(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — A man has been arrested in connection with the abduction of a Memphis woman who never returned from her early morning jog, police said.
The Memphis Police Department announced via Twitter early Sunday that 38-year-old Cleotha Abston has been charged with especially aggravated kidnapping and tampering with evidence.
Police said they detained Abston on Saturday evening after he was found inside an SUV that authorities were searching for in connection with the abduction. A public information officer told ABC News that they could not share where the vehicle of interest was located at this time.
A second individual, identified as 36-year-old Mario Abston, who is currently not believed to be linked to the abduction, was also arrested on drug and firearm charges, according to police.
Police said Eliza Fletcher, 34, remains missing and that they, along with their local and federal partners, continue to search for her. The investigation into her abduction is “active and ongoing,” police said.
Fletcher was last seen jogging in the area of Central Avenue and Zach Curlin Street in midtown Memphis, near the University of Memphis campus in southwest Tennessee, on Friday morning at approximately 4:20 a.m. local time, before she was approached by an unknown person and forced into a dark-colored GMC Terrain, according to police. The SUV — which authorities named a vehicle of interest — took off, traveling westbound on Central Avenue, police said.
Fletcher was wearing a pink jogging top and purple running shorts at the time of her abduction. She has brown hair and green eyes, weighs 137 pounds and is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, according to police.
St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis said in a statement on social media that Fletcher is a “beloved” junior kindergarten teacher at the all-girls prep school.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said it is assisting the Memphis Police Department in the search for Fletcher.
Fletcher’s family released a video statement through the Memphis Police Department on Saturday, pleading for her safe return.
“We want to start by thanking everyone for their prayers and outpouring of support,” Fletcher’s uncle, Mike Keeney, said in the video while surrounded by members of their family, including Fletcher’s parents, brother and husband.
“Liza has touched the hearts of many people and it shows,” he added.
The family urged anyone with information on the case to contact authorities. They are offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to Fletcher’s safe return.
“More than anything, we want to see Liza returned home safely,” Keeney said. “We believe someone knows what happened and can help.”
Anyone with information on Fletcher’s whereabouts is asked to call the Memphis Police Department at either 901-528-2274 or 901-545-2677, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND, or to dial 911.
ABC News’ Alexandra Faul and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.
(WEED, Calif.) — As firefighters appeared to be getting a handle Sunday on a wildland fire that damaged or destroyed more than 100 structures in a Northern California town, another blaze burning in the same county was giving fire crews new challenges, officials said.
The Mill Fire burning near Weed, California, in Siskiyou County near the Oregon border, was 25% contained Sunday after burning 4,254 acres since igniting on Friday, according to Cal Fire officials.
Another fire burning in Siskiyou County, the Mountain Fire, is now presenting fire crews with more concerns after growing overnight from roughly 4,800 acres to 6,451 acres, according to Cal Fire. The Mountain Fire, which was only 5% contained Sunday, forced the evacuations of more than 300 people living in the remote rural area of Siskiyou County, officials said.
Winds on the ridges of the Mountain Fire were of particular concern for firefighters, who feared they could spread burning embers and ignite spot fires, according to Cal Fire’s update Sunday on the blaze.
Firefighters are battling the dueling fires amid triple-digit heat.
“Weather continues to be hot and dry with poor overnight relative humidity recoveries,” Cal Fire said Sunday.
The agency said firefighters will remain focused on defending structures and expanding containment lines around the two blazes.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Siskiyou County to support the response to the fires.
The mayor of Weed, meanwhile, reported new details on the Mill Fire, which ravaged her town of more than 2,600 people, injuring several people as they fled the flames and damaging or destroying at least 132 structures, including many homes.
Mayor Kim Greene told ABC news the Mill Fire started Friday in an old warehouse at the town’s lumber mill, the Roseburg Forest Products, which sits near a park and a cluster of homes she said were nearly all destroyed.
“My coworker’s husband ran in and said, ‘There’s a fire,'” Greene recalled. “By the time we go out the front door to see, (there) was just a big puff of black smoke. You could hear the small explosions.”
Fanned by 30 mph winds, Greene said the blaze quickly spread, jumped a set of train tracks and swept into a neighborhood.
Green said many people had only minutes to escape. An ABC News crew observed several walkers and wheelchairs abandoned along streets as people fled for their lives. Numerous vehicles sat charred in roadways and driveways of homes completely destroyed.
The Mill Fire, according to Cal Fire, caused more than 1,000 people to be evacuated.
While firefighters got a break from the high winds on Saturday, but high temperatures continue to be a challenge, Cal Fire officials said. Temperatures are expected to dip to the low 90s on Sunday, officials said.
Capt. Robert Foxworthy of Cal Fire said the high temperatures are forcing firefighters to take precautions to protect themselves physically.
“It makes it a little bit tougher physically on those firefighters that are working on the ground,” Foxworthy told ABC News. “You have them making sure they are hydrating and making sure they are getting good rest cycles, making sure those folks are getting good meals and nutrition so when they do go and work on these fires in those conditions, they are the best they can be to deal with those conditions.”
ABC News’ Alex Presha and Alyssa Pone contributed to this report.
(CAPITOL HEIGHTS, Md.) — A 15-year-old boy was killed and three other people were injured when at least two gunmen opened fire on them Saturday evening inside a 7-Eleven store in Capitol Heights, Maryland, officials said Sunday.
The teenager who was fatally shot was identified as De’Andre Johnson of Washington, D.C., according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the killers, police officials said.
The shooting unfolded about 8 p.m. Saturday inside a 7-Eleven convenience store on Ritchie Road in Capitol Heights, police said.
he preliminary investigation revealed two suspects walked into the convenience store and opened fire before fleeing the scene,” police said in a statement released Sunday. “At this point in the investigation, this does not appear to be a robbery attempt or a random incident. Investigators are looking into whether any of the individuals in the store were targeted by the shooters.”
A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information leading to an arrest and indictment of the killers, police said.
A second teenager, also 15 years old, was among those shot, according to police. The boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition, officials said.
The two other people shot were adults, including a store employee, police said. One of the adult victims was treated at a hospital and released while the other remained in a hospital Sunday in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said.
The Prince George’s County Police shared on Twitter Saturday evening that police responded to the shooting at 8 p.m. and made the discovery of the fatal shooting.
“Once on scene they discovered multiple people at a convenience store with trauma to the body. They were all taken to a local hospital,” the statement read.
Police initially reported that an adult was killed in the shooting, but clarified Sunday that it was the teenager who died.
Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call detectives at (301) 516-2512. Callers wanting to remain anonymous can call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477)
Foo Fighters hosted the first of two tribute concerts honoring late drummer Taylor Hawkins on Saturday at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The show featured a jaw-dropping lineup of music stars that included one particularly special surprise guest, Paul McCartney, who joined the Foos during their event-closing set.
McCartney was accompanied by The Pretenders‘ Chrissie Hynde — whose own band played a set earlier in the day — and two performed duet version The Beatles‘ “Oh! Darling.” Then, Sir Paul and the Foo Fighters rocked out on the Fab Four’s “Helter Skelter.”
The concert, which ran for a whopping six hours, began with a video montage set to the Foos song “Aurora,” after which frontman Dave Grohl, flanked by bandmates Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee, came onstage to deliver his first public remarks since Hawkins unexpectedly died on March 25 at age 50.
“Tonight, we’ve gathered with family, and [Hawkins’] closest friends, his musical heroes and greatest inspirations, to bring you a gigantic f***ing night for a gigantic f***ing person,” Grohl told the cheering crowd.
The concert began with ex-Oasis singer Liam Gallagher, who performed his old band’s songs “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” and “Live Forever” alongside Foo Fighters, with Grohl on drums.
The first half of the show was mostly a tribute to the music that Hawkins himself loved. Among the highlights: Chic‘s Nile Rodgers was joined by Queens of the Stone Age‘s Joshua Homme and Supergrass‘ Gaz Coombes for David Bowie covers; Wolfgang Van Halen channeled the spirit of his late father Eddie Van Halen with performances of Van Halen‘s “Hot for Teacher” and “On Fire” with Grohl on bass; and the Joe Walsh-fronted band James Gang reunited for their first live set since 2006.
The concert also included performances by Hawkins’ side projects Chevy Metal and Coattail Riders, The Pretenders with Grohl on bass, and reunited supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, featuring Grohl, Homme, Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones and Queens of the Stone Age guitarist Alain Johannes.
In between performances, the Wembley screens showed video tributes sent in by artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, and Elton John. Fleetwood Mac‘s Stevie Nicks also sent in an audio message, while comedian Dave Chappelle and actor Jason Sudeikis gave in-person remarks.
The concert then started to channel a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony when the Foos returned to the stage with AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson and Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich to play AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and “Let There Be Rock.” Police drummer Stewart Copeland then joined the Foo Fighters for two of his old band’s songs.
Next, Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson rocked out with Grohl on drums on “2112: I. Overture” and “Working Man.” Lee and Lifeson were then joined by former Bowie drummer Omar Hakim for “YYZ.”
A Queen set followed, with Queen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor joining the Foos for renditions of “We Will Rock You,” “Somebody to Love,” “I’m In Love with My Car” and “Under Pressure.” May then played a solo rendition of Queen’s “Love of My Life.”
The night closed out with a greatest-hits performance of Foo Fighters songs, with the band joined by several guest drummers, including Hakim, Roger Taylor’s son Rufus and viral kid drummer Nandi Bushell.
After McCartney’s surprise appearance, the Foos closed the night with their classic “My Hero,” with Taylor Hawkins’ son Shane on drums, and a Grohl solo rendition of “Everlong.”
You can watch an archived stream of the entire show via MTV’s YouTube channel. CBS will air a one-hour special version of the concert Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. A two-hour special will air on MTV later in September.
Proceeds from the Wembley concert will be donated to Music Support and MusiCares. The second Hawkins tribute show will take place September 27 in Los Angeles.
Here’s the Wembley set list:
Foo Fighters with Liam Gallagher — “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (Oasis)
Foo Fighters with Liam Gallagher — “Live Forever” (Oasis)
Joshua Homme, Chris Chaney, Omar Hakim, Nile Rodgers — “Let’s Dance” (David Bowie)
Gaz Coombes, Chris Chaney, Omar Hakim, Nile Rodgers — “Modern Love” (David Bowie)
Chevy Metal — “Psycho Killer” (Talking Heads)
Kesha with Chevy Metal — “Children of the Revolution” (T. Rex)
Justin Hawkins with Coattail Riders — “Louise” (Coattail Riders)
Justin Hawkins with Coattail Riders — “Range Rover B****” (Taylor Hawkins)
Justin Hawkins with Coattail Riders — “It’s Over” (Coattail Riders)
Wolfgang Van Halen, Dave Grohl, Josh Freese, Justin Hawkins — “On Fire” (Van Halen)
Wolfgang Van Halen, Dave Grohl, Josh Freese, Justin Hawkins — “Hot for Teacher” (Van Halen)
Violet Grohl, Dave Grohl, Greg Kurstin, Alain Johannes, Chris Chaney, Jason Falkner — “Last Goodbye” (Jeff Buckley)
Violet Grohl, Dave Grohl, Greg Kurstin, Alain Johannes, Chris Chaney, Jason Falkner — “Grace” (Jeff Buckley)
Supergrass — “Richard III”
Supergrass — “Alright”
Supergrass — “Caught By the Fuzz”
Them Crooked Vultures — “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (Elton John)
Them Crooked Vultures — “Gunman”
Them Crooked Vultures — “Long Slow Goodbye” (Queens of the Stone Age)
Pretenders with Dave Grohl — “Precious”
Pretenders with Dave Grohl — “Tattooed Love Boys”
Pretenders with Dave Grohl — “Brass in Pocket”
James Gang — “Walk Away”
James Gang — “The Bomber: Closet Queen/Bolero/Cast Your Fate to the Wind”
James Gang with Dave Grohl — “Funk #49”
Violet Grohl, Mark Ronson, Chris Chaney, Jason Falkner — “Valerie” (The Zutons)
Foo Fighters with Lars Ulrich & Brian Johnson — “Back in Black” (AC/DC)
Foo Fighters with Lars Ulrich & Brian Johnson — “Let There Be Rock” (AC/DC)
Foo Fighters with Stewart Copeland — “Next to You” (The Police)
Foo Fighters with Stewart Copeland & Gaz Coombes — “Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (The Police)
Dave Grohl, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson — “2112: I. Overture” (Rush)
Dave Grohl, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson — “Working Man” (Rush)
Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Omar Hakim — “YYZ” (Rush)
Foo Fighters with Roger & Rufus Taylor, Brian May, Luke Spiller — “We Will Rock You” (Queen)
Foo Fighters with Roger & Rufus Taylor, Brian May — “I’m in Love with My Car” (Queen)
Foo Fighters with Roger Taylor, Brian May, Justin Hawkins — “Under Pressure” (Queen & David Bowie)
Foo Fighters with Roger Taylor, Brian May, Sam Ryder — “Somebody to Love” (Queen)
Brian May — “Love of My Life” (Queen)
Foo Fighters with Josh Freese — “Times Like These”
Foo Fighters with Josh Freese — “All My Life”
Foo Fighters with Travis Barker — “The Pretender”
Foo Fighters with Travis Barker — “Monkey Wrench”
Foo Fighters with Nandi Bushell — “Learn to Fly”
Foo Fighters with Rufus Taylor — “These Days”
Foo Fighters with Rufus Taylor — “Best of You”
Foo Fighters with Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde & Omar Hakim — “Oh! Darling” (The Beatles)
Foo Fighters with Paul McCartney & Omar Hakim — “Helter Skelter” (The Beatles)
Foo Fighters with Omar Hakim — “Aurora”
Foo Fighters with Shane Hawkins — “My Hero”
Dave Grohl — “Everlong”
Foo Fighters held the first of two tribute concerts to late drummer Taylor Hawkins Saturday at London’s Wembley Stadium.
The show began with a video montage set to the Foos song “Aurora,” after which frontman Dave Grohl, flanked by bandmates Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear and Rami Jaffee, came onstage to deliver his first public remarks since Hawkins unexpectedly died on March 25 at age 50.
“Tonight, we’ve gathered with family, and [Hawkins’] closest friends, his musical heroes and greatest inspirations, to bring you a gigantic f***ing night for a gigantic f***ing person,” Grohl told the cheering crowd.
The concert more than lived up to that lofty promise, stretching six hours with performances from some of the biggest names in music, beginning with Liam Gallagher, who kicked off the night with performances of the Oasis songs “Rock ‘N’ Roll Star” and “Live Forever” alongside Foo Fighters, with Grohl on drums.
The first half of the show was mostly a tribute to the music that Hawkins himself loved. Queens of the Stone Age‘s Joshua Homme joined Nile Rodgers for a cover of David Bowie‘s “Let’s Dance,” Wolfgang Van Halen channeled the spirit of his late father Eddie Van Halen with performances of Van Halen‘s “Hot for Teacher” and “On Fire” with Grohl on bass, Grohl’s daughter Violet sang two Jeff Buckley songs, and the Joe Walsh band James Gang reunited for their first live set since 2006.
Hawkins’ side projects Chevy Metal and Coattail Riders also performed, as did Supergrass, Pretenders with Grohl on bass, The Darkness‘ Justin Hawkins, and a reunited Them Crooked Vultures, featuring Grohl, Joshua Homme, Led Zeppelin‘s John Paul Jones and guitarist Alain Johannes.
In between performances, the Wembley screens showed video tributes sent in by artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, Slash and Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe‘s Nikki Sixx and Elton John. Fleetwood Mac‘s Stevie Nicks also sent in an audio message, while comedian Dave Chappelle and actor Jason Sudeikis gave in-person remarks.
The concert then started to channel a Rock & Roll Hall of fame induction ceremony when the Foos returned to the stage with AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson and Metallica‘s Lars Ulrich to play AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and “Let There Be Rock.” They then jammed two Police songs with drummer Stewart Copeland, followed by Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson joining Grohl for renditions of “2112: I. Overture” and “Working Man.”
The final guest performances came from Queen‘s Brian May and Roger Taylor, who joined the Foos for “We Will Rock You,” “Somebody to Love,” “I’m in Love with My Car” and “Under Pressure.” May then played a solo rendition of the Queen track “Love of My Life.”
The night closed out with a greatest hits performance of Foo Fighters songs, beginning with “Times Like These,” during which Grohl was overcome with emotion, and had to step away from the mic for a moment to gather himself.
The Foos jammed through songs including “Learn to Fly,” “The Pretender” and “Best of You” with guest drummers including Blink-182‘s Travis Barker, Bowie drummer Omar Hakim, Roger Taylor’s son Rufus, viral kid drummer Nandi Bushell and session drummer Josh Freese.
The Foos hit parade was briefly interrupted when Paul McCartney made a surprise appearance to play The Beatles‘ “Helter Skelter” and “Oh! Darling” with Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde.
The night finally closed with the Foos classic “My Hero” with Hawkins’ son Shane on drums, and a Grohl solo rendition of “Everlong.”
You can watch an archived stream of the entire show via MTV’s YouTube channel. CBS will air a one-hour special version of the concert Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. A two-hour special will air on MTV later in September.
Proceeds from the Wembley concert will be donated to Music Support and MusiCares. The second tribute show will take place September 27 in Los Angeles.
Here’s the Wembley set list:
Foo Fighters with Liam Gallagher — “Rock ‘N’ Roll Star” (Oasis)
Foo Fighters with Liam Gallagher — “Live Forever” (Oasis)
Joshua Homme, Chris Chaney, Omar Hakim, Nile Rodgers — “Let’s Dance” (David Bowie)
Gaz Coombes, Chris Chaney, Omar Hakim, Nile Rodgers — “Modern Love” (David Bowie)
Chevy Metal — “Psycho Killer” (Talking Heads)
Kesha with Chevy Metal — “Children of the Revolution” (T. Rex)
Justin Hawkins with Coattail Riders — “Louise” (Coattail Riders)
Justin Hawkins with Coattail Riders — “Range Rover B****” (Taylor Hawkins)
Justin Hawkins with Coattail Riders — “It’s Over” (Coattail Riders)
Wolfgang Van Halen, Dave Grohl, Josh Freese, Justin Hawkins — “On Fire” (Van Halen)
Wolfgang Van Halen, Dave Grohl, Josh Freese, Justin Hawkins — “Hot for Teacher” (Van Halen)
Violet Grohl, Dave Grohl, Greg Kurstin, Alain Johannes, Chris Chaney, Jason Falkner — “Last Goodbye” (Jeff Buckley)
Violet Grohl, Dave Grohl, Greg Kurstin, Alain Johannes, Chris Chaney, Jason Falkner — “Grace” (Jeff Buckley)
Supergrass — “Richard III”
Supergrass — “Alright”
Supergrass — “Caught By the Fuzz”
Them Crooked Vultures — “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (Elton John)
Them Crooked Vultures — “Gunman”
Them Crooked Vultures — “Long Slow Goodbye” (Queens of the Stone Age)
Pretenders with Dave Grohl — “Precious”
Pretenders with Dave Grohl — “Tattooed Love Boys”
Pretenders with Dave Grohl — “Brass in Pocket”
James Gang — “Walk Away”
James Gang — “The Bomber: Closet Queen/Bolero/Cast Your Fate to the Wind”
James Gang with Dave Grohl — “Funk #49”
Violet Grohl, Mark Ronson, Chris Chaney, Jason Falkner — “Valerie” (The Zutons)
Foo Fighters with Lars Ulrich & Brian Johnson — “Back in Black” (AC/DC)
Foo Fighters with Lars Ulrich & Brian Johnson — “Let There Be Rock” (AC/DC)
Foo Fighters with Stewart Copeland — “Next to You” (The Police)
Foo Fighters with Stewart Copeland & Gaz Coombes — “Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (The Police)
Dave Grohl, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson — “2112: I. Overture” (Rush)
Dave Grohl, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson — “Working Man” (Rush)
Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Omar Hakim — “YYZ” (Rush)
Foo Fighters with Roger & Rufus Taylor, Brian May, Luke Spiller — “We Will Rock You” (Queen)
Foo Fighters with Roger & Rufus Taylor, Brian May — “I’m in Love with My Car” (Queen)
Foo Fighters with Roger Taylor, Brian May, Justin Hawkins — “Under Pressure” (Queen & David Bowie)
Foo Fighters with Roger Taylor, Brian May, Sam Ryder — “Somebody to Love” (Queen)
Brian May — “Love of My Life” (Queen)
Foo Fighters with Josh Freese — “Times Like These”
Foo Fighters with Josh Freese — “All My Life”
Foo Fighters with Travis Barker — “The Pretender”
Foo Fighters with Travis Barker — “Monkey Wrench”
Foo Fighters with Nandi Bushell — “Learn to Fly”
Foo Fighters with Rufus Taylor — “These Days”
Foo Fighters with Rufus Taylor — “Best of You”
Foo Fighters with Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde & Omar Hakim — “Oh! Darling” (The Beatles)
Foo Fighters with Paul McCartney & Omar Hakim — “Helter Skelter” (The Beatles)
Foo Fighters with Omar Hakim — “Aurora”
Foo Fighters with Shane Hawkins — “My Hero”
Dave Grohl — “Everlong”
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) — A vehicle of interest has been located amid the search for a woman who was abducted while out for a run in Memphis, police said.
Eliza Fletcher, 34, was last seen at approximately 4:30 a.m. Friday on Central Avenue in midtown Memphis before being forced into a dark-colored GMC Terrain, the Memphis Police Department said.
Memphis police said in an update Saturday that the car has been found and a man in it has been detained.
“Eliza Fletcher has not been located. This is an ongoing investigation,” police said.
Memphis police said they were dispatched at around 7:45 a.m. to assist the University of Memphis police “regarding a missing person” in the area of Central Avenue and Zach Curlin Street.
The woman was jogging in the area when an unknown person approached her and she was “reportedly forced into an SUV and taken from the scene,” Memphis police said in a statement.
The suspect was believed to be in a dark-colored GMC Terrain traveling westbound on Central Avenue, police said.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which is assisting in the search for Fletcher, said there currently is no known direction of travel for the suspect’s vehicle.
Fletcher was wearing a pink jogging top and purple running shorts at the time.
Authorities have released images of Fletcher and the SUV they believe she was forced into.
St. Mary’s Episcopal School said in a statement on social media that Fletcher is a “beloved” junior kindergarten teacher at the all-girls prep school.
Fletcher was described by police as 5 foot 6 inches and 137 pounds with brown hair and green eyes.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the Memphis Police Department at 901-528-2274 or 901-545-2677, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-TBI-FIND or 911.
ABC News’ Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.
(TUPELO, Miss.) — An incident allegedly involving a stolen plane and threats against a local Walmart ended in what one official described as the “best-case scenario,” with no injuries and an inexperienced pilot safely landing the plane.
The saga unfolded over several hours in northeast Mississippi Saturday morning. Tupelo police warned residents around 6:30 a.m. local time that a pilot was flying over the city and “is threatening to intentionally crash” into a Walmart.
The pilot was identified by Tupelo police as 29-year-old Cory Wayne Patterson, an employee of Tupelo Aviation, which provides services like fueling at the Tupelo Regional Airport. He has worked for the company for the past 10 years and works as a lineman, fueling the aircraft, according to Tupelo Police Chief John Quaka.
Shortly after 5 a.m., Patterson is alleged to have stolen from the airport a Beechcraft King Air C-90 twin-engine aircraft, which he had access to as an employee of Tupelo Aviation, then called 911 at approximately 5:23 a.m. and made his threat against the local Walmart. Police evacuated the store and surrounding area, police said.
As the plane circled over Tupelo, police were able to talk to the pilot directly, according to Quaka. Negotiators were “able to convince him to not carry out this deed and to land the aircraft at Tupelo Airport,” Quaka told reporters during a press briefing Saturday.
The stolen aircraft is a sophisticated and complicated one to fly, according to experts. Patterson has “some flight instruction,” but did not have experience landing an aircraft and is not believed to be a licensed pilot, Quaka said. According to FAA records, Patterson only held a student pilot certificate, which was issued in 2013.
“A private pilot assisted us in helping this pilot complete this” landing, Quaka said.
Though upon final approach, for some unknown reason, the pilot aborted that landing and flew north, away from Tupelo, Quaka said.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., when the plane was close to running out of fuel, Patterson posted a message on Facebook that “in essence, it said goodbye,” according to the chief.
Around 10:08 a.m., the Federal Aviation Administration lost radar contact with the aircraft. When a negotiator reestablished contact at 10:12 a.m., the pilot “confirmed he had landed in a field and was uninjured,” Quaka said.
The plane landed in a soybean field in Ripley, Mississippi, located more than 40 miles north of Tupelo. The pilot was the only person on board, the FAA said.
Patterson was taken into custody and has been charged with grand larceny and making terroristic threats, Lee County Sheriff’s Department online records show. A motive is not known at this time, Quaka said.
It is unclear if Patterson has an attorney. ABC News has left messages with the Tupelo Regional Airport and Tupelo Aviation.
Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan said he has spoken with Patterson’s family.
“I believe that after the initial threat, he did not want to hurt himself, or anyone else, and I believe that we had what you would think would be the best-case scenario,” Jordan said during the briefing.
“No one was injured. The suspect is now in custody. He will get the help he needs, as far as whatever he’s dealing with,” he continued. “I can’t thank all these organizations enough to bring him in safely.”
(NEW YORK) — Vlad Buryak, 17, was traveling in a car on the morning of April 8 and stopped at a Russian checkpoint. Within hours, he would end up in a Russian prison.
Russian soldiers had seen his cellphone and accused him of filming him, he told ABC News’ Britt Clennett during an interview held over Zoom. They took his phone and while checking his photos and social media, they found a pro-Ukrainian Telegram group.
The soldiers were furious, he said, and threatened to kill him on the spot. Instead, he was taken to a filtration camp and then to a prison where he would spend 48 days before eventually being released.
Thousands of Ukrainians have reportedly been held as prisoners of war and hundreds of thousands have been forcibly deported from the country through so-called filtration camps.
The experience of children during the war, which has stretched over six months, has been uniquely traumatic and provides a chilling portrait into the painful reality on the ground in Ukraine.
The U.N. estimates that nearly 1,000 children have been killed or injured during the conflict and more than 5 million Ukrainian children, both inside the country and living as refugees, are in need of humanitarian aid.
The prison he was put into “so awful and so difficult,” he said, adding that hearing constant cries of “help me” and “don’t beat me” breaks you inside.
His job was to wash floors, cleaning rooms that had been used for torture “three or four days a week,” he said.
He helped pass information between prisoners, written on small bits of paper which they would try to smuggle outside the prison walls to family members.
He wasn’t beaten, but watched other gets beaten and tortured. Although he noticed everything going on around him, he tried to be invisible he said, focusing on his work. He didn’t want the Russian soldiers to know how much he was seeing.
During the interview with ABC News, he admitted that he had probably blocked out many aspects of his time in prison. “If you see awful things, your brain forgets it.” If he dwells on the past too much, “I can have problem in my head,” he said, “and I don’t want to have [that].”
So, he said, “I prefer to not think about this.”
It was very difficult to maintain his psychological health in prison, he said. If you show emotion, there was the fear of being beaten and tortured, and of never being released, he said.
“If you begin crying, if you begin to be angry with these Russian soldiers, these Russian soldiers can kill you or torture you.”
To keep himself mentally sane, he would talk to himself. “I think about what I do when I have freedom. What I do after prison, what I do with my family, how I visit my friends, how I go to the café, how I go to McDonalds,” he said.
After 48 days, he was finally reunited with his father.
“You can’t explain this emotion,” he said, displaying maturity beyond his years. “This emotion you can only feel.”
(WILKES-BARRE, Pa.) — Former President Donald Trump is campaigning for Republicans in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Saturday in what will be his first rally since federal agents searched his Florida home last month.
Trump will speak at the Mohegan Sun Arena in support of Doug Mastriano, who is running for governor against Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Schapiro, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is taking on Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in the U.S. Senate race.
Supporters were lined up in the parking lot hours before Trump is due on stage.
Trump’s appearance in Pennsylvania comes just days after President Joe Biden’s back-to-back visits in the battleground state, during which he condemned Trump and his fellow “MAGA Republicans” as a dominant force in today’s GOP and a threat to American democracy.
“Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal,” Biden said in a prime-time speech from Independence Hall in Philadelphia on Thursday. “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”
Biden’s ramped up rhetoric comes as he seeks to recast the November elections as a choice between those who want to save the “soul of the nation” or those who he says are a danger to democracy.
Trump supporters waiting in line to see the former president give remarks criticized Biden’s rhetoric and said it has only energized them even more ahead of the midterms. Evy Mecjes, and Debbie Latsha called Biden’s speech “very divisive.”
“We’re now the bad guys. We are the terrorists of the United States of America,” Mecjes said.
Latsha said Biden’s speech showed how “afraid” Democrats were of the power Trump still has over the Republican Party.
“They’re a little afraid of all the people that are rising up and whose eyes are being opened, who are waking up to what’s truly happening in our government,” Latsha said. “So let’s see if we can smash them down a little bit more and divide people a little bit more. I mean, there was nothing unifying about that.”
They defended Trump supporters pointing to school closures during the pandemic and inflation as examples of how Democrats have hurt Americans.
“People are rising up because we’re pissed off about how our government is treating us and you know, President Biden does not speak for the people,” Mecjes remarked.
Biden will be back in Pennsylvania again on Sunday, spending part of his Labor Day weekend in Pittsburgh.
While Republicans have generally been favored to win back control of both chambers of Congress this midterm cycle, recent legislative victories for Democrats and some positive economic news has bolstered Democrats’ chances to keep their majorities.
Amid these high stakes, Trump’s rally also comes as fallout continues from the Aug. 8 FBI search at his Mar-a-Lago estate, where agents recovered classified documents as part of an investigation into his handling of presidential records after leaving office.
Lawyers for the Justice Department and for Trump faced off in court Thursday over whether there should be a judge-ordered independent review of the Mar-a-Lago documents by a special master. The judge, Aileen Cannon, has yet to make a ruling on the matter.
On Friday, Judge Cannon unsealed a detailed inventory showing what the FBI seized during the search. The list states some documents bearing classification markings ranging from confidential to top secret were found intermingled with newspaper clippings, photographs and other documents.
The inventory also revealed the government seized dozens of folders that were empty but either had “CLASSIFIED” banners on them or were labeled “Return to Staff Secretary/Military Aide.”
Trump has denied wrongdoing as he publicly fights back against the search.
Those in line to hear him speak on Saturday expressed beliefs that Trump was unfairly targeted.
“I don’t feel he did anything wrong. I think that will come out in the end, but they just want to turn people against Trump,” said Barbara, a voter from Mountain Top, Pennsylvania.
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — The battle over a Senate seat is hot in swing state Ohio. Democratic nominee Rep. Tim Ryan is locked in a competitive race with Republican opponent J.D. Vance, who picked up $28M in airtime funding from a PAC aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
ABC News hit the campaign trail, asking young voters in Columbus and at Ohio State University, about the issues that matter most to them in the midterm elections.
This year’s midterms are slated to be the most consequential yet as the fate of abortion laws are now in the hands of the states after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Abortion, cost of living
“A lot of women don’t even know they’re pregnant until after six weeks. I think that is odd, cruel and it’s clearly laws made by people that have never had babies,” said Ashley McCoy of Columbus, referring to the state’s six-week abortion ban, which makes the procedure illegal after fetal cardiac activity is detected, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
“I understand pro-life and I’m all for that if that’s what you believe in, but you cannot force it upon the masses. It’s not right,” added McCoy.
Rising costs of living and unemployment rates are also prime sources of concern for voters like Kristyn Schweitzer, an Ohio native.
“My husband and I had to scale our lives back after COVID because of layoffs,” said Schweitzer. “I think it says a lot that inflation and interest rates have gone up because it’s hard to get a foothold. We’re surviving but it’s not comfortable.”
Law enforcement issues, student debt
Law enforcement’s treatment particularly of Black men is another issue that concerns some Ohioans, as the Columbus Police Department is now under fire for the fatal shooting of Donovan Lewis — a Black man fatally shot by police Tuesday, released police body camera footage showed.
Andrew Pierce, a senior and the student body president at Ohio State University, says it is time to have a conversation about what policing looks like going forward.
“How do we move with the police but also how do we just create a safe society for everybody?” said Pierce.
And President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt was also on the minds of students, who applauded the plan, but some said they also believe more could be done to alleviate the burden.
“I feel like right now $10,000 is a lot of money, but also it’s still nowhere near the amount that students here regularly accumulate,” said Zoe Lawler, a senior at Ohio State University who is majoring in genetics. “Ten thousand dollars. It’s like a drop in the bucket,” Lawler said.
Herb Asher, political science professor at Ohio State University, told ABC News that the issues Ohio’s voters cited, are no surprise.
“I think the economy has always been at the top of lists that Ohioans are concerned about, in part Ohio is a state that has lost so many well-paying manufacturing jobs,” he said.
Asher also said the issue of abortion may be a “liability” for Republicans, in part because of what various state legislatures are doing now that they have the power to determine access to the procedure, which may turn off some voters.
“Once the Supreme Court said Roe v. Wade is overturned, that didn’t ban abortion,” said Asher. “That just sent the issue back to the states. And a lot of the states are doing some really, very restrictive, very conservative and in some cases, very extreme things.”
