Category: CNN Regional

By Ricardo Tovar

Click here for updates on this story

    SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, California (KSBW) — Two people were rescued Wednesday afternoon after rising tides swept them into the water near Yellow Bank Beach, according to CAL FIRE.

Crews responded to a confirmed water rescue and deployed rescue swimmers, with about eight in the water at one point during the operation.

One patient was brought in at Yellow Bank Beach and taken to a local hospital. A second patient was rescued at another nearby beach, hauled in using a Stokes basket and also taken to a local hospital.

Both victims were believed to be women in their 20s.

Santa Cruz County Volunteer Fire Captain Kyle Breton said both people were believed to have been sleeping near the Keyhole area when the tide came in and caught them off guard. Responders said the Keyhole is often used to access Yellow Bank Beach, but people can quickly become trapped by incoming tides.

CAL FIRE said the rescue was the fifth performed in the past month along a 1-mile stretch of coastline between Yellow Bank Beach and Bonny Doon Beach.

The rescue involved multiple agencies, including CAL FIRE CZU, CAL FIRE SCU Alma Helitack Copter 614, California State Lifeguard rescue swimmers, Santa Cruz City rescue swimmers, Central Fire District, Santa Cruz Fire, Santa Cruz County, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office and State Lifeguards.

Officials said that during the after-action briefing, responders were alerted to another emergency within Santa Cruz city limits, prompting city crews to quickly clear the scene and respond.

No additional information about the patients’ conditions was immediately 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.

By Allison Petro

Click here for updates on this story

    PALM COAST, Florida (WESH) — A man is facing charges after he was accused of exposing himself to a 15-year-old boy and attempting to enter the teen’s shower at a Planet Fitness gym in Palm Coast.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 34-year-old Craig Stevens Jr.

Deputies responded to the gym on Feb. 25 after receiving reports of a possible sex offense in the men’s locker room.

The 15-year-old victim said he entered the locker room and noticed Stevens Jr. naked in the shower with the curtain completely open, according to deputies.

The teen reported feeling uncomfortable and entered a separate shower stall with the curtain completely closed.

The FCSO said that once the teen began showering, Stevens Jr. walked to the teen’s shower stall, pulled back the curtain, and exposed himself.

Stevens Jr. allegedly told the victim, “I thought you said I join you?”

The victim immediately said “No,” at which point Stevens Jr. left the gym, according to the FCSO.

The FCSO explained that Stevens Jr. entered the gym using a family member’s membership.

A photo lineup was conducted in which the victim identified Stevens Jr. as the suspect in the incident.

Stevens Jr. was charged with one count of lewd or lascivious exhibition involving an offender 18 years of age or older and a victim younger than 16.

Stevens Jr. is currently in federal prison serving a four-year, six-month sentence after pleading guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in the Middle District of Florida.

He also has a criminal history that includes felony convictions for burglary of a dwelling and possession of stolen property, along with other misdemeanors, according to the FCSO.

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 Melanie Wingo

Click here for updates on this story

    ROSEVILLE, California (KCRA) — The next generation of firefighters is building up emergency response skills during a week-long camp experience.

Nearly 90 middle school age kids are spending Monday through Friday of this week at the Roseville Fire Training Center learning all about what it takes to be members of the fire service.

Each camp day begins with endurance, strength and agility training exercises through which campers feel the physical demands first responders face on the job.

“We’ve been doing it for almost 30 years,” said camp director James Kornweibel. “We’re almost 50/50 boys and girls and we’re exposing them to the fire service and they can do everything we do, including climb the ladders and go into our burn rooms.

Each kid has a skill they enjoy building the best.

“Oh, my favorite part is probably rappelling,” said 12-year-old camper Juniper Hall. “Rappelling is pretty fun.”

The fire service mentors are making it about as close as the kids will get to a mini fire academy experience, organizers said.

“They have team work, camaraderie, they get to work on strengths and push themselves every day,” said Kornweibel.

Thursday’s camp day will take the kids to Folsom Lake where they’ll learn emergency response on the 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 Fletcher Keel

Click here for updates on this story

    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — Two people who pleaded guilty to their role in last summer’s viral brawl in downtown Cincinnati were sentenced on Wednesday.

Aisha Devaughn was given a sixth-month sentence at River City Correctional Center, with four years of community control. She was then told by a judge to get a job or go to school and do 200 hours of community service.

Gregory Wright was sentenced to three years of community control, 200 hours of community service, ordered to maintain employment or education and a $500 fine.

Jermaine Mathews was also slated to be sentenced Wednesday, but his case was continued.

All three pleaded guilty last month to various charges, including aggravated riot, aggravated assault, and attempted felonious assault.

Mathews, Devaughn, and Wright were all involved in the brawl at 4th and Elm streets last summer that went viral online.

Two others linked to the case have already been sentenced, and two still have their case moving through the courts.

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 Kyle Schmidt

Click here for updates on this story

    LEHIGH ACRES, Florida (WBBH) — The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement arrested a man accused of stealing diesel fuel from multiple gas stations across the Gulf Coast.

Investigators said Juan Reyes-Tellez reportedly stole diesel fuel 10 different times, including at a 7-Eleven off State Road 82 in Lehigh Acres. When he was caught and arrested on June 8, investigators said he was accused of stealing 261 gallons of fuel, totaling over $1,300.

“It must be the gas price, just the economy, everything is expensive now,” Micah Albert of Lehigh Acres said.

Investigators said Reyes-Tellez reportedly carried out the thefts by using a large magnet to manipulate the fuel dispenser, allowing him to fuel up without paying. According to the report, law enforcement found the device behind the driver’s seat of his semitruck.

“I’ve never heard of something like that happening. I know times are tough right now with the gas prices being what they are. I just think that’s crazy,” Jacqueline Nunez of Lehigh Acres said.

Investigators said the reported theft was caught on surveillance video.

Reyes-Tellez is facing charges of three counts of larceny and a moving traffic violation.

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 Beth Carlson

Click here for updates on this story

    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — The two Omaha police officers call rescuing a 4-year-old from a house fire “100% instinctual.”

Omaha police released photos from body-worn cameras showing what happened during the rescue near 69th and Mason streets on Tuesday morning.

Officers David Eckstrom and Ian Baxter were responding to an abandoned car in the street near 72nd and Pacific streets when they saw an explosion and a large fire.

“I just kind of glance over to the east, well just east of us, and saw an orange glow, small, and at first thought it was like a little bonfire or something like that,” Baxter said. “It grew extremely rapidly to the point where it ended up being a big fireball.”

Baxter said he radioed to Eckstrom and asked him to go check it out. At the scene, residents told the officers that their 4-year-old son was still in the basement, officials said. Eckstrom kicked out a basement window and called for the child.

“I’m a dad before a cop,” Eckstrom said. “Every kid I see reminds me of my own kids. So just did what I could. It all happened so fast. It’s nothing you can really plan for.”

Omaha police said the child followed the sound of the officers’ voices to the window, where Eckstrom pulled him to safety.

Eckstrom suffered lacerations to his forearms from the broken glass during the rescue.

Officials said the child was treated at the scene for possible smoke inhalation, but otherwise was not injured.

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 Abby Smith, Marina Garcia

Click here for updates on this story

    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (KRDO) — The community gathered on Wednesday to celebrate the life and legacy of Jamie Novick, a flight nurse and Air Force veteran who was killed in a medical plane crash on May 14.

Novick died along with three other people when their medical plane went down.

According to ABC, four people on board a medical plane were killed when the flight crashed near Ruidoso, New Mexico. Officials say the Beechcraft King Air 90 had departed from Roswell Air Center and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport when it crashed around 4 a.m.

Jamie Novick’s family says that before becoming a flight nurse, Jamie spent five years as an ER nurse.

“When we came into the hospital, and we saw Jamie, we knew that the patient was in good hands. It’s a huge loss for our community to be without Jamie,” says Austin Pugh, who worked with Jamie for years as the deputy commander for the Colorado Springs Fire Department honor guard.

The celebration of life ceremony in Colorado Springs was well-attended, with family, friends and people from across the state filling the room.

Jamie’s uniform was displayed at the ceremony, symbolizing her dedication to nursing and blessing others.

Greg Bunch, Novick’s father, reflected on his daughter’s life, emphasizing her role as a mother. “It was truly a privilege and an honor to be Jamie’s dad. She was absolutely amazing, kid. She was worried about being a good mom. And I said, you know, when you’re worried about being a good parent, those are the ones that are good parents. And I was reminded of that as I wrote that in her Mother’s Day card, gave it to her. And that was the last time I saw her alive.”

Novick is survived by her husband and two kids.

Novick’s husband recalled meeting her when he was just 15, knowing immediately she was the one he wanted to get to know. He also spoke of her strength as a mother, noting she would cheer her children on and lift them up to be the best versions of themselves.

Loved ones stated that Novick’s infectious personality stemmed from her deep love for God.

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.