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(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — A surge of federal agents arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday to take part in immigration arrests despite protests from the mayor and other local officials.

Eyewitnesses filmed and photographed several incidents where masked agents arrested residents. Paula Walker Coleman filmed one of the incidents at a parking lot and told ABC News she witnessed agents arrest another woman who was filming.

“She was close to their car recording and her hand hit their car while recording so they jumped out the vehicle. That’s why she was saying her hand was shaking and that’s what made her touch their car,” Coleman told ABC News.

The Border Patrol operations, led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection commander-at-large Greg Bovino and dubbed “Operation Charlotte Web,” have not yet had any major clashes with local police or people in Charlotte,” sources told ABC News.

“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens and President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.

Willy Aceituno, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Honduras, told The Associated Press he was forcibly taken into a Border Patrol vehicle and only released after showing his citizenship documents. Aceituno, who works in the Charlotte area, said he had been stopped twice by Border Patrol on Saturday, and agents smashed one of his car windows.

As word of the surge increased during the week, North Carolina officials dismissed arguments by the Trump administration that an increased federal presence was needed.

“We should all focus on arresting violent criminals and drug traffickers. Unfortunately, that’s not always what we’ve seen with ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere in the country,”  North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, said in a statement Friday.

Stein encouraged North Carolinians to record any “inappropriate behavior” and follow the law.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, also a Democrat, released a joint statement Saturday with Mark Jerrell, the chair of the city’s Board of County Commissioners, and Stephanie Sneed, the chair of the local board of education, where they expressed support for their constituents.

“It is critical for all residents to feel secure in our community and know they can live their lives without being fearful while walking down the street, going to school, work or the grocery store,” they said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said in a statement on Friday that it is not involved in any planning by the federal agents.

“CMPD officers are not authorized to assist with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) administrative warrants, which are civil in nature and not criminal,” the department said.

The North Carolina city of Asheville is also on alert for ICE-related activity in its city, Mayor Esther Manheimer said in a statement Saturday.

“We have learned that Asheville may be a targeted city,” she said. “We believe every person, regardless of immigration status, should feel safe in the community they call home.”

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(NORFOLK, Va.) — A man suspected of killing at least three other people has now been identified as the suspect in a teenager’s 1988 cold case murder, Virginia authorities announced.

Laurie Ann Powell, 18, was last seen alive on March 8, 1988, walking along a road in Gloucester County, which is about 60 miles east of Richmond, Virginia State Police spokesperson Robin Lawson said at a news conference on Friday.

Powell’s body was found on April 2, 1988, in the Elizabeth River near Craney Island, which is just off of Norfolk, Lawson said. She had been stabbed multiple times, Lawson said.

Alan Wilmer Sr. — who died at his Virginia home in December 2017 at the age of 63 — has now been linked to Powell’s case via DNA, and if he was alive today, he would be charged with her murder, authorities announced.

Last year, investigators determined Wilmer was also the suspect in three other murders: David Knobling and Robin Edwards from 1987 and Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell from 1989, officials said.

The murders of Knobling and Edwards were from “a series of double murders collectively known as the Colonial Parkway murders,” Lawson said.

Investigators are now looking into if Wilmer is suspected of committing additional crimes, she said.

“We are still seeking the public’s help through our continued efforts to seek justice for the victims of these and other unsolved crimes,” Lawson said.

“Any tip could be useful in solving other cold cases,” Virginia State Police Capt. Timothy Reibel added.

Powell’s sister, Cindy Kirchner, spoke at the news conference about the 18-year-old’s short life, saying, “She didn’t wait for life to happen — she made it happen.”

“She was bold, brave, spontaneous, full of life, witty, smart and beautifully herself. A true firecracker,” Kirchner said. “She spoke her mind, followed her heart and never apologized for being herself.”

“After 37 years of heartbreak and unanswered questions, our family has finally received the long-awaited news that the murder of our beloved daughter, sister, Laurie Ann, has been solved,” Kirchner said, overcome with emotion. “While nothing can erase the pain of losing Laurie Ann, today we find comfort knowing that the truth has come to light.”

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(MONTEREY, Calif.) — A father is dead and the search for a 5-year-old girl is ongoing after a large wave pulled them into the ocean in Monterey County, California, authorities said.

A 15-to-20 foot wave swept the little girl and her dad into the Pacific Ocean just before 1 p.m. Friday near the Rocky Point Restaurant, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said.

When the mom tried to reach out to the girl and the dad, the mom was also swept into the water, authorities said.

While the dad held onto the 5-year-old, the mom made it back to shore, joining a 2-year-old who wasn’t hurt, authorities said.

The dad was rescued from the ocean and given CPR, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead, according to the sheriff’s office.

The mom was hospitalized in stable condition with mild hypothermia, the sheriff’s office said.

A Coast Guard helicopter is a part of Saturday’s search for the missing 5-year-old.

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(NEW YORK) — A storm is dropping rounds of heavy rain on more than 22 million people across Southern California on Saturday, and the rainfall could spark dangerous flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows.

Here’s the latest:

The first round of heavy rain is slamming the region early Saturday morning, and the second round will hit between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time.

Rainfall rates could top 1 inch per hour and scattered thunderstorms could bring strong winds, lightning and potentially hail.

Flood watches are in effect in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Riverside and San Diego through Saturday evening. A level 3 out of 4 risk for excessive rainfall and flash flooding is in place for the LA and Santa Barbara areas.

Wildfire burn scar areas are of serious concern on Saturday because they’re extremely prone to flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows. But flooding and mudslides pose a major threat to Southern California in general, beyond just burn scar areas.

Evacuation warnings are in place for certain areas with burn scars, while some evacuation orders have been issued for select areas that have a heightened risk of mudslides and debris flows.

The mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties will likely see some of the biggest rain totals, with as much as 4 to 6 inches of rain. On average, LA records 0.8 inches of rain in the entire month of November.

The heavy rain will end Saturday night, but an unsettled weather pattern will stick around into early next week with more wet weather on the way. Flash flooding, debris flows, mudslides and landslides will remain concerns for several days as more rain falls over saturated soils and very sensitive areas.

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(NEW YORK) — The United States is maintaining a presence at COP30, despite the Trump administration declining to send an official delegation to the climate conference in Brazil.

This is the first time since the inaugural Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995 that the U.S. will not be officially represented at the annual climate summit.

However, a large number of state and local representatives — as well as environmental nonprofits based in the U.S. — are in attendance.

A coalition of 100 local U.S. leaders — including governors, mayors and other top city and state officials — made the trip to Belem, Brazil, as part of the U.S. Climate Alliance. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, among the notable Americans at COP30, bashed President Donald Trump for disregarding the event, which kicked off Monday.

“While Donald Trump skips the world stage, California is showing up — leading, partnering, and proving what American climate leadership looks like,” Newsom said on Tuesday.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, said in a press conference on Friday that the “Trump administration simply does not represent the American public on climate issues.”

Whitehouse, a ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, accused the current administration of representing the fossil fuel industry, “most particularly the big fossil fuel donors who contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump’s political campaign.”

Why the U.S. did not send any delegates to COP30
The Trump administration declined to send an official delegation to COP30, according to the White House.

“The U.S. is not sending any high level representatives to COP30,” a White House official told ABC News ahead of the start of the conference. “The president is directly engaging with leaders around the world on energy issues, which you can see from the historic trade deals and peace deals that all have a significant focus on energy partnerships.”

Last week, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told The Associated Press that COP30 is “essentially a hoax.”

“It’s not an honest organization looking to better human lives,” Wright told the AP, follow a two-day business conference in Athens.

Wright added that he may attend next year’s climate conference “just to try to deliver some common sense.”

The record-breaking U.S. federal government shutdown, which ended late Wednesday, also prevented federal lawmakers from attending the conference.

Who is at COP30?
Most of the nearly 200 countries that participate in the UNFCCC attend COP.

A total of 193 countries, plus the European Union, registered a delegation for the summit. Even North Korea sent a delegation to the climate summit, according to a Carbon Brief analysis.

The only other countries not in attendance are Afghanistan, Myanmar and San Marino, with each having displayed “sporadic” attendance at past conferences, according to Carbon Brief.

Other notable U.S. politicians who made the event include Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former Vice President Al Gore.

Several mayors of American cities are also in attendance, including Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley and Savannah Mayor Van Johnson.

American cities have always been at the forefront of innovation and climate action, said Gallego, chair of Climate Mayors and C40 Cities vice chair, in a statement.

“Mayors across the country are doubling down to fill the current void of leadership at the federal level,” Gallego said.

Other notable attendees from the U.S. at COP30 this year include Taryn Finnessey, managing director of the U.S. Climate Alliance.

Why experts say it’s important that the US participates in COP30
It is integral that the U.S., as one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, to be present at every COP, environmental advocates told ABC News.

The U.S. shapes markets, capital flows and technology pathways, and therefore engagement by Americans signals to investors that the world’s largest economy understands the competitiveness, innovation, security and supply-chain stakes of the energy transition, Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, told ABC News.

“The U.S. has a decisive role in global climate, energy and industrial policy, so sub-national leaders, non-state actors and businesses showing up at COP30 matters,” Mendiluce said.

Being on the ground at COP is “essential” so delegations can engage with “full strength,” Max Frankel, director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Institute, told ABC News.

In addition, the scope and urgency of the climate crisis demands an international response, Max Holmes, president and CEO of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, told ABC News.

It is important to let other countries know that many Americans are still working to combat climate change, Lynda Hopkins, supervisor of California’s 5th district, County of Sonoma, told ABC News.

Although the White House isn’t in Belem to represent U.S. interest, Americans at COP30 are still working for solutions that are in the best interest of the country, Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, told ABC News.

“While the Trump administration retreats, the people and companies here are seizing the opportunity to innovate, create jobs, and build safer, healthier futures,” Krupp said.

Although Hopkins said she and other American subnational delegates were “warmly received” by other countries, some prominent figures at COP30 indicated that the U.S. was not needed at the conference to accomplish goals.

Christiana Figueres, a diplomat from Costa Rica who played a key role in the inception of the 2015 Paris Agreement, said the U.S. would not be able to “do their direct bullying” due to the Trump administration’s boycott of the summit.

“I actually think it is a good thing,” Figueres said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Figueres then said, “Ciao, bambino,” which translates to “Bye, little boy,” in Italian, in response to Trump withdrawing from the Paris Agreement for the second time.

Patrick Drupp, director of climate policy for the Sierra Club, described the Trump administration’s absence as “shortsighted decision” and a “slap in the face” to Americans who want clean air and water and lower energy costs.

“The reality is that this work will continue with or without America,” Frankel said.

COP30 is scheduled to run through Nov. 21.

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(MARYVILLE, Tenn.) — Two law enforcement officers were injured in a crash during an “executive protection mission” in Maryville, Tennessee, officials said.

The incident occurred Friday evening south of Knoxville on East Lamar Alexander Parkway at Merritt Road in Maryville, according to a statement from the Maryville City Government.

An officer in the Maryville Police Department’s motor unit was involved in a crash with a state trooper “during an executive protection mission involving multiple law enforcement agencies,” Maryville officials said.

Both were transported to an area hospital for treatment. One officer is in critical condition, according to Maryville officials, who did not provide further information on the injuries the officer suffered in the crash.

“We ask everyone to keep the officer, family and the medical staff in your prayers,” Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp said in a statement. “All of us at the Maryville Police Department appreciate the concern and outpouring of support from this incredible community.”

City officials said additional information will be released as it becomes available.

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(OAKLAND, Calif.) — Legendary former football coach John Beam died on Friday morning after he was shot on the Laney College campus in Oakland, California, on Thursday, the Oakland Police Department said, as authorities announced a suspect’s arrest.

Beam, featured in Netflix’s “Last Chance U,” is a football legend in the Bay Area and had coached the sport for over 40 years before becoming solely the school’s athletic director last year.

Beam was at the Laney Fieldhouse when he was shot shortly before noon on Thursday, authorities said. The alleged shooter fled the scene.

Police combed through surveillance footage, and at 3:15 a.m. Friday, a person matching the suspect’s description was spotted at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station and was taken into custody, Oakland police said.

Police did not discuss a possible motive.

The suspect — 27-year-old Cedric Irving — did know the coach, but “they did not have a relationship,” police said. Irving played high school football in the Bay Area, but never played for Beam.

Irving didn’t attend Laney College or work at the college, but he went to campus “for a specific reason” and “has been known to loiter on or around the campus,” police said.

Oakland police said Irving was not known to the department.

A gun recovered from the suspect is the same caliber as the casings and rounds recovered at the crime scene, police added.

Beam, who was hospitalized in critical condition, died at about 10 a.m. Friday, Gloria Beltran of the Oakland police said.

Piedmont Police Chief Frederick Shavies called the coach an “absolutely incredible human being.”

“Our hearts are aching,” Shavies said.

“Coach John Beam was a giant in Oakland and mentored thousands,” Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said at a news conference on Friday.

“He gave Oakland’s youth their best chance,” Lee said.

“Coach Beam’s legacy isn’t measured in championships or statistics … it’s measured in the thousands of young people he believed in, mentored and refused to abandon, including my nephew,” Lee said.

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(NEW YORK) — A inmate in Louisiana is on the run after allegedly throwing a chemical substance at an officer and escaping from jail, according to the Berwick Police Department.

Cecil Michael Stratton, 46, fled from prison on Wednesday at approximately 10:12 p.m. local time while jailers were “securing inmates during lockdown procedures,” police said in a statement on Thursday.

During a “brief struggle” between Stratton and authorities, a chemical substance was hurled into an officer’s face, allowing for Stratton — and another inmate who has since been recaptured — to flee, police said.

As of Friday afternoon, the multi-agency manhunt continues for Stratton, police confirmed to ABC News.

“We are asking for the public’s assistance in reviewing any home or business surveillance cameras for suspicious activity that may have occurred in your area,” police said. “Even the smallest detail could be helpful to our investigation.”

Stratton, who is allegedly known to have “violent tendencies,” has previously escaped from a prison in North Louisiana, police said.

He is wanted for unauthorized entry of a critical infrastructure, disarming a peace officer, battery of a police officer, aggravated battery and aggravated escape, police said.

Stratton’s criminal record includes a slew of previous charges, including theft, illegal possession of a stolen property, marijuana possession, attempted first-degree murder and resisting an officer, according to ABC Baton Rouge affiliate WBRZ.

The public is urged to use “extreme caution if Stratton is seen or located” and is discouraged from approaching the suspect, officials said.

Anyone with information on Stratton’s whereabouts should contact the Berwick Police Department at 985-384-7710, officials said.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department will seek to move or dismiss a lawsuit filed by former prosecutor Maurene Comey over her “unlawful and unconstitutional” firing from the office where she prosecuted Sean Combs, Ghislaine Maxwell and other high-profile defendants, according to a new court filing.

The daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, Maurene Comey was considered a star trial lawyer in the Manhattan prosecutor’s office but was abruptly fired in July.  Her lawsuit, filed in September, said that “Defendants did not identify any cause or provide Ms. Comey any due process for her removal.”

The DOJ’s filing said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York recused itself from the case, which will now be handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, which is led by a loyalist of President Donald Trump with no prior experience as a prosecutor.

The government was supposed to respond to Comey’s lawsuit by Nov. 21 but the new office assigned to the case asked for an extension “to familiarize ourselves with this matter.”

The U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of New York sought a response deadline of Dec. 15, by which time it would either answer the complaint or seek to dismiss it, the filing said.  The filing also indicated that the office would try to move Comey’s suit out of Manhattan.

The Northern District office is led by John Sarcone, whose legitimacy to serve as acting U.S. attorney is being challenged by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Sarcone is investigating James for allegedly violating President Trump’s civil rights after she successfully sued Trump over a decade’s worth of business fraud.

Comey alleged she was fired with “no legitimate explanation” and “solely or substantially because her father is James Comey,” who himself is being prosecuted by a U.S. attorney’s office in Virginia on charges of lying to Congress. The elder Comey has denied all charges.

“In addition to her fundamental constitutional rights, Ms. Comey had statutory protections under the Civil Service Reform Act that governed how and why she could be terminated, including specific prohibitions against termination for discriminatory reasons such as political affiliation. Her termination violated every one of those protections,” Maurene Comey’s lawsuit said.

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(LAS VEGAS) — The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that the criminal case against six so-called “fake electors” who were charged for their alleged role in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election can proceed in Las Vegas.

The decision, released on Thursday, reversed a lower court’s dismissal of the case after a judge ruled last year that the case was filed in the wrong venue.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford brought the charges two years ago against some of the top officials from the Nevada Republican Party, who were accused of falsely portraying themselves as Nevada’s presidential electors.

The charges included offering a false instrument for filing, offering a forged instrument, and offering a false instrument titled “Certificate of the Votes of the 2020 Electors from Nevada” to the president of the Senate and other officials.

The case was filed in Clark County, which is home to Las Vegas.

In response to Thursday’s decision, Ford said that the defendants “cannot evade accountability in Nevada for their unlawful actions.”

“As attorney general, it is my duty to hold those who sought to undermine the results of our state’s free and fair election responsible,” Ford said in a statement.

Last week, President Donald Trump issued a sweeping pardon to dozens of key figures who were allegedly involved in the plan to arrange an alternate slate of 2020 electors, including the defendants charged in Nevada.

The pardons are largely symbolic as no one on the list was facing federal charges, and Trump does not have the ability to pardon state charges.

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