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(NEW YORK) — Marking a new journey in NASA’s exploration of Mars, the Perseverance rover is set to begin a monthslong, steep and challenging ascent up a crater, the space agency announced Wednesday.

The Perseverance rover, nicknamed “Percy,” is the centerpiece of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission, working to collect data in preparation for future human exploration of the Red Planet.

The car-sized spacecraft has spent two and a half years exploring the Mars Jezero Crater floor and river delta and beginning the week of Aug. 19, will start the ascent up the western rim of the crater.

“Perseverance has completed four science campaigns, collected 22 rock cores, and traveled over 18 unpaved miles,” Art Thompson, Perseverance project manager at of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said in a press release Wednesday.

“As we start the Crater Rim Campaign, our rover is in excellent condition, and the team is raring to see what’s on the roof of this place,” Thompson added.

In what will be the “most challenging” journey for the rover to date, Perseverance will rely on auto-navigation capabilities while encountering slopes of up to 23 degrees on the pre-planned path up the crater.

When Perseverance summits the crater, which scientists have dubbed “Aurora Park,” the rover will have gained approximately 1,000 feet in elevation.

Researchers are looking forward to the new frontier of data that awaits the rover on the crater rim, saying the mission expects “many more discoveries to come.”

Eleni Ravanis, a University of Hawaiì at Mānoa scientist on Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z instrument team and one of the Crater Rim Campaign science leads, said the findings will have “significant implications” in understanding the Red Planet.

“Our samples are already an incredibly scientifically compelling collection, but the crater rim promises to provide even more samples that will have significant implications for our understanding of Martian geologic history,” Ravanis said in the release.

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(NEW YORK) — Ernesto has become a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday after hitting Puerto Rico overnight and leaving power outages and flooding in its wake.

The center of then-Tropical Storm Ernesto passed within 40 miles of San Juan, Puerto Rico, early Wednesday, producing strong winds and heavy rain.

More than 728,000 customers are without power in Puerto Rico, just shy of half the island, according to LUMA, a service provider. The island’s eastern and central regions are the most impacted.

LUMA said only power lines are down, not the infrastructure that delivers power. It will need 24 to 48 hours to assess damage before providing any time frame for repairing the lines.

The primary cause of the outages were high winds, which have been recorded at speeds of 50 mph or more, according to Juan Saca, the president and CEO of LUMA Energy.

“In Puerto Rico, vegetation under the power lines is a major issue. The movement of trees between the lines can easily cause outages,” Saca said.

Despite the challenges, Saca said LUMA is better prepared than ever to restore power.

Additionally, 235,000 customers are without water and over 400 people are in shelters, according to Puerto Rican officials.

Hurricane Ernesto will continue to strengthen as it approaches Bermuda in the next few days.
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Officials are asking people to leave their homes only if absolutely necessary. Many villages are completely isolated because of the river levels and multiple routes are closed.

Officials asked people to donate blood due to low resources. Twenty-three hospitals are using electric generators and 80 flights have been canceled.

The highest rainfall total recorded Wednesday midday was 9.6 inches in Naguabo, Puerto Rico.

All tropical storm warnings have been canceled for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean islands, but flash flooding still remains a concern in Puerto Rico due to heavy rain. Rain was ending late Wednesday afternoon.

A hurricane watch has now been issued for Bermuda.

On Culebra island, east of Puerto Rico, sustained winds of 68 mph were reported with a gust up to 86 mph. A METAR Observation Station at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico reported sustained winds of 48 mph and a gust of 74 mph.

On the forecast track, Ernesto will continue to strengthen Thursday into Friday. It may become a Category 3 hurricane by Friday morning with winds up to 115 mph.

Friday night into early Saturday, Ernesto will be making its approach to Bermuda as either a low-end Category 3 hurricane or high-end Category 2 hurricane. Wind and rain is expected there.

The East Coast will see high surf and rip currents through this weekend as Ernesto moves parallel, but well away from, the coast.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Tuesday night.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had warned residents to stay home starting on Tuesday evening, when the tropical storm-force winds are forecast to reach the island. Total rainfall could reach up to 10 inches in some spots.

ABC News’ Jessica Gorman and Josh Hoyos contributed to this report.

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(ASHBURN, Va.) — A suspect has been identified in a burglary reported at a Trump for President 2024 campaign office in Virginia, authorities said Wednesday.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office said it has secured a warrant for the arrest of Toby Shane Kessler, 39, on the charge of burglary in connection with a break-in reported at the office in Ashburn on Sunday night.

The sheriff’s office said it is working with other law enforcement agencies to locate Kessler, who they said does not have a fixed address and has a California driver’s license.

The burglary occurred at approximately 8:11 pm on Sunday and was captured by surveillance cameras inside the office, the sheriff’s office said.

Investigators determined the suspect “forced entry into a back door of the location and spent a brief period of time inside before leaving,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.

“He appears to have left nothing behind, and it is still unclear what, if anything, he took with him,” the sheriff’s office said, adding the investigation is ongoing.

The suspect was captured in the surveillance footage wearing dark clothing, a dark cap and a backpack. The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office asked anyone who believes they have seen Kessler to contact them at 571-918-1869.

“Mr. Kessler has a history of criminal behavior and appears to have been in the Washington metropolitan area at least since 2018,” the sheriff’s office said.

The campaign office, which is leased, also serves as the headquarters of the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee, the sheriff’s office said.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ press secretary, Chloe Smith, said Tuesday that their office was monitoring the situation.

“It’s outrageous that anyone would break into a political office,” Smith said in a statement to ABC News. “Criminal acts are not tolerated in Virginia.”

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(LOS ANGELES) — The 1986 cold case murder of a teen has been solved after a DNA match led investigators to a convicted serial killed on death row.

When presented with the DNA evidence, William Lester Suff, a 70-year-old convicted serial killer, admitted to stabbing 19-year-old Cathy Small multiple times in the chest and leaving her on a California road after an argument, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Lt. Patricia Thomas.

On Feb. 22, 1986, South Pasadena police responded to a report of a woman lying in the street. When officers arrived, they found the woman unresponsive in the middle of the street, wearing a nightgown and suffering from several stab wounds throughout her body, Thomas said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. She had no identification and was listed as Jane Doe No. 17, Thomas said. She was found to have died from multiple stab wounds and strangulation, Thomas said.

On Feb. 25, 1986, detectives received a call from a resident in the Lake Elsinore area who was concerned the victim was his roommate. After seeing her remains, the man identified the victim as Small, Thomas said.

The roommate told detectives Small was a prostitute and lived at his house for a few months. Small told her roommate a man named Bill was picking her up and giving her $50 to drive with him to Los Angeles.

He said never saw or heard from Small again, Thomas said.

The case remained unsolved despite detectives following up on numerous leads throughout the years, Thomas said.

On Oct. 11, 2019, detectives responded to the scene of a natural death across the street from where Small’s body was found.

The coroner’s investigator found several disturbing items in the house, including numerous photos of women who appeared to have been assaulted and held against their will and a newspaper article about the identification of Small after her murder, Thomas said.

While the dead man’s DNA did not match any crimes, it was through this search that investigators discovered none of the items of evidence from Small’s murder — including a sexual assault kit and the victim’s clothing — were ever tested for DNA, Thomas said.

The DNA evidence was finally tested in August 2020, more than 34 years after Small’s killing, which revealed the presence of two male donors, one of whom was identified as Suff and the other as an unknown male.

Suff is a notorious convicted serial killer — also known as the Riverside Prostitute Killer or the Lake Elsinore killer, Thomas said.

In July 1995, Suff was found guilty and sentenced to death for 12 homicides that occurred in the Riverside County from 1989 to 1991, Thomas said.

Suff would admit under questioning that he was living in Riverside County and working in Lake Elsinore at a computer repair shop in 1986. On the day of the murder, Small went into the repair shop and gave him her phone number.

He called her later that day and he picked her up, after which they got into an argument and he became enraged because she knocked his glasses off his face. He retrieved a knife he kept in the vehicle and stabbed her multiple times in the chest as she sat in the passenger seat, Thomas said.

At the time of her death, Small had two small children and a younger sister, Thomas said. Detectives said her sister was relieved that the killer was found, but Small’s mother had died years before he was identified.

“Cathy had a family who cared about her deeply. It is horrifying that her life was taken away so violently and in such a tragic way,” Kathryn Barger, a member of the LA County Board of Supervisors, said during a press conference. “Justice will be served for Cathy and her family.”

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(NEW YORK) — Ernesto has become a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday after hitting Puerto Rico overnight and leaving power outages and flooding in its wake.

The center of then-Tropical Storm Ernesto passed within 40 miles of San Juan, Puerto Rico, early Wednesday, producing strong winds and heavy rain.

More than 695,000 customers are without power in Puerto Rico, according to LUMA, a service provider. The island’s eastern and central regions are the most impacted.

Additionally, 235,000 customers are without water and over 400 people are in shelters, according to Puerto Rican officials.

Officials are asking people to leave their homes only if absolutely necessary. Many villages are completely isolated because of the river levels and multiple routes are closed.

Officials asked people to donate blood due to low resources. Twenty-three hospitals are using electric generators and 80 flights have been canceled.

The storm was moving away from Puerto Rico on Wednesday morning with hurricane-force winds of 75 mph.

The highest rainfall total recorded so far is 9.6 inches in Naguabo, Puerto Rico.

More rain is possible Wednesday morning and into early afternoon before the storm moves out of Puerto Rico.

On Culebra island, east of Puerto Rico, sustained winds of 68 mph were reported with a gust up to 86 mph. A METAR Observation Station at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico reported sustained winds of 48 mph and a gust of 74 mph.

Tropical storm warnings were issued for Puerto Rico and a hurricane watch was in effect for the British Virgin Islands.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Tuesday night.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had warned residents to stay home starting on Tuesday evening, when the tropical storm-force winds are forecast to reach the island. Total rainfall could reach up to 10 inches in some spots.

A flash flood warning was issued for parts of Puerto Rico early Wednesday morning, as several inches of rain already caused flooding. Heavy rain and gusty winds will continue in Puerto Rico into the afternoon as Ernesto moves away from the island.

ABC News’ Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.

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(HILLSBOROUGH, N.C.) — A convicted murderer escaped from custody Tuesday morning while being transported to a medical appointment at a North Carolina hospital, the sheriff’s office said.

Ramone Alston, 30, broke away from a corrections officer while being escorted to UNC Hospital in Hillsborough, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.

“He had freed himself from leg restraints and, still in handcuffs, jumped out and ran into adjacent woods,” the department said in a statement.

He was last seen wearing a gray T-shirt, brown pants and white New Balance sneakers, as well as handcuffs connected to a waist chain, officials said.

Officials are asking the public to immediately call 911 if they see him and warning them not to approach him.

“He’s unpredictable — we don’t know what he’s going to do, so he should certainly probably be considered dangerous,” Keith Acree, a spokesperson for the Department of Adult Correction, said in a press briefing. “People make rash decisions at a time like this; he’s already made one very large rash decision this morning.”

As of Wednesday morning, Alston’s whereabouts were still unknown, though he is believed to have headed north of the hospital.

Director of Orange County Emergency Services Kirby Saunders said state, local and federal law enforcement teams have searched hundreds of acres for Alston, using aerial assets, helicopters, canine resources and ground searchers.

The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction said Tuesday they would offer a $25,000 reward for information leading to the capture of Alston. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the department said the U.S. Marshals Service had contributed $10,000, increasing the reward amount to $35,000.

Alston was convicted of shooting and killing a 1-year-old girl on Christmas Day in 2015. He is serving a life sentence.

The infant victim, Maleah Williams, had been playing outside with her Christmas toys when she was struck by gunfire, her mother previously told Raleigh ABC station WTVD.

Alston’s family has been cooperating with authorities, Sheriff Charles Blackwood told reporters, though he said “cooperation has been varied.”

Blackwood said he went to school with Alston’s father and has known the suspect since he was born. He called Alston a “troubled child” and said he’d been involved in criminal activity since his youth.

“He’s extremely cagey, he’s extremely dangerous and he has nothing to lose,” Blackwood said.

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(NEW YORK) — Ernesto has become a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday after hitting Puerto Rico overnight and leaving power outages and flooding in its wake.

The center of then-Tropical Storm Ernesto passed within 40 miles of San Juan, Puerto Rico, early Wednesday, producing strong winds and heavy rain.

More than 570,000 customers are without power in Puerto Rico, according to LUMA, a service provider. The island’s eastern and central regions are the most impacted.

The storm was moving away from Puerto Rico on Wednesday morning with hurricane strength winds of 75 mph.

The highest rainfall total recorded so far is 9.6 inches in Naguabo, Puerto Rico.

More rain is possible this morning and into early afternoon before the storm moves out of Puerto Rico.

On Culebra island, east of Puerto Rico, sustained winds of 68 mph were reported with a gust up to 86 mph. A METAR Observation Station at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico reported sustained winds of 48 mph and a gust of 74 mph.

Tropical storm warnings were issued for Puerto Rico and a hurricane watch was in effect for the British Virgin Islands.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Tuesday night.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had warned residents to stay home starting on Tuesday evening, when the tropical storm-force winds are forecast to reach the island. Total rainfall could reach up to 10 inches in some spots.

A flash flood warning was issued for parts of Puerto Rico early Wednesday morning, as several inches of rain already caused flooding. Heavy rain and gusty winds will continue in Puerto Rico into the afternoon as Ernesto moves away from the island.

ABC News’ Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — The center of Tropical Storm Ernesto passed within 40 miles from San Juan, Puerto Rico, producing strong winds and heavy rain overnight.

More than 570,000 customers were without power in Puerto Rico, according to LUMA, a service provider. The island’s eastern and central regions are the most impacted.

The storm was moving away from Puerto Rico on Wednesday morning and nearing hurricane strength with sustained winds of 70 mph. Hurricane-force winds begin at 74 mph.

The highest rainfall total recorded so far is 9.6 inches in Naguabo, Puerto Rico.

More rain is possible Wednesday morning and into early afternoon before the storm moves out of Puerto Rico.

On Culebra island, east of Puerto Rico, sustained winds of 68 mph were reported with a gust up to 86 mph. A METAR Observation Station at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico reported sustained winds of 48 mph and a gust of 74 mph.

Tropical storm warnings were issued for Puerto Rico and a hurricane watch was in effect for the British Virgin Islands.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico on Tuesday night.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had warned residents to stay home starting on Tuesday evening, when the tropical storm-force winds are forecast to reach the island. Total rainfall could reach up to 10 inches in some spots.

A flash flood warning was issued for parts of Puerto Rico early Wednesday morning, as several inches of rain already caused flooding. Heavy rain and gusty winds will continue in Puerto Rico into the afternoon as Ernesto moves away from the island.

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(LOS ANGELES) — A sheriff’s deputy in California has been hospitalized after she was run over by a driver who was attempting to flee the scene after being pulled over during a traffic stop, officials said.

The sheriff’s deputy from Ventura County, California, tried to conduct a traffic stop at approximately 8:30 p.m. Tuesday near Ventura Avenue and Kellogg Street, according to a statement from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office that was obtained by ABC News’ Los Angeles station KABC-TV.

It’s unclear what prompted the traffic stop or what happened in the moments before the deputy was injured, according to KABC, but authorities did confirm that the driver fled the scene after the crash.

A description of the suspect and their vehicle has not yet been made available, but investigators have said that they are looking for possible surveillance video to help them find the driver.

The deputy involved in the incident has not yet been identified and her current condition is unknown. The investigation is ongoing.

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(NEW YORK) — The center of Tropical Storm Ernesto passed within 40 miles from San Juan, Puerto Rico, producing strong winds and heavy rain overnight.

More than 300,000 customers were without power in Puerto Rico, according to LUMA, a service provider.

The storm was moving Wednesday morning away from Puerto Rico and was nearing hurricane strength with sustained winds of 70 mph. Hurricane force winds begin at 74 mph.

On Culebra island, east of Puerto Rico, sustained winds of 68 mph was reported with gusts up to 86 mph. A METAR Observation Station at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico reported a sustained wind of 48 mph and a gust of 74 mph.

Tropical storm warnings were issued for Puerto Rico and a hurricane watch was in effect for the British Virgin Islands.

Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi had warned residents to stay home starting on Tuesday evening, when the tropical storm-force winds are forecast to reach the island. Total rainfall could reach up to 10 inches in some spots.

A flash-flood warning had been issued for parts of Puerto Rico early Wednesday morning, with several inches of rain already causing flash flooding. Heavy rain and gusty winds will continue in Puerto Rico into the afternoon as Ernesto moves away.

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