Category: CNN Regional

By Michael Logerwell

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    OTERO COUNTY, Colorado (KRDO) — An Otero County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy is just beginning the long road to recovery after falling nearly 40 feet down a canal embankment while responding to a vehicle crash, involving four teenagers on March 20.

“When I landed in the canal, it was very clear. I heard a pop,” said Deputy Joe Pentlicki, a member of the agency’s Reserve Posse.

Dep. Pentlicki shattered his pelvis during a rescue effort near Otero County Road 805. Since that night, he’s had two surgeries and is facing a lengthy recovery.

After he and fellow deputies arrived at the scene, Pentlicki says he was looking for the least steep way down into the canal, while Detective Sergeant Tyson Duran was grabbing his medical kit from the car. Pentlicki says his plan was to slide down the canal to get to the injured occupants out of the car.

But that’s not what happened.

“I think my foot hung up on something, and next thing I knew, I was upright. And then, I actually remember doing at least two somersaults before landing in the canal,” Pentlicki said.

Pentlicki has been with the Otero County Sheriff’s Office for years, but not as a full-time deputy. Rather, he’s been a member of the sheriff’s posse since 2021, which is a volunteer position.

That means he rides along to support the other deputies and works security. He says it’s another way to give back to the community.

And he’s already excited to get back to it.

“I won’t stop. Honestly, when you’re – when you’re with that group of people, you are making a difference for others, and that has really always been my motivation in life is making a difference for others,” Pentlicki said.

But now it’s the community’s turn to give back to this officer.

“When I got discharged from the hospital, when they were letting me out on Thursday, I had a walker, but there’s stairs up into my house. The Rocky Ford Police Chief met me at my house to help carry me up the stairs into the house to make sure I could get home. Those things mean a lot,” Pentlicki recalled.

Pentlicki’s family has started a GoFundMe to help supplement the loss of income from being out of work at his day job.

As for the teenagers in the car, Colorado State Patrol, who are investigating the crash, tells KRDO13 three of them sustained moderate injuries, and one sustained serious injuries and needed to be flown to the hospital that night.

Nobody in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt.

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 Conor McGill

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    LINCOLN, California (KOVR) — At Scott Leaman Elementary School, you can’t miss them.

Wearing bright vests and greeting students with big smiles, a group of fathers is making a big impact on campus. They’re part of Watch D.O.G.S. a national initiative focused on student safety and mentorship.

Leading the effort is program coordinator Tyler Nethaway, who says his motivation is deeply personal.

“I lost a parent very young and I’m recognizing that the positive mentorship I had, has made me successful as a contributor to society,” Nethaway said.

Now, he’s working to provide that same support for students at Scott Leaman Elementary School. The group includes about 50 dads who volunteer their time on campus, serving as extra eyes and ears while also building meaningful connections with students.

Nethaway says their role goes beyond supervision.

“Making sure the campus is safe, teaching lessons like sportsmanship, helping a friend up and saying thank you. Just kind of those things like that I’m seeing a huge benefit,” he said.

The Watch D.O.G.S. program began in 1998 following the Westside Middle School shooting in Arkansas. What started as a local effort has grown into a nationwide movement, now reaching nearly 9,000 schools across the country.

Principal Cinnamon Jonsrud says the dads bring something unique to campus.

“They bring a level of excitement and enthusiasm and connection that is a little bit different than what our staff can bring because they’re family,” Jonsrud said.

For students, the presence of the dads is often a highlight of the day.

“It’s fun getting to know everyone’s dad. It’s really fun and amazing, I love it,” said second grader Ava Grauke.

And for the volunteers, the experience is just as meaningful.

“It’s actually kind of therapy for me. I have a stressful job and coming out here is a benefit to me as well,” Nethaway said.

From high-fives in the cafeteria to helping on the playground, these dads are proving that a simple presence can make a lasting impact.

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 Ryan Loomer

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    BOONVILLE, Missouri (KOMU) — Editor’s Note This story contains graphic allegations that describe physical and sexual abuse. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is 988 and the national sexual assault hotline is 1-800-656-4673.

The leader of the Mercy and Truth Retreat in Cooper County, who is accused of abusing residents and forcing them to work for him without pay, appeared in court in Cooper County via video call on Tuesday.

Sam B. Shetler, 42, of Boonville, was arrested on March 25 and charged with two counts of trafficking for the purposes of slavery/involuntary servitude/or forced labor and one count of first-degree sodomy or attempted sodomy. Shetler appeared for an arraignment hearing on March 27 and entered a plea of not guilty, according to court records.

In court Tuesday, Shetler told Judge Keith Bail he does not have an attorney because he has not been able to talk to his family or his church. Shetler also refused to fill out a public defender application.

“I would prefer to first talk to my family and my church because I’m still not sure if my church approves of that,” Shetler said, “so if I’m allowed to, I would like to first communicate with my family and my church and make sure I’m not doing something against the church.”

Mercy and Truth is a retreat for Amish and Mennonite community members that Shetler has owned and operated since 2022, according to court documents. A probable cause statement written by a Cooper County Sheriff’s Office detective sergeant describes the retreat as being for individuals who are “morally or mentally disabled and or in need of counseling or therapy services.”

“The retreat was under the control of one individual who took advantage of his position in the Amish Community to control, manipulate, coerce, and force vulnerable people for his own profit in different forms,” Cooper County Sheriff Chris Class said in the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook post announcing the charges.

Between 2022 and 2026, the Cooper County Sheriff’s Office received numerous phone calls regarding “cult-like” suspicious, abusive, sexual and neglectful behavior from Shetler to his residents at the retreat, the probable cause statement said. Due to cultural differences, several reports were unfounded or unable to be fully investigated, according to the probable cause statement.

The statement also noted that someone explained that he and other young men and boys were forced to work at Shetler’s private businesses and private farms. He said the workers allegedly were not paid for their labor and that the majority of them were not receiving counseling or therapy from Shetler.

Another person said they worked to train Shetler’s horses, worked in the fields, worked at a wood pallet shop or the sawmill and were often “leased out” to “English” people for work; adding that any money paid was given to Shetler only, according to the probable cause statement. He said he went to the retreat to receive counseling and guidance but was never given time with Shetler and instead was forced to work for him, according to the statement.

Witnesses said forms of punishment at the retreat for not taking pills, not working or not obeying Shelter would range from sleeping in the attic during the winter, sitting in the “icehouse,” being tied or chained up, force-fed pills, verbal abuse, being “spanked,” continued forced labor and being forced into the “safe room,” according to the probable cause statement.

The probable cause statement also described an allegation of Shetler having unwanted sexual contact with a girl who was staying at the retreat when she was 13 or 14 years old.

“Through interviews, letters, and investigations, a consistent scheme, plan, and pattern was established,” the statement said. “Sam would mentally manipulate and mentally torture juvenile females, and young women into believing they were ‘demon possessed’ or that ‘evil spirits’ were present in order to ‘control’ them in exchange for self-gratification.”

Shetler is being held at the Cooper County Jail, and his bond was set at $100,000 cash or surety.

His next hearing, a counsel status hearing, is set for 10:30 a.m. on April 7 at the Cooper County Courthouse.

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 KOMU Digital Staff

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    BOONVILLE, Missouri (KOMU) — A suspect charged in connection to an armed robbery at the Isle of Capri casino in Boonville appeared in court via video call on Tuesday.

Benjamin Charles, 21, an employee of the casino, was arrested on charges of first-degree robbery, armed criminal action and tampering with physical evidence in felony prosecution, according to court documents.

He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Tuesday.

A probable cause statement alleged that Charles, acting alongside 20-year-old Hollis Vanleer, entered the casino around 2 p.m. Wednesday carrying guns, then stole $1,276,000 from the bank area of the casino.

While the suspects were trying to escape, someone at the casino tackled one of the suspects and a fight ensued, according to the probable cause statement.

While the first suspect and the patron were fighting, the second suspect approached and struck the patron in the face and head numerous times with his fist, ending the fight and allowing the suspects to exit the building, according to the statement.

Charles and Vanleer were identified as the suspects, and Missouri Gaming Commission officers identified Charles as an employee of the Isle of Capri casino who was on duty on Thursday night, according to the probable cause statement. He was detained at the casino, according to the statement.

During an interview with investigators, Charles allegedly said he and Vanleer transported the money stolen from the casino out of Missouri, where the money was concealed, according to the probable cause statement.

Charles is being held at the Cooper County Jail on a $1.3 million bond.

Vanleer is currently at large and has a warrant out for his arrest, according to court documents.

“We’re confident we’re going to locate the second subject,” Missouri State Highway Patrol Lt. Eric Brown said Monday. “It’s not a matter of if, more as a matter of when, we’re going to locate him and make an arrest.”

Brown said agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting with the investigation.

“A couple of biggest things that they’re able to help with is one manpower … and their ability to work in neighboring states across the nation. It becomes very important and very helpful to have those law enforcement investigative authorities and powers in the areas that we’re working in as we follow leads and in search for the remaining suspect,” Brown said. “We were able to get someone into custody. That shows how important those working relationships are with our federal local and state police agencies.”

Brown said this investigation does not have a special task force dedicated to it.

“We have a lot of experience across our agency and with the officers involved in this investigation,” Brown said. “This is one of the larger robberies that we can remember in our careers.”

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 Nick Lentz

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    Michigan (WWJ) — A lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges a Washtenaw County, Michigan, teen was “violently assaulted” by a garbage truck driver after the teen’s mother tried to drive past the vehicle, leaving the girl with a concussion.

The incident happened on March 5 while the mother, identified as Doreen Whelan, was driving her two sons, ages 17 and 4, to school in Whitmore Lake, Michigan, according to the suit.

Whelan encountered the garbage truck, owned by Duncan Disposal, “during the course of her route,” the lawsuit said. She tried to pass it without realizing the driver, whose age has yet to be disclosed, was going to reverse the rig into a roadway.

According to the court document, “Upon realizing that the garbage truck was backing up, Ms. Whelan began to reverse her vehicle to move out of the garbage truck’s path.”

The garbage truck driver started yelling “vulgar obscenities and profanities” at Whelan and her children and “displayed his middle finger” toward them, the lawsuit said. He continued to yell at them after Whelan asked him to stop.

Whelan’s 17-year-old son then asked the driver to stop yelling at them, the lawsuit said. In response, the driver jumped out of the truck, sprinted toward Whelan’s vehicle and punched, kicked and grabbed the teen, according to the court document.

The lawsuit said the driver’s knuckles were visibly bleeding after the assault.

Whelan was panicked by the assault, according to the court document, and struggled to unbuckle her seat belt. When she did, the driver started to approach her “in an aggressive and threatening manner.”

Bystanders then intervened and de-escalated the situation, the lawsuit said. The driver was later arrested.

According to the suit, the driver winked at Whelan’s children in a “deliberate, menacing, and taunting gesture” while being arrested to “further intimidate and traumatize them.”

Whelan’s teenage son was diagnosed with a concussion, sprained ankle and possible rib fracture, the court document said. He has since been unable to attend school and extracurricular activities, including baseball and track.

The lawsuit accuses the driver, named as a defendant, of assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Duncan Disposal, also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, is accused of vicarious liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and negligent entrustment. The court document, citing “information and belief,” said the company “knew or, in the exercise of reasonable diligence,” should have known that the driver “had a propensity for violence, aggression, and/or volatile behavior.”

According to the lawsuit, the company also failed to vet the driver’s “fitness for employment” and provide adequate training and oversight during his time with Duncan Disposal.

The family is asking for at least $75,000 in compensation, per the suit.

A spokesperson for the company said they didn’t have a statement about the lawsuit and that the driver has since been fired. CBS Detroit has reached out to law enforcement authorities and is awaiting a response.

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 Nick Lentz

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    Michigan (WWJ) — A lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges a Washtenaw County, Michigan, teen was “violently assaulted” by a garbage truck driver after the teen’s mother tried to drive past the vehicle, leaving the girl with a concussion.

The incident happened on March 5 while the mother, identified as Doreen Whelan, was driving her two sons, ages 17 and 4, to school in Whitmore Lake, Michigan, according to the suit.

Whelan encountered the garbage truck, owned by Duncan Disposal, “during the course of her route,” the lawsuit said. She tried to pass it without realizing the driver, whose age has yet to be disclosed, was going to reverse the rig into a roadway.

According to the court document, “Upon realizing that the garbage truck was backing up, Ms. Whelan began to reverse her vehicle to move out of the garbage truck’s path.”

The garbage truck driver started yelling “vulgar obscenities and profanities” at Whelan and her children and “displayed his middle finger” toward them, the lawsuit said. He continued to yell at them after Whelan asked him to stop.

Whelan’s 17-year-old son then asked the driver to stop yelling at them, the lawsuit said. In response, the driver jumped out of the truck, sprinted toward Whelan’s vehicle and punched, kicked and grabbed the teen, according to the court document.

The lawsuit said the driver’s knuckles were visibly bleeding after the assault.

Whelan was panicked by the assault, according to the court document, and struggled to unbuckle her seat belt. When she did, the driver started to approach her “in an aggressive and threatening manner.”

Bystanders then intervened and de-escalated the situation, the lawsuit said. The driver was later arrested.

According to the suit, the driver winked at Whelan’s children in a “deliberate, menacing, and taunting gesture” while being arrested to “further intimidate and traumatize them.”

Whelan’s teenage son was diagnosed with a concussion, sprained ankle and possible rib fracture, the court document said. He has since been unable to attend school and extracurricular activities, including baseball and track.

The lawsuit accuses the driver, named as a defendant, of assault and battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Duncan Disposal, also named as a defendant in the lawsuit, is accused of vicarious liability, negligent hiring, retention and supervision, and negligent entrustment. The court document, citing “information and belief,” said the company “knew or, in the exercise of reasonable diligence,” should have known that the driver “had a propensity for violence, aggression, and/or volatile behavior.”

According to the lawsuit, the company also failed to vet the driver’s “fitness for employment” and provide adequate training and oversight during his time with Duncan Disposal.

The family is asking for at least $75,000 in compensation, per the suit.

A spokesperson for the company said they didn’t have a statement about the lawsuit and that the driver has since been fired. CBS Detroit has reached out to law enforcement authorities and is awaiting a response.

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 Erin Lowrey

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    Louisiana (WDSU) — It’s the worst time of the year in New Orleans — stinging caterpillars are back.

According to the LSU AgCenter, buck moth caterpillars become a problem in the spring in Louisiana due to their spines that are covered in venom.

The caterpillars often fall from trees, and if they land on a person, can sting them.

This is especially concerning ahead of Easter egg hunts this weekend.

The venom can cause symptoms such as itching and burning as well as nausea, according to the LSU AgCenter.

Anyone who comes into contact with a stinging caterpillar should take antihistamines and apply a cold compress to the area that is affected.

Pain can last up to 24 hours, according to the LSU Ag Center.

People should also remove the caterpillar hairs from their skin by using tape and then washing the area with soap and water.

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 Ashley Sharp

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KOVR) — A Sacramento mother is now back in the United States after she was detained and deported just 24 hours after what she thought would be a routine immigration appointment in late February.

Maria de Jesus Estrada Juarez has lived in the U.S. for nearly thirty years and has protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

A federal lawsuit was filed on her behalf, and on March 23, a judge granted emergency relief, ruling her deportation was unlawful and ordering her return within the next seven days.

Just hours before that deadline would pass, Estrada Juarez was allowed to cross the border on March 30 and back into the arms of her daughter, who was born in the U.S.

“I was taken away from my daughter without a warning. I didn’t get to prepare, I didn’t get to say goodbye. I didn’t get a real chance to speak to a judge or defend myself. It all happened so fast,” Estrada Juarez said.

Estrada Juarez says she showed up on February 18 at the John E. Moss Federal Building in Downtown Sacramento for an appointment regarding the status of her green card application.

She was denied and deported the next day to Mexico.

“This has been one of the most painful experiences of my life as a mother, being separated from my child like that made me feel helpless, not knowing if she was okay broke my heart, in a way I can’t fully describe,” she said through tears.

Damaris Bello, her daughter, waited in agony for her mother’s return, not sure if it would happen.

“She has built her life here with honesty and hard work. But instead of coming home, she was detained and deported in less than a day. We didn’t get to say goodbye,” said Bello. “It was like grieving someone who was still alive. This should never happen to anyone.”

Advocates say Estrada Juarez should never have been deported and fear other wrongful deportations are happening nationwide.

“There was two things that happened very wrong in Maria’s case. One, it was that she was unlawfully deported because she was a DACA recipient. And two, it was that basis of that deportation was all on a removal order from 1998 that actually was never final to begin with,” said Maria Braley, an advocate with Fwd US.

Stacy Tolchin, Estrada Juarez’s attorney, called the case shocking.

“My mind was blown. Nobody before this would have thought that the government would knowingly deport somebody with DACA,” Tolchin said.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed Estrada Juraez did receive due process.

“DACA does not confer any form of legal status in this country. Any illegal alien who is a DACA recipient may be subject to arrest and deportation for a number of reasons including if they’ve committed a crime,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said.

DHS alleges Estrada Juarez re-entered the country illegally, which her attorney claims is not true.

For Sacramento’s vice mayor, a daughter of immigrant parents, the news of the wrongful deportation of one of her constituents hit too close to home.

“The Trump administration has caused people to live in fear of their own safety and that of their families. That’s not the America that I know. This is a nation built by immigrants for immigrants, and it should stay that way,” said Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes.

Advocates hope this case calls attention to a need for widespread change.

“What we are seeing across the country right now is not normal. Families are being separated with little warning. People are being detained despite having protections. Communities are being destabilized in ways that should concern all of us. Maria’s case makes that real,” Braley said.

Estrada Juarez says she hopes sharing her story will help others.

“What happened to me, it should not happen to anyone. I am home now, and I will use my voice to make sure others are not silenced or taken away,” Estrada Juarez said.

Now, Tolchin said she is focused on getting Estrada Juarez’s DACA status renewed which expires at the end of April. She will also keep trying to get Estrada Juarez the green card she was working toward before she was denied and deported.

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.