Category: CNN Regional

By Rachael Perry

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    ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Florida (WPBF) — More than three years after 27-year-old Kaitlyn Kohler was struck and killed while crossing U.S. 1 in St. Lucie County, her family says they’re facing a new battle of keeping her roadside memorial standing.

Kohler was killed in May 2023 while crossing U.S. 1. According to investigators, a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputy was responding to assist with a traffic stop and was traveling about 100 mph without emergency lights or sirens activated when Kohler entered the crosswalk against a “Do Not Walk” signal. She died at the scene.

The deputy was later cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, and no criminal charges were filed.

Now, Kohler’s family says the memorial they’ve created at the intersection where she died has been removed three separate times after they say they’ve recieved approval to have it there.

“It’s always something. We just want to grieve in peace. We want to be able to grieve her and not have to keep fighting,” said Kohler’s mother, Brandi Kohler.

Brandi says she drives by the memorial every day.

“I drive by it twice a day, and I always smile at her beautiful face,” she said.

But that comfort has repeatedly been interrupted.

Kohler’s mother and stepmother told WPBF 25 News they have been informed that multiple complaints have led to requests for the memorial to be removed.

“Somebody was riding a motorcycle, said that debris from her site got into his wheel and he almost crashed. FDOT called us, told us we needed to take the stuff down. We came up here, took it down,” Brandi said.

The family says they complied with the Florida Department of Transportation’s request to modify the memorial. However, on Tuesday, the memorial was removed once again.

Brandi says they contacted a representative with FDOT who later acknowledged it should not have happened and that they would be putting the memorial back the following day.

As of Wednesday morning, the memorial was returned to the site where the crash happened. However, the family says they hope the repeated complaints finally come to an end.

“It’s not hurting them. It’s not hurting anybody. It’s in nobody’s way. Just let us have our last piece of our daughter. This is the last piece of our daughter. Just let us have it in peace,” Brandi said.

FDOT has guidelines for official roadside memorial markers, but those policies do not include family-created memorials placed along roadways.

For Kohler’s family, the memorial is about far more than flowers and photographs.

“It’s a memory. It’s the last place that she was, and we would like to keep that,” Brandi told WPBF.

FDOT has a set of rules for roadside memorials on its website, along with a form for families to fill out to request a memorial.

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 Brandon Hogan, Hayley Crombleholme

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    ORANGE COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — A man arrested Wednesday is accused of killing and dismembering his 71-year-old stepfather, who was reported missing a day earlier out of Orange County, according to the sheriff’s office.

Jose L. Proano will face a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Jorge Vazquez-Escutia, whom the Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported was missing on Tuesday.

Vazquez-Escutia’S family reported last seeing him on Saturday. Deputies were investigating his disappearance from the Hal Court area. WESH 2 News went to the area, where a large deputy presence could be seen.

Proano, 44, is further accused of attempting to conceal the murder by disposing of Vazquez-Escutia’s body in suitcases, the sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday.

“There are no outstanding suspects, and there is no threat to the community,” the statement reads. “Our thoughts are with Mr. Vazquez-Escutia’s loved ones as they navigate this unimaginable loss.”

According to an arrest report, someone reported to law enforcement that Proano had been acting erratic — making threats toward the individual — and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The report adds Vazquez-Escutia’s wife had a voicemail from someone claiming to be a friend of Proano, stating Proano had killed his father.

Deputies canvassed the area near Vazquez-Escutia’s home on foot and found multiple suitcases containing human remains, according to the report. Surveillance video allegedly showed someone putting human remains into a suitcase, the report states.

WESH 2 spoke with people who live in the neighborhood who said Vazquez-Escutia was known as helpful and kind.

“To hear that he’s been found unalive that’s really close to home cause he was that neighborhood guy we’re talking about close to 20 years,” said his neighbor Patrick Washington.

He and other neighbors described the 71-year-old as active and always up to mow a lawn, cut trees or help with cars. His loss will hit some of them hard.

“Gonna be touched to hear that one. Gonna be hurt,” Washington 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.

By Morrissey Walsh

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    YORK, Pennsylvania (WGAL) — A video showing York City police officers arresting a man is circulating on social media, leading to concerns from the man’s family and a response from the police department.

The video, recorded on Saturday, shows Donevyn Eaton being taken into custody outside his sister’s home. Police said there was a warrant for his arrest for driving with a suspended license.

“Next thing I know, a cop wound up and said I had a warrant and grabbed a hold of me. And before I could even react or anything, he, like, charged me and threw me to the ground. And we just started tussling right here,” Eaton said.

The struggle moved to the breezeway, out of sight, and then back to the front porch.

Eaton said he was not initially told why he was being arrested.

“When I asked what the war was for, he wasn’t telling me until after he got me in cuffs and placed in the back of the cop car,” Eaton said.

Captain Daniel Lentz says body camera footage showed Eaton was told why he was being arrested in the breezeway.

“You can’t see any of that interaction on the doorbell. But it’s in that moment,” said Lentz. “I know everybody’s like, Donny wanted to know what the warrant was for. Well, that he told him them in the breezeway there and it’s all on the body camera. So he was informed.”

Eaton’s sister says she feels this situation should have been handled differently.

“It was just crazy to me, like, to watch what he went through and then to talk to my neighbor, who witnessed it,” said Eaton’s sister, Aryza. “Somebody could have said something. You know, instead of coming up and basically attacking him and doing all that, that was not necessary. Like, I know they have a job to do, but I know my brother. He would have went with them,” she said.

Captain Lentz explained that the department reviews body camera footage whenever there is use of force.

“I can tell you that after reviewing not only the initial officer’s camera, but all the other body cameras over there, that the officers acted within our department’s policy,” Lentz said.

Eaton was taken into custody and is charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, among other charges, according to court documents.

The documents state that Eaton allegedly bit one officer and tried to bite another.

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 Marshall Keely

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    BALTIMORE (WBAL) — Baltimore City leaders have approved an $11 million settlement for Anthony Hall, who spent more than 25 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of second-degree murder in 1992.

“This is why we have changed policing in Baltimore,” said Zeke Cohen, president of the Baltimore City Council.

Hall was convicted by the Baltimore City Circuit Court based on testimony from police and two witnesses. After years of fighting his conviction, Hall asked the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project to investigate his case.

That investigation uncovered evidence that had been withheld, according to federal court filings. The primary witnesses later revealed they had been threatened by Baltimore Police and forced to make false statements.

“Whether it’s because police had coerced them or they had been sort of pushed to identify Mr. Hall in this case, they were recanting their statements,” said Stephen Salsbury, deputy solicitor for the Baltimore City Law Department.

In 2023, the same court that convicted Hall found him innocent, and the state dismissed his case. A judge later determined he had been wrongfully convicted and awarded him nearly $2.4 million. Hall sued Baltimore police and the officers involved in 2024.

“We’re recommending a settlement in an amount of $11 million,” Salsbury said.

On Wednesday, Baltimore City’s Board of Estimates voted unanimously to approve the settlement.

Mayor Brandon Scott offered an apology to Hall.

“I’m sorry that he had to go through that. That is a long time for something that you did not do,” Scott said.

City Council President Cohen emphasized the magnitude of Hall’s experience.

“$11 million is an enormous amount of money, but it is nothing compared to the 25 years that this man lost,” Cohen said.

The decision comes as Baltimore leaders highlight progress in police reforms.

Officials reported that last month was the safest July on record, with seven homicides compared to 15 in July 2025.

“We are not perfect. The police department isn’t where we want it to be, but it’s a hell of a lot better than it was when I was a young person,” Scott 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.

By Kaley O’Kelley

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    PHOENIX (KNXV) — The NeeDoh craze has made its way to the Valley.

Children, parents and collectors are waking up before sunrise and waiting hours for a chance to buy the colorful, palm-sized squishy toys that have exploded in popularity on TikTok.

Among them are soon-to-be sixth-graders Kennedi Maio, Charlotte McCracken and their friend, Isabella, who arrived outside Arcadia Toys in Phoenix at 4:16 a.m. on a recent morning with pillows, snacks and a specific list of the NeeDohs they hoped to find.

“Because we love NeeDohs,” Charlotte told ABC15’s Kaley O’Kelley.

Charlotte was searching for several of these hard-to-find squish toys.

“I’m looking for the Super NeeDoh, the Wildcat, and the Jellyfish NeeDoh,” she said.

NeeDohs are sensory toys designed to be squeezed, pulled and squished before returning to their original shape, according to Schylling, the Massachusetts company behind the brand.

The company launched NeeDoh in 2017 and has since expanded the line into different shapes, sizes, textures and fillings.

The toys are not new, but their popularity recently reached another level.

Schylling CEO Paul Weingard told Business Insider that the company sold through inventory intended to last all of 2026 during the first nine weeks of the year.

He said demand had grown far faster than Schylling could replenish stores, leading to frequent sellouts and a rush by the company to increase production.

That shortage has turned new shipments into events commonly called “drops.”

When stores announce a restock on social media, collectors begin sharing the information and, in some cases, lining up hours before the doors open.

Kennedi is just one kid who signs up for those drop alerts and brings friends along for the hunt. The girls tell ABC15 they have waited as long as eight hours for a chance to purchase four NeeDohs each.

Isabella said she was focused on finding a Wildcat.

“They’re just really rare,” she said. “I’ve been looking for them for a while.”

For Charlotte and Isabella, much of the appeal is collecting the different colors, shapes and textures.

Kennedi, however, saw another opportunity.

“I buy them. I sell them. And some of them I keep,” she said.

Kennedi and her family resell some of the harder-to-find toys through online marketplaces. She also says it has become difficult to keep track of how much money she has brought in.

“It’s kind of hard to count because I’ve made a lot,” she said.

“When you say a lot, what’s a lot?” O’Kelley asked.

“Um, like $500 maybe?” Kennedi replied. The amount reflects the money Kennedi says she’s made by selling online.

O’Kelley asked, “You’ve made $500 selling NeeDohs?!”

Kennedi nodded.

Many NeeDohs sell at major retailers for about $6.

Target, for example, lists several popular styles, including the Fuzz Ball, Nice Cube and Mello Mallo, for $5.99.

On the resale market, however, prices can climb quickly.

Modern Retail reported that StockX had completed more than 2,500 NeeDoh sales by May of this year.

Sales on the platform increased 150% from March to April, and more than 50,000 people searched for the brand during the first four months of the year.

ABC15 also found DePop listings asking $110 for a Mini Nice Cube, $150 for a Cloud Pleaser, and $300 for a Crystal Squeeze.

The $110 Mini Nice Cube listing also included 10 additional surprise squishy toys, meaning the listed price did not apply to the cube alone.

That distinction matters for families hoping to make money from the trend.

The best way to estimate a NeeDoh’s value is to research completed sales involving the same style, color, size and condition. Current listings show what sellers hope to receive. Completed transactions show what buyers have actually paid.

Facebook Marketplace can be useful for local transactions, particularly when buyers and sellers want to avoid shipping.

However, a parent or guardian should control the account, messages, payment, and meeting when a child is involved.

Kennedi’s summer side hustle also reflects a broader shift in how young people think about making money. Before she has even started sixth grade, she is already learning how supply, demand, social media and online marketplaces can transform a toy into a business opportunity.

For Kennedi and her friends, the process starts with a restock alert, an early alarm, and a lot of patience.

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 Anthony Carlo

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    NEW YORK (WABC) — A small Smart car parked at 54th Street and 10th Avenue is turning heads – and stopping pedestrians in their tracks – thanks to the unmistakable aroma of fresh, stone-fired pizza coming from its open trunk.

Pizza Pod NYC, a mobile micropizzeria operated entirely out of a two-seater vehicle, is the creation of owner Bradley Alvelo, who says the unconventional setup began with a simple idea.

“I just happened to have this smart car so I just kind of hooked it up so it worked. And here we are,” Alvelo said.

Inside the trunk, Alvelo stores olive oil, sauce and cheese instead of the usual roadside essentials. A portable generator powers the mini ovens that allow him to bring his pizza to any street corner he chooses. For Alvelo, the mobility is intentional.

“Before jumping into a storefront that’s charging anywhere from 8,000 to 20,000 dollars a month, I want to make sure people are enjoying the product,” he said.

Customers often stop midstride, surprised to find fresh, hot pizza being made from the back of a tiny car. One patron, still chewing, shook his head when asked whether he expected such a setup. Alvelo says the reactions have become routine.

“This is New York City so people have seen it all but I’ve noticed everyone has to stop. From truck drivers to kids coming out of school doesn’t matter they’re like hold on let me take a second and see what’s happening over here,” he said.

Alvelo calls Pizza Pod NYC “New York City’s smallest pizzeria.” Beyond street corners, he says the compact setup has made him a popular choice for events.

“In off broadway theaters, we’ve been on rooftops, kids birthday parties,” he said.

The concept has gained traction on social media, helping fuel demand for Alvelo’s nine different 12-inch stone-fired pies. With 20 years of professional cooking experience – much of it in corporate dining – he says the inspiration traces back to his childhood in the Bronx.

“I grew up eating pizza. Pizza is number one comfort food. And when you’re a broke kid pizza will save your life,” Alvelo said.

Pizza Pod NYC continues to pop up across the city, offering a new twist on small business – and a big slice of nostalgia – from the back of a car.

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 Riley Nagel

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    BAKERSFIELD, California (KERO) — The Ready Set Back 2 School Health and Wellness Fair returns to the Kern County Museum on Thursday, Aug. 6, with thousands of backpacks and school supplies ready to be given away to families.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon. Organizers recommend arriving early to get through the line and take advantage of everything the event has to offer.

What began 17 years ago as a small backpack giveaway in a parking lot has grown into one of Kern County’s biggest back-to-school traditions. The event has expanded from a parking lot to Mill Creek Park and now fills the Kern County Museum with more than 90 community partners offering healthcare and dental services, employment resources and school supplies.

Behind the event is months of work by employees with Kern County Child Support Services, who hold fundraisers, collect donations and work alongside community partners to make it possible.

Toni Kendrick, with Kern County Child Support Services, said the staff who raise the money are central to the event’s success.

“They’re the reason why we have the event. They raise all the money to purchase the backpacks. I think it’s rewarding for us,” Kendrick said.

For many employees, seeing children leave with backpacks they helped provide is the most meaningful part of the day.

Antonio Vital said the event gives staff a chance to see the results of their efforts firsthand.

“They can see the fruits of their labor, so to speak, when they’ve been raising funds for a few months and now they get to see the backpacks actually given out to children,” Vital said.

This year, organizers hope to distribute more than 3,000 backpacks along with enough school supplies to help families through the school year. With the cost of back-to-school shopping continuing to climb, organizers say every backpack can make a difference.

“But I hear from the staff that there is a lot of thank-yous. It’s just one last thing they have to buy for the school year,” Kendrick said.

The event is designed to offer more than free backpacks. Dozens of local organizations will be on hand providing health services, employment information and other resources to support families beyond the first day of school.

“This is a very serious job that we have, but this is the one day of the year that we get to actually enjoy and actually serve our community first hand,” Vital said.

Kendrick said the event reflects something larger about the community.

“It’s just, it’s just a wonderful feeling to see us coming together. You know, Kern County is big on giving back to the community, and this is just a small part of that,” Kendrick said.

The Ready Set Back 2 School Health and Wellness Fair takes place Thursday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Kern County Museum.

“Enjoy it. Enjoy the event and what we have to offer,” Kendrick said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. KERO verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Brieanna Smith

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    NORTHEAST TALLAHASSEE, Florida (WTXL) — A “little free library” built by preschoolers at Killearn Lakes Preschool is full again after someone stole more than 50 books and threw them in a dumpster just a week after it was installed.

The theft hit especially hard because students built the box themselves during the preschool’s “Construction Week,” painting it and installing it outside.

Students John Paul and Maddox were among those who helped put it together.

“We holded the drill and like helped made it a lot, make it a lot,” Maddox said.

“They chose to throw them away, which I think might even be worse. It makes me feel sad. It makes me feel sad for this small community of Killearn Lakes, because you don’t feel like you live in a place where someone would be willing to do that,” Owner Allison Crawford said.

Crawford says the box was designed to motivate students to read. HeadStart reports that reading at an early age helps kids develop language and supports pre-literacy skills.

“I think that now it’s very hard to get children to be motivated to read, and I think that building something like this gave them a different type of motivation than just sitting down as a chore and having to read,” Crawford said.

However, the community rallied quickly. Crawford said has she received about three boxes of donated books since the theft.

“It feels amazing. We had many, many past families that donated whose children are in middle and high school, and they came by and donated books to the cause, and we have current families that have re-donated books,” Crawford said.

Crawford said the school is now installing security cameras facing the box to prevent future thefts.

As for what the students had to say to whoever took the books:

“No, that’s mine. You can’t take that from me,” John Paul said.

“No, we put those books in there,” Maddox said.

Because of the volume of donations, the school is encouraging the community to start using the box again to cycle through the books and make room for more.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTXL verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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 Taylor Locke

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    CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — A man is counting his blessings after live power lines crashed onto his Jeep when another driver struck a utility pole.

Keith Adcock was driving home on Courthouse Road near Richland Road last week when a vehicle veered into a ditch, drove through a neighbor’s front yard and struck a power pole.

The impact brought the lines down directly onto Adcock’s Jeep, trapping him in the middle of the road.

“The cables and everything came right down under my windshield,” Adcock said.

Adcock remained inside his vehicle for about an hour before Dominion crews could deenergize the wires.

“I stayed in my vehicle and the Dominion guy was out there and I said ‘I’m staying in my vehicle and I’m not getting out’ and he goes ‘Good man because those lines are live and you know they will kill you,'” Adcock said.

Adcock says a Dominion worker told him the front bumper on his Jeep may have saved his life by preventing the lines from sliding up over the hood and through the windshield.

“If that bumper wasn’t there it would’ve came up over the hood and went through the windshield…he said it would’ve taken my head off,” Adcock said.

Looking back on the moment the lines came down, Adcock said he put his faith in a higher power.

“I let go of the wheel and tapped on my breaks a little bit and said ‘Jesus take the wheel,'” Adcock said. “Like yeah wow, I mean unbelievable and who else could it happen to, they picked me.”

Adcock’s insurance is covering the cost to repair his Jeep.

He said he hopes his story serves as a reminder to never approach a downed power line and always stay alert while driving.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. WTVR verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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.