Category: CNN Regional

By Bri Buckley

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    SUNRISE, Florida (WFOR) — A tow truck driver is facing felony charges after towing a car away with a young girl still inside.

Surveillance video provided to CBS News Miami showed the moment a tow truck quickly pulled up to take a blue car away on Sunday in Sunrise.

In the video, a man believed to be the owner of the car was seen frantically running up and yelling at the driver to stop because his 4-year-old daughter was inside, according to the arrest report from the Sunrise Police Department.

He told police that he went to the Bistro Creole Restaurant on West Oakland Park Boulevard for just two minutes, when the tow truck began to take his car. That’s when he ran out and chased after the tow truck.

According to the police report, he saw his daughter fall out of the car, and he ran into traffic to get her to safety.

The driver of the tow truck, identified as 34-year-old Sergio Suarez, was arrested for child neglect without great bodily harm.

“This one stood out to me; he towed a vehicle allegedly without checking whether or not there was anyone in the vehicle, and there was a child in the vehicle, who then had to jump out of the vehicle in the middle of the road,” said Judge Corey Friedman.

Suarez appeared in bond court on Monday. His lawyer defended him, claiming he and his colleague checked the car three times, and he was “at a loss” as to where the neglect charge came from.

According to the report, police called the tow company, All-Ways Towing in Pembroke Park, to ask Suarez to come back to the scene. When he did, he dropped the car off away from the officers and tried to leave the scene again. He was pulled over by police a short time later.

“It doesn’t make sense to me if a 4-year-old had to jump out of the vehicle and had injuries that anybody checked the vehicle because they would have been able to see a 4-year-old,” Friedman said.

The girl had minor injuries on her arms and legs and was taken to the hospital to get checked out.

Multiple witnesses saw the whole thing happen, according to the police report.

“I wanted to tear up. I have nieces and nephews; anything can happen. Thank God the little girl made it home safe, safe to her family,” said Aidan, of Coral Springs.

CBS News Miami reached out to All-Ways Towing and was told no comment.

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 Jesse Zanger

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s reached an agreement with the state New York State Legislature to sign a “Medical Aid in Dying” bill, also known as MAID. It’s also known as “physician-assisted suicide.”

The measure would give terminally ill adults who have less than six months to live an option to have a doctor prescribe them a lethal medication mixture.

It was initially passed in June. Hochul says, under the agreement she’s reached with the legislature, several new provisions will be added to the version she will sign. The revised version is expected to be passed and signed next month, and will take effect six months later.

Similar measures are already legal in 11 states, including New Jersey, as well as Washington, D.C.

The additions being added to the bill include a five day waiting period between when the prescription for the lethal medication is written and when it is filled, a requirement for an audio or video recording by the patient requesting medical aid in dying, a mental health evaluation of the patient, barring any financial beneficiary from serving as a witness to the request for MAID, and more.

“New York has long been a beacon of freedom, and now it is time we extend that freedom to terminally ill New Yorkers who want the right to die comfortably and on their own terms,” Hochul said. “My mother died of ALS, and I am all too familiar with the pain of seeing someone you love suffer and being powerless to stop it. Although this was an incredibly difficult decision, I ultimately determined that with the additional guardrails agreed upon with the legislature, this bill would allow New Yorkers to suffer less–to shorten not their lives, but their deaths.”

State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal called the agreement historic.

“This agreement on Medical Aid in Dying is a monumental victory for every New Yorker who has wished to peacefully end their suffering from a terminal illness,” Hoylman-Sigal said.

“This issue has always been deeply personal for me. My sister died a horrific death from ovarian cancer, and in her final days she was in pain so overwhelming that she begged for death. Her experience is, tragically, the story of so many others,” said Assemblyman Amy Paulin, who sponsored the bill. “Most people will never choose medical aid in dying, but they want the reassurance of having it as a compassionate safeguard that offers comfort even if it is never used.”

The measure has opposition.

“We are extraordinarily troubled by Governor Hochul’s announcement that she will sign the egregious bill passed by the legislature earlier this year sanctioning physician-assisted suicide in New York State. This new law signals our government’s abandonment of its most vulnerable citizens, telling people who are sick or disabled that suicide in their case is not only acceptable, but is encouraged by our elected leaders,” the New York State Catholic Conference said in a statement. “Tragically, this new law will seriously undermine all of the anti-suicide and mental health care investments Governor Hochul has made through her tenure. How can any society have credibility to tell young people or people with depression that suicide is never the answer, while at the same time telling elderly and sick people that it is a compassionate choice to be celebrated?”

“The New York Alliance Against Assisted Suicide unequivocally opposes this legislation and urges the Governor to reverse course. This bill is fundamentally flawed and must be rejected in its entirety,” the group said in a statement. “Even with changes, this legislation would still single out disabled and terminally ill New Yorkers for radically different treatment than other individuals experiencing suicidal ideation. It would still transform physicians into facilitators of suicide. It would still undermine medical transparency by requiring false reporting on death certificates. And it would still abandon the state’s responsibility to protect people at their most vulnerable moments.”

“New York should be investing in palliative care, mental health services, suicide prevention, and support for patients and families — not authorizing the state to facilitate suicide. Assisted suicide must be vetoed. No amendments are acceptable,” the statement went on to say.

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 Mariana La Roche

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    KENOSHA, Wisconsin (WISN) — The Kenosha Police Department detained a 15-year-old after the Federal Bureau of Investigation flagged a TikTok post that investigators said referenced a school shooting and included the message, “December 16th, its going down.”

According to police, the teen was detained and taken to the police department as officers continued the investigation. While at the police department, the juvenile lunged at an officer and attempted to disarm him, the statement said.

Police said a search of the teen’s phone found he conducted an internet search to determine whether Kenosha’s KTEC school would be open on Dec. 16, the same date as the anniversary of the Madison school shooting.

Officials also said the teen is the same person detained in 2024 after an incident at Roosevelt Elementary School in which staff reported a teen entered the school carrying a duffle bag believed to contain firearms.

Kenosha police said they will forward a request for charges to the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office for terroristic threats, attempt to disarm a peace officer and resisting arrest.

“The prevention of this potential tragedy was only made possible due to our investments and partnerships within our standardized school threat assessment procedures.” Kenosha Chief Patrick Patton said. “Our commitment is simple and unwavering: protect our children, support our school campuses, follow facts where they may lead, and to communicate responsibly and transparently with you.”

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 Barry Simms

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    TOWSON, Maryland (WBAL) — Two bills now before the Baltimore County Council are designed to protect immigrants.

The councilman who introduced the bills during a legislative session on Monday said he did it because he was moved by his faith.

Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka, D-District 2, said immigrant neighbors aren’t just part of the community, they are the community.

With the bills, Patoka hopes to protect immigrants in the county and reduce fear of encounters with ICE and other federal officers.

“Right now, in Baltimore County, they are living in fear, afraid to go to places of worship, afraid to go to work. Children sometimes don’t go to school,” Patoka said.

The bills call for protection from discrimination and unauthorized immigration enforcement by county employees, departments and agencies. They also call for due process under law and advocacy by creating an Office of Immigrant Affairs in the County Executive’s Office.

Patoka said the memorandum of understanding signed between Baltimore County and the federal government sparked the legislation.

The county signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. In October, the DOJ removed Baltimore County from its list of designated sanctuary jurisdictions.

In response to the bills, the County Executive’s Office said, in part: “Baltimore County’s immigrant communities are an important part of who we are and a vital part of our economy, culture, and neighborhoods. As these pieces of legislation move forward, we will review them and continue working with the County Council to ensure our policies continue to serve the best interests of all Baltimore County residents.”

Not everyone is for the legislation, though.

“Sanctuary status or anything like that would defy federal immigration enforcement and invite chaos, and by refusing to cooperate with the feds, we risk losing $500 million in federal funding,” said Tim Fazenbaker, a Dundalk resident.

Patoka pushed back.

“In my experience, the two extreme emotions we have are love and hate, and I’m going to move forward with these two bills with love — and push back on hate,” Patoka said.

There will be two work sessions for the bills in January. The final reading and vote is Feb. 2.

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 Alyse Jones

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    YUKON, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Parents shared their stories of relief after 33 children and five staff members escaped a day care that caught fire Friday.

The fire happened at La Petite in Yukon, near South Mustang Road and West Reno, after a car crashed into the building. Some parents, who were on the way to pick up their children, saw smoke fill the air.

“Our hearts dropped when we saw the smoke and realized what was happening,” Blane Shallenberger, a parent, said.

The fire left holes in the roof, a fence blocking the entrance and it caused the business to close indefinitely. On Monday, parents said they have found childcare replacements.

“It’s hard not to cry, because I remember the way my heart sank,” Jordann Williams, a parent, said.

Panic and fear filled the area until parents saw rows of children waiting in a nearby field. Everyone inside made it out safely.

“Obviously, relief is the biggest emotion I felt. Relief that everyone was OK, and he was OK,” Shallenberger said.

Since that terrifying moment, the day care and the families have been trying to find a place for their children to go.

“We would love to help the families as much as possible. We are opening our doors,” Jana Westberry, owner of Step into Learning, said.

Step into Learning is another childcare center in the area. Westberry said they have stepped up, waiving December fees for families searching for childcare.

“We are praying for that community, and we are there for them however we can stand in the gap,” Westberry said.

Parents told KOCO on Monday that La Petite has been in constant communication, helping them find childcare.

La Petite posted on social media, thanking the first responders, community and everyone who has helped them since the fire. They said next week will determine the next steps for the location.

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.