Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — Two people, including a 7-year-old boy, died after a boat capsized on the Hudson River, the New York Police Department said.
Julian Vasquez, 7, and Lindelia Vasquez, 47, both became trapped underneath the boat, police said. The pair were unresponsive when first responders pulled them from the water and were pronounced dead, NYPD Assistant Chief James McCarthy told reporters during a press briefing Tuesday evening.
The two were part of family from Colombia travelling together, who boarded the jet boat — named Stimulus Money — in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Eleven other family members, all from Colombia, were injured, including at least six women and three men, police said. The boat captain, who was licensed and is from Elizabeth, was also hurt, officials said.
Along with the two dead, four occupants of the boat went to Mount Sinai Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Two people are also hospitalized in critical condition, including the boat’s captain, authorities said.
The U.S. Coast Guard, New York Fire Department and NYPD responded shortly before 3 p.m. to reports of an overturned vessel near Pier 86, in front of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in Manhattan.
The 27-foot boat was being chartered by family and friends, and the owner of the boat was trailing behind it on a Jet Ski, authorities said.
Authorities are investigating what caused the boat to capsize — including whether it was overloaded.
“There were 12 people on the boat, and when we bring the boat up, we’ll find out what was the capacity of the boat,” McCarthy said.
Investigators will also consider the conditions of the water.
“There’s a lot of commercial and recreational traffic during the day here,” Inspector Anthony Russo, commanding officer of NYPD’s Harbor Unit, told reporters. “We had the current, the wind. So you can have waves approaching from different directions.”
“It takes some skill to operate in the Hudson River, so it could have been a contributing factor,” he continued, though he noted it’s early in the investigation. “The Hudson River is always a dangerous place to operate.”
NY Waterway, which operates a ferry service between New York City and New Jersey, said two of its ferries responded to the scene and helped pull nine passengers from the private boat.
“We are so proud of the NY Waterway captains and crews that leapt into action today to rescue boaters following the maritime accident in the Hudson,” the company said on Twitter while sharing photos of the rescue. “Their training and professionalism saved lives, as they have countless times before.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams commended the rescue response while warning New Yorkers to be safe in the city’s waters this summer.
“Our hearts go out to a group of people who were just using the water in our city,” he said. “This is a devastating moment for them.”
ABC News’ Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “special military operation” into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered “stiff resistance,” according to U.S. officials.
The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine’s disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 13, 8:27 AM EDT
Shelling continues throughout Donbas region
Shelling from both Russian and Ukrainian forces caused damage to the landscape and destroyed structures throughout the Donbas region on Tuesday and Wednesday, local officials said.
Russian strikes reportedly targeted the eastern town of Bakhmut, killing one person and wounding 5 others, the local governor said. Explosions were heard in several nearby towns too, with one missile falling near a kindergarten.
Shelling also continued in Izyum, Mykolayiv and Kharkiv on Tuesday. Russian troops reportedly conducted unsuccessful attacks north of Slovyansk and the town of Siversk on Tuesday, despite repeated rhetoric of an “operational pause” that Russia allegedly maintains, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest report.
Russian forces continue to bomb critical areas in preparation for future ground offensive, with air and artillery strikes reported along the majority of the frontline, the experts added.
Ukrainian forces on Tuesday responded to the Russian attacks and claimed to have destroyed six Russian military facilities on occupied Ukrainian territories. Ukrainian officials claimed to have destroyed several ammunition depots, as well as a larger military unit.
Russian media reported on Tuesday that Ukrainian troops launched a “massive attack” on an air defense unit in the Luhansk region.
Ukrainian military officials also claimed to have killed at least 30 Russian troops on Tuesday, along with destroying a howitzer and a multiple rocket launcher, among other weaponry.
But the U.K. Defense Ministry in its latest intelligence update said it still expects Russian forces to “focus on taking several small towns during the coming weeks” in the Donbas region.
These towns are on the approaches to the larger cities of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk that likely remain the principal objectives for this phase of the Russian military operation, the ministry said.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres, Max Uzol, Yulia Drozd and Yuriy Zaliznyak
Jul 12, 10:27 PM EDT
US transfers $1.7 billion in economic assistance to Ukrainian government
The United States transferred $1.7 billion to Ukraine’s government Tuesday, the Treasury Department announced.
It’s the second tranche of money the Treasury transferred to Ukraine’s government as part of $7.5 billion approved for this purpose in the $40 billion Ukraine aid package Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law in May.
It’ll go, in part, to helping Ukraine’s government provide “essential health care services” and health care workers’ salaries, the Treasury Department said.
The U.S. transferred the first tranche, $1.3 billion, to Ukraine’s government two weeks ago.
-ABC News Benjamin Gittleson
Jul 12, 1:59 am
Ukraine destroys Russian ammo depot in occupied Kherson region
Ukrainian forces hit and likely destroyed a Russian ammunition depot in the Russian-occupied town of Nova Kakhovka in the Kherson region on Monday night, local officials said.
The strike resulted in a massive blast, videos of which soon circulated online. According to local reports, more than 40 trucks filled with gasoline were destroyed. Russian media didn’t verify the claims, saying instead that pro-Russian forces had destroyed a series of saltpeter warehouses.
“People’s windows are blown out, but they are still happy … because this means that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are close,” Sergey Khlan, from the Kherson Regional Military Administration, said in the aftermath of the attack.
Monday’s strike marked at least the fourth time Ukrainian forces destroyed ammunition depots in Nova Kakhovka, local media reported.
-ABC News’ Edward Szekeres, Tatiana Rymarenko, Max Uzol and Yulia Drozd
Jul 11, 10:18 pm
33 killed in missile strike on apartment complex
Thirty-three people are confirmed dead from a missile strike on an apartment complex in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
The complex was reduced to rubble from multiple rocket strikes on Sunday.
Emergency workers said others might still be alive and trapped under the debris.
Jul 11, 10:40 am
Putin clears way to fast-citizenship for Ukrainians
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Monday that simplifies the procedure for any Ukrainian seeking Russian citizenship, allowing them to fast-track their applications, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
The fast-tracked citizenship applications previously only applied to residents of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Jul 11, 10:22 am
6 dead, dozens hurt in Kharkiv shelling
Six people are dead and another 31 are injured from shelling in Kharkiv, according to the Kharkiv Prosecutor’s Office.
Two children, ages 4 and 16, are among the injured.
(AKRON, Ohio) — Jayland Walker’s funeral will take place Wednesday, as Akron, Ohio, recognizes an official citywide day of mourning for Walker declared by city officials days earlier.
“Tomorrow, Jayland Walker, a beloved son, brother, nephew, and friend will be laid to rest,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan on Tuesday. “I want to thank Akron City Council for passing this resolution declaring tomorrow a day of mourning, in support of Jayland’s family and friends and to respect them in their time of grief. I know our entire city is also grieving. I offer my sincerest condolences to Jayland’s mom, sister, family, and friends during this difficult time.”
Services for Walker will begin at 3 p.m. at the Akron Civic Theatre. It will be followed by a press conference with representatives of the family, who plan to discuss Walker’s death.
Walker’s sister previously told “Good Morning America” about how she remembers her brother as a funny, kind brother who looked out for his family and had big goals for his future.
“It’s hard to just talk about somebody who you expect to live your life out with,” Jada Walker said.
The 25-year-old unarmed Black man was fatally shot by officers of the Akron Police Department on June 27.
Officials said they attempted to pull over Walker for a traffic violation and an equipment violation with his car. He allegedly refused to stop, which set off a chase that ended in his death.
Officials said a flash of light seen in body camera footage appeared to be the muzzle flash of a gun coming from the driver’s side of Walker’s car.
In a second body-camera video, officers are heard radioing that they heard a shot being fired from Walker’s car. The footage shows the officer following the Buick off Route 8 and continuing the pursuit on side streets.
At one point, Walker slowed down and jumped out of the passenger side door before it came to a full stop. As Walker ran away from police, several officers simultaneously fired several bullets, fatally shooting him.
The officers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation being led by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, officials said.
His death has prompted weeks of protests across the city.
The citywide day of mourning aims to address ongoing unrest concerning Walker’s death.
“The City encourages robust discussions about difficult topics and supports advocacy to change unjust laws, and supports those who press for meaningful change, by engaging their local, state, and federal legislatures,” the resolution to enact the honorary day reads.
In it, officials also call for peaceful protesting and healing throughout the community: “The City urges that the friends and family of Jayland Walker, and the entire Akron community, be surrounded with love and peace, and that the City would begin to heal.”
(UVALDE, Texas) — Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin made his stance on the premature publication of the surveillance video at Robb Elementary School abundantly clear to community members in attendance at the city’s council meeting Tuesday, calling the way it was released “one of the most chicken things I’ve ever seen.”
Two Texas news outlets published disturbing surveillance video Tuesday from inside Robb Elementary School during the May 24 mass shooting, as Uvalde officials and families debate the sensitive footage’s release.
Austin ABC affiliate KVUE and the Austin American-Statesman both released an edited portion of the never-before-seen footage on Tuesday, ahead of the planned release of the video by state lawmakers.
The mayor spoke to a crowd of angry citizens, including elderly women who pounded their fists and family members of victims who shouted from the gallery.
The crowd was in agreement with the mayor, as was a fellow council member, Ernest W. “Chip” King III, who claimed the outlets’ “only reason” for releasing the video was for “ratings and money.”
The hallway footage captures the 77 minutes between when the shooter first entered Robb Elementary and when he was shot.
The edited surveillance footage shows dozens of law enforcement officers, including some with protective shields, waiting in the hallway of the school. Officers didn’t breach the classroom for more than 70 minutes, even as four additional shots were fired from the classrooms 45 minutes after police arrived on the scene, the footage released by the news organizations shows.
During the time he was inside, the gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.
The Austin American-Statesman, which is part of the USA Today network, wrote a detailed opinion piece on why it chose to publish the video.
“That video was obtained by Austin American-Statesman and KVUE Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski,” KVUE said in its reporting. “Both media outlets have elected to release that footage Tuesday to provide transparency to the community, showing what happened as officials waited to enter that classroom.”
In addition, it wrote: “KVUE and our partners have kept the families in Uvalde at the forefront in our decision-making process. Several families were included in that process and were briefed on what can be heard and seen in the video. All but one agreed the video should be made public.”
During the city council meeting Tuesday, the motion to accept council member Pete Arredondo’s resignation was also carried. Arredondo, the embattled police chief for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, was elected to the Uvalde City Council in early May and was sworn in days after the school shooting.
McLaughlin on Tuesday again expressed frustration toward the investigation, calling it “the most unprofessional” he’s “ever seen.”
“I have said from day one, that every agency that was in that hallway has to be accountable for their actions that day. Everyone. No one will be exempt. That includes local school, federal, state — everyone has to explain their actions that day. Everybody has to be accountable,” he said.
The meeting began on a positive note as a community member thanked the council and McLaughlin for attending the Unheard Voices March and Rally on Sunday in “105-degree” weather.
Another community member had questions for the council regarding who the police department reports to and how the city plans to handle security and safety as the school year approaches.
McLaughlin said “the chief of police answers to the city manager who answers to the city council.” He then said he had not spoken to the school district yet, but he has “requested to have extra law enforcement… on the first two weeks of school.”
Most people in attendance were critical as they spoke before the council members.
One woman became passionate and said she was “furious” as she described a lack of a memorial in the town to pay respects to the victims. Additional community members echoed this, questioning the city’s decision to have the flowers, crosses and other gifts removed from the original memorial area.
Confusion ensued, as the mayor admitted his understanding of the removal process might not have been correct. Another council member claimed that families were asked to clear their family member’s memorial plot, which they willingly did. The crowd at the meeting questioned the truth of this, citing mumblings in the community that contradicted the claim, including Tess Mata’s mother. The council calmed the crowd by apologizing and assuring that families would be asked of their wishes and a memorial would be recreated at a location of their choosing.
The issue of the legal purchasing age for an assault rifle was also brought up by Precinct 4 County Commissioner Ronnie Garza, who is “asking Gov. [Greg] Abbott to call a special session of the legislature to consider raising the minimum age of purchase from 18 to 21 for semi-automatic assembly.”
Garza asked the mayor if he would consider adding it to the agenda of the next council meeting, to which McLaughlin agreed. The mayor also said that while he won’t attend the next meeting on July 26, the county commissioner has his vote for the anticipated movement to ask Abbott to hold a special session.
(WASHINGTON) — A favorite picnic staple is being recalled, right on the heels of Fourth of July celebrations.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Hy-Vee, Inc. is voluntarily withdrawing all varieties and all sizes of its Hy-Vee Potato Salad and Mealtime Potato Salad due to a presumptive positive microbial result on the line that the potatoes were processed on,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced July 1. “While final test results are not expected for approximately 7-10 days, due to the holiday weekend Hy-Vee elected to withdraw all product today from its shelves and service cases pending final test results.”
The voluntary recall, according to the FDA, includes all 10 product varieties and sizes of Hy-Vee Potato Salad and Mealtime Potato Salad. (Click here for a full product list and more recall information from the FDA.)
The products were sold in the company’s eight-state region and available in grab-and-go refrigerated cases and/or deli service cases in all Hy-Vee, Hy-Vee Drugstore and Dollar Fresh Market locations, as well as Hy-Vee Fast and Fresh convenience stores.
Customers in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin who may have purchased the products are encouraged to check the expiration dates. The affected products are marked with dates between July 31, 2022, and Aug. 4, 2022, according to the FDA.
No other Hy-Vee or Mealtime branded salads are impacted and as of time of publication, there have been no reports of illness or complaints involving the products from the recall.
“Customers who have purchased any of these products are urged not to consume the product and dispose of it or return it to their local Hy-Vee for a full refund,” the FDA stated.
The company encouraged any questions be directed to Hy-Vee Customer Care at customercare@hy-vee.com.
(WASHINGTON) — The first full-color image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has been released.
The images, the full set of which will be released Tuesday morning, will be the deepest and highest resolution ever taken of the universe, according to NASA.
The telescope will help scientists study the formation of the universe’s earliest galaxies, how they compare to today’s galaxies, how our solar system developed and if there is life on other planets.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Jul 12, 2:00 pm
Scientists explain image of dying star
NASA scientists revealed more details about the image of the Southern Ring Nebula taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
The image shows a planetary nebula, or a cloud of gas that encircles a dying star.
During a press conference Tuesday, Klaus Pontoppidan, one of the telescope’s project scientists, explained why the image is important.
“It’s not just any star, it’s a star much like the sun, or like the sun will be in 5 billion years when the sun dies,” he said.
Pontoppidian said the star is pushing out its outer layers, including carbon and oxygen, which helps create other cosmic objects.
“There’s a life cycle of stars,” he added. “This is the end of this star, but it’s the beginning of other stars and planetary systems.”
Jul 12, 1:15 pm
NASA scientists say Webb will be ‘revolutionary’
NASA scientists said the images and data that will be collected from the James Webb Space Telescope will be groundbreaking in our understanding of the universe.
“This going to be revolutionary,” said Jane Rigby, the operations project scientist for the telescope, during a press conference Tuesday. “These are previous capabilities we’ve never had before.”
Her comments come after NASA released five new images with never-before-seen detail of exoplanets, stars, nebulae and galaxies in the universe.
Rigby said she cried from happiness after seeing the first images that Webb captured.
“It was a combination of giddy like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is great,’ and having a sob like, ‘Oh my God, this works,'” she said.
Jul 12, 12:05 pm
NASA shows difference between Webb and Hubble
NASA revealed the difference in images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, the first of which were revealed Tuesday, and its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope.
The 2009 image taken by Hubble was captured over the span of several weeks and show the galaxies surrounded by several stars.
Meanwhile, the 2022 image taken by Webb was captured in less than one week and reveals hundreds of star formations never seen before because the telescope uses infrared technology, which reveals objects invisible to the human eye due to being surrounded by clouds, gas and dust.
Jul 12, 11:46 am
Hundreds of new stars in nebula revealed in final image
The final image revealed Tuesday from the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details about the Carina Nebula, located in the Milky Way Galaxy.
The image, which is actually just the edge of the nebula, shows hundreds of stars never seen before within the cloud.
Because of the massive amounts of dust and gas that exist within the nebula, the stars were not visible to the human eye.
The area, referred to as the Cosmic Cliffs, shows a “giant, gaseous cavity” as young stars that were recently born push down ultraviolet radiation and create the jagged-looking edge.
Jul 12, 11:26 am
Galaxy cluster seen in new telescope image
According to the space agency, the image “contains over 150 million pixels and is constructed from almost 1,000 separate image files.”
The image provides new information about the cluster, including the birth of millions of stars — as they happened millions of years ago — and tails of gas and dust that are being pulled in different directions as the galaxies engage in a “cosmic dance.”
The “most surprising” image, NASA said, is one of the galaxies, NGC 7318B, crashing through the middle of the cluster.
President Joe Biden unveiled the first full-color image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.
The image, revealed during a press event held at the White House Monday and also attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, shows multiple galaxies.
It is the highest-resolution image of the universe ever captured, officials said.
“Today is a historic day,” said Biden. “It’s a new window into the history of our universe and today we’re going to get a first glimpse of the light to shine through that window.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the light seen on the image has been traveling for over 13 billion years.
Jul 11, 4:46 pm
NASA says all of the telescope’s instruments are ‘ready’
NASA announced Monday all four of the James Webb Space Telescope’s scientific instruments are ready to start being used.
The space agency said there are 17 modes, or ways, to operate the instruments. All have been examined and are “ready to begin full scientific operations.”
The last step was was checking the the telescope’s NIRCam, which block starlight so scientists can detect other nearby structures, such as exoplanets.
Jul 11, 4:00 pm
Test image from telescope offers preview
A test image taken by the James Webb Telescope offers a preview of what’s to come ahead of the release of the first full-color images.
NASA shared the photo last week taken by one of the telescope’s instruments, the Fine Guidance Sensor, or FGS, to demonstrate how strong, clear and sharp Webb’s images will be.
According to the space agency, the “false-color mosaic” is made up of 72 exposures taken over a 32-hour period.
NASA noted that the primary focus of the FGS is not even to capture images but to make sure the telescope is pointing precisely at its target.
Jul 11, 3:30 pm
What to know about the Webb telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope was jointly developed by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
Development began in 1996 but ran into several delays before it was completed in 2016 at a final cost of $10 billion.
The telescope was launched on Christmas Day and is orbiting 1 million miles from Earth.
It used infrared radiation to detect objects that are invisible to the human eye.
The four goals of the telescope are to study how the first stars and galaxies formed right after the Big Bang, comparing the galaxies from the past to those of today, how planetary systems formed and if there is any sign of life on other planets.
(OAK HILL, Fla.) — Two 12-year-old boys have been placed under arrest after they were found allegedly playing with and shooting a loaded gun in public.
The incident occurred on Monday morning when deputies from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of two young boys playing with a loaded gun on a vacant lot in Oak Hill, about 55 miles northeast of Orlando, Florida, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
“The reporting parties indicated they heard a gunshot and went to check to see if anyone was injured,” Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement posted to social media. “One of the boys then pointed the gun at their car, which was occupied by 2 adults and 3 children.”
“There are two little kids,” said the unnamed woman who reported the incident to authorities and can be heard on the body camera footage released by police. “As we were driving past their property, the little kids were standing out in the field, it appeared that he had a handgun and he was pointing it at our car as we were driving by.”
The responding sheriff’s sergeant heard and witnessed additional gunshots as she approached and ordered the boys out with their hands up.
“It was a real gun. We were shooting it over here,” one of the boys can be heard saying as they approached the responding officer. “Someone said we were allowed to.”
“How old are you?” asked the police officer.
“We are … we are both 12,” said one of the boys as they kept their arms raised in the air.
The boys were subsequently taken into custody without further incident and they were both charged with discharging a firearm and possession of a firearm by a person under 16. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office also confirmed that the boy who pointed the gun at the witnesses who reported the incident was also charged with aggravated assault with a firearm.
The two 12-year-olds have since been transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice and taken in for secure detention, according to authorities.
It is unclear how they procured the handgun or to who it belonged to, but both the gun and the ammunition were recovered from the scene of the crime and the case remains under investigation.
ABC News reached out but were unable to immediately determine the status of the youths and when they are expected to appear in court.
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department has tapped Colette Peters, who serves as the director of the Oregon Department of Corrections, to lead the federal Bureau of Prisons, according to a statement released by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Peters has been in her current role since 2012 and is expected to take the helm of an agency marred in controversy and mismanagement. It is unclear when Peters will start, as staff was notified Tuesday morning of Peters’ appointment, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The attorney general lauded Peters for her 30 years of public safety service in a statement released Tuesday.
“Director Peters is uniquely qualified to lead BOP in its efforts to ensure the rehabilitation, health, and safety of incarcerated individuals, a safe and secure work environment for correctional staff, and transparency and accountability across federal detention facilities,” the attorney general said.
The Bureau of Prisons is the largest agency inside the Justice Department with responsibility of 122 facilities and over 36,000 employees. Despite congressional attempts to do so, the BOP director is not a Senate-confirmed position, and the current director, Michael Carvajal, has said he will retire once a new director is in place.
Peters has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
Shane Fausey, president of the Council of Prison Locals, the union that represents 33,000 federal corrections workers, said he’s looking forward to collaborating with the new director.
“We are optimistic that we can collaboratively focus on our agency’s most difficult challenges by staffing our prisons safely while balancing responsible prison reforms like the First Step Act,” Fausey said in a statement Tuesday. “We believe that the lessons learned while leading the Oregon Department of Corrections can be used to effectively improve the BOP. It is imperative that the priority on any decisions made must be officer and employee safety, including their working conditions within our nation’s federal prisons.”
The Bureau of Prisons has been at the center of some controversy with high-profile inmates and scrutiny over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2018, notorious crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger was killed at a federal prison in Hazelton, West Virginia, and a year later, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in Manhattan while awaiting trial. BOP has not released any official timeline or after-action report regarding the two incidents.
The sprawling agency was also chided by the union and a government watchdog for its early handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the Government Accountability Office found insufficient.
(LOS ANGELES) — A man with an ankle monitor and who was already on parole for robbery has been arrested after allegedly committing armed robbery at a cell phone store after he allegedly held up two employees at gun point and ran away with money from the cash register.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:18 p.m. on Sunday when the Culver City Police Department in California received a call saying that an armed robbery had just taken place at a Boost Mobile store located at 4114 Centinela Ave. about three miles northeast of Los Angeles International Airport, according to the Culver City Police Department (CCPD).
When officers arrived to investigate they spoke with the two victims who were Boost Mobile employees who told them what had just happened and provided authorities with video surveillance footage of the robbery.
“Officers learned that the suspect, described as a Male, Black, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt, blue sweatpants, a white mask, and blue surgical gloves, entered the store and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at both victims,” said the Culver City Police Department in a statement posted on social media. “The suspect then jumped over the counter and forced both employees to lay face down, while he grabbed money from the cash register. The suspect took approximately $500 in US currency and fled the store on foot.”
However, after officers reviewed the security camera footage, they noticed that the suspect had dropped a set of car keys during the theft of the store which led them to conduct an area check.
It didn’t take long for authorities to locate a possible suspect vehicle that was parked one block away from the scene of the crime and, when the responding officers looked inside the car, “they observed the clothing that was worn by the suspect in the rear seat,” Culver City Police Department said.
Authorities continued to search the area and shortly after observed a man matching the description that was given to them by the Boost Mobile employees as well as the surveillance video that was captured of the armed robbery. The Culver City Police Department subsequently approached the suspect, 37-year-old Lawrence Bell from Torrance, California, and he was detained without incident.
“A search of the vehicle revealed a driver’s license in the detained subject’s name (Lawrence Bell), a loaded Glock Semi-automatic handgun, and the aforementioned clothing worn by the suspect during the commission of the robbery,” said the CCPD. “Additionally, the currency stolen during the robbery and other items of evidentiary value were recovered from inside the vehicle.”
Following Bell’s arrest, authorities discovered that he was already on parole for robbery and that he was “wearing an ankle monitor as a condition of his parole at the time of the robbery,” according to the CCPD.
It is unclear if Bell has legal representation but the case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office at a date that has yet to be decided.
(NEW YORK) — An ongoing heat wave is moving east, threatening states from Maine to Texas.
It will be another day of record-breaking temperatures for Texans. Abilene, Waco and San Antonio are under excessive heat warnings, according to the National Weather Service.
San Antonio reached 107 degrees on Monday, tying its hottest July record. Waco has seen record-high heat for the last four days.
Del Rio, Laredo and San Angelo all hit 110 degrees on Monday, breaking previous highs.
Nearly half of Texas continues to endure an extreme drought, made worse by the ongoing heat and dry weather.
Phoenix, Arizona, recorded a temperature of 115 degrees on Monday, a first for the year.
More than 30 million Americans in 13 states face the threat of severe weather.
North of the I-95 corridor, damaging winds, hail and an isolated tornado are the biggest threats to residents.
Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, upstate New York and most of inland New England will face the worst of this weather.
Scattered storms are predicted to begin on Tuesday afternoon and continue into the evening.
The Gulf Coast faces a 30% threat of a tropical cyclone over the next few days, as low pressure continues to form.
Ocean waters have been abnormally warm over the northern Gulf, with temperatures reaching 90 degrees on the sea’s surface off of Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.
Even without the threat of a cyclone, those on the northern Gulf Coast should prepare for flooding.
Out west, dry and hot conditions are paving the way for fire threats.
The Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park is now measured at 2,720 acres and is only 22% contained as of Tuesday morning. Light winds have allowed firefighters to contain the spread.
Lightning and thunderstorms are forecast for Nevada, Northern California and southern Oregon, which could spark or spread new fires.
For now, the areas remain under a red flag warning.
The continuing heat and severe weather pose a significant health threat. For more information on staying safe in the heat, click here.
