Author: CNN

WFOR

By Ivan Taylor

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    OCHOPEE, Florida (WFOR) — A South Florida man who spent months in federal immigration custody is speaking publicly for the first time after his release from a controversial detention facility widely known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”

45-year-old Maikel Rojas was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in October 2025 after showing up for a routine, court-mandated annual check-in at the Miramar immigration office. Instead of returning home, he was taken into custody and later transferred to the remote detention site.

For nearly five months, Rojas remained detained — until a phone call in March changed everything.

“My husband called me, and he said he’s going to Krome for release,” said his wife, Roxana Torres.

Torres says she had been protesting outside the facility with other families of detainees when she received the call. She immediately rushed to the Krome Detention Center, where the couple was reunited after months apart.

Now back home, Rojas describes what he calls inhumane conditions inside the facility.

He claims detainees were not allowed visits from loved ones and had limited or no access to legal representation. He also described unsanitary and overcrowded living conditions.

“We have no privacy… there are cameras over the toilets,” Rojas said in Spanish. “Thirty-two people share three toilets, so you can imagine the smell.”

Rojas also complained about the food, alleging that meals often arrived spoiled after sitting for hours in the heat. He says he lost 45 pounds during his four-and-a-half months at the facility.

His wife says his release was due to habeas corpus His wife credits his release to a legal filing known as a habeas corpus petition — a constitutional safeguard that allows detainees to challenge the legality of their detention in court.

“Habeas corpus is a fundamental legal action… forcing authorities to justify a person’s confinement before a judge,” according to the United States Courts.

Torres says she learned about the option from another detainee’s wife.

“One of the wives told me, ‘Do you want to do habeas corpus for your husband?'” she said. “It’s free.”

Rojas arrived in the United States from Cuba in 2004. The following year, he was arrested and later convicted as an accessory to murder. He served 13 years in prison and, after his release, was required to report annually to immigration authorities.

That requirement ultimately led to his detention last October.

Although he is now home, Rojas’ legal situation remains unresolved. He is currently required to wear an ankle monitor and has an upcoming hearing that could determine whether it will be removed.

“I feel happy because he’s finally released,” Torres said. “But the second part… I don’t know what’s going to happen with him.”

Rojas is also scheduled to report again to the Miramar detention facility next week.

CBS News Miami reached out to ICE for comment. The agency acknowledged the inquiry but said it needs more time to respond.

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.

WBBM

By Lauren Victory, Sabrina Franza

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    CHICAGO, Illinois (WBBM) — Crash-and-grab burglars stole an ATM from a River North gas station early Tuesday morning, Chicago police say.

The clerk at the BP gas station at Chicago Avenue and Wells Street said he was working inside just after 5 a.m. when a white Jeep smashed the front doors of the minimart, then backed up and rammed them again. As this was happening, another car pulled up.

The clerk said he realized the person behind the wheel wanted the ATM inside the store. He said they smashed the doors, snagged the machine and hopped into a getaway car in a matter of seconds.

Police said the suspects fled in the other car, leaving the Jeep at the scene. The clerk was not hurt and no other injuries were reported, police said.

A few regulars stopping by for gas and their lottery tickets were shocked and saddened to see the scene. Some were angry on behalf of the gas station owner, shaking their heads at the mess left behind in yet another Chicago smash-and-grab.

“It sucks. It’s a shame,” said bystander Johnny Burchfield. “You know, businesses getting hit, prices go up, and at the end, we pay for this damage.”

A tow truck hauled the Jeep away just before 9 a.m., and the gas station reopened for business around the same time.

It was unclear how much money was inside the stolen ATM. An investigation is ongoing.

Last week there was a similar crime in the South Loop, where a group also used a Jeep to crash into a convenience store and take the ATM there. They then fled and left the Jeep at the scene.

Those two incidents are among four in the last few weeks that involved ATM theft. Chicago police said burglars crashed into the Golden Apple Grille and Breakfast House in Lakeview while it was open to steal their ATM. And then on March 20 three people broke into Lincoln Park Food & Liquor, pulling the grate open and taking an ATM there as well.

While the crimes are similar, CPD have not connected the four incidents as involving the same people.

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.

KPIX

By Loureen Ayyoub

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    SAN FRANCISCO, California (KPIX) — San Francisco taqueria El Faro, credited with inventing the super burrito, may be forced to sell its restaurant, citing an extreme rent increase.

Esther Harkreader has lived in the Mission District neighborhood for 20 years. For her, it’s like home.

“I don’t even have to say anything. I just walk in and say, ‘Hi.’ And they say, ‘How many?’ And they make my food. They know me. They are good neighbors,” Harkreader said.

El Faro has been in the Mission since 1961, known for its famous super burrito. But as the economy booms in San Francisco, so does the rent. The daughter of the family-owned business says her mother was caught off guard by the rent increase.

“To our surprise, it was almost a double raise, so it was like 73% increase after we did some math,” Patricia Kocourek. “(My mother) spent her adult life coming from Mexico here. She’s very attached sentimentally.”

Customers, like Harkreader, can feel that community connection firsthand.

“She has given me free burritos on my birthday before, and they’ve become good friends, I feel like, you know? I read the story last night, and I almost cried,” Harkreader said.

Ce’Myah Bacchus attends a nearby school in the neighborhood and says the owners always take care of her, even when she is short on cash.

“I’m pretty sad, honestly, because it’s been here for so long. The burritos are so great. And the people there are just so nice. Any time I don’t have enough, they give me a discount,” Bacchus said.

The restaurant was able to pay rent for the month of April, but they say the future remains uncertain.

Currently, El Faro is listed on Facebook Marketplace for $225,000. They say so far, they haven’t gotten any offers close to their asking price.

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 Neal Riley

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    PITTSFIELD, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Police in Pittsfield, Massachusetts are asking the public for help to recover a stolen ring that’s “a significant piece of local sports heritage.”

The department says someone stole a 1997 Pittsfield Mets championship ring from a display case Saturday during a ceremony at Wahconah Park. The ballpark, which was home to a minor league baseball team affiliated with the New York Mets until 2001, held a farewell event for the grandstand that is being demolished amid a renovation.

Pittsfield Parks & Recreation had advertised a “Berkshire Baseball Table” at the event featuring historic ballpark memorabilia. Police want to know if attendees “noticed any suspicious activity around the display cases.”

The stolen ring has a blue gem with a “P” in the middle. It commemorates the team as “NY-Penn League Champions” for 1997. According to The Berkshire Eagle, this was the city’s first minor league championship, won in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs.

“If you see a ring matching this description on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or at a local pawn shop, report it immediately,” police said. “The more people who see this, the harder it becomes for the item to be sold or hidden.”

Police are asking anyone with information to send them a private message on Facebook, or call the department at 413-448-9700 Ext: 679.

The city has budgeted $17 million to demolish and renovate Wahconah Park, with a new grandstand capacity of 1,100 fans. They expect it to be ready for play in 2027.

Pittsfield is located 48 miles west of Springfield and just a few miles from the New York border.

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 Terell Bailey

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — A former treatment facility in Detroit is the subject of a newly filed lawsuit, alleging that a teen was sexually abused while there.

The Detroit Behavioral Institute and Acadia Healthcare are listed in a new lawsuit filed in the Wayne County Circuit Court. According to the lawsuit, a 17-year-old was sent to the facility in 2015 and was allegedly sexually abused and groomed by a staff member over the next year.

“When he was restraining her, he’d fondle her and grope her. And it was under this sort of idea that he was calming her down,” said attorney Nicholas Wainwright with Gould, Grieco, and Hensley.

According to the lawsuit, the institute had two locations in Detroit, but the state suspended its license in 2022 after continuous abuse allegations.

Acadia Healthcare currently operates several treatment facilities in Michigan and across the country. CBS News Detroit reached out to the company on Wednesday and is awaiting a response.

“This is a company with a litany of problems at the state and federal level,” Wainwright told CBS News Detroit.

The lawsuit alleges that a staff member went as far as purchasing underwear for the victim.

“He would buy her lacy underwear, have inappropriate conversations about having affairs and cheating on his wife,” Wainwright said.

Last year, several victims filed lawsuits against Detroit Behavioral Institute and Acadia Healthcare, alleging similar accusations. The litigation for that case is still ongoing.

“How are they making sure, when two people restrain a kid, we’re checking to make sure the way they said it went down is the way it went down,” Wainwright said.

Wainwright alleges that the company started putting profits over people, which is when problems began to escalate.

“Then they stop focusing on things like hiring the top tier indivudals to be there, because they cost more money. They start focusing on how we can do this – cheaper and cheaper and cheaper,” Wainwright said.

According to the lawsuit, the victim suffered extreme emotional damage from her time at the facility.

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.

KCNC

By Libby Smith

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — Be the Source is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 to bridge the gap in services for foster care families. The organization expanded its services to kinship care families in 2022. In 2025, it extended new services to birth families who’ve had their children removed from the home. Nikki Sanchez was hired as the organization’s first Birth Family Advocate.

“My main goal is that when they are reunited with their kids they have everything that they need in place,” Sanchez told CBS News Colorado.

Sanchez shows up for the parents on her case load. She goes to court with them. She works their treatment plan with them. She helps them access resources.

“There’s such a stigma with foster parents and birth parents, and I just feel we can break those barriers,” Sanchez explained. “Foster parents are amazing, and we can use them as our village.”

Sanchez is deeply passionate about her new job. She’s providing a service that she felt she didn’t have when her children were removed from her care in 2022.

“I lost my kids because of domestic violence,” she said.

Sanchez went to jail. When she got out, she had not home, no children, no family and a substance abuse problem.

“It felt very hopeless. I had no motivation,” she said.

She also explained that she didn’t understand the treatment plan that would lead to her getting her children back.

“I felt set up … like, ‘Okay, you guys are just trying to take my kids. You’re not helping me. You’re not here for me,'” Sanchez recalled.

She said she felt judged and dismissed by the caseworkers on her case. It was her kids’ foster parents that really made a difference.

“They did things that they didn’t have to for me, and little by little my trust started coming, and I just saw how much they loved my kids, too,” Sanchez explained.

She said they did things like making sure she had proper clothes to go to court in and set up a dinner out with her children for her birthday.

“When I was reunified with my son, the way it was, it was so smooth. It was like a co-parenting thing. And then I got my daughters back, and I had lost all of these services that I was getting when I had CPS in my life. I lost it all. They were there to help me, and if not, I would have been alone,” Sanchez said.

It took Sanchez a while to rebuild her life with her children, but she persevered. Now she’s married in a blended family of six children. She has her new job, and a mission to help other parents navigate the foster care system. She hopes to lessen the impact that foster care has not only on the birth parents but on the children, too.

“I love my life,” she said with a smile.

Sanchez credits Raise the Future for some of the ongoing training that she’s undergone, include Trust-Based Relational Intervention, also known as TBRI.

“When I was in that class I was like, ‘I should have had this before I got my kids. This is soo, so useful,'” she said.

Sanchez not only shares TBRI practices with the clients she works with, she also uses the practice as she works to heal her own children from their time in foster care.

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.

KCNC

By Holly Santman, Christa Swanson

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    WINDSOR, Colorado (KCNC) — The Easter holiday wouldn’t be complete without an egg hunt, and one church in Northern Colorado has a unique way to celebrate.

A helicopter came out to drop 6,000 eggs over the church yard at Zeal City Church in Windsor. The eggs were dropped during two Easter events, and then the kids could hunt for them and collect the candy inside.

“We’re celebrating Easter Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and we really wanted to bless our community and not just give them a sermon, but something to make them memories with their families and friends,” said Lead Pastor Jeremy Cleveland. “And so, we’ve had the helicopter out here for two services dropping over 6,000 eggs. Just celebrating Jesus at Zeal City Church.”

Jeremy Cleveland said he and his wife, Brittany Cleveland, wanted to do something creative and unique for their community.

They said hundreds of families attended Sunday’s services and egg hunts.

“The kids are enjoying it, loving it, parents are having a great time. It’s been awesome,” said Brittany Cleveland.

This is the second year the church has put on the Helicopter Egg Drop, and they hope to continue it in the future. The Clevelands said they want to be creative with their Easter service and bless their community.

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.

KPIX

By Sooji Nam

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Lucas Ye, 8, is the brains behind the masterpiece, “Rise,” that won NASA’s mascot competition for Artemis II.

“This is the Apollo on the right side, and it’s the past moon mission. And this is the space launch system,” he said, motioning to his plushie design of a moon with an Earth cap.

“I especially did the design and the idea,” he told CBS News Bay Area.

Ye said he was inspired by the iconic photograph of Earth from Apollo 8.

“It was called Earth Rise, and the Earth on top of the plushie’s head was representing Earth Rise,” he said.

NASA said they had more than 2,600 submissions from around the world for the zero-gravity indicator mascot. Officials added that the Artemis II crew was inspired by Ye’s creativity.

“The view that the Artemis II crew has indicated they’re really excited to be able to see for themselves with their own eyes,” Lora Bleacher, the strategic communications director for NASA’s Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, told CBS News Bay Area. “Representing what they see as their role and representing all of humanity. And helping to bring humanity along for the ride, and having this iconic experience for this new Artemis generation of explorers.”

Ye’s parents said his passion for space started when he was 3 1/2 years old.

“He sometimes talks like that he’s a rocket scientist,” Clara Zhao, Ye’s mother, told CBS News Bay Area. “He likes to read. He enjoys sometimes his quiet time.”

Ye is excited that a version of his plushie will be orbiting the moon on Artemis II. It was a surreal moment seeing his design in the hands of NASA astronauts.

CBS News Bay Area’s Sooji Nam asked Ye what he wants to be when he grows up.

“Probably work at NASA or be an astrophysicist,” Ye said.

Additionally, inside the plushie is an SD card that contains the names of 5.6 million people who submitted their names on NASA’s website. There are also digital images of the 25 finalists of the competition.

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.

KCNC

By Tori Mason

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    AURORA, Colorado (KCNC) — A woman in Aurora is in critical condition after a dog attack that involved three pit bulls outside her home. Her family told CBS Colorado it will leave her with permanent, life-altering injuries. The attack comes less than two years after residents of Aurora voted to repeal a citywide pit bull ban.

Aurora Police Department and the city’s animal services responded around 11:40 a.m. Monday, March 30 to the 1500 block of North Lima Street for a reported animal attack. When officers arrived, they found 57-year-old Hilda Lorena Cifuentes suffering from multiple bite wounds. She was transported to the hospital, where she has since undergone multiple surgeries.

Cifuentes suffered extensive injuries to her face, arms, legs and abdomen, along with head trauma. It’s possible that she may lose vision and her left leg.

Her daughter, Sandy Aparicio, says the attack happened during a routine morning while cleaning the yard. Aparicio said her mother had been moving items between her front yard and a shared parking area when three of her neighbor’s dogs got loose. The neighbor had moved into the duplex roughly 10 days earlier, Aparicio said.

“We don’t know if the door was left open or if it was an accident,” Aparicio told CBS Colorado. “But the dogs came out to the parking space, and that’s when they started attacking my mom.”

Cifuentes was alone when the dogs attacked her.

“She started yelling, ‘Help, help, help!’ but no one was near her,” Aparicio explained.

Brenda Chacon, who is homeless, was nearby when she heard the screams of Cifuentes, and she immediately tried to intervene.

“I tried to do whatever I can, but the dogs started coming at me too,” Chacon told CBS Colorado. “I saw her suffer. That’s what hurt.”

Chacon says she yelled for help and tried to get others in the area to call 911. She ran to a nearby store where she flagged down assistance.

Eventually, neighbors and bystanders began throwing rocks at the dogs to stop the attack.

The family estimates the attack lasted between eight and 10 minutes. Chacon says the owner was present, but was unable to control the dogs.

“It was terrible, something traumatic. I’ve never seen anything like that,” Chacon said.

The family says the three dogs involved in the attack have been euthanized.

“What if it was a child? Two or 3 years old?” Aparicio said. “Her life is not going to be the same. How is she going to go back to work? Everything is going to change.”

City officials say Aurora does not currently have a ban on pit bull-type breeds. A previous breed-specific ban was lifted in January 2025 after voters approved a ballot measure in 2024.

In a statement, the Stop Aurora Pit Bull Ban Team, a group that advocated for repealing the city’s breed-specific ban, urged caution in drawing conclusions about the incident.

“We are wishing a full recovery to the woman involved,” the group shared in a statement. “This is a heartbreaking situation for everyone, including the dogs. As we do not yet know the full circumstances, it’s important to avoid assumptions. Situations like this reinforce the importance of responsible ownership, proper training and understanding each individual dog — regardless of breed.”

Cifuentes’ family is demanding answers and accountability.

“If you’re the owner, you have to make sure your dogs are secured,” Aparicio said. “Why were they free?”

The family is raising money online to help cover medical bills, rehabilitation and living expenses, as they prepare for what they describe as a long recovery.

CBS Colorado reached out to the owners of the three dogs that have since been put down and have not heard 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.