Chino Valley Fire responded to an apparent explosion on the 4200 block of Sierra Vista Dr., in Chino Hills, Calif., Nov. 16, 2025. KABC
(CHINO HILLS, Calif.) — A suspected gas leak caused a home in California to explode, injuring nine people, officials said. An investigation is underway.
The explosion also forced an evacuation of nearby homes in the Chino Hills neighborhood Sunday night, according to authorities.
Jenny Smith, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, told ABC News that the explosion was caused by a possible gas leak.
“Deputies found a residence, in the 42000 block of Sierra Vista Drive, that had caught fire from a possible gas leak. There was damage to surrounding homes due to the incident. The fire department, SoCal Edison and SoCal Gas, were called and arrived on scene,” Smith said in a statement.
Smith added that none of the injuries sustained by the victims appear to be life threatening.
“The initial report was that nine people who were in the house were transported to a local hospital. No injuries appeared to be life threatening. The cause of the fire is still under investigation,” she added.
Members of the Chino Valley Fire District closed the impacted street and took multiple injured individuals to the hospital, according to a social media post.
“Firefighters found major damage to the reported house and minor damage to surrounding homes. Four patients were transported with varying injures to an area hospital,” the Facebook post read.
The Chino Valley Fire District also noted that the gas leak was contained by the end of the evening and evacuated residents could return to the their homes.
“Final Update 10:45 PM: The gas leak has been stopped. Crews will remain on scene to continue the overhaul and investigation. Residents will be allowed back into the unaffected homes at approximately 11:00 pm,” the post added.
“They were just screaming for help, saying, ‘Ow. It hurts! Help me!’ You know, barefooted in their pajamas. The little boy without a shirt, just in his sweatpants. It was hard,” a neighbor said.
“Their hair was burnt, they had blood on their faces,” the other neighbor said.
SoCal Edison and SoCal Gas did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
Two days after a deadly New Jersey shooting killed a 10-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman, officials are urging for the suspects to turn themselves in. WABC
(NEWARK, N.J.) — Officials are urging the suspects involved in the deadly shooting of a 10-year-old boy and a 21-year-old woman in New Jersey over the weekend to turn themselves in for committing the “heinous crime.”
“What you did was cowardly, heartless and unforgivable. You prove nothing but your own weakness,” Essex County Sheriff Amir Jones said during a press conference on Monday. “We are coming, there is no hiding, there is no running. There is no corner of this county that will keep you hidden. Turn yourselves in before we come knocking on your door.”
At approximately 7 p.m. on Saturday, police received reports of multiple shots fired in Newark’s South Ward, officials said. A total of five people were injured in the shooting, with two of them later pronounced dead at a local hospital, officials said.
The victims were identified as 10-year-old Jordan Garcia and 21-year-old Kia Mae Scott, according to New York ABC station WABC.
“To hear the yelling and the wailing of those mothers in the hospital is something that I will never forget,” Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda said on Monday.
An 11-year-old boy, who is Garcia’s brother, was also injured in the shooting, but is in stable condition, officials said.
The two others injured in the shooting, a 60-year-old and a 19-year-old, remain in the hospital, with the 19-year-old in critical condition, officials said.
As of Monday morning, no suspects have been arrested in connection to the shooting, officials said.
“The best thing for them to do is turn themselves in immediately. The entire community is on alert. There is nothing that you can say or do that would justify a 10-year-old losing his life. The community is on alert and on lookout and we’ll make sure that justice is done in this community,” Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka said on Monday.
A $10,000 reward is currently available for any information that leads to an arrest, Jones said, calling the shooting an “attack on everything this city and county stands for.”
Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said the shooting goes “against the trend of downward crime” in the county and the city of Newark, which makes the incident more “vexing” and “difficult.” Stephens said there has been more than a 50% decrease in homicides in Newark this year compared to 2021.
There were 49 murders in 2022 year-to-date, with the number dropping to 46 in 2023, 37 in 2024 and 21 so far this year, according to data from the Newark Department of Public Safety.
A motive for the shooting and whether there were multiple suspects involved was not revealed on Monday.
Officials said they have obtained video surveillance from the night of the shooting and are continuing to canvas the area to find “as much as possible.”
Anyone with information on the shooting is encouraged to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office at 1-877-TIPS-4EC.
(NEW YORK) — New York Jets player Kris Boyd was hospitalized in critical condition after being shot on Sunday morning on a New York City street.
A 29-year-old male was shot in the abdomen just after 2 a.m. in front of a restaurant at 156 W. 38th Street in Midtown Manhattan, the NYPD confirmed to ABC News. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital in New York, the NYPD said, where he was listed in critical but stable condition.
Though the NYPD would not confirm that it was Boyd who was shot, the New York Jets said in a statement to ABC News that they are aware of the situation involving Kris Boyd and have no further comment at this time.
No arrests have yet been made in the shooting, which is under investigation, according to the NYPD. Police are searching for a man who was seen leaving the scene in a blue BMW, the NYPD said.
Police early on Monday released two images of a person of interest in the case. The NYPD described the person as a “male, medium complexion. He was last seen wearing a black cap, black sweatshirt, black pants, multi-colored sneakers, and carrying a black bookbag.”
The Jets did not play on Sunday. The team played Thursday night, losing to the New England Patriots.
In March, Boyd, a defensive cornerback and specialty teams player, signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract to play for the Jets, according to the team. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury during team scrimmage in August and hasn’t played since.
A native of Gilmore, Texas, Boyd played college football for the University of Texas, and joined the NFL in 2019 as a seventh round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Houston Texans before coming to the Jets.
(NEW YORK) — The suspect who was killed in a shootout over the weekend that left four Kansas law enforcement officers injured was identified on Sunday as a 22-year-old man, whose grandfather was also hurt in the incident, authorities said.
The suspect, Stephen M. McMillan, allegedly opened fire on officers who responded to a “domestic disturbance” call at his family’s rural farmhouse in Osage County, Kansas, at around 10:30 on Saturday morning, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).
Three Osage County Sheriff’s Department deputies and a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper were shot in the confrontation that unfolded near Carbondale, about 16 miles south of Topeka, authorities said.
Two wounded deputies underwent surgery overnight at Stormont-Vail Regional Medical Center in Topeka and were listed in good condition, the KBI said in a statement on Sunday. The third deputy was discharged from the hospital, according to the KBI.
The injured highway patrol trooper was initially treated for a gunshot wound at Stormont-Vail Regional Health Center and later transferred to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, according to the KBI. He has since been released, officials said.
McMillan’s 77-year-old grandfather, whose name was not released, remained hospitalized as of Saturday evening with a gunshot injury and is expected to survive, according to the KBI.
During a news conference on Saturday, Col. Erik Smith, superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, said the shooting occurred after a woman at the farmhouse called 911 seeking help for a domestic disturbance that was unfolding.
Upon arrival, the officers encountered the allegedly armed McMillan standing outside the residence, authorities said.
“After being on scene for less than 10 minutes, gunfire erupted,” Smith said.
Five officers, including an additional highway patrol trooper who was not injured, opened fire on the suspect outside the farmhouse, killing him, according to KBI Director Tony Mattivi, who also said McMillan’s grandfather was injured during the exchange of gunfire.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation by the KBI, Mattivi said.
‘No Border Patrol In Charlotte’ rally on November 15, 2025. (Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — A surge of federal agents arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday to take part in immigration arrests despite protests from the mayor and other local officials.
Eyewitnesses filmed and photographed several incidents where masked agents arrested residents. Paula Walker Coleman filmed one of the incidents at a parking lot and told ABC News she witnessed agents arrest another woman who was filming.
“She was close to their car recording and her hand hit their car while recording so they jumped out the vehicle. That’s why she was saying her hand was shaking and that’s what made her touch their car,” Coleman told ABC News.
The Border Patrol operations, led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection commander-at-large Greg Bovino and dubbed “Operation Charlotte Web,” have not yet had any major clashes with local police or people in Charlotte,” sources told ABC News.
“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed. There have been too many victims of criminal illegal aliens and President [Donald] Trump and Secretary [Kristi] Noem will step up to protect Americans when sanctuary politicians won’t,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement.
Willy Aceituno, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Honduras, told The Associated Press he was forcibly taken into a Border Patrol vehicle and only released after showing his citizenship documents. Aceituno, who works in the Charlotte area, said he had been stopped twice by Border Patrol on Saturday, and agents smashed one of his car windows.
As word of the surge increased during the week, North Carolina officials dismissed arguments by the Trump administration that an increased federal presence was needed.
“We should all focus on arresting violent criminals and drug traffickers. Unfortunately, that’s not always what we’ve seen with ICE and Border Patrol Agents in Chicago and elsewhere in the country,” North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, said in a statement Friday.
Stein encouraged North Carolinians to record any “inappropriate behavior” and follow the law.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles, also a Democrat, released a joint statement Saturday with Mark Jerrell, the chair of the city’s Board of County Commissioners, and Stephanie Sneed, the chair of the local board of education, where they expressed support for their constituents.
“It is critical for all residents to feel secure in our community and know they can live their lives without being fearful while walking down the street, going to school, work or the grocery store,” they said.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said in a statement on Friday that it is not involved in any planning by the federal agents.
“CMPD officers are not authorized to assist with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) administrative warrants, which are civil in nature and not criminal,” the department said.
The North Carolina city of Asheville is also on alert for ICE-related activity in its city, Mayor Esther Manheimer said in a statement Saturday.
“We have learned that Asheville may be a targeted city,” she said. “We believe every person, regardless of immigration status, should feel safe in the community they call home.”
(NORFOLK, Va.) — A man suspected of killing at least three other people has now been identified as the suspect in a teenager’s 1988 cold case murder, Virginia authorities announced.
Laurie Ann Powell, 18, was last seen alive on March 8, 1988, walking along a road in Gloucester County, which is about 60 miles east of Richmond, Virginia State Police spokesperson Robin Lawson said at a news conference on Friday.
Powell’s body was found on April 2, 1988, in the Elizabeth River near Craney Island, which is just off of Norfolk, Lawson said. She had been stabbed multiple times, Lawson said.
Alan Wilmer Sr. — who died at his Virginia home in December 2017 at the age of 63 — has now been linked to Powell’s case via DNA, and if he was alive today, he would be charged with her murder, authorities announced.
Last year, investigators determined Wilmer was also the suspect in three other murders: David Knobling and Robin Edwards from 1987 and Teresa Lynn Spaw Howell from 1989, officials said.
The murders of Knobling and Edwards were from “a series of double murders collectively known as the Colonial Parkway murders,” Lawson said.
Investigators are now looking into if Wilmer is suspected of committing additional crimes, she said.
“We are still seeking the public’s help through our continued efforts to seek justice for the victims of these and other unsolved crimes,” Lawson said.
“Any tip could be useful in solving other cold cases,” Virginia State Police Capt. Timothy Reibel added.
Powell’s sister, Cindy Kirchner, spoke at the news conference about the 18-year-old’s short life, saying, “She didn’t wait for life to happen — she made it happen.”
“She was bold, brave, spontaneous, full of life, witty, smart and beautifully herself. A true firecracker,” Kirchner said. “She spoke her mind, followed her heart and never apologized for being herself.”
“After 37 years of heartbreak and unanswered questions, our family has finally received the long-awaited news that the murder of our beloved daughter, sister, Laurie Ann, has been solved,” Kirchner said, overcome with emotion. “While nothing can erase the pain of losing Laurie Ann, today we find comfort knowing that the truth has come to light.”
(MONTEREY, Calif.) — A father is dead and the search for a 5-year-old girl is ongoing after a large wave pulled them into the ocean in Monterey County, California, authorities said.
A 15-to-20 foot wave swept the little girl and her dad into the Pacific Ocean just before 1 p.m. Friday near the Rocky Point Restaurant, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office said.
When the mom tried to reach out to the girl and the dad, the mom was also swept into the water, authorities said.
While the dad held onto the 5-year-old, the mom made it back to shore, joining a 2-year-old who wasn’t hurt, authorities said.
The dad was rescued from the ocean and given CPR, authorities said. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
The mom was hospitalized in stable condition with mild hypothermia, the sheriff’s office said.
A Coast Guard helicopter is a part of Saturday’s search for the missing 5-year-old.
(NEW YORK) — A storm is dropping rounds of heavy rain on more than 22 million people across Southern California on Saturday, and the rainfall could spark dangerous flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows.
Here’s the latest:
The first round of heavy rain is slamming the region early Saturday morning, and the second round will hit between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. local time.
Rainfall rates could top 1 inch per hour and scattered thunderstorms could bring strong winds, lightning and potentially hail.
Flood watches are in effect in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Riverside and San Diego through Saturday evening. A level 3 out of 4 risk for excessive rainfall and flash flooding is in place for the LA and Santa Barbara areas.
Wildfire burn scar areas are of serious concern on Saturday because they’re extremely prone to flash flooding, mudslides and debris flows. But flooding and mudslides pose a major threat to Southern California in general, beyond just burn scar areas.
Evacuation warnings are in place for certain areas with burn scars, while some evacuation orders have been issued for select areas that have a heightened risk of mudslides and debris flows.
The mountains of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties will likely see some of the biggest rain totals, with as much as 4 to 6 inches of rain. On average, LA records 0.8 inches of rain in the entire month of November.
The heavy rain will end Saturday night, but an unsettled weather pattern will stick around into early next week with more wet weather on the way. Flash flooding, debris flows, mudslides and landslides will remain concerns for several days as more rain falls over saturated soils and very sensitive areas.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is maintaining a presence at COP30, despite the Trump administration declining to send an official delegation to the climate conference in Brazil.
This is the first time since the inaugural Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995 that the U.S. will not be officially represented at the annual climate summit.
However, a large number of state and local representatives — as well as environmental nonprofits based in the U.S. — are in attendance.
A coalition of 100 local U.S. leaders — including governors, mayors and other top city and state officials — made the trip to Belem, Brazil, as part of the U.S. Climate Alliance.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, among the notable Americans at COP30, bashed President Donald Trump for disregarding the event, which kicked off Monday.
“While Donald Trump skips the world stage, California is showing up — leading, partnering, and proving what American climate leadership looks like,” Newsom said on Tuesday.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-RI, said in a press conference on Friday that the “Trump administration simply does not represent the American public on climate issues.”
Whitehouse, a ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, accused the current administration of representing the fossil fuel industry, “most particularly the big fossil fuel donors who contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump’s political campaign.”
Why the U.S. did not send any delegates to COP30 The Trump administration declined to send an official delegation to COP30, according to the White House.
“The U.S. is not sending any high level representatives to COP30,” a White House official told ABC News ahead of the start of the conference. “The president is directly engaging with leaders around the world on energy issues, which you can see from the historic trade deals and peace deals that all have a significant focus on energy partnerships.”
Last week, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told The Associated Press that COP30 is “essentially a hoax.”
“It’s not an honest organization looking to better human lives,” Wright told the AP, follow a two-day business conference in Athens.
Wright added that he may attend next year’s climate conference “just to try to deliver some common sense.”
The record-breaking U.S. federal government shutdown, which ended late Wednesday, also prevented federal lawmakers from attending the conference.
Who is at COP30? Most of the nearly 200 countries that participate in the UNFCCC attend COP.
A total of 193 countries, plus the European Union, registered a delegation for the summit. Even North Korea sent a delegation to the climate summit, according to a Carbon Brief analysis.
The only other countries not in attendance are Afghanistan, Myanmar and San Marino, with each having displayed “sporadic” attendance at past conferences, according to Carbon Brief.
Other notable U.S. politicians who made the event include Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and former Vice President Al Gore.
Several mayors of American cities are also in attendance, including Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley and Savannah Mayor Van Johnson.
American cities have always been at the forefront of innovation and climate action, said Gallego, chair of Climate Mayors and C40 Cities vice chair, in a statement.
“Mayors across the country are doubling down to fill the current void of leadership at the federal level,” Gallego said.
Other notable attendees from the U.S. at COP30 this year include Taryn Finnessey, managing director of the U.S. Climate Alliance.
Why experts say it’s important that the US participates in COP30 It is integral that the U.S., as one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, to be present at every COP, environmental advocates told ABC News.
The U.S. shapes markets, capital flows and technology pathways, and therefore engagement by Americans signals to investors that the world’s largest economy understands the competitiveness, innovation, security and supply-chain stakes of the energy transition, Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, told ABC News.
“The U.S. has a decisive role in global climate, energy and industrial policy, so sub-national leaders, non-state actors and businesses showing up at COP30 matters,” Mendiluce said.
Being on the ground at COP is “essential” so delegations can engage with “full strength,” Max Frankel, director of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Institute, told ABC News.
In addition, the scope and urgency of the climate crisis demands an international response, Max Holmes, president and CEO of the Woodwell Climate Research Center, told ABC News.
It is important to let other countries know that many Americans are still working to combat climate change, Lynda Hopkins, supervisor of California’s 5th district, County of Sonoma, told ABC News.
Although the White House isn’t in Belem to represent U.S. interest, Americans at COP30 are still working for solutions that are in the best interest of the country, Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, told ABC News.
“While the Trump administration retreats, the people and companies here are seizing the opportunity to innovate, create jobs, and build safer, healthier futures,” Krupp said.
Although Hopkins said she and other American subnational delegates were “warmly received” by other countries, some prominent figures at COP30 indicated that the U.S. was not needed at the conference to accomplish goals.
Christiana Figueres, a diplomat from Costa Rica who played a key role in the inception of the 2015 Paris Agreement, said the U.S. would not be able to “do their direct bullying” due to the Trump administration’s boycott of the summit.
“I actually think it is a good thing,” Figueres said during a press conference on Tuesday.
Figueres then said, “Ciao, bambino,” which translates to “Bye, little boy,” in Italian, in response to Trump withdrawing from the Paris Agreement for the second time.
Patrick Drupp, director of climate policy for the Sierra Club, described the Trump administration’s absence as “shortsighted decision” and a “slap in the face” to Americans who want clean air and water and lower energy costs.
“The reality is that this work will continue with or without America,” Frankel said.
(MARYVILLE, Tenn.) — Two law enforcement officers were injured in a crash during an “executive protection mission” in Maryville, Tennessee, officials said.
The incident occurred Friday evening south of Knoxville on East Lamar Alexander Parkway at Merritt Road in Maryville, according to a statement from the Maryville City Government.
An officer in the Maryville Police Department’s motor unit was involved in a crash with a state trooper “during an executive protection mission involving multiple law enforcement agencies,” Maryville officials said.
Both were transported to an area hospital for treatment. One officer is in critical condition, according to Maryville officials, who did not provide further information on the injuries the officer suffered in the crash.
“We ask everyone to keep the officer, family and the medical staff in your prayers,” Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp said in a statement. “All of us at the Maryville Police Department appreciate the concern and outpouring of support from this incredible community.”
City officials said additional information will be released as it becomes available.
