Woman accused of shoving 63-year-old off MBTA bus in Boston was mad about blocked exit, DA says

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Samantha Chaney

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    BOSTON (WBZ) — The woman accused of shoving a 63-year-old woman off an MBTA bus in Boston last week was mad because the victim was blocking the exit, prosecutors said in court on Thursday.

Luz Pineda, 32, pleaded not guilty to one count of assault and battery on an elder or disabled person with injury at her arraignment in Roxbury District Court.

The incident was recorded on video back on September 8 in the area of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Warren Street in Roxbury. Prosecutors said the bus was crowded and it was difficult for riders to exit. Pineda allegedly asked the unidentified woman to move from the exit but she refused. Prosecutors said the two got into an argument, Pineda started screaming at the woman and then kicked her shopping cart off the bus. She then allegedly shoved the woman off the bus onto the sidewalk outside.

According to prosecutors, the woman suffered a concussion, a cut to the outer corner of her eye and a broken blood vessel in her neck and eye. They said she has no memory of the incident.

After the incident, prosecutors said Pineda tried to change her appearance to evade police.

“Surveillance video then showed the defendant leaving, removing her sweatshirt, put her hair up in a bun, in what appeared to be an attempt to change her appearance and evade being identified,” said prosecutor Jacqueline Cassano.

Video of incident posted online Police said a witness recorded video of the incident and posted it on social media. Investigators were able to corroborate it with surveillance video from the bus. Pineda was allegedly identified in the video by neighbors and two anonymous people.

Pineda’s defense attorney Michael McKinnon said she was coming back home from an appointment at Boston Children’s Hospital with her 3-month-old, who was born prematurely. He said he hadn’t viewed the video but that the victim was preventing Pineda and her baby from exiting the bus.

Pineda also has prior charges for assault and battery on a family member and a guilty probation for trafficking cocaine, which she violated.

A judge set Pineda’s bail at $5,000 and said she must stay away from and have no contact with the victim or any witnesses. She was also ordered to stay off MBTA property, including buses and trains. She’s due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Oct. 3.

MBTA statement “Safety will always be at the forefront of everything we do and I’m proud of the prompt response and investigation by the MBTA Transit Police that led to the arrest of this individual,” MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said in a statement.

“The public deserves a safe transportation system and I want them to know that this conduct will not be tolerated anywhere on our system.”

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Burglar kills resident’s dog during West Hollywood break-in

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Matthew Rodriguez

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL/KCBS) — Los Angeles County deputies are searching for a burglar who allegedly broke into his old apartment and killed his former roommate’s dog.

The detective handling the case said the suspect, Anmol Bhatia, 27, had recently been kicked out of the West Hollywood apartment. He allegedly broke into the unit, located in the 1200 block of Harper Avenue, a little after 11:35 p.m. on Sept. 4, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies said security camera video shows Bhatia beating the dog to death immediately after breaking into the apartment. He did not steal anything during the burglary, investigators said.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department released a photo of Bhatia. They described him as a 5-foot-10 man, with black hair, brown eyes and weighing 160 pounds.

Detectives urged anyone with information about Bhatia’s whereabouts to call the West Hollywood Sheriff’s station at (310) 855-8850.

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Huntington Beach man seeks $50 million for protest head injury, allegedly caused by OC law enforcement

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Julie Sharp

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    HUNTINGTON BEACH, California (KCAL/KCBS) — A Huntington Beach man who suffered a brain injury while protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations earlier this summer in Santa Ana is taking legal action against Orange County, seeking $50 million in damages.

Tony Olson joined his attorney, James DeSimone, at a Thursday news conference to announce the filing of a tort claim against the county for the actions of the Orange County Sheriff’s deputies, the first step to a civil rights lawsuit.

DeSimone said Olson’s right to freely assemble and freedom of speech were violated the night of June 9, as he joined a group of protesters near the intersection of 4th Street and Broadway in Santa Ana.

According to the filing, a projectile from a deputy’s shotgun, which was fired during the protest, struck Olson in the upper right side of his head. He collapsed and was bleeding profusely from the wound before he was transported to the hospital.

Olson was hospitalized for days, with a skull fracture and brain bleeding, according to the filing.

“I promised my children when I left that I would be okay. That wasn’t the case,” Olson, father of three, said. “I went to the protest as a peaceful protester, and I never imagined that I would be severely injured for exercising my First Amendment right.”

Olson said around 10:15 p.m., law enforcement began shooting indiscriminately at protesters after an agitator threw a firework in the middle of the intersection where the protest was taking place.

Sheriff’s spokesperson Carrie Braun said on June 9 that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department responded to assist the Santa Ana Police Department with crowd control “after SAPD declared the protest an unlawful assembly and gave multiple dispersal orders.”

“During this effort, individuals in the crowd threw water bottles, rocks, and fireworks mortars/explosives at law enforcement. OCSD deployed kinetic energy projectiles and chemical agents in response to those specific threats,” Braun said.

Olson’s attorney said Tony was “not a threat when he was walking briskly away from the officers, on a sidewalk in Santa Ana, where he had every right to be.”

The impacts of Olson’s brain injury have long-term implications, he said, as he now has vertigo, dizziness, headaches, and difficulty concentrating.

“I am fighting back for justice, to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions and to give me peace,” Olson said.

DiSimone said deputies targeted peaceful protesters with excessive force. “The Sheriff’s Department’s reckless and indiscriminate use of force violated the Constitution and California civil rights law,” he said.

The department would not comment on Olson’s claims. “In reference to this specific incident, the Department does not comment on pending litigation,” Braun said.

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Fort Worth parents form group to resist possible state takeover of schools

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Amelia Mugavero

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    FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) — Parents, clergy and community leaders gathered Monday night to form a new group aimed at stopping a possible state takeover of Fort Worth Independent School District.

Families Organized Resisting Takeover, which calls itself FORT, held its first meeting at an east Fort Worth church, drawing dozens who said they wanted decisions about schools to remain local.

“I believe in the power of our public schools,” one attendee said during the meeting, as others applauded. FORT leader Zach Leonard held up a sign and told the crowd, “We love our fort, and we are here to protect the fort.”

The urgency stems from persistent academic trouble at Forest Oak Sixth Grade Center, which has recorded five consecutive years of failing ratings. That streak leaves the district vulnerable to intervention by the Texas Education Agency. Education Commissioner Mike Morath could respond by appointing a state board, a new superintendent — or both. Morath visited Fort Worth recently to review district efforts in person.

Other large Texas districts, including Houston, have previously been placed under full state control, a precedent FORT members say would be damaging if repeated locally.

“This is a huge step in the right direction,” Leonard said of the meeting. “This is one of the best meetings I’ve been to on behalf of our school district in decades.”

Supporters call for local solutions Meeting attendee Lon Burnam, a former state representative, said the gathering produced meaningful discussion.

“There was a lot of good commentary, good comments, and good understanding,” Burnam said.

Fort Worth ISD officials say the district is already making progress. In recent reporting, the district noted improvements in overall ratings and literacy scores and announced a “resource campus model” set to roll out next year. The plan would convert seven struggling campuses into support hubs, providing additional resources and access to more experienced teachers, district officials said.

“We have seen some massive improvement,” Leonard said, urging patience. “Give this superintendent and the board the time needed to turn this thing around. It’s going to take a few years. It will not happen overnight.”

The Texas education commissioner is expected to announce a decision within the next two to three months. Until then, FORT says it will continue organizing and advocating for local control.

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Minneapolis nominates 3 sites at the center of city’s Black community to National Register of Historic Places

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Aki Nace

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    MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (WCCO) — Minneapolis officials say they are working to nominate three sites at the heart of the city’s Black community to the National Register of Historic Places.

The city is nominating the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center and the former home of civil rights advocate Harry Davis, Sr.

The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder is the oldest Black-owned newspaper in Minnesota. It was founded in 1934 as the Minneapolis Spokesman and the St. Paul Recorder, which combined into a single publication in 2000. It remains one of the longest continuously operated family-owned Black newspapers in the country.

The Phyllis Wheatley Community Center has been providing community programs and services for 100 years in north Minneapolis. It opened in 1924 when young Black women who were barred from the dorms at the University of Minnesota raised funds to open a settlement house.

“This nomination is not only a recognition of our rich history, but also a testament to the resilience and impact of the community we serve,” said Valerie Stevenson, the center’s interim executive director.

Davis’ home in the city’s Central neighborhood is the last site. Davis was born in 1923 and was a successful amateur boxing coach, serving on the U.S. Olympic boxing committee. He became a member of the school board in 1969 and was the city’s first Black mayoral candidate.

Registering the sites opens up opportunities for grants and tax credits. The city says it will hire third-party consultants to officially nominate the three locations.

Other sites on the register in Minneapolis include the Pillsbury Mill, Fort Snelling, the Pillsbury A Mill and the Washburn A Mill Complex.

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Bodies of missing Asheville man and friend recovered in Colorado

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Rian Stockett

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — An Asheville man and his friend who went missing during a hunting trip in Colorado have been found dead, according to state officials.

Conejos County Emergency Management confirmed they found the bodies of Asheville resident Andrew Porter and his friend Ian Stasko on Sept. 18, 2025.

The Conejos County Sheriff’s Office began searching for them on Saturday, Sept. 13, after Porter and Stasko failed to check in with loved ones at a predetermined time during an elk hunting trip west of Trujillo Meadows Reservoir, which is located near the Colorado–New Mexico border.

Although a cause of death has not been released, an official said the deaths could be weather-related.

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Residents left in the dark about holes dug in Shreveport neighborhoods

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Web Staff

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    SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) — Wednesday night, KTBS News reported on mysterious holes appearing in Shreveport neighborhoods — dug without warning and without notice to the residents who live there. Today, KTBS followed up after hearing from homeowners directly impacted.

Retired engineer and Caddo Parish Commissioner Roy Burrell says he first noticed the holes while walking his own neighborhood. At first, he thought it might be telecommunications or another type of utility work — especially after spotting rolls of cable nearby. Contractors later confirmed they were burying broadband lines.

“It was a pretty neat hole,” Burrell explained. “They weren’t trenching across lawns, but they did leave dirt piles behind. They replaced the sod, but right now, it’s dead patches of grass.”

For residents who pride themselves on maintaining their lawns, the bigger frustration is not the mess, but the lack of communication, especially for those living off Lakeway Drive in Shreveport.

“No one in our neighborhood received any notice this was happening. Even the garbage company tells you when they’re changing pickup days,” Burrell said .

Brown patches remain in yards where digging occurred, leaving homeowners with the task of cleanup. The work is part of broadband expansion projects, but Burrell says public officials — and the people they serve — deserve to be notified in advance. Barrow adds the eyesore is the price of progress. He just wants better communications from cable installers.

However, the issues echo other recent concerns, including nearby gas exploration projects where neighbors say they also weren’t informed until after construction began.

KTBS is committed to getting answers. We’ve reached out to AT&T and contractors performing the work to ask why notices weren’t given and what steps will be taken to repair lawns permanently.

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Daughter and mother plead not guilty in beating of special needs woman in Wahiawa

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Jeremiah Estrada

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — A woman and her mother pleaded not guilty on Thursday to the assault of a special needs woman off campus near Leilehua High School in April that circulated online.

Jasmine Keola, 18, and her mother Anela Vierra, 44, pleaded not guilty in Oahu First Circuit Court on Sept. 18 in connection to the beating of 21-year-old Carly Ng, a former Leilehua High School student. The bullying that took place on April 17, 2025 spread online on May 21 which showed a group of students attacking Ng.

Keola asked for supervised release or lower bail, but Judge Ron Johnson declined her request, citing the risk of retaliation.

Judge Johnsonson addressed Vierra saying, “It is very significant that the person who is supposed to present an example and be a leader in the family and set the right example orchestrated this against a special needs person.”

Keola was charged for kidnapping, third-degree assault, fourth-degree attempted theft and two counts of fourth-degree theft. Vierra was charged for second-degree attempted theft, third-degree extortion and fourth-degree attempted theft.

Their jury trial is scheduled for Nov. 17, 2025 with separate judges and pre-trial motions are due on Oct. 20.

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2 adults in storage unit case now booked in jail

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Adam Rife

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — The two adults that were arrested Tuesday for child abuse and neglect have been booked in the Milwaukee County Jail.

Milwaukee police now confirm that family was unhoused when authorities found six children locked in a storage unit.

A national expert told us it’s not uncommon for people to live in storage units as they cope with a lack of housing.

Donald Whitehead is the executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. He blamed a housing crisis, saying, “It’s a dire situation. And we have to do better as a country.”

Whitehead said data show there are more evictions now than during COVID. “The number one cause, take everything else aside, is the lack of affordable housing.”

He said federal guidelines recommend people spend 30% of their income on housing.

But that’s not possible for everyone. “So, people have to rely on whatever’s available. Sometimes that’s a vehicle, sometimes that’s a tent, unfortunately, sometimes that’s even a storage unit,” Whitehead said.

There is not yet confirmation the Milwaukee family was living in the storage unit.

But after the arrests, a woman who lived near the facility told us she saw the family there for months, saying Tuesday, “They run around in the back. One day I saw them walking, the whole family.”

Here’s a comparison of costs:

The cheapest apartment we found in Milwaukee is 200 square feet and goes for $465 a month. A 200 square foot storage unit at the location where the children were found costs $126 a month.

A growing trend of videos online shows how people do it.

In one video, a man says, “I live in a storage unit because it’s cheap in comparison to an apartment.”

In another, a commenter says, “Now I feel, lowkey, he has a solution to homelessness.”

With both adults currently in custody, it’s unclear who is caring for the six children that were found in the storage unit.

On top of the child abuse and neglect concerns, it’s not legal to live in a storage unit.

But Whitehead said the housing crisis is not solved by putting people who are already struggling through the court system. “Once that person leaves that setting, they are still homeless. And you’ve made the journey out of homelessness just that much tougher.”

We asked the District Attorney’s office several questions about whether a charging decision could be impacted by the family being unhoused.

They said they could not comment on the ongoing case.

But a charging decision is expected to be made Friday.

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Chinese national accused of smuggling pathogens into Michigan enters not guilty plea

CNN Newsource on September 19, 2025

By Elaine Rojas-Castillo

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    DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — On Thursday, one of the Chinese nationals charged with allegedly trying to smuggle dangerous pathogens into the country appeared before a judge in federal court.

Yunqing Jian, 33, appeared alongside her private counsel as her charges were read out.

The postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, faces charges of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements and visa fraud. Jian entered a plea of not guilty after Judge David R. Grand explained the speedy trial process, including how this gives prosecutors time to build their case and show probable cause that she committed the crime.

Linda Wan, a member of Code Pink, a feminist organization, sat in the gallery to show support for Jian.

“We just realized that something sounded fishy. It didn’t sound right that such wild charges were being leveled,” said Wan.

While the group originally planned to protest on the steps of the courthouse, lawyers for Jian shared her concern about attracting unwanted attention and asked them to support her quietly instead. Members of the grassroots organization say they felt compelled to speak out over what they call the unfair targeting of foreign scholars.

“It was no longer a far, far away idea or an abstract idea. It was being waged right on our college campus. So, we felt it was our duty to raise attention to this,” said Wan. “We look at this case as a political case that government authorities are using this as an opportunity to create sensationalist headlines as part of the demonization of China.”

The pathogen at the center of the case, Fusarium graminerum, is a noxious fungus known to cause “head blight,” a disease that impacts barley, rice, wheat and maize and causes economic losses worth billions of dollars each year.

CBS News Detroit attempted to speak with Jian’s attorneys, who wouldn’t comment.

Jian will remain in custody until her next court date, which is yet to be determined.

Earlier this month, a Chinese research student, who was also accused of smuggling biological materials, was sentenced to time served and will return to China.

Chengxuan Han, 28, of the People’s Republic of China, was sentenced after federal investigators alleged she sent four packages to the U.S. from China containing concealed biological material in 2024 and 2025. Those packages were allegedly addressed to people associated with a University of Michigan laboratory.

Han was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after arriving on a J1 visa on June 8. While officers inspected Han, she reportedly lied to authorities about the packages and the biological materials she had allegedly previously sent to the U.S.

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