Author: CNN

KPIX

By Loureen Ayyoub

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    BERKELEY, California (KPIX) — Once incarcerated and now standing beneath the lights of an iconic Bay Area stage, Anthony Michael Puthuff is telling his story on his own terms.

Puthuff is one of the featured performers in the Formerly Incarcerated Peoples Performance Project (FIPPP), a storytelling festival now onstage at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The project centers the lived experiences of people who are formerly incarcerated, inviting them to perform personal narratives that challenge stereotypes and offer a more complex view of the justice system and the people affected by it.

“It’s surreal to be here doing an interview,” Puthuff said. “The last time I was on the news, it was in a different context and it wasn’t so flattering, so it’s really an honor to be here right now and be able to share with the world who I really am.”

The FIPPP festival aims to disrupt dominant narratives around incarceration by placing formerly incarcerated people at the center of the story — not as statistics, but as artists and community members. Performers develop and present original work that explores their histories, accountability, and transformation.

Before his legal troubles, Puthuff traces the roots of his past, describing a childhood marked by instability and the absence of positive role models.

“I grew up in a single-mother, single-parent household,” he said. “My father was an alcoholic. My parents divorced when I was very young. My mom did her best, but she struggled with her own mental health and addiction issues. There was really no structure or discipline as a young man growing up. I really didn’t have a positive male role model, and so I acted out.”

The festival is produced and co-directed by Mark Kenward, who says the project helps bring society together in a time when divides seem to increasingly separate communities. He believes it is the misunderstood stories that deserve the limelight even more.

“They’ve seen a lot of things, done a lot of things,” Kenward said. “And now they’re here sharing their stories, and it’s really life-affirming, I find.”

A prior FIPPP storyteller, Freddy Lee Johnson, says the process of preparing and performing the work is deeply personal.

“It was very therapeutic, because I try not to be seen,” Johnson said.

Kenward says visibility is a crucial part of healing, both for performers and audiences.

For Puthuff, stepping onto the Berkeley Rep stage represents more than artistic expression. It is full-circle empowerment.

“It’s more validation that individuals like myself, like no matter the circumstances we go through, that we are redeemable and that transformation is possible,” he said.

The FIPPP festival continues its run at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre through Sunday evening.

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.

KOVR

By Conor McGill

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    STOCKTON, California (KOVR) — Thirty-seven years after the tragic shooting at Cleveland Elementary School, the Stockton community gathered Saturday to remember the five children who lost their lives and the dozens more who were injured.

On Jan. 17, 1989, a lone gunman opened fire on students during recess at Cleveland Elementary School, forever changing Stockton.

Just over half a mile from the school, dozens of community members gathered at Oak Park to honor the victims and reflect on their lasting legacy.

One by one, the names of the five children were read aloud, each followed by the ringing of a bell. Photos of the students stood as a powerful visual reminder of lives cut short.

“I don’t ever want our community to forget those five beautiful children,” aquote from former Cleveland Elementary principal Pat Busher was also read aloud.

“Thirty-seven years ago, a lone gunman fired shots into the playground where almost 400 students were playing at recess,” said survivor Judy Weldon.

The shooter, 24-year-old Patrick Purdy, killed five children, wounded more than 30 others, and then took his own life.

“This is one of those dates that many Stocktonians have etched in their collective memory,” said Niki Smith with Cleveland School Remembers. “There are many dates in history like that, but here in Stockton, it’s January 17th.”

While the pain of that day remains, organizers say remembrance is also about moving forward. During Saturday’s ceremony, five maple trees were planted at Oak Park, each dedicated to one of the children who lost their lives. The trees are meant to stand for generations as living memorials.

“When we plant a tree, we plant a legacy,” Weldon said. “The lives of the children lost have shaped the future in ways we didn’t imagine.”

The group Cleveland School Remembers says it remains committed to ensuring the tragedy and the lives lost are never forgotten.

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.

WWJ

By Julia Avant

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    DETROIT (WWJ) — It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, a phone call that something terrible happened to their child.

For one Metro Detroit family, that was a reality when they told CBS News Detroit their daughter was hit by a car.

“I remember the whole thing, even flying in the air, I saw my shoes come off,” said De’asia Pesti, an 18-year-old who survived after being hit by a car in Metro Detroit on Tuesday.

It’s a day De’asia Pesti will never forget. She was trying to get to the bus stop on 8 Mile Road and Gratiot Avenue when she was struck by the car, a near-death experience she says she remembers every second of.

“Its like going on a rollercoaster, watching everyone go a million miles under you,” said De’asia Pesti.

She has gone from the operating table to the recovery room after facing multiple broken bones and open-heart surgery.

“Everything felt like the world was flying past us, and we were standing still and we couldn’t reach her in time,” said her father, Darryl Pesti.

The family says police have yet to find the driver who hit her.

Despite the long road ahead, De’asia Pesti forgives the driver.

“I just want to be real about it,” said De’asia Pesti. “I feel like it might have been a kid. I mean, I am not going to lie, we all do dumb stuff when we are young … just turn yourself in.”

The family says police have yet to speak to the teenager with her being in the intensive care unit.

CBS News Detroit has reached out to the Eastpointe Police Department, but has yet to hear back.

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.

KDKA

By Chris Hoffman

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    SOUTH HILLS, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — We all have days where it’s a struggle, and life can be hard.

However, Chris Guy is going across the region to give a sign for everyone to keep their head up. He says, “Everyone deserves to have a good day at some point.”

On the day KDKA caught up with him, he was in Mt. Lebanon with a simple message, but one that is so powerful: “The world is a better place with you in it.”

“This is something that everyone should hear from their friends and family. If you don’t have that in your life, it’s an honor to be that person for someone,” Guy said.

For the last six years or so, Guy has been waving, smiling, and telling people they matter across the region, usually in the South Hills. He gives love to total strangers.

“That’s really what it’s all about,” Guy said.

To each person, he says, the message may have a different meaning.

“That’s the best part about it,” Guy said.

Guy has seen depression in his life, with loved ones and friends battling it. The idea is not to spread any ideology or political message. He doesn’t take any money either. He appreciates the smiles, waves, and honks, but he hopes people go home and think about the nine words on his sign.

“Even if one person sees my sign, goes home and thinks about it and decides they were having a better day than they had previously, all the more worth it,” Guy said.

While living in Meadville, he had someone thank him for his work as he battled some struggles.

“You’ve got to be the change you want to see in the world, and I think it’s a good first step for anybody, myself included,” Guy said.

On this day, another stranger thanked him as they battled some personal problems. He hugged Guy and thanked him for his positive message. While it’s some black lettering on a white poster board, it can change a life.

“It truly is a blessing that I get to do this,” Guy said.

According to him, anyone can help someone. He encourages others be a bright spot in a world that too often can feel dark.

“The world is a better place with you in it,” Guy 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.

KYW

By Eva Andersen

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Philadelphia marked the third week of its “52 Weeks of Firsts” series Saturday with an event highlighting the origins of America’s first volunteer fire company — coinciding with Benjamin Franklin’s 320th birthday.

Franklin founded the nation’s first volunteer fire company, the Union Fire Company, in 1736.

Families and visitors toured Fireman’s Hall Museum in Old City, which is housed in a renovated firehouse from 1898, according to its website.

Guests learned how early firefighting in Philly relied on hand pumps, bucket brigades and later, leather hoses — some of the technology predating American independence.

“We’re celebrating how we started as a volunteer organization and we gravitated from that to a paid department,” Brian Anderson, a Philadelphia firefighter and the museum’s historian and curator, said.

Exhibits traced the evolution of tools and equipment used from the volunteer era to the paid era. One of the oldest hand engines on display dates to 1752.

“You’re actually pumping by hand to build the pressure to squirt water to extinguish fire,” Anderson said.

For many families, the event doubled as a hands-on history lesson.

“I think it’s crazy,” Dina Gigliotti, who attended with her 12-year-old son, said . “I was just looking at the wooden water main, how it was like wooden. I’m just trying to figure that out. Like, the water went through wood!”

Others reacted to early fire hoses.

“I didn’t know the old hoses were made out of leather,” Michele Jordan said.

A Boy Scout troop from Hatboro tried racing to put on fire uniforms the fastest.

“They seem to be enjoying it,” Troop leader Keith Grimes said.

Inside the museum, the event also underscored the risks modern firefighters continue to face. A memorial wall features the names of more than 300 Philadelphia fire fighters killed in the line of duty.

“I’m the person who puts those names on when members die in the line of duty,” Anderson said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s volunteer or paid: the mission is still the same. First responders have an obligation to keep the citizens safe and protect their property, and that mission is still carried on today.”

The “52 Weeks of Firsts” series is part of Philadelphia’s lead-up to America’s 250th anniversary, featuring a new historic “first” each week through the end of the year.

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.

KYW

By Liz Crawford

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — A South Jersey mom surprised her son with Eagles tickets Sunday, and it turned into a nightmare. When they left the game, her car was gone. She thought it was stolen, but police told her it was courtesy towed. As of Thursday evening, her car is still missing, and Jacquie Martin doesn’t know if it was courtesy towed, stolen, or both.

Martin was thrilled to snag tickets to the Eagles’ playoff game Sunday against the 49ers and couldn’t wait to surprise her 16-year-old son.

“He was like, what!?! He was very excited,” she said.

Martin said parking was impossible when she got to the sports complex, so she decided to park her car on 7th Street, not far from Pattison Avenue. She admitted she parked it illegally, along with a long row of other illegally parked cars on 7th Street.

After the game, she returned to the spot and said it was gone. Martin said at first, she thought it might have been stolen or towed to the impound lot because she parked in a No Stopping zone, but the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) has no record of it being ticketed or towed. On Monday, she says a police officer told her he had good news.

“Your car was courtesy towed. And I said what do you mean courtesy towed?” Martin said.

A courtesy tow is when a parked car gets legally moved to make way for utility work or a special event, among other things. Police, the PPA or a private tower could be behind the tow.

Martin said police told her, “An officer used an outside vendor to tow my car, somewhere, not in an impound lot, but on a street somewhere and I have to go find it,” she said.

On Monday, Martin said she and her 80-year-old mom drove all around the area and never found it. The next day, she went to the police department’s 3rd District.

According to the city, if a car is courtesy towed, the district should have a record of it, but they didn’t. Instead, Martin said an officer offered to drive her around and look for the car. They never found it, and she ultimately filed a stolen vehicle report. By Thursday, she said her insurance agent found a clue and sent her an email.

It showed her car had been spotted by a police license plate reader at 2 a.m. on Monday, less than a mile from where she says she parked it before the game. CBS News Philadelphia checked that location Thursday afternoon, and it wasn’t there.

“It’s a nightmare. It’s crazy. Because nothing makes sense, right?” Martin said.

She’s still hoping her car turns up, especially because she only has two payments left on the loan.

CBS Philadelphia also reached out to the Streets Department to see if they know anything. We haven’t heard back yet.

Meantime, she’s not the only one exasperated by the city’s towing policies. A CBS News Philadelphia investigation last spring found courtesy tows in Philadelphia can leave people searching for their cars and paying fines. In October 2023, Philadelphia City Council adopted a resolution to hold hearings to investigate courtesy towing. They have yet to hold a single hearing.

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.

WCBS

By Kristie Keleshian

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — A new art installation is adding color and whimsy to New York City’s Flatiron District.

You may have spotted “Mr. Pink” on buildings or hiding between them. He has eight fingers, 10 toes and a bellybutton.

There are 10 sculptures across the Flatiron and NoMad neighborhoods. At each location, visitors can find a QR code to scan.

“And while you do that, you’ll be entered in to win some prizes from local businesses and that includes stays at some of our great hotels that are in the neighborhood,” Flatiron NoMad Partnership President James Mettham said.

The art installation is part of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership’s annual Winter Glow program – this year called “Flatiron NoMad Glows Pink” – which adds a splash of color during the winter months.

“It’s been so cold, it’s been so gray, and then to walk down the street and see this bright, vibrant pink man hidden in these little nooks and crannies all over Flatiron NoMad just brings joy,” Harlem resident Megan Marod said.

“I mean look at him. He’s beautiful. He’s pink,” Harlem resident Dave Madore said.

And there’s more to Mr. Pink, created by French artist Philippe Katerine. His weight and expression carry melancholy. He sometimes even points, giving passersby a sense of direction.

Katerine says the scar over Mr. Pink’s heart is a reminder that we’ve all been wounded.

“To get your heart broken, over and over again and try again and make something beautiful out of it? He needs a hug,” Madore said.

Washington Heights resident Lui Cabrera described Mr. Pink as a “sharing character.” Sharing what, exactly?

“Company, I would say,” Cabrera said. “Because this city, I have noticed this city is pretty, like, lonely.”

You can spot Mr. Pink, take selfies with him and even hug him, at some locations, while the art installation lasts. Mr. Pink will be in the city through Feb. 28, with a special Valentine’s Day activation on Feb. 11.

For more information, visit flatironnomad.nyc.

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.

WBZ

By Cheryl Fiandaca

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — Dunkin’ has loyal customers across Massachusetts, but some aren’t happy about the changes the company made to its loyalty program last fall.

Aaron Braun of Stow is one of them. He had accumulated more than 93,000 points on the app over several years. But, before he could use them, Dunkin’ changed its rewards policy. Points now expire one year from the last day of the month they were earned.

That change cost Braun 62,000 points, which equals about 100 coffees or $260.

“A lot of money,” he said. Braun had originally planned to let his children use the points to get free food and drinks.

“My kids now have a driver’s license so they can order on the way to school if they want to, breakfast sandwiches, all the products are there. And it doesn’t cost anything,” Braun told WBZ-TV. Now, he’s making his coffee at home.

He told WBZ’s I-Team it took him five years to accumulate all those points. He emailed Dunkin’ but said it didn’t make a difference.

“I wrote and said, ‘I’ve been loyal to you, but you’re not showing any loyalty back to me.’ It’s a local company, I mean Dunkin’ was founded up here. They’re all over the place, but they started up in Massachusetts, so it’s rough,” Braun said.

He isn’t the only customer who felt slighted by the change in policy last fall. Dunkin’ received a lot of backlash on social media for the change.

“The rule of thumb I have is you gotta use it or lose it, because these things can change, in a moment’s notice, as we’ve seen here,” said Deidre Cummings, a legislative director for the consumer watchdog group MASSPIRG.

Cummings explained that companies have the right to change their loyalty programs at any time. She said they’re typically used as marketing tools and there are strings attached.

“It’s also important to remember that we are paying in terms of giving them our purchasing history and personal data. So, we should just keep that in mind. So, it’s not really free. I call it like ‘free not free,'” Cummings said.

Dunkin did not respond to WBZ’s requests for comment. It is not the only company changing its rewards programs. Airlines and credit card companies are also revising their loyalty perks.

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.

WJZ

By Mike Hellgren

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Through a translator, 22-year-old Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales spoke publicly for the first time about her fight to prove her citizenship and a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requirement that she now must wear an ankle monitor.

One of her lawyers called it “dehumanizing.”

Immigration and Customs Enforcement first detained Diaz Morales in Baltimore on December 14th, 2025, despite her pleas that she is a U.S. citizen.

She was in custody for 25 days and transported to facilities in Louisiana, Texas, and New Jersey. In one detention center, she told WJZ Investigates she slept on the floor.

Her legal team provided documents, including her Maryland birth certificate and immunization records, along with other records they said they verified through an expert at Johns Hopkins University, but the Trump Administration is not backing down.

The Department of Homeland Security previously told WJZ she is “not a U.S. citizen” and illegally entered the country along the Arizona-Mexico border in 2023.

DHS did not respond to another request for comment after releasing Diaz Morales earlier this month.

Her lawyers said their client was incorrectly placed into removal proceedings after entering the United States without documentation during an emergency, and mistakenly processed as a non-citizen.

Zachary Perez, a member of Diaz Morales’ legal team at Sanabria and Associates, called what happened to her a “bizarre journey” and a “nightmare.”

“We’re a little exhausted with playing the ‘if you give a mouse a cookie’ game with the government because every time you give a new piece of evidence, they’re seemingly happy to accept it—and then give us exactly zero information on whether this moves the needle, on whether this gets us closer to a resolution date, on whether they’re even going to stop saying that we lied about this case,” Perez said. “The repeated times that she’s had to express herself and her truth… is a level of absurd that I’ve never had to see in my practice.”

Diaz Morales is working with Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office to obtain a passport.

Perez stressed, “You do not need to carry documentation with you when you go out the door, when you walk on the street, when you breathe fresh air, and it’s not an acceptable position for the government to adopt. Period.”

Diaz Morales said she was “in shock” after her arrest.

She told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren about being apart from her young son.

“He is better now because so they’re happy that they’re together. Her own father communicated that her son had missed her deeply and that on the first day of her detention, he stopped eating,” Diaz Morales’ translator said. “He would cry every day.”

She also spoke about having to wear an ankle monitor.

“The monitor feels weird because it harms her sometimes, but she says it is better than being detained. Although she is uncomfortable, she recognizes it is the better option,” Diaz Morales’ said through a translator.

Another member of her legal team, Victoria Slatton, was more blunt.

“I don’t want to say retaliation, but I will say I feel that it’s very unfair to Dulce. She has been through enough and a lot of trauma in this whole ordeal, and this is just re-traumatizing her every single time she has to re-enter that [ICE] building,” Slatton said. “The ankle monitor, I feel, is very dehumanizing. I don’t, unfortunately, think that we’re going to get it off until the proceedings are terminated, but I wish that we could because it’s ridiculous. …She should be home with her child. She should be at work. She should be with her family, and the fact that she’s still under ICE supervision is just appalling to me.”

Diaz Morales also had a message for the Trump administration.

“Everyone who is born here has the same rights—no matter that she has Hispanic heritage—she is still born here, and she still counts as a United States citizen,” Diaz Morales said through a translator. “She still has the same rights as everyone else.”

Diaz Morales’ next court appearance is scheduled for July.

She had two check-ins with ICE in Baltimore this week, where she said she was questioned for hours.

Her lawyers hope they can get the case dismissed before she has to appear in court again.

Full statement from DHS

“Dulce Consuelo Madrigal Diaz is NOT a U.S. citizen—she is an illegal alien from Mexico.

She did NOT provide a valid U.S. birth certificate or any evidence in support of her claim that she is a U.S. citizen.

On December 14, ICE arrested this illegal alien in Baltimore, Maryland. On October 20, 2023, when CBP encountered her near Lukeville, Arizona, Madrigal-Diaz claimed she was a citizen of Mexico and was born on October 18, 2003.

Her case is being adjudicated.

Any allegation that ICE does not allow detainees to contact legal assistance is FALSE. All detainees have access to phones to communicate with lawyers.”

Full statement from Diaz Morales’ legal team

“Dulce Consuelo Diaz Morales is a United States citizen by birth. She was born in Maryland on October 18, 2003. That fact is supported by a certified Maryland birth certificate, contemporaneous hospital records from Laurel Regional Hospital, affidavits from individuals who were at her birth, elementary school records, and Maryland public health immunization records beginning in infancy. A medical expert in pediatrics conducted an extensive and thorough review of these documents and confirmed that they substantially support Dulce’s claim of being a U.S. citizen born in Maryland.

Dulce was mistakenly processed as a noncitizen after entering the United States during an emergency without access to documentation. She was assigned an A-number and placed into removal proceedings. That administrative error did not and cannot change her constitutional status. She is a citizen.

When Dulce was detained, we notified ICE, OPLA, EOIR, and the district court of Maryland and submitted extensive evidence of her citizenship. Still, Dulce was held in immigration detention for twenty-five days. During that time, she was transferred five times between facilities, separated from her family, denied meaningful access to counsel, and confined in deeply troubling conditions. Her detention was not the result of any criminal conduct. It was the product of bureaucratic failure and institutional inertia. I was a failure of the U.S. government generally.

No U.S. citizen should be jailed, moved from facility to facility, and forced to endure weeks of confinement simply to prove what the government already has the ability and obligation to verify.

This case raises serious concerns about precedent. By forcing Dulce and her legal team to produce extraordinary volumes of evidence in order to secure her release, the government effectively shifted the burden onto a U.S. citizen to prove her citizenship while incarcerated. That inversion is dangerous. Citizenship and liberty should not depend on a person’s ability to gather paperwork from behind detention walls or retain legal counsel under duress. If normalized, this approach puts countless citizens at risk of detention first and verification later.

Although Dulce has been released from custody, her case is far from over. She remains under ICE supervision, and because DHS has refused a joint termination of these proceedings, she still faces the threat of deportation. Until these proceedings are formally corrected and safeguards are enforced, her freedom remains conditional. Her next hearing will be with Judge Hartye on July 1. We hope her proceedings will be terminated before then.

She is currently in the process of working with Senator Van Hollen’s office to obtain a U.S. passport. We are working to secure additional medical records from her childhood. However, none of this should be necessary as we have submitted ample evidence already to prove her citizenship.

Dulce remains under ICE supervision as a condition of her release. This is ridiculous, as ICE does not have jurisdiction over a U.S. citizen. On Tuesday (1/13), Dulce had an ICE check-in and was given an ankle monitor. The check-in lasted close to eight hours, during which time she faced intimidation by guards and was not allowed to eat.

On Thursday (1/15), our legal team submitted a response to the court based on issues raised by Judge Hartye. We also submitted new evidence and again requested termination of proceedings.

Last night (1/15), she was told to report to ICE again this morning (1/16). Attorney Zachary Perez and I accompanied her. She was interrogated for close to three hours. The questions asked were also confusing, unclear, and redundant, as they were similar to the request from the court, which we have already responded to.

We are hoping that this matter is cleared up in a matter of days instead of months. Dulce is a person who deserves to be able to live freely and move on with her life. She will no longer be taking requests from the media at this time. We hope this request is honored. Her legal team will update the media when we can.”

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.

KYW

By Ross DiMattei, Bill Seiders

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — Police say a group of suspects traveled from New York City to Bucks County to carry out a targeted robbery at a pharmacy, stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of high-demand weight loss medications and raising concerns about a growing black market.

The robbery happened around 9 a.m. Thursday at Smart Choice Pharmacy on Street Road, according to Bensalem police.

Investigators said three suspects attacked a delivery driver as he was unloading medication at the pharmacy. The suspects stole two boxes containing GLP-1 weight loss drugs, including Mounjaro, Ozempic and Trulicity. The medications were valued at about $16,000, police said.

“This is kind of very surprising, the way this happened,” Jigar Patel, a pharmacist at Smart Choice Pharmacy, said.

Patel said he was stunned by the crime, noting that he has never experienced anything like it in more than a decade in the retail pharmacy business.

“Shocked. Shocked,” Patel said. “Never ever happened in my 10-plus years of retail business.”

Police said the suspects fled the scene in a gold-colored Toyota and nearly struck a witness who was attempting to record the robbery. Officers located the vehicle and recovered the stolen medication minutes later. All three suspects were taken into custody and face multiple charges, including robbery, theft and assault.

Bensalem Township Public Safety Director William McVey said investigators believe the crime was carefully planned.

“It’s interesting when someone travels over two hours to one specific pharmacy in our township to do something like this,” McVey said. “It was definitely targeted. It’s very interesting the type of medication they’re going after.”

GLP-1 weight loss drugs have surged in popularity and can cost more than $1,000 per month without insurance coverage. Police and pharmacists say their high value and limited availability may be fueling an underground market.

“Not everyone can get their hands on it,” Patel said. “These are $1,000 drugs. For anyone that’s not easily able to pay for it, this becomes an alternate route.”

Pharmacy employees told police they received suspicious phone calls and emails in the days leading up to the robbery, with callers asking about delivery schedules. Authorities are now urging pharmacies to be alert to similar warning signs.

“If someone’s making phone calls asking about when deliveries are coming, possibly notify your police department,” McVey said. “Make sure the parking lot’s clear before you’re accepting $16,000 worth of product or more. That has value to some people, and criminals will find it.”

Police said they are continuing to investigate and hope the robbery does not signal a broader crime trend targeting pharmacies.

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.