Category: CNN Regional

By Kayla Moeller

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KMAX, KOVR) — A brazen burglary in Old Sacramento was carried out just after sunrise Saturday morning, with the store owners saying a man sawed through a wall and kicked his way inside Super Silver Sacramento.

“We hated waking up to this. It was terrible,” said manager Mary Francis Chacon.

Around 7:20 a.m. Saturday, Super Silver’s alarms were triggered.

“We were alerted as soon as he popped in due to our motion detectors and we were able to come out around 7:30, but he was already long gone by then,” said Chacon.

Employees say hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise was stolen, just hours before the neighborhood opened up to families and tourists.

“Coming in today, we all mentioned how there is that energy lingering, more so, we feel assaulted. Our spirits hurt,” said Chacon. “It hurts us just because we’re a small business.”

Super Silver says this is a crucial time of year for them.

“We just received a lot of our inventory for the holidays and that was part of our inventory. It is just a terrible situation,” she said.

The store is asking the public to keep an eye out for their jewelry products online or at local pawn shops. They speculate the thief had come by previously to case the store.

“He had a plastic white bag, tucked them in. He knew what he was looking for and was in and out within two minutes,” said Chacon.

On top of product loss, the store is having to shell out money to shore up the building and clean up the damage.

“We have somebody coming out to add more materials to the building to secure it a lot more, but we never thought we’d have to go through all of this to begin with,” said Chacon.

The Sacramento Police Department said officers conducted an investigation and generated a report. There was no information about a suspect.

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WCCO

By Conor Wight, Stephen Swanson

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    BROOKLYN PARK, Minnesota (WCCO) — Saturday evening, leftover food is still stuck to the grill at Crumbs and Coffee in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

The workstation has been left uncleaned since Friday morning, when the co-owner of the coffee shop said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained his cook after luring him outside into the parking lot.

Marcio Luis De Morais said that he heard from another employee that ICE took Jorge Leonardo Vergara Rubio at around 9:30 a.m.

According to his co-worker, two people had come into the coffee shop in civilian clothing and ordered drinks like “regular customers.” The employee noticed that they took photos, possibly of Rubio, before leaving and waiting in their car outside. A half an hour later, another car arrived: De Morais said that he was told the occupants of that car came into the coffee shop claiming they had hit a parked car. It was Rubio’s.

“As soon as he walked outside, that’s when they arrested him,” De Morais said.

Rubio’s car is still sitting in the parking lot with no obvious signs of damage. De Morais believes the agents, later identified as ICE, lied in order to draw Rubio outside the store.

Once Rubio was gone, the other employee at work that morning cleared the store and ran in a panic, according to De Morais. He showed up an hour later and locked up; he said that Saturday morning, another employee delivering supplies to the store may have forgotten to lock the doors. He said it’s how Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman came across the scene, preserved from 24 hours earlier with a customer’s sweater still on a chair and loose items on tables.

Sen. Hoffman took to Facebook, detailing how he called the police to secure the store.

“These are small business owners. Taxpayers. People who invested in our community, created jobs, and served their neighbors every day. Since when are they considered the ‘worst of the worst?'” This isn’t right,” Hoffman wrote. “And it’s not who we should be targeting if we care about safe, strong communities.”

The senator was likely referencing a Homeland Security press release on Friday, in which Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed the department’s agents have “arrested more than 400 illegal aliens including pedophiles, rapists, and violent thugs since Operation Metro Surge began” earlier this month in the Twin Cities.

Brooklyn Park police confirmed that ICE had detained an employee. WCCO reached out to ICE to ask what charges Rubio faces and why he was detained but has not heard back.

De Morais said that he wasn’t sure of Rubio’s status, but knew that he was checking in with authorities regularly. He said that Rubio had taken time off the in the past for court dates that he was told were related to his desire to achieve asylum status.

What he’s more sure of is that he’s likely going to have to close down Crumbs and Coffee. He said it’s already been difficult trying to keep his other restaurant ventures in the Twin Cities afloat given the fear that has gripped the metro; with employees afraid to come to work, he said he doesn’t see how he can reopen the coffee shop that opened its doors just six months ago.

“This one is done,” De Morais said, “we are unfortunately are not going to reopen.”

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.

By Conor Wight, Stephen Swanson

Click here for updates on this story

    BROOKLYN PARK, Minnesota (WCCO) — Saturday evening, leftover food is still stuck to the grill at Crumbs and Coffee in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

The workstation has been left uncleaned since Friday morning, when the co-owner of the coffee shop said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials detained his cook after luring him outside into the parking lot.

Marcio Luis De Morais said that he heard from another employee that ICE took Jorge Leonardo Vergara Rubio at around 9:30 a.m.

According to his co-worker, two people had come into the coffee shop in civilian clothing and ordered drinks like “regular customers.” The employee noticed that they took photos, possibly of Rubio, before leaving and waiting in their car outside. A half an hour later, another car arrived: De Morais said that he was told the occupants of that car came into the coffee shop claiming they had hit a parked car. It was Rubio’s.

“As soon as he walked outside, that’s when they arrested him,” De Morais said.

Rubio’s car is still sitting in the parking lot with no obvious signs of damage. De Morais believes the agents, later identified as ICE, lied in order to draw Rubio outside the store.

Once Rubio was gone, the other employee at work that morning cleared the store and ran in a panic, according to De Morais. He showed up an hour later and locked up; he said that Saturday morning, another employee delivering supplies to the store may have forgotten to lock the doors. He said it’s how Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman came across the scene, preserved from 24 hours earlier with a customer’s sweater still on a chair and loose items on tables.

Sen. Hoffman took to Facebook, detailing how he called the police to secure the store.

“These are small business owners. Taxpayers. People who invested in our community, created jobs, and served their neighbors every day. Since when are they considered the ‘worst of the worst?'” This isn’t right,” Hoffman wrote. “And it’s not who we should be targeting if we care about safe, strong communities.”

The senator was likely referencing a Homeland Security press release on Friday, in which Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed the department’s agents have “arrested more than 400 illegal aliens including pedophiles, rapists, and violent thugs since Operation Metro Surge began” earlier this month in the Twin Cities.

Brooklyn Park police confirmed that ICE had detained an employee. WCCO reached out to ICE to ask what charges Rubio faces and why he was detained but has not heard back.

De Morais said that he wasn’t sure of Rubio’s status, but knew that he was checking in with authorities regularly. He said that Rubio had taken time off the in the past for court dates that he was told were related to his desire to achieve asylum status.

What he’s more sure of is that he’s likely going to have to close down Crumbs and Coffee. He said it’s already been difficult trying to keep his other restaurant ventures in the Twin Cities afloat given the fear that has gripped the metro; with employees afraid to come to work, he said he doesn’t see how he can reopen the coffee shop that opened its doors just six months ago.

“This one is done,” De Morais said, “we are unfortunately are not going to reopen.”

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.

By WCCO Staff

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — Police in Richfield, Minnesota, say a woman is dead following reports from neighbors who witnessed a man “dragging a dead body” out of an apartment early Saturday morning.

Officers were called just after 3 a.m. to the Fountainhead Apartments, located east of Best Buy’s corporate headquarters off West 76th Street and Knox Avenue South.

Neighbors told police they saw the suspect load the body into a vehicle. Officers “attempted to initiate a traffic stop,” police say, leading to a pursuit that ended about 2.5 miles northwest at the ER entrance of Edina’s M Health Fairview Southdale hospital.

Officers arrested the driver, police say, and found an unconscious 23-year-old woman in the back seat who had been shot. She was pronounced dead soon after.

Police say they’re still investigating.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline at 1-800-799-SAFE or Minnesota Day One at 1-866-223-1111.

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By Hunter Geisel

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — A death investigation is underway after a woman was found dead inside a Dollar Tree freezer on Sunday morning, City of Miami Police said.

Around 8 a.m., Miami Police officers responded to the Dollar Tree location at 968 SW 8th St. after an employee called saying that there was a deceased woman inside the business.

According to Miami Police, the woman was found inside the store’s freezer.

Miami Police is investigating the discovery as an unclassified death at this time, as the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death remain unclear.

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

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By KITV Web Staff

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — A Hawaiʻi County Grand Jury has indicted 24-year-old Alohi Kaupu-Grace for allegedly embezzling over $40,000 from bank customers, including two elderly individuals, while working as a bank teller.

Kaupu-Grace faces multiple charges, including computer fraud and theft. The charges carry potential prison sentences ranging from five to 20 years and fines up to $50,000.

Attorney General Anne Lopez said, “As alleged, Kaupu-Grace stole money from residents who were simply trying to conduct financial transactions at their bank. This indictment reflects the department’s continued commitment to protecting Hawaiʻi residents and maintaining the integrity of our financial institutions.”

The investigation was conducted by the Department of the Attorney General’s Special Investigation and Prosecution Division (SIPD), which handles corruption, fraud, and economic crimes in Hawaiʻi. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General Thomas Michener.

Kaupu-Grace is also awaiting trial in two other theft cases in Hawai‘i County. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Residents can report suspected fraud and economic crimes to SIPD online, or call 911 in emergencies.

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By Deanna Sipe

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    RALEIGH, N.C. (WLOS) — Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced that North Carolina won its lawsuit against the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

According to a news release from Jackson’s office, the lawsuit was won after a federal court ordered the reinstatement of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant (BRIC) disaster mitigation program.

“Our towns spent years doing everything FEMA asked them to do to qualify for this funding, and they were in the middle of building real protections against storms when FEMA suddenly broke its word. Keeping water systems working and keeping homes out of floodwater isn’t politics; it’s basic safety. This ruling puts the money back where it was promised so these communities can be ready for the next storm,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson in a news release.

As previously reported, Jackson sued FEMA over its decision to cancel the program providing over $200 million for more than 60 infrastructure projects across North Carolina.

According to the release, the court wrote that the BRIC program is designed to protect against national disasters and that “the imminence of disasters is not deterred by bureaucratic obstruction.”

The court order concluded that FEMA’s actions in canceling the $200 million were an “unlawful Executive encroachment on the prerogative of Congress to appropriate funds for a specific and compelling purpose.”

“North Carolina, unfortunately, is no stranger to natural disasters, and building better infrastructure saves lives,” said Governor Josh Stein in a news release. “I thank Attorney General Jackson for taking action to preserve our $200 million to protect our water and sewer systems, bridges, and more from floods and wildfires.”

The release detailed the following BRIC projects in North Carolina, which include:

Salisbury was awarded $22.5 million to relocate its sewage station along the Yadkin River to higher ground so it can be safely accessed during storms to maintain a drinking water supply. The existing pump station increasingly gets flooded and can be surrounded by water for days after the storm. The city had invested $3 million in local funds for this project before it was canceled.

Hillsborough was awarded nearly $7 million to relocate its pump station out of a floodplain, expand its water and sewer capacity, and maintain emergency water connections with Jordan Lake and other water reservoirs.

Gastonia was awarded $5.9 million to restore the banks of Duharts Creek and relocate sewer lines to prevent floodwater damage.

Mount Pleasant was selected to receive more than $4 million to improve stormwater drainage and secure electrical wires to greatly reduce the risk of losing electric and telecommunications services during storms and floods.

Leland was selected to receive $1.1 million to relocate the town’s sewer system away from Sturgeon Creek, which often floods after storms and natural disasters.

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