Category: CNN Regional

By Caitlyn Scott

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    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — Police are investigating after a vehicle was left partially hanging from a UPMC hospital parking garage after crashing into a barrier Tuesday afternoon.

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 was on the scene along South Aiken Avenue, where a Volvo could be seen with front-end damage after crashing into a barrier inside the garage.

The incident happened inside the UPMC Shadyside Hospital parking garage just before noon.

Police officers were directing traffic away from the garage as crews worked to remove the vehicle.

It is unclear what caused the crash or whether anyone was injured.

Action News 4 has reached out to UPMC Shadyside and Allegheny County dispatchers for more information, but has not heard back.

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By Madilyn Destefano

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    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A man jumped out of the driver’s seat of a moving vehicle on Highway 79 in Washington County with three children in the car, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a 911 call made by a young girl traveling with her parents on Monday. The child told WCSO they were fighting while driving down the road, and provided a description of their vehicle before the call was disconnected.

WCSO responded to the area and found a vehicle matching the description traveling northbound on the highway. Deputies activated the emergency lights and sirens of the patrol vehicle in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop.

The car continued northbound before the driver’s door opened, and a man jumped from the moving vehicle, according to WCSO.

The deputy stopped and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Albert Searcy, the father of three young children who were in the car with him.

The passenger, later identified as Heather Searcy, was able to crawl over the center console and gain control of and stop the vehicle, WCSO said.

Deputies say when they made contact with Heather Searcy, they observed signs consistent with a physical altercation. She had injuries to her face.

Mrs. Searcy told WCSO she asked that Albert Searcy stop the vehicle and allow her and her children to exit. She told deputies he refused to stop.

Heather Searcy also told deputies that when Albert Searcy became aware that their child had called 911 from the backseat, he struck the child and took the phone.

The family had recently moved to the area in the northwestern part of Florida, within the Panhandle, from Louisiana. Heather Searcy told deputies they were in the process of returning there at the time the incident occurred.

Emergency medical services treated the family and cleared everyone involved.

Searcy was arrested and taken to the Washington County Jail on the charges of tampering with or harassing a witness, domestic violence battery, fleeing/attempting to elude law enforcement, resisting arrest, child abuse, false imprisonment and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

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By Tommie Clark

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    HAGERSTOWN, Maryland (WBAL) — Several Maryland puppies are preparing for service, destined for veterans living with PTSD and other disabilities.

The puppies are training at an unlikely location, though: the Maryland Correctional Institution — Hagerstown.

“What I didn’t know is the impact it would have on me,” said Barry Roberts, an incarcerated handler.

Inside MCI-H, Roberts spends 24 hours per day with is dog, Big Mike. The Labrador is one of America’s VetDogs in training.

“These dogs are changing lives every day for these veterans,” said Mark Clavenger, a correctional officer and veteran leading the effort.

Clavenger helps inmates raise and train the animals, from just 12 weeks old until they’re ready for their mission — assisting veterans and first responders with disabilities.

Jeffrey Miller, a handler, is also a U.S. Army veteran.

“When I first got out of the service, if I had a dog like this, I probably wouldn’t be here right now,” Miller said.

MCI-H is one of five Maryland correctional facilities participating in the program. In a little more than a decade, more than 100 veterans have received service dogs.

“It motivates me more to know I want to succeed when it’s time to train,” said Tavon Bradley, an MCI-H handler.

The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said those involved show lower rates of reoffending, in part contributing to the state’s first-year recidivism rate dropping to a record low.

“It taught me something I didn’t even know I didn’t have. I didn’t have work ethic. I didn’t have much consistency or responsibility in life,” Roberts said.

Marvin Reyes has been behind bars since he was 16 years old.

“It changed me. It gave me a sense of purpose, and it also humanized me,” Reyes said.

Handlers said they’re helping veterans get their lives back while finding themselves in return.

“You can honestly say, ‘I did that,'” Roberts said. “There’s no better feeling in the world than accomplishing something that you worked hard at. Seeing it through. That’s what it did for me.”

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By Angela Rozier

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPBF) — A heated conversation about chickens reportedly led a Port St. Lucie man to fire a handgun at several patrons outside Harper’s Pub around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Master Sergeant Dominick Mesiti and Public Information officer said the suspect, 44-year-old Peter Riera, fired shots at three people whom he claimed were trying to con him.

Body camera footage shows Riera being taken into custody by Port St. Lucie police.

He is accused of firing four rounds from a .45-caliber Glock at three individuals after an argument outside the closed pub. Police stated that once outside, the conversation continued, and Riera became paranoid, believing the victims were out to get him.

“The shooter evidently raises chickens, and the conversation was about how many eggs chickens can lay. The conversation got heated for whatever reason,” Mesiti said.

He said Riera then armed himself with a handgun and started firing.

“One victim ran out into the roadway trying to get away from the shooter. The other two victims hid. We had several phone calls; the shooter himself called 911,” Mesiti said.

Officers gathered evidence later that morning. Police noted that the victims knew each other and had just met the suspect that night.

All had been drinking, and none were hit. During the investigation, one of the victims was arrested for resisting an officer with violence, and another was arrested for resisting an officer without violence.

“Arming yourself with a handgun when you’re under the influence is not a good idea. There’s never going to be a good outcome with that,” Mesiti said.

Riera faces multiple charges and is being held without bond.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or may have video of the incident is urged to call Detective Samantha DiPierro at (772) 871-5001 or Treasure Coast Crimestoppers at (800) 273-8477.

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By Rachael Perry

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPBF) — A 77-year-old woman says she is the luckiest person in the world after surviving being held hostage by a man accused of murdering two of their neighbors.

The Port St. Lucie Police Department responded to the Tropical East community of Port St. Lucie for reports of a shooting. According to the PSLPD, a neighborhood dispute resulted in three deaths after 62-year-old Paul Maraio shot two of his neighbors before turning the gun on himself.

Before shooting himself, officials said Maraio barricaded himself inside a home where he held a woman hostage. WPBF 25 News spoke with the woman, Suzanne Rothermel, who lives across the street from the suspect.

Rothermel said she was on the phone when Maraio came running into her house.

“When he ran in here, and I thought that was strange because he’s not allowed to come into my house, so I thought something bad had happened. He said, ‘Quick, close the door, the garage door.’ I thought something bad had happened outside,” Rothermel said.

She said Maraio then told her he had shot two of their neighbors.

“I just didn’t know what to think. I thought maybe an accident somewhere, but I never guessed it was him shooting somebody until he told me that he shot them, and then he put the two little guns on my kitchen counter,” she said.

Rothermel was terrified she’d be next, so she followed his demands. She said Maraio took her phone from her and demanded she sit down.

“At first, I was scared. But then, after a while, I just, I don’t know, I just, I wasn’t afraid anymore. I just figured, if he’s going to kill me, what can I do? I can’t run out, because he’ll shoot me anyway,” she said.

She said she knew the victims well and was aware of the issues happening between them and Maraio.

As for why he allegedly shot them on Monday, Rothermel said Maraio told her he had just been evicted.

“We never knew when he was going to snap, so we always said someday he’s going to blow, but we never thought it would be this bad,” Rothermel said.

Rothermel said it felt like he’d be holding her hostage for three hours, and she began losing hope. However, Maraio finally decided to let her go.

“Finally, he said, ‘Okay, we’re going to go out the back patio and you’re going to go first and then I’ll follow.’ I didn’t think at the time that he was behind me; he could have shot me then, but I just wanted to get out. So Penny and I got out the door, and he said to them, ‘Don’t shoot her, she’s coming out.’ So I got out, and they quickly grabbed me; I almost fell. They pulled me back, and he wasn’t behind me,” she said.

Officials got Rothermel and her dog, Penny, to safety while they continued working to get Maraio to surrender.

However, according to the PSLPD, Maraio turned the gun on himself. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Rothermel went back to her home on Tuesday to get some of her belongings and walked in to find blood on the ground, a bullet hole in her living room chair, and food from her refrigerator left on the counter.

The front of her home was also severely damaged from investigators attempting to make contact with Maraio.

Despite the mess, she said she feels like the luckiest person in the world.

“I’m the luckiest person in the world right now because I could be dead. I could be dead. He could have just turned on me in a second,” she said.

With Penny by her side, Rothermel said she’ll eventually return home.

“This is my home. All my friends are here and I can’t let him win,” she said.

Rothermel said she’s still struggling to process that her two neighbors were killed and said they were always kind and would often look out for her.

“Oh, my God, they didn’t deserve any of this. I still can’t believe that they’re not here,” she added.

The PSLPD has not released the names of the two people killed.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate partner 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.