California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
(DELANO, Calif.) — An escaped California inmate is now wanted for killing a Mexican police commander who hunts down foreign fugitives — also known as a “gringo hunter” — during a shootout in Tijuana, officials said.
Abigail Esparza Reyes, who was part of a specialized Mexican state police unit responsible for locating foreign fugitives who cross the border, was killed on Wednesday while trying to arrest Cesar Hernandez, an escaped inmate from Southern California, officials said.
Marina del Pilar, the governor of Baja California State, confirmed Reyes’ death in a statement on Wednesday.
“To the family and loved ones of Agent Abigail, we recognize their courage and dedication to the service of their state,” Pilar said on X. “Our wishes for prompt resignation are with you, Abigail’s life will be honored and her death will not go unpunished.”
The shooting took place two days after Hernandez’s 35th birthday.
Surveillance footage shows an individual, who authorities identified as Hernandez, changing into bright yellow worker’s clothing, seeming to blend in after the shooting.
Hernandez escaped from custody on Dec. 2, 2024, shortly after arriving for a court appearance in Delano, California, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Upon arrival, Hernandez “evaded staff custody, jumped out of the van and is currently at large,” officials said at the time.
He was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to 80 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole, officials said. He received 25 years for first-degree murder, a sentence “doubled because it was a second strike,” and discharging a firearm during the crime, officials said. Hernandez also received five years for a prior offense, officials said.
Before his escape, Hernandez was housed at the Kern Valley State Prison in Delano, officials said.
Hernandez is still on the run after the shootout that killed Reyes, officials said.
Reyes was featured in a “Nightline x Impact” episode in 2024 that highlighted the “gringo hunters” and their work to catch fugitives who evade law enforcement by fleeing to Mexico.
In the episode, Reyes is seen leading a mission to arrest a fugitive charged with murder who was found in Tijuana.
ABC News’ Sara Sandrick, Ellie Kaufman, Jen Watts and Alondra De La Cruz contributed to this report.
(DOMINICAN REPUBLIC) — The death toll continues to rise amid an ongoing search and rescue effort after the roof of a Dominican Republic nightclub collapsed during a concert.
At least 218 people were killed, Dominican authorities said on Thursday, and another 155 injured in the roof collapse at the Jet Set nightclub, located in the capital of Santo Domingo, according to national police.
The incident happened at 12:34 a.m. Tuesday, during a concert by the Dominican merengue singer Rubby Pérez, according to the police. The roof collapsed within seconds, police said.
Specialized technical teams were active throughout Wednesday, with heavy machinery employed for debris removal, officials said.
“We deeply regret the tragedy that occurred at the Jet Set nightclub,” Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader said in a post on social media. “We have been following the incident minute by minute since it occurred. All relief agencies have provided the necessary assistance and are working tirelessly in the rescue efforts. Our prayers are with the affected families.”
Pérez, 69, a renowned singer in the country, was found dead in the collapsed club, according to the Dominican Republic’s National Police.
A tribute posted to his Instagram account said Pérez’s music and legacy “will live forever in our hearts.”
Former MLB players among those killed
The incident has impacted those with ties to Major League Baseball, with two former players among those killed and other athletes’ family members involved.
The deceased included former MLB player Octavio Dotel, 51, according to the Dominican Republic’s minister of interior and police, Faride Raful.
Dotel was pulled from the rubble by rescue crews but died in an ambulance while en route to a hospital, according to Col. Randolfo Rijo Gomez, head of the country’s 911 emergency services.
The Dominican pitcher played for 13 MLB teams, including the Mets, which held a moment of silence for Dotel before their game on Tuesday.
“We mourn the passing of Octavio Dotel,” the Mets said in a social media post. “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy in the Dominican Republic.”
Dotel was part of a combined no-hitter against the Yankees in June 2003, a team he would play for three years later.
Another former MLB player, 44-year-old Tony Blanco, was also killed in the roof collapse, according to the Dominican Republic Ministry of Sports and Recreation. The Dominican baseball player played for the Washington Nationals as well as professionally in Japan and the Dominican Republic.
“His legacy will live on in the history of national baseball,” the ministry said in a statement on social media. “We share in their grief with their family, friends, and colleagues, and we offer our prayers for their eternal rest.”
Montecristi Gov. Nelsy Milagros Cruz Martinez was also among those killed, according to national police and Abinader’s office. She was the sister of former MLB star Nelson Cruz, who shared a statement from the Cruz Martinez family on social media that said her “legacy of service and love for others will live forever in our hearts.”
“Major League Baseball is deeply saddened by the passings of Octavio Dotel, Tony Blanco, Nelsy Cruz, and all the victims of last night’s tragedy in Santo Domingo,” MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday. “We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of all those who have been affected and to our colleague Nelson and his entire family. The connection between baseball and the Dominican Republic runs deep, and we are thinking of all the Dominican players and fans across the game today.”
MLB Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez said Tuesday that he has family members missing in the rubble.
“We don’t know what happened to them, but we just want to be strong like we have always been,” the Dominican-born pitcher said in a video posted to Instagram. “We’re a country that prays a lot and remains united all the time. So I just hope that everybody has the same courage.”
Investigation underway
Fashion designer Martin Polanco died in the roof collapse, his family confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday. A fashion icon in the Dominican Republic, Polanco dressed artists including Daddy Yankee and Sergio Vargas as well as designed for Abinader.
At least one U.S. citizen was among those killed, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. U.S. lawful permanent residents also died in the collapse, according to Rubio, who did not specify how many.
“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones affected by this devastating event,” he said in a post on X on Wednesday. “The U.S. stands ready to support our Dominican allies amid this difficult time.”
Many families gathered at the scene looking for their loved ones who were inside the club, according to DJ Shakirax, who was at the nightclub and shared videos from the scene on Tuesday.
An investigation into the cause of the collapse is underway, police said.
There was a fire in 2023 that damaged part of the nightclub, authorities said.
ABC News’ Aicha El Hammar Castano and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.
(WASHINGTON) — The House narrowly voted to approve the GOP budget blueprint Thursday by a vote of 216-214, delivering a major victory for President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
Trump congratulated the House on the bill’s passage, saying in a post on his Truth Social platform that this “sets the stage for one of the Greatest and Most Important Signings in the History of our Country.”
“Among many other things, it will be the Largest Tax and Regulation Cuts ever even contemplated,” Trump said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called the bill’s passage “a statement of purpose and strength.”
“The Trump Administration will continue pushing for the certainty, simplicity, and stability that will unlock long-term prosperity for all American,” Bessent said in a statement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson suffered a setback on Wednesday night when he was forced to scrap a planned vote due to opposition from a small group of Republican hardliners who are concerned the budget would add to the nation’s deficit.
Standing alongside Senate Majority Leader John Thune Thursday morning, Johnson said he had “very productive” deliberations with members on Wednesday night and on Thursday sought to highlight efforts to slash spending by more than a trillion dollars.
“We are committed to finding at least $1.5 trillion in savings for the American people while also preserving our essential programs,” Johnson said.
Thune seemed less enthusiastic about the target for deficit reduction but meekly endorsed the House’s lofty goal for budget savings — announcing the Senate’s ambition for fiscal sustainability is “aligned with the House.”
“We have got to do something to get the country on a more fiscally sustainable path and that entails us taking a hard scrub of our government, figuring out where we can find those savings,” Thune said. “The speaker has talked about $1.5 trillion. We have a lot of United States senators who believe that is a minimum and we’re going to do everything we can to be as aggressive as possible.”
President Trump, who has been personally involved in trying to get the measure adopted, weighed in on Thursday morning that Republicans were “getting close.”
“‘The Big, Beautiful Bill’ is coming along really well. Republicans are working together nicely. Biggest Tax Cuts in USA History!!!,” Trump wrote in a post to his conservative social media platform.
Johnson faces a short window to get the measure over the finish line before the House is slated to go on its two-week April recess.
The speaker can only afford to have only three defections from his caucus with all members voting and present.
House GOP leaders have scrambled for the past week to lock down the votes, after more than 20 Republicans expressed concern that the Senate’s resolution set a floor of just $4 billion in savings. Now, Johnson says he has the support needed.
“Our aim is to deliver on our promises,” Johnson said.
ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
(LOS ANGELES) — Authorities in Los Angeles County said they’re searching for the suspect who shoplifted from a discount store before killing a man in a hit-and-run in the store’s parking lot.
The victim was visiting his brother’s shop, Giant Discount Store in South El Monte, when, just after noon on Wednesday, a man came in and stole merchandise, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
The victim chased the shoplifter into the parking lot and the two started fighting, authorities said.
That’s when a second suspect got out of a dark-colored sedan and joined in with the suspect in the fight against the victim, authorities said.
The two suspects then got into the sedan and deliberately drove into the victim, hitting him several times, according to the sheriff’s office.
The victim suffered from blunt force trauma and died at the scene, authorities said.
Jim Yaghoubi said he witnessed the attack that killed his brother, who he identified as Steve Yaghoubi.
His “body under the car was turning all the way from the front tire to the back tire,” Jim Yaghoubi told Los Angeles ABC station KABC.
“I don’t know why this happened, honestly,” he said, overcome with emotion. “I was there at the last minute of his life. I saw his face. I saw his eyes.”
The sheriff’s department urges anyone with information to call its homicide bureau at 323-890-5500.
Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — Two Democratic senators are demanding answers from the White House over serious concerns that President Donald Trump’s rollbacks on his tariffs and his social media posts earlier Wednesday may have been part of insider trading among White House allies.
Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., sent a letter to Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday asking for an investigation into potential conflicts of interest over the actions that took place Wednesday.
Hours before Trump announced he was rolling back tariffs to 10% to all countries except China, which sent the stock market soaring, he posted on Truth Social: “BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well. The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!” and “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT.”
“This sequence of events raises grave legal and ethics concerns. The President, his family, and his advisors are uniquely positioned to be privy to and take advantage of non-public information to inform their investment decisions,” the senators said in their letter.
Stocks were down Wednesday morning before Trump’s Truth Social post immediately caused markets to spike. Nasdaq soared 12.1% at close, the index’s largest single-day gain since 2021, while the Dow jumped 7.8%, its biggest one-day increase in five years.
The White House has not immediately commented.
The senators asked the Office of Government Ethics to probe whether any White House or executive branch officials, to include special government employees, were informed of the announcement in advance and what financial transactions were made by officials with knowledge of nonpublic information.
The senators also said they wanted answers to several questions about Wednesday’s chain of events, including whether any Trump’s family members were informed of the deliberations prior to Trump’s Truth Social post announcing the tariff changes and if there were any records of communications with executive branch officials, family members or special government employees.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Wednesday that the president’s decision was part of his plan and that 75 countries had called to negotiate with the president. They did not provide further details.
Hours later, however, Trump told reporters he made his decision Wednesday morning.
“I think it probably came together early this morning, fairly early this morning. Just wrote it up. I didn’t — we didn’t have the use of, we didn’t have access to lawyers, or it was just brought up. We wrote it up from our hearts,” he said.
(WASHINGTON) — A federal judge in Boston Thursday will consider pumping the brakes on a controversial Trump administration policy of removing migrants to countries where they have no prior connection without allowing them to raise concerns about their safety.
A group of noncitizens with final removal orders filed a federal lawsuit challenging the policy last month, arguing that being removed to countries like El Salvador, Honduras or Panama — despite having no connection to those countries — risks their safety and violates their rights.
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy, a Biden appointee who temporarily blocked the policy last month, will consider extending his order and certifying a class of noncitizens who would be protected from removal to a so-called third country.
“The need for preliminary injunctive relief in this case is vital,” lawyers representing the men argued in a recent court filing. “Indeed, it may be the difference between safety and torture, life and death, for many noncitizens, including ones who have been living and working in this country for decades.”
The hearing also comes as the Trump administration faces new allegations that they violated Judge Murphy’s order by removing more than a dozen migrants to El Salvador last month despite the judge’s order barring such transfers.
The plaintiffs who brought the lawsuit argue that the Department of Homeland Security’s policy results in the removal of migrants to third countries without providing them a chance to raise concerns about potentially being persecuted, tortured, or killed. In one instance, they allege that the Trump administration removed a Guatemalan man to Mexico without giving him the chance to raise concerns that he was previously raped there and now fears prosecution in that country.
“Defendants have resorted to violating noncitizens’ clear statutory rights to apply for protection from removal to countries where they face persecution or torture,” the lawyers wrote.
Lawyers with the Department of Justice have argued that Judge Murphy lacks the jurisdiction to intervene in DHS’ policies after a final order of removal has been issued by an immigration judge.
They have also argued that a preliminary injunction is no longer necessary because DHS implemented a new policy of getting “diplomatic assurances that aliens removed from the United States will not be persecuted or tortured,” or screening noncitizens for their eligibility for protections under the United Nations’ Convention Against Torture.
“As this Court indicated during the hearing on Plaintiffs’ motion, Defendants are entitled to issue guidance to satisfy any potential due process concerns. Defendants have now done so,” they argued.
But lawyers for the men who brought the lawsuit have argued that those measures are “woefully inadequate” and pointed to two recent examples where they allege that DHS potentially violated the court’s temporary order.
Two days after Judge Murphy blocked the deportations, the Trump administration announced that it had removed 17 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and MS-13 to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT mega-prison. According to the plaintiffs, at least two of the men on those flights had final orders of removal to Venezuela and were never given the right to challenge their removal to El Salvador.
According to the plaintiff’s lawyers, one of those men is Maiker Espinoza Escalona, who entered the United States last year with his partner Yorely Bernal Inciarte and their one-year-old baby.
After the three turned themselves in to immigration authorities, they were separated, their family told ABC News. Inciarte has been detained at a detention center in El Paso, Texas, their baby has been in government custody, and Escalona is detained at CECOT in El Salvador, according to Inciarte’s mother.
The Trump administration alleged that Escalona is a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, an accusation his family denies.
“They are liars,” said Inciarte’s mother Raida of the Trump administration. “I cannot believe that half of Venezuela is Tren de Aragua. That can’t be.”
“For them to be sent [to El Salvador] you have to investigate and prove they are what they are being accused of,” Raida said. “We’re distraught, I don’t wish this on anyone.”
(WASHINGTON) — House Speaker Mike Johnson on Thursday will try again to hold a vote on a budget blueprint to fund President Donald Trump’s agenda.
The House is expected to vote in the 10 a.m. hour on the measure, which was passed by the Senate last week.
“I’m happy to tell you that this morning, I believe we have the votes to finally adopt the budget resolution so we can move forward on President Trump’s very important agenda for the American people,” Johnson said at a news conference alongside Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Johnson suffered a setback on Wednesday night when he was forced to scrap a planned vote due to opposition from a small group of Republican hardliners who are concerned the budget would add to the nation’s deficit.
Johnson said he had “very productive” deliberations with members on Wednesday night and on Thursday sought to highlight efforts to slash spending by more than a trillion dollars.
“We are committed to finding at least $1.5 trillion in savings for the American people while also preserving our essential programs,” Johnson said.
Thune seemed less enthusiastic about the target for deficit reduction but meekly endorsed the House’s lofty goal for budget savings — announcing the Senate’s ambition for fiscal sustainability is “aligned with the House.”
“We have got to do something to get the country on a more fiscally sustainable path and that entails us taking a hard scrub of our government, figuring out where we can find those savings,” Thune said. “The speaker has talked about $1.5 trillion. We have a lot of United States senators who believe that is a minimum and we’re going to do everything we can to be as aggressive as possible.”
President Donald Trump, who has been personally involved in trying to get the measure adopted, weighed in on Thursday morning that Republicans were “getting close.”
“‘The Big, Beautiful Bill’ is coming along really well. Republicans are working together nicely. Biggest Tax Cuts in USA History!!!,” Trump wrote in a post to his conservative social media platform
Johnson faces a short window to get the measure over the finish line before the House is slated to go on its two-week April recess.
The speaker can only afford to have only three defections from his caucus with all members voting and present.
House GOP leaders have scrambled for the past week to lock down the votes, after more than 20 Republicans expressed concern that the Senate’s resolution set a floor of just $4 billion in savings. Now, Johnson says he has the support needed.
“Our aim is to deliver on our promises,” Johnson said.
ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Asian and European markets rallied in Thursday trading in response to President Donald Trump’s dramatic decision to suspend planned tariffs on nearly all American trading partners for 90 days — with the exception of China.
Key Asian indices recorded notable recoveries on Thursday — marking a reprieve for most after a week of turbulence and selloffs driven by fears of escalating trade wars and recessions.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 closed 9.1% and the broader TOPIX index closed up 8%. South Korea’s Kospi closed up nearly 6.6%.
Taiwan’s Taiex index jumped 9.3% and Australia’s ASX 200 rose 4.5%.
Key Chinese markets were also in the green, despite Trump’s decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to a cumulative total of 125%. The president alleged a “lack of respect” from Beijing to explain the latest hike, his latest broadside coming after China announced 84% reciprocal tariffs on U.S. goods on Wednesday.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index climbed 2%, the Shanghai Composite Index jumped 1.1% and the Shenzhen Component Index rose 2.2%.
In Europe, the pan-continental STOXX 600 index jumped more than 7%.
U.S. markets closed after major rebounds on Wednesday following Trump’s announcement that most of his sweeping tariffs would be paused.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 2,962 points, or 7.8%, marking the index’s best day since 2020. The S&P 500 jumped 9.5%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq soared 12.1%.
U.S. stock futures dipped ahead of Thursday’s trading session. As of early Thursday morning, Dow futures were down 1.1%, S&P 500 futures down 1.53% and Nasdaq futures down 1.8%.
(NEW YORK) — Consumer prices rose 2.4% in March compared to a year ago, marking a cooldown during a period that preceded the recession warnings and market turmoil following President Donald Trump’s recent escalation of tariffs. The reading came in lower than economists expected.
Even as overall cost hikes slowed, egg prices soared 60% higher than a year prior. Bird flu has decimated the egg supply, lifting prices higher.
The cooldown is owed in part to a drop in energy prices, as gasoline prices fell about 6% from the previous month, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. Food prices rose 0.4% compared to the previous month, however, putting upward pressure on the cost of living.
Core inflation — a closely watched measure that strips out volatile food and energy prices — increased 2.8% over the year ending in March, which registered the lowest one-year gain in that index since March 2021, data showed.
The fresh data arrives a day after a day after Trump paused some tariffs and U.S. stocks rallied.
In February, year-over-year inflation rose 2.8% compared to a year prior.
Trump last week issued 10% tariffs on imports from nearly all countries, as well as so-called “reciprocal tariffs” targeting about 75 nations — but Trump announced a 90-day pause of those reciprocal tariffs on Wednesday.
Alongside the pause of some tariffs, Trump announced additional tariffs on China, increasing the cumulative duties on Chinese goods from 104% to 125%. The escalation came in response to a fresh round of tariffs from China that raised levies on U.S. goods to 84%.
Economists widely expect the tariffs that remain in place to increase prices for some consumer goods, though the exact timing and extent of the price hikes remain unclear.
Last month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Trump’s tariffs were partly to blame for price increases that had taken place in February.
Despite escalating trade tensions and market turbulence since Trump took office in January, the economy remains in solid shape by several key measures.
The unemployment rate stands at a historically low level. Meanwhile, inflation sits well below a peak attained in 2022, though price increases register nearly a percentage point higher than the Fed’s goal of 2%.
Hiring surged in March, blowing past economists’ expectations and accelerating job growth from the previous month, government data last week showed.
Key indicators “still show a solid economy,” Powell said on Friday.
However, tariffs threaten to derail hiring and worsen inflation, multiple analysts previously told ABC News, before Trump paused “reciprocal tariffs” for 90 days.
Far-reaching levies increase the likelihood of a recession by driving up prices, sapping consumer spending, slowing business activity and risking layoffs, they said.
The Democratic National Committee — continuing its push to host town halls in Republican-held districts — is announcing a new set of town halls focused on the Republican-led budget bill and featuring high-profile officials such as Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., ABC News has learned exclusively.
These “People’s Town Halls,” which will be held during Congress’ two-week April recess that begins next week, comes as Democrats look to hammer Republicans and the White House and to reach out to voters over economic concerns and affordability.
The Democrats are focusing in large part on a budget blueprint that President Donald Trump has said will help his administration’s priorities, including tax cuts and border security investments.
But that bill has been criticized by Democrats as potentially leading to cuts to key programs Americans rely on, such as health care or food assistance, during a time of economic uncertainty.
“In both red and blue communities, people are sick and tired of Donald Trump and Elon Musk destroying the economy, threatening health care and Social Security, and making life worse for families,” DNC chair Ken Martin said in a statement.
“In April, we’re doubling down with leading Democratic voices joining even more town halls in key districts across the country. Republicans still want to pretend like their constituents don’t exist, but we believe Americans deserve to have their voices heard.”
Republicans have argued that the budget blueprint does not and will not threaten any benefits or entitlements, and Trump has said his administration will not cut or threaten Social Security benefits. Republicans have also pushed back against claims they are not hosting town halls, saying that they are continuing to host in-person events or are hearing from constituents by phone and virtually. Some members have faced fierce pushback from constituents at their events.
The Democratic Party town halls during the recess are set to feature high-profile congressional figures — including Booker, Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, Arizona Rep. Greg Stanton and Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, according to the DNC.
Booker received heightened attention in early April after breaking a Congressional record, speaking for more than 24 hours in a marathon speech on the Senate floor protesting the national “crisis” he said President Donald Trump and key advisor Elon Musk had created.
“The Democratic Party is at its weakest when it’s concerned about the party. It’s at its strongest when it’s concerned about the people, when it’s bigger and broader than any narrow, political analysis,” Booker told ABC News’ “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
The Democratic town halls will be held during the recess on April 13 in Arizona’s 6th District, on April 22 in Pennsylvania’s 8th District, on April 24 in Colorado’s 8th District and North Carolina’s 9th District, and on April 25 in Missouri’s 2nd District.
Two of those districts — Pennsylvania’s 8th, represented by Rep. Robert Bresnahan, and Colorado’s 8th, represented by Rep. Gabe Evans, were flipped by Republicans in the 2024 election.
North Carolina’s 9th District is represented by Rep. Richard Hudson, the chair of the National Republican Campaign Committee (NRCC). In March, Hudson encouraged House Republicans to do more virtual events instead of in-person town halls, although the NRCC said this was a suggestion to help members reach more constituents.
The Democrats’ new batch of town halls is also a joint effort between the DNC and two of its affiliates, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Association of State Democratic Committees (ASDC).
“While vulnerable Republicans continue to run scared because they’re voting to raise costs, gut Medicaid, and threaten working families livelihoods, we’re going to make sure voters know they don’t have to wait until Election Day to hold them accountable,” DCCC chair Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., said in a statement.
According to the DNC, those three arms of the party have hosted 71 town halls in 35 states and territories in the past three weeks altogether, with tens of thousands of attendees overall.
ABC News’ Mariam Khan, Lauren Peller and Isabella Murray contributed to this report.
