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(SANTA FE, N.M.) — The accidental shooting on the New Mexico film set of “Rust” spawned a yearlong criminal investigation, multiple lawsuits and heartfelt remembrances of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who was tragically killed when a prop gun fired.

Multiple people, including star Alec Baldwin, now face charges in connection with the deadly shooting.

Here’s a look at key events in the incident, which sent shockwaves throughout the entertainment industry:

Oct. 6, 2021: Production in progress

The New Mexico Film Office announced that “Rust” was currently in production in Santa Fe, with filming scheduled to go until early November 2021.

Oct. 21, 2021: On-set shooting

While on the set of the Western at Bonanza Creek Ranch, Hutchins, 42, was shot and killed by Baldwin while he was practicing using a Colt .45 revolver. Director Joel Souza was also injured in the shooting.

First assistant director David Halls had handed the gun to Baldwin while proclaiming “cold gun,” to let the crew know a gun with no live rounds was being used, according to a search warrant affidavit. However, Hutchins was killed by a live round inside the gun, authorities said.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating the incident.

Nov. 17, 2021: Script supervisor files lawsuit

The film’s script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, announced she has filed a civil suit accusing Baldwin of “playing Russian roulette” by pointing a Colt .45 revolver at Hutchins.

Dec. 2, 2021: Baldwin speaks out in first interview

In his first interview following the shooting, Baldwin told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that he had “no idea” how a live bullet got onto the set of his film, but that he “didn’t pull the trigger” on the firearm. He also said he didn’t believe he would face criminal charges for the tragedy.

Jan. 12, 2022: Armorer files lawsuit

The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, filed a lawsuit alleging that the ammunition boxes supplied by the prop provider “failed to state” that “the contents contained both dummy and live ammunition.”

Feb. 15, 2022: Hutchins family files wrongful death lawsuit
The family of Hutchins filed a wrongful death lawsuit, alleging reckless behavior and cost-cutting by Baldwin and others led to Hutchins’ death.

April 20, 2022: ‘Rust’ production company fined

The New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau issued Rust Movie Productions a “willful” citation, including a $136,793 penalty, for failures that led to Hutchins’ “avoidable death.” This is the highest level of citation and maximum fine allowable by state law in New Mexico.

Oct. 5, 2022: Hutchins family announces settlement reached

The family of Hutchins announced they had reached a settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit against the film’s producers.

As part of the settlement, Matthew Hutchins, Halyna’s husband, took over as executive producer of the film and it was announced the principal actors and director would restart filming in January 2023.

Oct. 27, 2022: Sheriff’s investigation handed over to DA

Santa Fe County sheriff investigators confirmed they had turned over their report to Santa Fe First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, who will decide whether to press criminal charges against anyone involved in the shooting.

Nov. 11, 2022: Baldwin files lawsuit

Baldwin filed a lawsuit over the fatal shooting, alleging negligence of several of the film’s crew members. The cross-complaint, which named the Western’s first assistant director, armorer, ammunitions supplier and prop master as defendants, follows the lawsuit filed last year by the film’s script supervisor.

Nov. 18, 2022: Sheriff releases investigative report

The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office released its 550-page report into the fatal shooting.

Jan. 19, 2023: Charges announced

Prosecutors announced that Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed will each be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Halls already agreed to plead no contest to the charge of negligent use of a deadly weapon.

No charges will be filed in the shooting of Souza, the district attorney’s office said.

Jan. 31, 2023: Charges formally filed

Carmack-Altwies formally filed involuntary manslaughter charges in the shooting. Halls’ plea agreement is pending a judge’s approval, prosecutors said, noting there is no set timeline for approval.

The filings claimed that Baldwin and Guiterrez-Reed failed to correct reckless safety violations in their roles as producer and armorer, respectively, and that Baldwin had his finger inside the trigger and the trigger was pulled — contradicting his statements saying he never pulled the trigger.

Each defendant will be issued a summons for their first court appearance, which can be done virtually or waived, prosecutors said. During a preliminary hearing, a judge will decide whether there is probable cause to move forward with a trial. Preliminary hearings are typically scheduled within 60 days of charges being filed, according to the district attorney’s office.

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(SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico) — The U.S. Coast Guard called off its search for a man who fell off a 70-foot cliff in Puerto Rico after a dive team recovered his body on Monday, according to Coast Guard officials.

The Puerto Rico Emergency Bureau dive unit recovered the body of Edgar Garay, 27, an Indiana man who was on a day trip to the southwestern coast of Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard said.

“We express our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Edgar Garay and pray they find closure and strength during this most difficult time,” Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander Capt. José E. Díaz said in a statement.

According to officials, Garay was last seen alive shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

USCG said that a 911 emergency operator called Coast Guard personnel at 6:50 p.m. on Sunday to report the incident.

A witness told the USCG that they saw Garay “stumble toward the edge of the cliff,” the USCG said in a statement.

After conducting multiple searches for Garay via helicopter, the Coast Guard called the search off after his body was discovered.

“We appreciate the efforts of all the Coast Guard, Puerto Rico Police and partner agency emergency responders, especially the Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau dive unit, who was able to locate Mr. Garay’s body in such a highly inaccessible and challenging environment,” Díaz said.

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(WASHINGTON) — Mass shootings have hit a record pace so far this year, with 49 in January alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

Over the weekend, three women were fatally shot, and four others were injured near Beverly Hills. It was the sixth mass shooting in California alone, following tragedies in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay.

With an estimated 393 million guns, there are more firearms than people in the U.S, and the problem is continuing to get worse. Steve Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, spoke with ABC News’ Linsey Davis about the surge in mass shootings and how his agency plans to combat gun violence in America.

DAVIS: Director, welcome to the show. I’d like to start with a fundamental question: What needs to happen in order to slow the scourge of gun violence in this country?

DETTELBACH: Well, thanks for having me. And the short answer is — a lot. I mean, as your introduction correctly points out, the amount and nature of firearms violence that we’re seeing now in this country is wholly unacceptable. I think one of the most important things we can start with is calling that out. One of my biggest fears is that people will somehow come to accept or be callous to the idea that this level of firearm violence is somehow just something that’s part of being in our country, part of being an American.

It is not. It is wholly unacceptable. Bluntly, it’s un-American. It’s not part of our story. It’s not who we are as a people. We at ATF don’t accept that. I think the men and women of law enforcement don’t accept it. You don’t accept it, and the American people shouldn’t accept it. That’s the first thing. But there’s a lot more to do beyond that to try and work shoulder to shoulder with state and local law enforcement, which we do at ATF, to see what we can do to both catch dangerous people who have committed gun crime and also do what we can do to stop them from killing again, to try and get ahead of this problem a little bit better.

DAVIS: What is the overarching issue? Is it just that we have too many guns already? Because when you look at other countries, they just don’t have this problem. And so, what are they doing better or we’re not doing enough of?

DETTELBACH: Look, it’s obviously a discussion that is happening all over the country. The president has talked a lot about it. The attorney general has talked a lot about it and others have opinions. But at ATF, our job is to take the rules and laws that Congress has passed, the tools that we have, and to do everything in our power to enforce them, to protect the community. Look, everything we do at ATF begins and ends with public safety. And so, there’s a lot that has gone on and there’s a lot more that needs to happen.

So, for instance, in August, in order to make sure we’re implementing the Gun Control Act, a law that’s been on the books for many, many years, we passed a rule that said that privately made firearms or ghost guns, which are unserialized, untraceable firearms, but they shoot and they can kill if they’re misused, just like other guns, are subject to the same provisions as traditional firearms under the Gun Control Act.

And ATF is going to do everything we can to make sure we’re enforcing the laws on the books by getting ahead of people who are misusing technology. There’s a lot going on, but there’s a lot more that needs to happen, because this threat is increasing.

DAVIS: You suggested that you would like to have more people in uniform for the ATF. What would you need to do in order to make that happen?

DETTELBACH: Well, that’s up to others, right? The president submitted a budget that called for ATF growth last year, and we’re gratified that we were able to get some additional money to do some additional hiring. We’re going to do the best with whatever the policymakers give us, and we’re going to take every single dollar and every single uniform and badge and firearm on the street that we have. We’re going to use our other intelligence and we’re going to just keep moving forward. Look, you know, we live in the world at ATF of the pounding, relentless threat of violent crime in our community.

DAVIS: Is this something that you feel that the president should discuss or at least broach during the State of the Union address next week?

DETTELBACH: I think the president has discussed the problem of gun violence in this country repeatedly. The attorney general has discussed it repeatedly. And I think we all should be conscious of discussing it repeatedly. Look, this last week, as you pointed out, I mean, there are weeks and there are weeks. This was a week where this was in the public eye more than normal.

But I have to tell you something. At ATF, it’s not just the cases that get on the news. It’s not just the cases that even get on the little crawl that goes below the news. It’s the 109 people every single day in this country who die from firearms violence that we’re focused on. Whether or not the case gets on the news, ATF is out there working not just mass shootings, but gang violence, cases involving firearms trafficking, people who are straw purchasing, who are breaking the law to get firearms to dangerous folks.

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(GRANTS PASS, Ore.) — A manhunt is underway in Oregon for a man accused of torturing a woman who authorities believe uses dating apps to find victims or people to help him evade police.

Benjamin Obadiah Foster, 36, is wanted by the Grants Pass Police Department for attempted murder, kidnapping and assault. He is an “extremely dangerous suspect” who “remains on the run,” the department warned in an update on Sunday.

“It’s essentially an all-hands-on-deck operation,” Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman told ABC News. “We are laser-focused.”

Police began looking for Foster on Jan. 24, after responding to a home in Grants Pass for an assault. At the home, officers found a woman in critical condition who had been “bound and severely beaten into unconsciousness,” police said.

The suspect had already fled the scene before officers arrived but was identified as Foster, of Wolf Creek, police said.

“The scene was horrific,” Hensman told ABC News. “This is a bad man that needs to be captured.”

Hensman told reporters during a press briefing on Jan. 26 that they are still working on a timeline, but said the assault is believed to have occurred over a “protracted period of time.” He would not elaborate on the nature of the suspect’s relationship with the victim.

Amid the manhunt, authorities located Foster’s car and executed a search warrant in a home in Wolf Creek last week. The suspect “evaded capture and likely received assistance in fleeing the area,” police said.

“The investigation has revealed that the suspect is actively using online dating applications to contact unsuspecting individuals who may be lured into assisting with the suspect’s escape or potentially as additional victims,” police said.

During the search of the home, a 68-year-old woman, Tina Marie Jones, was arrested for allegedly hindering prosecution. She remains in custody at the Josephine County Jail.

Hensman would not say whether there is any sign that Foster has left the area.

“We are following, we are monitoring, we are using every piece of technology available to law enforcement to locate this man, and I’ll leave it at that,” he told reporters last Thursday.

The victim, identified by her family as Justine Siemens, was transported to an area hospital and remains on life support.

“She will survive this and as her family, we implore the nation to help bring her attacker to justice,” her family said in a statement.

Foster has been convicted on domestic violence charges for two assaults that occurred within the past five years in Las Vegas, court records show.

In 2019, he was accused of holding his then-girlfriend captive inside her Las Vegas apartment for two weeks, according to an arrest report obtained at the time by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was charged with four counts of battery and two counts of assault, though in August 2021 he pleaded guilty to two of the battery charges as part of a plea deal, online court records show. A judge sentenced him to up to 1.5 years in prison, with credit for the 729 days he had already spent in jail awaiting trial, according to court records.

In August 2021, he reached another plea deal in a 2018 domestic violence case and was sentenced to credit for time served for a misdemeanor battery charge, court records show.

“Am I troubled by what I know already? The answer is yes,” Hensman told reporters when asked about the prior Las Vegas cases. “We’re laser-focused on capturing this man and bringing him to justice.”

The Grants Pass Police Department is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of Foster in the attempted murder case.

Police described Foster as a 6-foot-tall white man weighing approximately 180 pounds with brown hair, possibly worn in a bun, and blue eyes. Police shared recent photographs of Foster with a beard, though they said he may attempt to change his appearance by shaving his beard and hair or changing his hair color.

“The Grants Pass Police Department asks the public to pay particular attention to Foster’s facial structure and eyes since those features are very difficult to change,” the department said.

Tips for sightings of the suspect “continue to flood into the department, and we are confident this dangerous criminal will soon be captured with the assistance of a concerned citizen,” the department said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Grants Pass Police tip line at 541-237-5607.

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(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) — Many U.S. cities are attempting to establish a reparations program in an effort to rectify economic disparity borne of slavery, and Providence, Rhode Island, is among the places moving forward with a plan.

But the city’s plan has drawn criticism over the extent to which the initiative benefits historically marginalized residents, including descendants of enslaved people.

Last year, then-Mayor Jorge Elorza signed a $10 million reparations budget into law, using re-appropriated federal COVID-19 response money as the funding source. Federal guidelines require the program to be “race neutral” — white residents and non-descendants of slavery under a certain income threshold can also apply and benefit from the program.

“The federal guidelines basically forced us to have to look at census tracts. And one of those impacted communities were those who were economically disadvantaged,” Rodney Davis, chair of Providence’s reparations commission, told ABC News.

Elorza said that making the program “race based” could have opened up the city to getting sued, resulting in government officials being “locked in litigation for two or three years.”

Supporters have spent decades fighting for financial compensation for descendants of enslaved people. At one point, Rhode Island was the slave trade capitol of the colonial U.S., with more than 1,000 slave ships coming in from Africa by the end of the 18th century.

Hundreds of years later, the residue remains — much of it memorialized in Stages of Freedom, a Providence museum filled with Black art, books and exhibits. It’s curated by local historian Ray Rickman, a former state representative, who says the impact of slavery is still being felt by Rhode Island’s Black population.

While the institution of slavery has been abolished, the remnants of an unequal system are still evident. In Rhode Island alone, white households earned 50-70% more than Black, Hispanic and American Indian households, according to a report from the Rhode Island Foundation.

Rather than direct payments to citizens, reparations in Providence are distributed through investments into small businesses and programs, including workforce training and financial literacy.

The Rhode Island Black Business Association received $150,000 after applying for the program. President and CEO Lisa Ranglin started the organization to help other aspiring Black business professionals to get their start.

“I think it’s easy to give a check out to somebody for $200, $500. When we think about really building sustainability, $500 is not going to move the dial in any meaningful way,” Ranglin said.

The struggle to determine the best forms of reparations has been just as divisive as the topic itself.

Of those who support reparations, the majority believe financial assistance for education, businesses and homes would be the most helpful forms of repayment, according to a Pew Research Center poll.

Some believe that Providence’s program misses the mark; among them is former Brown University student and activist Justice Gaines.

“It’s not reparations. What this policy is, it is city funds from COVID-19 to fund an anti-poverty program. That’s not what reparations is. Reparations is the work to repair the harm that has been done to Black people in this country,” Gaines told ABC News.

The reparations committee claims the indigenous community was involved in the program’s planning, but Rhode Island’s only federally recognized tribe, the Narragansett Indians, told ABC News that neither Elorza’s office nor the reparations commission reached out.

Elorza’s office has declined to comment.

“That $10 million that the mayor did, it was great, but $10 million is a drop in a pool, not even a bucket, because if we really wanted to repair the harm, it’s going to be hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars,” Davis said.

ABC News contacted the newly elected mayor, Brett Smiley, to inquire about his plans for the program, but has not received a response.

Supporters of the reparations program admit it isn’t perfect, but say it’s a promising start.

“We must elevate the communities that we serve, especially those communities that have been left behind way, way too long. I don’t believe in handouts, but rather, we got to be there to be a hand up and support people in an intentional way,” Ranglin said.

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(WASHINGTON) — The Environmental Protection Agency has vetoed a controversial proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska.

Pebble Limited Partnership, the company that would control the mine commonly known as Pebble Mine, argues it would bring economic opportunity to the Bristol Bay region of Alaska. However, the location of the mine and the infrastructure needed for it to become operational is the focus of a coalition of local Alaska Natives, fishermen and conservation groups concerned about the environmental impact it would have on the Bristol Bay watershed, which is home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery.

“After extensive review of scientific and technical research spanning two decades, and robust stakeholder engagement, EPA has determined that certain discharges associated with developing the Pebble deposit will have unacceptable adverse effects on certain salmon fishery areas in the Bristol Bay watershed,” the EPA said in a statement Monday.

The EPA, citing the Clean Water Act, said it has the authority to veto the project because of the impact of “certain discharges of dredged or fill material associated with development of a mine at the Pebble deposit.”

Pebble Limited Partnership said it will fight the EPA’s decision, which it said will hurt the economic opportunity for local residents.

“Today’s action by the EPA to preemptively veto the proposed Pebble Project is unlawful and unprecedented. For well over a decade, we have argued that fair treatment under the rules and regulations of the U.S should be followed for Pebble or any other development project,” Pebble Limited Partnership CEO John Shively said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the Biden EPA continues to ignore fair and due process in favor of politics. This preemptive action against Pebble is not supported legally, technically, or environmentally. As such, the next step will likely be to take legal action to fight this injustice.

“Pebble development can be done in an environmentally responsible manner without harm to the Bristol Bay fishery,” Shively’s statement continued. “Unfortunately, EPA’s decision ignores their purported commitment to environmental justice as it dashes the hopes of hundreds of local Native Americans for a brighter economic future.”

The Army Corps of Engineers denied the permit application for Pebble Mine in 2020, a decision that was later appealed by Pebble Limited Partnership. Using the details provided in that permit application, in December 2022, the EPA’s local administrator suggested a veto of the mine, due to how the company planned to discharge materials “for the construction and routine operation of the mine.”

The EPA said the region near the proposed project is home to 25 Alaska Native villages and communities and “is an area of unparalleled ecological value, with salmon diversity and productivity unrivaled anywhere in North America.”

In an unusual move shortly after the recommendation to veto the mine proposal, an Alaskan Native group sold land it owns near Pebble Mine for $20 million as “conservation easements,” which under Alaskan law prevents any future development at those sites. These easements would block the construction of a key transportation road that mine developers planned to build.

The money from the easements will go to the Pedro Bay Corporation, an Alaska Native village corporation that owns land where part of the transportation road to the mine would be built. Pedro Bay Corporation shareholders are Alaska Natives who inhabit the eastern shore of Lake Iliamna in the Bristol Bay region and have a vested interest in not only the economic prosperity of the region but also in maintaining their cultural traditions.

Pedro Bay Corporation has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.

Funding for the conservation easements was raised from a variety of donors in an effort spearheaded by The Conservation Fund. The president and CEO of the Conservation Fund, Larry Selzer, told ABC News this money will compensate the Pedro Bay Corporation for the appraised value of the land, taking into consideration the economic opportunities future development projects like Pebble Mine would bring to the region if they moved forward.

However, the prospect of job opportunities and other economic benefits from Pebble Mine are not the only reason Pebble Limited Partnership said they want to mine there. Some of the metals that would be extracted from Pebble Mine are essential for a transition to renewable energy sources, which is considered a key part in the global effort to mitigate against the effects of climate change.

“The copper at Pebble could provide a critical metal necessary for the substantial increase in renewable sources of energy which require significant amounts of mined materials in order to meet the nation’s stated goals for renewable energy,” Mike Heatwole, a Pebble Limited Partnership spokesperson, told ABC News.

“A prime question for policymakers is whether we want to produce these minerals domestically under the most stringent environmental standards or if we intend to turn a blind eye and get the metals from other countries,” Heatwole added.

The executive director of the Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust, Tim Troll, was also involved in the purchase of the conservation easements, which the land trust now holds. The exact locations for the easements were chosen to protect two rivers and a creek that feeds into Lake Iliamna. All of them are considered to be important bodies of water for the salmon habitat.

In an interview with ABC News, Troll cited a specific concern for “fugitive dust,” a term used to describe small particles that pollute the air as well as water ecosystems, which he said trucks using the transportation road for mining activities could release into the environment.

Selzer said the Conservation Fund balances economic and environmental objectives carefully, and is not anti-mining, acknowledging the role it will play in a transition to greener energy systems.

But Selzer said that there is no safe way to build Pebble Mine due to seismic activity in the region and its proximity to the Bristol Bay watershed.

“There are other places to mine,” Selzer told ABC News. “There are not other places to fish salmon at this scale.”

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(WASHINGTON) — Jason Lewis, the man accused of shooting 13-year-old Karon Blake outside his home earlier this month, has been charged with second-degree murder while armed, according to Washington, D.C., police.

Blake was shot and killed after an alleged interaction with Lewis, who said he saw Blake appear to be “tampering with” with cars shortly before 4 a.m. on Jan. 7.

The family of Blake has been calling for criminal charges in the case, including at a public forum attended by a police representative. Authorities have only said the investigation was ongoing and police were working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

If convicted, the commission of second-degree murder while armed with a gun includes a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence in addition to the penalty for second-degree murder.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in the days following the shooting that Lewis was a D. C. government employee, but did not specify what department.

Bowser said that despite being mayor since 2015, she did not know the man personally but said he did not work in public service. She said he was a long-time government employee. During her remarks, she noted that the body-worn camera from the police officer’s response would not be released as the investigation continues.

“It’s a horrible situation,” Bowser said on Jan. 11. “And we had a 13-year-old that died and we don’t have all the facts and the people who are responsible for gathering the facts [and] make charging decisions are doing it just as fast as possible. And so that is a very uncomfortable place we’re at but it is also the necessary place to get to just decisions.”

Lewis’ gun was registered, according to police.

Sean Long, Blake’s grandfather, told ABC News on Jan. 13 that the shooter should have called police instead of taking the law into his own hands.

“Everybody sneaks outside. Everybody go outside. Everybody do bad things,” Long said. “But that don’t mean that you’re supposed to be killed. They don’t mean that somebody supposed to put a gun on you. That don’t mean cause you touch a car someone look out their window and shoot you.”

Ward 5 Council Member Zachary Parker had called for charges in the shooting as well.

“No car or material possession is worth a life — under any circumstances,” Parker told ABC News in a statement just after the shooting. “I join Ward 5 residents in calling on the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold accountable the individual who took Karon’s life.”

ABC News’ Teddy Grant contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — An ice storm slamming Texas this week is crippling roads, closing schools and canceling flights.

The freezing rain began Monday and is expected to last through Wednesday morning. The ice will stretch from Texas through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee and into Kentucky.

Some areas have already seen 1 to 2 inches of sleet on top of a glaze of ice, creating a traffic nightmare.

By Tuesday evening, the ice will be falling in Austin and Dallas as well as Little Rock, Arkansas; and Memphis and near Nashville, Tennessee.

On Wednesday morning, the heaviest ice will be in Texas from Midland to Austin and into Dallas.

Ice accumulation could near 1 inch in some spots, covering power lines, roads and sidewalks.

The ice could weigh down power lines and trees, so officials are urging Texans to be prepared for power outages and be mindful of the possibility of trees falling onto cars and homes.

The National Weather Service is urging people to avoid driving if possible. Many Dallas-area schools closed for Monday and Tuesday.

There had been nearly 1,000 flights canceled in the U.S. as of Tuesday morning.

A devastating ice storm in February 2021 crippled the state’s power grid and left millions without power or running water for days in freezing weather.

Meanwhile, the Midwest is facing dangerously cold temperatures.

On Tuesday morning, the wind chill — what temperature it feels like — plunged to minus 27 degrees in Minneapolis and minus 9 in Chicago.

In Peter Sinks, Utah, the temperature fell to minus 62 degrees on Monday, marking the coldest day in the state this century.

For the Northeast, the coldest air of the season is on its way. On Saturday morning, wind chills are forecast to drop to minus 11 degrees in New York and minus 35 degrees in Boston.

Parts of Maine could see wind chills at minus 50 degrees, which would be the coldest seen there since the 1980s.

Despite the bitter temperatures, this month still marks the warmest January on record for dozens of cities, including in the Upper Midwest and Northeast.

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(NEW YORK) — A California man who prosecutors say intentionally drove his Tesla off a cliff with his family inside is facing attempted murder charges.

Dharmesh Arvind Patel, 41, of Pasadena, was arraigned on three felony counts of attempted murder at the San Mateo County Superior Court in Redwood City on Monday afternoon. He did not enter a plea and was ordered to remain held without bail in the San Mateo County Jail in Redwood City.

Patel’s attorney, Josh Bentley, did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Patel is accused of intentionally trying to kill his wife and two young children by driving their car off a cliff on California’s scenic Highway 1, just south of the Tom Lantos tunnels, on the morning of Jan. 2. The California Highway Patrol said its officers were dispatched to the scene about 15 miles south of San Francisco at approximately 10:50 a.m. local time and, upon arrival, located a white Tesla some 300 feet down the cliff.

First responders repelled down the cliff to rescue the occupants from the vehicle — two adults and two children. All four were then transported to a local hospital with “serious injuries,” according to the California Highway Patrol.

After interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence from the scene, investigators developed probable cause to believe the incident was an intentional act and placed the driver — identified as Patel — under arrest for attempted murder and child abuse. Investigators were unable to determine what driving mode the Tesla was in at the time, but “that does not appear to be a contributing factor in this incident,” the California Highway Patrol said in a Jan. 3 press release.

On Friday, Patel was released from the hospital and subsequently booked into the San Mateo County Jail. The San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office filed the attempted murder charges against Patel on Monday. Two of three three counts have domestic violence and great bodily injury enhancements, according to the complaint obtained by ABC News.

After Patel’s arraignment, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe held a brief press conference to give an update on the investigation. He said evidence shows there were no signs of braking or skid marks before the car plunged off the cliff. Eyewitnesses who were driving behind Patel’s Tesla at the time have told investigators that the vehicle’s brake lights did not illuminate as it turned and drove off the edge, according to Wagstaffe.

Investigators have also recovered video from surveillance cameras near the Tom Lantos tunnels that show the Tesla driving out of a tunnel and off a cliff. Based on the evidence, prosecutors are certain that this was attempted murder. The footage will not be released to the public, the district attorney said.

The California Highway Patrol is still examining the car to make sure no malfunction occurred, in which case the charges would be changed, according to Wagstaffe, who noted that he does not anticipate this to happen.

Patel’s 41-year-old wife suffered “major injuries” from the crash and remains hospitalized, the district attorney said. Their 7-year-old daughter was also badly hurt, while their 4-year-old son “miraculously” sustained only bruises, according to Wagstaffe, who said that’s why there were no enhancements added to the third count of attempted murder.

“By some miracle that I don’t understand, all of them have survived. I’m glad for that,” Wagstaffe told reporters on Monday afternoon. “But it doesn’t change [what] we’ve charged him with.”

The district attorney said his office views the case as domestic violence. The judge denied prosecutors’ request for a no contact order and instead granted a no harassment order, according to Wagstaffe.

A potential motive remains under investigation.

“I mean, we know the motive was he didn’t want any of them to live any longer,” Wagstaffe added. “But what led to this, what has caused this, what was the trigger — that’s still under investigation. We’re hoping to learn more when the wife is hopefully available for an interview and is willing to speak with us at that point.”

If convicted on all charges with the special circumstances, Patel could be sentenced to a maximum of life in prison. He is due back in court on Feb. 9 and is expected to enter a plea, according to Wagstaffe.

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(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — Two additional Memphis police officers, including the white officer seen encountering Tyre Nichols during his traffic stop, were relieved of duty and three Memphis Fire Department personnel were fired as the investigation into the Jan. 7 death of Nichols continues, officials announced Monday.

Officer Preston Hemphill and an unidentified officer were relieved of their duty a day after the incident, Memphis PD revealed Monday.

The Memphis Fire Department also announced Monday that it fired two EMTs and a lieutenant who responded to the scene for failing to properly assess Nichols as he lay beaten on the ground.

Hemphill, who is white, allegedly deployed his Taser during the confrontation. In his own body camera video, Hemphill is seen chasing Nichols down the road, but then turns back to the scene of the initial traffic stop.

Hemphill was heard on his body camera video saying twice, “I hope they stomp his a–.”

Hemphill and the unidentified seventh officer haven’t been fired or charged, according to the Memphis PD.

“Officer Preston Hemphill and [the] other officer’s actions and inactions have been and continue to be the subject of this investigation since its inception on January 8, 2023,” the department said in a statement.

Five other officers, who are all Black, were previously fired and charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nichols’ beating at a traffic stop. Nichols, 29, died three days later.

Hemphill’s attorney, Lee Gerald, said earlier that Hemphill was the third officer at Nichols’ initial traffic stop. The first body camera footage released Friday was from Hemphill’s device.

“As per departmental regulations Officer Hemphill activated his bodycam,” Gerald said earlier in a statement. “He was never present at the second scene. He is cooperating with officials in this investigation.”

The Memphis FD revealed more details Monday about their members’ actions during the incident.

Memphis Fire Dispatch received a call from the Memphis PD at 8:31 p.m., to respond to a person pepper sprayed at the intersection of E. Raines Road and Ross Road, according to the fire department. An ambulance arrived at the scene and then directed to the second location where the cops encountered Nichols, the fire department said.

EMT-Basic Robert Long and EMT-Advanced JaMicheal Sandridge made the scene where Tyre Nichols was located handcuffed on the ground leaning against a police vehicle, while an unidentified ambulance driver and Lt. Michelle Whitaker remained inside the vehicle at approximately 8:41 p.m., the according to the fire department.

The department said the EMTs requested another ambulance to respond after their “initial interaction with Mr. Nichols,” and the additional ambulance didn’t arrive on the scene until 8:55 p.m.

“Our investigation has concluded that the two EMTs responded based on the initial nature of the call (person pepper sprayed) and information they were told on the scene and failed to conduct an adequate patient assessment of Mr. Nichols,” Memphis FD said in a statement.

Long, Sandridge and Whitaker were all fired for violating “numerous MFD Policies and Protocols,” the department said.

“Their actions or inactions on the scene that night do not meet the expectations of the Memphis Fire Department and are not reflective of the outstanding service the men and women of the Memphis Fire Department provide daily in our community,” Memphis FD said in a statement.

The three former fire department personnel haven’t been charged.

Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told ABC News Live on Friday night that he thinks “everyone [who] was active in the whole scene … should be charged.”

Attorneys for Nichols’ family, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, said they were extremely disappointed that Hemphill was relieved of duty but not fired or charged. The lawyers are also questioning why the Memphis police did not immediately announce Hemphill’s name or that he was relieved of duty.

“Why is his identity and the role he played in Tyre’s death just now coming to light?” they said in a statement. “We have asked from the beginning that the Memphis Police Department be transparent with the family and the community — this news seems to indicate that they haven’t risen to the occasion. It certainly begs the question why the white officer involved in this brutal attack was shielded and protected from the public eye, and to date, from sufficient discipline and accountability. The Memphis Police Department owes us all answers.”

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said in a statement Monday that the investigation was ongoing and more charges could be filed.

“We are looking at all individuals involved in the events leading up to, during, and after the beating of Tyre Nichols,” the district attorney’s office said. “This includes the officer present at the initial encounter who has not — so far — been charged, Memphis Fire Department personnel, and persons who participated in preparing documentation of the incident afterward.”

“The DA’s Office worked extraordinarily swiftly but thoroughly to charge those whose offenses were plain and clear and directly contributed to the death of Mr. Nichols, but in no way is this investigation over,” the office added.

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