(NEW YORK) — Authorities said the arrest of Joel Manuel De Jesus Amparo on drug charges may have saved countless lives across the country.
8,000 fentanyl pills were recovered from packages at post offices on Staten Island where the district attorney said the seizures could “potentially save millions of lives.”
Prosecutors in Staten Island said each of the pills the New Jersey Man was putting in the mail and sending to recipients across the country “contained enough fentanyl to carry its very own death sentence.”
The pills were made in New Jersey before police and federal investigators said Amparo sent them through the post office to locations nationwide.
The mass production of fake pills tainted with fentanyl the DEA said is “fueling drug overdoses and poisonings nationwide.”
A 33-year-old man is dead after he was fatally struck by a car when he ran into traffic chasing after a dog.
The incident occurred at approximately 1 p.m. on Monday afternoon in Kingsport, Tennessee — about 100 miles northeast of Knoxville — when the Kingsport Police Department Traffic Unit responded to a call regarding a motor vehicle striking a pedestrian as it travelled north on Lynn Garden Drive, authorities said.
“A light blue 2020 Honda Odyssey minivan, driven and solely occupied by [a male driver] of Kingsport, appears to have been traveling lawfully northbound on Lynn Garden Drive, when a pedestrian, Gordon Gale Johnson of Kingsport, suddenly ran into the roadway, directly into its path, chasing after a dog,” read a statement released by the Kingsport Police Department following the incident.
It was initially reported that 33-year-old Gordon Gale Johnson was taken by Sullivan County EMS to a local area hospital to be treated for his injuries but police confirmed that he had died several hours later from injuries sustained in the crash with 49-year-old driver. Police say that the man was unable to avoid a collision and that he was uninjured in the collision with Johnson.
It is unclear if the dog belonged to Johnson or what the circumstances were surrounding the incident and how the dog managed to get loose in the first place.
The accident now remains under open and active investigation by the Kingsport Police Department Traffic Unit and no further details are expected to be released until authorities conclude their investigation.
A K-9 in North Carolina helped locate a missing teenage boy who had run away from home earlier this month.
Maverick, a 2-year-old English Labrador retriever, who is trained in tracking, quickly sought out the child in a wooded area in Union County, North Carolina, which is southeast of Charlotte, according to the Union County Sheriff’s Office.
It took the dog and his handler, Deputy Josh Dye, less than an hour to find the teenager near U.S. Highway 601 on Aug. 1, after the boy’s family reported him missing.
Maverick knows how to put his sense of smell to work when it comes to track work, according to Lt. James M. Maye, a public information officer for the sheriff’s office.
“These tracking canines – primarily bloodhounds and Maverick – they use what we call a scent article and it’s something that a person has lived with, such as clothing that has their scent on that,” Maye said in an interview with “Good Morning America.” “In this case, this article that was used was a blanket that this juvenile had used, slept with, laid around the house with, so it was obviously saturated with the scent most associated with him.”
“When you’re walking down the road or walking down a path, you leave scent behind. And so Maverick picked up on that scent and was able to track it,” Maye told “GMA.”
The sheriff’s office celebrated Maverick’s quick work in a Facebook post, calling the dog a “huge asset” to the sheriff’s office.
“We’re just really thankful that this situation turned out great and that all the training that they do every day was put into use and then it worked just like it was supposed to,” Maye said.
Maverick was donated to the Union County Sheriff’s Office last December and, according to Maye, has quickly become an “office favorite.”
“He brightens up the mood every time he’s in the office. We’re just extremely proud of him,” Maye said.
Maverick is also trained in narcotics detection and often works with children at local schools, according to Maye. He is one of 13 K-9s with the department and the other sheriff’s dogs include a Black lab, some German shepherds, bloodhounds and Malinois.
Dye, who lives with Maverick and has been his handler since March, told “GMA” that the English lab in particular is “very friendly [and] very goofy at times.”
The teen’s family declined to comment for this story, according to Maye.
An unidentified illness has killed over a dozen dogs in northern Michigan, according to officials.
The Otsego County Animal Shelter said in a statement Friday that over 20 dogs in the county have died due to an illness similar to parvovirus, a highly contagious and often-deadly gastrointestinal disease in dogs.
The shelter’s director, Melissa Fitzgerald, released a statement on Aug. 9 saying that most of the dogs who died were less than 2 years old and died within three days of showing symptoms.
Fitzgerald said the symptoms included bloody diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy and a loss of appetite.
However, when the dogs were taken to be tested for parvovirus, the statement said, the tests came back negative.
Fitzgerald said the “best guess” for the cause of the deaths is an unknown strain of parvovirus.
According to the shelter, the illness is not affecting one breed over another, but appears to be more common in puppies and elderly dogs.
The shelter’s statement added that no dogs that have been properly vaccinated have been among those to die in recent weeks.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is investigating the recent deaths.
“We are still in the early stages of this investigation, but some of the first samples submitted to the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory were positive for canine parvovirus. However, there are more results pending and more to be learned,” state veterinarian Nora Wineland said in a statement.
“When MDARD first learned of these cases in northern Michigan, we immediately reached out to the veterinarians and animal shelters involved and began our response efforts,” Wineland added. “Protecting animal and public health is one of the department’s key pillars, but it is a team effort. Dog owners need to ensure their pet is up to date on routine vaccinations as it’s the first step in keeping your pet healthy.”
Jennifer Holton, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, told ABC News that because parvovirus is not a reportable disease, officials are mostly working with anecdotal information.
“Parvo is an incredibly hardy virus,” Holton said. “And by that, I mean it can survive various temperatures and all kinds of things.”
Holton said it’s essential for pet owners to get their dogs vaccinated and alert their veterinarian if they see signs of illness in their dogs.
She added that proper cleanup, to halt the spread of the disease through fecal matter, is also essential, particularly in high-capacity areas like shelters, doggy daycares and other animal-friendly places.
While the mystery surrounding the current death rates is concerning, Holton said officials have the investigation under control.
“The word ‘panic’ has been used a lot; that is certainly not what we’re doing here,” Holton said. “Prioritizing animal health is one of the key fundamentals of what our animal industry division in this department does on the daily.”
(NEW YORK) — As Dallas reels from deadly flooding, the rain is now moving east.
Heavy downpours will strike Louisiana, southeast Texas and southern Arkansas on Tuesday morning.
The flooding rains will stay in place over Louisiana and southeast Texas throughout the day.
In Shreveport, Louisiana, residents are already wading through up to 7 inches of rain from the past 24 hours. Flash flood warnings are in effect.
San Antonio and Austin, Texas, facing one of the driest years on record, are also under flood watches.
On Wednesday morning, the heavy rain will continue in eastern Louisiana and will reach Mississippi, where 10 inches of rain is possible over the next 48 hours.
This comes after downpours pounded the Dallas region Sunday night and Monday, at one point reaching 3.01 inches of rain in one hour.
A state of disaster was declared Monday night in Dallas County as officials announced that a 60-year-old woman died when her car was swept away in floodwaters.
East Dallas recorded a whopping 15.31 inches of rain. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport saw 9.19 inches of rain over 24 hours — the highest in 90 years.
Dallas usually sees a total of 8 inches of rain throughout the entire summer.
ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke and Melissa Griffin contributed to this report.
(SPRINGDALE, Utah) — The family of the hiker who went missing after flash floods hit Utah’s Zion National Park is hoping their loved one is found safely, as the National Park Service joined in search and rescue efforts on Monday.
NPS is assisting the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and Zion’s rescue team as they search parts of the Virgin River, located south of the park, for Jetal Agnihotri of Tucson, Arizona, the park said in a press release Monday.
NPS initially received multiple reports of park visitors being swept off their feet by a flash flood in the Narrows in the Zion Canyon at around 2:15 p.m. on Friday.
One hiker was sent to the hospital, while rangers found several hikers isolated near Riverside Walk due to high flood water, NPS said.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office’s water team investigated the fast-flowing and deep areas of the river, while dog handlers looked into areas with vegetation and log jams, NPS said in a news release.
“We don’t know what she’s going through, where she is,” her brother, Pujan Agnihotri, told Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX.
More than 20 park rangers and search and rescue team members are aiding with search and rescue efforts.
Pujan Agnihotri praised NPS for its efforts in the search for his sister, whom he described as “strong-minded” and “independent,” but added that the situation has been “frustrating.”
“It’s already day three for us and we haven’t found any clue except the backpack,” he told KTVX.
“We have confidence in […] whatever decision she would have taken,” Pujan Agnihotri said. “Unfortunately, this flash [flood came] out of nowhere, there [were] no caution signs, there was no closure during the flash flood.”
ABC News’ Nadine El-Bawab and Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.
(NEVADA COUNTY, Calif.) — California authorities believe that the body found in a vehicle submerged in a reservoir is that of missing teenager Kiely Rodni, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said at a press conference Monday.
Earlier, authorities had confirmed the body was found in a vehicle that matches the description of the SUV that Rodni was driving, authorities told ABC News on Monday. The sheriff’s office said it expects to have an official confirmation that the body belongs to Rodni soon.
The lake where the car was found was within the search radius, where law enforcement had been searching since the very beginning of the operation, and officials said they had searched the water previously.
The lake had been searched with sonar and divers, but the expertise and high-end equipment provided by Adventures With Purpose, an independent group that located the vehicle Sunday, allowed them to make the find.
Rodni, 16, was last seen on Aug. 6 around 12:30 a.m. local time near the Prosser Family Campground in the small town of Truckee, California, some 20 miles north of Lake Tahoe.
She was at a party with upward of 300 people when she vanished along with her vehicle, a silver 2013 Honda CRV with California license plates and a sticker of a ram below the rear wiper blade, according to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, which had led the search and investigation.
The vehicle, which was pulled from the water overnight, matches the description of Rodni’s SUV, a spokesperson for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, which is assisting in the investigation, confirmed to ABC News.
In a statement, the teen’s family said they were “eternally grateful” for the love that friends, family, law enforcement, the media and communities all over the world showed them throughout their search for Rodni.
“We have weathered a storm of unfathomable force, and it is purely thanks to the army of warriors, matriarchs, healers and helpers holding us up that we continue to stand today,” her family said. “Mr. Rogers famously told a story of ‘looking for the helpers’ whenever he saw scary things in the news. We have not had to look for the helpers, as you have all come to our rescue in full force. We are forever indebted to you.”
The statement continued, “While we accept this sadness cast under death’s shadow, the rising sun shines light upon us, reminding us not to mourn our loss, but to celebrate Kiely’s spirit and the gift that we all received in knowing her. Kiely will surely remain with us even though we will not get her back.”
Rodni’s cellphone had been out of service since she went missing.
“Her cellphone went dead and became virtually untraceable shortly after,” Angela Musallam, public information officer for the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, told ABC News during an interview that aired Aug. 9 on Good Morning America.
Last week, authorities said they were conducting sex offender compliance sweeps as part of their search for Rodni.
Rodni’s mother, Lindsey Rodni-Nieman, told Good Morning America during an interview on Aug. 8 that the last text message she received from her daughter said she was planning to leave the party in about 45 minutes and would be coming “straight home.”
Following her disappearance, Rodni was added to the FBI’s missing persons database.
ABC News’ Nadine El-Bawab, Marilyn Heck, Alex Stone and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.
(HONOLULU) — Bail was denied Monday for the wife of a U.S. defense contractor accused of stealing the identity of a dead child, as well as conspiracy, according to her attorney.
Walter Glenn Primrose, 66, and Gwynn Morrison, 66, were indicted for conspiracy against the U.S. government, aggravated identity theft and making false statements in the application and use of a passport, federal court documents show.
The Hawaii couple pleaded not guilty in federal court on Aug. 2. They both will be held behind bars without bail, a judge ruled. Primrose was denied bail last month.
In court documents, prosecutors allege that Primrose and Morrison stole the identities of two Texas infants, Bobby Edward Fort and Julie Lyn Montague, both born in the late 1960s.
Primrose, aka Bobby, and Morrison, aka Julie, “assumed the identities of deceased American-born infants and have been fully living in these fraudulently assumed identities since 1987,” an affidavit in the complaint shows.
During a hearing last month, U.S. attorneys accused Primrose of abruptly leaving Texas in 1987 after assuming Bobby’s identity. The couple reportedly told a family member that they were entering the Witness Protection Program.
The real Bobby Edward Fort died in 1967 from asphyxia, while the real Julie Lyn Montague died in 1968, according to the complaint.
Unlike Primrose — who identified himself as Walter Primrose and accepted that identity at last week’s bail hearing — Morrison insisted that her name was Julie Lyn Montague.
According to an affidavit, Primrose told a family member that he worked for a government agency and wasn’t allowed to share photos of himself.
Prosecutors argued Primrose should be denied bail because they said the defendants might have “troubling foreign connections,” ABC News learned.
U.S. attorneys said witness interviews in Texas and Hawaii revealed that the couple “had a longstanding interest in espionage issues.”
Prosecutors also say searches of their home revealed maps of military bases, coded messages, sets of invisible ink and photos of them dressed up in KGB military outfits.
The U.S. attorneys said forensic experts believe the photos were taken in the 1980s. Defense attorneys claimed the outfits were a costume.
Prosecutors said that after their arrest, while left in a room alone, Primrose and Morrison allegedly referenced things related to espionage.
Primrose enrolled in the U.S. Coast Guard using fake documents in 1994 and served until 2016, court documents allege. Since then, he has been a Department of Defense contractor with access to military installations, according to court documents.
Defense attorneys pointed out that their clients have not been charged with anything related to espionage but only “white collar” crimes related to identity fraud.
Morrison’s attorney, Megan Kau, and Primrose’s attorney, Maximilian Mizono, did not have a comment when reached, respectively, by ABC News.
Both will go to trial on Sept. 26.
ABC News’ Matthew Fuhrman contributed to this report.
(ATLANTA) — One person was killed and two were injured in shootings at two locations in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood on Monday afternoon, Atlanta police said.
Police said a suspect is in custody.
This comes after police said they were searching for an unknown woman in connection with the shootings. Police shared photos of the individual with a suitcase.
Police said she was taken into custody at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Authorities said it’s not clear what led to the shootings and that they’re investigating the connection between the two locations.
The first two victims, including the person who died, were found at 1280 W. Peachtree Street. The third victim was at 1100 Peachtree Street, police said.
Police also said they’re investigating whether the shootings were targeted or random.
(ATLANTA) — Two people have been killed and one was injured in shootings at two locations in Atlanta’s Midtown neighborhood on Monday afternoon, Atlanta police said.
Police said a suspect is in custody.
This comes after police said they were searching for an unknown woman in connection with the shootings. Police shared photos of the individual with a suitcase.
Police said she was taken into custody at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Authorities said it’s not clear what led to the shootings and that they’re investigating the connection between the two locations.
The first two victims, including the person who died, were found at 1280 W. Peachtree Street. The third victim was at 1100 Peachtree Street, police said. The third victim later died at the hospital, according to police.
Police also said they’re investigating whether the shootings were targeted or random.
