(INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla.) — A 77-year-old Vermont man was killed on Sunday afternoon as he attempted to rescue a turtle on Interstate 95 in Indian River County, Florida, authorities said.
The fatal accident occurred around 4:20 p.m. on the southbound lanes of I-95, just north of Sebastian Boulevard, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The man was crossing the lanes when a chain-reaction crash unfolded, investigators said. A Miami woman driving a vehicle slowed down to avoid hitting the pedestrian, but a Dodge Ram pickup truck behind her failed to brake in time, authorities noted.
The pickup truck rear-ended the first vehicle, which then veered off the road, crashed through a fence and came to rest on the west side, according to authorities. The Ram continued southbound and struck the Vermont man, who was thrown to the left shoulder of the highway, officials said.
First responders pronounced the man dead at the scene, officials noted. Florida Highway Patrol confirmed to ABC News that the turtle didn’t survive either.
“The turtle did not receive a favorable outcome in the crash,” Lieutenant Jim Beauford said in an email.
The driver of the Dodge Ram, identified as a 53-year-old Port St. Lucie man, and the occupants of the other vehicle — a 44-year-old woman and her 49-year-old male passenger — were not injured in the crash, authorities said.
The southbound lanes of I-95 were closed following the incident while authorities investigated.
(UNION, Maine) — A woman who was found dead after she went paddleboarding on a lake in Maine was murdered, officials said Monday, and police are still searching for her killer.
Sunshine “Sunny” Stewart, 48, was found dead at Crawford Pond in Union on Thursday after police were contacted to say she had gone missing, Maine State Police said.
An autopsy was then conducted, which determined her death was a homicide, police said.
While the Office of the Chef Medical Examiner in Augusta determined the manner of death was a homicide, police said they would not be releasing the cause of death.
“All possible leads” and “every investigative avenue” are being pursued to solve Stewart’s killing, according to the Maine State Police.
Some of those angles include a thorough perimeter check of the area, canvassing the neighborhood for all surveillance and security camera footage that might help, an official familiar with the investigation told ABC News.
Anyone who may have seen Stewart paddleboarding on July 2 between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. near 100 Acre Island on Crawford Pond is asked to contact the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076.
Union is located near Maine’s Atlantic coast, about 30 miles from the capital of Augusta.
The investigation into the murder remains active and ongoing, police said.
“As always, members of the public are encouraged to remain aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious behavior to law enforcement. Additional information will be released when it becomes appropriate to do so based on the progress of the investigation,” Maine State Police said in a statement Monday.
Stewart’s sister, Kim Ware, described her as the “strongest person I know” who would “give you the shirt off her back.” Ware said Stewart was a marine biologist, the “world’s best bartender sternman, lobersterman and boat captain” and was currently working as a contractor.
“Anyone blessed to be in her presence was in awe of her, her strength, courage, character, her energy and light. Truly an amazing woman. Now we have to rally and give her justice!” Ware said.
Sarah Vokey, Stewart’s close friend, said she had an “all-encompassing smile” even though her life “was not an easy one.”
“One of the hardest things I have ever written was the text that I sent to my son, ‘Sunshine was murdered,'” Vokey said in a statement.
(WASHINGTON) — Officials have increased the reward for information leading to the person who fatally shot a 21-year-old congressional intern in Washington, D.C., last month.
Eric Tarpinian-Jachym, of Granby, Massachusetts, was killed on June 30 at approximately 10:28 p.m. after getting caught in gunfire in northwest Washington, D.C., police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department said on Tuesday that a reward of $40,000 is available for anyone who is able to provide information that leads to the “arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible.” Police were offering a previous award of $25,000, but increased it an additional $15,000 “thanks to a contribution from our partners at the FBI Washington Field Office,” officials said.
Investigators said they recovered the suspect vehicle last week and stated that while the shooting was targeted, Tarpinian-Jachym was not among the intended victims.
In total, three people were wounded in the shooting: Tarpinian-Jachym, who was found unconscious; a woman, who was in stable condition as of last week; and a 16-year-old male who police believe was involved with the group that opened fire, police said. As of last week, the teenager remained in the hospital.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters last week, “We do have some good video footage, and I say good video footage that’s a little grainy, so we’re bringing in the FBI to kind of help enhance the video resolution so we can see a little bit better.”
Police are also working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on ballistics analysis.
Last week, Smith described the shooting as “a tragedy,” and “something that we don’t ever want to happen in our city.”
Tarpinian-Jachym, who had been serving as an intern for Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas since June, was a rising senior at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he was majoring in finance with a minor in political science.
Officials said anyone with information regarding the incident should call police at 202-727-9099 or text the police department’s line at 50411.
(NEW YORK) — Just two days before devastating floods claimed at least 27 lives at Camp Mystic, the Texas Department of State Health Services signed off on the youth camp’s emergency plans, according to records obtained by ABC News.
An inspection report dated July 2 indicates that state inspectors noted the camp had emergency plans “in case of a disaster” in place and that staff and volunteers were briefed on the plans during training sessions and volunteer briefings.
Lara Anton, a spokesperson for DSHS, told ABC News in a statement that camps are required to develop their own emergency plans, which are then assessed by the state for adherence to the Texas Administrative Code.
“Camps are responsible for developing their own emergency plan,” Anton said. “The plans should include disaster, serious accident, epidemic, or fatality. Disaster would include flooding, tornado, etc. The inspector checked that they had plans posted for those elements in every building and that they had trained staff and volunteers on what to do.”
The details of Camp Mystic’s emergency plans were not included in the records released by the state. DSHS released the July 2 inspection report along with five years of reports of the youth camp.
The inspection report, which showed the youth camp complied with various regulations, concluded “there is no deficiency/violation cited or noted within the scope of this inspection/visit.”
The youth camp had 557 campers and 108 staffers between its Guadalupe and Cypress Lake locations at the time of the inspection.
(RUIDOSO, N.M.) — A man and two children were killed in a record-breaking flash flood that swept through a village in New Mexico on Tuesday, local officials said.
The three were “swept downstream by the unprecedented floodwaters that struck” the Village of Ruidoso, village officials said in a statement.
Officials said a man in his 40s or 50s was killed, along with a 4-year-old girl and 7-year-old boy.
“Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their loved ones in this terrible tragedy,” Mayor Lynn Crawford said in a statement.
More than 50 others were rescued by emergency crews, the village said.
The Rio Ruidoso rose “to a record-breaking 20 feet — five feet higher than the previous record,” officials said.
“The flash flooding occurred Tuesday afternoon when heavy monsoonal rains fell on burn scar areas from last year’s South Fork and Salt fires, creating dangerous conditions that led to rapid water rise throughout the village,” the village said.
The National Weather Service in Albuquerque saidearly data placed the river’s crest at 20.24 feet on Tuesday afternoon, which would break the record of 15.86 feet that was set on July 20, 2024.
The highest measured rainfall was 3.29 inches on the southwest side of the South Fork burn scar. But generally speaking between 1.5 and 3.5 inches of rain fell on the burn scar and up to 1.5 inches fell in the village of Ruidoso.
The threat for rain and flooding is not over in the area.
A flood watch is in effect over this specific area — Ruidoso and Capitan — for Wednesday afternoon because there is a chance for 1-inch per hour rainfall rates with isolated downpours possible in the region. Another round of rain is possible in the evening as well. If another downpour happens, flash flooding can begin rapidly just like Tuesday.
There have been multiple flash flooding events in the same region since the South Fork Fire in June 2024 burned more than 17,000 acres. Prior to Tuesday’s event, Ruidoso suffered serious flash flooding as recently as June 26.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(Maryland) — A federal judge in Maryland is asking the Trump administration to explain its position that diplomatic discussions with the government of El Salvador are required to facilitate the return of a Venezuelan man whose removal to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison violated a previous court settlement.
The request from U.S. District Judge Stephanie Gallagher comes after the government of El Salvador, in a report by the United Nations submitted in a separate lawsuit, said that the migrants sent by the U.S. to CECOT are under the authority of the United States.
The man, a 20-year-old Venezuelan identified in court records by the pseudonym “Cristian,” challenged his removal after he was sent to CECOT in mid-March following President Donald Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act. In April, Judge Gallagher ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Cristian’s return, and the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the order in May.
In a filing on Tuesday, Judge Gallagher said the administration has failed to heed her order.
“Defendants have repeatedly skirted this Court’s directive to provide information regarding the steps they have taken and will take to facilitate the return of Cristian to the United States,” the judge wrote. “Instead, Defendants have repeatedly made oblique references to their request of ‘assistance’ from the U.S. Department of State (DOS), which has ‘entered into negotiations to facilitate Cristian’s return’ and ‘assumed responsibility on behalf of the U.S. Government for … diplomatic discussions with El Salvador.'”
In a report submitted as part of a court filing on Monday, El Salvador officials said that migrants who were sent to CECOT under an arrangement between the U.S. and El Salvador were the responsibility of the United States — appearing to contradict the Trump administration’s assertion that it is unable to bring back any of the migrants because they’re under El Salvador’s authority.
“Assuming the Government of El Salvador provided truthful information to the UN, no ‘diplomatic discussions’ should be required here because El Salvador has no sovereign interest in Cristian’s continued confinement in that country,” Judge Gallagher said in her filing Tuesday.
Judge Gallagher, in her original order in April, referenced the case of wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and said that “like Judge [Paula] Xinis in the Abrego Garcia matter, this court will order Defendants to facilitate Cristian’s return to the United States so that he can receive the process he was entitled to under the parties’ binding Settlement Agreement.”
The Trump administration subsequently brought Abrego Garcia back to the U.S. to face federal human smuggling charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
(KERRVILLE, Texas) — A Texas man whose parents were swept away during last week’s catastrophic flooding last week says he’s coming to terms with their likely loss, even as he helps others find closure.
Robert Brake Jr. has been searching for his parents since the early hours of July 4, when rushing floodwaters carried away their cabin at the HTR campground in Kerrville, Texas.
His parents, Robert Leroy Brake Sr. and Joni Kay Brake, were among those caught in the deadly flash floods that have claimed at least 108 lives across central Texas.
“My folks got washed away in their cabin,” Brake Jr. told ABC News. “We came down to help in the search efforts. Maybe not be able to find my parents under this tragedy, but maybe we can help somebody else find theirs and have some closure and peace.”
The devastating floods struck with little warning. A flash flood emergency was issued for Kerr County at 4:03 a.m. on July 4, shortly before the Brakes’ cabin was swept away. Parts of the region received up to 15 inches of rain, more than double the amount forecasted.
After four days of searching with family members, Brake Jr. said divine intervention helped him accept what might have happened to his parents.
“The Lord woke me up. He put me on my feet. He said go make a difference,” Brake Jr. told ABC News. “If it means people being kind to each other… I’ll accept that. If that’s what it meant to lose my parents–– people to be kind to each other just one more day and love the Lord just a little more — I’ll accept that.”
The tragedy has touched many families across central Texas, including at Camp Mystic, where 27 campers and counselors lost their lives when floodwaters struck the century-old summer camp. At least 18 people remain missing across the region, including six from Camp Mystic.
Despite coming to terms with his parents’ likely fate, Brake Jr. maintains a small glimmer of hope.
“I’m hoping and praying there’s an ounce of hope that they’re still alive,” he said.
His parents left behind three children, five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
The massive search effort continues with hundreds of volunteers and more than 20 state agencies involved. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is scheduled to hold a news conference Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET to discuss the ongoing crisis, as additional rain threatens already saturated parts of central Texas.
(NEW YORK) — Camp Mystic, the Christian girls summer camp that was hit with devastating floods on July 4, was part of an eerily similar tragedy that occurred almost 38 years ago to the day, officials said.
That tragedy on July 17, 1987, known as the Guadalupe River Flood, began when 5 to 10 inches of rain fell in the upper headwaters of the Guadalupe River basin, which resulted in a “massive flood” that traveled down the river through Ingram, Hunt — near Camp Mystic — Kerrville and Comfort, Texas, according to reports from the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
At approximately 2:45 a.m., a flood warning was issued for the Guadalupe River from Kerrville upstream, with 4 to 6 inches of rain pummeling down in only three to four hours — causing a 15-foot rise in the river near the camp. There were also reports of people being trapped in rising waters at this time, officials said.
Then at 4:30 a.m., an alert was released saying officials at camps along the river — including Camp Mystic — “should have everyone well away from the flood plain and to high ground already,” according to the report from officials.
Five minutes later, Camp Mystic officials said they had “polled camps in the area and all campers are accounted for,” according to the report.
While no one at Camp Mystic died from the 1987 flood — unlike the dozens that died in the tragedy over the weekend — 10 teenagers were killed when a bus and van washed away near Comfort, Texas.
The teenagers were attending a church camp at the Pot O’ Gold Ranch, which was scheduled to end the same day that the flood washed away the group, officials said.
Law enforcement officials had notified the camp at 2 a.m. and at 6 a.m. of the flood wave coming down the Guadalupe River, and the decision was then made to evacuate the children early “to avoid being trapped at the camp,” officials said.
When the caravan of buses and a van left the camp, one of the buses and the van encountered a “flooded low water crossing” on the river and decided to try an alternate route, officials said. The lead buses “successfully made the sharp turn to head a different direction” but rapidly rising water from the river — which had reached 29 feet tall that morning — caused the last bus to stall and the van behind it to become stranded, officials said.
An attempt was made to evacuate the children off the bus and the van, but “as they were wading back to dry ground a wall of water around half a mile wide rushed upon the campers,” officials said.
Forty-three people — 39 teenagers and four adults — were swept into the waters, with 10 teenagers drowning. The remaining 33 children and adults were rescued, officials said.
It is unclear if any changes were implemented in the wake of the 1987 tragedy. This weekend’s tragedy has already raised questions about whether there were adequate safety measures in the region in the event of a major flooding event.
(NEW YORK) — A man has been arrested after he allegedly attempted to snatch a 6-year-old boy from the sidewalk during the Fourth of July weekend in busy Coney Island, according to the New York Police Department.
The boy was with his parents at the Brooklyn, New York, getaway when the boy was allegedly snatched from the crowded sidewalk.
“When I turned around, I noticed a man pick him up and run by way of the boardwalk,” father Roy Gantt told New York ABC station WABC about his son, Rah’Shem. “Once he saw us chasing him, he threw [Rah’Shem] down. It sounded like he hit his head on the concrete.”
Jonathan Robalino, 36, was detained on attempted abduction and is described as “emotionally disturbed,” the NYPD said.
Robalino has now been charged with assault and attempted kidnapping.
The boy was not seriously hurt when the man threw him to the ground, but he was taken to a local hospital and later released.
Gantt told WABC that he and the boy’s mother pinned Robalino to the ground before police arrived for about four minutes after chasing him down.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
(INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla.) — A 77-year-old Vermont man was killed on Sunday afternoon while attempting to rescue a turtle on Interstate 95 in Indian River County, Florida, authorities said.
The fatal accident occurred around 4:20 p.m. on the southbound lanes of I-95, just north of Sebastian Boulevard, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The man was crossing the lanes when a chain-reaction crash unfolded, investigators said. A Miami woman driving a vehicle slowed down to avoid hitting the pedestrian, but a Dodge Ram pickup truck behind her failed to brake in time, authorities noted.
The pickup truck rear-ended the first vehicle, which then veered off the road, crashed through a fence and came to rest on the west side, according to authorities. The Ram continued southbound and struck the Vermont man, who was thrown to the left shoulder of the highway, officials said.
First responders pronounced the man dead at the scene, officials noted.
The driver of the Dodge Ram, identified as a 53-year-old Port St. Lucie man, and the occupants of the other vehicle — a 44-year-old woman and her 49-year-old male passenger — were not injured in the crash, authorities said.
The southbound lanes of I-95 were closed following the incident while authorities investigated.
