Category: CNN Regional

By Logan Smith

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    DENVER (KCNC) — A Denver Sheriff’s Department deputy accused earlier this year by female inmates of sexual harassment has resigned. A second deputy is being disciplined for failing to report one of the inmate’s complaints to superiors.

Deputy Cristian Gondor resigned Sept. 19, four days before the department concluded its investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. The department issued a letter Sept. 23 sustaining the allegations.

Two female inmates filed reports accusing Gondor of telling inappropriate jokes, hugging them, describing his arousal, leaning over their bunks with arms extended “in a way that would have prevented them from exiting,” as stated in the letter, and to repeatedly following them into the showers area. One of the inmates reported Gondor approached her bunk, rubbed her foot with the crotch of his pants, and groaned.

The inmates cited specific encounters on Feb. 28, March 14 and March 15, according to the letter. Both complaints were filed by March 15. Video recordings from the Downtown Detention Center’s surveillance system confirmed the many of the allegations.

“There were no exigent circumstances presented that permitted you to intentionally enter the shower area while female inmates were showering,” the letter stated. “Facility videos also show that you permitted inmates to walk outside of their bunks areas and around the dayroom wearing only a bra.”

Jail policy, according to the letter, allows deputies to search the shower area during routine checks, but only after announcing their intent to enter and giving inmate sufficient time to cover themselves.

In an interview with jail supervisors earlier in the department’s investigation, Gondor defended his actions. According to the letter, he denied they were for sexual gratification, and were instead intended to “diffuse” inmates, “keep the peace,” and “keep the pod safe and mellow,” in his words.

Denver Sheriff Elias Diggins released a statement Friday:

“We found Mr. Gondor’s conduct abhorrent and a violation of the trust placed in us by the community, which is why he is no longer a member of our Department.”

Another jail staff member, Deputy Ahmed Al Obaidi, was recently disciplined for not reporting Gondor’s possible infractions in the days after they occurred. An inmate approached him with allegations and named Gondor specifically.

Dep. Obaidi listened to the inmate and handed her a pencil and complaint form, but failed to report the allegations himself, according to his disciplinary letter. Dep. Obaidi begins a six-day unpaid suspension on Monday.

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By Jose Fabian

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    SACRAMENTO (KOVR/KMAX) — Sacramento police on Sunday said a thief stole a portion of a public artwork that is located in North Sacramento.

Titled “Happiness,” the bronze sculpture stands at 2109 Del Paso Boulevard, between Cantalier and Oakmont streets. Police said a portion of it was taken on Dec. 6, and they ask anyone with information about the theft to call them at 916-808-5471.

The sculpture, which features a mother and daughter, was created by Numan Begovic in 2007, and it is one of many public artworks created by Begovic and commissioned by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, according to the city’s public art map.

Other sculptures created by Begovic are also on permanent display on the Del Paso Boulevard Streetscape.

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By Web Staff

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    STEWARTVILLE, Minnesota (WCCO) — A boy on the Stewartville High School wrestling team is still in critical but stable condition after he was shot in the school parking lot Friday morning by a former member of the team, authorities say.

Olmsted County Sheriff Kevin Torgerson identified the shooter as 19-year-old Logan Moyer, who lived in the Stewartville community. Torgerson said that according to the preliminary results of an autopsy, Moyer died by suicide at the scene.

According to the investigation, Moyer graduated from Stewartville High School in 2024 and was a former wrestler. Torgerson said he was not a coach or volunteer for the current team, and it’s unclear the connection between Moyer and the student who was shot. Torgerson did not say if the two had been on the team at the same time.

Roughly 40 members of the wrestling team were at the school when the shooting happened at around 5 a.m. Coaches tended to the injured student before he was taken to the hospital. Torgerson said they were rendering first aid when they heard a second shot and found Moyer on the ground nearby with a rifle in his hand.

Torgerson said that while investigators may never know Moyer’s motive, the focus is now on taking care of the community.

“We have two families here that are part of our community, and we have to find a way to help and support them and sometimes putting additional information out there, it doesn’t help at all in what they’re dealing with, so we have to honor and respect that too,” he said.

Superintendent Belinda Selfors said the wrestling team will continue to compete for the rest of the season, though their plans for this current week are unclear.

Classes resumed on Monday with several mental health support staff on site for the roughly 1,100 students who attend the middle school and high school.

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By Hunter Geisel, Sergio Candido

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    Miami, Florida (WFOR) — A death investigation is underway after a woman was found dead inside a Dollar Tree store freezer on Sunday morning, City of Miami Police said.

Around 8 a.m., Miami Police officers responded to the Dollar Tree location at 968 SW 8th St. in Little Havana after an employee called saying that there was a deceased woman inside the business.

According to Miami Police, the woman, later identified as 32-year-old Helen Massiell Garay Sanchez, was found inside the Dollar Tree’s freezer.

“Complainant found a naked female in the cooler of the store,” dispatchers are heard saying over the police scanners.

Video from the scene on Sunday showed police and fire rescue officials headed to the back of the store, gloved and carrying equipment.

“I’m also advised by the staff that they don’t recognize her as well,” dispatchers said.

Miami Police is investigating the discovery as an unclassified death at this time, as the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death remain unclear.

GoFundMe says family raising funds to bring woman’s body back to Nicaragua According to a GoFundMe page said to be set up by her family, Garay was a physician originally from Nicaragua. The fundraiser page described Garay as a devoted doctor and a beloved mother of two children.

The page said Garay was an anesthesiologist who specialized in congenital heart disease, noting that her work brought “hope and healing to countless children and families.”

According to the fundraising page, Garay died following what the family described as a “tragic accident while abroad.” The family’s stated goal is to bring her body back to Nicaragua so she can receive a funeral and final resting place surrounded by loved ones.

The fundraiser said donations will go toward repatriation, transportation and funeral expenses in Nicaragua.

“Her strength, warmth, and unwavering love for her family will always be remembered,” the page said.

Little Havana residents react to Dollar Tree body discovery People who showed up at the store on Sunday morning were shocked by the deadly discovery.

“I got to be honest with you, I’m totally devastated,” said concerned resident Margarita Puig. “I can’t believe in the Dollar Tree you’d find a dead body.”

Hugo Morales, another concerned resident, said he was concerned about when the woman’s family would find out.

“I think it’s crazy,” Morales said. “I’ve never heard of something like that in my life.”

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By Lauren Linder

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    Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Troopers at the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Greensburg arrested six teenagers accused of sharing an intimate image of a minor on their cell phones. It’s unclear how many charges each teen faces or what the charges are.

State police said ChildLine contacted them about an incident that took place on Kimberly Drive in Unity Township, Westmoreland County. According to investigators, six 14-year-olds disseminated an intimate image of a minor on their phones in August. They arrested and charged all of them, including the victim, a teenage girl from Latrobe.

Three others are also teenage girls from Latrobe and two are teenage boys: one from Latrobe and another from Indiana. Multiple of them are students at the high school, though an exact number is unclear.

KDKA reached out to the Greater Latrobe School District for comment. Superintendent Kim Rieffannacht released a statement that said, in part, “Upon learning of the matter, district administrators took immediate and appropriate action in accordance with established policies and fully cooperated with law enforcement throughout their investigation.”

KDKA contacted state police for more details on the case, but did not hear back on Friday.

Danielle Carroll, a parent with two daughters ages 16 and 13 in the district, said she’s hearing more and more about teenagers using their cell phones inappropriately.

“It’s a shame, nowadays, that this is happening more frequently,” Carroll said.

“It’s sad at this point that we have to have these conversations with our kids,” Carroll added.

Carroll hopes teens are listening and realize that, under Pennsylvania law, they can face serious charges for sharing explicit images of minors.

“It’s something that you as a parent want to make sure that it doesn’t happen to your child and anyone that your child is around,” she said.

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By JT Moodee Lockman

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    Maryland (WJZ) — A 23-year-old inmate died in a Maryland prison on Saturday, Dec. 13, according to State Police.

Troopers were notified about the death around 8 p.m. after inmate Deon Smith, 23, was found dead inside Building F of the Jessup Correctional Institution in Anne Arundel County.

According to police, another inmate was identified as a suspect in Smith’s death. The suspect will not be identified until charges are filed.

An investigation will be conducted and presented to the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney for review.

Previous Maryland inmate deaths According to data from Maryland State Police, there were 22 inmate deaths in 2024, a 47% drop from 42 deaths in 2023.

So far in 2025, there have been 68 inmate deaths reported across maryland, including 15 at the Jessup Correctional Institution, data shows.

In September, a 38-year-old man was found dead in the North Branch Correctional Institution in Allegany County, Maryland State Police said.

In February, a 61-year-old inmate was killed at the Jessup Correctional Institution, police said. Similar to Saturday’s incident, another inmate was identified as a suspect.

The latest inmate death comes nearly two weeks after ten people were indicted in connection with three separate alleged contraband smuggling schemes at the facility, according to the State Attorney General’s Office.

The indictment alleges that correctional officers smuggled drugs, cellphones and other items into the facility and gave them to inmates and incarcerated students.

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By Paula Wethington

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    AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (WWJ) — An Auburn Hills, Michigan, woman is facing felony charges over purse thefts from two shoppers in Rochester Hills, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office reported.

During one of the incidents, deputies said, the intended victim fought back with a shopping cart.

Lynsie Marion Leinenger, 37, is charged with unarmed robbery, which is a 15-year felony, and larceny from a person, which is a 10-year felony, court records show. She was arraigned Friday in 52-3 District Court. Bond was set at $10,000. A probable cause conference is scheduled for Dec. 23, preliminary exam set for Dec. 30.

She is being held in the Oakland County Jail, in the meantime, deputies said.

The two purse thefts happened within 30 minutes of each other on Thursday at the Kroger and Meijer stores in Rochester Hills, deputies said.

Deputies were called to the Kroger store at 65 S. Livernois Road shortly after 8 p.m. on a report of that larceny. A purse that belonged to a 64-year-old Rochester Hills woman was grabbed by another woman out of a shopping cart, and the thief then ran off. The purse held a phone, wallet and prescription medication.

About 8:30 p.m., while deputies were finishing taking the report at Kroger, they got a call of a robbery in progress at Meijer, 3610 Marketplace Circle. The sheriff’s office said the description of the suspect at Meijer matched the description of the suspect at Kroger.

The intended victim at Meijer was a 71-year-old Rochester Hills woman. Deputies said that after the suspect grabbed that woman’s purse and ran to the back of the store, the victim chased the suspect “and knocked her down with the shopping cart.”

The two women then fought over the purse before the thief snatched it away and began running toward the front of the door.

But as she was running, the suspect fell and injured her knee.

The victim recovered her purse, and the suspect was arrested. “This is a sad reminder that there are individuals who seek to prey on others – particularly the elderly – during the holiday season,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “We urge everyone to remain situationally aware, and we specifically encourage women to keep a close watch on their purses and never leave them unattended in shopping carts.”

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