Category: CNN Regional

By Allen Cone

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    Martin County (WPBF) — The Martin County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents in the Port Salerno area about criminal activity involving a 13-year-old boy, who keeps getting released after short juvenile detentions.

And Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said there’s not much they can do about him constantly getting out of detention despite 11 felonies.

“It’s extremely frustrating,” Budensiek said at a news conference Wednesday. “Our job is to keep everybody safe, including him. He is unraveling. He would be safer right now at DYS (Florida Department of Juvenile Justice).”

During the past six months, he has been processed on three separate occasions and released shortly after each arrest from the St. Lucie Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Fort Pierce.

From Oct. 29 to Nov. 24, there have been six victims of his crime spree, the sheriff’s office said.

The minor was arrested on three counts of grand theft auto, four burglaries, one count of possession of burglary tools, and three criminal mischief charges.

Crimes involved breaking into vehicles, destroying steering columns and rolling the vehicles into nearby areas. Also, three golf carts were stolen and damaged, along with an additional burglary and property damage.

He was finally caught because he was found stealing the golf carts, the sheriff’s office said.

Why isn’t he being held more than a few hours?

“He’s got to commit more crimes,” Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said at a news conference Wednesday.

Budensiek said the youth hasn’t scored high for detention. And because they are not violent crimes, he unlikely will be charged as an adult with the sheriff, though “hopefully the courts will have a place to get him on track.”

Detectives with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division executed a search warrant Monday at his residence, where stolen property connected to these crimes was recovered.

He was released and was back in the Salerno area with his mother.

And Tuesday night, he was placed on a Backer Act hold after threatening to shoot people. For minors, it is up to 12 hours.

“This 13-year-old individual, who had been arrested at least two times by our deputies before for fleeing and eluding once and stealing his mom’s car,” Budensiek said. “But unfortunately, each time mom came in dropped the charges, and this kid was right back on the streets.”

Budensiek said he “has rough living conditions. He has been unraveling since his dad was deported. Because he has not committed six burglaries, he was released immediately after intake.”

The agency posted on Facebook: The Sheriff’s Office is doing everything legally permitted to address this ongoing situation.”

Anyone who observes suspicious activity or believes they may have been victimized is encouraged to contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office immediately.

Under the law, authorities can only hold a minor for up to 21 days before being charged, including as an adult.

Florida statute allows for the sheriff’s office to release the identity of a minor who committed felony crimes. But WPBF is not naming him because he hasn’t been charged as an adult.

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 LeeAnn Huntoon

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    OSTEEN, Fla. (WESH) — Two of four horses stolen from an Osteen property last week have been recovered in South Florida, and a suspect is in custody, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office announced. Authorities are continuing their search for the two remaining horses.

Lazaro Benitez Guzman, 26, was arrested in Hialeah and charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property. The active investigation led Volusia Sheriff’s Office detectives and Florida Department of Agriculture agents to him.

“Thanks to diligent police work, great use of technology, and a lot of help from our partner agencies, we’re reuniting these horses with their owners, and we have a suspect in custody,” the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to recover the other two stolen horses.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office noted that Guzman was found to be an undocumented immigrant from Cuba, and an ICE/HSI detainer has been placed on him in addition to his criminal charges.

The theft involved four horses: Slater (8 years old), R Chism (13), Snoop (19), and Gratian Hanover (13).

In addition to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and Department of Agriculture, the FDLE, Florida Highway Patrol, Town of Davie Police Department, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office have assisted in the investigation.

The Volusia Sheriff’s Office has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

“My message to the suspects is that it’s only a matter of time before you’re caught, so your best course of action is to make sure no harm comes to these horses,” the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said. “It doesn’t matter where you go or how you try to cover your tracks. You’re going to get caught, and the consequences will be a whole lot worse if the horses were harmed.”

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 KITV Staff

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    HAWAII COUNTY, Hawaii (KITV) — A marine conservationist is continuing his recovery journey after he was bitten by a shark in waters off the Big Island.

Kaimani Ventura tried to free a reef shark during a routine dive on Tuesday, Dec. 9. The shark was tangled in netting and fishing line, but right as they freed the sea animal, Ventura said the shark got spooked and latched onto his left thigh.

Ventura got loose, swam back to shore and put a tourniquet on himself, using his own gear. The bite left him with 90 stitches.

“I got insanely lucky,” Ventura shared. “You guys don’t understand how lucky I got. I honestly believe that I got bit in the most, luckiest spot to get bit by a shark on my body. Anywhere else could have been life altering, and that’s that was, that’s thanks to God.”

Ventura said despite his encounter in the water, he will still continue to do his part to take care of our ocean creatures. He also plans to return to the ocean after he heals up.

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 Lisa Hughes

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    Massachusetts (WBZ) — A first-grade teacher from Everett, Massachusetts says she went on a dream cruise to the Bahamas over Thanksgiving that turned into a nightmare.

Lynnmarie Adams says she was bitten by bedbugs on board, and when she tried to get help from ship staff, she says her complaints went nowhere.

The eight-night cruise onboard the Norwegian Breakaway, operated by Norwegian Cruise Line, left from New York City to go to the Bahamas. Adams says red marks left all over her body are not from a sunburn, but rather from bedbug bites.

“When I woke up on Monday morning is when I noticed those,” she said. “And then every night thereafter there was more popping up on my abdomen, on my shoulder, on my forearm, on my knee.”

Adams told WBZ-TV that she talked to the woman who cleans her room but could not connect with a supervisor at guest services.

“Anytime you tried to dial 00 it would ring so much that it would start to either re-ring busy or disconnect. But if you were standing in line at guest services with 100 other people at any given time throughout the eight nights,” Adams said. “If the desk is busy, they just pick up the phone and hang it right up.”

She said she didn’t see a doctor on board due to them demanding payment up front, which is a common practice on cruise ships.

“I said, I’m not paying $200 out of pocket when I’m trying to bring to your attention what could be a serious matter,” Adams said.

When Adams got home, she did a telehealth visit and the provider confirmed that the bites were consistent with bedbugs. She said she bought a special spray and washed all her clothes in hot water at a local laundromat. She kept her clothes from the cruise in containers in the basement for over a week.

Norwegian Cruise Line response Adams said she tried to contact the cruise line’s corporate office but said her complaints were dismissed. In a statement, the cruise line said in part, “our records indicate that this illness was never reported to our medical office or to the guest relations desk.” It went on to say whenever illnesses are reported, their medical staff makes every effort to attend to it.

WBZ-TV reached out to Norwegian and in a statement they reiterated that Adams never sought treatment on board. The company also said the stateroom has no history of bedbugs and none have been found in the room since the sailing.

Adams said she is now seeing a psychologist to deal with the emotional toll that the vacation has taken on her mental and physical health.

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 Tom Ignudo

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    New Jersey (KYW) — Three kids were hospitalized Wednesday after falling into a frozen lake in Mount Holly, New Jersey, police said.

According to police, the three kids were walking on Woolman Lake when the ice collapsed, which led to them falling into the lake.

Police said a boy was able get out of the lake on his own, but two girls were partially submerged in chest-deep icy waters.

First responders rescued the two girls from the lake by throwing them a rope to get them safely out of the water.

The three were treated at the scene and taken to Virtua Hospital as a precaution due to cold water exposure, police said. They’re expected to be OK.

The Mount Holly Police Department said in a Facebook post that it’s grateful for the quick actions of first responders and everyone else at the scene who helped the minors get to safety.

“This incident serves as an important reminder to our community: no ice in our area should ever be considered safe, regardless of recent cold temperatures or appearances,” the Mount Holly Police Department said. “Ice thickness can vary significantly and unpredictably, even within the same body of water.”

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 Tom Wait

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — After self-deporting to South Korea in June, U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park has spent the last six months isolated away from his family, in a country he hasn’t lived in since he was a child.

“It’s scary,” he said. “There’s a good chance I’ll never make it back home.”

Park, a Purple Heart recipient after being shot in combat, struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after returning home. While he had a green card, his legal status was jeopardized after he was charged with drug possession and failure to appear in court 15 years ago.

Given Park’s military service, immigration officials allowed him to remain in the U.S. They told him that his deportation order would not be enforced if he had regular check-ins with immigration agents, according to his attorney, Danicole Ramos. For more than a decade, Park raised his children in Southern California without issues, until President Trump began his second term this year.

During a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the summer, Park said agents told him he would be deported.

“He had his cuffs out. He was ready to detain me, put cuffs on me and everything, which as unbelievable,” Park said. “Why would I go back to jail? I didn’t do anything wrong. It took him a while, but he got the OK from the supervisor to put an ankle bracelet on me, and I had three weeks to remove myself.”

Park was forced to leave his family behind and move to South Korea.

“I had to leave everything behind; my kids, my mom, who has Alzheimer’s right now, she can’t remember anything,” Park said. “It’s been really tough.”

Last week, Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-Rhode Island) confronted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about veterans and military families facing deportation or prolonged detention. After Noem said no veterans have been deported, Park joined the congressional meeting via Zoom.

“I was really surprised. I didn’t know what to expect,” Park said. “The way he presented the question and the way she answered. I thought it was great. It really put her on the spot.”

Park said the spotlight on his case gave him some hope. However, he and his attorney have not heard back from the Department of Homeland Security even though Noem said she would review his case.

CBS LA reached out to DHS for a statement but has not received a response.

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.

KCBS

By Tom Wait

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    LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — After self-deporting to South Korea in June, U.S. Army veteran Sae Joon Park has spent the last six months isolated away from his family, in a country he hasn’t lived in since he was a child.

“It’s scary,” he said. “There’s a good chance I’ll never make it back home.”

Park, a Purple Heart recipient after being shot in combat, struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder after returning home. While he had a green card, his legal status was jeopardized after he was charged with drug possession and failure to appear in court 15 years ago.

Given Park’s military service, immigration officials allowed him to remain in the U.S. They told him that his deportation order would not be enforced if he had regular check-ins with immigration agents, according to his attorney, Danicole Ramos. For more than a decade, Park raised his children in Southern California without issues, until President Trump began his second term this year.

During a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the summer, Park said agents told him he would be deported.

“He had his cuffs out. He was ready to detain me, put cuffs on me and everything, which as unbelievable,” Park said. “Why would I go back to jail? I didn’t do anything wrong. It took him a while, but he got the OK from the supervisor to put an ankle bracelet on me, and I had three weeks to remove myself.”

Park was forced to leave his family behind and move to South Korea.

“I had to leave everything behind; my kids, my mom, who has Alzheimer’s right now, she can’t remember anything,” Park said. “It’s been really tough.”

Last week, Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-Rhode Island) confronted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about veterans and military families facing deportation or prolonged detention. After Noem said no veterans have been deported, Park joined the congressional meeting via Zoom.

“I was really surprised. I didn’t know what to expect,” Park said. “The way he presented the question and the way she answered. I thought it was great. It really put her on the spot.”

Park said the spotlight on his case gave him some hope. However, he and his attorney have not heard back from the Department of Homeland Security even though Noem said she would review his case.

CBS LA reached out to DHS for a statement but has not received a response.

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.