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    ARCADIA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Peanut, the injured puppy who was found missing most of its nose and suffering from a dislocated jaw last month, is receiving care at the Pasadena Humane Center with heaps of support from the public.

Veterinary specialists immediately got to work after the 2-month-old puppy was brought to the animal center on March 9, when it was found somewhere in Sierra Madre, according to a social media post. They said that the recovery process would likely take weeks as the nose begins to heal itself from the inside out, since there isn’t enough skin to close the wound.

“Peanut still has a long healing journey ahead, but he’s already showing how resilient he is,” the humane center said in a statement. “Despite everything, this little pup has been so brave.”

In order to aid the process, veterinarians placed a stent to keep his nostril open and allow him to breathe as the healing is ongoing. Officials say that Peanut eats soft meals served on a flat plate so that he is able to safely get all of the necessary nutrients he needs to heal and grow strong.

“He might look a little different to us, but we think he doesn’t know a thing,” said Lesley Garcia, a spokesperson for the Pasadena Humane Center.

Pasadena Humane Center officials said that every donation to their Miracle Medical Fund, which will help support Peanut and his recovery, is being matched by Fetch Pet Insurance up to $7,500, meaning he and other animals at the center could receive even more care.

After posting his story on social media, Garcia said that they’ve received thousands of donations to help continue the foundation’s life-saving treatment.

“Everybody loves little Peanut, and we’re so thankful to our staff and our community for providing him with the best life he can have,” Garcia said.

Once he’s fully healed, Peanut will go up for adoption, and Garcia estimates he’ll have no problem finding a forever 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 Meredith McDonough

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    ORLANDO, Florida (WESH) — An outdoor religious art installation in Orlando is now open, inviting the public to walk the journey of Jesus during Holy Week.

The Gospel Gardens at the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, feature 14 life-size sculptures.

Each depicts a station of the cross—moments from Jesus’ passion, suffering and crucifixion.

“They are incredible. We’re from St. Thomas More in Sanford, and this is our first time coming to the gardens—and they are incredible. Life-size and just beautiful,” a visitor said.

Church leaders emphasized that the gardens are open to everyone.

“For anyone—you are invited to come and really meditate, and to draw from these scenes how the Lord is responding, so we can learn how to respond in our own lives,” Father Ivan Olmo said.

The sculptures were a gift from a private donor, and the artist spent several years completing the project.

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 Sarah Horbacewicz, Christa Swanson

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    DENVER (KCNC) — A man is hoping to find the person who saved his life and is asking for witnesses to come forward after he was shot in Denver’s Central Business District late Friday night.

Just after midnight on Saturday, the Denver Police Department said it was investigating a shooting in the area of 18th Street and Stout Street. A police report says officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to the neck, and he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Less than 30 minutes later, DPD announced the arrest of 31-year-old Anthony Apodaca in connection with the shooting.

The man, who CBS News Colorado isn’t naming for safety reasons, posted an appeal online for anyone who witnessed the shooting to come forward and contact police. He shared his story with CBS Colorado on Tuesday.

“This started Friday night. I went to the Santa Fe Artwalk, and once I finished that at 11:30, I wanted to come meet some friends on Colfax. So, I got a scooter, and I wanted to take a scenic route through the city, and I went down Stout (Street),” the victim said.

The victim said the suspect, who was later identified as Apodaca, was in a white Chevrolet SUV with several other people and was yelling at random passersby on the sidewalk near 16th Street. The victim says he stopped his scooter at a red light and turned to see what was happening when Apodaca got out of the vehicle with a gun. He went on to say Apodaca allegedly told him he would find him later and kill him before getting back in the vehicle and leaving.

The victim said he looked around for any authorities who may have seen the exchange, but there was no one else around.

When the victim stopped at a red light at the intersection of 18th Street and Stout Street, he says the SUV pulled up next to him. Police records indicate Apodaca allegedly began shouting at him again, before leaning out the window and shooting the victim as the SUV drove away.

“I genuinely didn’t think he was gonna do it. I thought he was just trying to be threatening or scary, and it took me a few seconds to realize what happened. There was this loud pop, and I didn’t even really feel pain, but I felt this shockwave, this vibrating sensation all through my bones,” the victim recalled.

He says the bullet entered through his neck and exited through his shoulder blade.

The victim said that he began coughing up blood and felt it filling his lungs. As someone who works in the medical field, he knew the wound was serious. He explained that he couldn’t use his right arm and couldn’t call 911 because his phone was covered with his own blood. When he tried to get help from a nearby couple, the victim says they left him for dead.

“I see a Tesla pull up to the red light, and there’s a couple in there. I’m like, ‘oh my God, I’m gonna be okay.’ And I walk up to their window, and I’m like, ‘hey, I got shot, please call the police! Please call 911!'” he recalled. “And, I don’t know if they were scared or intimidated or whatever, but they rolled up the window, and they drove away.”

The victim says he remembers thinking he was going to die before he passed out. He recounted waking up to who he believed to be an unhoused man putting pressure on the wound. The victim says that man called 911.

Now out of the hospital, the man says he still has limited function of his arm and expects a long road to recovery.

“(There’s) a lot of pain, obviously. One of the biggest struggles is not being able to be independent, like I was before, with my arm. Things like brushing my teeth or putting up my hair is a real struggle, and I need to find somebody to help me with it, which is stressful,” he shared.

The victim says he was fortunate that the doctors were able to resuscitate him, and he says the bullet missed an artery by a few millimeters. However, he’s not sure whether he’ll ever regain full arm function.

“I don’t even understand why it happened to me, or why he would do that,” he said. “I’ve never seen this guy in my life. He has no reason to have done that to me. It was just completely random.”

Apodaca is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shooting. The Denver District Attorney’s Office said prosecutors asked for a $100,000 cash-only bond, but the judge set a $75,000 cash/property/surety bond, with maximum home confinement, GPS monitoring, and firearms relinquishment.

Local jail records and court records show that Apodoca is now out on bond. The man told CBS Colorado that it “felt like a slap in the face” that Apodaca bonded out.

He said he doesn’t know what should be done to address the issue, but he doesn’t think releasing the suspect so quickly is the right decision.

His coworkers and friends have helped him process what has happened to him, and he’s connected with other shooting victims with similar experiences.

The victim says he hopes someone may have footage or information on the shooting, but mostly he wants to find the man who saved his life.

“I don’t know who he is, and I’d love to go back and thank him,” he said. “I think he saved my life, because if nobody had held pressure on my neck, I was just a couple of minutes away from dying. So that absolutely made a difference, and he helped me call the police.”

He won’t be able to return to work for at least a month while he recovers, and he has set up a crowdfunding page to help cover medical expenses.

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 Russ Reed

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    HARTFORD, Vermont (WMTW) — Vermont first responders say a woman and her 2-year-old son were able to safely escape from a sinking car that had crashed into a river.

The Hartford Fire Department said crews were dispatched to the area of Quechee Main Street and Mill Run Condominiums at 12:45 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of a car that was submerged in the Ottauquechee River. The driver of the car was reportedly hanging onto the vehicle as it floated downstream.

Officials said by the time an ambulance arrived at the scene at 12:49 p.m., the 26-year-old woman and her son were safe on the bank of the river.

The fire department said the toddler was in a car seat in the back seat when the crash happened, and that his mother was able to unbuckle him, cut through the airbag that deployed on the driver’s side and escape through the window. The woman was then able to swim to shore safely with her son.

The mother and son were transported to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, to be evaluated. Neither had any apparent serious injuries, according to officials.

Rescue swimmers entered the river at around 12:55 p.m. and confirmed there were no other people in the car, which was pulled out of the river by Sabil and Sons Inc.

Quechee Main Street was closed to the public during the incident.

The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Hartford Police Department.

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 Libby Smith

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — Be the Source is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 to bridge the gap in services for foster care families. The organization expanded its services to kinship care families in 2022. In 2025, it extended new services to birth families who’ve had their children removed from the home. Nikki Sanchez was hired as the organization’s first Birth Family Advocate.

“My main goal is that when they are reunited with their kids they have everything that they need in place,” Sanchez told CBS News Colorado.

Sanchez shows up for the parents on her case load. She goes to court with them. She works their treatment plan with them. She helps them access resources.

“There’s such a stigma with foster parents and birth parents, and I just feel we can break those barriers,” Sanchez explained. “Foster parents are amazing, and we can use them as our village.”

Sanchez is deeply passionate about her new job. She’s providing a service that she felt she didn’t have when her children were removed from her care in 2022.

“I lost my kids because of domestic violence,” she said.

Sanchez went to jail. When she got out, she had not home, no children, no family and a substance abuse problem.

“It felt very hopeless. I had no motivation,” she said.

She also explained that she didn’t understand the treatment plan that would lead to her getting her children back.

“I felt set up … like, ‘Okay, you guys are just trying to take my kids. You’re not helping me. You’re not here for me,'” Sanchez recalled.

She said she felt judged and dismissed by the caseworkers on her case. It was her kids’ foster parents that really made a difference.

“They did things that they didn’t have to for me, and little by little my trust started coming, and I just saw how much they loved my kids, too,” Sanchez explained.

She said they did things like making sure she had proper clothes to go to court in and set up a dinner out with her children for her birthday.

“When I was reunified with my son, the way it was, it was so smooth. It was like a co-parenting thing. And then I got my daughters back, and I had lost all of these services that I was getting when I had CPS in my life. I lost it all. They were there to help me, and if not, I would have been alone,” Sanchez said.

It took Sanchez a while to rebuild her life with her children, but she persevered. Now she’s married in a blended family of six children. She has her new job, and a mission to help other parents navigate the foster care system. She hopes to lessen the impact that foster care has not only on the birth parents but on the children, too.

“I love my life,” she said with a smile.

Sanchez credits Raise the Future for some of the ongoing training that she’s undergone, include Trust-Based Relational Intervention, also known as TBRI.

“When I was in that class I was like, ‘I should have had this before I got my kids. This is soo, so useful,'” she said.

Sanchez not only shares TBRI practices with the clients she works with, she also uses the practice as she works to heal her own children from their time in foster care.

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.