Category: CNN Regional

By Jeff Hager

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    LAUREL, Maryland (WMAR) — Traveling down the secluded Brock Bridge Road in Laurel a little after 1:00 in the morning, the motorist spotted someone crossing the road on crutches directly in his path.

“The vehicle then stops. The victim obviously doesn’t want to strike the individual,” said Justin Mulcahy of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, “At that point, two people apparently come out of the woods. One armed with some kind of long gun or shotgun. They demanded he get out of the vehicle and start tapping on the vehicle and ultimately forcefully remove him from the vehicle and steal his vehicle.”

The idea that criminals would place one of their own in jeopardy just to set up a potential victim seemed so farfetched that detectives even interviewed the victim a second time with an interpreter just to make sure they hadn’t lost something in translation, since English wasn’t his first language.

“In all my years, I haven’t seen anything like this. It’s very much an anomaly, an outlier, very bizarre scenario,” added Mulcahy, “Our crime is down pretty much across the board this year. Carjackings as well. Don’t remember something like this.”

Police say they discovered the victim’s vehicle the following day where it had been abandoned just over the line in Prince George’s County where it also had been crashed.

At this point, police are checking with surrounding jurisdictions to see if the same carjackers may have used the same clutch ploy to pull off similar crimes in the region.

If you have any information, which could help detectives, you can call them at 410-222-4730.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Ryan Dickstein

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    ASHLAND, Virginia (WMAR) — An ABC liquor store was ransacked in Ashland, Virginia on Saturday.

But, this wasn’t your typical burglary.

Turns out a mischievous raccoon got inside and rummaged through the shelves.

A Hanover County Animal Protection officer discovered the furry culprit passed out in the store bathroom.

Officials described the bandit as “very intoxicated.”

Officers were able to get the drunken raccoon out of its slumber and into a shelter to sober up.

“After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices), he was safely released back to the wild,” the agency said in a Facebook post.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Megan Mannering

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    GEORGETOWN, Kentucky (WLEX) — Georgetown Community Hospital dedicated a special pediatric exam room to honor the legacy of Dr. Horace Hambrick, a beloved pediatrician who spent nearly four decades caring for children in Scott County before his death in September.

The dedication ceremony fulfilled a hope Dr. Hambrick expressed in an interview just one month before he died from cancer on September 5th. During that July interview, conducted while the state honored him for vaccine advocacy, Dr. Hambrick shared his vision for the future of pediatric care.

“I hope the legacy is, this will be a place we care about kids, that we do so in an inclusive way, that we make kids feel safe here, and I’m hopeful this is an environment where they can grow up to be the best version of themselves,” Hambrick said.

Dr. David Hoddy, a colleague, reflected on Hambrick’s deep connection to the community during the dedication ceremony.

“One thing about Dr. Hambrick, he loved being a pediatrician and he also loved Scott County. He was involved with the college, the board of health, with his church. There aren’t a lot of places in Scott County that don’t have his handprints on them, and the hospital is one of those,” Hoddy said.

After 39 years in medicine, the dedicated exam room serves as a lasting tribute to Hambrick’s compassionate care. The space features flags representing his 19 medical mission trips and artwork celebrating inclusive care for children. Unlike typical clinical spaces, the room feels warm and hopeful.

Tracey Evans, emergency services director at the hospital, emphasized how the room captures Hambrick’s spirit.

“One of things that stood out to me was his smile, his smile warmed your heart, so I hope this will do the same when kiddos come through this room,” Evans said.

Willow Hambrick, the doctor’s wife, attended the dedication with their children. She expressed hope that the room would provide comfort to future young patients.

“I hope it brings calm and solace and I hope they see animals and sunshine and people holding hands and diversity. I hope they feel like there’s hope for them because healing will happen in this room,” Willow said.

For the Hambrick family, now scattered around the world, the dedication provides both comfort during their grief and a permanent connection to Scott County.

“We are being held by all of the tender mercies this whole community has offered us, but I have to say, it’s the most heartwrenching experience we’ve gone through as a family,” Willow said.

Taking in the colorful mural, she added, “It’s a beautiful way to honor the legacy of his healing touch here. His spirit will definitely be in this space.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

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By Joe Brandt

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    Delaware (KYW) — A Delaware man is in custody and facing federal charges after several guns were found in his home, along with apparent plans to attack the University of Delaware Police Department, prosecutors and federal court documents say.

Luqmaan Khan, 25, was charged last Wednesday with illegally possessing a machine gun, Acting U.S. Attorney Julianne Murray announced in a news release.

Khan, a University of Delaware student, allegedly drew up the layout of a UD police station and made comments to investigators about martyrdom, according to Murray and court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Wilmington.

Authorities say Khan was stopped by New Castle County police officers late on the night of Monday, Nov. 24. The officers were in Canby Park West when they spotted a white Toyota Tacoma truck and stopped the vehicle.

Khan was inside the truck and did not comply with officers’ orders to exit the truck. He was then taken into custody for resisting arrest, Murray said.

“This is a very shocking stop. This is not a routine stop,” Newcastle County Police Master Cpl. Richard Chambers said. “This is a classic example of ‘what they thought was just a person in the park after dark’, which we deal with a lot, and this so happened to be a possible shooter of some sort.”

Inside the truck, officers found a .357 Glock handgun with a stabilizing brace kit attached, along with more magazines and an armored ballistic plate, and a composition notebook.

In the notebook, there were notes about more weapons and how they could be used to attack the University of Delaware Police Department.

“The notebook referenced a member of the University of Delaware’s Police Department by name, and included a layout of a building with entry and exit points under which the words ‘UD Police Station’ were printed,” Murray said.

Khan also referenced “martyrdom” in the notebook and stated in an interview with police following his arrest that being a martyr is “one of the greatest things you can do,” and was a goal of his, the affidavit alleges.

University of Delaware Interim President Laura Carlson addressed the charges against Khan in a statement to the university community Tuesday.

Carlson identified Khan as an undergraduate student and said he has been temporarily separated from the university and banned from campus until his legal matters are resolved.

“There are no known or immediate threats to the University of Delaware community. However, the press release describes evidence of a plan that targeted the University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD). This is frightening to all of us,” Carlson wrote. “The press release contains relevant information about the timeline and the actions of the New Castle County Police, the FBI, the Department of Justice and UDPD. I am incredibly grateful to these teams for their diligent investigation and coordination.”

The FBI and New Castle County police obtained a search warrant and searched Khan’s home in Wilmington on Nov. 25. The search turned up another Glock handgun, which was equipped with a “switch,” also referred to as a “Glock switch.”

This is a modification that can turn a standard semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic one, according to CBS News Philadelphia’s previous reporting. The court documents referred to the Glock with the switch as a “machine gun.”

A rifle was also found in the home, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in court. There are no weapons registered to Khan in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, the document says.

According to the document, Khan is an American citizen who was born in Pakistan. He has no prior convictions on his record.

Khan is being represented by a federal public defender. Court records show he is in custody pending a detention hearing on Dec. 11, at which time a judge could rule whether to release him on certain conditions or keep him incarcerated until the case is resolved.

CBS News Philadelphia reached out to Khan’s public defender. We have not heard back.

Ross DiMattei contributed to this report.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

KYW

By Joe Brandt

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    Delaware (KYW) — A Delaware man is in custody and facing federal charges after several guns were found in his home, along with apparent plans to attack the University of Delaware Police Department, prosecutors and federal court documents say.

Luqmaan Khan, 25, was charged last Wednesday with illegally possessing a machine gun, Acting U.S. Attorney Julianne Murray announced in a news release.

Khan, a University of Delaware student, allegedly drew up the layout of a UD police station and made comments to investigators about martyrdom, according to Murray and court documents filed in the U.S. District Court in Wilmington.

Authorities say Khan was stopped by New Castle County police officers late on the night of Monday, Nov. 24. The officers were in Canby Park West when they spotted a white Toyota Tacoma truck and stopped the vehicle.

Khan was inside the truck and did not comply with officers’ orders to exit the truck. He was then taken into custody for resisting arrest, Murray said.

“This is a very shocking stop. This is not a routine stop,” Newcastle County Police Master Cpl. Richard Chambers said. “This is a classic example of ‘what they thought was just a person in the park after dark’, which we deal with a lot, and this so happened to be a possible shooter of some sort.”

Inside the truck, officers found a .357 Glock handgun with a stabilizing brace kit attached, along with more magazines and an armored ballistic plate, and a composition notebook.

In the notebook, there were notes about more weapons and how they could be used to attack the University of Delaware Police Department.

“The notebook referenced a member of the University of Delaware’s Police Department by name, and included a layout of a building with entry and exit points under which the words ‘UD Police Station’ were printed,” Murray said.

Khan also referenced “martyrdom” in the notebook and stated in an interview with police following his arrest that being a martyr is “one of the greatest things you can do,” and was a goal of his, the affidavit alleges.

University of Delaware Interim President Laura Carlson addressed the charges against Khan in a statement to the university community Tuesday.

Carlson identified Khan as an undergraduate student and said he has been temporarily separated from the university and banned from campus until his legal matters are resolved.

“There are no known or immediate threats to the University of Delaware community. However, the press release describes evidence of a plan that targeted the University of Delaware Police Department (UDPD). This is frightening to all of us,” Carlson wrote. “The press release contains relevant information about the timeline and the actions of the New Castle County Police, the FBI, the Department of Justice and UDPD. I am incredibly grateful to these teams for their diligent investigation and coordination.”

The FBI and New Castle County police obtained a search warrant and searched Khan’s home in Wilmington on Nov. 25. The search turned up another Glock handgun, which was equipped with a “switch,” also referred to as a “Glock switch.”

This is a modification that can turn a standard semi-automatic handgun into a fully automatic one, according to CBS News Philadelphia’s previous reporting. The court documents referred to the Glock with the switch as a “machine gun.”

A rifle was also found in the home, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in court. There are no weapons registered to Khan in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, the document says.

According to the document, Khan is an American citizen who was born in Pakistan. He has no prior convictions on his record.

Khan is being represented by a federal public defender. Court records show he is in custody pending a detention hearing on Dec. 11, at which time a judge could rule whether to release him on certain conditions or keep him incarcerated until the case is resolved.

CBS News Philadelphia reached out to Khan’s public defender. We have not heard back.

Ross DiMattei contributed to this report.

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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 Shelley Bortz

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    ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Residents of Rankin woke up on Tuesday to the first snow of the season and the news that the borough has one public works employee who is not certified to operate a snowplow.

Residents said the borough handled the weather better than expected despite the challenges.

“They didn’t do too bad,” resident Marcus Clay said. “It’s better than it was last year. It was a little worse than this last year. They’re trying at least.”

KDKA drove across Rankin to see what the road conditions were like and found roads that were plowed and easy to navigate.

“This is just a little bit of adversity that we’re dealing with, and we’re working through it,” borough council member Walter Sewell said. “We subcontracted to some local businesses so that way we’re able to get the snow removal done quickly and appropriately.”

On some streets, neighbors pitched in by shoveling and salting their own blocks. In a post on Facebook, Mayor Joelisa McDonald acknowledged the staffing issue and assured residents that the borough is looking to secure help.

“We are a small community working with limited resources, and every decision being made is rooted in responsibility, safety, and transparency,” McDonald said. “If you have questions, concerns, or need clarity please reach out directly to your elected council person.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.

KDKA

By Shelley Bortz

Click here for updates on this story

    ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — Residents of Rankin woke up on Tuesday to the first snow of the season and the news that the borough has one public works employee who is not certified to operate a snowplow.

Residents said the borough handled the weather better than expected despite the challenges.

“They didn’t do too bad,” resident Marcus Clay said. “It’s better than it was last year. It was a little worse than this last year. They’re trying at least.”

KDKA drove across Rankin to see what the road conditions were like and found roads that were plowed and easy to navigate.

“This is just a little bit of adversity that we’re dealing with, and we’re working through it,” borough council member Walter Sewell said. “We subcontracted to some local businesses so that way we’re able to get the snow removal done quickly and appropriately.”

On some streets, neighbors pitched in by shoveling and salting their own blocks. In a post on Facebook, Mayor Joelisa McDonald acknowledged the staffing issue and assured residents that the borough is looking to secure help.

“We are a small community working with limited resources, and every decision being made is rooted in responsibility, safety, and transparency,” McDonald said. “If you have questions, concerns, or need clarity please reach out directly to your elected council person.”

This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting.

Please note: 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.