Two inmates charged with murder escape from southwest Georgia jail

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By CBS News Atlanta Digital Team

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    SUMTER COUNTY, Georgia (WUPA) — Two inmates facing serious violent crime charges escaped from the Sumter County Jail late Sunday, prompting an urgent manhunt and warnings from law enforcement across southwest Georgia.

According to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the escape happened around 9:30 p.m. when Rickey Martin, 20, and Kentravious Holmes, 21, fled custody under circumstances that remain under investigation. Authorities did not immediately release details on how the inmates were able to get out of the jail.

Both men were being held on multiple felony charges, including murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

Martin is described as a Black male, about 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing roughly 120 pounds, with untwisted dreadlocks. Holmes is described as a Black male, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing approximately 155 pounds. He has untwisted dreadlocks and several distinctive tattoos on his face and neck, including a dollar sign, a broken heart and the words “Baby Kay” above his right eye.

Investigators say Martin had been booked into the Sumter County Jail after being charged by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with felony murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery. Those charges stem from a violent incident in Americus in which a 19-year-old victim, later identified as Jotavis Roshon Leverette, died from his injuries at a hospital. That investigation remains active.

Holmes was arrested earlier this month by the Americus Police Department in connection with the fatal shooting of Amon Kevone Harvey, 21, at a home on Glory Court. Police said Holmes was taken into custody without incident and transferred to the Sumter County Jail, where he was being held when the escape occurred.

The sheriff’s office says multiple agencies are now involved in the search and is urging the public not to approach either man.

“If you see either of these individuals or have information about their whereabouts, call 911 immediately or contact the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office,” officials said.

Authorities emphasized that both escapees should be considered dangerous. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 229-924-4094.

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.

Barber rises from homelessness to Forbes 30 Under 30 social media list

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Donald Fountain

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    ATLANTA (WUPA) — Sylvester Brewster goes by the name Dr. Huncho, and while he’s not a medical doctor, he says the title reflects the impact he believes he’s making.

“I’m basically portraying a doctor because I’m saving lives,” Brewster said.

Brewster is an Atlanta barber and social media content creator who moved to the city a few years ago to grow his barbershop business. While the shop has continued to expand, it’s his online presence that has taken off at a much faster pace.

Across his social media platforms, Brewster has amassed more than 8 million followers, building an audience drawn to his personality, humor, and message.

“I did that, and people really started rocking with it,” Brewster said. “When people rock with it, you’ve got to keep feeding them. You’ve got to give them what they want.”

That momentum recently earned Brewster a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in the social media category.

“When I first saw it, I thought it was a scam,” Brewster said. “I checked the email, told my girlfriend, then started calling my family like, ‘I got a show. This is real.'”

Brewster’s rise, however, wasn’t overnight. He says his success followed one of the most difficult periods of his life, including a brief time when he was unhoused in 2020.

“I knew that wasn’t the end,” he said. “Whatever tough time you’re going through, it’s only for the moment. It’s there to shape you, not break you.”

Now, with millions watching and a growing national profile, Brewster says his mindset remains his foundation.

“You can accomplish anything you want in life as long as you stay in that mode,” he said.

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.

Patriots player Kyle Williams chases down fan who ran onto field during Super Bowl

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Matt Schooley

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — There weren’t too many noteworthy plays for the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX. But rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams made one that wasn’t shown to the massive television audience watching at home.

Late in the fourth quarter with the Seahawks controlling the game, a shirtless man ran onto the field at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

The television broadcast did not show what played out, as is usually the case when a similar incident happens during NFL games.

Cellphone footage from the stands showed that the fan was able to make his was down the field, avoiding multiple security guards.

As he got close to the Seattle end zone, security got help from an unexpected source in Williams, who is in his first season out of Washington State.

Williams, who was in the huddle with the Patriots offense on the field, chased the man down and was the first person to get a hand on him. As he did, the man slid to ground and security guards piled on top of him.

The man had a message written on his chest and back in black ink.

Game action was halted for several minutes while the fan was taken down and eventually escorted off the field.

New England didn’t have much to celebrate on the night. The Patriots fell behind on the opening drive and never made a serious threat on the scoreboard, as Seattle won the Super Bowl, 29-13.

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker was named Super Bowl MVP as he was the best offensive player for either side, totaling 161 yards from scrimmage.

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Mother plans to self-deport after missing child’s death while in ICE custody

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Mike Hellgren

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    BALTIMORE (WJZ) — An undocumented Maryland mother whose teenage son died while she was in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody has now asked to be deported to her native Mexico.

Officials did not release Arlit Martinez-Carrada in time for her to see her son before he died of cancer. She was able to attend his funeral in late January.

An official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told WJZ that Martinez-Carrada entered the country illegally four separate times before her arrest on January 3 in Salisbury, Wicomico County.

Three days into the new year, ICE agents pulled Martinez-Carrada over as she drove her husband’s car on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

She had no criminal record, but had been living in the U.S. illegally since 2004 after she entered from Mexico, according to court records.

At the time of her arrest, Martinez-Carrada’s 15-year-old son, Kevin Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was fighting cancer.

The day after Martinez-Carrada’s arrest, her son’s condition worsened significantly.

Immigration attorney Sarah Takyi-Micah remembers getting an urgent call the day after Martinez-Carrada’s arrest.

“In this case, time was not on my side. A mother needed to be with her son on his deathbed,” said Takyi-Micah with the Silmi Law Firm. “That was a lot of pressure.”

The oncologist warned it was likely Kevin would die that day.

Kevin held on while ICE transferred Martinez-Carrada to a holding facility inside the federal building in downtown Baltimore.

Takyi-Micah rushed there.

“My first line of action is to go straight to the Baltimore holding room, which is about a 20-minute drive from our office,” she said.

But as she waited to speak to an officer, she got the heartbreaking news that Kevin had died.

Takyi-Micah recalled how she told Martinez-Carrada about her son’s death with the help of her paralegal and Kevin’s oncologist on the phone.

“It was traumatic, and unfortunately, I had to be the bearer of bad news in that moment. I had to inform Arlit in detention that her son had just died, and that was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do,” Takyi-Micah said. “…I had to watch Arlit break down right in the interview room in the detention center. We were separated by glass. I couldn’t console her. I couldn’t…I mean, if I’m being honest, I was in tears.”

She said she touched the glass between them, and Martinez-Carrada wiped away her tears with all she had—a roll of toilet paper.

“Even to this day, it’s still hard, but as a professional, what I could do is to get her out so that she could be with her family and be able to grieve, to comfort her children,” Takyi-Micah said.

She said an officer in Baltimore made her a promise when she asked, “Are you going to make sure she’s here for the funeral? He gave me his word they were not going to transfer her out. They did after a few days, unfortunately.”

Getting Martinez-Carrada to her son’s funeral was no easy task.

“They couldn’t tell me exactly where they had taken her,” Martinez-Carrada’s lawyer said. “I was able to locate her in New Jersey a few days after that.”

ICE had transferred Martinez-Carrada to Delaney Hall in New Jersey, a controversial detention center that has been the target of protests. A Haitian immigrant died there in December.

Delaney Hall has 1,000 beds and is one of the largest detention centers in the Northeast. CBS News got a rare look inside last year.

Martinez-Carrada’s three surviving children and husband waited in Maryland, desperate for her return.

“She’s never going to see him no more and we tried to take her out, but they not let her out. I said bye to the last time to my son,” her husband, Rigo Mendoza-Lopez, told CBS station WBOC.

Takyi-Micah worked with Carolina Curbelo, an immigration lawyer in New Jersey, to free Martinez-Carrada in time to attend her son’s funeral on January 31 in Salisbury.

She stressed that it took a team of people to navigate this single case and secure her client’s release.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office also asked the federal government to release Martinez-Carrada so she could attend the funeral.

“No thanks to ICE. That’s thanks to all the members of the community and everybody who pushed to make sure at least she could be present for the memorial service,” Senator Van Hollen told Hellgren.

The Democrat has been critical of the Trump administration.

“It appears this lawless Trump ICE operation is designed to terrorize members of the community. They are clearly not focused on the worst of the worst. That’s what they said they were going to focus on, but this is a case where clearly, they’re lying when it comes to that test, because Arlit is someone who’s been in the United States more than 20 years with no criminal record.”

The senator had this message to Martinez-Carrada’s family: “Please understand that there are a lot more standing with you and want to be there for you in this moment of trauma than there are people targeting you.”

WJZ Investigates received the following response from DHS about the case, attributable to a DHS official, with capitalized words added for emphasis by the agency:

“On January 3, ICE arrested Arlit Martinez-Carrada, an illegal alien from Mexico, who has repeatedly entered this country illegally. She was previously removed THREE TIMES in 2002, and chose to commit a felony by illegally re-entering the country a FOURTH time on an unknown date. Despite this, an activist immigration judge has released her on bond pending immigration proceedings.

Illegal aliens can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the lawful, legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and removed without a chance to return.”

Martinez-Carrada’s lawyer said her client now plans to self-deport back to Mexico.

“If she feels that this journey would be better for her to go back to her home country so she can heal and start a new life, start fresh from this, I guess that is ultimately her decision as to what she wants to do,” Takyi-Micah said.

She noted there are other available legal options for her client.

The Trump administration has touted self-deportations through an app and has offered a $2,600 cash bonus to those who choose to leave.

But because Martinez-Carrada was detained and is now out on bond wearing an ankle monitor, her lawyer noted she has to go through a formal process involving the court and cannot leave immediately.

“Especially when you’re supposed to do ICE check-ins and future hearings,” Takyi-Micah said.

An online fundraiser for the family on the GoFundMe platform has raised more than $80,000 to cover expenses.

“In any group of people there are always bad apples, but in the case of Arlit, she has no criminal record whatsoever. She’s a devoted mother to her children and a good person in the community,” Takyi-Micah said. “…Rather than lump all immigrants in a box to say that they are creating problems for the country, I think that they should really look beyond that—especially with situations like Arlit. She is also human like all of us, and she still deserved the right to be with her son at his deathbed.”

Her son’s obituary called his mother “beloved” and “the heart and matriarch of the family.”

The obituary said, “He found comfort in his mother’s cooking, especially her pozole, tamales, and soups, meals filled with love that tasted like home.”

Martinez-Carrada’s surviving children are ages 16, 12 and 9. Her lawyer said they are all United States citizens.

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.

New Mexico’s trial against Meta begins in Santa Fe

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Alyssa Munoz

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    SANTA FE, New Mexico (KOAT) — Opening statements are set to begin in Santa Fe for New Mexico’s trial against Meta, the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, with Attorney General Raul Torrez alleging the company has failed to protect children from online sexual exploitation.

The state’s case is based on an undercover investigation in which agents created fake social media profiles posing as children to track sexual solicitations and observed Meta’s response.

“We took three individuals in custody after they thought they were going to be meeting up with kids at a motel out in Gallup. It turned out that those individuals had already been flagged inside the company for having inappropriate interactions with children, and yet they were allowed to stay on the platform. It’s exactly that kind of corporate misbehavior and misconduct that we have to correct,” Torrez said.

In the lawsuit, Torrez argues that Meta has created a “breeding ground” for predators targeting kids. Meta denies these claims, stating it has spent years developing safety tools to protect younger users.

“In much the same way that everyday users are connected to things that they’re interested in, maybe it’s a commercial product or a trip that an advertiser might want them to take, that same engine that connects people with their interests also sadly connects predators on the platform with children,” Torrez said.

KOAT legal expert John Day said, “It’s going to be a very important trial that all eyes of the country and the tech companies, especially in other states, are going to be watching to see what happens in New Mexico and in Santa Fe.”

Torrez is advocating for stronger safeguards, such as real age verification and rules preventing unrelated adults from contacting minors without being asked. This trial is the first standalone case, as 40 other states have also filed lawsuits against Meta. The company maintains that it has safeguards for children and that these instances are exceptions rather than the norm.

Day said the trial is expected to last about six weeks.

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.

Woman tracks down her own car after she says renter never returned it

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Chase Houle

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    ATLANTA (WXIA) — An Atlanta woman is going viral on Instagram after warning others about the risks of renting out their personal vehicles to strangers.

Alexia Wright’s video has racked up 28,000 likes and thousands of shares in just 48 hours. In it, she shares a cautionary tale after renting her car through Turo, an online car-sharing service similar to Airbnb.

“My main thing is just making sure people are aware of these types of situations and that ultimately, it’s not cool to do this to people who work hard for the business. Bottom line,” Wright said.

Wright said her car was rented out as scheduled, but the person who had it stopped responding and failed to return the vehicle on time.

“I contacted them trying to see what time they were returning the car and they kept giving me the runaround and so I kind of let it go a couple more days, like four or five days, and that’s when it triggered me to go see what was going on with the car,” she said.

After days went by without it being returned, Wright decided to take matters into her own hands. Using a GPS monitoring system installed in the vehicle, she tracked down its location.

“When I pulled up, after so long, I was like, no, I’m going to call the police. Like, I need my car back at this point,” Wright said.

She said police responded, detained the driver and helped her recover her vehicle. While she considers herself fortunate, Wright wants to use her situation to help others.

“Make sure you divorce your car. Make sure you’re not married to it. Make sure you have trackers on your car so that if something happens, you can recover it and you need to make sure that you’re ready if your car ever goes off the lot, you’re ready for it not to come back at some point,” she said.

Wright doesn’t advise people to take things into their own hands when dealing with these types of situations, but instead let police retrieve your car back.

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.

Uber’s Super Bowl ad campaign fuels California ballot measure debate

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Andres Valle

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    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — Uber’s $1 million Super Bowl ad campaign has sparked a debate in California over a proposed ballot measure that aims to cap attorney fees at 25%, including expenses.

The ridesharing company has invested $12 million overall into the campaign, arguing that the measure will protect Californians from predatory “billboard lawyers” and doctors who inflate medical bills with unnecessary procedures, taking too large a share from victims’ legal settlements.

Trial lawyers, however, contend that Uber is misleading the public. They claim the tech giant is attempting to gain immunity from liability for crashes caused by its drivers.

Some Californians saw a competing ad during the Super Bowl in certain TV markets, highlighting the ongoing advertising war.

Steven Maviglio, a political strategist not involved in the proposed ballot, said, “It’s a real advertising war during the Super Bowl, but also something that probably should have been settled in the Legislature that’s now gone right to the ballot. There is often an attempt by both sides to try to fight each other early in the game in order to reach a compromise and pull these things off the ballot.”

Mindy Romero, the director of the Center for Inclusive Democracy at the University of Southern California, pointed out that Uber has successfully supported ballot measures before, such as Proposition 22 in 2020.

“Proposition 22 was supported heavily by Uber. We think about $200 million to get that on the ballot and passed by California voters,” Romero said.

This measure allowed rideshare drivers to remain independent contractors, exempting them from a state law that would have made them eligible for employee benefits.

Romero emphasized the importance of voters being informed.

“Get all the information you can on the pros and cons, look for trusted sources of information,” Romero said.

She advised voters to carefully review the official wording of the ballot and ensure they understand it.

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.

‘Level of punishment is wrong’: Death row inmate didn’t pull the trigger, still faces execution

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Jarvis Robertson

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    BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — Charles “Sonny” Burton, an Alabama man on death row, is scheduled for execution next month.

Gov. Kay Ivey officially set the execution window for between midnight Thursday, March 12, and 6 a.m. the next day.

Burton was one of six men involved in a 1991 robbery at an AutoZone in Talladega, which resulted in the shooting death of customer Doug Battle, an Army veteran and father of four. Although Derrick DeBruce was the one who pulled the trigger, both he and Burton were convicted and sentenced to life.

DeBruce was later resentenced to life in prison, while Burton now faces execution.

Criticism surrounding Burton’s execution is growing, with many arguing that the punishment does not fit the crime.

Rev. Jeff Hood, an activist and spiritual advisor to death row inmates, is advocating for Burton’s execution to be commuted. He is not the spiritual advisor for Burton.

“It’s crazy to think that the State of Alabama thinks it’s OK to kill somebody that ain’t killed nobody,” Hood said.

Attorney Eric Guster explained the legal reasoning behind Burton’s harsher punishment, noting that Alabama law holds individuals responsible for deaths occurring during crimes they were part of.

“The level of punishment is wrong. The conviction seems like it was accurate, but based in Alabama, the law states if you were a part of a crime and a death occurs, you’re responsible for the death,” Guster said.

He added that separate trials can lead to different outcomes, as juries are not allowed to consider actions or convictions from other trials unless used for testimony or evidence impeachment.

Despite the absence of her father, the victim’s daughter is advocating for Burton, which Guster believes should influence Ivey’s decision.

“Gov. Ivey’s decision should weigh heavily on what the daughter says. This is a family member. This isn’t some stranger making an appeal,” Guster said.

Hood and other activists continue to speak out against Burton’s execution, highlighting his age and health issues.

“A 75-year-old man in a wheelchair, who they’re going to have to lift up on a gurney, they’re going to have to take his helmet off; with his rheumatoid arthritis, they’re going to have to straighten his bones out,” Hood said.

Meanwhile, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall supports the execution, stating, “Burton was convicted of capital murder in April 1992, and that the jury unanimously recommended the death penalty. That conviction and sentence have been upheld at every level.”

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‘Be kind, help someone’: Gym owner praised for performing CPR

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Jamie Azulay

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    WINTHROP, Maine (WMTW) — Eighty-nine-year-old Bill Drake passed away at Maine Medical Center in Portland one week after going into cardiac arrest at United Fitness in Winthrop. His wife, Florence, now says the gym’s owner, Ryan Chamberland, is the reason her husband survived that week.

Drake was riding a stationary exercise bike before his senior fitness class on Thursday, Jan. 29, when his heart stopped. A young woman working out nearby ran to find Chamberland for help.

Together, they called 911, and Chamberland started CPR. He said, “I was checking for airways, checking pulse, trying to get him to wake up. I did a couple sternum rubs on him.”

Chamberland participates in regular CPR and first responder trainings with his leadership team. He said this experience reminded him how important those trainings are.

Florence Drake is a former EMT. She hopes her husband’s story will inspire people to go through the training. She said the doctors applaud Chamberland for his efforts, and scans revealed the cardiac arrest caused no additional heart damage to an otherwise healthy man.

She said, “He was described as an 89-year-old male who presents as a 70-year-old.” Florence and Bill loved to travel and spend time with Bill’s sons at their lake house.

One of those sons, a specialized charge nurse in California, has offered to donate an AED to the gym as a way to say thank you. Chamberland was glad he could help and hopes others will feel inspired to act when people are in need.

He said, “Be kind. Help someone. If there’s an opportunity to help someone, help them.”

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.

The mask that inspired the Seattle Seahawks logo lives in Maine

CNN Newsource on February 9, 2026

By Jacob Murphy

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    ORONO, Maine (WMTW) — Superbowl LX will be an exciting rematch game for the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. The last time they faced each other at the Super Bowl, an indigenous mask connected the teams thousands of miles apart.

Known as the “Kwakwaka’wakw,” it was traditionally used in winter dances and ceremonies by tribes in the area of the Pacific Northwest. It’s a transforming mask, looking like a bird when closed but opening up to reveal the face of a person.

In 2014 Hudson Museum at the University of Maine Orono reached out to a museum on the west coast that was looking to find the mask that inspired the Seattle Seahawks logo. The Seahawks were fresh off of their first Super Bowl win.

“This is not an arena that museums traditionally play in,” said Gretchen Faulkner, Hudson Museum’s current director.

Hudson Museum loaned out the mask so that the Seattle community could embrace this piece of the team’s history. Faulkner said it wasn’t her intention, but it ended up being a good luck charm for the team.

“It was my worst nightmare because once the mask got there, the Seahawks did not lose a single game. And they lined up with the Patriots,” Faulkner said.

That was Super Bowl XLIX. Thankfully the mask wasn’t enough to beat the Patriots who won by a score of 28-24.

Faulkner says unlike other Native American iconography that has historically been used, this symbol has remained strong for the Seahawks because it does not involve Indigenous stereotypes.

“It is an object to both the general public and the Native American and First Nations communities can embrace it, celebrates their culture,” Faulkner said.

When it was first designed 50 years ago, it was based on a black and white image of the mask which may explain why the colors are different.

Now the mask is back in the possession of the Hudson Museum. Faulkner plans to keep it that way.

“I really didn’t think it was in the cards that the Seahawks and Patriots would again go to the Super Bowl paired against each other. So, here it is,” she said.

Despite having this relic from the seahawks on display at the museum, Faulkner confirmed she will be rooting for the Patriots during Super Bowl LX. But, regardless of the outcome, it will remain on display.

The Hudson Museum is free and open to the public.

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