Category: CNN Regional

By KITV Web Staff

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — A remarkable World War II love story is now becoming part of Pearl Harbor history.

Alice Beck Darrow, a 106-year-old former Navy nurse, has donated the bullet that once threatened her future husband’s life to the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

During the attack on Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, fire controlman Dean Darrow survived torpedoes, gunfire and burning waters before doctors later discovered a bullet lodged in his heart. Alice cared for him as surgeons removed it, and the two fell in love.

The couple eventually got married and raised four children. Surrounded by family and service members, Alice said it was finally time for the bullet to belong to the public.

“All these years I’ve been thinking I’ve gotta put that bullet in a museum because it isn’t fair just to have it in the family, it needs to be somewhere everyone can see it,” Alice shared.

Alice said the donation is bittersweet, but she hopes the bullet will stand as a symbol of survival, sacrifice and the lasting bonds born from war.

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By Jeramie Bizzle

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    WILL COUNTY, Illinois (WBBM) — Sensitive content warning: Information about alleged child abuse in this story may be difficult for some readers.

A man and a woman were charged after authorities said they buried an infant child at a home in Will County last year.

Nicole Pokrzywa, 36, and William Cosmen, 38, were charged on Saturday with one count of desecration of a corpse.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday said it received information on an infant that was possibly buried in the 1900 block of Roberts Road in Wilmington, Illinois.

Detectives learned that in October of 2024, Pokrzywa had given birth to a child, and the remains of the infant were buried on the Roberts Road property. She was believed to be six to eight months pregnant at the time of the birth, the office said.

According to the office, detectives learned that the infant’s remains were marked with a large rock on top of the burial site. Following the investigation, a search warrant for the residential property was obtained, and Pokrzywa and Cosmen, both from Manhattan, Illinois, were placed into custody and detained on Friday morning.

Detectives and crime scene investigators found the area where the infant was reportedly buried. Investigators dug about 3 feet and found an Old-Style Beer box with the infant’s remains inside, wrapped in a plastic bag and cloth, the office said.

Pokrzywa and Cosmen were both interviewed by detectives and made incriminating statements about the infant’s death.

Both said that Pokryzwa gave birth to the infant at a residence in the 400 Block of North Street in Manhattan, Illinois.

They said the child was born in a toilet, and that Cosmen attempted to dispose of the infant’s body by forcing the body down the toilet drain with a plunger, the office said.

After realizing that the infant’s body would not fit down the drain, they left the deceased infant inside the toilet overnight. The infant was later removed and wrapped in a plastic bag and a green shirt and taken to the Roberts Road residence.

The pair said they dug a hole that was 3 feet wide by 4 feet deep, and buried the child.

The infant was described as weighing 5-7 pounds at the time of delivery. An autopsy was performed and concluded that the age of the female infant child was between 22-27 weeks old, the office said.

Additional testing of biological materials removed from the female infant is needed due to the level of decomposition.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office said it will continue to work with the State’s Attorney’s office on additional charges once further testing of the remains is completed.

On Saturday, Pokrzywa and Cosmen were taken to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.

No official court date was released.

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By Adam Duxter

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    Minnesota (WCCO) — Minnesotans lined up for a chance to give back Saturday morning — as Bridging worked to collect new and gently used blankets ahead of the winter season during its annual “Bring a Blanket for Bridging” event.

At four Original Mattress Factories, volunteers worked to bag and save the blankets — which will eventually go to support thousands of families across the Twin Cities metro and beyond.

The non-profit, which works to provide household items to families in transitional housing, says they have a need for over 15,000 blankets annually.

“When this snow comes, and the cold comes, our donors and our community go, oh, that’s right – you need blankets,” said Diana Dalsin of Bridging. “If you have a small batch of funds in your hands, are going to pay rent, buy food, and buy a new blanket. This is the gift.”

Sarah Pederson and Lexi Rimer were the first two cars in line at the Maplewood drop-off site. The paid said they showed up hours ahead of time – looking to give back.

“It’s honestly such a big thing – especially being in Minnesota, being warm and having basic necessity like a blanket shouldn’t be a concern,” Pederson said. “Knowing that I had these extra blankets, why not take an opportunity to help others and help ease whatever they’re going through?”

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By Logan Smith

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    Colorado (KCNC) — A 55-year-old Lakewood man who worked for the federal government was sentenced to prison this week for fraudulently diverting approximately $1 million from his employer for personal use.

James Montoya was sentenced Tuesday to 41 months behind bars. He was also ordered to repay $1,122,009.47.

Montoya was employed as an Information Technology (IT) Specialist for the United State Geological Survey (USGS) which has offices in Lakewood. He was hired by the agency in 1996 and started working in the IT position in 2002.

A year later, Montoya began falsifying expense reports in order to shift money to personal Paypal accounts, per case documents. The activity wasn’t noticed until 15 years later. Then, in 2023, an examination of employee accounts by the U.S. Department of Interior (which oversees the USGS) drew attention to Montoya’s accounts.

“An investigation revealed that Montoya successfully concealed improper purchases for years by submitting altered receipts, and fictitious invoices and other documentation to USGS claiming that these purchases were for IT-related items or services,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Colorado, stated in a press release. “In fact, the defendant did not provide any IT-related items or services to USGS and many of these purchases were for personal items including, but not limited to, vintage and collectible toys as well as car parts.”

The investigation revealed Montoya directed just over $1 million to his three Paypal accounts which he had falsely portrayed as vendors providing products to the USGS. Montoya disputed the total amount, according to court records, and claimed the total was $922,000.

More than $120,000 was falsely attributed to legitimate USGS vendors through fake invoices.

His personal purchases included leather electric seats for his pickup truck and replica toys from a Disneyland Tokyo amusement park ride, according to a case document.

A federal grand jury issued an indictment in August 2024 charging Montoya with eight counts of wire fraud. He pleaded guilty to a single count in March.

“The defendant stole the funds and laid low in the hopes his theft would not be caught,” prosecutors proclaimed in a court document in which they argued for a 46-month sentence. “The length of this offense and the frequency of the defendant’s theft, nearly every month of the period of the scheme, contribute to its seriousness.”

Montoya has until January 12, 2026, to report to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his term.

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By Carlos E. Castañeda, Brandon Downs

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — A social worker who was stabbed Thursday inside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital has died, officials said.

The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office said at about 1:30 p.m., hospital workers requested additional security for a doctor who had received threats from a patient. While providing security for the doctor, a deputy heard a disturbance in a hospital hallway involving a suspect and the social worker from the University of California, San Francisco, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The deputy immediately intervened and restrained the suspect, while medical staff on site tended to the 31-year-old social worker, who was stabbed in the neck and shoulder, the office said.

The unidentified social worker was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. In an update Saturday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said the staff member died from their injuries.

“Keeping our staff, patients, and community safe is our highest priority,” SFDPH said in a statement. “DPH and the hospital have already taken steps like adding more security, limiting access points, and speeding up the installation of weapons detection systems.”

Deputies recovered a five-inch kitchen knife believed to have been used in the attack. The 35-year-old male suspect was at the hospital for a scheduled appointment and had reportedly made previous threats to the doctor, the Sheriff’s Office said.

There was no ongoing threat to the public, the office said.

On Friday, San Francisco police identified the suspect as 34-year-old Wilfredo Tortolero Arriechi of San Francisco. He was booked on charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, mayhem, and being armed during the commission of a felony.

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By Terell Bailey

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    OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan (WWJ) — In Oakland County, Michigan, some scammers are working hard to make sure their pockets end up delightful this holiday season.

“I imagine they’re well into $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, doing this frequently,” Tom Jones, owner of Funky Monkey Toys in Oxford, Michigan, said.

The toy store has been open for over 15 years.

On Black Friday, the business experienced a first: someone paying with counterfeit cash.

“[A] $100 bill and they’ve bought $20 worth of merchandise, meaning they got about $75 of real money back,” Jones explained.

The counterfeit marker didn’t tip employees off about the situation. They realized they’d been duped when the money was taken to the bank.

“It happened here four times that I know of in Oxford. It’s also happened in Lake Orion. I don’t know if it’s the same person, individual, or group,” Jones explained.

Oakland County deputies are looking into the situation. Aside from counterfeit detection pins, officials advise checking the texture of the bill. If it’s slippery, it could be fake.

“Hold it to the light. There’s a watermark in bills. You can buy an inexpensive UV light. And UV lights will tell you very specifically, each denomination has a specific color, so, for example, a $5 bill is blue,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said.

The bills used were purported to be older $100 bills.

“This is just my guess; they’re actually using money paper, bleaching it and putting imprints on top,” Jones said.

Since Black Friday, businesses in downtown Oxford have been on high alert.

“It’s almost like an insult to these businesses. We support this community, and the community supports us,” Jones explained.

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