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Police say man slid under washroom stall at restaurant to sexually assault victim

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

Toronto police have arrested a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a downtown restaurant after sliding on the floor to crawl into the bathroom stall she was occupying.Investigators say it happened on Saturday, December 30, 2023 at around 4:47 p.m at a restaurant in the Spadina Avenue and Queen Street West area.The victim was in the washroom when police say the suspect “slid along the floor from the adjacent stall and prevented the woman from leaving the stall.”While confined, police say the woman was sexually assaulted. The suspect also allegedly took her phone when she tried to call for help and demanded cash before stealing property from her.Staff at the restaurant heard a commotion in the locked washroom and kicked down the door in an effort to intervene.The man tried to run off but was arrested by officers after a brief foot chase.Police believe the same man was the culprit in another disturbing incident a few weeks earlier at a business in the Bloor Street...

US warns Houthis to cease attacks on Red Sea vessels or face potential military action

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and 12 allies issued what amounted to a final warning to Houthi rebels on Wednesday to cease their attacks on vessels in the Red Sea or face potential targeted military action.The Yemen-based militants have carried out at least 23 attacks in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza since Dec. 19.A senior Biden administration official declined to detail rules of possible engagement if the attacks continue, but underscored that the Iranian-backed Houthis should “not anticipate another warning” from the U.S. and its allies. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, spoke soon after the countries issued a joint statement earlier on Wednesday condemning the attacks and underscoring that international patience was strained. The statement was signed by the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingd...

Person killed by troopers in shootout on New York State Thruway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

HILLBURN, N.Y. (AP) — New York state troopers killed a person in a shootout on a major highway Wednesday after stopping a vehicle identified in a homicide investigation, authorities said.Two troopers stopped the vehicle on the New York State Thruway, or Interstate 87, in Hillburn near the New Jersey line just before 3 p.m., after discovering it was the subject of a “be on the lookout” alert tied to a homicide, state police said.The driver opened fire on the troopers, who shot back and killed the person, authorities said.One trooper had minor injuries and the other was not harmed, state police said.Officials did not immediately release the name of the person killed or details of the homicide investigation. It was not clear if the person was a suspect in the homicide. The shootout and ensuing investigation shut down the southbound lanes of the thruway for several hours, causing a major traffic jam that lasted into the evening.Hillburn is about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of New Yor...

Amateur Missouri investigator, YouTube creator helps break decade-old missing person cold case

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A decade-old cold case centered on a Navy veteran who disappeared without a trace in rural Missouri is hot again after an amateur sleuth and YouTube creator’s help led police to unidentified human remains. Donnie Erwin, a 59-year-old Camdenton resident, went missing on Dec. 29, 2013, after he went out for cigarettes and never returned. His disappearance piqued the interest of longtime true crime enthusiast and videographer James Hinkle last year, and the Youtuber spent a year tracing generations of Erwin’s relatives and spending his free time searching for him after work, documenting his efforts on his channel. He eventually discovered Erwin’s car hidden in a small pond.Deputies and firefighters pulled Erwin’s algae-encrusted Hyundai Elantra and a titanium hip from a roadside drainage pond less than 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from his home in December 2023, almost exactly a decade after he went missing. “While a forensic pathologist w...

Cicero PD investigating connections between 2 women killed in shooting; man found dead in nearby park, 10-month-old shot

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

CICERO, Ill. — Police are investigating a series of incidents where two women were killed, one man was found dead in a park, and a 10-month-old was shot in Cicero on Tuesday night.The Cicero Police Department held a press conference early Wednesday evening, where Cicero police superintendent Thomas Boyle said they identified the suspect in the double fatal shooting as 21-year-old Rafael Vega. Police said the shooting took place inside a home around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday in the 1800 block of South 48th Court, and that Vega had a relationship with one of the victims, identified by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office (CCMEO) as 19-year-old Myeshia Newby.The CCMEO also identified the other victim in the shooting as 29-year-old Jessica Hughes.According to Boyle, officer showed up to a chaotic scene Tuesday night — 14 people were found at the scene of the incident, which included a mixture of men, women and children.Boyle said two males led officers into the basement of the home on Sout...

Skilling: Flurries possible for Chicagoland

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

Though chilly by recent standards, Wednesday's 36-deg high came in 3-deg above normal and the day, as a whole, ends up the 15th consecutive day of ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS.Flurries and a bit of freezing drizzle occurred sporadically during the day but amounted to little.Chicago's ground remains FREE OF SNOW.  An in-house look for January 3rd snow coverage over the past 100 years (back to 1923) indicates BARE GROUND IS NOT AN ANOMALY.  38 of the past 100 years (38% of them) have recorded no snow on the ground Jan 3rd.  But snow HAS been on the ground on this date 62 of the past 100 years----and 40 of the past 100 years have had an inch or more of snow on the ground this date.  Eight have had more than 6" down and 3 of the past 100 years have recorded a 10" or greater snowpack—this heaviest of them the 17" on the ground on this date in 1999.Lower 48 U.S. snow cover remains far below levels observed last year at this time. Just over 20% of the continental U.S. had snow on the ground---r...

What to know about competing GOP town halls, debate in Iowa

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

Republican presidential candidates are set to appear in several competing town halls and debates this month, offering some of the final opportunities to boost their campaigns before voting kicks off in the Iowa caucuses.The first set of events will take place Thursday. CNN is hosting back-to-back town halls in Des Moines, Iowa, with former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The DeSantis town hall will take place at 9 p.m. EST, moderated by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, and the Haley town hall will be at 10 p.m. EST, moderated by anchor Erin Burnett. Fox News Channel will host another set of town halls Monday and Tuesday at 6 p.m. EST in Des Moines with Haley and DeSantis. The town halls will focus on women’s issues and be co-moderated by anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. Haley will appear at Fox's first town hall Monday, followed by DeSantis’s on Tuesday. Haley and DeSantis have been battling for months to be the main alternative to former Pres...

All 4 Republicans in Minnesota’s congressional delegation back Trump’s latest White House bid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

Republicans in Minnesota’s congressional delegation coalesced on Wednesday behind former President Donald Trump in his bid to win back the White House.A newly released statement included endorsements from Reps. Tom Emmer, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach and Pete Stauber.The Emmer nod, which also came in a separate statement, is notable because Trump sharply criticized Emmer and helped derail the congressman’s run for House speaker in October.Emmer is the House majority whip, the third-highest position in the chamber. He said in his statement in support of Trump: “It’s time for Republicans to unite behind our party’s clear frontrunner.”The first votes of the 2024 nominating season come Jan. 15 in the Iowa caucus, where polls show Trump with a commanding lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.Minnesota’s presidential primary falls on March 5, part of Super Tuesday.Emmer...

Albany suspect killed in shootout with Troopers on I-87

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- On Wednesday evening, Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins and Mayor Kathy Sheehan held a press conference regarding the reported shooting on Hudson Avenue. Get the latest news, weather, sports and entertainment delivered right to your inbox! According to Chief Hawkins, Albany Police received reports of shots fired in the area of 400 Hudson Avenue at around 1:03 p.m. Police were on the scene within minutes and located the victim, who sustained a gunshot wound to the head area.The victim of the shooting on Hudson Avenue was treated on scene. They are currently in critical condition at the Albany Medical Center. Police interviewed witnesses and got a description of the vehicle. The crime analysis center identified the vehicle and license plate and surveillance observed the vehicle heading southbound on I-87.A "Be On the Lookout" was issued to New York State Police. State Troopers located the vehicle at around 2:55 p.m. on I-87 in the Town of Ramapo and initiate...

Illinois among state capitols receiving bomb threats, police find 'no imminent danger'

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:39:07 GMT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) - Illinois was one of several states whose capitol building received a bomb threat Wednesday morning. The Illinois Secretary of State gave WCIA the following statement about the bomb threat: Early this morning, the Illinois Secretary of State Police responded to a bomb threat emailed to officials in multiple states that involved Capitol Buildings across the country, including in Springfield. The Department’s Hazardous Device Unit conducted sweeps of the interior and exterior of the Capitol as well as the public areas of the adjacent Howlett, Stratton and Archives buildings on the Capitol grounds as a precautionary measure. The investigation revealed no evidence supporting the credibility of a threat and no imminent danger was identified. Nevertheless, the Secretary of State’s office takes these threats very seriously and is working with other law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of employees and the public and to determine the source of the threat.T...