Category: CNN Regional

By Jacquelyn Quinones

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    SALINAS, Calif. (KSBW) — Monterey County supervisors voted Tuesday not to allow the Sheriff’s Office to negotiate a new 10-year contract with Flock Safety.

The vote was 3-2, with Supervisors Luis Alejo and Chris Lopez voting to continue negotiations.

The proposed agreement would have covered the county’s existing network of 63 Flock license plate reader cameras at a cost of approximately $1.7 million.

Sheriff Tina Nieto and Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Paccioni urged supervisors to approve the contract. Before the meeting, the District Attorney’s Office addressed concerns about privacy and the risks of Flock data falling into the wrong hands.

“What we need to have is a state law that makes it a crime to misuse technology,” Berkley Brannon, chief assistant district attorney, said. “What we don’t want to do is throw the baby out with the bathwater and just ban it. People misuse cars every day.”

The Sheriff’s Office had previously proposed increasing the number of cameras from 63 to 103, but the latest proposal did not include that expansion.

Despite the scaled-back plan, most public comments during the meeting opposed renewing the contract.

“I’ll be incredibly uncomfortable to live in a county that puts surveillance instead of its people first,” speaker Ise Luna-Romo said. “I would personally try to find other ways to encourage policy that would remove Flock cameras.”

Another speaker, Miles Wade, said, “Law enforcement sees judicial process as a hurdle that is inconvenient, and they don’t want to deal with that. And so they want to bypass that and be able to surveil people without a warrant.”

Supervisors also voted to develop guidelines for future automated license plate reader technology.

The board also directed staff to explore the possibility of the county owning and operating its own automated license plate reader program. Supervisors acknowledged that such a program would be expensive and said it is unlikely to move forward.

“My hope moving forward is that we can continue to have fact-based, honest dialogue about what are the factors that increase public safety in a community, what are the factors that detract from public safety in a community,” Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said before the meeting. “And fundamental to all of that, it’s clear that trust is an underlying issue.”

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.

By Maddie Augustine

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    MILWAUKEE (WISN) — A Milwaukee Public Schools staff member is under investigation after being accused of spanking a 3-year-old.

The boy’s grandma, Katie Ryckman, told 12 News the alleged incident happened on Sept. 14 at Milwaukee’s Manitoba School. Ryckman said her grandson came home from school with two bruises on the back of his leg.

“When I asked him what happened, all he could do was cry,” Ryckman said.

Ryckman said her grandson told her a staff member at the school hit him with a “stick-like object.”

“This is a significant injury that can only be from an object,” Ryckman said. “This was not hands.”

Visible bruises were left on the boy’s leg, and Ryckman said he is traumatized.

“Even just pulling up to the school and getting out and seeing the school, he starts to sob and cry and beg not to have to go,” Ryckman said.

Ryckman said they immediately met with the school’s principal and have met with police, DCFS, and the district multiple times in the past week.

Milwaukee Police confirmed the child abuse investigation to 12 News.

In a letter sent to families on Sept. 16, Manitoba School principal Christopher Garza told families about the ongoing investigation.

“We value you as members of the Manitoba community, and we want to keep you informed. Yesterday we received a report of a staff member spanking a student. We called the Milwaukee Police Department and Child Protective Services to investigate. We also are conducting a full investigation, as we would in any such case. The individual is not currently working in the building,” the letter from Garza wrote in part.

However, Ryckman said just days later, on Sept. 22, she saw the staff member back at the school.

“Never should have been allowed back into the building with an ongoing criminal pending matter,” Ryckman said.

12 News reached back out to the district on Sept. 22 asking if the staff member was still out of the building; a spokesperson responded with “we cannot comment further on a personnel matter beyond what was shared in the message to families and staff.”

Ryckman said she will continue to fight for accountability and is looking into switching her grandson to a new school.

“I’m not going to leave him there feeling in a place that he’s not safe because school is supposed to be a safe place,” Ryckman said.

As of Tuesday, Sept. 22, no criminal charges have been filed. Ryckman said she is scheduled to meet with the district attorney on Wednesday.

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.

By Dryden Quigley

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    BERKELEY, California (KGO) — A UC Berkeley student is calling for changes after a man she says chased her into her apartment complex remains free while prosecutors review the case.

The incident was captured on security video around 8 p.m. on Sept. 15, which shows a woman buzzing into her apartment complex. Seconds later, a man can be seen scaling the locked gate and entering the property. He then pulls out what Berkeley police said was a barbecue lighter.

“I shut the gate behind me, heard him and saw him climbing the gate. Ran into the elevator before he was down from the gate so he didn’t see which way I went,” said Eden, the student who we are identifying only by her first name for safety.

Eden said the encounter began when the man was making weird gestures and approached her. She walked away only to look back and see him running at her. Once she reached the safety of an elevator inside the building, she called the Berkeley Police Department. According to Eden, officers arrived about an hour later because they were handling what police described as “high priority incidents.” They could not locate the suspect. The next day, Eden said she found the same man asleep near her apartment building.

“I was walking outside and happened upon the man in the same place that he always is, outside of my building,” she said.

Berkeley police responded and detained the man who they say was unhoused, but Eden said she watched officers release him shortly afterward.

“About two minutes into the conversation, they took the handcuffs off, and came back to me and said, we can’t do anything,” she said.

In a statement, Berkeley police said officers could not make an arrest under the circumstances.

“Under California law, officers generally cannot make a warrantless arrest for a misdemeanor that was not committed in their presence. Because the reported trespassing occurred the previous day, officers were unable to make a warrantless arrest based solely on that misdemeanor,” the department wrote.

ABC7 Eyewitness News has since learned that he was arrested Saturday September 19 on a felony warrant in an unrelated case. The man has a previous arson conviction in Contra Costa County and is also charged in a separate arson case in San Mateo County. He is being held without bail at the Santa Rita Jail.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office confirmed they are reviewing the case. As of Monday, no charges were filed. Eden said she was shocked by the outcome.

“It shouldn’t be legal to chase someone home and jump their gate and stay the night in their apartment building,” she said.

Eden said she hopes her experience will spark broader discussions about public safety and legal protections for residents.

“We deserve stricter laws so that things like this aren’t just allowed to happen legally,” she said.

While prosecutors review the case, Eden said she hopes sharing her story will encourage greater awareness and lead to stronger consequences for people who trespass where others live.

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.

By James Stratton

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    NEW BERLIN, Wis. (WISN) — A New Berlin couple who lost over $500,000 in gold to a scam helped police catch a courier involved in a nationwide scheme that has defrauded victims of their life savings.

The couple realized they were being scammed after watching a 12 News investigation last July. A pop-up ad on their computer and several phone calls convinced them that their bank accounts had been hacked and that converting their cash into gold would protect their assets. Over five weeks, they handed over $526,095.40 in gold coins, according to court records.

“They said they needed to protect our assets from these hackers,” the couple told New Berlin police officers when they filed the report.

“No, they need to protect your assets to fund their pockets,” the officer responded.

The scammers demanded another $200,000 in gold. That’s when the couple saw the 12 News Investigates story and contacted police, who set up a sting operation.

The arrest Roshan Shah, a courier from India who had been in the U.S. for a few weeks from Canada, was arrested during the operation. Shah had already picked up gold from 15 victims across eight states, according to federal prosecutors.

To bait Shah for the sting, New Berlin police filled a box with rocks instead of gold.

“Right now there’s $526,000 missing from this elderly couple that don’t have anything left because they gave it all to you guys,” police said during his Mirandized interview shortly after the arrest.

Shah claimed he didn’t know how the scam worked or who he was talking to, but police didn’t believe him.

“I get that you’re part of an elaborate scheme that we obviously knew about. But you’re the low man on the totem pole,” an officer said to him.

Shah pleaded guilty to a federal charge and was sentenced to four years in prison. He will eventually be deported to India.

The scheme Federal prosecutors say Shah is one of seven people facing charges in Milwaukee for their roles in gold bar or gold coin scams. The scheme typically begins with a pop-up ad on a victim’s computer, followed by convincing phone calls claiming their accounts were hacked and used in a crime. Victims are then instructed to convert their money into gold, which is picked up by a courier.

“These cases are so devastating because very few of them involve the main operators of it being in the U.S.,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel, who spoke exclusively to 12 News Investigates. “Once the money’s gone, it’s typically gone. We can’t recover it.”

Schimel emphasized that government agencies will never contact individuals and ask them to send money, convert assets, or hand over valuables to a courier.

Investigating the scam Prosecutors investigate the scam in two ways. First, they work to trace the scams to call centers overseas. Then they work to determine what happens to the gold after it is collected.

“Eventually the funds end up back overseas to the folks that are running the scheme. Sometimes we have gold being sold, and in some cases melted down,” said Assistant United States Attorney Peter Smyczek, who leads fraud investigations for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Milwaukee.

Smyczek and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Corey led Shah’s prosecution.

“Usually there will be one to two handlers that are essentially overseeing or supervising a handful of different couriers that are driving all over the country,” Smyczek said.

The scam is sweeping the country. 12 News Investigates has been speaking to victims and police for more than 18 months. More than 60 victims have lost more than $21 million in the scam, which typically instructs victims to purchase gold bars.

The FBI reports that Americans lost more than $311.8 million to similar scams last year. The agency uses tips to identify patterns and dismantle scam networks.

“We are looking for commonalities in scams so that we can attack the scam centers,” said Alan Karr, FBI Milwaukee special agent in charge.

Reporting the scam Government officials warn they will never request that you buy gold or other precious metals. If you believe you have been scammed, the FBI wants you to report it.

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.

By Matt Flener

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    LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KMBC) — Kelly Cline has spent weeks contacting people across the United States to let them know their life’s possessions are abandoned in her warehouse.

In the two weeks since she regained possession of her building from a moving company, she has reunited nine people who hired cross-country movers with their original shipments. Four are planning to pick up their stuff in the coming weeks. She’s connected with dozens more.

“I have over 50 victims,” she said. “They’re all over the United States.”

The moving company, Logistic Moving Services Inc., left behind two floors of shipments linked to brokers and carriers with hundreds of complaints, according to federal transportation records.

Cline’s phone is now filled with texts and social media messages from people who hired those companies seeking any information on their birth certificates, precious jewelry, mattresses and mementos they cannot find.

Several of those people with items in Cline’s warehouse, like U.S. Army Lt. Col. Joe Mangiameli, have contacted KMBC 9 Investigates to tell their stories.

Mangiameli told KMBC that a family member hired movers. He was serving overseas at the time.

He estimates his family has now spent over $30,000 more than originally quoted for a move across the country for a new job.

“This is, this is decades’ worth of memories,” he said. “This is stuff that you know is very meaningful to us.”

Mangiameli has seen KMBC 9’s Relocation Ripoff investigation and wanted to come forward to prevent this from happening again.

KMBC asked Mangiameli what he would tell federal authorities about holding moving companies accountable.

“I have served on four combat tours,” he said. “I take protecting the country pretty seriously, so I would ask them to do the same.”

Cline now is determined to reunite Mangiameli with the last of his outdoor furniture still in her warehouse.

LANDLORDS EVICTED COMPANY FROM BUILDING AFTER COURT FIGHT Cline and her husband Donnie just evicted Logistic Moving Services, Inc. from the building after a pattern of nonpayment and customers calling to say they tracked items to her warehouse using GPS locators. Some of those victims included customers of Howards Vanlines.

Customers of Howards and other moving companies have told KMBC 9 Investigates they paid a deposit, got upcharged thousands on moving day and never received their things.

Cline found paperwork inside the building linked to multiple moving companies across the country. One of the companies, Logistic Moving Services, is linked to Eli Hasut, a man who represented himself in the Cline’s eviction case before a judge as the company’s representative.

A man with a similar name shows up in a database for Trunk, a moving industry research company that provides transparency with federal moving records.

Trunk found Logistic shared the same Georgia address as Handle With Care Moving and Transportation LLC, a carrier with 147 complaints whose authority was revoked in March 2026.

Both are linked to an individual named Moran Eli Hasut (also known as Elad Hasut, Eli Davis, Allan Davis), according to Trunk. FMCSA’s own registration system lists Elad Hasut as the officer of Handle With Care.

Hasut dodged questions from KMBC 9 Investigates for weeks after a court hearing last month. KMBC has tried to call him several times without a response.

Logistic administratively dissolved in Georgia in 2022, according to court records.

KMBC has now tracked items from the warehouse Logistic rented in Leavenworth to a new warehouse in Trimble, Missouri.

LANDLORD NEEDS HELP GETTING IN CONTACT WITH PEOPLE, RAISING AWARENESS After Logistic’s eviction, Cline has set up a Facebook group to help people reunite with their things.

Two families have contacted her to say they don’t have money to move the rest of their belongings. She’s asking the community to step up and help. She has set up a command center inside her warehouse to organize everyone’s contact information.

“We’ve had a kid come in from Los Angeles,” she said. “Somebody is coming Thursday from Arizona.”

Cline is also pleading for help from federal authorities to investigate the widespread problem with Household Goods Moving Fraud.

She wanted to raise awareness to federal authorities about just how easy it is for moving companies to spin up new companies when they receive complaints.

“They just change the name and they don’t even change the address.”

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.

By Peyton Furtado

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    PAWLEYS ISLAND, S.C. (WYFF) — What did you do this summer? Well, a 9-year-old from Greenville caught a nearly record-breaking fish off South Carolina’s coast. The fish likely weighed more than twice the fisherman.

Will Nelson was vacationing with his family in Pawleys Island in early September.

“He’s as smarter kid I’ve ever had on the beach,” said Michael Shope, the family’s fishing guide that day. “He was really able to do something that, frankly, most adults can’t accomplish.”

From the time he could bait a hook, 9-year-old Will Nelson has been an avid angler. But he never expected to catch a nearly 150-pound tarpon, just shy of the 154-pound South Carolina record.

“I’m really excited. I because, I know a lot of fish. And if I don’t know what that means, it’s probably a harder one to get,” said Will.

“I’ve been fishing for 50-plus years, and this is the very first fish tarpon that I’ve landed with anybody on the beach in South Carolina. And that’s fishing weekly and fishing quite often,” Shope said.

“We’re fishing with a barbless hook. And tarpon is notorious for throwing hooks. And so, I thought, oh, we’ll never get this fish in,” said Dave Stafford, Will’s grandfather.

Will, the 70-pound little fisherman who could face to fish with a floundering silver king.

“I was really proud that he didn’t give up, because it was definitely something where, you know, he was getting tired,” said Michael Nelson, Will’s dad.

The 10-minute struggle was like nothing Will had ever done before. And after taking a few pictures and releasing the fish, he’s already angling for a bigger catch.

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By Patrick Talbot

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    ENID, Okla. (KOCO) — Five months after an EF-4 tornado destroyed homes and left Enid with a massive cleanup, the city has issued its first rebuild permit for the Gray Ridge neighborhood.

Angie Blevins, a general contractor for Blevins and Co., is helping rebuild a home for a family affected by the tornado.

“Part of what happened with the permit, why we made the post, is it’s a sign of hope. It’s a sign of, OK, here, this is going to be OK. It brought life back to the community in a positive way of we’re moving forward,” Blevins said.

She explained that the process to reach this point has taken five months, beginning with homeowners trying to figure out their next steps after losing almost everything.

“They’re like, where do we even go from here? What do we even do? A lot of it was just sitting and listening, you know, that was early on. You know, and we started building, you know what? What do you want in your home? What do you see? How do you see your home looking like and those type of things?” Blevins said.

The city of Enid has worked to help homeowners save their insurance money for rebuilding efforts.

“One of the reasons it took a while to actually get permits was the city went ahead and worked with one of our local businesses to actually take out all the concrete footings that were in there so that the people that own those properties didn’t have to use any of their insurance money towards that, and they could put it towards building,” Mayor David Mason said.

Mason added that more permits are expected to be issued soon.

“So, we’re excited. It’s starting to happen now, and we need the housing. We need places for people to go. So, we’re excited about it,” Mason said.

The tornado’s destruction prompted an outpouring of support from churches, businesses, Vance Air Force Base and people across the state. Mason said that 41 counties responded to calls for help in the aftermath.

“Now, five months later, that same community spirit is helping Enid move forward,” Mason said. “When you live out rural Oklahoma, you take care of your neighbors, and that’s what we did. That’s what we’ll do in the future.”

The goal is to transform the empty lots back into homes. Both Blevins and Mason said they were optimistic about the future of the area.

“This will be a wonderful place again, and not just because of the houses, but because of the families that want to live here,” Mason 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.

By Nicholas Brooks

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    UNIVERSITY, Miss. (WAPT) — Ole Miss students are mourning the deaths of two students who were found dead in separate locations in Oxford.

The students were 18 and 20 years old. One was found on campus, while the other was found off campus.

Lafayette County Metro Narcotics says packaged kratom sold at a retail store was found near both bodies. Investigators have not confirmed that kratom caused or contributed to either death.

For students, the deaths are hitting close to home.

Raven Tunstall, an Ole Miss student, said the news was especially shocking after a busy weekend on campus.

“So I think for us the big shock was that it was such a big weekend and everybody was celebrating and we didn’t think to come back to like such sad news of losing two classmates.”

Tunstall said the deaths are a reminder that students have their whole lives ahead of them.

“We have so much life ahead of us. You know, college is supposed to be where we grow and make new experiences. It’s not supposed to be where our lives end.”

What is kratom?

Kratom is a plant-based substance that can have stimulant and opioid-like effects. Its legal status and regulation vary by location.

Rankin County Sheriff’s Investigator Tyler Burrell said his agency has encountered kratom during searches of convenience stores.

Burrell warned that consumers may not know exactly what they are getting because kratom products are not FDA-approved.

“It’s a very, very dangerous drug, and if I can say so, it’s not being FDA regulated, then you really don’t know what you’re getting.”

Burrell said Rankin County has taken action because of concerns about the substance.

“We have banned it because of the fact that it poses great, great danger to our residents.”

Rankin County has an ordinance banning the possession, sale and distribution of kratom.

Meanwhile, investigators continue working to determine what happened in the deaths of the two Ole Miss students.

The identities of the students have not been released. Autopsies are being scheduled.

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.

By Frank Sulkowski

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    EFFINGHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WJCL) — Effingham County High School senior Sam Wimberly, born with a severe congenital heart defect, is leaving a lasting legacy by building benches for his school’s marching band as part of his Eagle Scout project.

With each stroke of paint, Wimberly is putting the finishing touches on his contribution to Effingham County High School.

“Feels great,” said Sam. “I get to leave part of me behind in a band that’s changed me forever.”

The senior constructed more than a dozen benches, each featuring the Effingham County Rebel Regiment logo. These benches are a gift to the school and the band program that provided him with a sense of belonging.

“The fact that he loves this program that much and is willing to go through all that effort to give back, this says a ton about his character,” said Will Alford, ECHS Director of Bands. “I hope it’s inspiring for all those who are considering coming and joining this team.”

The project was inspired by a challenge Wimberly knows well. Born with a complex congenital heart defect, he essentially has only half a functioning heart. He has undergone two open-heart surgeries, and even routine physical activity can be exhausting.

Despite these challenges, Wimberly has marched with the band, carrying and playing the tuba. On difficult days, he had no place to recover except the grass beside the practice field.

“It’s been hard. I lose my breath easily, and having a place to rest will make it easier for me,” said Sam. “Should make it considerably easier for next generations to come.”

Now, future band members who need a break will have a place to sit.

“You know, when we found out we were pregnant with him, we were told he wouldn’t make it to the age of three,” said Kathy Wimberly, Sam’s mom. “We learned to appreciate, and be proud of the small things in life. So big things like marching in the band for four years, being an honor student, making these benches, and making Eagle Scout – we’re very, very proud of Sam.”

The benches are a testament to Wimberly’s determination and understanding of the importance of rest.

“He’s fought through everything the past four years when it’s 95 degrees outside and, you know, sweating his backside off, and he just works hard,” said Alford. “It’s hot out here in August and September, and having a cool place to sit goes a long way.”

Wimberly’s family said they have been supported by the community and organizations such as Make-A-Wish. In 2017, the foundation granted Wimberly’s wish for a family trip to Disney World. Since then, the Wimberly family has worked to give back to the organization that supported them.

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.

By Ari Hait

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    GREENACRES, Fla. (WPBF) — A baby sun conure and a snake were stolen from Mark’s Ark Pet Store in Greenacres on Tuesday afternoon, and the store owner is concerned the bird may not survive without proper care.

Mark Bullock, the store’s owner, said the theft happened around 12:20 p.m. “He turned around right here, lifted this up, picked up one of my $700 birds,” Bullock said. “Carried it down this aisle, around, outside.”

Surveillance footage shows the man walking out of the store with the bird in a cage. Bullock said the man returned about a minute later.

“Picked up a reptile tank that had a snake in it and stole it too,” Bullock said.

The stolen bird and snake are valued at approximately $800.

“Just angry that someone, you know, would just come in and blatantly steal what I work hard for,” Bullock said.

But Bullock said the concern is about more than just money.

The sun conure, only 13 weeks old, requires specialized care and a specific diet to survive.

Bullock questions whether the man who stole the bird will know how to care for the bird.

“They can’t survive like they are right now without being hand-fed by someone who knows how to hand-feed them. So, this bird most likely will starve to death,” Bullock said.

Anyone with information about the stolen bird is urged to contact the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

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.