A Sacramento man was arrested for homicide in connection with another man’s death along Broadway earlier this month, the Sacramento Police Department said.On Dec. 2, officers responded to a report of a person down in the roadway just after 4:30 a.m. and found the man at the intersection of Broadway and Stockton Boulevard with life-threatening injuries. Despite receiving medical aid, the man died at the scene. (Previous coverage in the video player above)Police initially described the incident as an assault investigation. However, officials later said the victim was hit by a vehicle. On Friday, 23-year-old John Rosario was taken into custody and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on a homicide warrant. He is set to appear in court on Tuesday morning. See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if itâs safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
A Sacramento man was arrested for homicide in connection with another man’s death along Broadway earlier this month, the Sacramento Police Department said.
On Dec. 2, officers responded to a report of a person down in the roadway just after 4:30 a.m. and found the man at the intersection of Broadway and Stockton Boulevard with life-threatening injuries. Despite receiving medical aid, the man died at the scene.
(Previous coverage in the video player above)
Police initially described the incident as an assault investigation. However, officials later said the victim was hit by a vehicle.
On Friday, 23-year-old John Rosario was taken into custody and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on a homicide warrant.
He is set to appear in court on Tuesday morning.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if itâs safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.
Two leaders of a group described as âcult-likeâ by authorities in the Inland Empire have been arrested along with a prominent member on suspicion of murder amid multiple investigations into the disappearance of two former members and the death of a 4-year-old boy many years ago.
Darryl Muzic Martin, 58, who identifies himself as the pastor of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies, and Shelley Bailey âKatâ Martin, 62, who refers to herself as a prophetess and a gifted oracle, have been arrested on suspicion of murder along with member Rudy Moreno, 43, according to Redlands police.
The leaders of the group have been under investigation in connection with the disappearance of former member Emilio Ghanem in May 2023 after visiting a Redlands Starbucks. Separately, Claremont police are investigating the disappearance of Morenoâs brother, Ruben, who was also a member, while Colton police have been probing the death of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas in 2010, who was in the Martinsâ custody when he died after not receiving medical treatment.
Authorities have yet to explain whom they allege each person killed. But Darryl Martinâs booking records in the Riverside County jail show he was held on allegations of murder, possession of a machine gun, and explosives. His wife was booked in the San Bernardino County jail on suspicion of murder and possession of a machine gun. Moreno was booked on suspicion of second-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a machine gun. The arrests occurred Thursday morning.
On Aug. 6, Redlands police, with help from the FBI, swarmed the current base of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies in Hemet as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Ghanem.
Emilio Ghanem was reported missing in May 2023.
(Redlands Police Department)
Four residents were briefly detained, with two booked on unrelated weapons charges, police said. Several illegal firearms â converted fully automatic rifles, short-barreled rifles and unserialized ghost guns, were recovered.
Police conducted a similar raid on Aug. 12 at a remote compound connected to the group in the Riverside County town of Anza, where they briefly detained eight people and recovered electronic devices and other digital evidence, according to Redlands Police Department spokesperson Carl Baker.
Officers at that time also detained the Martins at a motel in Laguna Hills but ultimately released them without seeking any criminal charges.
But the investigation did not stop.
Authorities began giving the group a closer look last year, after Ghanem had disappeared and investigators found the truck heâd been driving along with other evidence that led them to believe a homicide may have occurred.
Ghanem joined His Way Spirit Led Assemblies around 2000 and helped launch a pest control business run by the group, called Fullshield Inc., his sister, Jennifer Ghanem, said.
For many years, he lived in one of the groupâs Colton homes.
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A California religious group that police describe as âcult-likeâ has landed in the spotlight after a 4-year-old boy died and two members disappeared.
In April 2023, Ghanem left both the religious group and the company it operated, MaxGuard, behind and moved to Nashville to reunite with his family. Ghanem started his own pest control company, then returned to the Inland Empire to open a satellite office to win back some of his old clients before he disappeared.
While Redlands police were looking into Ghanemâs disappearance, over the summer Claremont police announced that another missing man, Ruben Moreno, had been affiliated with the group. Moreno was reported missing in 2019.
As word of the Redlands police investigation spread, Colton police renewed its investigation into the death of 4-year-old Timothy Thomas on Jan. 16, 2010 â after he died within an hour of the 911 call, according to the coronerâs report. He was in the custody of Darryl and Shelley Martin at the time.
Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the January 2010 death of Timothy Thomas.
(Colton Police Department)
Timothyâs cause of death was ruled to be septic shock due to a ruptured appendix, according to the coronerâs report. Detectives suspect neglect also played a role, according to Colton detectives.
Police recommended charges against the Martins in 2010, but the San Bernardino County district attorneyâs office declined to prosecute.
Neither the Martins nor their attorney has responded to The Timesâ inquiries.
Timothy Thomas was staying with members of His Way Spirit Led Assemblies in Colton when he suffered a medical emergency, authorities say.
(Daniel Flesher / LA Times Studios)
When Timothy died, group members were uncooperative with the investigation and gave conflicting testimony, making it challenging to prosecute the case, authorities said.
At the time, then-Det. Jack Morenberg, who was investigating, expressed concern over allegations of child abuse and said the home had the appearance of a possible ââcult-likeâ ministry,â according to the coronerâs investigative report.
As part of the probe, Darryl Martin told police that Timothyâs parents had given him and his wife temporary custody of their three children because their mother had problems and couldnât provide a stable home, according to the report. One of Timothyâs aunts told police that the Martins would not allow the boyâs mother to see him, or her other children.
A second aunt felt that Darryl Martin was responsible for Timothyâs death and reported this to Colton police and child protective services in an effort to get the boyâs two remaining siblings removed from the house, according to the report. That aunt said that Martin had instructed Timothy not to vomit and âshowed him how to place his hand over his mouth to stop the vomit from coming out,â the report states.
Since Timothyâs death, several members have parted ways with the group and recently revised their statements to Colton police, saying that their original testimony was made under duress from the groupâs leaders, Colton police Sgt. Shawn McFarland told The Times recently.
In September, Colton police officials said they planned to resubmit the death investigation to prosecutors based on new evidence.
Because of the statute of limitations, McFarland said, the only charge available to pursue is child homicide or murder.
The father and son accused of causing a double-fatal crash in Lakewood while street-racing earlier this month were driving nearly 100 mph before the collision and are believed to have been drinking that night, according to an arrest affidavit.
Gregory Mark Giles, 65, and Bryce Anneaus Giles, 26, turned themselves in to Lakewood police Monday and were arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, engaging in a speed contest and reckless driving.
The multi-vehicle crash happened at 9:08 p.m. Nov. 13 at South Kipling Parkway and West Mississippi Avenue. When Lakewood police arrived, they found three vehicles had been involved in the collision â a 2004 Toyota 4Runner, a 2014 Ford Expedition and a 2015 Ford Explorer, the arrest affidavit said.
A witness told police they saw the 4Runner turn left in front of the speeding Explorer, from southbound Kipling onto eastbound Mississippi, while the light was green, and saw the vehiclesâ impact at a high rate of speed.
The driver and passenger of the 4Runner â Dalton Smith, 28, and Demi Iglesias, 26 â were taken to CommonSpirit St. Anthony Hospital, where they later died from their injuries, according to Lakewood police.
Gregory Giles was driving the Explorer with his other son, Brayden, in the vehicle while Bryce Giles was driving the Expedition, according to the affidavit.
Brayden Giles told police they were on their way to go bowling and were driving the speed limit. However, Gregory Giles was seen by traffic cameras and witnesses racing the Explorer, repeatedly driving side by side and exceeding the 45âŻmph speed limit.
Camera footage showed both the Expedition and Explorer were traveling âfaster than normal traffic flow,â according to the affidavit. Police analyzed both vehiclesâ data recorders and found the Expedition and Explorer were travelling 99.4 mph and 93 mph, respectively, five seconds before their airbags deployed, according to the affidavit.
In addition, while agents were at the scene of the crash, they reported finding two empty alcohol âshooters,â or 50ml bottles. One of the bottles was 99 Brand Black Cherry and the other was 99 Brand Apples, both labeled as 99 proof alcohol.
The bottles were located in plain view in the driverâs side footwell of the Ford Explorer that Gregory Giles was driving, according to the affidavit.
When police asked Brayden Giles if he had seen his father drink any alcohol prior to the crash, Brayden Giles said that he and his father had each drunk one beer, according to the arrest affidavit.
Brayden Giles told police his brother Bryce had also drunk beer before leaving. When asked how much alcohol Bryce had consumed, Giles said, âI think he had a lot,â according to the affidavit.
When police asked Gregory Giles, he said he had consumed a couple of shots of Jack Danielâs whiskey before driving, according to the affidavit. Police obtained a warrant to take his blood to test for alcohol, but those results were not available at the time the arrest affidavit was written.
Traffic investigators wrote in the affidavit that Gregory, Bryce and Brayden were trying to conceal their vehiclesâ speeds at the time of the collision, hide alcohol consumption and cover up leaving Gregoryâs house together in an attempt to reduce their culpability.
The affidavit stated that Bryce Gilesâ reckless driving and participation in the race directly contributed to the collision, which caused the deaths of Smith and Iglesias and serious injuries to his brother, Brayden Giles.
Gregory and Bryce Miles were both in custody Friday on $250,000 cash bail, according to Jefferson County inmate records. They are both set to appear in court Wednesday.
President Donald Trump announced the death of one National Guard member on Thanksgiving and said another is still “fighting for his life.” Police say both soldiers were shot while on patrol down the street from the White House on Wednesday. Trump announced the death of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old from West Virginia, during a call with troops on Thursday night. The White House says the president spoke with Beckstrom’s parents later that evening.”She was savagely attacked. She’s dead, not with us. An incredible person, outstanding in every single way, in every department. It’s horrible,” Trump said on the call with troops. The charges against the alleged shooter are now expected to be upgraded to first-degree murder. The Justice Department has also suggested that it will seek the death penalty. “The death penalty is back,” Attorney General Pam Bondi posted Thursday night. FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is also being investigated as an act of terrorism. Authorities say Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot in a targeted attack, although a motive has not been revealed. The alleged shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan. “What we know about him is that he drove his vehicle across the country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation’s capital,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said at a press conference on Thursday morning.The Associated Press reports that Lakanwal was approved for asylum under the Trump administration, but officials say he first entered the country through a Biden administration resettlement program after the U.S. withdrew from the war in Afghanistan. Before arriving in America, Lakanwal worked with the CIA, according to John Ratcliffe, the spy agency’s director. Ratcliffe said the relationship ended shortly after the evacuation of U.S. service members.”We are fully investigating that aspect of his background as well to include any known associates that are either overseas or here in the United States of America,” FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday. Asked about the CIA connection and the screening procedures involved with that, President Trump continued to insist that the alleged shooter entered the U.S. unvetted.”He went nuts,” Trump said. âIt happens too often with these people.”In a statement, the group #AfghanEvac, which assists with the resettlement process, said Afghan immigrants and wartime allies “undergo some of the most extensive security vetting of any population entering the country.” “This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community,” #AfghanEvac president Shawn VanDiver said. After the shooting, Trump said his administration would be reviewing every Afghan who entered the country under the Biden administration. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has indefinitely paused processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals, “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.” On Thursday, USCIS also said there would be “a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.” Additionally, the agency released new guidance outlining new vetting standards for prospective immigrants from “19 high-risk countries.”Meanwhile, Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric in a social media post just before midnight Thursday, promising to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover.”Trump said he would terminate what he described as illegal admissions under the Biden administration, end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens, and “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.” “HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for â You wonât be here for long,” Trump said.
WASHINGTON â
President Donald Trump announced the death of one National Guard member on Thanksgiving and said another is still “fighting for his life.” Police say both soldiers were shot while on patrol down the street from the White House on Wednesday.
Trump announced the death of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a 20-year-old from West Virginia, during a call with troops on Thursday night. The White House says the president spoke with Beckstrom’s parents later that evening.
“She was savagely attacked. She’s dead, not with us. An incredible person, outstanding in every single way, in every department. It’s horrible,” Trump said on the call with troops.
The charges against the alleged shooter are now expected to be upgraded to first-degree murder. The Justice Department has also suggested that it will seek the death penalty.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is also being investigated as an act of terrorism.
Authorities say Beckstrom and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot in a targeted attack, although a motive has not been revealed.
The alleged shooter has been identified as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan.
“What we know about him is that he drove his vehicle across the country from the state of Washington with the intended target of coming to our nation’s capital,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said at a press conference on Thursday morning.
The Associated Press reports that Lakanwal was approved for asylum under the Trump administration, but officials say he first entered the country through a Biden administration resettlement program after the U.S. withdrew from the war in Afghanistan.
Before arriving in America, Lakanwal worked with the CIA, according to John Ratcliffe, the spy agency’s director. Ratcliffe said the relationship ended shortly after the evacuation of U.S. service members.
“We are fully investigating that aspect of his background as well to include any known associates that are either overseas or here in the United States of America,” FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday.
Asked about the CIA connection and the screening procedures involved with that, President Trump continued to insist that the alleged shooter entered the U.S. unvetted.
“He went nuts,” Trump said. âIt happens too often with these people.”
In a statement, the group #AfghanEvac, which assists with the resettlement process, said Afghan immigrants and wartime allies “undergo some of the most extensive security vetting of any population entering the country.”
“This individual’s isolated and violent act should not be used as an excuse to define or diminish an entire community,” #AfghanEvac president Shawn VanDiver said.
After the shooting, Trump said his administration would be reviewing every Afghan who entered the country under the Biden administration. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has indefinitely paused processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals, “pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”
On Thursday, USCIS also said there would be “a full-scale, rigorous reexamination of every Green Card for every alien from every country of concern.” Additionally, the agency released new guidance outlining new vetting standards for prospective immigrants from “19 high-risk countries.”
Meanwhile, Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric in a social media post just before midnight Thursday, promising to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover.”
Trump said he would terminate what he described as illegal admissions under the Biden administration, end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens, and “denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility.”
“HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for â You wonât be here for long,” Trump said.
The death toll from flash floods and landslides on Indonesiaâs Sumatra island rose to 164 on Friday, with 79 people missing, authorities said.Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment.The death toll in North Sumatra province rose to 116, while 25 people died in Aceh. Rescuers also retrieved 23 bodies in West Sumatra, National Disaster Mitigation Agencyâs Chief Suharyanto said.A tropical cyclone is expected to continue hitting the Southeast Asian nation for days, Indonesiaâs Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency reported.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APâs earlier story follows below.Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Friday after flash floods and landslides on Indonesiaâs Sumatra island left 82 people dead and dozens missing.A tropical cyclone is expected to continue hitting the Southeast Asian nation for days, said Indonesiaâs Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency.Monsoon rains caused rivers to burst their banks in North Sumatra province Tuesday. The deluge tore through mountainside villages, swept away people and submerged more than 3,200 houses and buildings, the National Disaster Management Agency said. About 3,000 displaced families fled to government shelters.Elsewhere in the island’s provinces of Aceh and West Sumatra, thousands of houses were flooded, many up to their roofs, the agency said.The death toll in North Sumatra province rose to 55 as rescue teams struggled to reach affected areas in 12 cities and districts of North Sumatra province, said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson, Abdul Muhari. He revised the number of people still missing in the province to 41 from the initial report of 88 following a coordination meeting with local authorities Friday.Mudslides that covered much of the area, power blackouts and a lack of telecommunications were hampering the search efforts, said Ferry Wulantukan, spokesperson for North Sumatra regional police.In West Sumatra province, flash floods that struck 15 cities and districts left at least 21 people dead, Muhari said, citing data reported by West Sumatra’s vice governor. The number of people still missing was unclear.West Sumatra’s disaster mitigation agency reported that the flooding submerged more than 17,000 homes, forcing about 23,000 residents to flee to temporary shelters. Rice fields, livestock and public facilities were also destroyed, and bridges and roads cut off by floods and landslides isolated residents.In Aceh province, authorities struggled to bring excavators and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads after torrential rains sent mud and rocks crashing onto the hilly hamlets. At least six people have died and 11 were missing in three villages in Central Aceh district.The extreme weather was driven by Tropical Cyclone Senyar, which formed in the Strait of Malacca, said Achadi Subarkah Raharjo at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency.He warned that unstable atmospheric conditions mean extreme weather could persist as long as the cyclone system remains active.âWe have extended its extreme weather warning due to strong water vapor supply and shifting atmospheric dynamics,â Raharjo said.Senyar intensified rainfall, strong winds, and high waves in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau and nearby areas before dissipating. Its prolonged downpours left steep, saturated terrains highly vulnerable to disasters, he said.Seasonal rains frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.____Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.
PADANG, Indonesia â
The death toll from flash floods and landslides on Indonesiaâs Sumatra island rose to 164 on Friday, with 79 people missing, authorities said.
Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment.
The death toll in North Sumatra province rose to 116, while 25 people died in Aceh. Rescuers also retrieved 23 bodies in West Sumatra, National Disaster Mitigation Agencyâs Chief Suharyanto said.
A tropical cyclone is expected to continue hitting the Southeast Asian nation for days, Indonesiaâs Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency reported.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APâs earlier story follows below.
Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Friday after flash floods and landslides on Indonesiaâs Sumatra island left 82 people dead and dozens missing.
A tropical cyclone is expected to continue hitting the Southeast Asian nation for days, said Indonesiaâs Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency.
Monsoon rains caused rivers to burst their banks in North Sumatra province Tuesday. The deluge tore through mountainside villages, swept away people and submerged more than 3,200 houses and buildings, the National Disaster Management Agency said. About 3,000 displaced families fled to government shelters.
Elsewhere in the island’s provinces of Aceh and West Sumatra, thousands of houses were flooded, many up to their roofs, the agency said.
The death toll in North Sumatra province rose to 55 as rescue teams struggled to reach affected areas in 12 cities and districts of North Sumatra province, said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson, Abdul Muhari. He revised the number of people still missing in the province to 41 from the initial report of 88 following a coordination meeting with local authorities Friday.
Mudslides that covered much of the area, power blackouts and a lack of telecommunications were hampering the search efforts, said Ferry Wulantukan, spokesperson for North Sumatra regional police.
In West Sumatra province, flash floods that struck 15 cities and districts left at least 21 people dead, Muhari said, citing data reported by West Sumatra’s vice governor. The number of people still missing was unclear.
West Sumatra’s disaster mitigation agency reported that the flooding submerged more than 17,000 homes, forcing about 23,000 residents to flee to temporary shelters. Rice fields, livestock and public facilities were also destroyed, and bridges and roads cut off by floods and landslides isolated residents.
In Aceh province, authorities struggled to bring excavators and other heavy equipment over washed-out roads after torrential rains sent mud and rocks crashing onto the hilly hamlets. At least six people have died and 11 were missing in three villages in Central Aceh district.
The extreme weather was driven by Tropical Cyclone Senyar, which formed in the Strait of Malacca, said Achadi Subarkah Raharjo at Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency.
He warned that unstable atmospheric conditions mean extreme weather could persist as long as the cyclone system remains active.
âWe have extended its extreme weather warning due to strong water vapor supply and shifting atmospheric dynamics,â Raharjo said.
Senyar intensified rainfall, strong winds, and high waves in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau and nearby areas before dissipating. Its prolonged downpours left steep, saturated terrains highly vulnerable to disasters, he said.
Seasonal rains frequently cause flooding and landslides in Indonesia, an archipelago of 17,000 islands where millions of people live in mountainous areas or near fertile flood plains.
Hong Kong â The death toll from a fire that tore through a Hong Kong residential complex climbed to 128 on Friday as more bodies were found in the blackened towers, authorities said. Secretary for Security Chris Tang told reporters at the scene that the search for victims was continuing and the numbers could still rise.
The fire at the Wang Fuk Court complex started Wednesday afternoon and was only fully extinguished Friday morning. Dozens of people, including firefighters, were injured in the blaze.
Firefighters were still combing through the high-rise complex apartment-by-apartment in a final attempt to find anyone alive after the massive fire engulfed seven of the complex’s eight towers in one of the city’s deadliest blazes ever recorded.
Firefighters rest in front of the Wang Fuk Court residential estate following a massive, deadly fire that tore through the complex in Tai Po district, Hong Kong, China, Nov. 28, 2025.
Leung Man Hei/Bloomberg/Getty
Crews were prioritizing apartments from which they had received more than two dozen calls for assistance during the blaze, but which they were unable to reach due to the intensity of the fire, Derek Armstrong Chan, a deputy director of Hong Kong Fire Services told reporters early Friday morning.
“Our firefighting operation is almost complete,” he said.
The fire started midafternoon Wednesday in one of the Wang Fuk Court complex’s eight towers, jumping rapidly from one to the next as bamboo scaffolding covered in netting, in place for renovations, caught ablaze until seven buildings were engulfed.
It took more than 1,000 firefighters some 24 hours to bring the five-alarm blaze under control, and almost two days later, smoke still continued to drift out of the charred skeletons of the buildings from the occasional flare-up.
The final search of the buildings was expected to be complete later Friday, at which point officials have said they will officially end the rescue phase of the operation at the complex in Tai Po district, a northern suburb near Hong Kong’s border with mainland China.
It was unclear how many people could be inside the buildings, which had almost 2,000 apartments and some 4,800 residents. Hong Kong leader John Lee said early Thursday morning that officials had not been able to make contact with 279 residents.
“We will endeavor to force entry into all the units of the seven blocks concerned so as to ensure that there is no other possible casualties,” Chan said.
Wong, a 71-year-old man, was photographed in tears outside the burning building claiming his wife was trapped inside.
Reuters
He said an updated figure on the number of missing people could not be calculated until the search and rescue operation was complete.
The apartments from which a total of 25 unanswered rescue calls were received, which are being prioritized, were primarily on higher floors, where the fire was last extinguished, he said.
More than 70 people were injured in the blaze, including 11 firefighters, and about 900 people were housed in temporary shelters.
Most of the casualties were in the first two buildings to catch fire, Chan said.
Arrests amid investigation into the deadly blaze
The apartment complex housed many older people. It was built in the 1980s and had been undergoing a major renovation. Hong Kong’s anti-corruption agency said on Thursday it was investigating possible corruption relating to the renovation project.
Three men, the directors and an engineering consultant of a construction company, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, and police said company leaders were suspected of gross negligence.
Police have not identified the company where the suspects worked, but The Associated Press confirmed Prestige Construction & Engineering Company was in charge of renovations in the tower complex. Police have seized boxes of documents from the company, where phones rang unanswered Thursday.
A body is transferred for identification in the aftermath of a major fire that swept through several apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court residential estate in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, Nov. 28, 2025.
Peter PARKS/AFP/Getty
Authorities suspected some materials on the exterior walls of the high-rise buildings did not meet fire resistance standards, allowing the unusually fast spread of the fire. There was also word on Friday that fire alarm systems in at least some of the buildings affected may not have been functioning properly.
Police also said they found plastic foam panels – which are highly flammable – attached to the windows on each floor near the elevator lobby of the one unaffected tower. The panels were believed to have been installed by the construction company but the purpose was not clear.
Authorities planned immediate inspections of many housing estates undergoing major renovations to ensure scaffolding and construction materials meet safety standards.
The fire was the deadliest in Hong Kong in decades. A 1996 fire in a commercial building in Kowloon killed 41 people.
The man accused of killing three people and wounding nine others at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs a decade ago died in custody over the weekend, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Robert Dear, 67, died at 6:30 a.m. Saturday in the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Randilee Giamusso said. His death was âpreliminarily linked to natural causes,â Giamusso said Tuesday, and prison officials followed advanced medical orders before he died.
Dearâs death ends a decade-long â and ultimately unsuccessful â effort to convict him of crimes connected to the mass shooting. Although Dear had been in state or federal custody since the 2015 attack and confessed to carrying out the mass shooting, he was never convicted because he was always considered to be too mentally ill to go through the court process â that is, he was consistently found incompetent to stand trial.
Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen said in a statement Tuesday that the victims of the shooting were denied justice in the âevil attack.â
âAll three victims and this community deserved the full measure of justice in this case, but they are now denied that possibility,â Allen said. âTheir family members and loved ones have endured this horror for far too long.â
The Bureau of Prisons declined to provide any additional information about Dearâs death and officials with the Greene County Medical Examinerâs Office did not immediately return requests for more information.
Dearâs attorneys did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
Dear was accused of attacking the Planned Parenthood clinic on Nov. 27, 2015. Authorities believe he intended to wage âwarâ on the clinic because the staff performed abortions. He arrived armed with four SKS rifles, five handguns, two more rifles, a shotgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to the U.S. Attorneyâs Office.
Twenty-seven people who were inside the clinic at the time hid until they could be rescued by law enforcement, according to prosecutors. Dear fired 198 rounds in the attack and tried to blow up propane tanks to take out law enforcement vehicles during a five-hour standoff.
A competency evaluation considers whether a criminal defendant is mentally ill or developmentally disabled, and whether that mental illness impedes the defendantâs ability to understand the court process. Rooted in the constitutional rights to due process and a fair trial, competency centers on two prongs â whether defendants have a factual and rational understanding of the proceedings, and whether defendants are able to consult with their attorneys and assist in their own defenses.
Experts previously testified that Dear understood the facts and circumstances of his case but was still incompetent to proceed because he could not assist in his own defense.
Dear was known for frequent outbursts in court. During a 2019 hearing, he declared himself to be a âreligious zealotâ who was being prosecuted in a âpolitical kangaroo court.â In 2021, he insisted in federal court that he was competent to stand trial, shouting, âIâm not crazy.â
In September, a federal judge started the process for Dear to be committed long-term to the mental health facility in Missouri after finding he was unlikely to be restored to competency.
The decision came nearly three years after the judge ordered that Dear be medicated against his will in 2022. Federal prosecutors believed doing so would restore him to competency.
The Burbank Police Department continues to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred on November 22, 2025.
Jose Domingo Ayala Alas
On November 22, 2025, at about 6:40 p.m., Burbank Police officers conducted a traffic enforcement stop in the 2400 block of Buena Vista Street near the northbound I-5 on-ramp.
During the stop, a passenger fled from the vehicle, ran up the I-5 on-ramp, and jumped over the freeway embankment wall into a nearby residential neighborhood.
A coordinated search was initiated using a police canine and a police helicopter. During the search, the canine located the suspect. The suspect fired multiple rounds, striking the canine, before fleeing on foot.
The canine was transported to a local emergency veterinarian but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
A police helicopter later located the suspect, concealed in dense terrain near the I-5, still armed with a firearm. The incident transitioned into a joint operation involving the Glendale and Pasadena Police Departments, supported by additional canine units, crisis negotiators, and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Teams.
Officers made multiple de-escalation attempts, including repeated communication, crisis negotiation, and the deployment of less-lethal systems to encourage peaceful surrender. Despite these efforts, the suspect fired at officers, striking police vehicles. Officers returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect. A loaded handgun was recovered.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coronerâs Office has identified the deceased as 37-year-old Jose Domingo Ayala Alas of Palmdale.
This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact the Burbank Police Department Investigations Division at (818) 238-3210.
A Long Beach man who previously served time in prison for felony child abuse was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of torturing and murdering his 14-month-old daughter, authorities said.
The toddlerâs father, Alfredo Munoz, 40, and stepmother Kelly Munoz, 34, were taken into custody in the 200 block of East Louise Street in connection with the childâs death, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
Officers initially responded to a hospital on Nov. 7 where the toddler was unresponsive with signs of severe trauma, police said. She was put on life support and died three days later. Her identity is being withheld.
Over the course of a two-week investigation, homicide detectives determined that the toddler had been a victim of ongoing abuse and that her death was a direct result of abuse from her father and stepmother, police said.
Both suspects are being held without bail at the Long Beach Jail, and detectives plan to present the case to the L.A. County district attorneyâs office for filing consideration next week.
Alfredo Munoz was previously sentenced to four years in state prison in December 2021 after he pleaded no contest to one count of willful cruelty to a child causing possible injury or death, according to court records.
A law enforcement source confirmed the man charged in the prior Long Beach abuse case was the same man arrested Tuesday. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case with the media.
Munoz had been released from custody at the time the alleged abuse of the now-deceased toddler took place.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Homicide Dets. Ethan Shear and Kelsey Myers at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips can be left at (800) 222-8477 or at www.lacrimestoppers.org.
Branson is the co-founder of Virgin Group, a global investment and venture capital firm. He shared the news via Instagram.
âShe was the most wonderful mum and grandmum our kids and grandkids could have ever wished for,â Branson wrote. âShe was my best friend, my rock, my guiding light, my world. Love you forever, Joan x.âÂ
Just yesterday, Branson shared a picture of the two captioned, âLove this photo of Joan.â Earlier in November, he said, âEveryone needs a Joan in their life.â
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Branson and Templeman met when she was working in a âbric-a-bracâ shop in London. In an article on the Virgin Group website titled âBehind every man thereâs a great woman,â Branson said âI fell in love with her from the first moment I saw her.âÂ
âTo win her heart, I had to persistently hang around the shop and buy countless objects before we started courting,â Branson wrote, adding that his favorite was an advertising sign for Danish bacon.Â
Two years later, Branson bought Templeman an island in the British Virgin Islands.
âWe were still in the early days of Virgin Records and I definitely did not have the cash to buy itâbut try telling that to a fool in love!â Branson wrote in a blog on their 44 year anniversary.
Necker Island, as it was named, is where the couple married in 1989. Their two kids, Holly and Sam, followed suit and were each wed there, too.
Holly serves as Virginâs chief purpose and vision officer, and Sam is a co-founder of HiddenLight Productions, along with Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton. Both are co-founders of Big Change, a charitable trust under Virgin Unite.
The cause of Templemanâs death has not been disclosed.
Officials announced Monday that they have solved a 50-year-old murder case in which a 22-year-old woman was found dead in her apartment in Concord, New Hampshire.Attorney General John Formella said a review of the 1975 death of Judy Lord determined that she was killed by her neighbor, Ernest Theodore Gable.”I’m proud to say but also solemnly say that we can bring long-awaited closure to this case,” Formella said.He said Gable will not face justice in the case because he was stabbed to death in 1987 in Los Angeles. Lord was 22 years old when she was found strangled to death inside her home at the Royal Gardens apartment complex on May 20, 1975. She was living with her 20-month-old son at the time, and the baby’s cries led the building’s apartment manager to discover Lord’s body.”The scene police discovered more witnesses to a violent and desperate struggle,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Christopher Knowles.Knowles, who runs the state’s Cold Case Unit, said the original Concord police investigation was thorough, and Gable, who was 24 at the time, was identified as a suspect early in the case. But he said a flawed FBI hair analysis incorrectly excluded Gable as a suspect.Gable had a lengthy arrest history, and Lord had told her friends that she was afraid of him.Knowles said there was evidence that Lord was sexually assaulted. Semen found on a towel matched Gable’s blood type, and fingerprints at the scene also matched, Knowles said.Knowles called the circumstantial evidence “overwhelming” before hair samples were sent to the FBI, which conducted a microscopic analysis of the hairs. That technique was considered to be the gold standard in hair analysis, and the FBI was the leading authority, Knowles said. But the technique has since been discredited, and Knowles said it is no longer a tool used by investigators. New DNA analysis definitively linked Gable to the crime, and the new analysis by the Cold Case Unit allowed investigators to remove the FBI report from the case, Knowles said.Investigators said that if Gable were still alive, he would be charged with first-degree murder.”This case demonstrates that no cold case is ever truly closed until we find the truth, and that time is only one impediment,” Formella said. “Time is also an asset, because we will continue to work year after year, decade after decade, until we find the answers in these cases.”Several of Lord’s family members were at Monday’s press conference watching the announcement. Her son, Gregory Lord Jr., was watching virtually and sent a statement saying his mother will always be with him.”I’m told I look just like my mom, and I’m proud of that,” he said.
MANCHESTER, N.H. â
Officials announced Monday that they have solved a 50-year-old murder case in which a 22-year-old woman was found dead in her apartment in Concord, New Hampshire.
Attorney General John Formella said a review of the 1975 death of Judy Lord determined that she was killed by her neighbor, Ernest Theodore Gable.
“I’m proud to say but also solemnly say that we can bring long-awaited closure to this case,” Formella said.
He said Gable will not face justice in the case because he was stabbed to death in 1987 in Los Angeles.
Lord was 22 years old when she was found strangled to death inside her home at the Royal Gardens apartment complex on May 20, 1975. She was living with her 20-month-old son at the time, and the baby’s cries led the building’s apartment manager to discover Lord’s body.
“The scene police discovered more witnesses to a violent and desperate struggle,” said Senior Assistant Attorney General Christopher Knowles.
Knowles, who runs the state’s Cold Case Unit, said the original Concord police investigation was thorough, and Gable, who was 24 at the time, was identified as a suspect early in the case. But he said a flawed FBI hair analysis incorrectly excluded Gable as a suspect.
Gable had a lengthy arrest history, and Lord had told her friends that she was afraid of him.
Knowles said there was evidence that Lord was sexually assaulted. Semen found on a towel matched Gable’s blood type, and fingerprints at the scene also matched, Knowles said.
Knowles called the circumstantial evidence “overwhelming” before hair samples were sent to the FBI, which conducted a microscopic analysis of the hairs. That technique was considered to be the gold standard in hair analysis, and the FBI was the leading authority, Knowles said. But the technique has since been discredited, and Knowles said it is no longer a tool used by investigators.
New DNA analysis definitively linked Gable to the crime, and the new analysis by the Cold Case Unit allowed investigators to remove the FBI report from the case, Knowles said.
Investigators said that if Gable were still alive, he would be charged with first-degree murder.
“This case demonstrates that no cold case is ever truly closed until we find the truth, and that time is only one impediment,” Formella said. “Time is also an asset, because we will continue to work year after year, decade after decade, until we find the answers in these cases.”
Several of Lord’s family members were at Monday’s press conference watching the announcement. Her son, Gregory Lord Jr., was watching virtually and sent a statement saying his mother will always be with him.
“I’m told I look just like my mom, and I’m proud of that,” he said.
Southern California lawmakers are demanding answers from U.S. Homeland Security officials following the deaths of two Orange County residents and nearly two dozen others while in federal immigration custody.
In a letter Friday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, U.S. Reps. Dave Min (D-Irvine) and Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) pointed to the deaths of 25 people so far this year while being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The number of in-custody deaths has reached an annual record since the agency began keeping track in 2018.
Two Mexican immigrants â who had long made their homes in Orange County and were sent to the Adelanto ICE Processing Center north of Hesperia â were among the deaths.
âThese are not just numbers on a website, but real people â with families, jobs, and hopes and dreams â each of whom died in ICE custody,â the lawmakers wrote. âThe following cases illustrate systemic patterns of delayed treatment, neglect, and failure to properly notify families.â
Ismael Ayala-Uribe, 39, died Sept. 22 about a month after being apprehended while working at the Fountain Valley Auto Wash, where he had worked for 15 years, according to a GoFundMe post by his family.
He had lived in Westminster since he was 4 years old, and had previously been protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. The Times previously reported that his application for continued protection was not renewed in 2016.
Ayala-Uribeâs relatives and members of Congress have alleged that he was denied proper medical care after being taken into ICE custody in August. Adelanto detention staff members were aware of his medical crisis, according to internal emails obtained by The Times. But Ayala-Uribe initially was taken back to his Adelanto dorm room, where he waited for another three days before being moved to Victor Valley Global Medical Center in Victorville.
ICE officials acknowledged that Ayala-Uribe died at the Victorville hospital while waiting for surgery for an abscess on his buttock. The suspected cause of the sore was not disclosed.
A second man â Gabriel Garcia-Aviles, 56, who lived near Costa Mesa â died Oct. 23, about a week after being detained.
ICE said Garcia-Aviles was arrested Oct. 14 in Santa Ana by the U.S. Border Patrol for an outstanding warrant, and eventually sent to the Adelanto center. ICE said in a previous statement that he was only at the Adelanto facility for a few hours before he was taken to the Victorville hospital for âsuspected alcohol withdrawal symptoms.â
His condition rapidly worsened.
The deaths have focused attention on the treatment of detained immigrants as well as long-standing concerns about medical care inside Adelanto, one of the largest federal immigration detention centers in California. The situation raises broader concerns about whether immigration detention centers throughout the country are equipped to care for the deluge of people rounded up since President Trump prioritized mass deportations as part of his second-term agenda.
âThese deaths raise serious questions about ICEâs ability to comply with basic detention standards, medical care protocols, and notification requirements, and underscore a pattern of gross negligence that demands immediate accountability,â Min and Chu wrote in the letter to Noem and Todd M. Lyons, the acting director of ICE.
The letter was signed by 43 other lawmakers, including Reps. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach), J. Luis Correa (D-Santa Ana), John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) and Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles).
An ICE representative did not immediately respond to an email Saturday seeking comment.
The lawmakers stressed the need to treat the immigrants with humanity.
The lawmakers said Garcia-Aviles had lived in the U.S. for three decades. His family did not learn of his dire medical condition until âhe was on his deathbed.â Family members drove to the hospital to find him âunconscious, intubated, and . . . [with] dried blood on his foreheadâ as well as âa cut on his tongue … broken teeth and bruising on his body.â
âWe never got the chance to speak to him anymore and [the family] never was called to let us know why he had been transferred to the hospital,â his daugher wrote on a GoFundMe page, seeking help to pay for his funeral costs. âHis absence has left a hole in our hearts.â
New reporting suggests 18-year-old Anna Kepner may have died from asphyxiation caused by a chokehold aboard a Carnival cruise ship as the FBI continues to investigate her death
The death of an 18-year-old Florida high school cheerleader found hidden under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship was reportedly caused by asphyxiation from a chokehold (or an arm across the neck), per a new report by ABC News. The FBI and the Miami-Dade Medical Examinerâs Office have not officially confirmed or made a statement. FBI agents discovered two bruises on the side of Annaâs neck, and reportedly, there were no signs of sexual assault and no drugs or alcohol found in her system.
Anna Kepner, a senior at Titusville High School with aspirations to join the military, was discovered wrapped in a blanket beneath a bed covered by life jackets in a cabin she shared with her brothers on the Carnival Horizon. The ship had departed Miami on November 2, 2025, for a six-day Caribbean cruise and returned to port on November 8th.
I broke down the latest updates in the Anna Kepner case below. Her cause and manner of death are still pending as of now. âŹïž @LAmag
đšNew Disturbing Details Emerge in Death of Florida Teen Found Under Cruise Ship BedâŠ
The preliminary findings indicate Kepner was possibly strangled in what investigators believe was a violent altercation, the sources said. The exact circumstances remain under active probe by the FBI, which is treating the case as a possible homicide. No charges have been filed as of Thursday.
Kepner had left a family dinner early on November 6th and was captured on surveillance video entering the cabin she shared with her 14-year-old biological brother and 16-year-old stepbrother. Her younger brother returned later that evening, changed clothes, took photos around the ship, and later went to sleep in a bunk bed, unaware that his sister was already deceased and shoved under her bed. Her body was found the next morning by cleaning staff during a search prompted by the family.
Anna Kepnerâs cause of death is being reported by @ABC as asphyxiation resulting from a bar hold (an arm across the neck). There have been no comments or confirmation from the FBI or the Miami-Date MEâs office. I requested confirmation from the MEâs office and havenât heard back⊠pic.twitter.com/nN2eeNemqZ
The stepbrother, whose identity is protected as a minor, has been identified as a person of interest and is staying with relatives of his biological mother. No arrests have been made of November 21st as this is an ongoing investigation.
Newly released records shed disturbing light on the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, found under her cruise-ship bed, exposing a troubled home life that may have played a role in the tragedy
The mysterious and tragic death of an 18-year-old Florida cheerleader discovered crammed under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship in November has taken a darker turn, with court filings identifying her 16-year-old stepbrother as a potential person of interest and revealing her own 14-year-old brother slept just feet from her body without realizing it, per family attorneys this week.
Anna Kepner, a Titusville High School senior with plans to join the military, was found wrapped in a blanket, covered with life jackets, beneath a bed on the Carnival Horizon Ship during a cruise that left Miami on November 2, 2025, and returned on November 8th. New details surfaced in Brevard County court filings, shedding light on a troubled family and home life.
The Anna Kepner case is one I will definitely be following. What has been disclosed this week has been tragic and terrifying. đ https://t.co/cOkaZpCvmL
According to timelines developed by cruise ship security and surveillance footage, Kepner left a family dinner early on November 6, complaining of illness, and returned to the cabin she shared with her 14-year-old biological brother and 16-year-old stepbrother. The cruise ship footage showed her entering the room but never leaving, according to an emergency (family court) motion filed November 17th by Millicent Athanason, attorney for Kepnerâs stepmother, Shauntel Kepner.
The motion states: âShe was last seen entering her room, and she never came outâ and adds, âThe respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action.â In other words, Kepnerâs stepbrother is officially being questioned in her death.
Credit: Brevard County Circuit Court
The FBI, which is leading the investigation with Carnival and local authorities, has not released a cause of death or filed charges as of November 21st. The stepbrother, whose name is withheld because he is a minor, is now staying with a relative of his biological mother and has not been arrested. According to Kepnerâs ex-boyfriendâs father in an interview with Inside Edition, it was a well-known fact that the step-brother was âinfatuatedâ and âin loveâ with Kepner. It was also stated that Kepner was afraid of him because he always carried a knife. Per the ex-boyfriendâs father, Kepnerâs parents were aware of all of this. Other chilling details about the night of Kepnerâs death reveal that her 14-year-old brother returned to the cabin, changed clothes, took photos around the ship, and went to sleep, unaware that his sisterâs body was hidden beneath the adjacent bed. He had assumed she had gone back out to enjoy the cruise.
Kepnerâs biological mother, Heather Wright, learned of the death days later through an online search. Wright has had trouble with the law and issues with drugs, and did not have a relationship with Kepner (who also detailed the lack of relationship with her mom on social media). âI found out through Google. I ended up Googling it, because the only information I had was that my daughter was on a cruise,â Wright said in an earlier interview with NBC. Wright was also told that she was not allowed to attend the funeral, but told Inside Edition that she would attend anyway, in a disguise.
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At a memorial service on Wednesday at The Grove Church in Titusville, step-grandfather Christopher Donahue, 53, questioned the cabin arrangement. âI donât know why Anna was staying in a room with her stepbrother,â Donahue said. âAll I know is that she went on that boat, and she never came back. ⊠There are questions. I donât think weâll ever know.â
The death has intensified years of family strife detailed in court records. The filings suggest that Annaâs father, Christopher Kepner, has been married three times. Tabitha Kepner, Christopher Kepnerâs second wife, filed for divorce in March 2023, citing a âhistory of physical and mental abuse toward the minor children and toward the petitioner.â She sought sole custody. In 2024, Michelle Johnson, the mother of Christopher Kepnerâs other children, sued Shauntel Kepner in small claims court to recover firearms, including a shotgun and rifles. Emails in the filing accused Shauntel of âmanipulating and alienatingâ the children from their father. The case was dismissed on procedural grounds as Johnson missed a filing deadline. Additional court filings have revealed that Kepnerâs father had allegedly had a prior issue involving a minor.
Her father allegedly had a ârelationshipâ with the 15 year old nanny and her bio mum was in prison. Her family life seems unstable. pic.twitter.com/LDqR4iS5d9
Carnival Cruise Line previously issued a statement saying it is âfully cooperating with authoritiesâ and offering condolences, but declined further comment, citing the active investigation. Anna Kepnerâs cause and manner of death remain unknown.
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay ReporterFRIDAY, Nov. 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) â Grieving families of Black murder victims are more likely to be denied their claims for victim compensation, a new study reports.
These families are more likely to file for victim compensation following their loss, but face disproportionately high denial rates, researchers recently reported in the journal Race and Justice.
âVictim compensation was designed to help grieving families, but current practices reinforce racial inequities instead of alleviating them,â lead researcher Daniel Semenza, director of research at the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and associate professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, said in a news release.
In the United States, the federal government compensates victims to help them recover from violent crime, and every state now runs its own victim compensation program, researchers said in background notes.
These programs typically reimburse crime victims directly for medical costs, mental health care, relocation assistance, lost wages, crime scene cleanup and funeral costs, researchers said.
For the new study, researchers examined nearly 60,000 compensation claims filed by the families of murder victims across 18 states from 2015 to 2023.
Families of Black murder victims filed the most claims, amounting to nearly 23,000 during the study period. By comparison, Hispanic families filed more than 14,000 claims, and white families more than 9,500.
This makes sense, given that Black Americans represent just under 14% of the U.S. population but account for 54% of all murder victims, researchers noted.
However, Black families were more likely to have their claims rejected, results show.
The approval rate for claims from Black families was just under 82%, compared to 87% for white families and 89% for Hispanic families.
âFamilies of Black homicide victims file the most victim compensation claims, but their claims are disproportionately denied,â Semenza said.
Researchers found that âcontributory misconductâ â the victimâs involvement in a criminal act â was the cited reason for 30% of all denials, but represented more than 57% of denials for claims from Black families.
âThis overrepresentation suggests that law enforcementâs assessment of victim behavior may disproportionately penalize Black victims and families, reinforcing racialized narratives of criminality and implicit victim blaming,â researchers wrote.
In essence, Black families are denied support following their loved oneâs murder, despite the family having nothing to do with criminal activity, researchers said.
âThis process pathologizes and punishes Black families, by suggesting that the victimâs alleged misconduct renders their family undeserving of support,â researchers concluded.
HIM. A SACRAMENTO FAMILY IS MOURNING THE LOSS OF A MAN DESCRIBED AS A LOVING AND FIERY SPORTS FANATIC. ITâS TOUGH. ITâS FRUSTRATING. AFTER WEEKS OF SEARCHING, WE WERENâT GETTING ANY ANSWERS FROM HIM. THE FAMILY OF 59 YEAR OLD RICHARD MCCLINTOCK NOW WANT ACCOUNTABILITY. WEâRE NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL UNTIL WE GET JUSTICE FOR RICHARD MCCLINTOCK, WHO HAD CEREBRAL PALSY RELIED ON CARETAKERS FOR SUPPORT. NOW, THE WOMAN HIRED TO HELP HIM IS CHARGED WITH HIS MURDER. 41 YEAR OLD CHRISTINA COHEN WAS ARRAIGNED ON MURDER AND FRAUD CHARGES. THE COURT NOT ALLOWING KCRA 3 TO SHOW HER FACE, BUT ITâS ONE HIS FAMILY KNOWS WELL. THIS IS WHAT WE SUSPECTED ALL ALONG. THE FAMILY SAYS COHENâS WAS RICHARDâS CARETAKER FOR YEARS. THEY NEVER NOTICED ANYTHING WRONG UNTIL HIS SISTER DIED. AND SUDDENLY THEY COULDNâT GET IN CONTACT WITH RICHARD. MY AUNT SHELLY, SHE WENT OVER TO HIS APARTMENT, KNOCKED ON THE DOOR, AND THERE WAS NO ANSWER. ALL OF A SUDDEN. THEN WE STARTED GETTING TEXT MESSAGES FROM HIS FACEBOOK ACCOUNT. MESSAGES, THEY SAY LOOKED UNUSUAL. AND WHEN THEY CAME BACK THAT SAME NIGHT, THE CARETAKER WOULD NOT LET HER SEE OR WOULD NOT LET HER SEE RICHARD. THE FAMILY ASKED POLICE FOR A WELFARE CHECK ON OCTOBER 25TH. SACRAMENTO POLICE SAY OFFICERS WENT TO THE APARTMENT BUT DIDNâT FIND MCCLINTOCK. NEARLY TWO WEEKS LATER, POLICE FOUND RICHARDâS REMAINS AFTER GETTING A WARRANT TO SEARCH HIS APARTMENT TO KNOW THAT SOMEBODY IS CAPABLE OF DOING THIS TO A DISABLED PERSON. AND MY UNCLEâS CONDITION IS IS JUST OUTRAGEOUS. COHENâS WAS INITIALLY ARRESTED FOR UNLAWFUL DISPOSAL OF HUMAN REMAINS, GRAND THEFT, AND ATTEMPT TO CONCEAL A DEATH. SHEâS NOW CHARGED WITH MURDER AND WELFARE FRAUD. HER ATTORNEY ASKED FOR CONTINUATION IN COURT TODAY. SHEâLL BE BACK IN COURT ON NOVEMBER 24TH. LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM CECIL HANNIBAL KCRA THREE NEWS. ALL RIGHT. CECIL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE. COURT RECORDS ALSO SHOW COHEN WAS ARRAIGNED ON FELONY EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGES BACK IN JULY, BUT WE DONâ
Sacramento man with cerebral palsy was killed by caretaker in July, court documents allege
Newly-released court documents shed new light on the death of a Sacramento man with cerebral palsy who was believed to have been killed by his caretaker. Richard McClintic was reported missing by his family on Oct. 25. His body was found in his apartment on the night of Nov. 6, the Sacramento Police Department said, after officers executed a search warrant. (Previous coverage in the video player above.)Christina Cowens, 41, McClintic’s caretaker, was arrested in connection with his death. She was initially charged with unlawful disposal of human remains, grand theft, and concealment/attempt to conceal a death, before she was also charged with McClintic’s murder and making fraudulent claims to an officer. A felony complaint filed in Sacramento County on Nov. 10 indicates prosecutors believe McClintic was murdered on or about July 3, more than four months before his body was found. The circumstances surrounding McClintic’s death remain unknown, and it’s unclear how Cowens may have concealed McClintic’s remains after his death. Sacramento police said they had carried out a welfare check at his apartment soon after he was reported missing, but initially did not find him. Just a couple of weeks after McClintic’s death, Cowens was also charged with fraudulently appropriating a U-Haul truck, sometime between July 15 and 21. It’s not clear if that was related to the concealment of McClintic’s death.McClintic’s family described him as “a fiery guy,” who was “fun to be around.” “Very strong guy, 59 years old, with cerebral palsy and pushed through his entire life with that condition and never complained,” his nephew, Ryan Klagenberg, previously told KCRA 3.Cowens first appeared in court on Nov. 10. At that hearing, her attorney requested a continuation. She will return to the courtroom on Nov. 24. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. â
Newly-released court documents shed new light on the death of a Sacramento man with cerebral palsy who was believed to have been killed by his caretaker.
Richard McClintic was reported missing by his family on Oct. 25. His body was found in his apartment on the night of Nov. 6, the Sacramento Police Department said, after officers executed a search warrant.
(Previous coverage in the video player above.)
Christina Cowens, 41, McClintic’s caretaker, was arrested in connection with his death. She was initially charged with unlawful disposal of human remains, grand theft, and concealment/attempt to conceal a death, before she was also charged with McClintic’s murder and making fraudulent claims to an officer.
A felony complaint filed in Sacramento County on Nov. 10 indicates prosecutors believe McClintic was murdered on or about July 3, more than four months before his body was found.
The circumstances surrounding McClintic’s death remain unknown, and it’s unclear how Cowens may have concealed McClintic’s remains after his death. Sacramento police said they had carried out a welfare check at his apartment soon after he was reported missing, but initially did not find him.
Just a couple of weeks after McClintic’s death, Cowens was also charged with fraudulently appropriating a U-Haul truck, sometime between July 15 and 21. It’s not clear if that was related to the concealment of McClintic’s death.
McClintic’s family described him as “a fiery guy,” who was “fun to be around.”
“Very strong guy, 59 years old, with cerebral palsy and pushed through his entire life with that condition and never complained,” his nephew, Ryan Klagenberg, previously told KCRA 3.
Cowens first appeared in court on Nov. 10. At that hearing, her attorney requested a continuation. She will return to the courtroom on Nov. 24.
WASHINGTON â President Trump on Thursday said he believed Democratic lawmakers who publicly urged active service members to ârefuse illegal ordersâ amounted to seditious behavior, which he said should be punishable by death.
âItâs called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand â We wonât have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET,â Trump said in a social media post.
Trump went on to amplify more than a dozen social media posts from other people, who in reaction to Trumpâs post called for the Democrats to be arrested, charged and in one instance hanged. Trump then continued: âSEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!â
The Democratic lawmakers who released the video â Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, Michigan Sen. Alyssa Slotkin, Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Deluzio, New Hampshire Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Pennsylvania Rep. Chrissy Houlahan and Colorado Rep. Jason Crow â served in the military or as intelligence officers.
They did not specify which orders they were referring to. But they said the Trump administration was âpitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professional against American citizensâ and that threats to the Constitution were coming âfrom right here at home.â
The video, which was posted on Tuesday, quickly drew criticism from Republicans, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who characterized it as âStage 4 [Trump Derangement Syndrome].â But Trump, who first reacted to the video on Thursday, saw the video as more than partisan speech.
âSEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR FROM TRAITORS!!! LOCK THEM UP???â Trump said in another post.
When asked Thursday if the president wanted to execute members of Congress, as suggested in one of his social media posts, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said âno.â
But, Leavitt said, the president does want to see them be âheld accountable.â
âThat is a very, very dangerous message and it is perhaps punishable by law,â Leavitt said. âIâll leave that to the Department of justice and the Department of War to decide.â
What the law says
Under a federal law known as âseditious conspiracy,â it is a crime for two or more individuals to âconspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United Statesâ or to âprevent, hinder or delay the execution of any law of the United Statesâ by force.
A seditious conspiracy charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Federal courts and legal scholars have long emphasized that seditious conspiracy charges apply only to coordinated efforts to use force against the government, rather than political dissent.
The last time federal prosecutors pursued seditious conspiracy charges was in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges for plotting to prevent by force the transfer of presidential power to Joe Biden.
Among the convicted individuals was former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, whose 22-year sentence was the stiffest of any of the Jan. 6 rioters. Trump pardoned him earlier this year.
Hours after the presidentâs posts, the six Democratic lawmakers issued a joint statement, calling on Americans to âunite and condemn the Presidentâs calls for our murder and political violence.â
âWhatâs most telling is that the President considers it punishable by death for us to restate the law,â the lawmakers said in a statement posted to X. âOur service members should know that we have their backs as they fulfill their oath to the Constitution and obligation to follow only lawful orders.â
Democratic leaders in Washington and across the country denounced Trumpâs post.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement with other Democratic leaders that Trumpâs comments were âdisgusting and dangerous death threats against members of Congress.â They added that they had been in contact with U.S. Capitol Police to ensure the safety of the Democrat lawmakers and their families.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom reacted to the posts by saying Trump âis sick in the headâ for calling for the death of Democratic lawmakers.
Past presidents and politicians of both parties will gather Thursday in Washington, D.C., for former Vice President Dick Cheneyâs funeral.Neither President Donald Trump nor Vice President JD Vance were invited to Cheneyâs funeral, according to a source familiar with the matter.Cheney will receive full military honors at the memorial service, which is expected to be a bipartisan whoâs who of Washington dignitaries.More than 1,000 guests are expected at the invitation-only funeral Thursday morning at Washingtonâs National Cathedral â including all four living former vice presidents and two former presidents.Former Presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden will pay their respects, along with former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle. There are also expected to be a number of Supreme Court Justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Elena Kagan. A large number of past and present Cabinet members from both Republican and Democratic administrations will also attend, as well as congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle.Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is expected to attend along with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and former leader Mitch McConnell.CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. Axios was first to report that Trump was not invited to the funeral.The funeralâs guest list itself is a nod to a time when Washington was not so polarized and politicians from both sides of the aisle paid their respects when a dignitary passed away.Cheneyâs funeral will be held at 11 a.m. ET. Speakers will include Bush, Cheneyâs daughter former Rep. Liz Cheney and some of his grandchildren.Cheney, who served as Bushâs vice president from 2001 to 2009, died on November 3 at the age of 84. Prior to being elected vice president, Cheney served as defense secretary, White House chief of staff and as a congressman representing Wyoming.He was considered one of the most powerful and influential vice presidents in history, but his role as the architect of the Iraq War saw him leave office deeply unpopular and cemented a polarizing legacy.While official Washington funerals usually include invites to the White House, excluding Trump should not be a surprise.Cheney was a lifetime hardline conservative who endorsed Trumpâs 2016 campaign. But he spent the last years of his life speaking out against Trump, particularly after his daughter then-Rep. Liz Cheney drew the presidentâs ire for her prominent role in a congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.In 2022, Cheney described Trump as a coward and said no one was a âgreater threat to our republic.âTrump has not publicly expressed his condolences or commented on Cheneyâs death.The White House offered a muted reaction after Cheneyâs death with press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters that Trump was âawareâ the former vice president had died and noting that flags had been lowered to half-staff.Honorary pallbearers at Cheneyâs funeral will include members of his Secret Service detail; his former chiefs of staff, David Addington and Scooter Libby; and photographer David Hume Kennerly.On one of the last pages of the service leaflet is a quote from the writer and naturalist John Muir, saying: âThe mountains are calling and I must go.â
WASHINGTON â
Past presidents and politicians of both parties will gather Thursday in Washington, D.C., for former Vice President Dick Cheneyâs funeral.
Neither President Donald Trump nor Vice President JD Vance were invited to Cheneyâs funeral, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Cheney will receive full military honors at the memorial service, which is expected to be a bipartisan whoâs who of Washington dignitaries.
More than 1,000 guests are expected at the invitation-only funeral Thursday morning at Washingtonâs National Cathedral â including all four living former vice presidents and two former presidents.
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden will pay their respects, along with former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle. There are also expected to be a number of Supreme Court Justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Elena Kagan. A large number of past and present Cabinet members from both Republican and Democratic administrations will also attend, as well as congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi is expected to attend along with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and former leader Mitch McConnell.
CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. Axios was first to report that Trump was not invited to the funeral.
The funeralâs guest list itself is a nod to a time when Washington was not so polarized and politicians from both sides of the aisle paid their respects when a dignitary passed away.
Cheneyâs funeral will be held at 11 a.m. ET. Speakers will include Bush, Cheneyâs daughter former Rep. Liz Cheney and some of his grandchildren.
Cheney, who served as Bushâs vice president from 2001 to 2009, died on November 3 at the age of 84. Prior to being elected vice president, Cheney served as defense secretary, White House chief of staff and as a congressman representing Wyoming.
He was considered one of the most powerful and influential vice presidents in history, but his role as the architect of the Iraq War saw him leave office deeply unpopular and cemented a polarizing legacy.
While official Washington funerals usually include invites to the White House, excluding Trump should not be a surprise.
Cheney was a lifetime hardline conservative who endorsed Trumpâs 2016 campaign. But he spent the last years of his life speaking out against Trump, particularly after his daughter then-Rep. Liz Cheney drew the presidentâs ire for her prominent role in a congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.
In 2022, Cheney described Trump as a coward and said no one was a âgreater threat to our republic.â
Trump has not publicly expressed his condolences or commented on Cheneyâs death.
The White House offered a muted reaction after Cheneyâs death with press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling reporters that Trump was âawareâ the former vice president had died and noting that flags had been lowered to half-staff.
Honorary pallbearers at Cheneyâs funeral will include members of his Secret Service detail; his former chiefs of staff, David Addington and Scooter Libby; and photographer David Hume Kennerly.
On one of the last pages of the service leaflet is a quote from the writer and naturalist John Muir, saying: âThe mountains are calling and I must go.â
A U.S. Border Patrol agent who was found dead in a Riverside County home earlier this year following an arrest in Long Beach overdosed on cocaine and was dealing with depression, according to an autopsy report made public Tuesday.
Isaiah Hodgson, 29, was found dead in his bedroom in Hemet in late August with white âpowder-like residueâ near him, according to investigative documents released by the Riverside County Sheriffâs Office in response to a public records request from The Times.
Authorities ruled Hodgsonâs death to be accidental and found three plastic bindles, which are normally used to hold drugs, in his stomach, according to the coronerâs report. Riverside County sheriffâs officials previously said there were no signs of foul play at the scene, and the report confirmed Hodgson had not sustained any injuries or defensive wounds. His official cause of death was described as âcocaine toxicity.â
In early July, Hodgson was arrested in Long Beach for fighting with city police. Prosecutors charged Hodgson with three counts of resisting arrest, one count of battery causing injury to a police officer and several misdemeanor weapons offenses after he scuffled with officers responding to a restaurant in Shoreline Village. Staff had kicked Hodgson out, reporting he drunkenly wandered into the womenâs restroom while armed with a handgun.
In dramatic body cam video reviewed by The Times, Long Beach police officers approached Hodgson on July 7 after a 911 call made by a security guard who reported Hodgson had shown him a gun.
âHe showed me a freaking clip,â the caller said in the 911 audio recording obtained by The Times.
When officers approached Hodgson, they yelled, âGet on the groundâ and âPut your hands up.â
Hodgson put his hands up but would not get on the ground. He suggested to officers that he worked for a police department: âAre you stupid, Iâm PD,â he said.
It took several officers to get Hodgson to kneel on the ground. One officer repeatedly used a Taser on him.
Charges against Hodgson are expected to be dismissed at a court hearing next month, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorneyâs office.
Hodgson became a visible face of the Trump administrationâs sweeping immigration enforcement efforts in Southern California in June, as an unmasked agent involved in the controversial detention of Walmart employee Adrian Martinez, a U.S. citizen. Martinez was accused of interfering with Border Patrol agentsâ attempts to detain one of his co-workers. Martinez was indicted and is awaiting trial.
Hodgson was part of a group of officers who rushed Martinez and shoved him to the ground. Although video from the scene did not show Hodgson physically contact Martinez, his name quickly became public as he appeared to be the lone agent involved in the controversial arrest who was not wearing a mask.
Hodgson was supposed to meet his parents at the beach the day he died but never showed up, according to the coronerâs report. His cousin went to Hodgsonâs home to conduct a welfare check and found his body.
Hodgsonâs parents told police their son âhad been depressed since being on administrative leave, but they stated he was not suicidal and did not have any suicidal ideations,â according to the report. Hodgson previously struggled with cocaine and alcohol abuse, his family said, according to the documents. But, they said, Hodgson had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous for about two months, according to the coronerâs report.
A handwritten note found in Hodgsonâs car was originally thought to be a suicide note but later was determined to be âa character witness statement for Hodgson dated back from June of 2025,â according to the coronerâs report. Hodgson had been âreceiving death threatsâ after his personal information was posted online, the report states.
As Hodgson was being processed by police officers after his arrest, body cam video showed he said he was dealing with stress and the consequences of being identified publicly on the internet.
Bodycam footage provided by the Long Beach Police Department.
âHave you ever had your personal information put up online and on the fâ news,â he said. âHave you ever had fâ people stand up at your parentsâ house because youâre over here in Los Angeles doing everything, dude, thatâs the fâ guy I am.â
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly claimed its officers are facing a surge in death threats as protests against the Trump administrationâs sprawling immigration raids in major cities including Los Angeles and Chicago have ramped up. Recently, the government sued California over a law that seeks to bar all local and federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks when performing official duties in public.
Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Border Patrol did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Times staff writer Brittny Mejia contributed to this report.
Police say man is dead and a woman is hospitalized after a reported assault in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday.
The city’s police department said officers responded to an apartment building on the 1500 block of Westminster Street around 11:40 a.m. They found a man with wounds on his back and head, and despite care from both police and medics, he died at the scene.Â
The woman who reported the assault was taken to a hospital with injuries, but is expected to be OK, police said.
While no one has been arrested, police said the public is not in danger. They are investigating what led to the man’s death.
