(SAN JOSE, Calif.) — A 3-month-old baby boy has been found safe Tuesday after he was taken from his Northern California home in what police believe was a premeditated kidnapping.
One suspect is in custody, police said.
Brandon Cuellar’s kidnapping was reported around 1 p.m. Monday by his grandmother, who was watching the baby while the mother was at work, San Jose Police Sgt. Christian Camarillo said at a news conference.
The grandmother said she came home, took Brandon inside the apartment and went back to the car to unload groceries, Camarillo said.
In that “short amount of time,” a man went into the apartment and took the little boy, he said. Police released footage of the man they say was seen on surveillance video leaving with the 3-month-old.
Camarillo said the suspect brought a baby carrier with him to the home.
“We believe this was planned. It’s not some random act,” he said.
Camarillo said Tuesday that police are speaking with a female person of interest, but added that she’s not been “formally charged yet.”
“This is a person that was with the grandmother yesterday when they went shopping. She was present at the apartment complex when this happened,” Camarillo said.
“That person has changed their story a couple of times — a lot of inconsistencies,” Camarillo said.
ABC News’ Bonnie McLean contributed to this report.
Theodore Parisienne/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) — After years of failed attempts to reform Rikers Island, a federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday will consider whether to put New York City’s sprawling and troubled jail complex under control of the court.
Judge Laura Taylor Swain in 2014 appointed a federal monitor but Rikers, part of the New York City Department of Correction, remains plagued by staffing problems, physical deterioration and violence.
Fifteen inmates died in custody last year and three have died so far in 2022.
There were more than five dozen stabbings in March alone.
Damien Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, expressed alarm at the level of violence. He raised the possibility of federal receivership to force change.
“The jails are in a state of crisis, inmates and staff are being seriously injured, and action is desperately needed now,” Williams said in a letter to the court. “Based on our experience over the last six years and the sustained non-compliance with key Consent Judgment provisions and the three subsequent Remedial Orders entered by this Court, our Office is very concerned about whether the Department and City have the ability, expertise, and will to swiftly make the changes necessary to bring true reform to this deeply troubled agency.”
The administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in its own letter to the court, insisted it is making progress and asked for more time.
“The extraordinary measure of ordering a receivership is not merited and DOJ’s reference to it, less than four months into Commissioner Molina’s term, is unfair,” said Kimberly Joyce of the New York City Law Department. “The commissioner has taken more far-reaching action than has previously been demonstrated.”
Swain has ordered Correction Commissioner Louis Molina to attend the afternoon hearing, marking the first time all the stakeholders will convene since the possibility of a federal takeover was raised.
ABC News has previously documented the horror at Rikers. Exclusive material from Diane Sawyer’s project aired as a full episode of Nightline.
A Perfect Circle guitarist Billy Howerdel has revealed the details of his upcoming debut solo album.
The record is titled What Normal Was, and arrives June 10. It includes the previously released single “Poison Flowers,” which now has an official video.
“This is me stepping back into my early teen self and making the record I would’ve made if I had the means and the knowledge when I first picked up a guitar — just in 2022,” Howerdel says. “It’s that moment as a kid when you hear a record, close your eyes, and go somewhere else. That was the time I found my lane, so to speak.”
Along with the album news, Howerdel has announced a full-length solo U.S. tour, running from June 11 in Ventura, California, to July 20 in Phoenix. Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 29, at 10 a.m. local time.
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit BillyHowerdel.com.
As previously reported, Howerdel will also be opening for two dates on Puscifer‘s upcoming tour. Puscifer, of course, is fronted by Howerdel’s APC band mate, Maynard James Keenan.
Here’s the What Normal Was track list:
“Selfish Heart”
“Free and Weightless”
“Ani”
“Beautiful Mistake”
“The Same Again”
“Poison Flowers”
“Follower”
“Bring Honor Back Home”
“EXP”
“Stars”
Fans of the The Wire, buckle up. The new series We Own This City, which premiered Monday night on HBO, is almost a sequel. It comes from The Wire creator David Simon, and it’s set back in Baltimore, this time focusing on the true story of the Baltimore Police Department’s elite Gun Trace Task Force, and the corruption scandal that grew out of it.
The story wasn’t a complete surprise to Simon, who tells ABC Audio, “The idea that it would get to this dystopian point where you literally have a heralded police unit that was…robbing regular people of money and robbing drug dealers of drugs and then selling the drugs back on the street…was a generation removed from where we were in The Wire, but it was in some respects where we were headed.”
We Own This City comes at a time where stories about police are being looked at a lot closer, but Simon says this series is about truth, not slogans.
“This is a bad, systemic dynamic. [It’s] a mission that can’t possibly succeed. It can only destroy anything it touches. That’s not covered by all cops are bastards,” he explains. “Nor do you get at it in any way if you decide that police have to be defended…that failure to do so makes you soft on crime.”
Jon Bernthal plays the unit’s ringleader Wayne Jenkins, who is currently in prison. He was able to do ride-alongs with the Baltimore PD and talk to a lot of officers while preparing for the role because of what he calls “the respect and reverence [The Wire] creators have for telling the truth…not to make it just one side or the other, but to tell the truth…That what they’re after.”
(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Kamala Harris tested positive for COVID-19 via rapid and PCR tests on Tuesday, according to her office.
Harris, who received her second booster shot on April 1, doesn’t have any symptoms.
Harris will isolate and work from home, Harris’ press secretary, Kristen Allen, said in a statement.
“She has not been a close contact to the President or First Lady due to their respective recent travel schedules,” the statement said. “She will follow CDC guidelines and the advice of her physicians. The Vice President will return to the White House when she tests negative.”
Harris’ husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, tested positive for COVID-19 last month.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., also tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.
He said he felt “mild symptoms overnight.”
“I’m sure if I wasn’t fully vaccinated I would be feeling a lot worse. So remember to get your booster!” he tweeted.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images/ Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
If you work at an Amazon warehouse in the U.K., chances are you are very familiar with Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa‘s songs. Their music tops the list of the most-played songs at “industrial premises.”
British publication iNews obtained the report from PRS for Music, which tracks the royalties artists make when their music is played in the background of these British facilities, which generates about $22.8 million annually. The two most-played songs on this list are Ed’s “Bad Habits” and Dua’s “Levitating.”
The study also found that Glass Animals‘ viral hit “Heat Waves” was the third most-repeated song in warehouses.
PRS also noted that a Mindlab International study found that listening to pop music at work helps motivate those working more active jobs by improving their speed and accuracy. Most interestingly, PRS believes music containing a dance-like beat “enhances proof-reading skills,” which might explain why “Bad Habits” and “Levitating” are respectively first and second on the list.
The outlet also noted the money made by warehouse streaming helped supplement the earnings artists lost when COVID-19 slammed the brakes on touring and other live performances. Overall, revenue for the live music sector dipped by 29 percent in 2021.
(NEW YORK) — For years, doctors recommended people in their 50s start taking baby aspirin every day to protect against heart attacks and stroke. But in recent years, with new evidence of the possible harm of daily aspirin, health experts shifted those recommendations.
In major new guidance, an influential physician task force no longer recommends daily aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke among people 60 and older. Meanwhile, the new guidance said people 40 to 59 should only take it if they have a high risk of cardiovascular disease, and in consultation with a doctor. There is little benefit in continuing aspirin beyond the age of 75 years old, experts concluded.
The new guidance comes from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an influential physician group that helps guide medical best practices.
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in the United States, accounting for more than one in four deaths. While daily aspirin use has been shown to lower the chance of having a first heart attack or stroke, it can also increase the risk for bleeding in the brain, stomach and intestines. Although the absolute risk of a bleeding event is low, the risk increases with age.
“Based on current evidence, the task force recommends against people 60 and older starting to take aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke,” task force vice chair Dr. Michael Barry, professor of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, told ABC News. “Because the chance of internal bleeding increases with age, the potential harms of aspirin use cancel out the benefits in this age group.”
“People who are 40 to 59 years old and don’t have a history of cardiovascular disease but are at higher risk may benefit from starting to take aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke,” task force member Dr. John Wong, interim Chief Scientific Officer and Professor of Medicine at Tufts Medical Center, told ABC News. “It’s important that they decide together with their healthcare professional if starting aspirin is right for them because daily aspirin does come with possible serious harms.”
“It is important for the public to understand that for the vast majority of Americans without pre-existing heart disease, aspirin does not provide a net benefit. The harms are approximately equal to any benefits. The USPSTF is just catching up with this widely accepted scientific viewpoint. For nearly 20 years the FDA has advised against routine use of aspirin for prevention in patients without heart disease,” Dr. Steven Nissen, cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, told ABC News.
The new recommendations were aimed at people who have not yet started taking a daily aspirin. The panel of experts did not issue guidance for people who are already taking a daily aspirin, and the updated news does not necessarily mean people should stop taking it if prescribed by a doctor.
“We want to emphasize that these recommendations are focused on starting aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke. Anyone who already takes aspirin and has questions about it should speak with their healthcare professional,” Wong said.
The new guidelines do not change for people who have had a heart attack, stroke or other major cardiovascular issue. The recommendation for using aspirin to protect them from a second event remains strong.
Recommendations on daily aspirin to prevent disease have shifted in recent years. In 2016, the preventive services task force recommended people in their 50s at risk for heart disease take baby aspirin to prevent both cardiovascular disease and colon cancer. But updated recommendations based on additional research found benefits may not outweigh the risk, concluding the best colon cancer prevention is routine screening beginning at the age of 45.
Dr. Chineze Akusoba is an Internal Medicine resident at the Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota, and a contributor on the ABC News Medical Unit.
The B-52s have announced that they will launch a farewell North American tour this summer that’s set to kick off on August 22 in Seattle.
The trek currently is scheduled to visit 11 cities, and is mapped out through a November 11-12 stand in Atlanta, although more dates will be added soon. KC & the Sunshine Band and The Tubes will serve as the support acts at select stops on the tour. The outing also includes multiple-show engagements in New York City, Las Vegas and San Francisco.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public this Friday, April 29, at 12 p.m. ET, while pre-sale tickets will be available starting Wednesday, April 27, at 12 p.m. ET. Visit TheB52s.com for more information.
In celebration of the impending farewell tour, The B-52s will be performing on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday night. In addition, the band has announced that a long-awaited official documentary about the influential New Wave group will be released in early 2023.
“Who knew what started as a way to have some fun and play music for our friends’ at house parties in Athens [Georgia] in 1977 would evolve into over 45 years of making music and touring the world,” says B-52s singer/keyboardist Kate Pierson. “It’s been cosmic.”
Adds singer Fred Schneider, “No one likes to throw a party more than we do, but after almost a half-century on the road, it’s time for one last blow-out with our friends and family…our fans. And with KC & The Sunshine Band and The Tubes on board, it’s going to be one hell of a farewell party at these concerts.”
(SANTA FE, N.M.) — The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department’s investigation into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust is “nearing completion,” Adan Mendoza, the Santa Fe County sheriff, said in an interview Tuesday on Good Morning America.
Hutchins died and the film’s director was hospitalized after a gun held by Alec Baldwin as a prop fired a live round on the set of Rust last October.
The department is waiting for an FBI report with analysis of the firearm, the munitions, the prints and DNA as well as a report from the office of the medical investigator and analysis of cellphone data before the investigation can be completed, Mendoza said.
“The FBI has stated that it might be a few weeks before they finalize their report so we are hoping in weeks and not months,” Mendoza said, referring to when the investigation could come to a close.
On Monday, the sheriff’s office released evidence from its investigation, including hours of body cam video, witness interviews and crime scene photos.
An attorney representing the Hutchins family said they were “surprised” by the release of the evidence while the investigation is still active and ongoing but did not comment further.
Mendoza said the department was required to release the evidence in response to a public records request and it was doing so in an effort to be “transparent” in its investigation.
While it has been more than six months since the incident happened, Mendoza said the case is complicated and the department is doing the best that it can.
“As you can see with the enormous amount of information that we’ve released, the investigative report is 200 plus pages, it’s very complicated. It’s very convoluted. There is an enormous amount of information, so in order to do a thorough report, I think we’re doing the best that we can with the time frame that we have,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza said no one has come forward and admitted to bringing ammunition to the set, but there was at least one live round that was fired from the weapon.
The film’s producers were fined last week for failures that led to what the New Mexico Environment Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Bureau called an “avoidable death.”
“These are two separate investigations. But I think in our investigation, you’ll see some of the same things and I’ll say it again, I think there was complacency, disorganization. They were not adhering to proper safety protocols and industry standards, to be honest, so there’s a degree of neglect,” Mendoza said.
He went on, “Whether that reaches a criminal level will be up to the district attorney to determine.”
The sheriff would not comment on whether Baldwin knew there were live rounds on set, but said it is “yet to be determined” whether he is vulnerable to criminal prosecution.
“The key component is also the analysis on the firearm and the FBI report. So once that’s all collected, a thorough report will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office. They’ll make the determination who is responsible, if anyone,” Mendoza said.
An analysis should show what it took to manipulate the firearm to allow it to go off and the projectiles that were on the scene, Mendoza said.
“This is a lot of information that we’re going to work in conjunction with the D.A.’s office to determine if there is criminal neglect or criminal charges,” Mendoza said.
Nashville will soon be lighting up with the sounds of CMA Fest as the first headliners are announced for Ascend Amphitheater.
Chris Janson and Cole Swindell are set to headline the outdoor theater in downtown Nashville on June 10 and June 11, respectively. Joining Chris at the Friday night show is “At the End of a Bar” singer Mitchell Tenpenny, Lanco, five-piece country act Boy Named Banjo and newcomer Peytan Porter.
On Saturday night, Cole will be supported by Ingrid Andress, Randall King and Tyler Braden, with hit songwriter and rising star Shy Carter set to host the show.
“It has been way too long since we have all been together for this, so let’s party!” Cole writes on Instagram. “Can’t wait to see y’all there.”
#CMAfest!!! Can’t wait to rock Ascend Amphitheater this summer on Friday, June 10!! See ya’ll soon!” adds Chris.
Tickets for the Ascend shows go on sale to the public on Friday at 11 a.m. ET.
Up the road from Ascend, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett and many more will headline Nissan Stadium when CMA Fest takes place June 9-12.
