Category: CNN Regional

By Dean Fioresi

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    CORONA, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Two teenage girls were arrested this month in connection with their alleged plans to carry out a school shooting at Corona High School, after police were contacted by federal investigators.

In a news release shared Tuesday, Corona Police Department officers said they were contacted by the FBI on October 6 after “they had identified online social media communications regarding a possible threat” at the high school, which is located on W. 10th Street.

“A collaborative investigation led to the immediate arrest of a 15-year-old female Corona High School student,” according to the release.

Corona PD detectives executed numerous search warrants for electronic devices and communications and searched multiple Riverside County residences, the release said. Through their investigation, police identified and arrested a second suspect, a 15-year-old female student from Norco High School.

“The evidence obtained showed the two suspects had spent several months researching school shootings and discussed how they could carry out a potential attack at Corona High School on an unspecified future date,” police said. “Communications showed the suspects discussed methods to obtain weapons, but had not yet been able to do so.”

Police said no weapons were discovered throughout the course of their investigation, which remains ongoing and in collaboration with the FBI, Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and the Corona-Norco Unified School District.

“Parents and students are reminded to immediately report anything they see or hear that could be concerning, as awareness plays a vital role in keeping everyone safe,” police said.

Both suspects remain in custody on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case, police said.

As the investigation continues, police asked anyone with more information to contact Corona PD Detective Edwards at George.Edwards@CoronaCA.gov or 951-279-3656.

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 Richard Ramos and Tim Fang

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    WOODLAND, California (KOVR) — Woodland police are investigating after a vehicle operated by federal immigration authorities struck a pedestrian Tuesday morning.

Officers responded shortly after 9:30 a.m. to the area of Locust and Clover streets, the Woodland Police Department said.

The pedestrian suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene before being taken to an area hospital, police said. NorCal Resist, an immigrant advocacy organization, said the person was stable but described them as being “scraped up.”

Woodland police said the agents in the vehicle were conducting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in the area when the collision happened. The driver alerted local authorities and remained cooperative, police added.

NorCal Resist posted footage of the collision to their social media pages, showing a man, Antonio Moreida, being knocked to the ground. Woodland police said it has since reviewed multiple angles of footage of the incident, including the minutes of interaction between Moreida and federal personnel leading up to it.

Woodland police said the actions of both parties are under review. The department said the federal agency has been notified of the investigation and that it has requested ICE’s full cooperation.

“I’ve seen the video myself, and I find it very troubling. I understand why people in our community are upset and worried,” Woodland Police Chief Kinnan said in a statement. “Our responsibility is to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation to establish the facts. We recognize the concerns surrounding federal law enforcement activity in Woodland, and the safety and well-being of our community members remain a priority.”

Moreida is a student at Woodland Community College and a volunteer with NorCal Resist. He told CBS News Sacramento that he went to the neighborhood after hearing reports of an ICE operation with the hopes of documenting it and alerting nearby residents.

He said he began recording people he believed were federal immigration officers and asked them to identify themselves. CBS News Sacramento obtained additional footage recorded by Moreida showing the front end of the vehicle striking him as he was recording in the middle of the street.

“I took the corner of the car to the chest,” Moreida told CBS News Sacramento. “When I first hit the ground, I had the wind knocked out of me. That was my first reaction.”

In a statement to CBS News Sacramento Wednesday morning, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said ICE did not hit a pedestrian.

“An agitator jumped onto the hood of an ICE vehicle and the officer driving applied the brakes. The agitator slid off the hood. ICE immediately contacted EMS and the Woodland Police Department,” the spokesperson said. “Flopping for the camera is dangerous, especially when it interferes with a federal law enforcement operation.”

Tuesday’s Woodland City Council meeting ended up being a packed house with community members showing voicing their concerns and showing their support for Moerida, who was also in attendance and spoke.

The incident prompted criticism from state and federal lawmakers, who called for accountability and a thorough investigation.

Democratic U.S. House Rep. Mike Thompson, whose district includes Woodland, said he was in communication with local law enforcement, who informed him that federal immigration authorities were operating the vehicle involved.

“ICE cannot continue to terrorize our communities … No one is above the law,” Thompson said in a statement.

Thompson also said the incident highlights the need for transparency and accountability, citing what he described as growing distrust and fear within communities.

“Members of our community need to feel safe,” he said.

California Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, whose District 4 also includes Woodland, called for “a full investigation by local and state authorities because we can’t rely on this federal administration to investigate itself.”

“This kind of behavior is unacceptable and falls short of the standards of professionalism and restraint our communities have every right to expect from law enforcement,” Aguiar-Curry said.

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office released a statement saying it was aware of the incident but could not comment further due to the investigation being active. Woodland police said, once complete, a full investigation would be sent to the district attorney’s office for review.

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 Madisen Keavy

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    STOCKTON, California (KOVR) — A car fire is under investigation in Stockton after a homeowner captured a masked person on a bicycle lighting her car on fire this week.

The car, parked along Hammer Lane outside of her home near Cesar Chavez High School and Panella Park, was lit up in broad daylight.

Mary Guillen, the owner, said she was at home that afternoon when she heard a “boom” outside.

“I opened the gate, I saw my car on fire… is that my car burning? The first thing I could think was getting the water hose,” said Guillen.

She said she attempted to fight the fire, calling for help from any neighbors until one arrived. They called the fire department and Guillen said she was in a state of shock.

“I always call it my little blue car, the first car I ever owned in my name. I’ve almost paid for it.” said Guillen.

Video from her security cameras shows a masked person on a bicycle ride up next to her car. Moments later, smoke is seen coming from the gas tank side of the vehicle.

The person seen on camera was gone by the time the fire department arrived.

Stockton police told CBS News Sacramento they cannot provide any specifics as the case is under investigation. They have not confirmed a suspect’s identity or whether the person in the video is a serial arsonist.

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 Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Los Angeles Rams superstar Erick Dickerson’s family sued Oaks Christian School over allegations that their son was subjected to “relentless” racial bullying, according to a lawsuit.

The family’s attorneys stated in their lawsuit that the Westlake Village private school “allowed, and by its repeated inaction actively encouraged,” the racial harassment to continue despite the family reporting the incidents and a video showing a student beating the sixth grader.

In a statement, the school said it “disputes the allegations regarding its conduct and will respond through the legal process.”

“Oaks Christian School is committed to the dignity of every student, consistent with our Christian faith,” the school wrote. “This matter involves minors, and out of respect for the privacy of all students involved, we will not comment on individual students or the specifics of the case.”

Attorneys claimed students repeatedly called the family’s son racial epithets throughout his sixth-grade year. While they focused on a single student as the primary bully hurling slurs, the family’s lawyers said several students joined in and called the sixth grader slurs throughout the school year.

“This is a sixth grade black boy who goes to school, thinks he’s going to be safe there,” said Robert Glassman, an attorney at Panish, Shea, Ravipudi LLP which is representing the family. “Thinks this is a place that has his well-bring at top of mind and what they end up doing is they subject him to horrible, ugly racism.”

They added that the harassment extended outside of the classroom, highlighting an instance during a “school-sponsored field trip” to a zoo. The family’s lawyers said the student continued to hurl racial slurs and compared Dickerson’s son to a statue of an animal before his classmates joined in.

“The behavior was constant and widespread, and it occurred in a setting for which Oaks Christian bore full supervisory responsibility,” lawyers wrote.

In the lawsuit, the family also claimed that an Oaks Christian School teacher accused their son of lying about the harassment after a student called him a racial epithet inside a classroom.

They also detailed an instance where a female student assaulted Dickerson’s son during a lunch break, “striking him in the head, taking his lunch, and deliberately pouring out his water.”

“Despite having video evidence, Oaks Christian’s response was merely to bring the student in, speak with her, and advise her not to do it again. No meaningful disciplinary consequences followed,” attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.

The family pulled their son out of Oaks Christian School following the allegations.

“He’s doing better because he’s out of that environment,” Glassman said. “The psychological harm that was done to him while at Oaks Christian, being routinely and repeatedly subject to racism in such an ugly way, like turning his last name into a racial slur, just horrible, despicable things.”

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 Dean Fioresi

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    RIVERSIDE COUNTY, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Two teenage girls were arrested this month in connection with their alleged plans to carry out a school shooting at Corona High School, after police were contacted by federal investigators.

In a news release shared Tuesday, Corona Police Department officers said they were contacted by the FBI on October 6 after “they had identified online social media communications regarding a possible threat” at the high school, which is located on W. 10th Street.

“A collaborative investigation led to the immediate arrest of a 15-year-old female Corona High School student,” according to the release.

Corona PD detectives executed numerous search warrants for electronic devices and communications and searched multiple Riverside County residences, the release said. Through their investigation, police identified and arrested a second suspect, a 15-year-old female student from Norco High School.

“The evidence obtained showed the two suspects had spent several months researching school shootings and discussed how they could carry out a potential attack at Corona High School on an unspecified future date,” police said. “Communications showed the suspects discussed methods to obtain weapons, but had not yet been able to do so.”

Police said no weapons were discovered throughout the course of their investigation, which remains ongoing and in collaboration with the FBI, Riverside County Sheriff’s Office and the Corona-Norco Unified School District.

“Parents and students are reminded to immediately report anything they see or hear that could be concerning, as awareness plays a vital role in keeping everyone safe,” police said.

Both suspects remain in custody on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, and the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case, police said.

As the investigation continues, police asked anyone with more information to contact Corona PD Detective Edwards at George.Edwards@CoronaCA.gov or 951-279-3656.

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 Sara Molina, Max White

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    TOLEDO, Ohio (WXYZ) — Families in a one-mile radius of a HAZMAT incident in northern Toledo have been ordered to evacuate. Video from overnight shows a haze in the air near the area of the Sterling Pipe and Tube Facility.

Fire crews say it happened just after 9:30 p.m., and we’ve been monitoring the situation all night. The evacuation is still in effect, but only for the one-mile radius around the HAZMAT incident.

The EPA is on scene and identified the chemical as an adhesive coating resident. That chemical is not considered highly-toxic, but it can cause irritation to the eyes, skin and respiratory systems.

A shelter-in-place has been issued for a three-mile radius around 1050 Progress Ave. People in that area are asked to keep their windows and doors closed and turn off all ventilation systems that bring in outside air.

It’s not clear what chemicals may be in the air, according to fire officials. A nearby Meijer is currently serving as an emergency shelter location. The chemical leaked from a tank at the Sterling Pipe & Tube factory on Progress Ave.

“I got up, had my coffee as usual and then got dressed and left for work. When I got outside, I seen it was real foggy, but, other than that, I didn’t think nothing of it until I got up here,” one person told us.

The City of Toledo is asking people who have serious symptoms to call 911, such as difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting, dizziness or confusion. For minor symptoms such as mild eye, nose, throat or skin irritation, contact a medical professional.

A sheriff’s deputy was injured when he responded to the explosion around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and was able to drive himself to the hospital, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

MC Tank Transport said the tank contained glycidyl methacrylate, which it described as “an industrial chemical used to make certain plastics, paints and coatings perform better.”

Kapszukiewicz said the chemical is liquid inside the tank but becomes a gas when released. Video from the area showed a large plume in the sky.

“There is still concern that the tank is emitting this chemical and it has the potential within 12 hours of the incident to be explosive,” the mayor said, adding that it can hold 5,500 gallons of the chemical in liquid form. He said officials don’t know what caused the explosion.

“It’s really toxic if you touch it, if you ingest it,” Karim Baroudi, director of the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, said during the news conference. “Now we’re trying to kind of determine how much of a toxicity is in the air that the people are breathing so we can give better guidance.”

Baroudi advised residents to close their windows and that those who “feel irritation in the eyes, heavily breathing, just take a shower for now.” The fire department said those who experience symptoms should contact a medical professional.

First responders, hazmat and safety teams are not approaching the tank because of the risk of more explosions, and will reassess conditions later Wednesday morning, Kapszukiewicz said.

Arkansas-based MC Tank Transport said in a statement the company is working with the fire department and other emergency authorities. Company representatives were on their way to Toledo, Kapszukiewicz said.

“Our immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees,” it said. “Our immediate and overriding concern is the safety of area residents, emergency responders and our employees.”

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.