Author: CNN Newsource

By Gracie Palmer

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — A veteran’s social media post received a lot of attention, offering an act of kindness during a traffic nightmare on I-40 Monday night.

Richard Gray served in the U.S. Army from 1989 to 1997.

On Monday night, he found himself serving his community once again.

“Right place, right time, you know,” said Gray.

Richard was leaving an event in Mills River—hauling his seafood food truck, The Bell Buoy. He was on his way home to Waynesville.

“I packed up and hit the road about 7:15 p.m. and when we got off 26 and hit 40, it was just gridlocked,” Gray said.

That’s when wintry weather stopped traffic on I-40 for hours.

“I was talking to one of my friends, and he said there was somebody up by the weigh station that had been sitting there for about four and a half hours, and they needed something to drink,” Gray said.

“I just thought to myself, ‘I have water and food and snacks in the truck, so let’s just post it and see if somebody wants something,'” Gray said.

He pulled his food truck off on Exit 37, posted on Facebook, and started giving out food and water.

One of the drivers he served was paramedic Destiny Burgess.

“So, I had just got off a 36-hour shift, [and I hit] standstill traffic,” Burgess said.

Burgess was scrolling on her phone when she saw Richard’s post and pulled over.

“He gave me a full meal, drinks, chips, sweets to take home,” Burgess said.

This was the fuel she needed for her now, 5-hour commute home.

“He didn’t have to offer that. It helped a lot to get me back across the mountain.”

Since then, Gray’s social media has blown up, and so has his business.

“I didn’t do this expecting anything to happen. I did this to help people out that were stuck like we were,” Gray said.

“It means a lot. You know, with everything going on in the world, kindness goes a long way,” Burgess said.

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By Jesse Zanger

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    New York (WCBS, WLNY) — Opening statements are taking place Wednesday in the trial of an alleged Chinese agent who had been an aide to two New York governors.

Linda Sun is accused of secretly working as an undisclosed agent for the Chinese government while serving under Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul.

She’s also accused of illegally profiting from New York’s bulk purchase of face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sun and her husband Chris Hu were arrested last year at their nearly $4 million mansion in Manhasset on the North Shore of Long Island. The indictment, which is more than 50 pages long, alleges the two gained millions in benefits and bought luxurious properties, including a condo in Honolulu, and numerous fancy cars, including a Ferrari. Hu, a liquor store owner, is accused of money laundering and bank fraud.

The two have pleaded not guilty.

Sun served as a former deputy chief of staff, among other jobs, during her 13 years in New York state government. Prosecutors allege she was secretly an agent of the Chinese Communist Party, and she allegedly prevented officials from Taiwan from gaining access to the governor’s office. She allegedly forged Hochul’s signature, tampered with messages by New York state officials on issues of importance to China, and more.

Hochul previously said she was “outraged and absolutely shocked” by Sun’s alleged behavior, calling it “a betrayal of trust.”

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By Jesse Zanger, Carolyn Gusoff

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    LONG ISLAND, New York (WCBS, WLNY) — The former Long Island sleep center worker who pleaded guilty to secretly recording patients and co-workers in the bathroom faces sentencing Wednesday.

Sanjai Syamaprasad admitted to installing hidden cameras at a Northwell Health facility in Manhasset.

Police were alerted last year when he was caught watching the videos at work. Prosecutors seized more than 300 videos that recorded body parts of hundreds of people, but they were only able to bring charges involving five victims, including a child.

Syamaprasad is expected to be sentenced to probation, but no jail time, after pleading guilty to unlawful surveillance and evidence tampering. Syamaprasad is expected to also register as a sex offender.

Prosecutors said Syamaprasad, a Brooklyn father, installed Velcro dots in nine bathrooms at the Northwell Sleep Disorders and STARS Rehabilitation Center in Manhasset. He used the dots to position a spy camera disguised as a smoke detector so it could record people using the shower and toilet.

Syamaprasad was fired after he was caught watching the videos.

Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said the case “deserved jail time.”

“It was night after night after night, victim after victim after victim,” Donnelly said.

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By Melanie Woodrow

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The SFMTA says operator fatigue is to blame for an incident that happened in September. Passengers were jolted and fell, when a train operator seemed to fall asleep at the controls on a two-car North Judah light rail train.

The SFMTA says that the operator was immediately put on non-driving status while an investigation was conducted. That investigation is now complete.

Shocking video shows the Muni operator apparently asleep as the train jolts passengers while navigating a curve at more than 50 miles per hour.

The SFMTA released the video from September 24 in response to a public records request.

It happened at approximately 8:37 a.m. at the height of the morning rush hour commute while the train was packed.

A two-car N-Judah light rail train was traveling inbound toward downtown.

The shocking moments happened as the train was exiting the Sunset Tunnel near Duboce Park. Several passengers fell due to the sudden motion but the train did not derail.

The operator quick with an explanation.

“It wouldn’t stop, it wouldn’t stop. I’m sorry, relax, relax, relax. We didn’t crash, relax. We’re ok, it just wouldn’t stop, it wouldn’t stop. The emergency brake wouldn’t even hit, look it’s on.”

But the SFMTA says a full inspection of the train’s braking system confirmed that it performed as designed.

Additional inspections of the trackway and related infrastructure found no mechanical or system issues.

The investigation is now complete finding operator fatigue as the cause.

Earlier as passengers boarded the train, video shows the operator with her head down. At one point, her head falls back while the train is moving.

While SFMTA’s trains operate in both automated and manual mode, during the incident, SFMTA tells the I-Team the train was being operated in manual mode. The transportation agency says it is now working with Siemens, the manufacturer of the new light rail vehicles, on software that would limit speeds in specific locations.

It is also reinforcing existing training on the importance of watching for signs of fatigue, which is something the operator didn’t seem to acknowledge after the incident.

“That’s not on me,” she could be heard later telling a colleague.

The operator remains on nondriving status.

In a written statement, SFMTA’s Director of Transportation writes, “Safety is always our top priority. We are committed to accountability in response to this specific unacceptable incident and we are taking all necessary steps to keep Muni safe and reliable for all riders and the public.”

The SFMTA is not releasing the name of the operator due to personnel privacy. Investigative reporter Melanie Woodrow reached out to the union that represents Muni operators, but has not yet heard back.

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By Anser Hassan

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    CASTRO VALLEY, California (KGO) — A family is mourning the loss of a father and grandfather involved in an alleged road rage incident in Castro Valley. The family is asking witnesses to come forward to help with the investigation.

Flowers and candles along Wilbeam Avenue in Castro Valley mark where Jason Elola was attacked. He later died in the hospital.

“He was a good man. He didn’t deserve this. He was taken – he was stolen from us. So that is what justice looks like for us, people coming forward. And just find it in your heart to be honest. That is all we can ask,” says Gabrielle Elola, Jason’s wife, who was in the car.

Saturday night, just after 7:30 p.m., CHP responded to a car crash that may have started as a road rage incident. And ended in a fight.

In a statement to ABC7 News, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office says the other driver left after the fight, but then contacted CHP to report his involvement. “CHP personnel instructed (the driver) to return to the scene, where they cooperated with responding officers,” the statement says.

ABC7 News was on scene when the suspect told officer about what happened. In the video, the driver tells officers: “I cut him off accidentally and he just plowed me, right behind me. All the way through here right to here. Then he jumps in front of me. That’s when we collide.”

He goes to say, “He raises his hands. As soon as he attacks me… ring him up… he hits the ground.”

The driver was subsequently booked into custody.

Investigators believe witnesses took cellphone video of the incident. And hope people will come forward.

“He was just protecting his family. He was just protecting his daughters and me. I think anybody can understand that. Anybody would do that for their family. That is what he did,” says Gabrielle.

Jason’s eldest son, Angel, spoke at his father’s vigil on Monday. He says he got door knock from police who told him about the accident. The family wants justice for their father.

“Just for the justice of our father. There are nine kids and four grandkids. Not only does he deserve justice, but for our sakes as well. We deserve justice,” says Angel.

The family says the suspect will be in court on Thursday.

A GoFundme page was created to support Elola’s family. To make a donation, click here.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office is also asking anyone with information or cell phone video to contact its tip line at (510) 667-3622.

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By Dylan Foreman

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    California (KSBY) — On November 22, 2022, Jennifer Besser, Matthew Chachere and their dog Buddy were struck and killed by a vehicle speeding 60 miles per hour down Sacramento Drive in San Luis Obispo.

The driver, Daniel Saliganpatricio, was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and sentenced to 5 years and 4 months in prison, but now he faces early release.

“The whole story of Matt and Jen and Buddy, it’s so obscene and absurd that, how could this actually happen?” said Matthew’s sister, Nicole Chachere.

At the time of the collision, responding police officers didn’t realize Saliganpatricio had hit anyone. The couple’s bodies were found under heavy brush two days later, after family members reported them missing.

“These are our kids, and yet they act like this is not something that we should have input into,” said Jennifer’s mother, Pati Blevins.

Even after Saliganpatricio was sentenced back in February of 2024, the families of Besser and Chachere did not feel there was closure. Now, the families, who spoke with KSBY news over Zoom, explained that not only is he eligible for serving just half of his sentence, but that he’s being released next month.

“What we went through as a family, what they put us through, was criminal,” said Matthew’s mother, Linda Chachere.

“I guess, maybe naively, I thought the whole thing of justice is blind… I am now totally changed,” said Matthew’s father, Ernest Chachere.

Both Linda and Ernest sent a letter to State Attorney General Rob Bonta, explaining different facets of the case that left them feeling helpless. In the letter, they stated, “Our family experienced firsthand at each stage of the process inconsistencies, inefficiencies, poor standards of performance by key individuals with the responsibility to execute the law and more importantly deliver justice and accountability for those convicted of a crime.”

Saliganpatricio’s attorney, Ilan Funke-Bilu, told KSBY that inmates in federal prison can receive credits to reduce their sentence as part of an effort to lower prison populations across the state. Funke-Bilu added that his client “is not one to gloat over early release, when he’s responsible for doing something as serious as he admitted to doing… he’s doing whatever he has to do to pay for what he did.”

While the families remain shocked by the early release and how the case was originally handled, they know that what’s done is done for them, but hopefully, they can make people more aware of their experience and how it pertains to victims of crime.

“[In California], the criminal has more rights than what the victims do. They get protected way too much,” Linda Chachere said.

Saliganpatricio is set to be placed on parole in December of this year.

“As a parent, if my son had killed two people knowing that two other mothers were suffering, I would have been compelled to go to them and say, ‘I’m sorry,'” Blevins said.

Aside from the sentencing, at which Saliganpatricio read a written apology, Blevins and the Chachere family said they received no apology. A memorial at the site of the crash is still up and can be visited.

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By Valentina Saldaña

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    California (KSBY) — A sea otter pup was reunited with its mom in Morro Bay and the heartwarming video has caught the attention of many people on social media.

The Marine Mammal Center covers 600 miles of California coastline. The rescue organization recently received a call about an otter pup that was seen near the shore along the Embarcadero.

Team members from the Morro Bay facility were sent to the rescue. They took a small carrier, ice, a rescue net, and a Bluetooth speaker, recording a one-minute clip of the pup’s cries to play on repeat in hopes that the mother would hear it.

“Vocalizations are very important for pairings of moms and pups, so in this situation, we were able to identify the potential mom because of those vocalizations,” said Aliah Meza, Senior Manager at the Morro Bay facility.

Eventually, the team spotted an adult otter following their boat around the bay.

“I would be on one side, she would be on the other, and then we’d end up on the other side. So that kept happening and her persistence of following us and approaching the boat was the really key indicator,” said Shayla Zink, Operations Coordinator at the Morro Bay facility.

After two hours of searching, Zink placed the pup, which they nicknamed Caterpillar, into the water.

“I definitely cried a little bit when she came up and got the pup. It was super rewarding, like top five day at work ever,” Zink said.

This was the first reunification in the area since 2019, but the Southern sea otter reunion was important for more than one reason.

“Southern sea otters are still a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, and currently their population is kind of hovering at 3,000,” Meza said.

Meza said that because Morro Bay is secluded, the likelihood of finding an otter mom is higher than if a pup is stranded in the open ocean.

In a case where the mother cannot be found, the organization might be able to send the pup to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for its surrogacy program with their captive adult female otters.

“Teaching them how to forage and eat and act like otters appropriately in a way that humans just can’t teach them,” Zink said. “They need that maternal care.”

The Marine Mammal Center encourages people to contact them at (415) 289-SEAL(7325) to report an animal that’s in distress. For more information, visit their website: marinemammalcenter.org

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By Mike Sullivan

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — A viral video has people in Boston looking for an alligator in the Charles River. The small gator was spotted over the weekend and caught on video by a couple passing by.

“I wasn’t necessarily scared. My girlfriend was like, ‘I don’t want you to touch it. You don’t know what could be in the water,” said Trevor Rochelle, who took the video.

Rochelle likes to fish in the area, but he didn’t expect to catch a gator on camera instead. In the video, he is seen poking the alligator with a stick to see if it’s alive. After, it retreats back into the water. People on social media began questioning if the video was actually AI, but the stick that is in the video was still there when we met Rochelle for an interview.

“That was the first thing people thought. You’re joking. This isn’t real. The video was the realistic piece,” said Rochelle. “Believe me, it was real. I am not pulling anyone’s leg.”

He spotted the small gator in one of the two lagoons that sit in the Esplanade and connect to the Charles River. After the encounter, Rochelle says he contacted Boston Animal Control for help.

“They thought I was crazy. Then I told them I live near MIT, and they thought maybe he isn’t as dumb as we thought,” said Rochelle. “We got the authorities to come out here, and we reported it to who we needed to report it to.”

Alligators illegal to own in Massachusetts MassWildlife is aware of the video, and they are working with Boston Animal Control and the Massachusetts Environmental Police to try to capture it. Alligators are not native to the state, and MassWildlife says they cannot survive cold weather. They are also illegal to own in Massachusetts.

It turns out, this isn’t the first time an alligator has been found in the Charles River. WBZ covered a similar story in 2010, when a canoeist came across one in the Charles in Needham. A local reptile educator from Rainforest Reptile Shows pulled it from the water with his bare hands.

“It’s definitely not native, maybe someone had ill intentions,” said Rochelle. “We are trying to get the word out and trying to get everyone to come out to find this thing, to find the right home. That’s the end goal here.”

Rochelle has named the gator “TT,” and he hopes he can survive this week’s cold snap long enough to be found.

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By Brady Halbleib

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    California (KMAX, KOVR) — Crossing the country to spread positivity, gratitude, and human connection, that’s the mission behind a couple who are walking across all 50 states.

Their journey brought them to Northern California, where they passed through Roseville and Folsom on Tuesday.

Torin and Paige Rouse call themselves the Walking America Couple. They set out to walk more than 12,000 miles through every U.S. state.

What started as a leap of faith to explore America’s beauty and diversity on foot has become a deeper mission, one about understanding humanity, one step at a time.

The Rouses say their goal is to connect with people from all backgrounds and remind others that change starts with kindness, compassion and the way we listen to one another.

“It’s all about changing the mind, showing people how much we’re capable of, how we can change our perspective to be happier, more resilient, more loving, and less judgmental,” Paige Rouse said.

“We’re seeking to change people within, and that will eventually result in the change outside that we’re all hoping for,” Torin Rouse added.

Along the way, the couple has been welcomed into hundreds of homes, relying on strangers for meals, shelter, and encouragement. They say it’s those acts of kindness that have restored their faith in humanity, and they hope to inspire that same feeling in others.

Now more than two years into their journey, California marks the 28th state the Rouses have visited so far.

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