Man accused of keeping thousands of roosters for cockfighting on southwest Miami-Dade property released on bond

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By Ivan Taylor

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    MIAMI, Florida (WFOR) — A man accused of keeping and breeding roosters for cockfighting on a 10-acre property in Southwest Miami-Dade was released on bond Monday night after investigators said they found several thousand roosters, training rings, and fighting equipment at the site.

Carlos Rafael Lezcano, 52, left jail Monday night, where another man greeted him. Lezcano did not speak to reporters.

Earlier Monday, Lezcano appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mindy Glazer, who read the charges against him. He faces three felony charges: animal cruelty, tampering with physical evidence, and animal fighting, which includes possessing and breeding roosters. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting an officer without violence.

According to the arrest report, FBI agents were at the property as part of a separate investigation when they discovered what authorities suspected was a cockfighting operation. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office detectives served a search warrant Sunday and found several thousand roosters, along with what investigators described as training rings and fighting equipment.

Investigators said Lezcano told them about 100 of the roosters belonged to him.

The report says that while authorities searched the property, Lezcano and another man allegedly broke through a fence to reach the roosters Lezcano claimed were his. Both men then ran from authorities, the report said. Deputies later found Lezcano at a nearby nursery. The other man was not caught.

Police said Lezcano admitted going onto the property to retrieve his roosters and showed investigators the area he rented. Detectives also said they found a ledger containing his name. Lezcano lives about a mile from the property, according to the arrest report.

On Monday, the Florida SPCA arrived at the property to care for other animals found there, including ponies and goats. Rescue officials described the condition of some of the animals as dire.

“We are here for the livestock. There are two ponies,” said Laurie Waggoner, director of rescue operations for the Florida SPCA.

Waggoner said some of the goats were emaciated and suffering from respiratory infections.

“Two, I will be surprised if they can live until we can get them to the vet,” Waggoner said. “They’re very, very sick.”

The SPCA said rescuers found 10 baby goats, a lamb and a dead goat, along with two goats in such poor condition they might not survive.

Waggoner described one of the ponies as “extremely emaciated,” saying the animal “can’t get any skinnier than what it is.” The SPCA said another pony will need surgery for wounds on its body.

Neighbors who did not want to appear on camera told CBS News Miami that FBI agents came across the suspected cockfighting operation while investigating an unrelated case.

Investigators remained at the property before dusk Monday, and roosters could still be heard from outside. The investigation is ongoing.

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.

SF home where man’s torso was found in fish tank up for auction, current bid at nearly $1 million

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By Luz Pena

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Eight years after a man’s torso was found inside a fish tank in a San Francisco home, the property is up for auction after neighbors say years of squatters, graffiti and homelessness-related issues followed the gruesome discovery.

For years, neighbors in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood have pleaded with the city to intervene at the boarded-up home. Now, they hope its auction will finally bring some closure.

“It was hideous,” neighbor Wilma Parker DePavloff said.

Wilma Parker DePavloff remembers her next-door neighbor and friend Brian Egg as a giving person who kept the alley clean and loved his plants.

“We know that he went to St. Anthony’s dining hall for lunch every day and he would bring home people with him because he had three bedrooms. He would say to me, this person I met at St. Anthony’s, he is a college grad, I don’t know why he is on the street. For the grace of God, I would say, Brian, and he would let them stay to straighten up their lives,” Parker DePavloff said.

Then Brian Egg disappeared.

Worried neighbors called for a welfare check. Police found several squatters inside Brian Egg’s home and an odor coming from one of the rooms.

“They were nice looking, decent, clean young man bringing out buckets of water, and they were watering my plants and Brian’s and I said, Brian will be really thrilled when he gets back from his vacation because you’re watering the plants more than he would ever. And they said ‘and we are watering yours too and I said, oh, thank you.’ They’re watering them with his blood, not with his blood, but they had what was left of him in a big fish tank, and they were trying to dissolve the body,” said Parker DePavloff.

Police found Brian Egg’s torso in a fish tank.

“They built a false wall over it, which the police finally discovered,” Parker DePavloff said.

Police arrested two of the squatters in connection with the killing, but the district attorney at the time withdrew the charges, saying more investigation was needed.

Parker DePavloff said the home later became a target for people experiencing homelessness.

“Lots of homeless came over this roof. Jumping down and breaking all those things coming over here. They had ladders up going down there,” she said.

An ABC7 Eyewitness News data team analysis confirmed that more than 100 complaints have been made to the city about the property since 2018.

The house is now up for auction, with the current bid nearing $1 million.

For Parker DePavloff, the property’s future also raises the question of preserving the memory of the neighbor she knew.

“He planted and took care of Clara Street to make it look green and nice. And that’s part of his legacy. I can keep doing it,” she said.

We contacted the real estate agent and property owner for comment and did not hear back.

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Former Kentucky high school student suing school district, several employees and ex-teacher who abused her

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By Molly Schramm

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    COVINGTON, Kentucky (WCPO) — A Northern Kentucky woman is suing her former teacher, who was convicted of abusing her, several other employees and the entire school district.

A civil suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky on Aug. 10 against the Covington Independent School District, the Board of Education of the Covington Independent School District, 10 staff members or employees and Mason Goins, a former teacher at Holmes High School, who was convicted of sexually abusing one of his students.

Covington police initially said they received a call from staff at Holmes High School reporting inappropriate communication between a teacher and a student.

Goins, who was first arrested in March 2025, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to promoting a sexual performance by a minor, possession of matter portraying the sexual performance by a minor and sodomy in the third degree. Goins is currently serving out his sentence at the Fulton County Detention Center in Hickman, Kentucky.

In her lawsuit, the former Holmes High School student, who is named “Jane Doe” throughout the lawsuit, claims the defendants negligently failed to “supervise, investigate and report conduct that they knew, or in the exercise of reasonable care should have known, was occurring on school property and during school hours.”

“One or more administrators, faculty members or staff of Holmes High School and/or the District received information, complaints or observations — including but not limited to reports from students, staff or other, and/or their own direct observations — that raised concerns regarding the nature of the relationship between Defendant Mason Goins and Plaintiff, and/or regarding Mason Goins’s conduct with students generally,” the lawsuit reads.

Goins was eventually arrested after almost a year of abusing the former student when Covington police obtained his phone and found a Snapchat conversation between the two, nude photos of the then-teen and videos of her engaging in a sexual act.

The woman is suing for damages for the physical, psychological and emotional injuries she suffered, and will continue to suffer, due to the defendants, according to the lawsuit. Specifically, she is seeking compensatory damages in an amount to be determined to compensate for her injuries and damages, as well as punitive damages against Goins and the other defendants to their individual capacities.

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Idaho sets new Guinness World Record for largest serving of French fries

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By Victoria Rodriguez

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    SOUTHEAST BOISE, Idaho (KIVI) — Idaho is now home to a new Guinness World Records title after the Idaho Potato Commission and Spud Daddy served up more than 1,400 pounds of French fries Friday night.

The team was attempting to beat the previous record for the largest serving of French fries, which stood at 1,452.85 pounds and was set in India in 2018.

“Idaho should have that record,” Thomas Watson with Spud Daddy said. “Idaho doesn’t have that record, and it’s our mission to bring the record home.”

The attempt took plenty of preparation and a large group of volunteers.

Watson said about 50 to 60 people helped cut and flash-freeze the potatoes before they were loaded into a refrigerated truck and eventually fried for the final attempt.

“It’s been awesome just to see it,” Watson said.

About 1,700 pounds of raw Idaho potatoes went into the effort.

After the fries were cooked and weighed, the final total came in at 1,474 pounds — more than 20 pounds above the previous record.

That made Idaho the new Guinness World Records holder for the largest serving of French fries.

The record attempt was part of Potato Days at the Idaho Botanical Garden, a family-friendly event celebrating Idaho’s potato industry and the farmers, packers, distributors and retailers behind it.

The event also featured the Big Idaho Potato Truck, live music, lawn games and plenty of potato-based food, including fries, tots, mashed potatoes, loaded baked potatoes and potato soup.

After the record was officially set, Watson said he was ready to finally relax.

“I’m ready to take a nap,” Watson said. “I’m going to be so excited that this thing we have been thinking about is now done. We can go to sleep. We can get some food. We can eat some French fries.”

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.

Wisconsin bakery suddenly shuts down, leaving brides without wedding cakes

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By Montse Ricossa

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    WAUKESHA, Wisconsin (WDJT) — It’s wedding season, with many couples preparing to tie the knot as summer comes to its end. Sadly, some Wisconsin brides are living their worst fear: their baker, gone, with no explanation.

“You want things to be perfect, being the bride, and you just envision certain things. And it’s not there, so it’s heartbreaking,” said Krysten Petersen. She got married this past Saturday, Aug. 22.

Krysten and her now-husband, Kyle, placed an order for a two-tier cookie cake alongside some cupcakes and cookies for her wedding back in March with Sweet Perfections Bake Shop. But as Kyle went to pick up the cake Friday, Aug. 21, the day before the wedding, something was wrong.

“There was a moving company there along with the sheriff, so I at least knew what was going on. They said she hadn’t paid her rent,” shared Petersen.

CBS 58 tried contacting the owner several times. When our crew went by her store, the Sweet Perfections signs had been taken down, and on the door was an eviction notice.

“I still didn’t have like that vision that I always planned. You know, it just kind of crushed me.” — Krysten Petersen

The Petersons’ last-minute plan was a s’mores bar using their wedding favors.

The S’Mores wedding favors used as desserts instead of a wedding cake

Now, Krysten is worried about other brides who may be in her shoes, like Monica Ortiz.

She’s getting married in three weeks and hasn’t heard anything from the baker.

She expressed frustration finding out about the bakery’s closure from a fellow bride on Facebook.

“I don’t know how, like, how someone could do that. Like we’re paying good money for you. Where’s the money going if it’s not going to rent?” asked Petersen.

The couple paid $809, which they want back. However, the owner reportedly offered a store credit.

“I can’t imagine her making up for anything. She took away that part of the day from us, and that’s what breaks my heart,” she 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.

‘It honestly broke my heart’: Witness helps injured kids after deadly Florida bus crash

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By Gail Paschall-Brown, Pattrik Perez, Madilyn Destefano

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    WINTER HAVEN, Florida (WESH) — A school bus crash early Monday morning on Lucerne Park Road in Winter Haven claimed the lives of a 10th-grade student and another driver, with dozens injured and receiving treatment at local hospitals.

Most were treated at Winter Haven Hospital, where 19 pediatric and three adult patients received care. All but one pediatric patient have been released. Ten pediatric patients treated at AdventHealth Heart of Florida have been discharged to their parents, while Lakeland Regional Health treated 10 others, releasing seven. Two remain under observation, and one is in critical condition.

Witness rushes to help Witness Aniyah Urbaez captured video of the fiery scene after traffic came to a stop.

“I take a video to show it and send it to work to let them know I was going to be late, and as I’m taking the video is when I see the kids frantically off to the side, and I hear people calling for help,” Urbaez said.

She described the distressing scene, saying, “It honestly just broke my heart to see how frantic they were and just how much they wanted to get in contact with their family.”

Urbaez added, “There were kids who were missing shoes, cuts all around, blood all around. One kid was bleeding from his head and he had blood dripping down.”

Before paramedics arrived, Urbaez rendered aid.

“I tried to gather as much as I could and bring them to my car, sat some of them down on the road, sat some of them down in the car for the AC. Luckily, I had a first aid kit in the car. So I was able to help clean them up and make sure they got in contact with their parents,” she said.

The crash occurred just before 6:15 a.m. as the school bus, traveling eastbound, collided with a westbound white Chevy Malibu that had crossed into the bus’s lane.

“It was a terrible, tragic morning. We had a beautiful 10th-grade girl lose her life. She was on the bus,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.

The sheriff confirmed that 39 people were on the bus, including 37 high school students, the bus driver, and the driver’s 9-year-old daughter. The impact sent the bus westbound, where it struck a silver Jeep head-on. The Jeep caught fire, killing its driver.

Urbaez said she continued to assist injured students, including one who couldn’t walk due to leg pain.

“I lifted her up and carried her back to the car,” she said.

Emergency responders transported 22 students from the bus to the hospital via another school bus with a paramedic onboard. Seven students, the bus driver, and her daughter were taken by ambulance, while three students were airlifted. Four others were taken to the hospital by family members.

“I’m just glad that I was able to be put in that situation and God used me to help them, and again my prayers go out to them and their families,” Urbaez said.

Can school bus drivers prepare for something like this? Shelly Mathis, transportation chief for Sumter County School District, whose agency was not involved in the crash, told WESH 2 that school bus drivers undergo extensive training and follow many safety protocols. But they can’t control the actions of other drivers on the road.

“Unfortunately, nothing can prepare you for this magnitude of an accident,” she said. “This one is different. There’s really nothing you can do to prepare yourself for something like this, other than the typical things.”

The Polk County School District confirmed the bus was equipped with seat belts and that drivers encourage students to wear them. However, it remains unclear how many students were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

“You repeat it, and you repeat it, and you repeat it. You can’t force them to do it. Obviously, there are some disciplinary actions you can take, but once those have been exhausted, you just preach it and live it,” Mathis said.

She stressed the emotional burden the crash will place on the school bus driver, who feels responsible for every child aboard.

“Our prayers are definitely with the families and with the first responders and everyone involved in this accident,” Mathis said.

Florida seat belt laws The state of Florida has laws that require all school districts to have seat belts on school buses.

For the past 25 years, every new bus purchased to transport students from pre-K through high school has been required to have a seat belt for each student.

Everyone riding on the bus has to buckle up and fasten their seat belt while the bus is moving, and school bus drivers enforce this.

The state, county, and school district or school bus company cannot be held liable if someone gets hurt because they or another passenger weren’t wearing a seat belt.

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.

Man accused of throwing Lime scooters off St. Paul bridge; police say “as many as 100” scooters missing

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By Nicholas Lentz

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    ST. PAUL, Minnesota (WCCO) — Police believe a man may be tossing Lime scooters off a bridge in St. Paul, Minnesota, with nearly 100 recently reported missing.

The 39-year-old man is charged with first-degree damage to property after being accused of pushing a scooter down the Wabasha Street Bridge, according to court records.

St. Paul police responded around 4:39 p.m. to the area of Wabasha Street and Kellogg Boulevard, where the suspect was seen pushing the scooter, according to a complaint.

“Police were aware that in recent days, an unknown suspect had been pushing Lime Scooters and then throwing them off the bridge into the Mississippi River,” the court document said. “As many as 100 scooters had been reported missing.”

While the man was being detained, the St. Paul Police Department’s Real Time Information Center reported they had video of him throwing two Lime scooters off the west side of the Wabasha Street Bridge around 4:32 p.m., the complaint said.

Court documents say a Lime scooter is valued at $1,365. The total loss in the incident was more than $2,600.

According to the complaint, an investigation into the man’s involvement in the loss of other scooters is ongoing.

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.

Man accused of throwing Lime scooters off St. Paul bridge; police say “as many as 100” scooters missing

CNN on October 6, 2026

WCCO

By Nicholas Lentz

Click here for updates on this story

    ST. PAUL, Minnesota (WCCO) — Police believe a man may be tossing Lime scooters off a bridge in St. Paul, Minnesota, with nearly 100 recently reported missing.

The 39-year-old man is charged with first-degree damage to property after being accused of pushing a scooter down the Wabasha Street Bridge, according to court records.

St. Paul police responded around 4:39 p.m. to the area of Wabasha Street and Kellogg Boulevard, where the suspect was seen pushing the scooter, according to a complaint.

“Police were aware that in recent days, an unknown suspect had been pushing Lime Scooters and then throwing them off the bridge into the Mississippi River,” the court document said. “As many as 100 scooters had been reported missing.”

While the man was being detained, the St. Paul Police Department’s Real Time Information Center reported they had video of him throwing two Lime scooters off the west side of the Wabasha Street Bridge around 4:32 p.m., the complaint said.

Court documents say a Lime scooter is valued at $1,365. The total loss in the incident was more than $2,600.

According to the complaint, an investigation into the man’s involvement in the loss of other scooters is ongoing.

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.

Beloved Ice Castles won’t return to Cripple Creek, Colorado this winter

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By Christa Swanson

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    CRIPPLE CREEK, Colorado (KCNC) — Organizers of the winter Ice Castles attractions say climate and drought concerns have led them to decide not to open the site in Cripple Creek, Colorado, this year.

Despite an unseasonably warm winter, Ice Castles opened to welcome visitors during the 2025-2026 season. But organizers say the weather made it a challenge to keep the sites operating.

Creating the massive ice structures and keeping them stable takes considerable effort. Last winter, Vice President of Construction for Ice Castles Dan Beck told CBS Colorado that they watch the forecasts closely to make adjustments, and it typically takes about 10,000 person-hours to finish the attraction. He said the unusually warm winter was a real challenge for the team.

The castles are built by hand using sprayed and dripped water to form pillars, tunnels, fountains, crawl spaces and slides. The City of Cripple Creek says that although it has enough water to host the event, areas of Teller County face significant shortages. This also factored into organizers’ decision to cancel the event in Cripple Creek for the 2026-2027 season.

“We have loved our working relationship with the city and with the community. Thank you for being great partners over the past few years!” stated Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird.

The city says it hopes to welcome Ice Castles back to the area when conditions are more favorable.

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Des Moines police arrest teen for attempted murder after downtown shooting

CNN Newsource on October 6, 2026

By KCCI Staff

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    DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — Des Moines police have made an arrest after a shooting near Court Avenue over the weekend.

Police said it happened just after 2 a.m. Sunday near 4th Street and Court Avenue, where a 23-year-old man was shot multiple times. He was taken to nearby hospital.

Jayshawn Woods Crawford, 18, was taken into custody Monday night. He is charged with one count of attempted murder.

Investigators allege Woods Crawford, who was wearing a GPS ankle monitor while on pre-trial release for prior felony charges, was captured on surveillance video at the scene and admitted to detectives that he shot the victim. Data from Woods Crawford’s GPS device placed him near the scene.

The victim remains hospitalized, according to Des Moines police.

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.