Category: CNN Regional

By Nicole Comstock

Click here for updates on this story

    SHERMAN OAKS, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Covered in leaves, stuck inside a dumpster and high out of his mind — that’s how a group of Sherman Oaks neighbors described a burglary suspect they helped catch Tuesday night.

“Instantly, I thought of like Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street when he popped out with all the leaves,” neighbor Charan Andreas said. “He was in another world down there.”

Sean Bambic said he first spotted the guy breaking into cars before he jumped into the dumpster.

“He tried to get out for a second and then fell back in,” Bambic said. “Eventually, came back out and ran down the street up to the neighbor’s house and started banging on their door.”

Bambic and Andreas followed the man, trying to stop him from breaking into other people’s homes. They said he tried to get into several apartments before stumbling upon an older lady’s unit.

“Pounded on an older lady’s door,” Andreas said. “She opened it and he pushed his way into the apartment.”

The victim’s daughter told CBS LA that the suspect locked the door behind him and started breaking things. Her mom was able to get out and hide in a neighbor’s place while Andreas and another neighbor caught up with him in the garage.

“We were like, ‘Yo, the police are coming, stay still.’ And then he started coming at us, so then I pepper-sprayed him,” he said. “We ended up grabbing him and holding him on the ground until police came.”

The victim’s daughter said the Los Angeles Police Department arrived to the scene in about seven minutes.

Video from the arrest shows officers asking the suspect what he took. He responded with “cocaine.”

The Good Samaritans said they tried to give the guy the benefit of the doubt but had to step in.

“Once somebody starts interacting with other people and puts someone else in danger,” Bambic said.

“It could have been really bad,” Andreas said.

The victim’s daughter said they found a brick in her mother’s apartment. She believes the suspect may have been hiding it when he barged through the door.

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 Lesley Marin

Click here for updates on this story

    RACNHO CUCAMONGA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Months after a 13-year-old Rancho Cucamonga girl was left paralyzed from an injury sustained during a dance class, she’s defying the odds and walking again.

Morgan Lopez was born to dance, but in May she suffered a severe injury during a dance class. She says that she was doing a headstand, which caused neck pain that quickly escalated into a hospital trip.

“I got a call that she stopped breathing and coded,” said Morgan’s mother, Jamie. “It was shocking, because honestly I had no idea that it was this bad.”

Doctors said that Morgan suffered a spinal stroke, a rare injury that left her on a ventilator and paralyzed from the neck down.

“I was really upset that I couldn’t do easy things that people just do without thinking,” Morgan said.

After weeks in the hospital, her parents became determined to get their once active daughter moving again.

“To be told that she may never even move again was, I can’t even put into words the heartache,” Jamie Lopez said.

They enrolled her in intensive pediatric rehabilitation at Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Loma Linda, and after three hours of rehab a day, doctors began to notice small improvements.

“She was barely starting to use her hand, and that was my first inkling that maybe there is some sort of recovery for her,” said Dr. Anh Vu Le, a pediatrician at the rehab center.

A few weeks later, Morgan asked doctors if she could try walking, and that’s when she took her first steps since May.

“I was so happy, ” Morgan said.

“It gives you hope, because all you want for your child is to have the life of a kid,” Jamie Lopez said.

Now, with Morgan back home and using a wheelchair to get around, she’s keeping busy with LEGO sets and squishies, which she can squeeze on her own. She says she’s determined to return to the stage next.

“I want to get back to dancing and just want to be able to do what I used to be able to do,” Morgan said.

Her dance team, which visited her every week she was in the hospital, plans to have her on stage for their upcoming performance in January. Next month, Morgan’s father is set to participate in the Long Beach Marathon, during which he will push her wheelchair.

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 Dillon Thomas

Click here for updates on this story

    FORT COLLINS, Colorado (KCNC) — A Northern Colorado church building that has served as a gathering place and resource for homeless people in Fort Collins is expected to be demolished and replaced after the Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship sold the property for $1.3 million.

In December, methamphetamine contamination was found in the building, according to church pastor Steve Ramer.

Ramer and his congregation have long called the building home. Located about a block from Fort Collins’ popular Old Town shopping district, the church became known for opening its doors to people experiencing homelessness.

The congregation offered the building as a place to find shelter, eat and shower.

“We take the teachings of Jesus to be very serious and to be followed, and so Jesus is pretty clear that we are to take care of and serve the poorest and the most oppressed in our society, and here in Fort Collins, that certainly is the homeless community,” said Steve Ramer, pastor of Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship.

Ramer said the church’s efforts have also drawn scrutiny over the years.

“We’ve, over the last 10 to 15 years, have faced a lot of pushback. Not only from the housed neighbors in this neighborhood, but from the city,” Ramer said.

Ramer said the congregation could not afford to clean up the meth contamination, leading the church to sell the property.

“It’s been an incredibly painful experience for us as a congregation,” Ramer said.

Ramer said he does not know what will ultimately be built on the property, but pointed to million-dollar condominiums that have gone up on two corners of the intersection shared by the church. He expects something similar could eventually be built where the church now stands. The new owners have surrounded the existing structure with security fencing.

The prospect of losing the building has been difficult for the congregation.

“It was a place of miracle and wonder, and we are so, so heartbroken to lose that resource and to lose it in the middle of Fort Collins, where the need is so great. Let me make this clear: (homeless visitors) were members of our church family,” Ramer said.

The Fort Collins Mennonite Fellowship is still meeting in other temporary locations while members search for a permanent home.

Once the congregation finds a permanent location, Ramer said it plans to continue its outreach to people experiencing homelessness.

Ramer also said he will never ask someone visiting his church to take a drug test and will never turn someone away because of the way they smell.

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 DeJanay Booth-Singleton

Click here for updates on this story

    FLINT, Michigan (WWJ) — A woman who authorities say gave deputies her twin sister’s name during a traffic stop in Flint has been convicted after a one-day trial.

According to the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office, 41-year-old Seneca Capri-Lachay Barnes was found guilty of resisting and obstructing police and operating with an unregistered vehicle; however, she was found not guilty of resisting and obstructing a second deputy. Barnes will be sentenced on Oct. 30.

Prosecutors say she faces up to three years in prison as a second-offense habitual offender with prior convictions including assault, identity theft and bank fraud.

Prosecutors say that on Aug. 15, 2025, police conducted a traffic stop near Hemphill Road near Fenton Road due to a fake license plate. A deputy testified in court that after stopping Barnes, she refused to give her driver’s license and refused to get out of the vehicle. The deputy attempted to open the driver’s side door, but Barnes slammed it closed, according to prosecutors.

She was then arrested with the help of a second deputy.

Prosecutors say Barnes represented herself in court and testified that her twin sister was the driver.

“A traffic stop is not a negotiation. When a deputy asks for your license and lawfully asks you to step out of the car, the law requires you to comply,” said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. “What began as a traffic stop over a license plate ended in a felony conviction for this defendant and it never had to get to this point.”

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 Joseph Buczek

Click here for updates on this story

    DETRIOT, Michigan (WWJ) — A 15-year-old Detroit boy is charged with the robbery and murder of a 14-year-old boy on the city’s west side.

The 15-year-old is charged with one count each of first-degree murder, felony murder, armed robbery, two counts of lying to a police officer and three counts of felony firearm. The teen is not being charged as an adult but has been adult-designated, meaning that if he is convicted, a judge can sentence the teen as either an adult, a juvenile or a blended sentence, Wayne County prosecutors said.

Detroit police responded to a home in the 7000 block of Brace Street around 1:48 a.m. Sept. 13 for a reported shooting.

When officers arrived, they found a 14-year-old unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

Prosecutors allege the 15-year-old robbed the victim of his backpack and then fired a handgun at the 14-year-old before leaving the area. Prosecutors accuse the 15-year-old of lying to police during their investigation.

The 15-year-old turned himself in to Detroit police on Sept. 17.

The teen was arraigned Wednesday afternoon at the Juvenile Detention Facility, and next has a probable cause conference on Sept. 29.

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 Marissa Perlman

Click here for updates on this story

    CHICAGO, Illinois (WBBM) — A warning for millions of people who use MyChart to check their medical records. Scammers are now impersonating the patient portal, using realistic-looking emails, texts, and websites to try to steal personal information and, in some cases, get malware on your computer.

It doesn’t appear these MyChart scams have reached Chicago area hospital systems yet, but Northwestern Medicine is warning patients to be aware, and offering tips to protect their personal information.

The scams look like a message from your doctor’s office, and include the MyChart logo, a link to check your medical results, and maybe even a warning that something needs your immediate attention.

Jake Braun, executive director of the Cyber Policy Initiative at University of Chicago, said that sense of urgency is exactly what scammers are counting on.

“It’s convincing, because one wouldn’t assume that their doctor would be the source of a scam,” he said.

Braun said the way the scams are rolled out have become even more sophisticated.

“Now, with AI, they can make the usage and grammar so natural that folks just assume it’s their doctor,” he said.

Epic — the company behind MyChart — said scammers are using fake websites that can look almost identical to the real thing.

In one example, a phony MyChart site shows users fake medical results and then claims they need to complete a verification step.

The instructions can actually tell people to press certain keys on their computer — a move that can allow malware to be installed.

Some scam messages promise a free “Medicare kit” or other benefit, and ask for personal or payment information.

Braun said parents need to be aware these scammers are now targeting young people-

“The fastest growing group being targeted in the country right now are actually children, minors, because the kids all have phones. They don’t know what they can click on and can’t click on, and as a parent, I worry as much about my father and what he’s being sent as I do my 15-year-old kids and what they’re seeing online. And I think people really need to educate their children on this as well, because they’re a top target,” he said.

Braun said the operators are often targeting Americans, but working outside the United States, and there needs to be more federal resources put into tracking down who’s behind the scams.

“It’s unclear who exactly the bad buys are in this case. Oftentimes these are Russian organized crime groups. Sometimes domestic. Oftentimes there are groups that are actually in basically slave labor camps in places like Myanmar that are forced to do these types of scams,” he said.

If a website that appears to be MyChart tells you to run a computer command, download a program to see your lab results, or override a security warning, you should stop.

Epic said MyChart itself has not been compromised. The company said these attacks are using the MyChart name and brand to trick people, so patients can continue safely using the portal, but should be careful about how they access 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 Stephen Swanson

Click here for updates on this story

    BLOOMINGTON, Minnesota (WCCO) — Former Republican Minnesota state senator Justin Eichorn was sentenced Wednesday to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to attempted possession of child pornography following a 2025 child sex sting arrest.

Eichorn, 42, was also sentenced to a five-year term of supervised release after serving his sentence. Federal prosecutors had sought a lifetime term for the former Grand Rapids politician.

He was arrested in March 2025 in Bloomington after undercover police officers, posing as a 17-year-old girl online, arranged to meet in the city for sex.

According to the federal criminal complaint, Eichorn texted a number found in an online prostitution ad and asked about prices of various sex acts. The ad was placed by the Bloomington Police Department earlier that month amid a targeted operation to combat commercial sex trafficking.

Court documents show when officers told Eichorn the girl’s age in a text exchange, he responded by noting the age of consent in Minnesota is 16. During his arrest, officers found $130 cash, a condom and two cellphones in his vehicle.

He was initially charged with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, but that count was dropped in a May plea deal where he admitted he tried to pay for sex with a minor and pleaded guilty to attempted child porn possession because he asked the girl to text him nude photos.

WCCO reported at the time of that plea that Eichorn faced 15 to 21 months in prison under federal sentencing guidelines, with at least five years of supervised release — a range Wednesday’s sentence fell within, though the lifetime supervision term exceeds it.

“Today [Eichorn] told the judge, ‘What I did was both morally wrong and a serious crime, and I have no one to blame but myself.’ The judge sentenced him to 16 months. That is within the range both sides agreed to in the plea agreement, and the judge declined the government’s request for five years in prison,” said Brent Hannafan, one of Eichorn’s attorneys.

Ultimately, the judge emphasized Eichorn’s intent in responding to the advertisement. The judge said Eichorn texted and called the number nine times before receiving a response, and noted the four-day gap in responding, during which time he could have stopped.

Eichorn asked the judge to let him return to his family so he can return to his role of being a father. He will spend the time behind bars at a facility in Duluth and will receive credit for five months he has already served. When he is released, he’ll have to register as a sex offender.

Eichorn was first charged in Hennepin County, but prosecutors dropped their case when federal charges were announced.

Eichorn, a Grand Rapids Republican, was first elected in 2016 to represent Minnesota’s Sixth District. He resigned days after his arrest amid bipartisan calls for his ouster.

Senate Republican colleagues had said they would move to expel him from the chamber if he didn’t step down, and Democrats were prepared to join them to reach the two-thirds majority needed for expulsion.

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 Eric Henderson

Click here for updates on this story

    ST. PAUL, Minnesota (WCCO) — St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry is suing Mayor Kaohly Her and the city, alleging she sexually harassed him for months and that city officials retaliated against him after he reported it.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court, demands a jury trial and asks for damages on six separate counts: violations of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, the Minnesota Whistleblower Act and the Minnesota Human Rights Act against the city, plus aiding-and-abetting and common-law battery claims against Her individually.

Henry first raised the allegations in April, when his attorney, Chris Madel, notified the St. Paul city attorney that Henry was filing a formal complaint. The city hired an outside law firm to investigate. On Sept. 18, Her’s office released a summary finding the sexual harassment and retaliation claims “unsubstantiated,” though it found Her had engaged in “offensive and inappropriate behavior.”

In a statement at the time, Her said she was “too informal” in her communications and had “crossed lines” that violated the city’s workplace conduct policy. Henry has called for the full investigative report, which has not been made public, to be released.

Henry’s lawsuit claims Her repeatedly made sexual comments to Henry beginning in late December 2025, days after she was elected. The suit says Her displayed doctored, sexualized photos of Henry and other officers, including in Henry’s own office, and drove unannounced to a golf simulator in Woodbury where Henry was spending personal time.

It also alleges Her made noises simulating an orgasm while working out in the police department’s gym — allegations Madel had previously raised on WCCO Radio.

The suit also claims that during a March 18 police department budget meeting, Her placed her hand on Henry’s upper thigh beneath a conference table without his consent, then did it again minutes later, prompting Henry to push back from the table. The suit says Assistant Chief Paul Ford witnessed the contact.

“An independent investigation did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation against any city employee. The Mayor will continue to lead Saint Paul and follow the recommendations of the report,” a spokesperson for Her said. “Beyond that, the City of Saint Paul doesn’t comment on active litigation.”

Henry is seeking more than $50,000 in damages on each count, the amount state court rules require him to state for claims that size.

Chris Madel, who represents Henry, said the chief “didn’t come forward for attention or advantage — he came forward because what happened was wrong and needed to be reported.”

Henry has led the St. Paul Police Department since 2022 and has served in the department for 28 years. Her, the city’s first female and first Hmong American mayor, took office in January.

In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Her said she “will continue to lead Saint Paul and follow the recommendations of the report,” but added that the city does not comment on active litigation.

Separately, on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Her announced that St. Paul police would no longer be providing security for the mayor, and that Ramsey County deputies will be taking over the job.

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 Doug Myers

Click here for updates on this story

    DALLAS, Texas (KTVT) — Nearly five years after police allege he shot a North Texas man during a catalytic converter theft, the suspected shooter has been arrested in Mexico, extradited to Dallas, and booked into jail, authorities said.

The U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force took 22-year-old Juvencio Solorzano into custody on Monday. Solorzano is charged with capital murder in connection with the 2021 killing of Sergio Maas, according to the Dallas Police Department.

Maas, 22, was shot and killed on Dec. 1, 2021, at 3233 Sumter Drive in Dallas.

Dallas police found Maas fatally shot inside his apartment.

The case was initially investigated with no confirmed motive or circumstances immediately known.

Investigators later learned he had been shot after confronting people near his Toyota Sequoia by activating the vehicle’s alarm from his balcony.

In 2022, Dallas police identified Solorzano as the suspected shooter and warned that he should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Solorzano remained wanted until his arrest in Mexico this week.

CBS News Texas will provide updates as more information becomes available.

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.