Author: CNN Newsource

By Jason McNabb, T.J. Wilham

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    ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KOAT) — Target 7 reported a couple of weeks back that former Albuquerque Police officer Justin Hunt, who resigned as a lieutenant in February 2024, admitted in a federal plea deal to collaborating with attorney Thomas Clear’s private investigator and paralegal, Ricardo Mendez, to target certain individuals for DWI arrests as part of the DWI enterprise scandal. Hunt’s plea revealed that Mendez would get Clear’s clients drunk, have them drive with him in the car, and then tip off officers like Hunt about their location and vehicle.

A case outlined in the plea states that in 2014, Mendez took a man, previously represented by Clear in another DWI case, to a strip club, got him drunk, and then had him drive. Mendez then tipped off Hunt, who arrested the man shortly after. The man rehired Clear for his defense, and Hunt said Clear gave him tires and parts for his Jeep in exchange for not appearing in court, leading to the case’s dismissal.

Target 7 obtained officer-worn lapel camera video of that arrest.

In the video, Officer Hunt is seen conducting the traffic stop, pulling over the man for riding between lanes. Hunt said, “You can do me a favor, step out real quick.” The man struggled with sobriety tests, and Hunt said, “Okay, sir, I’d like to give you some tests if you’re safe to keep driving you and your passengers tonight, all right? “Yes, sir,” responded the man.

Shortly after, he was handcuffed for DWI, with Hunt stating, “The best thing I can tell you is you got yourself into this situation, not me.”

Target 7 also tracked down the man who was arrested and sat down with his new attorney, Frances Carpenter.

Carpenter reiterated that the traffic stop was a setup, saying, “[Officer Hunt] knew exactly where he was going to be.”

She told Target 7 how Mendez called her client on his birthday, saying, “Hey, do you want to hang out? Let’s go out. My client was not good friends with him. He didn’t socialize with him, but he was like, sure. You know, I’ll go out with you and a bunch of guys.”

Carpenter says Mendez kept ordering her client rounds of drinks, and promised him he would drive. However, Mendez told the man later in the night that he was too drunk, and that he would have to be the one to drive instead. Minutes after leaving the strip club, they were pulled over.

Carpenter stated, “There’s no doubt about it. It was completely set up.” Hunt admitted in court documents that Mendez coordinated with him for the traffic stop. “Rick was communicating with the officer about where they were going to, what time they were gonna be there, and when they were leaving,” she said.

Carpenter also told Target 7 the arrest was just the beginning of her client’s troubles. “He was in there for a couple days, and during the time that he was in jail, his home was broken into,” she said. Around $300,000 worth of watches, gold bars, and guns were stolen, with police reports filed. Carpenter suspects whoever was responsible for the burglary knew the man was in jail, saying, “These individuals knew that he was affluent and likely knew what he had in his safe, and he was targeted.”

Carpenter is leading the class-action lawsuit against the city for victims of the scandal and is urging anyone who may have been targeted to come forward.

Thirteen people have pled guilty so far in the DWI enterprise scandal, including nine officers from the APD, one deputy from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, and three legal professionals.

At this time, no one has been sentenced for their roles.

Mendez was among those who pled guilty and was granted permission last year by a federal judge to travel outside of the country before a sentencing date was set. His whereabouts are currently unknown.

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 Zavala

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    SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KCRA) — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed a controversial measure that will outlaw most fee-based organizations that help veterans with their disability claims.

The measure known as SB 694, has divided Democrats and veterans serving as lawmakers at the state Capitol over the veteran’s benefits system that both sides have acknowledged is broken. The bill is rooted in businesses that exist to help with backlogs and long waits associated with claims filed with official government accredited Veterans Service Organizations. Instead of going through the VSOs, Veterans can pay other, fee-based services to help with their claims. Often times, those veterans can be taken advantage of by some of these businesses, which is what the new law aims to tackle.

“We owe our veteran community a debt of gratitude – for their years of service and sacrifice,” Newsom said in a statement. “By signing this bill into law, we are ensuring veterans and service members get to keep more money in their pockets and not line the coffers of predatory actors. We are closing this federal fraud loophole for good.”

The measure had been under intense negotiations but was abruptly approved by the State Senate last month. Democratic State Senator Bob Archuleta, who is a veteran himself and wrote the new law, said it’s meant to protect veterans from predatory practices. But other veterans, such as Democratic Senator Tom Umberg, has likened the measure to outlawing private attorneys.

“Could you imagine if we as a government said, I’m sorry all criminal defense counsel are by definition bad. Therefore, you must accept your public defender. You have no choice,” Umberg said on the Senate floor last month.

As the measure was changed to outlaw the businesses, the only disabled veteran serving in California’s Legislature, Republican Assemblyman Jeff Gonzalez, wanted his name removed from the bill. That did not happen before Newsom’s bill signing Tuesday.

At the bill signing Tuesday, the governor could be seen smiling when KCRA 3 asked about all of this. He noted adding and removing lawmaker names is the legislature’s job.

“I’m proud to sign this bill,” Newsom said. “I am very clear, this is the right thing to do.”

Archuleta responded by saying people working with veterans should be accredited.

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By CBS 58 Newsroom

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    KENOSHA, Wisconsin (WDJT) — A 16-year-old student is in custody after a loaded firearm was recovered at Bradford High School early Wednesday, Feb. 11.

School administrators and a Kenosha Police Department school resource officer tried to search the student at around 7:30 a.m., based on information he may have had a firearm, according to police.

The student would not comply and resisted the officer during the search, leading to a physical struggle, police say. The student was subdued and taken into custody.

A concealed, loaded gun was recovered during the search, according to police. No serious injuries were reported.

A lieutenant with KPD expressed gratitude to the people who came forward with information about the gun, saying in a press release that the information likely helped prevent “a tragedy in our community.”

Police expect multiple criminal charges to be filed, and the investigation is still taking place. Officers remained at the school throughout the day.

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 Conor McGill

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KOVR) — A February winter storm is moving through the Sierra, bringing steady rain and snow to the region and creating slick, hazardous conditions along major roadways, including Interstate 80.

After a dry and disappointing January, the storm system is delivering much-needed snowfall to higher elevations. Fresh powder is falling across mountain passes and Sierra resorts, offering a boost to an underperforming snow season.

“Yesterday it was sunny, there was no snow,” said Barbara Chung, who is visiting from Hong Kong. “With the fresh powder, it’s much softer.”

Travelers from across the region welcomed the change.

“Finally, we got the snow, it’s a little powdery today,” said Marni McKee, visiting from Sacramento.

Higher peaks and mountain passes could receive between 6 and 12 inches of snow, while some Sierra resorts may see 12 to 18 inches by the time the system moves out.

The snowfall comes at a critical time. During the state’s most recent snow survey on January 30, officials measured the statewide snowpack at just 47 percent of normal for this time of year.

“Climate has changed. Thirty-five years ago, we didn’t have the problem of not having enough snow, and now it’s more difficult,” said Michael Norreel of Santa Rosa.

Caltrans officials say the storm is a reminder that winter driving conditions can return quickly, even after dry stretches.

“Mother Nature season-wide is still saying it’s winter and given us finally that reminder again,” said Jeremy Linder, a Public Information Officer with Caltrans. “For those drivers that are going to be headed up either the next couple of days or even over the weekend, just be prepared.”

With additional storms possible next week and several feet of snow in the forecast, this system could mark the beginning of a significant shift in the Sierra’s winter season.

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 Dan Raby

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    GEORGIA (WUPA) — A Georgia bird is set to be removed from the federal government’s list of endangered and threatened species after seeing its population grow, officials say.

The wood stork, the only true stork that breeds in the U.S., was once on the brink of extinction when it was put on the list as part of the Endangered Species Act in 1984. Officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that the stork’s population dropped by over 75% since the 1930s, mostly due to habitat loss.

In the years since, officials say they’ve seen a positive change. Today, the wood stork’s breeding population is estimated at between 10,000 and 14,000 nesting pairs across around 100 sites — more than twice the number of pairs and over three times the number of colonies compared to when it was listed.

Wood storks are now found in 13 counties in southern Georgia and around the state’s coast, as well as Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

“The wood stork’s recovery is a real conservation success thanks to a lot of hard work from our partners,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik. “The Trump administration is working quickly to remove federal protections from species that no longer need them, and I’m proud that the wood stork is another example of that.”

Some advocates are concerned that the delisting may hurt the iconic bird.

In a release after the announcement, the Southern Environmental Law Center called the decision “premature” because of shrinking wetland habitats.

“This is a short-sighted and premature move. Wood storks need wetlands to survive, and that habitat is facing overwhelming pressure. It is disappointing that Fish and Wildlife Service largely brushed away serious concerns about how losses to wetlands protections and climate change’s consequences for our coast increase threats to our U.S. population of wood stork,” said Ramona McGee, SELC’s Wildlife Program leader. “This delisting comes at a time when species face a storm of proposed federal rollbacks to habitat protections that are likely to imperil wood storks and countless other Southeastern species.”

The Fish and Wildlife Service said it has a 10-year monitoring plan to make sure the species continues to recover.

The delisting will be final on March 9.

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 Jeffrey Lindblom

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    MOUNT CLEMENS, Michigan (WXYZ) — Two longtime Detroit firefighters turned their brotherhood into a business. Nearly 20 years ago, they opened a restaurant in Mount Clemens that pays tribute to their days in the firehouse.

John and Greg served alongside one another as Detroit firefighters for many years. Then, almost 20 years ago, they went into business as friends here at the Mount Clemens Engine House.

“Quality food, quality service, and that will get you through a lot,” said owner Greg Sisoy.

Sisoy said that advice comes from his friend, colleague and business partner, John Gusumano.

“Yeah, he was always take care of the customer,” Greg said of his friend. “Service is everything.”

Sisoy’s restaurant and bar has a similar look to where he spent 35 years of his life as a Detroit fireman.

“It’s not a job. It’s more of a way of life. It’s a brotherhood in the firehouse,” Greg said.

Sisoy started his career in 1988, 16 years after Gusumano, the man who became his mentor, with both men batting blazes and the bar business.

“So, he kind of took me under his wing and taught me everything he knows,” Sisoy said.

Around the bar, you can see firefighting memorabilia and tributes to fallen firefighters, men he calls a part of his brotherhood. His late friend is among them.

“Yep. It was during COVID. He died of COVID, actually, in December of 2020. So, yeah, it was tough,” Greg said. “He was a great guy. Big heart. If you needed help, he was always there for you.”

The two gutted the space together, building the bar and restaurant you see now, serving drinks, pouring beers, and bringing out food to smiling family and friends. They’re using hoses that spray soda, not water, for burning buildings. But it turns out being a firefighter and a bar owner has a bit of a crossover, outside of just the decor.

“You’re taking care of people. You want to do the best job you can do. Make everyone happy,” Sisoy said.

Sisoy hung up his jacket three years ago, and I asked him if he found some reprieve during his 15 years wearing both a first responder and a hospitality hat, getting away from the dangers of duty at his bar. But he said it was the opposite.

“I never considered it work, going to the firehouse. It was like a day off,” Sisoy said.

Nowadays, he says he still puts out small fires, just the slightly different, service-centric kind. Plus, he says the guys still come by and will give him a hard time every now and again.

“It can be trying sometimes. It’s like old times again, every time they come in,” Greg said.

So, to this day, he’s still putting out those small fires and still serving the public in some capacity. Things that make him very happy; this is the Engine House.

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 Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Police arrested a Long Beach man allegedly tied to a string of bronze plaque thefts in several Orange County cities.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office has charged the suspect, Sean Paul Green, with 10 counts of grand theft and 10 counts of felony vandalism. He pleaded not guilty. He’s being held on a $100,000 bail. Green’s arraignment is scheduled for March 4.

The Orange Police Department apprehended Green after he allegedly stole multiple bronze plaques from several locations in the city, including Old Towne Orange, on Jan. 20.

Investigators said they reviewed surveillance systems to identify Green as a suspect. Orange PD said detectives linked him to more bronze plaque thefts in Huntington Beach, Santa Ana and Tustin.

Detectives located Green at this home and booked him into the Orange County Jail on Feb. 5.

“The bronze theft problem is a growing concern in the Southern California area and we ask members of the community to report suspicious activity when they see it,” Orange PD wrote in a Facebook post.

After a push from Southern California lawmakers in October 2025, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 476, which mandated junk dealers and recyclers to collect detailed records of people selling precious metals and lawful ownership. It also expanded restrictions on the possession of scrap metal and increased penalties for those who stole copper wire.

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.