Author: CNN Newsource

By Connor Schmidt

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Authorities alleged that the granddaughters of Caterina Malara, the founder of Malara’s Italian Restaurant in Omaha, stole over $500,000 from her through forged checks and illegal credit card transactions while her health was failing.

Police said the victim was Caterina Malara, who died in 2023.

Her granddaughter, Ashley Gomez, faces two counts of theft.

She is accused of opening several fraudulent credit cards and paying them off using the restaurant’s bank account, totaling more than $250,000. However, investigators said only about $10,000 of this amount is still within the statute of limitations.

Gomez and her sister, Alexandria Kuta, are also accused of writing themselves $150,000 checks, claiming they were gifts from Malara.

Family members stated that Malara never mentioned these gifts and was a vulnerable adult at the time the checks were written.

The sisters eventually returned the money to a trust a couple of months after cashing the checks.

Authorities said that despite the money being returned, they have recordings showing the sisters pressed Malara to authorize the checks, which she never did.

Both sisters are facing felony charges and potentially years behind bars.

They are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

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 KCCI staff

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    STATE CENTER, Iowa (KCCI) — A van in Marshall County narrowly avoided a collision with a train after crossing railroad tracks despite warning signals, according to a video posted by the State Center Police Department.

The driver initially stopped, then weaved around the arm blocking the railroad. The train passed by just seconds after the van crossed.

State Center police said they are still looking for the driver. They emphasized the importance of stopping at crossings, reminding the public that “your life is more valuable than the few minutes saved.”

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By Marcus McIntosh

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    MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (KCCI) — A Great Pyrenees dubbed “Banks” was rescued Wednesday after getting stuck in mud along the Iowa River just outside Marshalltown, prompting a boat response from the Marshalltown Fire Department because the heavily wooded area prevented police from reaching the dog on foot.

“They tried to reach him by foot, and they couldn’t, so they asked us to take our boat out,” said Deputy Fire Chief Curt Raue.

Firefighters freed the dog quickly.

“This one was as textbook as it could be,” said Raue.

Banks was turned over to the Marshalltown Animal Rescue League, where veterinarians cleared him.

“Vets gave us a clear bill of health,” said Austin Gillis, the executive director of the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown.

Gillis says the positive outcome was helped by the dog’s thick coat and the fact that he was in mud, not water.

“If the animal is dry, we’ve got time to make this as safe as possible,” Gillis said.

Less than a day after his rescue, Banks was energetic, though still caked with mud, and expected to be cleaned up after grooming.

No information has been released about possible owners or how he ended up there.

For the time being, “Banks” will be cared for by the Animal Rescue League of Marshalltown.

It is likely he will not be there very long.

Deputy Chief Raue says a firefighter who played a role in the rescue has filed paperwork to adopt him, saying Banks “made an impression on a lot of the people who rescued him.”

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By Jennifer McRae

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — Police in Aurora were conducting a seizure of stolen vehicles and stolen vehicle parts when they discovered horses, goats and chickens on the property. According to investigators, police officers arrested six people, recovered four stolen vehicles and a large amount of stolen vehicle parts from a property near Chambers Road on Wednesday morning.

Investigators said it was the result of months of investigative work that uncovered a sophisticated motor vehicle theft operation. Detectives said that they were not “quick grab and go” crimes but instead, the suspects were reprogramming vehicles in a matter of seconds. They also said that after stealing the vehicles, the suspects would change license plates within 30 minutes to avoid detection.

Using Flock, investigators said they were still able to track the vehicles.

When they arrived, officers discovered horses, goats and chickens on the property. They said many of them were not being properly cared for and some showed signs of animal abuse.

Aurora police said Aurora Animal Control units helped take the animals to a safe place.

The Aurora Police Department released this statement: This is what commitment looks like. Our officers and investigators do not stop. They will track down those who victimize Aurora residents and they will use every tool available to do it.

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By Elenee Dao

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    PHOENIX (KNXV) — A lucky educator in the Alhambra School District received a surprise $25,000 award from the Milken Family Foundation on Thursday.

The foundation honors educators across the country, with this recipient being the only one from Arizona this year.

“Recipients are heralded early to mid-career for what they have achieved—and for the promise of what they will accomplish in the future,” the Milken Family Foundation says about the award, which some call the “Oscars of Teaching.”

It was a surprise to everyone involved.

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By James Groh

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    FRANKLIN (WTMJ) — For one dog in Milwaukee, life is pretty good. Mumble is the face and namesake for a dog treat and chew toy company.

“He constantly gets a royalty as far as treats go off the shelf. Like he’s got his own stick pile over there,” Bradley Will, his owner said.

Mumbies is a dog chew toy and treat company based in Franklin. It was started by Bradley Will in August 2023. They make all-natural dog chews and treats. Ten percent of proceeds go to local rescues and shelters.

“These rescues and shelters are severely under-resourced, and I know a little can go a long way,” Will said.

Will started the company after looking for alternative toys for his dog. Mumble could chew through just about anything. That’s when Will experimented with a type of wood called coffee wood. Mumble loved it. That’s how Mumbies was born. All of the toys are made with upcycled coffee wood. For the dog that can bite through anything, this is for them. And customers love it.

“And we just crossed about a million dollars in sales in about 28 months, which has been a huge blessing,” Will said.

Ultimately, Will wants to financially support shelters and rescues through product sales. That money helps house pets and prevents dogs from being euthanized due to overcrowding. The mission and the product resonate with his customers. Business has been steady, and orders keep coming in. But then a shipment arrived that wasn’t exactly what Will was hoping for.

“So we had a big order we had placed, one of our biggest orders,” Will said. “You know, chews were compromised. The quality was compromised.”

The toys had cracks. Some were big, and others were small. Regardless, the chews were still safe and usable, but not appropriate to sell.

“If we were going to sell this at retail value, it would probably be a little over $25,000, maybe a little bit more. I don’t like saying that. It’s a lot for a small business.”

So Bradley did the next best thing. He’s donating all the boxes full of defective toys. On Saturday, Will is hosting a private giveaway at his Franklin warehouse. He invited about 50 rescues, shelters, and similar organization to come by and pick up a box full of items. For places like Roxz’s Resource in Milwaukee, these donations are invaluable.

“If we don’t get donations from the community, this is gone. We can’t help the pet families in the community that desperately, I mean desperately, need this right now,” Vicky Van Lare, the founder of Roxz’s said.

The non-profit gives away free pet food and toys to thousands of people each year.

“We go through it so fast,” she said.

This unexpected donation will help keep Roxz’s mission alive.

While the donations are primarily for non-profits, some items will be available for the public at the grooming salon, Pet Love. To learn more and get in contact with Mumbies email bradley@mumbies.com

It’s kind of a when life gives you lemons moment. Not ideal, but they’re able to make a difference for dozens of organizations.

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By Randy Wimbley

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    HOWELL, Mich. (WXYZ) — A woman jumped from an apartment window to escape an alleged assault in Howell Thursday morning, leaving her 2-year-old son behind with a man she claimed was armed and had assaulted her.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. at the Pine Hills Apartments on Holly Hills Drive near Isbell Street, prompting a massive police response that included evacuating an entire apartment building.

Neighbor Dave Fordyce called 911 on the woman’s behalf after witnessing her escape.

“Come to find out she was claiming that she was raped and the guy had a gun, her two-year-old son was trapped inside the apartment,” Fordyce said.

Cell phone video captured the shirtless, barefoot woman screaming after she reportedly jumped from the apartment window to flee her attacker.

Livingston County Sheriff deputies and Howell police officers swarmed the building as neighbors watched the dramatic scene unfold.

“There was like nine cops outside holding guns and shields, and there was a truck over there and two cars over here,” one neighbor said.

“They evacuated the building, from what I was told, then they had drones flying through the building looking for him, and also they had a sniper, maybe on this roof, to make sure if he came out-they had all kinds of long guns out,” LJ Jackson said.

First responders detected a strong odor of gas from the building, prompting the fire department to shut off the gas supply as a precaution during the evacuation.

Police successfully rescued the 2-year-old boy through an open window of the apartment unit. However, when officers obtained a search warrant and entered the apartment, they found it vacant.

“Come to find out, evidently, the gentleman that allegedly did all this stuff left before the police got here, so he’s still out running around,” Fordyce said.

The Howell Police Department said there is no threat to the public at this time, but the investigation remains ongoing. Due to the active nature of the case, police are not releasing additional information.

The department thanked displaced residents and the property management team for their cooperation during the incident.

Multiple agencies assisted in the response, including the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Livingston County Prosecutor’s Office, Hamburg Township Department of Public Safety, Green Oak Township Police Department, Michigan State Police, LAWNET, Livingston County EMS, and the Howell Area Fire Department.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. ­­­WXYZ 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.