Category: CNN Regional

By Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES, California (KCAL, KCBS) — Federal prosecutors charged a Koreatown man who allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails inside the downtown Los Angeles federal building.

The Department of Justice said agents arrested Jose Francisco Jovel, 54, immediately after the attack on Monday morning. He faces a single charge of attempted malicious damage to federal property, which carries a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

“There can be zero tolerance for any targeting of law enforcement officials – let alone violent acts – and we’re lucky that the devices allegedly thrown by the subject did not physically injure anyone,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis said.

Jovel allegedly lit his Koreatown apartment on fire four hours before he arrived at the federal building at 300 N. Los Angeles Street, according to the Justice Department’s complaint. While at the base of the stairs leading to the office’s main entrance, Jovel allegedly tossed two Molotov cocktails through the open door, past a line of people waiting to go through the security checkpoint, according to investigators.

Federal agents found a lighter and five more Molotov cocktails in Jovel’s bags after he was arrested. In the criminal complaint, Jovel allegedly said “this is a terrorist attack” and “you’re separating families.”

Surveillance footage from federal investigators appears to show Jovel allegedly lighting the Molotovs on fire and flames emitting from devices mid-flight. However, it did not seem to ignite anything inside the building. Investigators said the cocktails contained hand sanitizer or ethanol, both of which are flammable.

“I am deeply alarmed by the incident that occurred at the Federal Building in Downtown,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. “This type of behavior is absolutely unconscionable. Thank you to our LAPD officers and law enforcement partners for their intervention and response. I am grateful that no one was injured.”

The federal complaint also detailed Jovel’s lengthy criminal history, which included multiple felony convictions dating back to 1992. The Justice Department’s complaint also states that he had a juvenile criminal history, which included a murder charge.

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By Sean MacKinnon

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    FLORENCE, Kentucky (WLWT) — Bullets were fired in a quiet Florence neighborhood, nearly hitting two boys sleeping inside a home.

Around 10:30 p.m. Monday, the family heard gunshots. Then, the sounds of car engines taking off.

That’s when they realized their home was hit — the bullet holes right above the beds where two young boys sleep.

The quiet of a fresh snowfall, and the innocence of Christmastime.

Twelve-year-old Kobee and his brother woke up when the bullet ripped through their walls flying just inches above both of their beds.

“Cause they could have hit me or him. And we both could have died,” Kobee Sanchez said.

Their father Leo Sanchez could have lost both his boys.

“You see this, how close my kids were, about to die. Two kids at the same time. Can you imagine?” Sanchez said.

Neighbors also hearing the gunshots outside their homes.

“And out of nowhere I heard about five or six gunshots,” Jesse Turner said.

Florence officers showed up in less than ten minutes.

On Tuesday, Sanchez showed WLWT the path the shots took and took a picture of one of the mangled bullets.

“I mean it’s a really, really quiet community so to have that kind of thing happen is really, really surprising and jarring,” Turner said.

Florence police said they weren’t sure if the home was targeted or caught in crossfire.

Detectives are trying to identify the shooter or shooters, but don’t have any suspect information.

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By Abigail Kurten

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    FORT DODGE, Iowa (KCCI) — A Fort Dodge boy is being rewarded for helping firefighters after heavy snowfall blocked the city’s fire hydrants.

9-year-old Colton Holmes took part in a citywide contest that encouraged kids across the city to clear snow from the fire hydrants for a chance to ride to school in a fire truck.

He says spending some of his time in the snow to help out was a no-brainer.

“I wanted to help people out and be a hero,” he said.

But this nice gesture turned into a lifesaving action just a day later, when a firefighter used the hydrant he cleared to respond to a nearby structure fire.

“Given the situation, the heavy snowfall recently, time was of the essence,” Fort Dodge Lt. Devon Schuster said. “Fire actually doubles in size every minute, so the fact that we didn’t have to dig out a fire hydrant saved us an immense amount of time.”

As a reward for his bravery, Schuster gifted Holmes a patch and a challenge coin in addition to a ride to school in a fire truck next week.

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By Kirsten Maselka

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    CHATHAM COUNTY, Georgia (WJCL) — Chatham County police say an autopsy they requested in the death of an 18-year-old stabbing victim was never performed, potentially complicating the murder case tied to the killing.

Lead Detective Jonathan Puhala of the Chatham County Police Department testified during a recent preliminary hearing that an autopsy was ordered following the death of 18-year-old JT Schroeder, who investigators say was fatally stabbed outside the Walmart on Whitemarsh Island in October.

“There was some sort of miscommunication in the hospital… the hospital released him to the funeral home, where he was cremated,” Puhala said.

Police say Schroeder died at Memorial Health University Medical Center. According to the department, both the Chatham County Coroner’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation placed a hold on Schroeder’s body so an autopsy could be conducted.

Despite those holds, investigators say Memorial Health released the body to a funeral home, where Schroeder was cremated before the autopsy could take place.

In a statement to WJCL, a Memorial Health spokesperson the hospital has “processes in place to ensure proper handling of the deceased,” adding that when procedures are not followed, the hospital reviews staff training and works with outside agencies “to prevent something like this from happening again.”

Legal experts say the missing autopsy could pose a serious challenge for prosecutors in the case against Delano Middleton, who is accused of killing Schroeder.

“Missing that element destroys the entire case in terms of the allegation itself, because the state wouldn’t be able to prove that element in the indictment. So this is critical,” Savannah criminal defense attorney Michael Schiavone said.

Schiavone said it is rare for a homicide case to proceed without an autopsy and that the lack of formal medical findings could make it significantly harder for prosecutors to prove murder charges.

“It would be almost impossible to prove that element without some medical testimony,” he said.

Schiavone noted that, in some instances, a physician’s testimony about treatment and observed injuries can partially stand in for an autopsy. But he added that such testimony is uncommon in criminal cases because medical professionals are often reluctant to become involved in court proceedings of this nature.

The investigation into Schroeder’s death and the circumstances surrounding the body’s release remains ongoing.

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By Tom Garris, Krizia Williams

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    NASHUA, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A fire that broke out early Tuesday morning spread through at least two buildings in Nashua, displacing dozens of residents and destroying a record studio, officials said.

The fire was reported just before 6:30 a.m. in the area of Ash and Vine streets.

An officer at the scene told WMUR the fire started in a six-family home at 108 Ash St. and spread to a warehouse at 115 Vine St.

Firefighters arrived to find heavy fire and smoke coming from the apartment building, with flames already extending to the second structure.

Crews eventually went to six alarms to bring in more help, including units from several surrounding communities and departments from Massachusetts.

“There’s numerous recording studios in this building,” Jesse Rutstein, a musician, said at the scene. “So, a lot of art is gone. A lot of our stuff is, without a doubt, gone.”

Police said officers worked with firefighters to evacuate the apartment building.

“Everybody was able to self-evacuate or evacuate with a little assistance from the fire department,” Nashua Fire Chief Steve Buxton said.

Officials said three people were taken to local hospitals with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Two have been released. The third victim is being treated for minor burns.

Authorities said a firefighter was also hurt.

About 30 residents were forced out of the apartment building and are now without housing, officials said.

The recording studio was deemed a total loss, with thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and rare instruments destroyed.

“We’ll be working with the property owners and stuff to get the buildings secured, and some of them may need to have a level of demolition take place in quick order,” Buxton said.

Rutstein said they will assess the damage, but is happy everyone made it out OK.

“Everybody got out, so that’s, that’s the important thing. All the people that were in the building got out,” he said.

The Red Cross, Salvation Army, and City of Nashua have been working together to help people who have been displaced.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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By Peter Eliopoulos

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    DEDHAM, Massachusetts (WCVB) — A church in Dedham, Massachusetts, drew attention and anger to their Nativity scene after displaying an “ICE was here” sign where Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus should be.

The presumption is they were taken by immigration agents.

Underneath the sign reads, “The Holy Family is safe in our Church… If you see ICE please call LUCE at 617-370-5023.”

The display sits at St. Susanna Parish, where Rev. Stephen Josoma came up with the idea.

“What is the objective by doing this? To help people recognize the plight of people who are really in dire need, and how are we treating them,” he said. “We’re supposed to bring out the best of people in Christmas.”

This is not the first time Rev. Josoma has used the manger in Dedham to start a conversation on current events.

He’s used the Nativity scene to address climate change, gun control, and even put Baby Jesus in a cage separated from his parents in 2018 during Trump’s first presidency.

Not everyone approves of the displays.

“This is a case of a dissident priest who has a long history of these kind of crackpot political stunts,” said C.J. Doyle, the Executive Director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts.

He says he received a call from one of the parishioners of St. Susanna to complain about the display.

“This is not right, it’s divisive, it’s disrespectful, it takes away from the essential Christmas message,” Doyle said.

He hopes the archdiocese will step in and put an end to the political messaging.

“The purpose of a Nativity scene is to remind us of the purpose of Christmas, not to remind us of current political issues,” Doyle said.

In the meantime, Rev. Josoma hopes the message resonates positively with others.

“We’re capable of being our best selves so to speak,” he said. “And our world right now, we’re just not doing that.”

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By Jordan Cioppa

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    PITTSBURGH (WTAE) — A man was arrested this week for allegedly breaking into an apartment occupied by college students.

“It was kind of like my worst nightmare coming true,” Ahana Agrawal told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 Reporter Jordan Cioppa.

The nightmare began for Agrawal around 10 on Monday morning when she returned to her Squirrel Hill apartment after class.

The Carnegie Mellon University graduate student tried to open her bedroom door, but she said it was unexpectedly locked from the inside.

“I could hear a man’s voice from inside,” Agrawal said. “I asked him to open the door. He did open the door, and he was like, ‘Is this your room?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, this is my room, what are you doing here?’”

According to a criminal complaint, the man, identified by Pittsburgh Police as 38-year-old Malki Miles, was allegedly naked from the waist down as he stood next to Agrawal’s bed.

She said she then woke up her sleeping roommates.

“We were discussing what should we do next. This and that. And we tried to lock ourselves inside one of the other rooms,” Agrawal said.

The CMU student said the intruder left within a few minutes and at one point, tried to bribe her with money so she wouldn’t call police.

Police quickly arrived, and according to the complaint, found two used crack pipes and a baggie of suspected crack cocaine on Miles.

Agrawal’s purse was discovered outside, next door, with everything inside.

Other items in the apartment, like jewelry, electronics, and a wallet, were left untouched, the students said.

“Even when he was in the room for a while, like nothing was really moved around, so he wasn’t clearly trying to find things to steal,” said CMU graduate student Smriti Jha, who also lives in the apartment.

It is believed Miles broke in through the window, yet the roommates, who are shaken up by the incident, have no idea why.

“We were pretty scared. I’m like still scared to sleep in my own room,” said Agrawal.

Miles was charged with felony burglary and several other misdemeanors. According to court documents, Miles was unable to post bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 9.

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By Dacia Johnson, Michelle Meredith

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    SANFORD, Florida (WESH) — A Sanford family narrowly escaped their burning home early Tuesday morning, with the fire department investigating the Tesla charging station in the garage as a possible cause.

The Raky family’s home is destroyed, with the garage completely gutted and Mina’s prized Tesla burned beyond recognition.

“Just the trauma, we are all traumatized at this point,” Mina Raky said.

Mina said the fire started around 5 a.m. in his Sanford home. He heard popping and crackling, walked into his garage, and saw the bottom of his Tesla, which was charging at the time, smoking.

“I saw black smoke coming out, black smoke coming out from everywhere,” he said.

He raced to get his wife and four children out of the house.

His oldest daughter, Lily, was trying to do the same, but almost didn’t make it while searching for her brother.

“After I walk into his room, that is where I lose all sight, I can’t feel my body anymore,” Lily Raky said.

Lily said she doesn’t know how she did it, but she jumped out of the second-story window, landed on the roof of the screen porch, and made it to the ground safely. The rest of the family made it out safely as well.

Lily was taken to the hospital. After the smoke cleared, she was able to save some simple things, like cards and words of kindness from friends and loved ones.

Lily also rescued a little statue of Jesus, but as she sees it, he rescued her.

A Sanford police officer went back in to get their dog, Leo, who is still being treated at the vet.

Mina said he’s haunted by the look on Leo’s face.

“I saw him crying the last time,” Mina said. “I’m glad he’s out; then there’s hope.”

A report from the Sanford Fire Department provided to WESH 2 by the Raky family said in part, “The origin of the fire was found to be at or around the Tesla charging station in the garage.”

WESH 2 has reached out to Tesla to see if they have been made aware of the fire, and have not heard back yet.

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