Man arrested for 1992 double murder says he was ‘very drunk,’ has ‘snippets’ of memories of crime

Man arrested for 1992 double murder says he was ‘very drunk,’ has ‘snippets’ of memories of crime
Man arrested for 1992 double murder says he was ‘very drunk,’ has ‘snippets’ of memories of crime
Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images

(WEYAUWEGA, Wisc.) — A Wisconsin man, 51-year-old Tony Haase, has been arrested for a 1992 double murder after police used DNA from a recent traffic stop to connect him to the crime. He told police last week he was in a “drunken stupor” and has “snippets” of memories of the crime, according to the criminal complaint.

On March 21, 1992, Timothy Mumbrue, Tanna Togstad and Togstad’s dog were found stabbed to death at Togstad’s Weyauwega, Wisconsin, home, according to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

The murders went unsolved for decades, even as police collected DNA, re-tested evidence, conducted interviews and executed search warrants, according to the criminal complaint.

At one point Haase was identified in the investigation, the criminal complaint said. A DNA sample was taken from a pen Haase used during a traffic stop in July 2022, and that DNA sample was determined to be a match to fluids on Togstad’s body, the complaint said.

In a police interview on Aug. 11, 2022, Haase revealed his father was friends with Togstad’s father, according to the complaint.

Haase told investigators that he’d never been to Togstad’s home and denied involvement in the murders, the complaint said.

But Haase also told police “he had ‘snippets/blurbs’ of memories through the years that he attributed to the murders,” the complaint said. “Those ‘snippets’ included remembering walking down the front steps of the house and vomiting in the yard” and leaving her driveway, the complaint said.

Haase said those memories “made him very nervous and scared that he was involved,” according to the complaint.

He later told police that his father died a snowmobile accident when he was a child. Haase said several people were racing and collided, and that one of the snowmobile drivers was Togstad’s father, the complaint said.

Haase told police that the night of the crime, he got “very drunk” and started thinking about his father’s death, which led him to thinking about going to Togstad’s home, the complaint said.

In a “drunken stupor,” Haase said he had a “scuffle” with Mumbrue, “and he moved his arm in a stabbing motion toward Mumbrue’s chest,” the complaint said.

Haase said Togstad yelled, “what the f—” and he then punched her in the face, the complaint said.

When “Togstad started to ‘stir,'” he said he stabbed her in the chest, the complaint said.

Haase said the crime was not planned and “he did not know why he did it,” according to the complaint. He said when he “saw the news report he thought ‘Holy f—, what did I do,'” the complaint said.

Haase, of Weyauwega, was charged Friday with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide, the Wisconsin Department of Justice announced Monday. He does not have an attorney. He has not entered a plea and is due back in court on Tuesday.

ABC News’ Alex Faul contributed to this report.

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New heat wave builds as flash flooding targets several states

New heat wave builds as flash flooding targets several states
New heat wave builds as flash flooding targets several states
ABC News

(NEW YORK) — A new heat wave is building in the South and West as flash flooding targets several Western states.

Heat advisories are in effect across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The heat index — what a temperature feels like — is forecast Monday to jump to a sweltering 106 degrees in Jackson, Mississippi; 100 in New Orleans and Houston; 103 in Dallas; and 104 in Austin, Texas; Shreveport, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Oklahoma City.

An excessive heat watch has also been issued on the West Coast.

On Wednesday, temperatures in California are expected to climb to 108 in Bakersfield and Fresno, 105 in Sacramento and 110 in Redding. Temperatures are also forecast to reach the triple digits in Oregon and Washington.

Meanwhile, flash flooding targeted drought-stricken Texas over the weekend, dropping 5 to 10 inches of rain on extremely dry soil.

Corpus Christi saw a record rainfall of 2.29 inches on Sunday.

Flash flooding also covered roads in Arizona on Sunday; some areas saw up to 4 inches of rain this weekend.

Four states are under flood alerts Monday morning, from Texas to Colorado.

Arizona is now getting a break from the monsoon rain, but the same system that brought flooding to Corpus Christi will move into the Arizona by the end of the week with more heavy rain.

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Viral TikTok trend sparks dramatic rise in car thefts

Viral TikTok trend sparks dramatic rise in car thefts
Viral TikTok trend sparks dramatic rise in car thefts
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(NEW YORK) — A viral TikTok trend has sparked a rash of car thefts in cities across the U.S.

The TikTok videos demonstrate how a person can start a car without a key by using only a screwdriver and a USB phone charger to hot-wire automobiles, with some Kia and Hyundai models particularly vulnerable.

In Cook County, Illinois, which includes Chicago, the state’s most populous city, local authorities say they’ve seen a 767% increase in Kia and Hyundai car thefts since 2021. Since July 1, the county has received 642 reported Kia and Hyndai vehicle thefts, a dramatic rise from last year’s 74 reported thefts.

“This is an extremely concerning trend and the public needs to know so they can be vigilant in protecting themselves,” Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart said in a statement.

The hack only works on cars with keys that don’t have engine immobilizers, a type of anti-theft technology that uses a computer chip to help an engine recognize a corresponding key.

Authorities are blaming a social media challenge for an alarming rise in car thefts.

Hyundai told Good Morning America the TikTok videos target Hyundai models that were made before November 2021 and the automaker plans to roll out security kits for those models starting in October.

In a statement, the company said it will work with police departments to “make steering wheel locks available for affected Hyundai owners.”

Police in Park Forest, Illinois, about 35 miles south of Chicago, said in a social media post that the cars most likely affected are select 2011-2021 Kia and 2015-2021 Hyundai models.

“Vehicles in those model years that are not equipped with a push-button start are more easily started without a key (hotwired) than cars from other manufacturers,” the department said in a July 30 Facebook post.

Some Kia and Hyundai owners have since filed a class-action lawsuit in Missouri and Kansas, as reported by ABC affiliate KMBC.

To prevent a car theft, the National Insurance Crime Bureau recommends using visible or audible devices, such as steering wheel locks, brake locks, wheel locks, steering column collars, audible alarms and theft deterrent decals as part of a multi-pronged approach to discourage would-be thieves. Law enforcement officials are also reminding drivers to park in well-lit areas and public locations.

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Man fatally shot during youth football game near Dallas

Man fatally shot during youth football game near Dallas
Man fatally shot during youth football game near Dallas
Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

(LANCASTER, Texas) — A man was killed during a youth football game in Lancaster, Texas, Saturday night after an argument escalated into a shooting, according to police.

Witnesses told Lancaster police that the coaching staff and officials had gotten into a disagreement that became physical, leading to the shooting.

Lancaster police said they’re searching for Yaqub Salik Talib, the brother of former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

“Upon arrival, officers were notified of a disagreement among coaching staff and the officiating crew,” the Lancaster Police Department said in a press release. “During the disagreement, the opposing coaching staff were involved in a physical altercation and one of the individuals involved in the altercation discharged a firearm striking one adult male.”

The man was taken to a hospital, where he later died, according to Lancaster police.

The victim was identified Sunday as Michael “Mike” Hickmon, a youth football coach, according to the family, who has released a statement.

“On behalf of the Hickmon family we would like to thank everyone for the onslaught of [love] we’ve received,” the family said in a statement. “This is a very difficult time for our family and community. Michael was our everything. He was incredibly kind and generous. He loved to laugh and make others laugh. He could also be sarcastic and drive you crazy. But we loved him, because all of those things made him, him.”

“Mike loved his family,” the statement continued. “He adored his wife. He loved being a dad and grandpa. He was a great provider. The best brother you could ask for. He loved football and boxing, he went to as many fights as he could. He loved boxing so much, he also worked boxing matches. He loved to travel. Our family is grieving. Hard. Right now we don’t see an end to our grief. But what I know for sure is… We will find a way to move forward. We don’t have a choice. We miss him immensely. We always will. We will love him forever.”

Authorities have not publicly identified the victim.

The shooting happened at around 8:50 p.m. at the Lancaster Community Park, Lancaster police officials said in the press release. An investigation is ongoing.

Police said if people have any information about Yaqub Salik Talib’s whereabouts, please contact Detective Senad Deranjic at 972-218-2756.

Lancaster is located in Dallas County.

ABC News’ Nic Uff, Marcus Moore and Marilyn Heck contributed to this report.

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What to know about the spotted lanternfly, the insect experts say to squish

What to know about the spotted lanternfly, the insect experts say to squish
What to know about the spotted lanternfly, the insect experts say to squish
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(NEW YORK) — Scientists have a message about the spotted lanternfly: If you see one, squish it.

While that may sound harsh for bug lovers out there, experts say spotted lanternflies can be devastating to agriculture.

“It’s a good idea if you can kill them, to do that,” Brian Eshenaur, a senior extension associate for ornamental crops at Cornell University’s pest management division, told ABC News.

The New York City Parks Department offers similar guidance on its website.

“Harming our city’s wildlife is broadly prohibited, but in an effort to slow the spread of this troublesome species, the current guidance remains: if you see a spotted lanternfly, please squish and dispose of this invasive pest,” the department says.

New York state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, Department of Environmental Conservation and the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation launched a program this year to train volunteers on how to identify and track the invasive species in the state.

The invasive species originated in Asia but was first found in the U.S. in Pennsylvania in 2014 and soon after in other states in the Northeast, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia.

The insect, known scientifically as the Lycorma delicatula, feeds on at least 70 different species of trees, as well as vines and shrubs, including fruit trees, grapevines and several hardwoods, according to a report from the University of Michigan.

The lanternfly isn’t dangerous to people and pets, experts say. The insect is viewed as more of a nuisance since they don’t bite or sting.

So if you plan on being vigilant for spotted lanternflies this summer, here are some key things to know.

Keep an eye out in backyards and parks

The bugs gather in large numbers and can be found in backyard trees and in parks, where they feed on trees and ooze a sugary substance called honeydew, which then can cause a sooty mold that can land on lawn furniture or your car, Eshenaur said.

The female lantern fly can lay between 30 and 50 eggs each, usually between September and October. The eggs hatch in the spring, where baby lanternflies called nymphs emerge, before becoming fully grown around July, according to the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.

They favor warmer temperatures

Climate change could exacerbate the problem, experts say.

“The spotted lanternfly needs a long growing season to complete their lifecycle,” Eshenaur said. “With earlier spring and later fall frost that could favor the development of the lanternfly and increase the range in which they can survive at.”

Insect development depends on the temperature, Kelly Oten, assistant professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University, told ABC News.

“As the temperature is warm, their development increases, which means they’re going to actively feed for longer periods of time, potentially causing more damage,” Oten said.

They’re a threat to agriculture

Wine lovers, here’s some bad news.

The spotted lanternfly can be devastating to the multi-billion-dollar wine industry since they feed on grapes, reduce their crops and diminish the quality of grapes, according to Oten.

Overall, they’re a huge threat to agriculture. If the species were to spread through Pennsylvania, the expected losses to the state’s economy would be nearly $554 million a year and potentially lead to the loss of 4,987 jobs, according to a 2019 impact study from Penn State University.

For forestry, the estimated economic loss could be up to $152.6 million annually throughout Pennsylvania, the study found.

What to do if you see one

Killing the pest if you encounter it isn’t the only way to address the problem.

People should check outdoor items for spotted lanternfly eggs, which can look like a mass covered with gray wax. Scrape them off, put the mass in a plastic zippered bag with hand sanitizer and throw it out, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.

While spotted lanternflies can’t kill trees, they can cause damage to them. People can also use insecticides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, which can kill lanternflies and not harm trees.

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Man kills himself after ramming car into Capitol barricade, police say

Man kills himself after ramming car into Capitol barricade, police say
Man kills himself after ramming car into Capitol barricade, police say
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(WASHINGTON) — A man fatally shot himself after ramming his car into a security barricade at the Capitol early Sunday morning, police said.

U.S. Capitol Police said in an initial, brief statement that a man exited his vehicle after crashing it around 4 a.m., after which the vehicle “became engulfed in flames.”

The man then “fired several shots into the air” and shot himself as officers approached, police said.

“They had heard the gunshots, and Capitol police officers were responding. As [the man] got just onto the East Front of the Capitol property, one of our officers observed him to put the gun to his head and shoot himself,” Chief Tom Manger told reporters later Sunday. “Our officers then made sure that he was not a threat and then approached him. And, in fact, he was deceased.”

Late Sunday afternoon, police identified the man as 29-year old Richard A. York III, of Delaware, and said his next of kin had been notified.

His motive remained unclear, police said then.

Nobody else was injured in the incident and York did not seem to be targeting members of Congress, which is in recess, the police said in their first statement.

“[I]t does not appear officers fired their weapons,” police said.

An investigation was underway into York’s background, according to authorities. D.C. police are “handling the death investigation.” In a separate statement D.C. police confirmed this but said they had “no further details on the identification of the decedent or motive” no share.

Manger said in Sunday’s press conference that it was unclear if the incident was the result of a mental health emergency.

“A very preliminary check didn’t reveal anything on social media,” he said, adding, “Part of the investigation is we talk to this individual’s family and friends to see, perhaps, if we can get more information from them.”

York was not known to Capitol Police prior to this incident, Manger said.

“We do know that the subject has a criminal history over the past 10 years or so,” he said. “But nothing that, at this point, would link him to anything here at the Capitol.”

The incident comes amid what law enforcement has called heightened concerns of political violence — and in the shadow of alarming attacks at the Capitol in the past two years.

A Capitol Police officer was killed in a car-ramming attack in April 2021 just months after the deadly insurrection in which a violent mob ransacked the building and sent lawmakers temporarily into hiding.

Several officers died following that riot, including some from suicide.

ABC News’ Tia Humphries and Beatrice Peterson contributed to this report.

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Man charged with 2 counts of homicide after driving car into fundraiser, allegedly killing mom

Man charged with 2 counts of homicide after driving car into fundraiser, allegedly killing mom
Man charged with 2 counts of homicide after driving car into fundraiser, allegedly killing mom
Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — A 24-year-old man was being held without bail on Sunday after police alleged he deliberately drove a car into a crowd at a Pennsylvania fundraiser, killing a woman and injuring 17 people, before allegedly hitting his mother and bludgeoning her to death with a hammer in a neighboring town.

Pennsylvania State Police identified the suspect early Sunday as Adrian Oswaldo Sura Reyes after he was arraigned in court on two counts of criminal homicide.

A motive in the two unrelated fatal incidents is under investigation.

The deadly back-to-back episodes unfolded Saturday evening when Reyes allegedly drove a car into a crowd of people gathered at a Pennsylvania bar to support the victims of a recent deadly fire, state police said.

Geisinger Hospital confirmed in a statement it was providing care for more than 15 patients, including four in critical condition.

State police were called to the area near the Intoxicology Department bar in Berwick at about 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Anthony Petroski told reporters.

Police said a vehicle “drove through a crowd at a community event.”

Troopers then received a call about a man allegedly assaulting a woman in the neighboring town of Nescopeck, Petroski said. He said officers arrived to find a woman dead at the scene. Officers detained Reyes, who they said was a suspect in both incidents, police said.

The Luzerne County Coroner’s office identified the victim of the Nescopeck attack as Rosa Reyes, 56, and ruled her death a homicide after an autopsy showed she died from being hit by a vehicle and assaulted with a hammer.

The coroner’s office told ABC News that Rosa Reyes is the suspect’s mother.

The name of the person killed in the alleged Berwick attack has not been released.

“These investigations are very active,” police said in a statement.

Reliance Fire Company No. 1, which serves Berwick, said crews responded to the scene of a “mass casualty incident” at the bar Saturday evening.

The bar was hosting a benefit for the families affected by a deadly house fire that occurred in Nescopeck earlier this month. Ten people, including three children, were killed in the Aug. 5 blaze, while three adults were able to make it out safely. The cause of the fire, which destroyed the home, remains under investigation.

The restaurant where Saturday’s fundraiser was taking place issued a statement on its Facebook page.

“Today was an absolute tragedy. We will be closed until further notice. Please respect our privacy while we grieve and try to process the events that occurred. Thank you,” the statement read.

ABC News’ Darren J. Reynolds contributed to this report.

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Teen charged with murder after allegedly killing Texas woman visiting son’s grave

Teen charged with murder after allegedly killing Texas woman visiting son’s grave
Teen charged with murder after allegedly killing Texas woman visiting son’s grave
Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Police in Texas have arrested a 17-year-old suspect in the murder of Yolanda N’Gaojia, officials said in a press release.

The Killeen Police Department identified Christian Lamar Weston in connection with N’ Gaojia’s March 22 death. He’s currently being held with no bond, police said Saturday.

In addition to murder, Weston was charged with the unlicensed carrying of a weapon, and that bond was set at $5,000. The charges are not related to one another, police said.

The 52-year-old mother was shot and killed while visiting her son’s grave on what would have been his 22nd birthday, according to ABC News Central Texas affiliate KXXV.

Police said when they responded to the scene at Calvary Baptist Church Garden of Memories Cemetery in March, they found two people with gunshot wounds. The second victim was treated and released at the scene with non-life-threatening injuries, Killeen police said.

Police said that N’Gaojia died from her injuries nearly two hours after she was shot.

Under Texas law, a 17-year-old can be charged as an adult, police confirmed. Weston is waiting to be sent to the Bell County Jail, police said.

Killeen, Texas, is near the Fort Hood military base and about 70 miles north of Austin.

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Nearly one million Michigan residents on water boil notice after main leak

Nearly one million Michigan residents on water boil notice after main leak
Nearly one million Michigan residents on water boil notice after main leak
Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)

(NEW YORK) — Nearly 1 million Michigan residents are under a boil water advisory after a leak was discovered in a major water main that serves the Detroit area.

The Great Lakes Water Authority said it discovered a break early Saturday on a 10-foot water transmission main that distributes drinking water from its Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility.

Out of an “abundance of caution,” the water authority issued a precautionary boil water advisory for the 23 communities that are serviced by the water main, it said in a statement.

An estimated 935,000 people, as well as businesses in Greenwood and Imlay Township, are potentially impacted, the water authority said.

The water authority listed the city of Flint among the affected communities. But city officials in Flint said they switched to a secondary water supply line following the emergency alert from the Great Lakes Water Authority, which is its primary water source. The city’s water quality therefore is unaffected and residents do not need to boil water, the officials said.

Great Lakes Water Authority crews were working to isolate the leak — which was identified in Port Huron, approximately one mile west of the Lake Huron Water Treatment Facility — to begin repair work.

“Once the leak is isolated, crews will begin to open emergency connections to other mains in the system to restore some flow to the impacted communities,” the authority said.

The water authority is also investigating the cause of the leak.

A loss of water pressure in a water system could lead to bacterial contamination, officials warned. As a precaution, impacted residents are urged to boil water for at least one minute before drinking it, or use bottled or disinfected water, until further notice.

The boil water advisory will be lifted once sampling shows the water is safe to drink, the water authority said.

It is unclear how long it will take to repair the water main break.

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Salman Rushdie attack suspect: What investigators are saying

Salman Rushdie attack suspect: What investigators are saying
Salman Rushdie attack suspect: What investigators are saying
David Levenson/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — Law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation into Salman Rushdie’s attack told ABC News that “a preliminary investigation into the suspected perpetrator’s probable social media presence indicates a likely adherence or sympathy towards Shi’a extremism and sympathies to the Iranian regime/Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

Author Salman Rushdie was attacked while giving a lecture at an education center, the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, in southwestern New York, Friday morning. Rushdie was stabbed at least once in the neck and abdomen, after a man ran up on stage and attacked him and his interviewer. The interviewer was not injured.

But, Rushdie’s agent told ABC News on Friday that he will likely lose an eye, the nerves in his arm were severed and his liver was stabbed and damaged.

Law enforcement have identified Rushdie’s attacker as 24-year-old Hadi Matar of New Jersey. Matar is currently in New York State Police custody. Matar is charged with felony attempted second-degree murder and second-degree assault.

Matar was processed at SP Jamestown and transported to Chautauqua County Jail and will be arraigned on Aug.13.

The suspect was born in California, sources told ABC News. On the suspect’s phone, investigators say they found photos of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the leader of Iraq’s pro-Iranian militia movement, also killed by U.S. forces. Police recovered a fake New Jersey driver’s license, which appears to have used the suspect’s picture with the alias “Hassan Mughniyah,” a possible reference to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah, and Imad Mughniyeh, who was the group’s No. 2 official before being killed in 2008, sources said.

 Detectives are now calling the attack an “apparent assassination attempt” by “an individual with strong indicators of ideological support for the Iranian regime.” They said the incident occurred during a period of “plot disruptions” apparently connected to the current state of U.S.-Iran tensions.

Investigators are noting Iran continues to threaten its enemies around the world as part of its stated play for revenge for the killings of Soleimani and al-Muhandis.

 Investigators say they do not know, at this point, whether the Ayatollah’s prior call to assassinate Rushdie was a motivator. No Iranian official has commented on the attack yet.

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and a prominent Shi’a Muslim figure, issued a “fatwa,” a religious decree, on Feb. 14, 1989, calling for the death of Rushdie and his publishers over his book “The Satanic Verses.” Officials stress that the probe is ongoing and information is subject to change. The incident occurred less than 24 hours ago.

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