Author: CNN

KOVR

By Brandon Downs

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    Sacramento (KOVR) — An investigation is underway at a Northern California prison after a man died earlier this week, officials said.

Officials at the California State Prison, Sacramento — located in Folsom — found 49-year-old John Cisneros unresponsive in his cell on Monday around 9:15 p.m.

Despite life-saving measures, officials said Cisneros was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later. The extent of his injuries was not released.

Cisnero’s cellmate, 34-year-old Irvin Sanchez, was detained and placed into restricted housing pending an investigation by the investigative services unit and Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.

Officials said Cinsero was received from Los Angeles County in July 2015 to serve a five-year sentence for second-degree robbery. He was later sentenced in October 2017 to 28 years for penetration, oral copulation and attempted rape with force/violence/fear of immediate bodily injury.

Sanchez was received from Los Angeles County in February 2013 to serve an 18-year sentence for attempted second-degree murder with a street gang enhancement.

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 Carlos E. Castañeda

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Two women have been working to build a life-changing community of support in two Concord parks for some 2,000 unhoused people in Contra Costa County.

Their nonprofit serves meals and provides basic life necessities in a park setting where people living on the streets can feel welcome.

“We just want people to come here, have a safe meal, feel seen,” said Kelly McKinley.

McKinley’s program found its roots in 2022 when she helped give away excess fruit from a school that would otherwise have gone to waste.

“So, I came up with ten-dollar meals,” McKinley said. “So, I’d feed 10 to 12 people with $10.”

She spread the word over social media, and before she knew it, she and volunteer Andie Altman started a nonprofit to serve the unhoused.

They call it Grass Roots Outreach Warriors, or GROW Concord.

“We thought what we were doing was helping people grow and evolve,” Altman said. “And the community was growing and evolving because of what we were doing.”

GROW Concord has served more than 32,000 free meals since it started. That’s 300 free hot meals, six days a week – three nights at Baldwin Park and three nights at Cowell Park. The nonprofit relies on private donations, along with volunteers from churches, businesses and schools.

On a recent cold, windy day, volunteers offered nutritious homemade soup, salad and sandwiches. They also gave away donated clothing, basic supplies, and pet food. The nonprofit also provides access to weekly showers and laundry and connects people to resources, such as steps toward sober living.

Stacy Lestrange came to the dinners two years ago, feeling alone. GROW Concord became her family, and a launching pad for change.

“I was that person back then, homeless,” Lestrange said. “So it makes me feel good helping out.”

Today, Lestrange has a job, a roof over her head, two years’ sobriety, and a new purpose as a volunteer.

“Where I used to live underneath the bridge in Solano [County], we go up there and feed the people now,” Lestrange said.

She credits McKinley, Altman, and their volunteer team for giving her hope.

“They’re good people. They have big hearts,” Lestrange said.

McKinley and Altman marvel at the stories of people they’ve helped reunite with their families. People who are off the streets and living clean and sober lives. They’ve learned their small acts of kindness can spark big changes.

“It was to create a community of people that didn’t have a community,” Altman said.

McKinley added, “It kept going, and it ended up being a community labor of love.”

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 Jennifer McRae

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — A hiker discovered human remains in Douglas County, Colorado, prompting a bigger search for evidence. According to investigators, the search included an area near Crowfoot Valley Road and Pradera Parkway.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Office investigators teamed up with the Douglas County Search and Rescue Team for the investigation.

The search area is located east of I-25 and west of The Pinery, north of Castle Rock.

Investigators didn’t provide any additional details about the discovery, only stating that it was an “ongoing investigation.”

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 Charlie Lapastora

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — Barry Hickerson has more than four decades of experience as a paramedic and worked as an EMS chief for 12 years for Farmington Fire in San Joaquin County. That is, until a few weeks ago, when he tendered his resignation after seeing his Battalion Chief Conni Bailey and Assistant Chief John Kalebaugh also resign.

Hickerson worked closely with both of them and said he talked to Bailey on Wednesday. Bailey’s been with the department for 34 years, and Kalebaugh for 25 years.

“It was tragic to see what happened to them,” Hickerson said. “I mean, the chief should’ve left with a retirement party, not being kicked to the curb. When you do that, when you have a small community like that and these people are connected and have been there for two or three decades, when you see that happen to one or two of them, the other ones are affected gravely.”

Hickerson said he thinks the “community is heartbroken” and told CBS News Sacramento why he decided to leave, as well, claiming there were “oppressive” conditions.

“I think anybody, you just couldn’t work under those conditions where somebody is oppressive. They’re over your shoulder every day, micromanaging what you’re doing, and just talking negatively about them every day, so it was just very challenging to see,” Hickerson said. “I wound up turning in my resignation after they did, given what the department was left with, I didn’t feel the department was safe to function as a firefighter or EMS responder.”

Two captains and a majority of volunteer firefighters also left, according to Hickerson.

“The community is left with now a couple of hopeful and willing probationary firefighters, but they have no senior members there now. They can’t even drive fire apparatus, so they had to have one of the board members that was involved in this, who was a former firefighter, I believe that he has his license to drive fire equipment,” Hickerson said.

This all came around six months after the board changed leadership, including a new board president, Jeff Briggs.

“It was the board’s decision to create that atmosphere that ran those leaders out,” Hickerson said. “They could’ve chose a different way to do it. If they wanted change, there’s definitely better ways to do it. But, literally, they created such a terrible atmosphere. They literally forced the hand of those fire executives to leave. And, believe me, that’s the last thing they wanted to do.”

Hickerson called the work environment “toxic.”

A San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors’ emergency meeting was recently held regarding a new ad-hoc committee looking into the Farmington Fire Department practices. Farmington Fire Board Vice President Jake Samuel represented the board at the meeting.

“At our last board meeting, after we presented that as a recommendation to move forward with the posting of that acting chief, is when we had some, guess you could say, distaste to the direction of where the board of directors was going with an acting chief, someone else from the outside of Farmington coming in and, hence, this is where we’re at today,” Samuel said. “But, we’re trying our hardest to make it right for our community.”

Samuel was appointed to the board in October 2025 and admitted they’ve had struggles.

“I live in the community,” Samuel said. “I want to make sure we have adequate coverage. That’s been the concern of a lot of the people in the area, to make sure we have that adequate coverage.”

Samuel also mentioned the board is looking to add someone outside of the fire district to help with the department administration work, including payroll and paying bills.

“The department ran fine,” Hickerson said. “Those individuals that lost their positions, they counted every dime in that place. There was no funny business, nothing. I mean, they ran that department tight. They never took an extra dollar out of it, and they did a great job year-after-year-after-year-after-year.”

The Farmington Fire board motioned to hire Collegeville’s chief, Vanessa Herrero, as their temporary emergency acting chief until they can find another acting chief while Conni Bailey’s son, Matt, who is Farmington’s Fire chief, is on disability leave.

Hickerson told CBS News Sacramento that if the situation were right, Bailey would come 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.

WBBM

By Tara Molina

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — The mother of an 8-year-old boy who was allegedly put in a chokehold and dragged by the neck by a Chicago Public Schools employee hopes her lawsuit and choice to speak out will help protect children in the future.

Prosecutors have charged Tamika Odeh, 44, a former special education assistant at Parker Elementary in Englewood with aggravated battery. She no longer works for the school or for CPS.

But the boy’s mom said more needs to be done.

“She could have really killed my son,” Tangi Reynolds said. “He didn’t do anything to cause this. He’s just a child. An 8-year-old child. He’s a great kid and a great student.”

In an effort to protect the boy’s identity, CBS News Chicago is not reporting his name or showing his face. His mother said he suffered a ligament injury to his C2 cervical spine, which doctors told her is considered a very serious injury.

Reynolds said her son was an all-A honor roll student with no prior incidents with teachers. She shared photos of the neck brace she said he had to wear for two months after the incident, which happened during breakfast before school had started for the day in November 2025.

“She put him in a chokehold. She dragged him by the neck. And she slammed him to the floor, and his head hit a chair,” Reynolds said. “My son said he went unconscious and when he came to, staff members were above him asking his name and how many fingers he was holding up. And then they sent him back to class.”

She said his 7-year-old brother saw the whole thing and was also sent back to class.

“They did not notify the Chicago Police Department. They did not notify the Department of Children Services,” she said.

Reynolds said the school didn’t even tell her about the incident until the next day and, according to the lawsuit, “despite being placed in a chokehold, losing consciousness and striking the ground, no medical assistance was offered.”

And what incited this incident?

“This all happened over a bag of chips,” Reynolds said. “She confiscated his chips and he attempted to retrieve them back from her.”

The incident report from the school is minimal, but CBS News Chicago found it details exactly what Reynolds says happened, including noting that her son didn’t put his hands on the employee. She said those are the only details she’s received.

“Still to this day they never told me what happened to my son,” she said.

Odeh was arrested and charged with aggravated battery of a child. A CPS spokesperson said Odeh was “removed from duty” after the incident.

The 8-year-old had only been a student at Parker Elementary for less than a year when the incident happened, after moving to the city from the western suburbs. Now in a new CPS school and still getting medical treatment, Reynolds said his injuries were so severe that he still can’t run, jump, play or go to gym class. She said the injury caused him to lose range of motion in his neck, so now he undergoes physical therapy.

“He’s a great kid. He’s very respectful. He’s very active. Well he was active. He loves soccer. He loves Messi. He loves art. He’s a great artist,” Reynolds said.

“So he basically can’t do anything he could do before,” his mother said. “It’s heartbreaking, especially when the doctor told us last week it could stay like that for the rest of the year.”

Reynold said she wants to see change in Chicago Public Schools for children moving forward.

A spokesperson for CPS said they remain committed to student safety and can’t comment on pending litigation, writing in a statement, “Chicago Public Schools (CPS) remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its students. In accordance with District policy, CPS does not comment on pending litigation.”

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 Megan De Mar

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Two couples said they are still fighting to get their children back after they were taken from them just hours after their birth.

The reason they said was because of paperwork they didn’t understand. Now, they’re saying the problem needs to be fixed.

Hours after Lakeith and Mykel Ray welcomed their baby boy into the world on Jan. 3, the Department of Children and Family Services came to take him.

When they wouldn’t hand him over, an officer from the Peru Police Department eventually took him from Mykel’s arms.

“It was just … heartbreaking,” Mykel said. “I was not able to breastfeed. I wasn’t able to bond.”

The Rays said it all stemmed from a DCFS hotline call six years ago when their older children were removed from their home to investigate an allegation. They wanted a hearing, but their public defender told them they needed to agree to a “stipulation,” meaning accept certain facts and findings as true without requiring the state to prove them or risk losing their children permanently.

“We didn’t find out until years later that stipulating our rights meant pleading guilty, and we were never guilty of anything,” Mykel said.

They said they never even saw a piece of paper with allegations spelled out.

“We wouldn’t have been in this situation. Our kids would have been home. This case would have been over with … years ago,” Lakeith said.

It’s hard to fathom this feeling, but another couple from Wisconsin doesn’t have to imagine it.

“I haven’t seen him since August,” said Nita P.

Nita and Earl’s newborn baby boy was also taken from them in a Harvey hospital in August. They were just traveling through Illinois when Nita went into labor.

The baby was taken due to allegations of possible drugs in the baby’s system, an allegation that was later contradicted by further testing.

“It felt like, you know, like we was in another country, like, like, this couldn’t possibly be America,” Earl T said. “I just seen the front page and I’m thinking it’s a regular court paper.”

Both said that if they had not agreed to this, knowingly or unknowingly, they would have their son.

“Because we knew what they were saying was false from the beginning,” Nita said.

“Parents are just kind of signing off on these allegations without fully realizing it,” said Rep. Jed Davis (R-Yorkville).

Davis called this a “due process crisis.”

“This isn’t just a traffic ticket. This is a child and a parent,” he said.

Davis introduced House Bill 5254 to overhaul it. The legislation would require each allegation be listed separately and individually acknowledged by the parent.

“Let’s not skip things that can clearly help rectify situations that were wrongfully placed in the beginning,” he said.

Meanwhile, both couples are still actively fighting for their kids, knowing it will be a long and complicated road.

“We have to bring the knowledge to what’s wrong in the system,” Lekeith said. “It’s ripping families apart and taking kids from their families.”

CBS News Chicago reached out to DCFS for the agency’s input on the proposed changes to the stipulation process. A spokesperson said they’re reviewing and monitoring the bill and do not have a position at this time. The bill was introduced this month and referred to the rules committee for further discussion.

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 Kelly Werthmann

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    COLORADO (KCNC) — If you’ve driven down E-470 past the Aurora Highlands lately, you’ve likely seen a building that has already lived two lives: first as a highway maintenance facility and currently as a visitor center. Soon, this structure in the eastern part of the Denver metro area will take on its most critical purpose yet: Aurora’s 18th fire station.

It’s a project Aurora Fire Rescue Chief Alec Oughton calls a “perfect location” to heal a stretched-thin emergency system.

“We’re very, very excited about this project and what it will mean for our organization, and for the community we take care of,” he said. “This is a great opportunity to give this building its third life.”

As Colorado’s third-largest city grows to more than 414,000 residents, the expansion is moving faster than the infrastructure can keep up, leaving newer neighborhoods miles away from the nearest help. In the Aurora Highlands, response times currently lag between 12 and 18 minutes — that’s an eternity in a business where every second counts.

“(Station 18) is going to shave 7 to 10 minutes off our response times to some areas of Aurora Highlands,” said Oughton. “It will have a very significant impact on this area of the city, and really not just in the Highlands itself but a couple miles north or south … it’s going to have a significant impact on how quickly we can get in there as the first responding unit.”

Oughton said, through a partnership with the community’s developer, repurposing the existing building — located near E-470 and Aurora Highlands Parkway — made the future for station project more attainable for the city.

“Fire stations are not inexpensive,” he said. “Trying to balance a budget while trying to balance emergency response infrastructure is a lot and takes a lot of collaboration.”

This “cobbling together” of resources, as Deputy City Manager Laura Perry described it, is a necessity in a city facing a nearly $2 billion list of city infrastructure needs.

“In total, our projects total $1.9 billion. Obviously, the city cannot afford to do that within the means we have available,” Perry said. “So, we really want to understand what matters most to folks.”

The challenge is a dual-front battle of “keeping up and catching up.” While new communities need protection, older parts of the city are aging out.

“We have five fire stations that are over 50 years old,” Perry said.

Recently, AFR Station 9 had to be demolished and rebuilt after its foundation began to crumble. The strain is also visible within the Aurora Police Department, where aging buildings that were never intended to be police stations need updating. In a citywide community survey last year, Perry said thousands of residents gave feedback about their wants for improved public safety.

“About 50% of the responses told us that folks want to see investment in stronger response times, fire stations, police … and that’s coming forward for further conversations through a variety of meetings we have planned over the next couple of weeks,” she said.

Those meetings, part of the city’s Build Up Aurora campaign, aim to discuss long-term solutions for projects ranging from public safety to transportation, parks, libraries, as well as accessibility. The city is seeking community input, Perry explained, to ensure it prioritizes what residents want most.

“That is a continual challenge in meeting the demands and needs of a growing city,” Perry added. “There are tools in the toolbox the city hasn’t used to fund capital projects, which are bonds as one example. We really want to understand through (Build Up Aurora) what the community needs and values. So, at meetings coming up, attendees will be asked to rank their top 5.”

For Aurora Fire, that feedback helps guide projects like the in-progress Station 18 — expected to be operational late this fall — and the future Station 19, which city council approved and allocated funds to be built on the southeast side in 2027. Chief Oughton said those two new stations will make a life-saving difference for the community, but the department will need at least three more in the next decade, he believes, to keep pace with Aurora’s growth.

“I think we’re making that progress,” he 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.

KOVR

By Ashley Sharp

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR) — A Sacramento woman is in mourning after her small dog was viciously attacked by a loose dog just outside their Natomas home on Friday.

The incident was caught on Elizabeth Gifford’s home surveillance camera near Valley Oaks Park.

“It came out of nowhere. Literally came out of nowhere,” Gifford said through tears.

It shows the moment a loose dog she describes as a white pit-bull mix rushes up to her yard as her five-pound Maltese had walked briefly from her garage to greet the neighbor in the yard next door.

“She was like, my soulmate. It was crazy,” Gifford said of her dog, named Giggit.

Inside Gifford’s home now sits an empty dog bed, food bowls that will not be refilled, and a hollow harness: painful reminders that her beloved dog will not be coming home.

Gifford says the attack happened on Friday morning as she was in her garage unloading groceries from the car, her dog at her side.

“Then, next thing you know, I see this dog flying across the street, and then grabs my dog. It happened so fast I didn’t even know what to do with myself,” Gifford said.

On the Ring camera footage, her traumatic screams for help can be heard echoing through the neighborhood as she tries to physically fight the large dog off of Giggit.

“I grabbed the dog, and I was trying to get it to release my little puppy. And then it just, we fought for a bit, and it just went running across the street with her in its mouth,” Gifford said.

Gifford also sustained minor injuries during the incident and was bitten by the dog.

Neighbor Parag Kate saw the dramatic incident unfold.

“I was so scared looking at the scene itself, right?” Parag said.

Neighbor Andrea Morgan heard Gifford’s screams and rushed to her front porch.

“I’m like, what’s wrong? What’s wrong? And then I happened to glance over at the park, and I saw the dog with her dog in its mouth,” said Morgan.

At Valley Oak Park, Gifford and neighbors finally freed Giggit from the dog’s grip and it ultimately ran off.

Even after emergency vet care, Giggit died from severe injuries to her throat and body this weekend.

“She’s gone, you know, now she’s gone. I mean, I could never, ever replace her,” Gifford said through sobs.

Now, the search by both neighbors and Sacramento Animal Care Services is on to find the loose dog and its owner, if it has one.

Gifford hung nearly 50 posters in north Natomas, picturing the responsible dog that she describes as a white pit-bull mix with a black spot on its back and no collar.

A neighbor’s child says he spotted the dog loose again in the park on Sunday.

“He just started running around all the tables over there, and everyone was just looking at the dog. I mean, of course, no leash, no owner, nothing, no collar. And even I was surprised, and I didn’t know what to do that second,” said Soham Kate.

Soham’s father, like many neighbors, is on high alert.

“I told my son, if you see any dog running around like this without leash and owner, first of all, stay away from that dog,” Parag said. “Then if you see any adult, reach out to them, tell them so that they can help to catch that dog and take it back to the owner or police or animal control.”

Through Gifford’s grief, she hopes that this does not happen again to another animal, or even a child.

“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt. That would just break my heart, that I couldn’t do anything about it, and say something and warn people, you know?” Gifford said.

CBS Sacramento checked in with Sacramento Animal Care Services. They have not yet confirmed where their investigation stands, but Gifford said animal control officers called her and told her they are actively patrolling, looking for the loose dog. As of Monday night, she did not have a report that it had been captured.

It is not known where the dog came from, but Gifford says other neighbors report they have spotted this large white dog before over the past year and say they have seen it roaming, acting aggressively toward other animals and 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.

WWJ

By Veronica Ortega

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    FLINT TOWNSHIP, Michigan (WWJ) — More than 60 animals living in what police are calling “deplorable” conditions were rescued on Tuesday from a home in Flint Township, Michigan.

Genesee County Animal Control officers were called to a home on North Elms Road for a report of loose dogs running around on the property. What they found was something far worse.

Through the home’s windows, animal control says it observed dozens of dogs barking.

“It wasn’t totally clear, but they could see some of the dogs in the house, and, you know, seemed to be pretty unsanitary inside the house,” said Jay Parker, director of Genesee County Animal Control.

After the discovery, Flint Township police were called. Bodycam video shows the moment police walked through the door. Some officers rushed back out to get a mask.

“We all worked together with code enforcement in reference to getting a warrant for this place so we could go into force, entry into the place,” Parker said.

“I could taste the ammonia in the back of my throat. The ammonia level was pretty high. It’s definitely in a danger range, especially for animals.”

The animals lived in a home covered in trash, rotting furniture, and mounds of feces.

A total of 64 animals were rescued. Twenty-seven animals were found dead in trash bags by the front door.

“There was not a single inch of that home that was clean, you know, there were, there were no areas where the dogs could run to kind of get a break from the filth,” said Hannah Peterson, social media specialist at Genesee County Animal Control.

The room they’re housed in now at the shelter is quiet. The dogs shake in fear and cling to the wall or each other inside their kennels.

“Our shelter is full, so we need to be able to keep intaking animals that do need help within our community, whether that be strays or an emergency situation,” Peterson said.

Animal control is looking for rescue partners to take in the 61 dogs and 3 cats that were saved. An “emergency pop up” event will take place Saturday to encourage potential pet owners to take in animals that were already in the agency’s care and cleared for placement into homes.

“Getting them out of here as soon as possible, getting them into homes where they can start to heal, and you know, physically or, you know, emotionally heal, build confidence and get healthy, and then they’ll be moving on to find their forever homes,” Peterson said.

Two people are registered as homeowners. The director of Genesee Animal Control does not believe they lived inside the home.

“As an owner of an animal, you have the responsibility to take care of that animal,” Parker said.

“I think at one time there was, it looked like they were using the bathroom in the house, maybe at one point, but the rest of the house, I could not imagine that they were living in there. I think it kind of turned into a big dog house,” Parker said.

No arrests have been made as of Wednesday, as the investigation is ongoing. Officials say a report will be submitted to the prosecutor’s office to determine charges.

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.