Author: CNN

KCNC

By Brian Maass

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    DENVER (KCNC) — Six women who say they were drugged and raped by former Denver cardiologist Stephen Matthews plan to file a civil lawsuit in Denver Tuesday against Matthews and the Hinge dating app, which they say allowed Matthews to remain on the app for years, even after women had told Hinge that Matthews was a rapist.

“I thought it was unbelievably unacceptable, disrespectful and just horrifying,” said one of the women who filed the suit, Alexa, 25, who asked that her last name not be used.

She was 22 when she met Matthews via the Hinge app in 2023, but after a date that ended with her believing she was drugged and assaulted, she later learned that another woman had reported Matthews to Hinge as a “rapist” in 2020, then again in 2021, but he remained on the app until after Alexa’s date with him in 2023.

“Whatever they weren’t doing, they (Hinge) weren’t listening, and they were just kind of keeping him on. I know he was paying but it seemed like they cared more about him being on the site than women’s safety,” she said during an interview with CBS News Colorado.

Alexa agreed to meet Matthews in January 2023 at his Denver townhome. She said she had two shots of alcohol shortly after arriving and says within 15 minutes, she suffered complete memory loss, much like other victims said happened to them. She said she could only remember waking up at her home the next morning.

“I had cuts and a bump on my forehead, I was covered in vomit, my leggings I wore to his house were shredded at the crotch so I woke up in kind of disarray,” she recalled. “My first thought was, it couldn’t be him, he’s a doctor, he took an oath to protect people, like why would he ever do this … but I really couldn’t wrap my head around it. The memory was so much lost. I mean something horrible happened to me in order for me to end up in this state.”

Prosecutors later said they found two videos of Alexa on Matthews’ phone. One of the videos, said prosecutors, showed Matthews climbing on top of Alexa. She said she has no recollection of being videotaped.

What Alexa and other women who met Matthews on Hinge didn’t know, is that in September 2020, a 33-year-old woman who also met Matthews on Hinge and said he drugged and raped her, reported the Matthews incident to Hinge Trust and Safety division on Sept. 29, 2020. She said she woke up naked on Matthews’ floor and that he had sex with her while she was incapacitated. Hinge responded that her report “is currently being addressed and acted on by our team. We take abuse reporting very seriously, and we’ll be taking immediate steps to prevent any behavior on Hinge that violates our Member Principles and Terms of Service. Your safety is our main concern … ” said the dating app.

But three months later, while on Hinge, the same woman was again matched with Stephen Matthews who was still on the site. On Jan. 30, 2021, she again emailed Hinge. “This is the second time I am reporting this. I was raped and subsequently hospitalized after a first date with an individual (Matthews) I met and communicated with via hinge,” she wrote. “… he still exists within your ecosystem, and is posing as a potential threat to other women within the Hinge community.”

Hinge responded saying they had “permanently banned” Matthews after her first complaint.

“We have now permanently banned that account and taken additional steps to ensure that he stays permanently off Hinge,” the company wrote in an email to the woman.

But two years later, Matthews profile was on Hinge, apparently using the same photos, his name and the same phone number he had previously used.

Carrie Goldberg, one of the plaintiff’s attorneys in the new lawsuit, told CBS Colorado Hinge has a “defective design” and that the dating app “Knew he was a dangerous rapist” but that the company chose “profit over safety, not giving a damn.” Goldberg said the emails to Hinge, obtained and reported on by CBS in 2023, “Were a game changer. They show Hinge knew Stephen Matthews was going around drugging and raping.”

Hinge’s parent company, Match Group, has previously defended itself against these accusations, saying: “We will always work to invest in and improve our systems, and search for ways to help our users stay safe, both online and when they connect in real life. We take every report of misconduct seriously, and vigilantly remove and block accounts that have violated our rules regarding this behavior.”

Alexa — and other women — say that was not their experience as they now know Hinge was notified about Matthews years before they agreed to date him. Carrie Goldberg said Matthews’ criminal behavior did not end because of anything Hinge or Match Group did, but because police arrested him.

He was subsequently convicted on 35 criminal counts involving 10 women who say Matthews drugged them while on dates, with eight saying he also sexually assaulted them. Matthews is serving a 158 year prison sentence.

Alexa says she hopes the new civil suit, which is being filed in Denver, “brings accountability” and prompts dating apps to change their security procedures.

“Just because we agree to be on an app doesn’t mean we’re agreeing for bad things to happen to us and they get away with it,” said Alexa.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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 Logan Hall

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    Massachusetts (WBZ) — A Massachusetts man says he narrowly escaped death after an alleged road rage shooting on I-495 and is now speaking publicly in hopes of generating new leads for investigators.

Steven Burns was driving home from work on Nov. 4, coming through Marlboro, when he noticed a white truck tailgating him on the highway.

“Tried to ram me off the road” Burns said he was going 75 miles-per-hour at the time, and the situation escalated after he refused to speed up. “He jumped from behind me and got parallel with me on the side of my vehicle and then tried to ram me off the road,” Burns said.

Burns said that he tried to maneuver away from the truck, but the driver continued to follow him. Moments later, Burns heard a gunshot. He called police and pulled over, where he discovered a bullet lodged in his vehicle.

“It wasn’t until after I pulled over and actually saw that there was a bullet lodged in my B-frame that I said, ‘wow,'” Burns said. “My life could have been taken in an instant over something as dumb as road rage.”

Burns was not injured, but he says the incident has left him shaken and frustrated by the lack of progress in the investigation. He said he has not heard from police in several weeks.

Looking for help identifying shooter Authorities have not released details about a suspect but Burns hopes surveillance cameras along highway exits may help identify the shooter. By sharing his story publicly, he said he hopes to reach anyone who may have information about the incident.

“I’m doing this because I’m hoping that there’s some people out there that have good heart where they’ve either heard this person brag about it and will report them in confidentiality so we can get him off the street,” Burns said.

Massachusetts State Police released a statement about the incident saying in part: “Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit, along with Crime Scene Service Section and Ballistics were advised and responded to assist in the investigation.”

WBZ has reached out to the Massachusetts State Police for an update on their investigation into the incident.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

KCBS

By Dean Fioresi

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    SAN BERNARDINO, California (KCAL/KCBS) — Murder charges were filed on Monday against multiple members of the Southern California-based religious group called “His Way Spirit Led Assemblies,” which has been connected to multiple missing people in recent months.

A news release from the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office reported that the years-long investigation culminated in arrests last week, when authorities took several people connected to the “religious high-control group” into custody in Hemet and Colton, located in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, respectively.

“The arrests are tied to two open and ongoing investigations, one for the alleged murder of Emilio Ghanem, 40, who went missing in 2023,” the release said. “The second, for the alleged 2010 murder of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas.”

Authorities arrested one of the group’s leaders, Shelly Bailey “Kat” Martin, 62, and member Rudy Moreno, 43, who were taken into custody for their alleged involvement in Ghanem’s murder as well as additional weapon charges, the release said.

“Kat” Martin was also arrested for her alleged involvement in Thomas’ death, along with fellow leader Darryl Muzic Martin, 58, and former group member Andre Thomas, prosecutors said. Four additional arrests were made related to firearms that were found on the property, the DA’s release said, but they did not provide further details.

Rudy Moreno was first arrested in August after Redlands police served a search warrant at a property in Hemet. Charges at that time included being a felon in possession of a firearm, police said.

A week later, Darryl Muzic Martin and “Kat” Martin were both arrested as the investigation into Ghanem’s disappearance continued. Their arrests were made after authorities served a search warrant at a home in Laguna Hills. “Kat” Martin has remained hospitalized after she suffered a medical event following her arrest.

Investigators said that Ghanem left the religious group to move to Nashville, Tennessee, where he started his own pest control company after working for Fullshield, Inc., a company now known as Maxguard, which is owned by the leaders of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, according to Redlands police. They believe that Ghanem returned to Southern California to garner new business for his own company.

He was last seen at a Starbucks in the 600 block of Redlands Boulevard on March 25, 2023, police said. He was driving a since-recovered Nissan Frontier that was rented.

During Monday’s news conference, investigators said that they found a burned-out car in the Mojave Desert that they believe is connected to Ghanem’s death.

On Monday, the DA’s office charged “Kat” Martin and Rudy Moreno wth Ghanem’s murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

“I also wish to extend our sincere condolences to Mr. Ghanem’s family and friends,” said a statement from Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber, in par. “They have faced an incredibly difficult situation and the progression from hope to heartbreak over the past two years as this case has moved from a missing person to a homicide investigation. Our hearts are with them during this difficult time.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta also provided a statement on Ghanem’s alleged murder.

“Today, I am thinking of Emilio Ghanem’s family and friends, and the pain they have endured since he went missing over two years ago,” said Bonta’s statement. “We are hopeful that these arrests will bring justice and a measure of healing to this devastating case.”

Andre Thomas, Darryl Muzic Martin and “Kat” Martin were also charged with the murder of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas, prosecutors said.

In a news release last week, Colton police said that Timothy Thomas died in January 2010 after he was placed in the temporary custody of Darryl Muzic Martin and “Kat” Martin by his father, Andre Thomas. At the time, police alleged that Timothy Thomas’ death was due to child neglect, though no one was charged. It was eventually ruled as a natural cause from an appendix rupture.

The case was reopened in 2025 after new leads and evidence were uncovered, police said. The new information included Ghanem’s disappearance and his connection to His Way Spirit Led Assemblies.

The San Bernardino County DA’s Office alleges that the Martins could have brought Thomas to a doctor or local emergency room instead of allowing him to die a “very painful death.”

“The Colton Police Department has never forgotten Timo,” said Colton Police Chief Anthony Vega, in a statement. “I am grateful for the tenacity of our detectives who investigated this case in 2010, and for everyone who worked tirelessly to gather new information so the individuals who should have protected and cared for young Timo, will finally be held responsible.”

Prosecutors have not yet provided details on the circumstances surrounding either Ghanem’s or Thomas’ deaths, but said that they were both connected to the “secretive” group.

“The secretive nature of it was, was that, ‘Don’t tell anybody there’s a 4-year-old who’s fighting for his life on the floor of a house in Colton.’ That’s very secretive,” said San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson during Monday’s conference. “The other side of it is … when you’re talking with Mr. Ghanem, the secret there is … nobody was talking about, ‘Why don’t we see a guy who was part of our religious group for a number of years. We had a meeting with him, and then he never is seen or heard from again.’ And nobody is interested in where he may be. … That sounds pretty secretive to me.”

The religious group has also been tied to the disappearance of Rudy Moreno’s 41-year-old brother, Ruben Moreno. He was reported missing by his family in August 2019, but has not been seen since 2017 when he was at a home he shared with other members of the group, according to the Claremont Police Department, which is handling the investigation.

No charges or arrests have been made in connection with Ruben Moreno’s disappearance.

The joint operation that led to the arrests in the Inland Empire included personnel from the California Department of Justice, the Colton and Redlands police departments, the San Bernardino County DA and the Riverside Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone who knows more about either incident or believes they are also a victim is asked to contact Redlands police at missingperson_emilio@redlandspolice.org or (909) 798-7614 or Colton police at detective@coltonca.gov or (909) 370-5019. Claremont police also ask that anyone who knows more about Ruben Moreno’s appearance to contact them at (909) 399-5411.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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 Wakisha Bailey

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    PHILADELPHIA (KYW) — A story that’s touched hearts across the country came full circle Monday as classmates, teachers and neighbors helped welcome home Philadelphia plane-crash survivor 10-year-old Ramesses Vazquez-Viana.

After nearly a year of surgeries and rehabilitation, the Philadelphia community that stood by his side is now celebrating his return in a big way — with a few unforgettable surprises.

His mother, Jamie Vazquez-Viana, was moved to tears after being surprised with a brand-new car donated by David Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in Glen Mills, courtesy of dealership owner David Kelleher.

“I don’t know … I was not expecting all of this,” she said, smiling through tears.

“I hope this is a little bit of an inspiration,” Kelleher said. “I can give away a car once in a while because that’s where I’m at — but even if you have $10, give to a local food bank.”

The gift came together after CBS News correspondent David Begnaud shared Ramesses’ story on Beg Knows America, bringing national attention to the family’s journey and the strength of their Philadelphia community.

“First of all, it was your reporting I saw,” Begnaud said. “I travel this nation telling stories of everyday people doing extraordinary things — and to see what this young boy has done to beat the odds … it’s a miracle.”

Ramesses’ story began in January, when the then-9-year-old survived a plane crash in Northeast Philadelphia, suffering burns on more than 90% of his body. He was airlifted to Boston, where he spent months at Shriners Hospital undergoing surgeries and rehabilitation before transferring to Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Marlton, New Jersey. Eleven months later, he’s walking, talking and proving that faith and perseverance can move mountains.

At Smedley Elementary School, where teachers and students sent cards, prayers, and videos during his recovery, the community turned out in full force for a homecoming celebration. Eagles mascot Swoop led the pep rally, filling the gym with chants and cheers.

Then came another surprise — a $50,000 check from Canva to support students and programs at Smedley.

“I’ve been here for 16 years, and we’ve never had more of a need with our students and less of a budget,” the principal said. “It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Although Ramesses couldn’t be there in person, his best friends visited him ahead of the event — and, as his mom put it, “boys will be boys.” Inside his classroom, a stuffed bear named Fezzy still sits in his seat, waiting for the day he walks through those doors again.

“I was praying so hard we’d be home for Christmas,” Jamie Vazquez-Viana said. “I just wanted my three boys with me.”

Ramesses will be released from Weisman Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital Tuesday. He’ll begin with virtual classes a few days a week, then gradually return to in-person learning — where his friends, teachers, and Fezzy the bear will be waiting.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.