The mysterious illness is described as an “atypical canine infectious respiratory disease,” the Oregon Department of Agriculture said in a November 9 news release. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, eye or nose discharge and lethargy.

Veterinarians in Oregon have reported more than 200 cases of the disease since mid-August. Other cases have been reported in Colorado, Illinois and New Hampshire.

“Based on the epidemiology of the cases reported at this point, the cases appear to share a viral etiology, but common respiratory diagnostic testing has been largely negative,” Oregon State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz told the American Veterinary Medical Association.

In other words, dogs with the unidentified illness show similar signs of an upper respiratory disease but generally don’t test positive for common respiratory diseases. And the disease is generally resistant to standard treatments, said Dr. David B. Needle, a pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and clinical associate professor at the University of New Hampshire.

“Fatalities do not seem to be a large part of the syndrome we are investigating, with rare animals developing an acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia after the longer chronic disease,” Needle said. “We think these may represent secondary infections.”

Where did the disease come from?

Needle said he’s part of a team trying to identify the disease and find common DNA segments by collecting samples from local veterinary clinics and comparing the results.

“If what we have identified is a pathogen, it is likely that the bacteria is host-adapted bacteria with long histories of colonizing dogs,” Needle said. An “evolutionary event” like spontaneous mutation or getting a gene from a different source could then have led the bacteria to become virulent, he said.

He said researchers have received samples from Oregon and expect to receive samples from Colorado, Illinois and other states for testing.

The Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has also reported cases of a mysterious canine disease, the lab’s director told CNN in an email.

“There has been an uptick in the numbers of dogs with respiratory disease, (coughing, lethargy, fever) and the signs have been persisting longer than a few days,” said Kevin Snekvik, the laboratory’s executive director and a professor at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Snekvik said his Washington lab has not reported any canine deaths from the mystifying disease, but said labs in other states have reported a few deaths.

What can dog owners do?

While the news may be concerning, “We suggest caution rather than worry,” the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association’s website says.

While this particular disease is unusual, “Periodic outbreaks of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) can occur in a dog population. At least nine different bacteria and viruses have been linked as causes of CIRDC, which is transmitted by respiratory droplets,” the association said.

“Infection with more than one bacterial or viral agent is common. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy. If your dog shows these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.”

Dog owners should help keep their pets healthy by making sure they’re up-to-date on all vaccines, such as those for canine influenza, Bordetella and parainfluenza, the association said. Other tips include:

• Reducing contact with large numbers of unknown dogs. Just like with other respiratory pathogens, the more contacts your dog has, the greater the risk of encountering a dog that’s infectious.
• Reducing contact with sick dogs. This can be harder to determine but if a dog looks sick (coughing, runny nose, runny eyes), keep your dog away from it.
• Keep sick dogs at home and seek veterinary care.
• Avoid communal water bowls shared by multiple dogs.

7’s Karen Hensel investigates.

The holiday season is right around the corner. It has people like Teresa Dotson looking for ways to make some extra money.

Teresa Dotson/identity stolen: “Because at my job, I’m a server and I was like, ‘You know, let me make some extra cash.'”

Last month, she signed up to be a driver on Uber.com.

Teresa Dotson: “You put in your driver’s license and your date of birth. They had you to put in your maiden name, all that information.”

That’s as far as she got because her account was immediately locked.

Teresa Dotson: “That’s when I called support and support actually was the one who discovered that I had multiple accounts with them. I told them that I never signed up for Uber, and then they discovered that I apparently was a driver in California and also Atlanta, Georgia.”

Both driver accounts listed Teresa’s personal information.

Teresa Dotson: “It’s scary because someone is using my information.”

Teresa isn’t alone.

There are stories from across the country of people who discovered their personal information had been used by someone else to register as a rideshare driver.

Eva Velasquez/Identity Theft Resource Center: “Well, we’re hearing more about it. We’ve got cases coming into the contact center.”

Eva Velasquez is the CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center.

She says this type of identity theft is usually the result of stolen driver’s license information.

Eva Velasquez: “There are even videos, not even on the dark web, they’re on Youtube, showing people who are like, ‘Stole all this mail, here are the drivers licenses for sale,’ and unbeknownst to the person who that’s their legitimate license, they don’t even know that this is going on.”

Thieves can use those stolen details to assume a person’s identity in order to pass background checks.

Eva Velasquez: “And it’s not up to the victim to fix that process, it’s really up to the organization to fix their authentication and verification processes.”

Uber uses a company called Checkr to perform its background checks.

Last year, both were sued in a South Florida federal court.

It claimed Uber was negligent in allowing a driver to use someone’s stolen identity and it added that both companies broke the law by not notifying the victim when doing a background check.

The case was thrown out because theft couldn’t be traced back to Uber or Checkr.

Eva Velasquez: “So hard to police, and even when you do, it’s very hard to figure out who actually owns that account, who is that person committing that’s these acts.”

Uber drivers have to pass a screening process before they’re allowed to work, but Teresa says it didn’t catch the two people posing as her.

Teresa Dotson: It’s just a scary situation because I have a daughter that, you know, uses Uber and Lyft, and just the thought of her getting in the car with someone that, it’s supposed to be that person and really, truly it’s not that person, you know? So it’s scary.”

Uber tells 7 Investigates it is looking into her case and says “Uber is continuously strengthening our processes to detect and protect against fraudsters’ ever-changing schemes.”

Teresa is now looking for ways to better protect her personal information so no one else can use it to get behind the wheel.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

The Broward County Schools Superintendent said he is trying to live up to his promise to see the needs of his students and their families up close.

“I made a commitment to the community that we would talk about going there first, listening to them, understanding them and making sure we aren’t doing anything until we hear from them,” Superintendent Dr. Peter Licata said.

On Monday, he and other staff toured the county and got a better look at the challenges that their district is facing.

“We do know we have a lot of under-enrolled schools, but we also know that the answer isn’t saying ‘You’re under-enrolled, it’s time to close it.’ That’s the last option,” said Licata.

The superintendent said there are empty seats across the county, not just in one area.

He said this year they dropped by about 3,000 students, and more than that last year.

The bottom line is, according to Licata, they don’t have the budget anymore to endure that kind of yearly loss.

One reason he believes is that some families have moved out due to property values being too high — Which is why this district wants to make sure they are doing everything they can to stay competitive.

“We want to look at the K-8 model, I’ve had success with that,” said Licata. “We also want to look at the K-12 model, is it working? Is it worth replicating? We’ll look at technical centers, can we build on that? Even look at a potential in-district charter school, but definitely some full-choice opportunities, some innovative programming.”

Those are a few of the ideas they are discussing, even looking at a boundary process, but the superintendent said nothing is set in stone.

They want to hear from the families in these communities and then come up with a game plan.

They’re aware that they have a need for housing and have even talked about selling land and repurposing some schools.

He’ll be back in front of the school board in June with the five schools they plan to re-purpose.

“We are in a good place. But it’s going to be a hard path simply because no one likes to hear these things but it’s time to change,” said the superintendent. “We don’t have any money and we need to make sure we’re not writing checks we can’t cash.”

There will be three to four town hall meetings for families to attend, however, they have not been scheduled yet.

The incident occurred just after 10:30 a.m., Monday, in the area of NW 152nd Street and 22nd Avenue.

Officials tell 7News the officer was discharged Monday evening.

According to police, the incident occurred after an altercation between two men escalated, resulting in the officer being grazed in the cheek by a bullet after it bounced of his bullet-proof vest.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene where heavy police presence was visible as well as a large perimeter set up in the vicinity. A red pickup truck could also be seen at the scene of the shooting. It is unclear if the truck was being driven by the officer or suspects involved.

The suspects fled the scene at the time of the incident.

During a news conference on Monday afternoon, Stephanie Daniels, Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed that five people had been detained.

A spokesperson told 7News that Monday afternoon that the tactical portion of their investigation has ended.

SWAT members could be seen going door-to-door searching for the suspects.

According to a witness, he first heard a single gunshot followed by multiple gunshots in quick succession.

Another witness also heard gunshots.

“I was racking my yard and I just heard something like a firework, and I look up and I didn’t see anything and I keep doing my racking, and the next thing I know, I heard the police, said Adriana Holt, a witness.

The gun used by suspects was marked on the ground by a yellow evidence marker.

The injured officer was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Daniels said the officer is expected to recover and be home in time to be with his family for Thanksgiving.

Director Daniels advised people to avoid the area of NW 154th Street and 19th Avenue due to the ongoing investigation.

As of 4 p.m., SWAT teams remained at the scene.

7Skforce hovered over the scene where an officer threw a flash-bang into a home. A search warrant was executed for the home.

Crime scene personnel remained at several intersections as they continue to investigate. One vehicle with bullet holes had cones on top of it because it was either shot at or was involved in the case.

Back at the hospital, 7News cameras captured several officers at the scene to offer support for the injured officer.

“We’re just grateful he was wearing his vest and it helped protect his life,” Daniels said.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava was also at the hospital

“We know that our officers put themselves in the line of fire on our behalf each and every day, so we stand with them and we pray for them,” she said.

Director Daniels said that no matter their rank in law enforcement, any day a person hears about someone being shot in the line of duty is a difficult one.

“It doesn’t matter what capacity that I’m in, you never want to hear a call that one of your colleagues, whether you work with them directly or indirectly or for even another agency, to be called and said they were involved in a shooting,” she said.

The officer has been on the force for seven years and is expected to make a full recovery.

As of Tuesday morning, at least one arrest has been made. Police have not provided any more details.

John Kreatsoulas, the fossil finder from Fossil Junkies Dig and Dive Charters, expressed his amazement.

“I grabbed onto it just to hold on for a second and I realized ‘Wait a second, that’s not a tree, that was a mammoth,'” he said.

The remarkable discovery was made in an area known for its alligator presence.

Currently working to restore the ancient jaw, Kreatsoulas plans to register it with the state. If state officials decline, he said he would proudly display it in his home.

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Weekes, who was terminated from the Opa-Locka Police Department in July 2022, surrendered her assigned equipment but neglected to return the department-issued credit card.

FDLE initiated an investigation at the request of Opa-Locka Police after uncovering unauthorized transactions on the credit card account.

Over a span of five months, officials said, Weekes engaged in over 100 transactions at various gas stations, accumulating a total over $8,000.

“Weekes took advantage of a privilege that was revoked from her when she was terminated,” said FDLE Miami Special Agent in Charge Felipe Williams. “Law enforcement officers take an oath, and although Weekes no longer works for the department, FDLE still takes the violation seriously and will ensure justice is served.”

Assisting in the arrest, the Lauderhill Police Department transported Weekes to the Broward County Jail, where she is currently held without bond.

Officials said 36-year-old Shaneka Ann Mckinzie transported her unconscious son to Hialeah Hospital on Tuesday evening, where he was pronounced dead.

“The murder of a child by their mother, by a parent, that just exceeds imagination in many points,” said Miami-Dade Police Detective Andre Martin.

Mckinzie appeared in court Thursday afternoon.

“I believe in the arrest affidavit there is probable cause for the charge of first-degree murder,” said Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer.

“Ms. Mckinzie confessed,” said Martin.

Detectives said the suspect confessed that for two days, she plotted to kill her child.

“She decided to carry out this plan while young Jason was asleep in the rear seat of her vehicle,” said Martin. “Once he was asleep, she decided that this would be the most opportune time to murder her son, utilizing a tablecloth to both strangle and suffocate him.”

Shortly after her son became unresponsive, Mckinzie drove around the county running errands with her lifeless child’s body in the vehicle, police reported.

“She killed her child,” said Glazer.

Mckinzie remains locked up without bond.

“Our detectives are still investigating and trying to determine a possible motive, that’s something we all ask ourselves in a crime this heinous,” said Martin. “As a parent, as an investigator, this is the last case that anyone wants to hear of. The murder of a child in any situation is a tragic thing to deal with.”

An autopsy revealed asphyxiation as the cause of death, according to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office.

James, with over 270,000 online followers, was in town for the Barbara Bush Foundation’s Literacy Day event. He was invited to speak and read to children at the foundation’s annual literacy day event at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens in West Palm Beach, with accommodations arranged at the Breakers Hotel.

On Monday morning, while conducting his routine of reading live on TikTok on the hotel grounds, James encountered a security guard who questioned him about a reported disturbance at the pool area.

“They asked me if I was by the pool area, and I was like, why are you asking me? That’s what I told them. And they were like, we got a disturbance from the pool area, saying that you were making a disturbance at the pool,” James shared in a TikTok live video.

Despite denying any involvement and not answering questions about his guest status or providing ID, staff called the Palm Beach Police, who escorted James to his room to pack his belongings.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it. 100%. Why would you walk directly up to me? There’s a thousand people in this whole entire place,” said James.

The Breakers Hotel denied any discrimination allegations, stating that the guest refused to comply, leading to the decision to ask him to leave.

7News cameras captured Scott Michael Davis as he walked out of the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade on a soggy Wednesday morning. The 47-year-old shielded his face with his bag of belongings and declined to comment on his charges as he walked away.

Police took Davis into custody on Tuesday. The next day, students at South Dade Senior High and their family members reacted to his arrest.

“And I knew him, too,” said Hernan. “It was like shocking when I first saw that. I was like, ‘Wow, to think that someone like that actually exists in our school.'”

“That’s honestly disgusting, as a teacher and as someone students look up to and trusted,” said Kimberly.

“Wow! Wow, that’s terrible, that’s terrible,” Trudy Dowdy, whose grandchild attend the school.

Scott worked as band director for the school, located at 28401 SW 167th Ave.

According to the arrest report, in September of 2022, Davis and a minor victim began a romantic and physical relationship. A tip submitted to Crime Stoppers then led police to launch an investigation.

In addition to his unlawful sexual activity charges, he also faces a charge of offenses against students by an authority figure.

The school system said they’ve terminated his employment.

Miami Dade Public Schools released a statement, which reads as follows, “Miami Dade Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations made against this individual. …The individual’s employment with the District was terminated and he was subsequently arrested. Conduct such as the one he is accused of will not be tolerated.”

“How can we trust people with like kids and stuff like that when we have someone like that in our school?” Hernan said.

Police said Davis gave a full confession.

He will no longer be allowed to work at any Miami-Dade County Public school ever again.

The heavy precipitation led the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning for northern and central Miami-Dade County, followed by another for Broward County. They remain in effect until 6 a.m. on Thursday.

According to 7News meteorologists, Fort Lauderdale saw up to 7 inches of rain Tuesday and set a record with 2.75 inches measured on Wednesday. The cause? A slow-moving, non-tropical low over the Gulf of Mexico and a warm front lifting north, ushering in abundant tropical moisture.

Rounds of rain were forecast. They escalated to widespread rain and thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon into the night hours. Storms are expected to linger into Thursday morning, with gradual clearing anticipated by the afternoon.

A flood watch is in effect for Miami-Dade and Broward through Thursday morning, emphasizing the risk of flooding in low-lying areas. Additionally, a wind advisory is issued for Coastal Miami-Dade and Broward through Thursday at 1 p.m., cautioning residents about wind gusts up to 40 mph along the coast.

In Lauderdale Lakes, the wind gusts toppled over a tree and destroyed two cars.

Spiro Marchelos, the owner of Anglers Beach Cafe, even gave his employees the day off due to the unpredictable conditions.

“It’s a loss of revenue, but we have no choice,” he said. “The weather is bad, and people aren’t going to come to the beach today. It’s windy, rainy, and the streets are flooded.”

Rosie, a neighbor in the area, did not hear the tree falling on top of the cars.

Neighbors believe that the saturated soil gave way sometime overnight.

“The wind was really what I noticed to be very bad,” she said.

The soggy conditions also prompted Broward College officials to cancel classes for the rest of the day.

Travelers at local airports had to wait a little longer for their flights. Miami International Airport reported 58 delayed arrivals and departures, whereas Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport reported 74 delays. However, there have been no cancellations as of late Wednesday night.

Officials caution that Wednesday’s downpours are just a prelude to a forecast stretch of wet weather in the coming days.

“It was insane. I was driving to my business because the water was rippling inside the front door,” said Fort Lauderdale resident Bianca Pandolfo.

In Fort Lauderdale’s Edgewood neighborhood, where historic flooding occurred last April, Greg Brandenburg is bracing for the worst.

“It’s just so much rain that we’ve had this year, it’s crazy,” he said. “Now we got this rain situation coming back again. It’s just tiring.”

The only people enjoying the rough waves on the beach were the windsurfers spotted in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach.

Flooding poses a significant threat, with anticipated rainfall ranging from 3 to 8 inches and isolated totals exceeding 10 inches. Authorities have strategically placed three temporary pumps in Edgewood and River Oaks to mitigate potential high water issues.

Similar precautions are underway in Hollywood, where pumps are being tested following East Hollywood’s flooding in April.

Miami is taking proactive measures, with crews actively clearing storm drains to ensure smooth water flow. Pompano Beach is following suit in their area.

As a flood watch and king tides remain in effect in Miami-Dade County, high water was seen near Northeast 79th Street.

Over in Miami Beach, city crews worked Wednesday morning to get ahead of the expected heavy rain.

“Eight temporary pumps stationed throughout the city, our teams are driving through the city right now cleaning drainage catch basins, checking the pump stations,” said Joe Gomez with Miami Beach Public Works. “We have 48 permanent storm water pump stations.”

A temporary pump was working along Eighth Street and West Avenue, while kite surfers took advantage of the strong winds and high surf.

Across the bridge in Brickell, business owners were happy to see the pumps being set up.

“So that’s really good news. We have a pump here, God forbid, but we do have a higher elevation where this location sits,” said Dominic Cavagnuolo, the owner of DC PIE CO. Brickell.

A total of 13 pumps were set up in Miami.

“Temporary pumps are in place should the waters begin to accumulate and start standing; that’s when the pumps begin to operate,” said Kenia Fallat, Miami Director of Communications.

Wet streets were also seen in Homestead.

Adding to the challenge, South Florida will contend with king tides this week.

“I’m not worried. Like I said, I have been here a while,” said Hollywood resident Pat Zizlsperger.

Back in Fort Lauderdale, officials stressed the importance of preparedness, with police officers and fire rescue crews on standby ready to help.

“It’s an unknown. Mother Nature controls us,” said Marchelos.

A high surf advisory is in effect for the east coast, warning of breaking waves reaching 6 to 10 feet.

Late Wednesday night, Broward County Public Schools officials announced the cancellation of classes at all of their public schools on Thursday, as well as the closure of all district offices. Broward College also confirmed all their campuses will remain closed on Thursday.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools officials, on the other hand, said classes will resume as scheduled, and all public schools will remain open.

As the forecast signals more rain ahead, residents are urged to stay vigilant and make necessary preparations.

Nancy flew into South Florida for the same reason many people do.

Nancy Turner: “We wanted to have somewhere to come in the wintertime when it gets cold.”

Nancy wanted to buy a home and found this listing for beautiful townhouses in Davie.

Nancy Turner: “I like that it was a new build and it had square footage with the pool on the back.”

Nancy contacted the company, Omni Development and Consulting services in Fort Lauderdale, and signed a contract in 2022 to buy two units; one for her and one for her daughter.

Nancy Turner: $320,000 for the down payment

In 2021, Alexander Alonso saw that Omni Development was advertising townhouses on this property in Miramar.

Alexander Alonso: “Oh, they were modern looking. Three story townhomes, family oriented.”

Alexander put down $64,000 and started waiting.

Alexander Alonso: “They always put me off, put me off, always excuses.”

Nancy was also waiting.

On the site of the proposed Davie development, is a nice sign about the project.

The man who says he is the president of the company, Tyler Jones, even sent Nancy a picture of himself and his so called project manager at the Davie groundbreaking. But as you can see, no shovels have touched the place.

So Nancy went to meet Jones.

Nancy Turner: “And he just kept making up excuses.”

Nancy asked for her $320,000 back and couldn’t get it. Alexander tried to get his $64,000 in life savings back and couldn’t get it.

Alexander Alonso: “They don’t respond or anything anymore. Not to emails, Not to texts, nothing.”

They both contacted local police departments and were told most cases like these are not crimes. They’re civil matters and you have to sue the developer.

Nancy Turner: “Police told us that is normal, we should give them time”

But Nancy wasn’t the only person contacting Davie police about Omni Development. Six more people told detectives they put down large deposits to buy a town house on this property.

Police went to work and what was a civil case, may now be a criminal case.

Peter Patton: “The fact that there have been such a great amount of time with no work being done whatsoever. The town has no permits pulled or anything like that. So that’s what brought it to a level of suspicion high enough for us to conduct an investigation into it.”

And as we started digging, we found red flags everywhere.

The Davie address on the ad where the houses would be built, doesn’t exist.

Omni Development doesn’t own the property after a $250,000 check they wrote to finalize the purchase, bounced.

The man who called himself Tyler Jones when he met Nancy, is actually Dennis Wendall Jones, who was recently arrested for domestic violence. Who is currently on ten years probation for grand theft after taking a persons money.

He is also on probation for 10 years after pleading no contest to several charges such as money laundering and organized fraud.

Alexander Alonso: “Oh, my gosh. So his chances of getting paid are going to be slim.”

We spoke to Jones, who he said he would return Nancy’s money in early October. He didn’t. After that, he wouldn’t return our calls.

We spoke to the man, Woodward Warren, who is listed as the manager for Omni Development Holdings.

He told us Omni has at least 10 projects they are planning. When we started asking more questions, he said, ‘Call my attorney,’ but he couldn’t remember his attorney’s name.

Nancy Turner: “Horrified. Just horrified. Upset.”

We also found three more cases of people in Fort Lauderdale who paid the Omni Development Group to build a house and didn’t get it.

Eleven people we have now discovered. Many have given up hope, but not the Davie Police.

Peter Patton: “See if there’s any way to get the money back and then see what criminal charges will apply in the future.”

And then Tuesday morning, we were in court to see Jones, wearing an Omni shirt, appear on an unrelated case.

He was surprised to find out Davie Police had issued an arrest warrant for him.

Jones was handcuffed and taken to jail, and charged with grand theft of over $100,000, money laundering and violation of probation.

Also, the the sign advertising the Omni Project in Davie has been cut down, destroyed, just like Nancy’s dreams.”

Nancy Turner: “Don’t make me cry ’cause I’ve been trying not to. But yes, but the thing is devastating.”

If convicted, Jones faces 30 years in prison.

And the people like Nancy and Alexander, who lost their lives savings, are left to hope police and the courts can help recover some of their money.

I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

If you given money to Omni Development and you feel like you’re a victim, call the Davie Economic Crimes Division at 954-693-8200.

On Monday, Jamie Serrano, 46, was sentenced to 50 years in federal prison for his involvement in a plot to travel to Miami and shoot and kill a man, according to officials.

Serrano is the second man to be sentenced for his involvement in the shooting. On Nov. 3, Julian Jimenez, 27, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison and was given an additional five years of supervised release.

The shooting happened in August of 2019 when the two arrived in Miami. Jimenez then went to the home of a man known for customizing cars for celebrities.

According to police, 45-year-old Alex Vega, was shot three times as he pulled up to his garage. Luckily, the barrage of bullets missed his vital organs.

Federal authorities said Jimenez was the shooter. His father is a close associate of recording artist Marc Anthony.

Surveillance video captured a masked subject as he walked up to Vega’s driveway in Southwest Miami-Dade and opened fire into the driver’s side of his Range Rover, Aug. 27.

Serrano, the government said, was the architect of the crime, drove the rental car and set up the stalking and surveillance of Vega, which is why a judge went beyond the 30 plus year recommended sentence by the government.

According to the court, the two men were hired out of New York to hunt Vega down.

A restitution hearing for this case is schedule for February 2024.

Hernandez and her husband were onboard JetBlue flight 41 when she was summoned to aid a passenger in distress.

“I took off my ear pods to see what she was saying, and she [a flight attendant] was asking for a doctor or a nurse,” said Hernandez.

The distressed passenger, described as blue-faced and unresponsive, prompted Hernandez to perform Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), a protocol used to assess patients in cardiac arrests.

“You assess your patient, see what your patient is doing, if they’re breathing or not. Examine the patient quickly, you only have a few seconds, and then check for a pulse. If you don’t find a pulse, you start doing chest compressions right away, and that’s exactly what I did,” said Hernandez.

With the assistance of flight attendants and an onboard defibrillator, the passenger regained breathing after a few minutes.

“It was about a minute, and then finally she made a noise, and so I went and examined her again,” said Hernandez. “I made sure that she wasn’t having a stroke. I started to talk to her and she wasn’t getting the words out right away.”

The plane, en route from Fort Lauderdale to Medellin, Colombia, turned back to Fort Lauderdale, where the stabilized passenger was taken to the hospital.

Despite delays, fellow passengers were understanding and thanked Hernandez for her life-saving efforts.

“It’s funny because you’re just applauded, and everybody’s saying thank you and good work, and it’s kind of just like this is what I do every single day, so it was kind of weird to get that recognition,” said Hernandez.

The flight resumed its course to Colombia approximately an hour later. Hernandez, who doesn’t know the saved passenger’s name, wishes her a speedy recovery.

Miami-Dade Police units responded to the residence, located along the 14300 block of Southwest 170th Terrace, at around 10 a.m., Sunday.

“When those officers arrived on scene, they observed a toddler, a small child, who had just been removed from the pool and was unresponsive,” said MDPD Detective Andre Martin.

First responders immediately rushed into action.

“A young child, non-responsive, found alone in the pool. We’re doing CPR now,” said a first responder in radio transmissions.

Once Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units arrived, police said, the toddler was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators said a family member took their eyes off the child for just a moment.

“They went to go check on the child, they went to look at where the child should have been, and saw that he wasn’t there,” said Martin. “The preliminary investigation is revealing that the toddler may have exited through not one, but two barriers and made his way out to this pool.”

As of Monday morning, it’s unclear whether or not the family member who was supervising the child will face charges, as police continue to investigate.

A GoFundMe has been created to help the family. Click here if you would like to donate.

According to Hollywood Police, Kayla Syvain was last seen along the 7400 block of Polk Street, at around 3 p.m., Sunday.

Investigators have not provided a physical description of the teen but did issue a picture of her.

Officials urge anyone with information on Syvain’s whereabouts to contact Hollywood Police at 954-764-4357.

The loss of Pork Chop was heartbreaking for owner Kelly Jacobson.

“I don’t know what else to say right now. They took Pork Chop away from me,” she said as she wiped away tears.

Jacobson’s pig, estimated at 400 pounds, was led away — not easily — by Palm Beach Animal Care and Control during an eviction in Northwood Village, Thursday night.

Officers were concerned about the animal’s weight and overall health and are now looking to gain custody.

Annette Wrubleski runs a pig sanctuary called Laughing Pig, located about two and a half hours away in Central Florida. She said they can help pigs like Pork Chop there.

“It’s going to be a long process, so if he can’t walk, and he can’t, he doesn’t have that activity level to exercise, but it will come in time,” she said.

The golden years. That is what 82-year-old Gustavo Medrano and his wife were looking forward to when they moved to Century Village in Pembroke Pines two years ago.

Gustavo Medrano: “I came here to relax. These are the last days of my life. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here.”

But golden is not how he would describe his life now. He’s afraid his money will run out because of increases in his monthly condo fees.

Gustavo Medrano: “They want to charge us $200 increase, supposedly because of the insurance companies.”

Like many seniors, Gustavo lives on Social Security, and the $200 monthly increase is stretching his limited budget.

Gustavo Medrano: “I’m thinking all the time, ‘What am I going to do? I am going to the end of the money that I’m getting.'”

Rising rent forced James Blair and his wife out of their Miami apartment. The challenge was finding an affordable place to go.

James Blair: “You call the government or all of these places, and they got a year to five-year waiting list. Some of them want you to pay an app fee up front, and you’re still looking at one or two years to wait. Well, hell, you could die before you got in, right?”

He finally found an apartment that is less expensive but a lot smaller.

James Blair: “We’ll be divesting ourselves of a lot of things just to have a place to live.”

Many seniors are finding their incomes are not keeping up with rising housing costs.

Max Rothman, Alliance For Aging: “The percentage of income that an older person — and they’re on fixed income — is spending on housing, is well over 30% of their income.”

Seventy-two-year-old Robert Noel Earl knows that firsthand. He was forced to live on the streets of Broward County for nearly three months.

Robert Noel Earl, formerly homeless: “I was nervous, scared. I fought the rain, the bugs.”

His Social Security benefits were enough to buy food. But a place to live was out of reach.

Robert Noel Earl: “They told me the rent is $1,000 or better. I said, ‘I’m not going to be able to stand that,’ because I wasn’t making that much.”

So he camped out on the front lawn of this soup kitchen. And he’s not alone.

Seniors make up at least 15% of Broward’s homeless population. In Miami-Dade, they are at least 20%.

Jacob Torner, TaskForce Fore Ending Homelessness: “Not only are we seeing a rise in the age of people who are experiencing homelessness, but we’re seeing more and more seniors fall into homelessness, specifically here in Broward County.”

The TaskForce Fore Ending Homelessness was able to find a place for Robert to live.

But all of the agencies across South Florida that are designed to help seniors are being burdened by the sheer number of people who are in crisis.

Max Rothman: “Housing doesn’t turn up overnight. It’s a slow process, and some people are facing eviction tomorrow.”

It is a sad and frightening reality for so many. The skyrocketing cost of housing has many thinking South Florida is no longer an affordable place to live, and that paradise truly is lost.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

On Friday, the family attorney for Jazmin Keltz confirmed her passing.

7News cameras captured mourners at a growing memorial for Keltz and Anthony Jayden Gago at the site of the crash near Miller Drive and Southwest 117th Avenue, Thursday night.

Jazmin’s brother, Joshua Keltz, said he is still reeling over the sudden loss

“I’m just trying to accept, like, the reality of everything,” he said. “We never really grew up with a father, so I was really like her father figure. I raised her, basically. She was just my baby.”

According to Miami-Dade Police, Jazmin was the passenger in a silver Audi when Gago was behind the wheel. The sedan was his mother’s car.

Not long before the early Wednesday morning crash, police got a call about a silver Audi.

“Complainant calling in reference to a suspicious incident. Their 14-year-old daughter was dropped off by that silver Audi,” said a dispatcher on Broadcastify police scanner.

“Once officers were in the area, they were able to see a vehicle that matched the description on Miller traveling eastbound at a high rate of speed,” said MDPD Detective Alvaro Zabaleta.

Officers were about to conduct a traffic stop, but before they could, the car took off speeding and smashed into concrete underpass pillars with such force that the engine was ripped from the car.

The mangled car was towed away later on Wednesday morning.

Hours later, crowds came together at the scene of the wreck to mourn Gago.

Thursday night, dozens returned to mourn their friend and loved one Jazmin.

“My sister, like, she’s beautiful. I would just describe her as beautiful all around — physically, like, just her as a person — she was just beautiful,” said Joshua.

Joshua said he’s certain his sister and Gago are looking down on their loved ones, and he prays that no other family has to go through his pain.

“Take it as a lesson, more than anything: know when your parents are hard on you, they’re telling you not to go out, it’s just ’cause they care,” he said. “They don’t want you to end up like how my friend and my little sister ended up.”

A GoFundMe page was created by Keltz’s family to assist with her medical expenses. If you’d like to donate, click here.

Gago’s family also created a GoFundMe page to assist with funeral arrangements. If you’d like to donate, click here.

Shocking cellphone video footage captured the moments Miami-Dade Police officers confronted a man living inside a Kristina Santa’s vacant property in North Miami-Dade, turning a routine property check into a disturbing discovery.

In the video, an officer can be heard instructing the man to “get on the ground, get on the [expletive] ground,” after police responded to a call from homeowner Kristina Santa.

Speaking with 7News on Thursday, Santa said she grew suspicious after finding her rental property in disarray following a business trip earlier this week.

“I didn’t do anything about it then; I was like maybe it was one of the workers or something at the house, because I have construction going on,” she said.

Upon returning the next day, Santa said, she found door unlocked and a Vitamin Water bottle on the counter that wasn’t there before, prompting her to call police.

“I look in, and I see a Vitamin Water on the counter right there that was not there the day before, so I knew that from the time I was there the day before to then, somebody had been in the house,” she said.

Police arrived at the property to find a man upstairs who, they said, has been living inside the home.

“I feel like maybe, if I had gone up there by myself, he might have been a little more aggressive,” said Santa.

Officers removed the man, identified as 27-year-old Raequon Denziel Cephus, as well as some of his belongings. He was charged with trespassing on the property.

The house was left resembling a disaster zone, with items scattered all around including tobacco, toothpaste, dirty socks on the bathroom floor and even Fiji water taken from the fridge.

“It was very surreal realizing that somebody was actually in my space,” said Santa. “I don’t know; it’s a scary feeling.”

The homeowner, now questioning how the intruder gained access, speculates a possible oversight with the property’s security.

“Maybe somebody left a door open one night, and they just happened to see it, and they changed the lock out, ’cause I don’t have a key that fits that lock, and I used to,” she said.

Taking precautionary measures, Santa said, she plans to enhance the property’s security, including installing surveillance cameras.

“I didn’t think that I had to have security cameras on a completely empty house, but you learn something every day, right?” said Santa.

Santa was not hurt. She said construction will continue, and then someone who is supposing to live inside the property will move in.

On Friday morning, police released the identities of four suspects: Jermaal Calvin Stennett, Mekal Tarashi Wilson, Norbert Alphonso Baugh and Shuneka Oreatha Gordon.

Wilson, the driver who tried to get away, faces the most charges — aggravated battery, grand theft, fleeing and eluding, and resisting arrest. He is being held on no bond.

The pursuit began Thursday afternoon as Miami-Dade Police officers and Florida Highway Patrol troopers followed the van that headed northbound on the Turnpike near 112th Avenue, while 7Skyforce hovered above the high-speed pursuit.

According to FHP, Homestead Police requested their assistance after one of their officers was assaulted. Investigators said several subjects were accused of stealing items from Kohl’s located at 2455 NE 10th Court.

“As the officers were arriving, they observed several males come out of the back emergency door of the Kohl’s with two carts full of just merchandise,” said Homestead Police Capt. Fernando Morales.

Police said the subjects tried to void capture.

“They were able to place [the merchandise] in the vehicle. When the officers attempted to stop these subjects, the driver rammed one of the police cars with the police officer inside,” said Morales.

That officer was OK.

The confrontation outside Kohl’s set off an all-out blitz to catch the van and those inside.

7Skyforce hovered over the Turnpike as several police cruisers were behind the white van.

According to officials, the vehicle was traveling over 80 mph and had a flat tire. During the pursuit, one driver in a silver vehicle was hit by the van but appeared OK.

FHP troopers caught up to the van in the area of Northwest 106th St and three PIT maneuvers were initiated, which caused the van to stop. But the drama — and danger — wasn’t over.

As officers were taking one of the subjects into custody, another attempted to jump over the edge of a barrier wall. Officers closed on with guns, shields and a police K-9.

The Homestead Police officer who was attacked was among those who pulled the subject to safety and prevented him from falling off the ledge.

“The same officers that he rammed now became saviors and saved the subject and were able to pull him back over the overpass, where he was taken into custody,” said Morales.

Homestead Police said stolen drugs and merchandise were found in the stolen van. All of the suspects were taken into custody.

A tow truck arrived at the scene to remove the stolen van.

Set to be implemented on Nov. 10, the changes include setting in-store TV walls to a static image, turning off the radio, and lowering the store lights. Walmart said it learned during a pilot test for the back-to-school shopping period that these efforts are especially beneficial to neurodiverse individuals – both customers and employees – with sensory disabilities.

“Earlier this year, we took a step in making shopping in our stores more inclusive for those with sensory disabilities by taking measures to create a less stimulating environment for a couple hours each Saturday. The feedback of the pilot program was overwhelmingly positive,” the retailer said in a blogpost Tuesday. “These changes may have seemed small to some, but for others they transformed the shopping experience.”

Walmart isn’t alone in making these changes but joins a growing group of retailers and entertainment venues, such as movie theaters and restaurants, who are becoming more cognizant of the varied needs of consumers.

It’s a smart business strategy, too, said Burt Flickinger, retail expert and managing director of retail consultancy Strategic Resource Group. During the pandemic, Walmart also set special morning shopping hours for older, vulnerable consumers.

“At a time when discounters are competing more aggressively with each other for consumers’ dollars, Walmart is not only building some goodwill with its shoppers but these changes could also bring more shoppers into its stores and keep them shopping there longer,” said Flickinger.

Walmart said the sensory-friendly hours will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (local time) seven days a week in all Walmart US and Puerto Rico stores, and don’t have a planned end date.

Flickinger said that morning time slot is particularly conducive to shoppers who may have special requirements because “it’s not the busiest time of the day for Walmart stores.”

“The busiest time tends to be from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. after school, on the way home from work, or Sunday night,” he said.

The retailer told CNN that the changes, for now, will roll out only at its Walmart locations and not at its Sam’s Club warehouse locations.

Other retailers are also getting on board with creating a more inclusive shopping experience.

Walmart’s rival Target sells an exclusive line of children’s home decor and furnishings that are designed to be sensory-friendly.

In October, Victoria’s Secret for the first time announced it would sell intimate apparel in all of its stores and online that is specially designed to meet the needs of women with disabilities.

It said the clothing has adaptive features such as magnetic closures and sensory-friendly fabric. The move by Victoria’s Secret shows mainstream brands and retailers – and not only niche sellers – catering to differently abled consumers.

According to Hollywood Police, officers responded to a shooting in the 1200 block of North 57th Avenue on Monday, just before 5:00 p.m.

Upon arrival, officers said they discovered two women with gunshot-related injuries. Officials said the suspected shooter, identified as 73-year-old Miguel Fiallo, was apprehended at the scene.

Fiallo appeared n court Tuesday afternoon.

Karen Francis, a neighbor in the area, said she was trying to get onto the street when she noticed it was blocked off my police.

“There was police all over,” she said. “We didn’t know what was happening. We don’t have problems around here. Usually the area is quiet.”

According to family members, the victims were identified as 69-year-old Delia Mercedes Cuadrado and 62-year-old Elizabeth Ann Conly.

Neighbors told 7News that Fiallo rented the garage in the back of the home that was shared by the two women.

While Hollywood Detectives are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, Fiallo has been arrested on two counts of murder.

He was given no bond and will remain in jail.

Authorities are urging anyone with information related to this case to contact the Hollywood Police Department at 954-764-HELP (4357) or 954-967-4567. Tips can also be shared via email or text at hollywoodpdtips@hollywoodfl.org. Information can also be given to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477(TIPS) or www.browardcrimestoppers.org.

Tonight, we begin a series of reports on this issue facing so many.

7’s Karen Hensel investigates: Paradise Lost.

They look like tired travelers waiting for a flight. But take a closer look.

These people are actually homeless and they are living inside Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Rebecca: “Well, since right now, I am completely broke, so I’m not going anywhere. Just going, hiding in different parts of the airport.”

Rebecca has lived here with her adult son and cat for almost a year. She says the airport is safer than the streets and overcrowded shelters.

Rebecca: “You got cameras everywhere. You’ve got police.”

She became homeless after her husband Brian died. She moved from Arizona to Florida for a fresh start.

Rebecca: “I left phoenix with $15,000. It goes quick.”

The job and apartment she had lined up, both fell through. Then she lost $3,500 in a rental scam.

Broke, she landed at the airport, homeless.

We first spoke with Rebecca in March. She agreed to keep a video diary.

Rebecca (in video diary): “I am losing hope on all of this, it’s just getting hard.”

Taking us inside the struggle and sleepless nights.

Rebecca (in video diary): “It is actually a little scary doing this because I’m literally hiding under a blanket.”

Even more terrifying, the idea she could be kicked out. It is a constant fear as more and more homeless migrate to the airport.

Rebecca (in video diary): “It’s about one and there’s just a lot of people tonight. There’s a group of like four, I think, that get themselves completely walled in. That’s usually when they get angry. When customers come out and they start seeing that many homeless people.”

Rebecca says she leaves during the day to stand in line at soup kitchens. At night she moves between terminals and the parking garage.

Rebecca (in video diary): “It’s scary out here. It’s after 10 p.m.”

Rebecca (in video diary): “Just a quick shot of us leaving one and heading over to three.”

A good night for her is when she can find a family bathroom to sleep in because the door locks.

Rebecca (in video diary): “This is us at a car rental terminal charging up the phones.”

She uses the Wi-Fi at the airport to apply for jobs.

Rebecca (in video diary): “I am sick of this. I want to go to work. I keep putting in job applications.”

At one point she did get a job, ironically here at the airport, doing what she did in Phoenix, pushing passengers in wheelchairs.

Rebecca: “I like customer service a lot. I like the exercise I got pushing chairs.”

But was fired a week later.

Rebecca (in video diary): “It’s about 4 a.m. My eyes are a little swollen this morning from crying all day yesterday.”

She believes the company found out she was homeless.

Rebecca: “It’s hard to go to interviews when you have to be here, when you don’t have a definite, permanent address. The address that I use for mailing comes back to a church for the homeless, so they pretty much put two and two together. And then everywhere I go, I’ve got to take everything with me.”

She kept some possessions in storage, but lost them when she couldn’t pay for the unit anymore.

Karen Hensel: “So how have you been doing since the last time we talked?”

Rebecca: “Up and down. I lost my storage. So I lost, I lost Brian’s ashes and everything else.”

But she hasn’t lost her faith and still goes to church every Sunday.

Rebecca: “I don’t really have anything else I can do but just keep trying.”

Karen Hensel: “How much longer can you keep this up?”

Rebecca: “I don’t know. I don’t like being here.”

Rebecca says Florida has been a living nightmare since she got here but believes she will eventually land on her feet.

The homeless are living at airports across the country. Right now, 108 are staying at the Fort Lauderdale Airport. But it’s not only the homeless who are struggling.

Tomorrow at ten in our special series called Paradise Lost, we look at the cost of home insurance forcing some to leave Florida.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

Rebecca and her son have set up a GoFundMe page. If you’d like to help, click here.  

The dog was found behind a La Granja restaurant at 5701 N University Drive, Monday.

Hernando Delgado rescued the dog from the dumpster.

“When I went and noticed, there’s a lot of garbage right here, and I see the dog there, so I try and grab it,” Delgado said. “The dog was so scared there. It’s shaking.”

Employees at La Granja restaurant said a truck pulled up to the dumpster at around 1:32 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

Ana Fernandez, who works at the restaurant, said the driver appeared nervous and seemed upset.

After the driver left, workers went out to the dumpster and found the 3 or 4-year-old dog.

“They say, ‘It’s kind of suspicious, this guy over here,’ because they put in reverse the truck, right here. This is only for commercial plaza, they aren’t suppose to dump, garbage here, and he had something and he dumped that, ” Delgado said.

Delgado also said that when he got the dog out of the garbage, it ran off but returned to the scene. He put the dog on a leash and called Saving Sage Animal Rescue.

Deputies spoke to several witnesses on Monday at the restaurant.

“Somebody put the dog in the dumpster and there are cameras on the location,” said Gina Vlasek with Saving Sage Animal Rescue. “Police are trying to find who did this and how it happened.”

The team quickly arrived at the scene, retrieved the canine, and promptly arranged for a veterinarian to assess her condition.

“We did check her out, she seemed, other than being terrified, she seems pretty healthy,” Vlasek said. “Her blood work isn’t back yet. She seems good, she ate a little bit, she drank water and now, she’s just decompressing.”

“I don’t know why these people do that,” Delgado said. “This is, something is criminal. It’s not suppose to be like that. This is not right, so that is why I feel good the dog is safe.”

The animal rescue found the dog a foster family.

While the dog is micro-chipped, the rescue said they cannot find its owner that way.

The Broward County Sheriff’s Office has been notified and will initiate an investigation into the alleged neglect and abandonment of the dog.

If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Officials said Suren Seetal, a 36-year-old airplane jet mechanic, has been missing since Thursday.

He was last seen at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport around 6 p.m.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Endangered Persons Unit is actively investigating his disappearance.

Seetal owns a 2001 Silver Honda Accord sedan with the license plate EHNA41.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact the Fort Lauderdale Police.

The theory, called the giant-impact hypothesis, explains many fundamental features of the moon and Earth.

But one glaring mystery at the center of this hypothesis has endured: What ever happened to Theia? Direct evidence of its existence has remained elusive. No leftover fragments from the planet have been found in the solar system. And many scientists assumed any debris Theia left behind on Earth was blended in the fiery cauldron of our planet’s interior.

A new theory, however, suggests that remnants of the ancient planet remain partially intact, buried beneath our feet.

Molten slabs of Theia could have embedded themselves within Earth’s mantle after impact before solidifying, leaving portions of the ancient planet’s material resting above Earth’s core some 1,800 miles (about 2,900 kilometers) below the surface, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

A bold new idea

If the theory is correct, it would not only provide additional details to fill out the giant-impact hypothesis but also answer a lingering question for geophysicists.

They were already aware that there are two massive, distinct blobs that are embedded deep within the Earth. The masses — called large low-velocity provinces, or LLVPs — were first detected in the 1980s. One lies beneath Africa and another below the Pacific Ocean.

These blobs are thousands of kilometers wide and likely more dense with iron compared with the surrounding mantle,making them stand out when measured by seismic waves. But the origins of the blobs — each of which are larger than the moon — remain a mystery to scientists.

But for Dr. Qian Yuan, a geophysicist and postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology and the new study’s lead author, his understanding of LLVPs forever changed when he attended a 2019 seminar at Arizona State University, his alma mater, that outlined the giant-impact hypothesis.

That’s when he learned new details about Theia, the mysterious projectile that presumably struck Earth billions of years ago.

And, as a trained geophysicist, he knew of those mysterious blobs hidden in Earth’s mantle.

Yuan had a eureka moment, he said.

Immediately, he began perusing scientific studies, searching to see whether someone else had proposed that LLVPs might be fragments of Theia. But no one had.

Initially, Yuan said, he only told his adviser about his theory.

“I was afraid of turning to other people because I (was) afraid others would think I’m too crazy,” Yuan said.

Interdisciplinary research

Yuan first proposed his idea in a paper he submitted in 2021. It was rejected three times. Peer reviewers said it lacked sufficient modeling from the giant impact.

Then he came across scientists who did just the type of research Yuan needed.

Their work, which assigned a certain size to Theia and speed of impact in the modeling, suggested that the ancient planet’s collision likely did not entirely melt Earth’s mantle, allowing the remnants of Theia to cool and form solid structures instead of blending together in Earth’s inner stew.

“Earth’s mantle is rocky, but it isn’t like solid rock,” said Dr. Steve Desch, a study coauthor and professor of astrophysics at Arizona State’s School of Earth and Space Exploration. “It’s this high-pressure magma that’s kind of gooey and has the viscosity of peanut butter, and it’s basically sitting on a very hot stove.”

In that environment, if the material that makes up the LLVPs was too dense, it wouldn’t be able to pile up in the jagged formations that it appears in, Desch said. And if it were low enough in density, it would simply mix in with the churning mantle.

The question was this: What would be the density of the material left behind by Theia? And could it match up with the density of the LLVPs?

(Desch had authored his own paper in 2019 that sought to describe the density of the material that Theia would have left behind.)

The researchers sought higher-definition modeling with 100 to 1,000 times more resolution than their previous attempts, Yuan said. And still, the calculations lined up: If Theia were a certain size and consistency, and struck the Earth at a specific speed, the models showed it could, in fact, leave behind massive hunks of its guts within Earth’s mantle and also spawn the debris that would go on to create our moon.

“That was very, very, so very exciting,” Yuan said. “That (modeling) hadn’t been done before.”

Building a theory

The study Yuan published this week includes coauthors from a variety of disciplines across a range of institutions, including Arizona State, Caltech, the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory and NASA’s Ames Research Center.

When asked whether he expects to encounter pushback or controversy over such a novel concept — that slabs of material from an ancient extraterrestrial planet are hidden deep within the Earth — Yuan replied: “I also want to stress this is an idea; this is a hypothesis.

“There’s no way to prove this must be the case,” he added. “I welcome other people to do this (research).”

Desch added that, in his view, “this work is compelling. It makes a very strong case.” It even seems “sort of obvious in hindsight.”

Dr. Seth Jacobson, an assistant professor of planetary science at Michigan State University, acknowledged that the theory may not, however, soon reach broad acceptance.

“These (LLVPs) — they’re an area themselves of very active research,” said Jacobson, who was not involved in the study. And the tools used to study them are constantly evolving.

The idea that Theia created the LLVPs is no doubt an exciting and eye-catching hypothesis, he added, but it’s not the only one out there.

One other theory, for example, posits that LLVPs are actually heaps of oceanic crust that have sunk to the depths of the mantle over billions of years.

“I doubt the advocates for other hypotheses (about LLVP formation) are going to abandon them just because this one has appeared,” Jacobson added. “I think we’ll be debating this for quite some time.”

Phyllis Robinson was removing Halloween decorations when she noticed the graffiti.

“I realized there was something written in the gutter over here, which I suppose is where it belongs: in the gutter,” she recounted.

The graffiti, which included a lewd drawing and the word “Jews,” left both Robinson and her husband, Robert Winess, astounded.

“It was complete astonishment that in the middle of Boca Raton, we would come out and find such an overt anti-Semitic statement,” Winess expressed.

Despite the shock, Robinson remained resolute.

“It’s a little bit scary, but I’m not intimidated,” she said. “If I was intimidated, I wouldn’t have put up a flag.”

The couple’s display of an Israeli flag in front of their home led them to believe they were targeted due to their support for Israel.

This incident follows another in Wellington where an Israeli flag at an elementary school was torn in half, further increasing anxiety within the Jewish community.

School officials have assured parents that the school police are actively investigating the incidents, with potential criminal charges for the responsible parties. Boca Raton Police share the commitment to identifying those responsible and bringin

“I guess I didn’t really expect this in 2023, and it makes me worry for my child who’s in college,” said Robinson.

In response to these incidents, Florida lawmakers have scheduled a special legislative session starting Monday to allocate funds for security at Jewish facilities at high risk for hate crimes, as well as to provide funding for Jewish preschools and day schools.

The crash happened on a southbound exit ramp, near Southwest 112th Avenue, Sunday afternoon.

The truck spilled its load onto the side of the road.

Fortunately, the driver was OK.

According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, 25-year-old Quavanta Ennels, a convicted felon, was in possession of the firearm involved in this incident and has been charged accordingly.

“Sir you were arrested for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon,” said Judge Mindy Glazer.

On Monday, Ennels found out he could be facing more charges following a court hearing.

“Additionally, there may be charges forthcoming for palpable negligence by leaving a firearm within easy access of a minor,” said the prosecutor.

Ennels’ bond was set at $15,000, and when he bonds out, he will be on house arrest.

“He’s upset about a house arrest, in the meantime, there’s a little girl in the hospital who had terrible injuries because he left a fire arm unsecured,” Glazer said.

Officials said an adult was inside the home at the time of the incident off Northwest 21st Avenue in Northwest Miami-Dade, Sunday afternoon. Also inside the residence, detectives said, were the female victim and three other children between the ages of 2 and 6.

“Several people inside of the location screaming,” a dispatcher said in radio transmissions.

Police said a sibling picked up the firearm, which was unsecured in Ennels book bag, police said, and it went off in the direction of the victim, striking her.

“We got a pediatric trauma alert,” a first responder said in radio transmissions.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews rushed the young patient to Ryder Trauma Center, where she remains in critical condition, Monday morning.

“We have a small, 4-year-old child now who will not be going to school tomorrow, who will not be enjoying the things that a 4-year-old should be enjoying, because of the negligent firearm ownership,” said MDPD Detective Andre Martin. “We need to take this matter seriously.”

“A bullet flies at a very, very fast rate of speed, and you may think you can get to this firearm in time, and obviously, in situations like this, you cannot,” said Martin.

The incident, Martin said, comes after a similar incident at an apartment complex in Southwest Miami-Dade involving an unattended gun, back on Sept. 24.

“This is another situation like the situation we had not too long ago within our community where, again, a firearm was left unattended, and a young person was hurt,” he said.

In Sunday’s case, detectives said, the gun was within reach.

“The firearm was being stored in this situation in a manner in which it was accessible to the children, which is how this occurred,” said Martin. “The responsibility of owning a firearm is a great one. It is a constitutional right, but the responsible ownership of that firearm is of greater importance.”

Now, due to the negligent ownership of a firearm, another child is fighting for her life.

The Miami-Dade Police Department is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident.

Although Ennels was only charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, it is likely, prosecutors said, he will face additional charges.

David Contreras appeared before a judge on Sunday. He was charged with second-degree murder with a weapon in the fatal shooting of his adult son.

According to Miami-Dade Police, the suspect shot and killed Eric Contreras, who was in in 20s, then called 911 to report it.

“It’s pretty scary for something like this to be happening. It’s a very quiet street, quiet neighborhood,” said area resident Jaime Stramondo.

Detectives said the shooting took place in the area of Southwest 84th Ave and 107th Street, at around 2 p.m. on Friday.

First responders arrived to find Eric dead near the door of his home.

“Speechless. It’s the way I could put it, just to hear about it,” said area resident Jacob Billings.

“It’s devastating, it’s heartbreaking for everybody, it’s scary,” said Stramondo.

Detectives kept the area blocked off all day and into the night as they investigated the shooting.

It remains unclear whether or not officers have responded to the home of this family in the past.

“Our detectives, our officers would like to stress to the community that domestic violence is a very real issue, and anyone who is suffering in a romantic or domestic situation that has become violent, or they believe is going to become violent, we urge them to reach out to resources,” said MDPD Detective Andre Martin.

Contreras is being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in West Miami-Dade. It remains unclear when he will go back in front of a judge.

The incident occurred around 2:57 a.m. Thursday on U.S. 441 near Northwest 209th Street, leaving the street shut down in both directions between Northwest 215th Street to Northwest 207th Street for several hours.

Cellphone footage captured black smoke billowing from the scene after, investigators said, a Toyota Highlander and an Infiniti sedan collided into one another.

Live video footage captured the aftermath of the serious collision, revealing the two vehicles at the heart of the incident. The SUV, with extensive front-end damage, appeared to have smashed into the rear of the sedan, which was left charred from the ensuing fire.

Miami Gardens Police confirmed that a man in the car that caught fire did not survive. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units found his burned body inside of the burning vehicle.

Firefighters managed to extricate a woman from the other vehicle and quickly called for a medical helicopter to airlift her to Ryder Trauma Center due to burn injuries. The moment was captured by 7News as healthcare personnel rushed the victim into the hospital.

The collision left both cars damaged on the street, but as the morning progressed, tow trucks were called in to remove the vehicles from the scene.

As of Thursday afternoon, the identities of the individuals involved remain undisclosed, as officials continue to investigate.

Speaking at the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center on Wednesday, Maya Parizar said the journey hasn’t been pretty, but she knows now the power of sharing her story.

“For some miracle, I know I got to be here and tell their story, honoring their lives,” she said as she wiped away a tear.

Music and massacre, two things that don’t have anything in common with each other, are Parizar’s reality now. She was one of 3,000 people who attended the open-air music festival in southern Israel.

“It’s been 24 days, and it feels like just a nightmare,” she said.

That nightmare, Parizar said, began around 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7.

“I just remember looking up there in the sky and see what it felt like thousands of rockets and missiles,” she said.

That was her first sign to pack up and leave.

Parizar said she got in the car with her boyfriend and friends and started heading north. They passed kibbutzes along the way with fear in their hearts, as well as the intuition that something was very, very wrong.

“We see all these cars, abandoned on the side of the road, and not really understanding what this is all about,” she said.

The festivalgoers didn’t know the horror that they just escaped, only to see it had followed them to the peaceful kibbutz communities in southern Israel.

“We saw someone on the street, and that was the first time I saw someone dead in front of my eyes. He suffered from many injuries,” said Parizar.

All of a sudden, Parizar said, they found themselves under fire, as terrorists shot at them.

Parizar said they were able to escaped, only to find themselves surrounded by death coming up.

“We could smell what happened there. We saw some Israeli civilian holding a gun, signaling us to stop,” she said.

That civilian, Parizar said, was a walking miracle. He guided them to safety in his community, where they hid from Hamas.

But Parizar said she still feared the worst.

“I decided to call my parents and say goodbye,” she said.

Twenty-four hours, Parizar said, she left and headed north again to reunite with her family. But more than 260 other people at the festival didn’t get that luxury.

Parizar said some of her good friends sought shelter, only to have death and destruction lobbed at them.

“People died from the grenades, and all this time, these animals are outside taking selfies and enjoying every single moment,” she said.

This is just one more reason why Parizar doesn’t want people to forget every painful moment of Oct. 7.

“We need to tell the truth. We need to spread the word of what happened to our brothers and sisters,” said Ruthy Benoliel with the Women’s International Zionist Organization.

“This synagogue was built by Holocaust survivors, so we know what it takes to be able to tell your story,” said Rabbi Guido Cohen with the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, “and we are here to tell Maya that we’re here for them and with them.”

“October 7th cannot be forgotten,” said Parizar.

Parizar said she will continue to share her story across college campuses for the next week before she flies back to Israel to be with her friends and now fiancé.

7News cameras captured Yulia Storozhuk as she walked out of jail, Wednesday night.

She had a message for her son.

“Yes, I’m so sorry. I wouldn’t do this anymore,” she said.

A neighbor’s Blink doorbell camera captured the unthinkable moments when Storozhuk allegedly abused her own child.

Sunny Isles Beach Police Chief Edward Santiago said the video is the sad reason why they locked up this mother.

“I was very angry, and how can somebody do this to a defenseless 3-year-old boy who can’t protect himself?” said Santiago.

The disturbing video was brought to police by the neighbor. In the video, Storozhuk enters a room, her 3-year-old son standing at the doorway. She points toward the hallway, and as he begins to walk toward her, he is pushed down.

According to the arrest report, she then, with both hands, lifts the child from the ground and throws him to the floor. While on the ground, he is kicked, not once but twice. The little boy tries to get up but is pushed back down and kicked down the hallway out of view.

According to the arrest report, Storozhuk was captured on camera twice that night hurting her son: once at 9:06 p.m., then again at 9:44 p.m.

“Her reason for abusing her son was, her son was not listening to her, which is unacceptable,” said Santiago. “It’s just – how can a mother do this? I mean, she’s a monster.”

Police fear this many not have been the first time.

“There’s a good possibility [she has done this before], and out investigation is still ongoing, and we’re going to uncover if there are any injuries or any abuse in the past,” said Santiago.

Storozhuk appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer on Wednesday morning, facing child abuse charges.

Through an interpreter, Storozhuk told the judge that she brought her son to the United States to escape the war in Ukraine.

“I admire him. I cannot imagine my life without him,” Storozhuk said.

“Well, ma’am, right now, the court is finding probable cause for two counts of child abuse,” said Glazer.

Police said Storozhuk’s son suffered injuries, with bruises and scratches visible on his body.

Storozhuk told the judge that she had never hurt him before.

“Only one incident where I let my emotions get the better of me, and I never abused my child; it happened only once,” Storozhuk said through an interpreter.

The incident report reveals Storozhuk contacted police on the night of the alleged abuse, requesting assistance since she was suffering from financial distress and a nervous breakdown while failing to disclose what happened earlier in the night.

The report further states Storozhuk said she wished police would take custody of her son because she could no longer care for him.

Police are determined to keep the young boy safe.

“She’s going to pay the consequences for her actions; this is unacceptable,” said Santiago.

In a statement, Sunny Isles Beach Mayor Larisa Svechin commended police for their swift actions, writing in part, “Their immediate may have saved the life of a small child. May we all remember that it is important that if you say something, say something.”

After she bonded out, Storozhuk was asked whether she loves her son.

“Yes. I love him. I love my son,” she said.

The child is now safe and in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. Storozhuk has since bonded out of jail, and further legal proceedings are pending.

Thursday afternoon, police said they have received many calls from people wanting to foster or adopt Storozhuk’s son.

Storozhuk’s next court appearance has been scheduled for Nov. 27.

According to WPBF, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reports the girl and her friends were playing on a strap between two large palm trees at the Smith Farm neighborhood in Lake Worth.

One of the trees fell, collapsing on the girl and injuring a boy she was playing with.

The girl was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Deputies are still conducting a death investigation, but the incident appears to be accidental, according to the sheriff’s office.

According to a police report, 31-year-old Joevanih Sauvagere was discovered passed out behind the wheel of an Infiniti on the southbound off-ramp of Interstate 95, near the intersection of Northwest Sixth Avenue and 62nd Street, just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday.

The encounter leading to his arrest involved Miami-Dade Schools Police, who responded after receiving reports of a driver passed out behind the wheel.

“Miami-Dade Schools Police was flagged down in the area of Northwest Fourth Avenue and 62nd Street,” said Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales.

The police report states Sauvagere, who was found behind the wheel of a “silver Infiniti with dark tints,” was “nodding in and out” at the wheel and had “slurred speech.”

When the responding police officer asked Sauvagere to put his car in park, he put the car in reverse, which moved the car two feet, before the intoxicated Miami Police officer put it in park.

The Miami-Dade Schools officer later noticed the officer had a gun in his lap.

“They discovered the individual was holding what appeared to be a firearm,” said Morales.

As Sauvagere dozed in and out of consciousness, the officer grabbed the gun and took it out of the vehicle.

The police report states the responding officer noticed a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage from [Sauvagere’s] breath,” as well as “bloodshot, watery eyes, and his eyelids were droopy.”

Upon requesting that he perform standardized field sobriety tests, Sauvagere refused.

Once more police officers arrived, Sauvagere was taken out of the car and, due to the gun and his compromised state, the arrest report states, “the defendant was put at gunpoint.”

“I managed to disarm the subject. We got him in custody,” the arresting officer said in radio transmissions.

Sauvagere was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital by Miami Fire Rescue due to reported stomach pain. He declined to submit to a voluntary blood sample and also refused when implied consent was read to him.

On Wednesday, Sauvagere’s family refused to speak with 7News.

“Don’t record here,” a family member said to a 7News crew.

Hours after he was booked, Sauvagere bonded out of jail.

“We are not above the law,” said Miami Police Chief Manuel Morales. “Miami Police Department will hold all of its members, from me on down to the most rookie officer, to the highest of standards.”

Sauvagere, who has been with with the department since 2017, was relieved of duty with pay.

“He placed his life at risk and how he got the vehicle there, we don’t know; that investigation is still being worked on to find out how he got to that location,” said Morales, “but we can tell you that he shouldn’t have been in control of that motor vehicle, so he’s going to be held accountable for his actions.”

Morales also said that Sauvagere has faced disciplinary actions in the past.

His arrest marks the second South Florida police officer who is facing trouble with the law.

On Tuesday, Miami-Dade Police Officer Daniel Ramos-Aviles was arrested and is facing multiple counts of sexual battery of a child and molestation.

The 40-year-old suspect was taken into custody by his own department.

According to his arrest warrant, Ramos-Aviles’ own daughter, stepdaughter and niece are among the alleged victims.

“If someone in his position is capable of doing this to his own 6-year-old child, what else is he capable of?” stated an attorney on a Zoom call in the courtroom.

The teen was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of his mother, Irina Garcia.

Investigators said the incident occurred on Oct. 12, as Rosa allegedly stabbed his mother multiple times while she slept next to his newborn half-sister.

The act was reported to 911 by Rosa himself, when he shared disturbing details.

“I took pictures and I told my friends about it,” said Rosa in a 911 call. “Is that bad?”

When authorities arrived, they found Garcia’s body beside her sleeping 14-day-old daughter.

Rosa’s father and grandmother appeared in a court hearing on behalf of the 13-year-old on Friday. The teen was not present.

Rosa’s attorney, Kristen Reynoso, asked Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Gerald D. Hubbart to consider house arrest for her client.

“Your Honor, we’re asking for house arrest with total lockdown. My client would be living with his father, who is present, Jose Rosa, as well as his maternal grandmother, Isabel Costa,” said Reynoso. “He would not be left alone at any time.”

During the hearing, emotional pleas were made, emphasizing their support for the young boy.

“It’s very unfortunate that this tragedy occurred,” said Jose Rosa, “but this child is very humble, very peaceful.”

Many who knew Rosa said he was an honor student at iMater Charter Middle/High School and showed no signs of mental health issues.

Jose Rosa pleaded with Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Gerald D. Hubbart to give his son a second opportunity.

“I guess what we’re asking for is another opportunity, a second chance to help him grow and become mature as a grown man, to put this behind him and say, ‘We have your back, we’re here to support you,'” he said. “It’s hard to take back what already occurred, so we can only move forward and try to give him more support and let him know that we love him.”

Reynoso also requested for her client’s return to juvenile custody.

“Your Honor, I’ve spoken with the regional director from the Miami-Dade Juvenile Detention Center, and they have allowed juveniles to be detained in the Juvenile Detention Center, even through they’re facing adult charges,” said the attorney.

Ultimately, this matter was not discussed any further in court. Officials with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office said they want to have a chance to review the motion, if it’s even submitted.

“I’m not here to try the case today,” Hubbart told Jose Rosa.

“I understand,” said Jose Rosa.

“This is just the first appearance hearing to determine if there is probable cause to show that your son is, in fact, guilty or believed to be guilty,” said Hubbart.

“Yes, sir,” said Jose Rosa.

Following the court hearing, Rosa has been ordered to be held without bond at the Metro West Detention Center.

“OK, I’m finding probable cause, and I’m setting no bond,” said Hubbart.

The teen’s family said the boy seen in the mugshot is not the same one they know.

“He is so humble and respectful. We all care for him; we just can’t imagine how this happened,” said Jose Rosa.

After court, Reynoso did not respond when asked how she felt after her client was charged as an adult.

An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

Although first-degree murder is a capital crime in Florida, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling would not allow Rosa to face the death penalty as a juvenile.

MDPD officers surrounded the home in the area of 174th Street and Southwest 142nd Place, Friday morning.

SWAT teams also arrived at the scene and a command post was established in the area by officers.

“She barricaded herself in this residence and refused to come and comply with the demands of the officers,” said MDPD Assistant Director Rosanna Cordero-Stutz.

Police identified the subject as retired MDPD Lt. Evelyn Fernandez.

Police said this all began on Thursday, just before 6:30 p.m., when they responded to the area of Southwest 282nd Street and 167th Avenue after receiving reports of a shooting.

“Girlfriend shooting at complainant’s white F-150, the subject is in a gray Jeep,” said a dispatcher over Broadcastify police scanner.

Police received a ShotSpotter alert in addition to a 911 call.

“A gray Jeep, female driver armed with a gun chasing a white pickup,” said a dispatcher over Broadcastify police scanner.

When officers arrived, they discovered that Fernandez shot at her ex-boyfriend.

“He was in his vehicle at the time. Luckily, he was not injured, there was damage to the vehicle,” Cordero-Stutz said.

Investigators said Fernandez then fled the scene.

No injuries were reported.

Late Thursday night, police learned Fernandez was holed up in a home. MDPD’s Special Response Team spent hours trying to convince her to surrender, to no avail.

“They were saying, ‘Can you please come out with your hands up?’ And, ‘Were here to help you, we’re your family,'” said witness Juan Rodriguez.

“During that time, there were moments when she appeared that she was going to be cooperative, and then she would not be cooperative,” Cordero-Stutz said.

The standoff forced the entire neighborhood into a standstill. No one could come in or leave.

“Four-thirty in the morning, I go to work, — I work for Publix, manager — and I was [getting] into my car, and an officer comes up to the window and says, ‘You can’t go to work,'” said Rodriguez.

All residents could do was watch as officers tore the home apart, breaking down the front windows and doors of and at one point sending a robot inside for surveillance. Officers wearing gas masks sent smoke from the roof of the house in an attempt to get Fernandez out.

“During that time, there were also shots fired in that house by Ms. Fernandez,” Cordero-Stutz said.

After 16 hours, at around 2 p.m. on Friday, the standoff came to an end, and Fernandez was taken into custody.

“She resisted arrest until the last moment that we placed handcuffs on her,” Rosanna Cordero-Stutz said.

Cellphone video captured Fernandez as she was pulled from the attic of the home and lying on the roof with her hands tied behind her back.

Officers got her down and put her in the back of a cruiser shortly after.

A police report states the now damaged house is the home of the boyfriend of Fernandez’s daughter.

This isn’t the first time a rocky relationship involving Fernandez has made the news. In April of 2016, her ex-boyfriend, former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery after being accused by Fernandez of domestic violence. Alvarez’s charges were eventually dropped after Fernandez failed to testify against him during his court appearance.

In July of the same year, Fernandez was charged with breaking and ransacking for allegedly breaking into Alvarez’s apartment.

Investigators said Fernandez’s most recent ex-boyfriend is also a retired police officer, but they did not specify from which agency and have not released his name.

Fernandez was booked into jail and faces charges of attempted murder, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and resisting an officer with violence.

Latricia Crawley, 46, and Benjamin Lockett, 43, are facing charges of aggravated child abuse and child neglect with great bodily harm after a victim’s plea for help led to a shocking discovery of long-term abuse.

Investigators said Margate Police responded to the couple’s home on Wednesday, after the teenage victim reached out to her online instructor for assistance.

Upon arrival at the home, police reportedly found the victim with a laceration on her head and visible swelling, resulting from an assault by Lockett, detectives said. She was immediately transported to Broward Health Coral Springs for treatment.

During her medical examination, officers said they uncovered evidence of extensive long-term trauma on the victim’s body, including scars consistent with ligature marks, bruising, scar tissue, bite marks from insects and signs of malnutrition.

According to the arrest reports, the victim, who had been in the custody of Lockett and Crawley since 2014, detailed a horrifying history of abuse, including being locked in closets, bound with zip ties and enduring various forms of torture. Some of the notable incidents included:

• In 2019, Lockett kicked the victim in the chin, leaving a permanent scar.
• In 2021, Crawley oiled the victim’s knees and forced her to kneel on rice, resulting in permanent disfigurement.
• In the same year, Lockett tied the victim to a fixed object and struck her toes with a hammer.
• In 2022, Lockett and Crawley tied and bound the victim with a nylon rope, causing permanent disfigurement to her skin.
• In the same year, Lockett threw a pot of boiling water at the victim, scarring her stomach.

Authorities said the victim also revealed that Lockett and Crawley individually and jointly subjected her to various forms of physical and psychological abuse. She described being locked in closets, deprived of food and even having her eyes taped shut and her head dunked in water as punishment.

When police searched the couple’s home, they reportedly found locking mechanisms on the outside of two closets within the home and droplets of blood inside one of them. The victim had been living in these conditions for approximately 10 years.

While the victim was in police custody, authorities said, Crawley made no attempts to locate the teen or check on her welfare, expressing her desire to release custody of the victim.

“Within the home, there was signs that the child was confined against their will, and the child was placed in a situation that no child, or any human being, for that matter, should be placed in,” said Margate Police Lt. Al Banatte. “There was evidence of long-term abuse, malnourishment, harm to this child. This child suffered a lot over the last few years.”

Crawley and Lockett were taken into custody and transported to BSO Main Jail.

All westbound lanes were shut down near Nob Hill Road after the tanker rolled over and caught on fire, Thursday afternoon. The highway did not reopen to traffic until just after 9 p.m.

Several agencies responded to the scene blaze near the Nob Hill Road exit, including Davie Fire Rescue, Hollywood Fire Rescue and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue’s hazmat team.

The tanker carried waste products, and its fuel lines were ruptured. Officials said the driver was traveling west when the vehicle swerved, went on its side and caught on fire.

The smoke was visible from several miles away. Cellphone video captured the burning truck as firefighters attempted to extinguish the flames.

7Skyforce hovered above the scene as several off-duty firefighters from Fort Lauderdale, North Lauderdale and Lauderhill fire departments helped place the victim on a stretcher and into a Davie Fire Rescue ambulance.

“We help every day, whether it’s a little bit or a lot,” said Steven Fernandez with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue. “The only difference is, when we’re working, we expect to help others — we’re waiting for it, almost, for a call to come in — but it’s nice to be able to do it when you’re off-duty as well.”

Among the off-duty firefighters who did not hesitate to render aid to the truck driver was Lee Martin with Lauderhill Fire Rescue.

“We got all the way to the side, and I could see the black smoke. I hopped over the express lanes,” he said. “I saw that the pole was knocked down, so that was blocking traffic. Three other truckers were yelling at me that there was a guy still inside. You could look under the smoke and see that he was still laying in the fuel.”

Martin, who has only been with the department for a year, said he knew immediately that he had to get out of his vehicle and help out the victim.

“I took one of the trucker’s shirts. Along with another trucker, we went in, I tied [the driver’s] hands up, and the other guy tied his feet, and we dragged him out to get him away from the truck,” he said. “He was actually still on fire when I pulled him out, and I was able to take my shirt and pat him down and get the fire out, so that was good. That’s the first thing you’re supposed to do.”

Rescue crews at the scene were able to douse the flames.

“I’m glad that the timing worked out, because we were able to give that guy a fighting chance,” said Martin.

According to officials, the driver of the vehicle is in his 30s and was transported to Broward Health Medical Center with severe burns. He is listed in critical condition.

Crews were able to put out the fire, but due to debris at the scene, the westbound lanes of the highway were closed down.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers and Road Rangers have arrived at the scene to divert traffic onto University Drive. They have also begun to allow drivers who have been stuck for hours to move over into the still-closed express lanes and head west.

7Skyforce showed backed-up westbound traffic all the way to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, near the intersection with I-95. Drivers are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.

Crews have since been able to turn over the truck back on its wheels.

Officials said Carlton Campbell, the chief administrator at Gulfstream Academy K-8. was killed in a car crash on Wednesday.

A Hallandale Beach native, Campbell graduated from Hallandale High School and served there as principal as well.

Schools, doctor’s offices and grocery stores closed and people stayed behind locked doors in cities as far away as 50 miles (80 kilometers) from the scenes of Wednesday night’s shootings in Lewiston.

President Joe Biden ordered all U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff as condolences poured in from around the nation and at home, including from Maine native and author Stephen King, who called it “madness.” The attacks stunned a state of only 1.3 million people that has one of the country’s lowest homicide rates: 29 killings in all of 2022.

The suspect, Robert Card, is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached, authorities said at a news conference. Card underwent a mental health evaluation in mid-July after he began acting erratically during training, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.

Police said they have had no reported sightings of Card since the shootings at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley about 4 miles (6 kilometers) away. The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect walking into the bowling alley with a rifle raised to his shoulder.

A telephone number listed for Card in public records was not in service.

Maine Gov. Janet Mills promised to do whatever was needed to find Card and to “hold whoever is responsible for this atrocity accountable … and to seek full justice for the victims and their families.”

“We are not, and we will not, rest in this endeavor,” she said.

Eight murder warrants were issued for Card, 40, after authorities identified eight of the victims, police said. Ten more will likely be issued once the names of the rest of the dead are confirmed, said Maine State Police Col. William Ross.

Three of the 13 people wounded in the shootings were in critical condition and five were hospitalized but stable, Central Maine Medical Center officials said.

The attack started at Sparetime, where a children’s bowling league was taking place, just before 7 p.m. Wednesday. One bowler, who identified himself only as Brandon, said he heard about 10 shots, thinking the first was a balloon popping.

“I had my back turned to the door. And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon — he was holding a weapon — I just booked it,” he told the AP.

Brandon said he scrambled down the length of the alley, sliding into the pin area and climbing up to hide in the machinery.

Less than 15 minutes after the shooting began, numerous 911 calls started coming in from Schemengees, which was offering 25% discounts to customers who work in the bar or restaurant industry.

Patrick Poulin was supposed to be at the bowling center with his 15-year-old son, who is in a league that was practicing Wednesday. They stayed home, but he estimates there were probably several dozen young bowlers, ages 4 to 18, along with their parents, in the facility. Poulin’s brother was there, he said, and shepherded some of the children outside when the shooting began.

“He’s pretty shook up,” Poulin said Thursday. “And it’s just sinking in today, like, wow, I was very close to being there. And a lot of the people that got hurt, I know.”

April Stevens lives in the same neighborhood where one of the shootings took place. She turned on all her lights overnight and locked her doors. She knew someone killed at the bar and another person injured who needed surgery.

“I’m still working because I can work from home. My husband canceled his jobs today to stay home with me. We’re praying for everyone,” Stevens said through tears.

Authorities launched a multistate search for Card on land and water. The Coast Guard sent out a patrol boat Thursday morning along the Kennebec River but after hours of searching, they found “nothing out of the ordinary,” said Chief Petty Officer Ryan Smith, who is in charge of the Coast Guard’s Boothbay Harbor Station.

Card’s car had been discovered by a boat launch near the Androscoggin River, which connects to the Kennebec, and Card’s 15-foot (4.5-meter) boat remains unaccounted for, Smith said.

Several FBI agents and other heavily armed officers gathered Thursday afternoon off a road where several relatives of Card lived near Bowdoin. A military-style vehicle and a white van arrived as a helicopter hovered overhead and someone repeatedly yelled, “FBI! Open the door!” Several loud bangs were heard a short time later. Nearby, several police officers armed with rifles stood on alert in the back of a pickup truck.

The Canada Border Services Agency issued an “armed and dangerous” alert to its officers stationed along the Canada-U.S. border.

A bulletin sent to police across the country after the attack said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks this past summer after “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” a military base.

A U.S. official said Card was assigned to support training with the Army Reserve’s 3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry Regiment, in West Point, New York, when commanders became concerned about him.

State police took Card to the Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point for evaluation, according to the official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the information and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Immediately after the shooting, police armed with rifles took positions around Lewiston, Maine’s second largest city, with a population of 37,000. The once overwhelmingly white mill community has become one of the most diverse cities in northern New England after a major influx of immigrants, mostly from Somalia, in recent years.

Schools 50 miles (80 kilometers) away in the town of Kennebunk closed as the search continued. Maine’s largest city, Portland, closed its public buildings.

In many past U.S. mass shootings, the suspect was found — whether dead or alive — within minutes. But Card was still on the loose Thursday. Lewiston was mostly empty on an unusually warm fall day. Changeable message signs reminded people to stay behind locked doors.

Art teacher Miia Zellner was one of the few people out. She came with friends to downtown Lewiston, where they hammered about 100 paper hearts into trees with the words “To My Neighbors.”

“This is just my way of showing my love and my support for the community,” she said. “I just hope that people, when they see this, get some type of positivity from it and feel some sense of hope.”

In Bates College in Lewiston, students stayed in dorms with the blinds closed, said Diana Florence, whose son is a sophomore. She has a daughter who is a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which was locked down twice last month for a shooting and a man with a gun.

“I could not believe it — that this is happening again. It’s happening to my son after it just happened to my daughter,” she said in a phone interview Thursday.

The shootings mark the 36th mass killing in the United States this year, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.

Maine doesn’t require permits to carry guns, and the state has a longstanding culture of gun ownership that is tied to its traditions of hunting and sport shooting. Keeping in mind the strong support for gun rights, lawmakers passed a “yellow flag” law in 2019 that would require police to seek a medical evaluation of anyone believed to be dangerous before then trying to take their guns away. However, critics charged that it was a weaker version of the tougher “red flag” laws that many other states have adopted.

Author Stephen King responded to the shootings Thursday morning in a pair of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“The shootings occurred less than 50 miles from where I live. I went to high school in Lisbon. It’s the rapid-fire killing machines, people. This is madness in the name of freedom. Stop electing apologists for murder,” he wrote.

7 Investigates was there for the reunion.

Here’s Karen Hensel.

Timothy Sweat/Bear’s owner: “My baby bear. I know. I miss you so much. Oh my goodness. Daddy’s here.”

Timothy Sweat has spent the last 91 days fighting for this moment.

Timothy Sweat: “My little baby boy. My little baby boy.”

On July 26, someone tried to take his dog Bear while they were on a walk in Dania Beach. Timothy fought the person off but he was severely beaten and rushed to the hospital Police took Bear to animal care for safe keeping but the shelter did not keep the Yorki-poo safe for Timothy.

Timothy Sweat: “The second I got out of the hospital, still bleeding, still had the tags on me, I got to the animal shelter and they just politely walked out and said, ‘He’s gone and we gave him away.'”

Through 7 Investigates, Timothy made a public plea to the woman who adopted Bear, Sharon Barnett

But Barnett refused to take his calls and our calls. She wouldn’t talk to us when we caught up with her at home.

With no other option, Timothy sued her in court.

Barnett told the court she gave Bear to her godson and the dog was in New Jersey.

The court ruled Bear likely belonged to Tim and he was “entitled to take possession” of the dog.

Gregory Elder/Timothy’s attorney: “So, I think she knew there was a process server and that the day of reckoning was coming.”

Attorney Gregory Elder was getting ready to ask the court to order Barnett to bring Bear back to Florida, but the family in New Jersey suddenly said they would give Bear back.

Gregory Elder: “It was a culmination of terrible events happening one after another, you know, and ultimately, of course, the worst part of it is he had to resort to the legal system.”

7 Investigates flew with Timothy to New Jersey for the reunion he feared would never happen. He was nervous until the moment bear ran into his arms.

Timothy Sweat: “My baby. We’re going to go home. Ya, we’re going to go home.”

Timothy flew Bear back here to Fort Lauderdale the same day. He is still considering a lawsuit against animal control for the money he’s spent on lawyers and flights, but for now, is just glad to have Bear back where he belongs.”

Timothy Sweat: “We’re just going to enjoy each other’s company and just get back into our normal routine and start our life again.”

A life filled with the kind of joy a precious pet can bring.

Karen Hensel, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

On Tuesday, the victim’s daughter flew from Massachusetts to see her mother’s remains.

The case started on Feb. 18, 1984 after a blond woman was found face down in a canal in Davie. The body was about 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighed 120 pounds.

“The Davie Police Department discovered the body of a woman, white female, floating in the canal near the 2600 block of 130th Avenue, which is our West Davie area,” said Davie Police Sgt. Kevin Urbaez.

The victim would go unidentified for 40 years, until Davie Police investigators reopened the cold case.

“Investigators used several resources to assist with forensic digital imagining, DNA extraction and identification of a potential family tree,” Urbaez said. “Using all those resources, investigators were able to locate the victim’s daughter.”

Using DNA from bone fragments, investigators were able to find a match with Maehgan Smith, who lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

“I was so overwhelmed because I resigned myself to the fact that I thought I’d probably never know what happened to her,” Smith said.

Smith was a small child when her mother, Lori Jane Kearsey, went missing. At the time, her parents were divorced.

“She had dropped me off on the weekend and just didn’t go back,” Smith said. “I think, ‘What was she doing down here,’ like she didn’t feel like, call anybody, and I just can’t even imagine what that feeling was like for her and it’s heartbreaking.”

Kearsey was 23 years old and had re-married.

“She re-married into a pretty infamous crime family in Boston,” Smith said.

It is unclear what she was doing in Davie, but she was strangled. Now, after 40 years, her daughter will finally lay her to rest.

“And I think the feeling of even picking up her remains, thinking I probably haven’t touched any part of her in 41 years, is just a little surreal feeling,” Smith said.

Police are still looking for clues to find Kearsey’s murderer.

“And so that’s our goal in this case, bring additional closure, but to also bring those who were involved in this criminal case to justice,” Urbaez said.

Davie Police said they are following up on some leads, however, they still need some help.

If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

The incident began when a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper clocked a Mercedes speeding at an astonishing 120 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone while crossing the Gandy Bridge in St. Petersburg. The trooper then initiated a traffic stop.

Upon approaching the driver, 31-year-old Brittany Bianchi, the trooper detected a strong odor of alcohol and noted slurred speech. The situation escalated when the trooper attempted to arrest her for DUI.

Bianchi objected, insisting she had “zero reasons to perform any sobriety” and argued against being arrested for speeding.

“You’re not arresting me for speeding. If you’re arresting me for speeding, that’s unlawful. You need to write me a ticket,” said Bianchi, captured on the trooper’s dash-cam.

Things took a physical turn when Bianchi resisted arrest, allegedly digging her fingernails into the trooper’s hands, causing him to bleed. She continued to be uncooperative even after being placed in the patrol car, demanding a female officer to secure her seat belt.

“I do not feel safe taking off in this car. I need a female officer to put a seat belt over my body before we leave,” said Bianchi in the back of the trooper’s car.

According to FHP officials, this isn’t the first time Bianchi has faced DUI charges. Records indicate two prior convictions within the last decade.

The charges stemming from this incident include resisting an officer with violence, battery on law enforcement, possession of marijuana, speeding, and driving without insurance.

Derek Rosa called 911 from Apartment 201 along the 200 block of West 79th Place to say he had stabbed his mother to death while his baby sister slept in a crib nearby.

Derek: [Indiscernible] Can you bring police over here where I live?

Dispatcher: What is your address? I need to know if your mom is breathing.

Derek: She’s dead, Miss.

Dispatcher: OK, what did you do to her?

Derek: There’s blood all over the floor.

Dispatcher: Why did you kill your mom?

During his call with the dispatcher, Rosa said he was planning on shooting himself.

Derek: Right now, I have the gun with me. I was going to shoot myself, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to.

Dispatcher: I need to know that you don’t have any guns or any knives with you.

Derek: I-I-there’s a knife in my room and there’s a gun in the living room.

Dispatcher: OK, I need you to stay away from them. Can you put them in a safe place away from where the officers can see them? I need to know, do you think we can help your mom?

Derek: Miss, She’s dead. Miss?

Dispatcher: Yes?

Derek: I took pictures and I told my friends about it. Is that bad?

Dispatcher: You told who about it?

Derek: My friends.

Dispatcher: Your friends? Did you send pictures to your friends? Is that what you did?

Derek: Yeah.

Dispatcher: Do you need fire rescue? Are you hurt?

Derek: I’m not hurt. I just have a little bit of blood on my hands and my–

Dispatcher: You have blood on your hand?

Derek: Yeah.

Rosa also told the dispatcher that he didn’t harm his newborn baby sister who was asleep in her crib.

Dispatcher: We’re there to help you. We’re gonna help you and your sister, OK?

Derek: OK.

Dispatcher: Stay with me on the line, OK? How are you doing? Are you OK?

Derek: I’m OK. I’m just really sad. I’m really sad.

Dispatcher: I understand. We’re here to help you. We’re gonna help you. We’re gonna help your sister, OK?

Derek: OK.

Dispatcher: I know you didn’t mean to do none of that that you did, OK? Do not open until I tell you to open the door. Make sure that you have nothing but your cell phone in your hand.

Derek: Miss, are they gonna kill me?

Dispatcher: No, they’re not gonna kill you. We’re here to help you, OK? We’re gonna help your family, OK?

He stayed with on the line with the dispatcher for nearly 18 minutes until police were heard at the door.

Rosa is in secure detention and will remain there until his next date in court in November.

A Hollywood resident awoke to a startling sight on Saturday morning when he found an iguana inside his toilet.

“There’s nothing like getting up in the morning and finding an iguana in your toilet,” Gary Greenspan said. “I went to use the restroom, open the lid of my toilet and jump back about four feet.”

Greenspan then called animal control and a friend to help catch the slippery guy, but it slithered off down the toilet pipes to surprise another one of his neighbors.

“My neighbor texted me that he had found a lizard in his toilet and caught it,” he said.

Greenspan was singing praises because he wasn’t about to go down the hole and grab this green guy.

“When it comes to snakes, spiders, large lizards, I’ll be the first to say I’m not a manly man when it comes to that,” he said.

Eventually, he and his neighbor got the lizard back to where it belongs.

“He had it in a clear plastic box and I was very happy, obviously, and we took it up the road and let it loose,” he said.

Greenspan and his neighbors are now hoping that this iguana doesn’t pop back up through the pipes, but now they know what to do if they meet again.

According to a tweet from @FBIMiami, agents are in the vicinity of the 7200 block of Northwest 68th Drive. The public was urged to avoid the area but the situation has since been resolved.

Video of the scene showed SWAT vehicles, fire rescue crews and Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies as they aided FBI agents in surrounding a home where the suspect was in.

Authorities eventually broke down a fence and window to gain entry into the house and were able to arrest Volodimyr Pigida.

Last December, a jury in Washington found Pigida guilty in a ponzi scheme that defrauded thousands of victims more than $11 million.

A warrant was issued for he arrest after he failed to show up at his sentencing hearing back in August.

According to authorities, the criminal operation, which spanned throughout South Florida, consisted of approximately 87 individuals who carried out a series of thefts from big-box retailers over nine months. Their approach was simple: enter the stores and take as much merchandise as possible.

“These individuals would sometimes obtain master keys and empty whole shelves of over-the-counter prescription medications or simply walk out with high-value items like a $3,000 golf bag,” said George Aguire, an official from the Miami Dade Organized Crime Bureau.

Authorities said Arland Cata played a significant role within the criminal operation, handling the stolen products. He allegedly assessed the value of the stolen items and compensated the individuals involved based on the items’ worth.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody emphasized that such crimes harm not only the stores but also law-abiding customers who end up paying higher prices to compensate for these losses.

“These criminals cause these expenses to businesses, and they are then passed on to you and me,” Moody said. “All law-abiding Floridians pay when they go to the cash register.”

Law enforcement officials have made progress in apprehending the culprits but are still in the process of arresting a few more individuals before bringing the crime ring to a complete halt.

City of Miami Police units responded to the scene of the shooting at a business in the area of Southwest 10th Terrace and 27th Avenue, just after 3:20 p.m., Sunday.

Officers arrived to find the 22-year-old victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.

Officials with Miami Fire Rescue said crews rushed the patient to Ryder Trauma Center in serious but stable condition.

Witnesses told 7News the shooter took off.

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. As of Sunday night, police have not made any arrests.

If you have any information on this shooting or the subject’s whereabouts, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

The large reptile was spotted in the canals of the neighborhood, and residents said it was attacking ducks.

Resident Carolina Guetmonovitch said she’s scared to go outside at night.

“It’s a little scary. I would have walked right towards the little ducks, but now I won’t, because I’m scared,” she said, “and I’m checking the yard every time I go outside or I let my pets out.”

Both police and the Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission said they won’t remove the crocodile because the animal is in its natural habitat.