Author: CNN Newsource

By James Taylor

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — Sacramento’s flood protection projects are falling behind and that could have triggered a new building ban due to delays.

A similar moratorium was in effect for seven years up until 2015. Now there’s been a last-minute effort to extend the Dec. 31 deadline.

Homes in Sacramento’s Natomas neighborhood could be under 16 feet of water if the river levee ever broke.

“There’s a lot of different flood threats that could possibly happen in the Sacramento region; we’re not called the river city for no reason,” said Sean de Guzman, the flood operations manager at the California Department of Water Resources.

That’s why, back in 2007, state lawmakers set a deadline requiring Sacramento to have a 200-year level of flood protection by the end of this year.

“We have really tried to hold everybody’s feet to the fire,” said Senator John Laird.

Missing the deadline effectively requires a moratorium on new construction in Natomas and south Sacramento, preventing 2,600 homes and a proposed new hospital from being built.

But just before the building ban would have taken effect, Governor Gavin Newsom extended the deadline another five years.

“This timeline ensures that we can responsibly complete our flood protection efforts while avoiding unintended economic disruption or halted growth in the region,” said Audrey Ratajczak.

So what flood protection projects won’t meet the original 2025 deadline?

Work continues on strengthening the levee along the Garden Highway between Interstate 5 and Interstate 80, with crews installing an underground slurry wall that prevents seepage.

Two sump station improvement projects are behind schedule in Sacramento’s Delta Shores neighborhood, which pumps away stormwater runoff.

Additional flood protection measures are also underway across the region.

At Folsom Lake, crews are raising the dikes and dam gates another 3 1/2 feet to hold back more water during strong storms.

“That’s going to provide additional flood protection, obviously, that’s one of our biggest flood risks when it comes to the Sacramento region,” Guzman said.

And the Sacramento weir is being expanded, which diverts water into the yolo bypass when river levels rise.

In total, billions are being spent to keep Sacramento safe.

“A lot of money has been invested into flood protection and work is going to continue to be done because the job never stops,” Guzman said.

The city of Sacramento supports the deadline extension, even though it now becomes financially liable for any increased flood damage in areas where new construction is approved.

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By Jennifer McRae

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — Several law enforcement agencies in Colorado were involved in an investigation that resulted in a large drug seizure of 70 pounds of methamphetamine. The joint operation between the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Brighton Police and Commerce City Police SWAT Team happened last week.

It began with a traffic stop in unincorporated Adams County, where 50 pounds of methamphetamine, two handguns and several thousand dollars were seized, according to investigators.

Following the traffic stop, investigators said a search warrant was executed at a residence where officers seized 20 additional pounds of methamphetamine, 1.29 kilos of cocaine, two handguns, a rifle, and several thousand dollars.

One person was arrested in the investigation.

The operation involved the North Metro Task Force (which consists of Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Brighton Police, Westminster Police, Broomfield Police, Commerce City Police, Thornton Police, and Northglenn Police), the Adams County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division and SWAT Team, the Drug Enforcement Administration (Rocky Mountain HIDTA Front Range Task Force) and the Brighton PD/Commerce City PD SWAT Team.

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By Michelle Fisher

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    LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A private investigator is sharing new details in the case of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the teen whose body was found inside the trunk of a Tesla belonging to singer D4vd.

Steve Fischer was hired by the owner of a Hollywood Hills home where D4vd had been living. Fischer told ABC7 the home was rented by D4vd’s manager at Interscope Records.

“He wants to understand exactly what may have happened and if his house played a role in any way,” Fischer told Eyewitness News.

It’s still unclear when the teen died – or how – but Fischer said the last date he has that shows her alive is January 2, 2025.

Using neighborhood surveillance videos and digital evidence, Fischer said he’s established a timeline centered around D4vd’s Tesla.

“That car, starting in May, was parked in a few different spots around the neighborhood, and then finally, on July 29th, left in its final spot on Bluebird [Avenue],” he said. “This happens to be right before, or the same day, they are leaving on a tour bus for D4vd’s tour.”

The remainder of D4vd’s tour was canceled last month amid the investigation. The singer’s fans – and Fischer – continue wondering what may have happened.

“They are probably relying on toxicology to better understand what happened, which means it could be an accidental overdose with a really bad decision made afterwards,” said Fischer.

Last month, D4vd, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, made some changes to the ownership of one of his Texas homes last month, Eyewitness News learned.

Records show he transferred his Cypress home, located in the Houston area, to his mother’s name on Sept. 23 — about two weeks after the decomposing body was found in his Tesla.

Officials say deputies were called to the Houston-area home where D4vd’s parents live on Sept. 17, but that turned out to be a fake swatting call.

In that swatting incident, a caller claimed there was a shooting with a dead female victim. However, the alarm was cleared, and no incident report was filed.

Video from the Waller County District Attorney’s Office shows deputies speeding through the night to the home in the outskirts of Houston, responding to a 911 call about a deadly shooting.

In audio from the 911 call that triggered the response, a caller says, “I heard, like, some gunshots… and I think someone is dead.”

When deputies arrived at the home, they had their guns drawn. But after talking to the people who answered the front door, they quickly learned the call was fake.

Someone reportedly used a device that alters voices to call in a false report.

D4vd’s Tesla had been towed from a street in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood to a Hollywood tow yard before the remains were discovered.

The remains were identified as Celeste, who’s from Lake Elsinore. Celeste had been reported missing by her family at least three times in 2024, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators say her body had most likely been in the car for several weeks before being discovered.

The cause of Hernandez’s death is still undetermined.

Sources tell ABC News that lab tests and toxicology reports will hopefully answer how she died. Until then, it remains a death investigation and not a homicide investigation.

“It’s an ongoing investigation and we have a lot of resources dedicated to bringing it to a conclusion, but to go beyond what has already been made public would be inappropriate,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told Eyewitness News.

No suspects have been named in the case, and no arrests have been made.

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By Madeleine Mullins

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    SPOKANE, Wash. (KXLY) — A new report reveals that federal agencies accessed surveillance camera data from Washington state law enforcement agencies, with some departments unaware their systems had been compromised.

In the October report, The University of Washington Center for Human Rights found that U.S. Border Patrol had access to data from Flock cameras operated by 18 different law enforcement agencies across Washington state. The automated license plate recognition cameras are designed to capture license plates and vehicle descriptions to help local police track down stolen cars and criminals.

According to the report, eight of the law enforcement agencies had directly granted Border Patrol access to their camera networks, while the remaining 10 agencies said Border Patrol gained access without their knowledge or authorization.

“It’s certainly concerning that these technologies are being used in ways that local agencies may not have full knowledge or control over,” said Phil Neff from the University of Washington Center for Human Rights.

The Flock camera system operates similarly to social media platforms, where agencies can decide who has access to their network through a process comparable to accepting friend requests. However, the report suggests this access control system may have vulnerabilities that allowed unauthorized federal access.

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, which operates 60-70 Flock cameras placed along streets throughout the county, told The Spokesman-Review that its camera system is not accessible to any federal or out-of-state law enforcement agencies. The department does share camera data with local police departments from Spokane, Airway Heights and Liberty Lake.

The City of Spokane confirmed it does not operate any Flock cameras within its jurisdiction.

The Center for Human Rights said the findings raise particular concerns given Washington state law that prohibits local law enforcement agencies from assisting with federal immigration enforcement. The unauthorized access to surveillance data could potentially violate these state protections.

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By Peyton Headlee

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    SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. (KCRA) — Silvia Reyna Mendoza, a mother who has lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years, is currently in ICE detention in Kern County, California, after her family claims she was retaliated against for reporting sexual harassment by an ICE contractor.

Reyna Mendoza arrived in the U.S. from Mexico as a teenager. Her family said she was fleeing domestic violence. Over the last 40 years, she has raised eight children here.

“She’s a caring woman, and anyone that crosses paths with her easily will become her friend,” her daughter Patrisia Reyna said.

“She raised us with good morals and intentions and treating others right,” her son Francisco Govea added.

Her children are all U.S. citizens, but she herself is not. Reyna Mendoza has spent years navigating the immigration process in Sacramento. Her status required monitoring by ICE through its contractor, BI Incorporated.

“She goes there every other month. One time it’ll be in person, the other it’ll be over the phone like a video chat,” Reyna explained.

Court documents state that BI required her to periodically report to a case specialist.

In 2023, the documents claim her fight for citizenship was derailed. A civil lawsuit claims her specialist, Luis Ruiz, “engaged in severe and pervasive sexual harassment, including requesting sexual favors and sending her sexually explicit text messages and videos.”

He allegedly said things like “If you’re good to me, I’ll be good to you.”

Her daughter expressed feeling anxious and hopeless, wanting to do more for her mother but knowing she was scared and had concerns about retaliation, specifically being detained by ICE.

Despite these concerns, the lawsuit states that Reyna Mendoza reported Ruiz to another specialist and a supervisor in November 2024.

Court documents claim the supervisor, Montserrat Esquivel, deleted the text messages and videos from Ruiz from her phone. However, the lawsuit also says Reyna Mendoza had already saved copies of some of the evidence.

“It’s really hard when you’re trying to speak up to the authorities of what’s going on and they dismiss it. Who do you ask for help at that point?” Govea said.

The lawsuit alleges there was no follow-up from BI following her sexual harassment complaint. Instead, it alleges they began requiring her to wear an ankle monitor in March, and in September, she was detained by ICE.

Her children said they believe she was detained in retaliation.

KCRA 3 reached out to BI about the allegations. Christopher V. Ferreira, Director of Corporate Relations for The Geo Group, the parent company of BI, sent an emailed statement:

“BI takes all allegations of sexual abuse and harassment with the utmost seriousness. We have a zero-tolerance policy as it relates to such matters and take steps to ensure a thorough investigation of all related complaints. BI stands by our provision of high-quality support services to the Department of Homeland Security in accordance with all established federal standards.”

Meanwhile, Reyna Mendoza is being held at a corrections center in California City.

“I can hear in her voice—she’s scared, she’s depressed, she’s anxious,” Govea said.

Her children said they are now focused on fighting for their mother and wondering when and where they will see her again.

“She’s the center of our community. I mean, if they don’t care about illegal immigrants… it’s like what about the rest of my siblings? We’re all Americans contributing to society. Like, do you care about us? Where do you draw the fine line? I just don’t understand,” Govea said.

A spokesperson with the Sacramento Police Department confirmed that a criminal report was filed against Ruiz but could not share further details.

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By Hannah Hilyard

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — The couple charged in the beating death of their 4-year-old child made their first appearances in court Thursday.

Dad, Devario Cruz, is accused of hitting his young son, Dante Campbell, on multiple occasions, causing his death on Saturday.

The boy’s mother, Charlotte Kurek, is accused of allowing it to happen.

“The allegations in this complaint are quite frankly just horrific,” Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Barry Phillips said. “I’m almost having difficulties being composed myself. That’s how bad this case is.”

First responders found little Dante unresponsive Saturday in the family car at a West Allis Dairy Queen. Investigators said he was covered in bruises. Cruz sat emotionless as the commissioner addressed him.

“You allegedly beat a four-year-old child to death literally with your bare hands as if that child was a grown man,” Phillips said.

Prosecutor Erin Karshen added, “When they asked him how hard he struck this vulnerable 4-year-old child on a scale of 1-10, his statement was a 7 or 8.”

Kurek appeared to show some sadness as the court commissioner implemented a no-contact order between the mom and her children. Prosecutors said she knew of the ongoing abuse and attempted to cover up Cruz’s crime by claiming the boy fell down the stairs.

“She had an easy choice on Oct. 18, 2025: her child or Mr. Cruz. She chose Mr. Cruz,” prosecutor Matthew Torbenson said.

The commissioner told Kurek, “You don’t deserve to be a mother to those children right now.”

A criminal complaint mentions Child Protective Services was involved with the West Allis family. Family and friends also told 12 News they reported the couple to CPS multiple times. WISN 12 News requested the agency’s documents and calls related to this case, but it was denied for now. State law requires the department to publish a summary of its involvement within 90 days.

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By Adam Roberts

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    NEWTON COUNTY, Ark. — (KHBS, KHOG) — The bear that Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) biologists euthanized earlier this year is not the same bear that killed a man in Newton County, the commission discovered.

Max Thomas, 60, of Springfield, Missouri, was killed by a bear while camping at Sam’s Throne Campground in the Ozark National Forest.

Two days later, AGFC biologists killed a bear they believed was the one behind the attack.

Forensic scientists compared DNA samples and learned a different bear was to blame.

AGFC is now trying to find the correct bear.

Sam’s Throne Campground and nearby areas will remain closed.

This was the second bear attack in Arkansas of 2025. In September, a Franklin County man was attacked and killed by a bear. The bear in the September attack tested negative for rabies and distemper, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The AGFC said the Franklin County bear attack was the first bear attack in Arkansas in 25 years.

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