Category: CNN Regional

By Stephanie Moore

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    CRAVEN COUNTY, North Carolina (WYFF) — A man is on the run after authorities say he killed his grandmother in her home and then assaulted a deputy inside a Bojangles bathroom.

The Craven County Sheriff’s Office said on Oct. 25 Patricia Lopedote, 72, was found dead in her home on Highway Havelock.

During the investigation Lopedote’s grandson, 24-year-old Dominic Liam Connelly, was identified as a suspect.

Authorities released pictures of Connelly and his grandmother’s vehicle, which was missing from her home.

On Oct. 28, authorities said the grandmother’s vehicle was found, but Connelly was not.

On Oct. 29, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office heard that Connelly may be at the Bojangles in Vanceboro, North Carolina.

When a deputy arrived to investigate, authorities said Connelly was in the bathroom of the business and used a knife to assault a deputy before running away.

Connelly is wanted on multiple warrants, including murder.

Authorities said Connelly was last seen wearing all dark clothing running towards Bailey Lane apartments located behind Bojangles.

If anyone sees Connelly, do not approach and immediately call 911.

If you have any information on this case, contact the Craven County Sheriff’s Office at (252) 636-6620 or Craven County Communications at (252) 633-2357.

The Craven County School District announced Thursday that “due to an emergency situation in the Vanceboro community, Vanceboro Farm Life Elementary, West Craven Middle, and West Craven High School will be closed today for all students and staff.”

They did not explain what that “emergency situation” was.

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By Russ Reed

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    AUBURN, Maine (WMTW) — A Maine man faces multiple charges after he was accused of kidnapping his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her if she did not steal items from the Walmart in Auburn for him.

Harrison Coleman, 50, of Lewiston, was arrested Wednesday afternoon and transported to the Androscoggin County Jail, where police said he would be held without bail until he faced a judge.

The Auburn Police Department said investigators determined Coleman had assaulted his 30-year-old ex-girlfriend, forced her into his vehicle and drove her to the Walmart Supercenter on Mount Auburn Avenue.

According to police, Coleman reportedly told the woman to steal specific items from the store and threatened to kill her if she did not comply.

The woman told Walmart employees inside the store she had been threatened, and one of those employees approached an Auburn police officer who was working a security detail at the store at about 1:30 p.m.

The officer then spoke with the woman, who said she had been forced into a vehicle by Coleman and brought to the Walmart against her will. The woman also told the officer her ex-boyfriend had threatened her if she did not steal from the store for him.

Additional officers responded to the Walmart to assist with the investigation. Coleman was found waiting in a vehicle parked outside the store. Police said the officers were able to corroborate the woman’s account through an additional witness and they took Coleman into custody.

Coleman has been charged with kidnapping, domestic violence assault and domestic violence criminal threatening.

Auburn police said they continue to investigate the incident.

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By Jon Schoenheider

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    KEENE, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A man at the Cheshire County Jail has been charged with plotting to kill a woman he claimed was his wife, along with her husband.

Edward LePore, 45, is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation to commit murder. He was arrested Tuesday after a weeks-long investigation. Police were unable to confirm LePore’s original address.

LePore was in jail for a probation violation when, according to court documents, he asked another inmate if he knew a hitman. He said the targets were a woman in Maine he claimed was his wife, as well as the man he said was her husband, investigators said.

He allegedly suggested that he would be able to pay $50,000 for each killing and fund the plot by selling his house and his mother’s business upon release.

The inmate in question reported the conversations to jail authorities, who notified Keene Police. Court documents say the inmate was recruited to help officers record conversations involving LePore.

Investigators said that when the woman in question was made aware of the plot to kill her, she said she was never married to LePore. According to her account, the two were friends while she was separated but still married and spent time together on multiple occasions.

She told police that she blocked LePore’s number months ago after he was arrested.

Keene police said LePore has a prior arrest record but could not specify the charges or convictions.

LePore will stay in jail on preventative detention until a probable cause hearing scheduled for Nov. 5.

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By Mary Saladna

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    NEWTON, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Pine Ridge Rd. in Newton, Massachusetts looks more like a Hollywood stage than a house thanks to 14-year-old Ted Lahey.

His Halloween decorations have put the whole neighborhood on notice.

“It started as a pirate ship last year and just kind of evolved,” he said.

Lahey said his dad had his doubts about the project.

“I mean our front yard us the size of a postage stamp,” Ed Lahey joked. “And I said, ‘Oh bud, I don’t think this is going to fit.’ And it just made it.”

The decor speaks for itself and as a family, they made it work.

“I’m pretty amazed,” mom Kirsten Lahey said. “I could never have imagined he would create something like this as a 14-year-old.”

From the smoking cannons made of pvc pipe and pool noodles, to the treasure chest made of reconstructed palate, the ship has taken the neighborhood by storm.

“What’s really incredible is that none of this is from a kit or Amazon,” Kirsten said. “It all came from Ted’s own imagination and ingenuity.”

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By Kalea Gunderson

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    ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — A Cheswick woman is seeking the public’s help in finding a very sentimental necklace.

The necklace Diane Pent never takes off is a gold rope chain carrying her late husband’s wedding band, which she had reshaped into a heart after he died. Fred Pent passed away in April 2024, leaving behind his wife Diane, four children, and seven grandchildren.

That priceless symbol of her husband has gone missing, and she’s asking the public for help.

“It’s the very last piece of us that I have,” Pent said.

Saturday morning, it was gone.

“I looked in the mirror, and I was like…” Pent said as she gasped. “Then I just started looking everywhere for it.”

She immediately posted to social media that morning in an attempt to get the word out and began retracing her steps, which unfortunately was a path stretching across Allegheny County.

“I was everywhere,” Pent said.

Diane believes the necklace and ring may have fallen off between Thursday and Friday as she was running errands. She recounted stopping at several stores: MAC. Bid in Robinson Township, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods at the Waterworks Shopping Plaza in Blawnox, as well as MAC. Bid, Sam’s Club, Walmart, and Lowe’s in the Pittsburgh Mills in Tarentum.

“I took every part of my house apart. I’ve taken my car apart. I’ve gone through my grass, I’ve gone through everything. I just feel that when I was out somewhere, it must have just maybe grabbed on to something. I don’t know,” Pent said.

Now, all she can do is wait and hope this important symbol of her husband finds its way back to her.

“I would really like to have it back, and it means more to me than anything,” Pent said.

Pent asks anyone who finds it to call Gentilcore Jewelers in Fox Chapel or bring it in. That is the store where she had the ring re-shaped into a heart. She said the jewelers there will be able to confirm that it’s her ring and necklace and get it back to her.

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By Rachael Perry

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    PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida (WPBF) — Video captured the moment both officials and a neighbor rescued a woman found stuck in the mangroves of the St. Lucie River.

Kelly Marie Catrambone was rescued Tuesday night after a nearly 12-hour search for the 37-year-old. Catrambone was last seen on Friday before being officially reported missing on Monday.

WPBF 25 News spoke with both the Port St. Lucie Police Department and Herb Yancy, the neighbor who helped rescue Catrambone.

According to the PSLPD, several of Catrambone’s belongings were found on Tuesday morning near the 700 block of Northeast Emerson Street, along the St. Lucie River.

The police department deployed its dive team, marine unit, canines and more around 10:30 a.m. to begin searching the area. The belief was that Catrambone might have entered the water.

After searching until dark, the search was postponed until morning. However, Master Sgt. Dominick Mesiti said a handful of officers stayed on scene.

“About 9 p.m. last night, one of our drone operators was operating the drone and could faintly hear a woman screaming for help. They were having a hard time determining where the scream was coming from. Simultaneously, we also had a citizen call 911 saying the same thing,” Mesiti said.

Officers quickly jumped into action and noticed a boat docked nearby. The boat belongs to Herb Yancy, who had just been watching the news and knew of the search.

“They came around the house and to the front door, didn’t get a chance to knock, I opened up the door, said, ‘Hey guys.’ The first thing they said was, ‘You got a boat?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ So we did, and it was really fast, just like that,” Yancy told WPBF.

The officers got on Yancy’s pontoon, and he drove them around to where they could hear the faint calls for help.

“We could hear a little whimper, and over the course of probably 20-30 minutes, we heard that whimper three or four times, and each time we got a little closer to her. The whole time she was moving closer to the edge of the island, and one of the policemen jumped in the water and all brought her aboard,” Yancy said.

Catrambone was found approximately two to three hundred feet across the river from where officials were originally looking for her. He said the mangroves made it impossible for officers or drones to see her.

“She was stuck within about two feet of water within the mangroves, like deep in the mangroves, and in that muddy, kind of mucky water. She was just weak, dehydrated, and couldn’t move,” he said.

He said it’s still unclear how long she was out there and why she went into the water. Catrambone was brought to shore and taken to the hospital, where she’s recovering.

Mesiti and Yancy said they’re both shocked and thankful she’s OK.

“We were not anticipating a positive outcome. We were prepared for the worst, so it was a relief that she was actually out there still alive,” Mesiti said.

“My thoughts were this isn’t gonna be good, so we were all thrilled to see that she was still alive,” Yancy said.

Yancy noted how dangerous the river can be, specifically because of the alligators.

“We see a lot of gators like a Tarzan movie,” he said.

“She’s very lucky, very lucky. Depending on whether it’s just a day in the water, a few hours in the water — she’s very lucky to be alive,” Mesiti added.

Catrambone’s following sent WPBF 25 News the following statement:

“Our family would like to offer our deepest gratitude to the Port St. Lucie Police Department, including the detectives, search and rescue divers, drone team, and K9 officers, for their quick and extraordinary efforts in locating and rescuing our sister. We are incredibly thankful for their professionalism, teamwork, and compassion during such a frightening time. Thanks to their swift response, our sister is now safe and recovering well. We cannot express how grateful we are for the heroes who worked tirelessly to bring her home.”

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By Pamela Comme

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    VOLUSIA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — After five long years apart, Penny, a 6-year-old Chihuahua mix, is finally going home to Mississippi.

The small dog vanished from her family’s yard, and for years, no one knew what had happened to her.

“We thought Penny was a goner for sure,” said Kristy Taylor, Penny’s owner. “A few months went by. We had posted her in some Facebook missing pet groups, and we never got any bites, so we just assumed that she had moved on with life, with a new family. And indeed she did.”

It’s unclear where Penny has been all this time, but one thing is certain: She is healthy, happy and well-fed.

“She’s a little bigger. She’s put on a little weight,” Taylor said.

Volusia County Animal Services Director Angela Miedema believes Penny has likely been cared for during her time away.

“With her condition being so good, it’s conceivable that somebody would have cared for her now. She could have even gone through a couple different homes at this point. We really don’t know her background or anything like that,” Miedema said.

How Penny ended up in DeLand remains a mystery. Last week, she was spotted wandering the streets and found by Briana Rideout.

“I put up posters at the intersection. My boyfriend and I knocked on every door for about a block radius around us. We made friends with many neighbors, but no one claimed her. No one knew who had maybe lost her,” Rideout said.

On Monday, Penny was taken to the county shelter. A simple microchip scan changed everything.

Her original owners, the Taylors, got the call they never expected, and by the next day, they were on the road to bring her home.

“We were coming to get our dog. Yes. Oh, I’m so glad that we were called,” Taylor said.

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By Carson Zorn

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    CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — The School District of Lee County is moving to fire a teacher accused of showing up to work while high on cocaine and letting students use her vape.

According to district documents, the school district has filed a petition for termination of employment against Nuria Acuna, a teacher at Island Coast High School in Cape Coral.

According to documents, the school district conducted an investigation into Acuna and removed her from the classroom after allegations surfaced. The documents say that on Feb. 13, Acuna showed up to teach while under the influence of cocaine.

Students in her class told investigators that Acuna would vape in class and also allowed students to vape in class, sometimes letting the students use her personal vape. Acuna also sold drinks and chips to students from her classroom, the documents said.

Lee County Schools Superintendent Denise Carlin has endorsed the recommendation to fire Acuna, stating that she violated multiple ethical codes.

Acuna is currently suspended without pay until a hearing scheduled for Nov. 4.

Count on Gulf Coast News to keep you updated with the latest in this developing story.

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By Jake Shindel, Tori Yorgey

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — Baltimore police are investigating a viral video and suspended an officer after a man said he was struck by the patrol car.

WBAL-TV 11 News spoke exclusively with the man who recorded the video and the man at the center of the video that prompted BPD to start an internal affairs investigation into the officer’s actions.

The video from Tuesday night shows an officer in a marked patrol car chasing a person on foot.

The person who recorded the video, Slick Brown, exclusively told WBAL-TV 11 News that he and his friends were hanging out along Wylie Avenue in Park Heights when the officer went up and told them to move.

“(The officer) told him, ‘Come here,’ for no reason,” Brown told WBAL-TV 11 News. “So, my man said, ‘No,’ so he kept walking. He walked through the alley. As soon as he walked into the alley, (the officer) hopped back into the car and started chasing him. Automatic, full speed, trying to hit him and all of that. So, my man started running. He was running for his life. He isn’t going to stop, (the officer) was trying to hit him with his car.”

Brown said the group did move, but then the officer returned. The rest was caught on camera.

The man who nearly got run over is OK, but is a bit sore and has a banged up knee, he said.

The officer’s police powers have since been suspended, BPD said.

The man seen in the video told WBAL-TV 11 News that he found out Wednesday the officer was trying to talk to him because he had a failure to appear in court for driving without a license.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley released a statement, saying:

“What is seen in this video is not only disturbing, but alarming. This is not how we expect our officers to behave and this incident does not reflect the values or standards of the Baltimore Police Department. Our department continues to work hard to rebuild trust and change the narrative of our department and our city. We remain committed to holding officers accountable for their actions and continuing the work of rebuilding trust with our community.”

In a statement, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott called the video “deeply disturbing.”

Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates released a a statement, saying he is “deeply disturbed” by what he saw in the video. The statement reads, in part:

“The Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City takes all allegations of police misconduct extremely seriously. Our Public Trust and Police Integrity Unit has opened an immediate investigation into this matter that will be thorough and comprehensive. “At this time, we understand that the officer involved has been suspended. Out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with our ethical obligations, our office will decline to call this officer as a witness in any active or future criminal prosecutions until the investigation is complete.”

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