Married couple allegedly killed by off-duty sheriff’s deputy in their home

Married couple allegedly killed by off-duty sheriff’s deputy in their home
Married couple allegedly killed by off-duty sheriff’s deputy in their home
Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

(ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif.) — A sheriff’s deputy has turned himself in after allegedly fatally shooting a married couple at a home in California, authorities said.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office deputy was off-duty when he is alleged to have committed the double homicide early Wednesday at a home in Dublin before fleeing the scene, authorities said. The sheriff’s office said the suspected murder weapon is the deputy’s firearm, which they were working to recover after he disposed of it in a rural area.

The sheriff’s office had warned that the suspect — identified as 24-year-old Devin Williams, Jr. — was at large following the shooting, prompting a statewide manhunt, and should be considered armed and dangerous.

During a midday press briefing, Chief Garrett Holmes, a commander with the sheriff’s office and the chief of police services for the city of Dublin, announced Williams reportedly called the office earlier that morning to turn himself in and was just taken into custody near Coalinga, several hours south.

“Chief Holmes personally talked the suspect into surrendering and spent about 45 minutes on the phone with him to get him to surrender peacefully,” Alameda County Lt. Ray Kelly told reporters during the briefing.

Kelly said that deputies were in the process of bringing Williams back to Dublin. It is unclear if the suspect has an attorney who can speak on his behalf at this time.

Police responded to the home around 12:45 a.m. after a 911 caller reported an intruder who was “brandishing a firearm,” Holmes said. Two people were ultimately shot and pronounced dead at the scene, he said.

“It’s a great loss for our community, and it’s even more disheartening to find out that it was one of our own that actually was the trigger person behind this tragic incident,” Holmes said.

Six people were in the home at the time of the shooting, including a child and the two victims, Kelly said. A relative of the family who was visiting at the time is a “key eyewitness,” he said.

The victims were a 42-year-old woman and a 58-year-old man, Kelly said. Authorities have not yet released their names. He said the two had a child together, though he did not provide any further details.

Kelly said they are investigating a motive in the shooting and the relationship between Williams and the victims.

“There is connectivity between Mr. Williams and the victims,” he said.

Williams has worked for the sheriff’s office for a year, according to Kelly. Prior to applying to be a sheriff’s deputy, he was going through a field training officer program in Stockton upon graduating from the police academy, Kelly said. Williams did not pass his probation to become a solo police officer and was let go, he said.

“A lot of those issues that we found were related to his skillset and his ability to effectively do the job,” Kelly said. “They were not based on any type of conduct. It was more of his ability and skillset wasn’t meeting the criteria that this job demands. And so at that point, they let him go. That’s not uncommon.”

Williams was considered a “very good candidate” for law enforcement, said Kelly, who noted that the agency is “in shock.”

“Somewhere in the last several months of his life, some significant events happened that led up to this moment. A lot of those events went undiscovered and disclosed. And we’re gonna be looking into that,” Kelly said. “I think there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered.”

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Michigan court rules 1931 abortion ban is unconstitutional

Michigan court rules 1931 abortion ban is unconstitutional
Michigan court rules 1931 abortion ban is unconstitutional
Jason Marz/Getty Images

(LANSING, Mich.) — A Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled Wednesday that the state’s 1931 abortion ban violates the state constitution, according to a copy of the ruling obtained by ABC News. The ruling permanently bars the attorney general and county prosecutors from enforcing the ban in the state, effectively legalizing abortions in Michigan.

The ruling from Judge Elizabeth Gleicher came as part of a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood of Michigan and Dr. Sarah Wallett, the organization’s chief medical officer, against Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Michigan state House of Representatives and Senate, challenging the ban.

“This historic ruling is a critical victory for abortion access in a post-Roe v. Wade world and means that abortion care remains protected in Michigan,” Planned Parenthood of Michigan said in a statement to ABC News.

The 1931 law makes it a felony to provide an abortion unless it is medically necessary to save the life of a pregnant person. The law does not make exceptions for rape or incest. The law also states that if the pregnant person dies, the provider would be charged with manslaughter.

The ruling found the state’s abortion ban unconstitutional as it violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the Michigan constitution and would deprive pregnant women of their right to bodily integrity, autonomy and the equal protection of the law, Gleicher wrote in the order.

Gleicher ruled that enforcement of the law will “endanger the health and lives of women seeking to exercise their constitutional right to abortion” and threatens pregnant women with irreparable injury because without access to abortion care they will be denied “appropriate, safe and constitutionally protected medical care,” court documents show.

The court also found that the law would cause Planned Parenthood and Wallett “irreparable injury” by exposing them to “felony prosecution and imprisonment for performing a medically necessary procedure that their patients are constitutionally entitled to have,” according to the ruling.

The court also found that issuing a permanent injunction will cause no harm to the attorney general nor does it adversely affect the pubic interest.

“The harm to women on, the other hand, is a wholesale denial of their fundamental right to an abortion, necessitating permanent injunctive relief,” according to the ruling.

The ruling is effective immediately, and the court also denied the Michigan legislature’s request to stay the decision, according to Planned Parenthood.

“We are proud to have won this victory on behalf of Michigan abortion providers and the patients who depend on us for care. Today’s Court of Claims ruling will ensure that Michiganders can continue to make deeply personal decisions about their health, lives, and futures without interference from state officials,” Wallett said in a statement to ABC News.

The judgment is the latest development in the state’s battle over abortion rights which began when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, eliminating federal protections for abortion rights.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has vowed to fight for abortion rights, bringing another lawsuit challenging the law’s constitutionality and asking the state’s supreme court to determine whether the abortion law already on the books is unconstitutional.

Last month, a state court granted a request by Whitmer’s lawyers for a temporary restraining order on the abortion ban, pending ongoing litigation. In a ruling, Judge Jacob Cunningham argued that not issuing the injunction would cause harm to the public.

The courts will also be left to decide whether Michigan voters will have an abortion question on the ballot this November. The Board of Canvassers was deadlocked, unable decide on a ballot initiative, which would leave it to voters to divide whether to add abortion protections to the state’s constitution.

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Alleged Salman Rushdie attacker appears in court in attempted murder case

Alleged Salman Rushdie attacker appears in court in attempted murder case
Alleged Salman Rushdie attacker appears in court in attempted murder case
Chautauqua County Jail via Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The man accused of repeatedly stabbing author Salman Rushdie on a Western New York stage last month appeared briefly Wednesday in court as prosecutors build their attempted murder case against him.

Hadi Matar, 24, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted murder and assault charges in connection with the attack Aug. 12 at the Chautauqua Institution where he allegedly stabbed the 75-year-old Rushdie about a dozen times in front of a crowd that had gathered for a lecture.

Matar is being held without bail.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said investigators are examining more than 30,000 files produced by New York State Police in its ongoing investigation.

“We are currently reviewing those documents and preparing them in a manner to be appropriately disclosed,” Schmidt said.

Prosecutors are seeking a protective order preserving the confidentiality of witnesses and limiting the persons who may review the materials disclosed. Arguments were scheduled for Sept. 13.

Schmidt conceded that, to date, a limited disclosure has been made to the defense, consisting of statements which Matar made to police at the time he was in custody. He said a more substantial disclosure to the defense is coming.

“I intend to take full advantage of the time allotted to the prosecution under applicable statutes so that we can ensure our compliance with the discovery laws and maintain the integrity of our case,” Schmidt said.

Authorities have not released a motive for the attack.

Rushdie faced years of death threats after his novel, “The Satanic Verses,” was published in 1988. The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini accused the author of blasphemy over the book and issued a fatwa against Rushdie in 1989, calling for his death.

In 1998, the Iranian foreign minister said the country no longer supported the fatwa against Rushdie, though a $3.3 million bounty for his death continues to be offered by an Iranian religious foundation.

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Feds anticipate ransomware attacks against schools could increase as new year begins

Feds anticipate ransomware attacks against schools could increase as new year begins
Feds anticipate ransomware attacks against schools could increase as new year begins
Geo Piatt/Getty Images

(NEW YORK) — The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a new warning they anticipate ransomware attacks could increase as the new school year begins.

“The FBI, CISA, and the MS-ISAC anticipate attacks may increase as the 2022/2023 school year begins and criminal ransomware groups perceive opportunities for successful attacks,” the joint bulletin released Tuesday said.

CISA is the cyber arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

The warning is timely — one of the nation’s largest school districts, the Los Angeles Unified School Department, fell victim to a ransomware attack over the weekend.

Law enforcement warns that smaller school districts are the most vulnerable because they have the least amount of resources to prevent an attack.

“School districts with limited cybersecurity capabilities and constrained resources are often the most vulnerable; however, the opportunistic targeting often seen with cyber criminals can still put school districts with robust cybersecurity programs at risk. K-12 institutions may be seen as particularly lucrative targets due to the amount of sensitive student data accessible through school systems or their managed service providers,” the bulletin says.

Specifically, the FBI and CISA said they are seeing activity against schools from one particular group called the Vice Society “disproportionately targeting the education sector with ransomware attacks.”

The tradecraft of Vice Society actors, officials said, has been identified “through FBI investigations as recently as September 2022.”

The LAUSD superintendent said on Monday the group is associated with the LAUSD ransomware attack.

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Baltimore latest among major cities experiencing contamination in water supply

Baltimore latest among major cities experiencing contamination in water supply
Baltimore latest among major cities experiencing contamination in water supply
Tim Graham/Getty Images

(BALTIMORE) — Baltimore has become the latest major city to experience a water crisis involving contamination in the water supply.

City officials have been urging residents to boil tap water for at least one minute after E. coli was discovered in West Baltimore at one sampled location on Friday and another two locations on Saturday. More than 1,500 people were affected by the advisory, as well as several area schools.

Investigators are identifying construction sites that potentially contributed to the contamination, Baltimore Director of Department of Public Works Jason Mitchell told reporters during a press conference Monday, Baltimore ABC affiliate WMAR-TV reported. The health department is flushing the system, as well as performing leak detection and live checks in the area, and increasing chlorination levels, Mitchell said.

Engineers are inspecting the distribution system, treatment systems, pumping facilities and other infrastructure, city officials told reporters during a news conference on Tuesday, WMAR reported.

The boil water notice will remain in effect until the source of the E. coli is determined and the problem has been fixed, the Maryland Department of the Environment said.

There is no evidence so far that the contamination spread to the east or southeast sections of the city, officials said Tuesday after the results came in from another round of tests that were sampled on Monday.

The health department takes 360 samples from 90 locations throughout the city each month to identify potential issues with water quality.

The city began distributing water to impacted communities once the contamination was announced. More than 1,700 gallons of water were handed out on Monday alone, and the distribution continued into Tuesday, officials said.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told reporters Monday that the city is “taking this issue seriously.”

“We understand deeply the concerns of residents and we want to assure them that their health and well-being are our first priority,” Scott said.

Baltimore officials did not give a timeframe on when the water supply would be deemed safe.

Other major cities have been seeing water supplies contaminated in recent days.

In the East Village neighborhood of New York City, drinking water at the Jacob Riis Houses, a New York City Housing Authority Complex, was found to have dangerous levels of arsenic, ABC New York station WABC-TV reported.

Thousands of residents were forced to use water bottles and portable water stations throughout the holiday weekend after they were told not to drink or cook with the water from their taps, according to WABC.

The housing authority began testing the water weeks ago after receiving reports of cloudy water. Tests came back positive for arsenic on Friday, but there is no evidence that the arsenic levels are connected to the initial cloudy water reports, according to city officials.

The first positive samples came from two high-rise buildings, where the water goes into a tank on the roof after leaving the main line, said NYCHA Senior Vice President for Healthy Homes Daniel Greene. More samples have been taken from low-rise buildings as a precaution, Greene said.

The office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams advised residents to continue using bottled water until the test results for 100 additional locations come in. Residents are also being asked to help flush out the system in case the contamination is in the buildings’ pipes by turning faucets on and letting the water run for three hours, three floors at a time.

Jackson, Mississippi, is also facing another water crisis after river flooding compounded issues with water pressure at long-failing treatment systems.

Officials in Jackson announced last week that cooking and cleaning, firefighting, flushing toilets and bathing would be widely unavailable for the state capital’s 180,000 residents other than for critical outside aid.

The problems with the city’s water supplies persist more than a year after the city faced another water emergency when back-to-back winter storms wreaked havoc on the city’s water system.

By March 2021, thousands of residents had been without water for more than a week as members of the Mississippi National Guard trucked bottled water into the city.

Residents told ABC News they are fatigued over the “ongoing issue” that has been plaguing the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant for years.

“I think our concern as citizens is even after all of this, after they put all the money into the water plant, will we have qualified staff to continue to run the plant?” said resident Velma Warner.

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‘Fat Leonard’ on the run days before sentencing: US Marshals

‘Fat Leonard’ on the run days before sentencing: US Marshals
‘Fat Leonard’ on the run days before sentencing: US Marshals
kali9/Getty Images

(SAN DIEGO, Calif.) — A former naval contractor who was convicted of bribing Navy officers with millions of dollars worth of lavish cigars, prostitutes and cash allegedly cut off his ankle monitor on Sunday and is now on the run, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

Leonard Francis, also known as “Fat Leonard,” was awaiting sentencing on Sept. 22 after being found guilty in 2015 of bribing officers with gifts and millions in cash, in exchange for information about the movements of naval ships. In one instance, according to the Justice Department, Francis was able to have a ship moved to a port he owned in Malaysia.

On Sunday, U.S. Marshals showed up at Francis’ home after being alerted that his GPS ankle monitor was being tampered with, according to a press release from the agency.

“Members of the San Diego Fugitive Task Force went to Francis’ residence, in an attempt to locate him,” the Marshals said. “After announcing themselves, task force officers made entry into the residence through an unlocked door. After a thorough check of the residence, officers were unable to locate Francis. Officers were able to locate the GPS ankle monitor that had been cut off.”

“His current whereabouts are unknown,” the agency added.

Since 2013, there have been more than 30 naval officers charged in connection with his case. A judge ruled that Francis had to forfeit the $35 million he was convicted of defrauding the U.S. government by when he overbilled government contracts and bribed naval officials.

“In his plea agreement, Francis conceded that over the course of the conspiracy, he and [his contracting company] gave public officials millions of dollars in things of value, including over $500,000 in cash; hundreds of thousands of dollars in the services of prostitutes and associated expenses; hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel expenses, including airfare, often first or business class, luxurious hotel stays, incidentals and spa treatments; hundreds of thousands of dollars in lavish meals, top-shelf alcohol and wine and entertainment; and hundreds of thousands of dollars in luxury gifts, including designer handbags and leather goods, watches, fountain pens, fine wine, champagne, Scotch, designer furniture, consumer electronics, ornamental swords and hand-made ship models,” according to a Justice Department release.

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Bay Area hit with record temperatures, officials ask Californians to conserve energy

Bay Area hit with record temperatures, officials ask Californians to conserve energy
Bay Area hit with record temperatures, officials ask Californians to conserve energy
Steve Proehl/Getty Images

(SAN FRANCISCO) — Temperatures in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area have hit record numbers as state officials warn of blackouts throughout the state as Californians deals with intense heat.

The temperature in Livermore, located in the eastern part of the Bay Area, reached 116 degrees on Monday, the highest temperature recorded in the Bay area, according to the National Weather Service.

Santa Rosa, California, hit 112 degrees on Monday, breaking its previous record of 110 degrees; Gilroy, California, also reached 112 degrees, tying the record set in 2017 and 2020, according to NWS.

California is going through a record-breaking heat wave that may be the hottest and longest in the state for September, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a video posted Tuesday on Twitter.

The state’s power grid is also being pushed to the brink and runs the risk of outages, according to California Independent System Operators (CAISO), which runs the state’s electrical grid.

CAISO has thanked state residents for helping conserve as much energy as possible to lower the power load. “Forecasts showed that electrical demand could reach over 51,000 megawatts on Tuesday — the highest demand ever on the state’s energy grid, exceeding the previous high of 50,270 megawatts in 2006, CAISO said.”

The organization urged residents to set their thermostats to 78 degrees, turn off lights when not being used, unplug unused electronics and to pre-cool their homes earlier in the day.

“We’re heading to the worst part of this heat wave and the risk for outages is real and it’s immediate,” Newsom said. “These triple-digit temperatures throughout much of our state are leading, nor surprisingly, to record demand on the energy grid.”

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5 Texas officers on-site at Uvalde school referred to inspector general; 2 so far suspended with pay: DPS

5 Texas officers on-site at Uvalde school referred to inspector general; 2 so far suspended with pay: DPS
5 Texas officers on-site at Uvalde school referred to inspector general; 2 so far suspended with pay: DPS
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images, FILE

(UVALDE, Texas) — The action or inaction of five Texas Department of Public Safety officers on-site at Robb Elementary School on May 24 has been referred to the Texas inspector general to determine what, if any, discipline is warranted and whether a criminal referral to the DA should be made, the DPS communications chief told ABC News Tuesday.

Two of the five officers have been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the inspector general’s investigation, Texas DPS spokesman Travis Considine told ABC News.

DPS Director Steve McCraw ordered a top-to-bottom review of what his officers did and did not do during the deadly Uvalde elementary school shooting. The special state legislative investigation found that there were DPS personnel on-site among the federal, state and local law enforcement officers who did not take action to stop the massacre for more than an hour.

That internal review is now done, Considine said. The agency has referred the actions/inactions of five DPS officers to the state inspector general, who will now conduct an investigation to determine what — if any — discipline should be forthcoming. The inspector general can also refer its findings to the district attorney in Uvalde, who continues to conduct a criminal probe of the school shooting.

Even if the inspector general decides against taking action, McCraw has the authority to issue internal disciplinary measures to those officers. The five officers are not being identified and their ranks are not being released, Considine said.

Meanwhile, McCraw has issued two new orders that will radically change the way police procedure is handled in Texas in the wake of the school shooting, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed.

Uvalde:365 is a continuing ABC News series reported from Uvalde and focused on the Texas community and how it forges on in the shadow of tragedy.

Under one, once an “active shooter” is declared at a school, the situation cannot be treated as anything else by Texas DPS personnel — troopers and Rangers — until the shooter or shooters are neutralized.

Under the other order, all DPS personnel are ordered from now on to override any other law enforcement officers who are standing in the way of taking active measures to neutralize a school shooter.

The police response took nearly 77 minutes to confront and kill the 18-year-old gunman and was plagued with failures, a state report issued by a special committee in the Texas Legislature found. Among them, the report found that school district police chief Pete Arredondo “failed to perform or to transfer to another person the role of incident commander.”

Arredondo was fired last month as the community has continued to call for accountability following the deadly school shooting. The former chief pushed back that he was “forced into the role of the ‘fall guy'” despite taking “all reasonable actions.”

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Teen curfew being enforced in DC-area county in response to ‘troubling’ rise in arrests

Teen curfew being enforced in DC-area county in response to ‘troubling’ rise in arrests
Teen curfew being enforced in DC-area county in response to ‘troubling’ rise in arrests
Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images

(PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY, Md.) — Officials in one Maryland county said they are going to temporarily enforce a state curfew for teens amid a “troubling” increase in juvenile arrests.

Prince George’s County police officers have arrested an “eye-popping” 430 juveniles so far this year — more than double the number from this time last year, county executive Angela Alsobrooks told reporters during a press briefing Monday.

Carjacking is one area of particular concern, officials said. Eighty-four juveniles have been arrested for carjackings this year, half of whom were under the age of 15, she said. Among the 84 arrested, 34 had prior arrests for a violent crime or gun offense, she said.

“At this point, these kids don’t just need a hug, they also need to be held accountable,” Alsobrooks said. “I know this isn’t the popular thing to say, but the truth of the matter is, it’s a fair question: Where are their parents? Where are the aunties? Where are the uncles and other family members who are responsible for them?”

Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz called the number of juvenile arrests “shocking” and a “significant” jump from last year.

“The vast number of juveniles are out doing the right thing and living a meaningful and positive life in Prince George’s County,” he said during Monday’s press briefing, calling those who are committing crimes “outliers.”

“We can’t arrest our way out of this,” he added.

The curfew was last strongly enforced in 1995, though Alsobrooks said they “feel that the facts and circumstances warrant doing so again.”

The state law requires teens under 17 to be off the streets between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between 11:59 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, unless accompanied by an adult or if an exception applies, Alsobrooks said.

The county, which is located in the greater Washington, D.C., area, will begin stricter enforcement of the law starting this weekend for at least 30 days, Alsobrooks said. Parents will receive a warning for the first offense, though repeated offenses could see fines up to $250 and children could be released to the Department of Social Services if parents fail to respond, she said.

“Simply put, the enforcement of this law is to protect our children,” Alsobrooks said. “Children 17 years old and younger are not legally responsible for themselves. Neither are police. Their parents are responsible and their families are responsible for keeping them safe. We need everyone working to protect our children.”

Alsobrooks said she sees the curfew as one part of a “toolbox” to keep the community safe, alongside mental health services at schools and a summer youth enrichment program.

The county executive said she is seeking an emergency meeting with the Department of Juvenile Services and will continue to work with the court system to understand “how these kids are being held accountable.”

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, who was not present at the briefing, defended her office’s record on convictions at a later news conference.

“We absolutely hold people accountable for serious crimes,” Braveboy said Monday, calling the number of juveniles committing carjackings “outrageous,” according to Washington, D.C., radio station WTOP.

Officials in Philadelphia have also implemented a modified curfew for minors in recent weeks in an attempt to keep young people off the streets and safe during a high-crime season. Through Sept. 29, those between the ages of 14 and 17 are required to be home by 10 p.m. Previously, the latest some teenagers were able to be out was midnight. Those under 13 are required to be home by 9:30 p.m.

For those found violating the curfew, Philadelphia police will attempt to reunite them with their families at home or a precinct or bring them to one of several community centers that have been established during the curfew.

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3 hikers die in incidents in Utah, Arizona over holiday weekend

3 hikers die in incidents in Utah, Arizona over holiday weekend
3 hikers die in incidents in Utah, Arizona over holiday weekend
Utah County Sheriff’s Office

(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) — Three hikers died and several were injured over the holiday weekend in Arizona and Utah. Several hikers in Arizona suffered heat exhaustion as excessive heat gripped the West Coast.

A hiker in their 20s died and five others suffered heat emergencies while hiking a trail in Cave Creek, Arizona, Wednesday after running out of water and getting lost on the trails, according to the Scottsdale Fire Department.

The hikers, who were all locals, were removed from the trails by helicopter after emergency responders discovered they were about 4.5 miles from the trailhead, a representative from the fire department told ABC News.

The hiker who died was taken to a local hospital where he died due to heat stroke. The five injured hikers were given fluids and treated on the scene for about an hour before being cleared, according to the fire department.

Also in Arizona, a backpacker was reported dead in Grand Canyon National Park Sunday at around 7:30 p.m. local time. The backpacker has been identified as 59-year-old Delphine Martinez, who was on a multi-day trip, according to the National Park Service.

Martinez was hiking down the Thunder River Trail on Sunday when she became disoriented and later unconscious. Trip members tried to resuscitate Martinez, but were unsuccessful, according to NPS. NPS and the Coconino County Medical Examiner are investigating Martinez’s death and have not released any additional information.

According to the National Park Service, temperatures in the inner canyon were over 100 degrees, with the high temperature at Phantom Ranch around 115 degrees. Park rangers at Grand Canyon National Park advised visitors against hiking in the inner canyon during the heat of the day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., saying the heat can cause “serious health risks including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hyponatremia and death,” according to the National Park Service.

Separately, a 45-year-old hiker in Utah fell to their death Saturday after going missing while climbing near the mouth of the American Fork Canyon, the Utah County Sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The man, identified as Thomas James Rawe, texted a friend asking him to pick him up near the canyon in 45 minutes. Rawe was hiking or climbing in the area and was on his way down. He sent a picture showing the the steep terrain and the fee booth where the two were supposed to meet up.

At the agreed upon time, the friend arrived and Rawe did not. Rawe had said his phone battery was at 1%, so the friend was not initially surprised to not hear from Rawe, according to the sheriff’s office.

At around 9 p.m. local time, deputies with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a man missing while climbing near the canyon. The Utah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team responded and searched for a couple of hours, but because the terrain is dangerous, they called off the operation for the night. They returned early Sunday morning and called for assistance from the Utah Department of Public Safety and one of their helicopters, according to the sheriff’s office.

A helicopter crew member found what they suspected was the body of Rawe on a very steep, rocky slope, shortly after arriving. A Search and Rescue team member was then flown to the area to confirm the body was Rawe and that he was dead. Another volunteer was then flown to the area to secure the body from falling further down the mountain before it was prepared and hoisted to a nearby parking lot by the DPS helicopter crew, according to officials.

While officials are unsure what caused the fall, they said it is likely he “lost his footing or stumbled, then fell and tumbled several hundred feet down the steep slope.”

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