U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, questioned on Wednesday whether humanity would exist if not for the rapes and incest that happened throughout history.

“What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest?," he said at a speech in Urbandale, Iowa. "Would there be any population of the world left if we did that? Considering all the wars and all the rape and pillage that has taken place? And whatever happened to culture after society, I know that I can't certify that that I am not a part of the product of that.” 

He also noted that "it's not the baby's fault" if a rape or incest occurred.

Twenty-five people from six families are displaced after a fire in Bridgeport Wednesday morning. 

The fire at 1387 Pembroke St., a six-unit home, was reported just before 11:30 a.m. and the fire department safely evacuated everyone from the home, according to officials. 

Most of the damage is to two of the six apartments and the residents will likely need to seek alternative shelter. 

Residents will be able to occupy the other four units. 

The cause of the fire is unknown and the fire marshal’s office will investigate.

Body-camera footage released Wednesday by Connecticut police show New York Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman getting stopped by cops at gunpoint in an apparent mix-up involving his own stolen vehicle and a separate report of an armed man at a doctor’s office.

The confrontation came after police responding to a report of a man with a gun who had been seen driving a white Jeep spotted Cashman’s vehicle — which incorrectly was still listed as stolen despite having been recovered by New York police days earlier.

Cashman was stopped at a Shell gas station in Darien when he was surrounded by police.

“Driver turn off your car and put your hands up! Put your hands out the window,” a Darien police officer is heard yelling on the video, which captures the cop with his gun pointed in Cashman’s direction.

The footage shows Cashman -- in a dark T-shirt, white shorts and flip-flops -- exiting his vehicle with his hands in the air. He subsequently makes his way, backwards, following command, toward the officers.

He explains that he reported the vehicle stolen earlier in the week and the NYPD recovered it and returned it to him.

Cashman is allowed to go back to his vehicle to retrieve his identification, at which point the officer tells him, “You look very familiar to me.”

“I’m the GM with the New York Yankees,” Cashman replies.

“Yeah, I know, I used to see you as Brook Street Bagels when I was an Eastchester cop,” the officer says, adding, “I apologize for the embarrassment.”

An apparent officer at the scene explained to Cashman that they were responding to an unrelated report of a man who brought a gun at a doctor's office and had reportedly left in a white, Jeep-like vehicle. Then they ran the plates on Cashman's Jeep and found that it had been reported stolen.

“What a day,” Cashman could be heard as he wiped his forehead while awaiting next to his vehicle and surrounded by police.

The Yankees' general manager said he reported the vehicle stolen earlier last week from nearby but the NYPD had recovered the vehicle in the Bronx and returned it to him.

It's not clear why his vehicle was not taken off the stolen list.

He was "fully cooperative with all commands and instructions given by the officers conducting the stop and the encounter was quickly, efficiently and properly deescalated," police said in a previous a statement.

“They executed a very tactful interception,” Cashman told the NY Post.

“They’re clearly very professional and trained and they asked me to turn my car off, exit the vehicle, walk backwards towards them…they were executing their duty.”

Officers escorted him to the Norwalk police station, where he was initially driving to in order to have his car processed for evidence because he found items inside that he believed belonged to whomever stole his car.

Police said they later found the patient who had brought a gun to the doctor's office. He had a valid license and wasn't aware he had caused any alarm.

Police continue to search for the person who shot and killed a 46-year-old West Haven man and shot Captain Anthony Duff, who was off-duty, while he was responding to the gunshots Monday night.

Police have identified the person who died the shooting as 46-year-old Troy Clark, of West Haven. They said his death is a homicide and they are investigating the circumstances of his death.

The shootings happened just before 9:30 p.m. Monday in the area of Dixwell Avenue and Henry Street.

Duff, who has been with the New Haven police department for more than 20 years, was his way home when he heard the shots and intervened, according to city officials.

“I’m grateful to Capt. Duff, who is resting and healing and inspiring the rest of us with his courage and his sense of duty,” New Haven Mayor Toni Harp said.

Duff was wounded three times -- injured in the arm, chest, groin and back, according to the mayor.

He was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital, where he went through surgery. As of 1 a.m. Tuesday, he was out of surgery and in the recovery room.

As of Wednesday, Duff “continues to heal and recover from a very traumatic incident,” Interim Chief of Police Otoniel Reyes said in a statement.

Police ask anyone with information about the shootings or who sees anything suspicious to call (203) 946-6316.

Bridgeport Animal Control is asking the public for information after a young boy said he saw a man throw a cat in a box over a bridge.

According to animal control officials, a 10-year-old boy flagged down a police officer after he watched a man throw a box over the bridge at Berkshire Avenue and Knowlton Street into the water.

The young boy said he heard meowing coming from the box that was completely taped up and tied in a garbage bag.

Authorities said the boy ran to the water's edge and was able to save the male cat.

Anyone with information is urged to call Bridgeport Animal Control at (203) 576-7727.

At least four Philadelphia police officers were shot in the city's Nicetown section Wednesday afternoon, officials said, prompting a massive response to the North Philadelphia neighborhood. At least one suspect is in custody.

Frantic calls from responding officers came in around 4:30 p.m., according to audio obtained via Broadcastify.

"Officer calls for everything you got. SWAT, long gun," a law enforcement officer can be heard saying on the audio. "I got an officer shot."

SkyForce10 was over the scene as an unidentified gunman fired at dozens of police officers nearly 30 minutes after officers descended on the corner of 15th and Butler streets.

The officers crouched behind cars, blocked off surrounding streets and surrounded several nearby homes as the scene, described as an active shooting, unfolded. 

Officials said at least four officers were shot and taken to the hospital. They have not yet revealed their conditions. Police also said at least one suspect is in custody though officers continue to search for a second. 

Mayor Jim Kenney is on his way to the hospital. A lockdown is also in effect at Temple University's Health Sciences Center campus. The school put out an alert for students to take a shelter in place.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled a proposed rule that would greatly expand the religious exemption that allows religious entities to ignore anti-discrimination laws by broadening the definition to include federal contractors that declare themselves to be religious, NBC News reported.

The Department of Labor said the rule is proposed in order to provide “the broadest protection of religious exercise” for companies that compete for federal contracts.

LGBTQ advocates decried the proposed rule and said that it would permit companies to decline to hire lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, in addition to individuals who do not practice their religion.

“This proposal is part and parcel of an ongoing and coordinated attack by this Administration on LGBTQ people aimed at rolling back our rights under the false guise of religion. It's really nothing more than a permission slip to discriminate,” said Zeke Stokes, Chief Programs Officer for GLAAD, the LGBTQ advocacy group.

Kim Olenoski, laughs and smiles, remembering her mother.

“My mom was hilarious,” Olenoski said. “We had two names for her. Elaine, from Seinfeld because of her crazy dance moves and the Energizer Bunny because she never stopped.”

Jackie Heins was an athlete. She was an all-state basketball player in high school, who remained active into her adult life.

In March of 2015, she was diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer and treated at Yale-New Haven’s Smilow Cancer Hospital.

Olenoski said treatment at Smilow gave their family 20 more months together and allowed her mother to meet several personal goals.

“My son was born. She became a Mimi for the second time and her main goal was to get to my brother’s wedding and dance with my brother,” said Olenoski.

Heins went into hospice three days after her son’s wedding and sadly and passed away six days later in November 2016, at age 58.

Today, Olenoski honors her mother through the Closer to Free Ride.

“I think about her the whole time.” she said. “I talk to her. I make jokes to her. Like do you think this is funny that your daughter is on a bike, riding for you?”

Team “Jackie Strong,” now in its third year, has raised a combined $42,000. The growing team has 15 riders including a new addition this year, Jackie’s best friend, Debbie Pantera.

“I’ve actually wanted to ride every time we started but, I didn’t have a bike,” said Pantera with a laugh.

Pantera had been friends with Heins since 1971 when they were high school freshmen at Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden.

She was also a pediatric oncology nurse for 39 years, including ten years at Smilow. This ride is personal for Pantera on many levels.

“This money raised will go to research and directly to Smilow and that’s very important,” Said Panters. “We need to find a cure. This has to stop.”

Five months after a jury convicted him of multiple counts of patient cruelty, a former forensic nurse at our state's maximum security psychiatric hospital has gone to prison.

Mark Cusson and nine coworkers were arrested in connection with the abuse of patient Bill Shehadi in 2017, a story broken by NBC Connecticut Investigates.

Cusson received the largest sentence to date in the abuse case at the Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown.

Cusson did not react as Judge Jose Suarez sentenced him to 15 years in prison, suspended after he serves five. His wife and two daughters were behind him in the gallery, sobbing.

He was arrested in 2017, for among other things, putting a mop on Shehadi's head, and other incidents of patient abuse, all of it caught on surveillance video.

At the sentencing, Shehadi's brother said "my brother is a human being. Mr. Cusson lost sight of that.”

Cusson's attorney Norm Pattis, who put up a spirited defense of his client at trial, knocking down half the charges against him, brought ten witnesses to the sentencing, including Cusson's teenage daughters, who asked the judge for leniency.

They described him as a dedicated family man, who, when he was a forensic nurse at Whiting, always looked out for Shehadi, despite him being a mostly non-verbal, incontinent patient, who regularly attacked staffers.

Former co-worker Harold Hempstead said, "people will never understand what it is like to work at Whiting. We have little or no specialized training”

The judge said he struggled with taking Cusson away from his wife and daughters for five years, but in the end concluded Cusson failed to treat Shehadi with compassion or dignity.

Cusson's attorney Norm Pattis said Cusson will appeal the sentence.

Protesters rallying at Meriden Superior Court say judicial marshals in our state are helping ICE “exploit” Connecticut court houses.

The state’s judicial marshal services says that’s just not the case.

Director of Judicial Marshal Services O’Donovan Murphy says despite claims from protesters, his agency only detains about 1/3rd of the requests they receive from ICE.

He says this percentage has been consistent since the state’s Trust Act went into effect a couple of years ago.

The Trust Act sets conditions for state and local law enforcement authorities for voluntarily cooperating with ICE.

“So the Trust Act narrowed it down to 7 factors. We primarily go by the fact that whether or not there is a final order, whether the person poses some unusual risk to the community, if they’re in the terrorism database, if they are a fugitive of justice in another state or they have an outstanding warrant in this state,” said Murphy.

Protesters say Wednesday’s rally is just the beginning of their campaign to demand changes like firing judicial marshals who enable ICE violence in court and banning ICE in court houses all together, according to CT Immigration Rights Alliance and other organizing groups in their rally invitation to the community.

“It’s very simple we want to hold a process that is broken accountable for misconduct of hate and segregation and discrimination against members of our community,” said Meriden City Councilman Miguel Castro, who is also behind the charge.

He spoke out at the rally Wednesday as he continues to be embroiled in a legal battle with the state. Castro is accused of assaulting two judicial marshals during an immigration protest last year. He says his arrest was unjustified.

“We want to open an investigation to determine the legitimacy of every state marshal in this court house have provided to state and local authorities. They have inflicted in one way or another pain and hardship to families in our community,” said Castro.

While the state’s director of Judicial Marshal Services can’t comment on Castro’s case, he wants to make it clear that his agency follows guidelines laid down by the state’s Trust Act.

"The ICE detainers are screened in a way that we make the final decision and no marshal has the ability to make that decision other than ourselves up at the administrative office and we go through a lot of hoops to make sure we’re doing it correct.”

Murphy understands immigration concerns are at the forefront of our country right now, but despite some public perception, he says the number of detainer requests they receive from ICE are down, as well as the number of their detainments.

According to judicial branch documents, ICE has requested about 370 detainers in the past 24 months from judicial marshal services and only about 100 were honored “and the public should know, one, we’re sympathetic to anybody being taken into custody not just ICE. There are people taken on warrants all the time and we’re sympathetic to that.”

Updates believed to toughen up the Trust Act were passed by state lawmakers this session, but protesters say they’ll be pushing for more protective legislation.

We reached out to ICE who says the goal of civil immigration enforcement inside courthouses is to “arrest and ultimately remove individuals from the U.S. who pose a public safety risk” like convicted felons and sex offenders, among others.

Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection has opened an investigation into a possible violation of the Liquor Control Act at Diesel Lounge. The New Haven bar is under investigation for allegedly serving alcohol to a woman accused of causing a fatal hit-and-run crash in July.

New Haven police say 18-year-old Christopher Franko was killed after the scooter he was driving was hit on the Tomlinson Bridge. His 15-year-old passenger was rushed to the hospital in critical condition the night of July 26th.

According to court documents, an eye witness noticed damaged on the front end of Judy Gomez’s car and notified police. When officers caught up to the 55-year-old East Haven woman they smelled the strong odor of alcohol and vomit on her, according to the police report.

Officers stated that her front windshield had shattered onto Gomez’s arms and torso. Officers also said she seemed confused and told police that she thought she’d hit someone and pulled over to call her sister. Responding officers had to use Narcan on Gomez after she started having trouble breathing.

The police report also says that Gomez admitted to police that she had been drinking at Diesel Lounge in New Haven before the incident. She told officers she had three Long Islands and a shot of Patron, according to the report.

Department of Consumer Protection, which approves liquor licenses, is looking into whether the establishment violated its rules by overserving Gomez. An establishment found in violation could be ordered to come into compliance, pay a fine, or have its liquor license suspended. A spokesperson for the agency says details about the investigation won’t be released until after it is complete.

Bar owners and bartenders have a legal responsibility not to overserve their patrons and in Connecticut, they can be subject to a civil lawsuit under the Dram Shop Act.

“If you serve someone who is obviously intoxicated, you’re not supposed to do that. If you do and that in turn leads to some third party being injured, then that’s on you,” explained defense attorney John Williams.

Franco’s family won’t say whether they’re suing the bar, but his brother says Diesel Lounge has been less than cooperative. Carlos Granda says he doesn’t believe the bar owner’s claim that video of Gomez drinking at Diesel Lounge does not exist.

“They owe us help. That’s what they owe us. I don’t necessarily owe us money or anything. I just want them to help us,” said Granda.

Williams, who is not connected with the case, says the bar’s culpability may be difficult to prove.

“That is a very subjective kind of a test and all that’s really expected is good faith,” Williams explained. “Unless there’s some solid reason to believe that the bar owner served an obviously intoxicated person before the accident, then I would say the bar owner doesn’t have a lot to worry about.”

Williams says state investigators may look for someone who was at the bar at the same time as Gomez.

“You’d almost have to have another person, who was a witness, somebody that was in the bar and saw what was going on and could testify,” he explained.

Down the block from Diesel Lounge, the owner of JR Dempsey bar, Dennis Beaulieu, says he’s constantly calling his customers a ride home, but adds that it’s not always obvious when a patron is intoxicated. He says serving an extra drink to a customer isn’t worth the risk of and he doubts it was worth it to his neighbor.

“It’s a tough responsibility to put on someone that say, ok you’re responsible for the 900 people who walk through your establishment this week, when really you can do your best but people have to police them themselves and be responsible,” Beaulieu said. “It has everyone shaken. I’m sure that those guys didn’t do that on purpose and I’m sure that wasn’t there intention either,” he said.

As Franko’s family tries to come to terms with his death, Granda says their fight is just beginning.

“Everybody’s trying to cover themselves instead of seeking justice,” said Carlos Granda. “I believe they have some responsibility because if you see someone drunk you cannot keep serving them liquor.”

Gomez faces charges of felony evading and manslaughter with a motor vehicle. NBC Connecticut News reached out to her attorney as well as Diesel Lounge, but did not hear back.

On Wednesday, the New Haven Police Department introduced the four officers who helped save the life of Captain Anthony Duff after he was shot while attempting to intervene in a separate shooting incident.

Duff was shot three times after hearing shots near Dixwell Avenue and Henry Streets and trying to catch up to the alleged shooter. Responding officers applied tourniquets to Duff’s wounds, allowing the bleeding to be controlled enough for him to survive the trip to Yale New Haven Hospital for surgery.

The officers include: Officer Joseph Perrotti who has been with the department for 5 years, Sergeant Shayna Kendall, a nine year veteran, Sergeant Christopher Cameron, a 12 year veteran and Officer Ramonel Torres who has been with the department almost three years. Officer Perrotti is also a registered nurse.

Use of the tourniquets was something NHPD officers first began receiving training for last year through a partnership with Yale New Haven Hospital. Since the program began, tourniquets have been used by officers at least nine times.

Connecticut State Police have arrested a man who is accused of trying to pass through the Transportation Security Administration at Bradley International Airport with brass knuckles on Wednesday night.

Troopers said 33-year-old Matthew Smith, of New Haven, attempted to pass through the TSA passenger screening area with brass knuckles around 5:30 p.m.

Smith was placed into custody and is facing charges including circumventing airport security and carrying dangerous weapons.

He was processed and released on a $500 bond and is due in court on August 29.

Jeffrey Epstein's body has been claimed from the New York City medical examiner's office, a source close to the investigation told NBC News on Wednesday.

Epstein, 66, was found dead by apparent suicide Saturday morning in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. The center's warden has been temporarily reassigned, and the two guards assigned to watch Epstein have been placed on leave.

The person who claimed Epstein's body was described only as an "Epstein associate."

Two hundred inmates at a California prison were involved in a “large-scale riot” Wednesday and dozens were injured, officials said.

The fight in the yard at a prison in Soledad broke out just after 11 a.m., and staff fired nine warning shots from a rifle and used chemical agents and non-lethal rounds to break up the brief incident, NBC News reported, citing a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

No one on staff at the Correctional Training Facility was hurt, the department said.

Eight inmates required outside hospitalization with injuries that included cuts, puncture wounds and bruises, and all were stable. About 50 other inmates were treated for minor injuries, the department said. 

In another tragedy for the NYPD, a veteran police officer has died by suicide in his NYC home Wednesday evening, police said — the seventh member of the force to do so in just the last 10 weeks.

The wife of 56-year-old officer Robert Echeverria found him in their Laurelton, Queens home with a gunshot wound to the head, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation confirmed. She called 911 around 6:15 p.m. and he was rushed to a hospital in Manhasset where he was pronounced dead, according to police.

Just after 8 p.m., the NYPD said in a tweet that "We are saddened to announce that the NYPD has suffered another tragedy today with the loss of one of our officers to suicide."

Echeverria spent the past 25 years of his life on the force, officials said.

The department encouraged all who were struggling to seek help and know that support was available from people who "care about your well-being."

The NYPD has experienced a tragic rash of police suicides recently, with seven members of the force dying from suicides in just the last 10 weeks and nine total in 2019.

This would be the second time in as many days a member of the NYPD has found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, escalating a recent crisis that has caused all levels of police leadership to speak out on the need for cops to look after their mental health and that of their colleagues. 

Early Tuesday morning, an off-duty NYPD officer died by suicide at his home in Yonkers. Police sources told News 4 the officer had been identified as 35-year-old Johnny Rios.

Rios had seven years on the job and was most recently posted to the Bronx. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the source added. 

"The NYPD suffered another tragedy today with the loss of another officer to suicide. To those who may be facing struggles - Help is always available, you are not alone," the department tweeted, roughly two hours after news of the officer's death first emerged. 

This most recent officer's death follows the June 5 suicide of Deputy Chief Steven Silks, the June 6 death of Det. Joseph Calabrese, the June 14 death of 29-year-old Officer Michael Caddy at the 121st Precinct in Staten Island, the June 27 death of Officer Kevin Preiss at his Long Island home and the July 27 death of Sergeant Terrance McAvoy at his Staten Island home.

In June, after the deaths of Silks and Calabrese a day apart, Commissioner James O'Neill spoke exclusively with News 4 about the need for cops to seek help if they find themselves contemplating taking their own lives.

"To have two people kill themselves within 10 hours is just - nothing brings us to our knees, but this is close," O'Neill said.

He also sent a note to all 55,000 officers and civilian employees of the NYPD, saying in part, "before you can take care of others, it's imperative that you first take care of yourselves. Seeking help is never a sign of weakness -- it's a sign of great strength."

The officers' deaths come after News 4 highlighted growing concerns among members of law enforcement regarding police suicides. An I-Team survey of police across the country found 78% experienced critical stress on the job, with 68% saying that stress triggered unresolved emotional issues. 

Sixteen percent said that they had thoughts of suicide. Despite those numbers nine out of 10 officers said there is a stigma attached to seeking help. 

"This has to be a continuous process. This has to be done at roll calls. This has to be done in video training," O'Neill said. "We need to talk about this. This can’t be a deep dark secret. People have to understand that there is help available." 

O'Neill has asked NYPD officers and employees who need help to call the department's employee assistance hotline at 646-610-6730.

For more on the NYPD suicide crisis tune in to the latest episode of ‘The Debrief’ podcast. NBC 4’s David Ushery speaks with reporter Pei-Sze Cheng on how stigma and fear of repercussions within the NYPD is stopping cops with mental health problems from coming forward. Listen on Apple podcasts here or on all other devices here.

More recent coverage:

• Fifth NYPD Officer Dies by Suicide in Two Months
• Fourth NYPD Officer Dies by Suicide in Three Weeks
• Officer Takes Life Outside Staten Island Stationhouse
• NYC's Top Cop Speaks on Mental Health After NYPD Suicides
• Missing NYPD Homicide Detective Found Dead by Suicide
• NYPD Deputy Chief With 38 Years of Service Takes His Own Life

If you or someone you know is in a crisis, including at risk of suicide or self-harm, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Trained counselors are available 24/7.

Xavier Soto has been desperately looking for answers since his 23-year-old partner, Jeimily Morales, died in June at a hospital in Puerto Rico, nine days after the pair returned from a vacation to the Dominican Republic.

Soto, 27, believes Morales, the mother of a 4-year-old boy, was in good health during their trip to the neighboring Caribbean island. She had a thyroid condition which was under control, he said. He says he would later tell four hospitals that she had a rough landing during a zip line ride, but didn't notice her back hurting until shortly after landing back in Puerto Rico, two days later. Her condition worsened from there.

Morales' death on June 26, which followed the string of hospital visits in Puerto Rico, was the result of a pulmonary embolism, Soto was told by doctors at the Mayagüez Medical Center in the western part of the island.

She died at a time when the Dominican Republic's image had been under scrutiny after the recent deaths of U.S. tourists in different hotels and resorts. But Soto is not pointing fingers and is not ready to do so. What caused the pulmonary embolism that took Morales’ life? Was it something that happened on the trip to Punta Cana with effects that went unnoticed when she was treated in Puerto Rico? 

Perhaps, according to a doctor not involved in her care who is an expert on pulmonary embolisms, and who says that immobility during air travel can put certain travelers at risk for blood clots.

Doctor Umesh Gidwani, chief of cardiac critical care at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, told NBC he finds it strange that doctors in the hospitals visited by Morales didn’t suspect the possibility of an embolism, given that Soto says she reported that her back hurt. She then complained about chest pain, had trouble breathing and had traveled on an airplane a few days before, Soto said.

A pulmonary embolism, Gidwani explained, is when “a blood clot forms somewhere in the vein, typically in the legs or pelvic area.” The clot grows as it accumulates blood until it is expelled, then travels through the artery that goes up to the lungs, where the clot lodges. The consequences can be fatal.

A patient with a pulmonary embolism typically meets at least one of three criteria known as the Virchow’s triad, named after the German physician Rudolf Virchow, who studied embolisms about 200 years ago. The factors are “damage to the lining of the blood vessels (veins and arteries), reduced mobility or immobility and a tendency to form clots” depending on a person’s coagulation, according to Gidwani.

Sometimes someone at risk of suffering a pulmonary embolism shows no symptoms, but in Morales’ case, two of the three factors appeared to be present and they didn’t seem to be silent, according to Gidwani.

“She probably had a blood vessel injury [...] But the other thing here is that she took a flight, and that is immobility. So, the combination of the damage to the endothelium (blood vessel) along with the immobility (in the flight), caused the clot to form,” he said.

The blood vessel injury may have been the result of Morales' mishap on the zipline in Punta Cana.

“She let herself go off the rope like a second earlier than she was supposed to and had a kind of a rough landing on the water,” Soto said.

“It’s entirely possible that the small blood clot formed during this flight and then went undetected,” Gidwani said.

Gidwani admitted the diagnosis is challenging but it’s possible through a CT scan or an ultrasound machine, if there’s any suspicion of a clot, as he believes there should have been in Morales’ case. If detected, doctors administer the patient a blood thinner or perform a procedure to remove the clot with a catheter, ultrasound waves or use of a clot busting drug, Gidwani said.

Morales wasn’t given any of these treatments until her last hospital visit. Medical records provided by Soto showed she was prescribed muscle relaxants and pain relievers like tramadol, meloxicam, amoxicillin, among others. She was also given shots of toradol, morphine and decadron.

“She was treated for spasms [...] I was surprised they didn’t even run any blood tests,” Soto said.

For doctor Andrew J. Einstein, associate professor and director of cardiac CT research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a CT scan is performed “if it’s a patient who has a high pretest probability of having a pulmonary embolism.” Einstein understands that a pulmonary embolism on a relatively healthy young woman complaining about musculoskeletal pain is not at the top of the list of a diagnosis.

However, “every patient who comes to the emergency department on multiple visits and keeps coming back and they report to the physician that they have chest pain and shortness of breath has to be taken seriously and they need more than just a treatment for back spasms.”

In a scenario of constant visits to the hospital with Morales showing chest pain and shortness of breath on top of musculoskeletal pain, Einstein said a D-dimer blood test should’ve been ran to detect the blood clot that ultimately took her life.

“Almost every patient who shows up to the emergency department gets blood work. Certainly, patients who show up multiple times,” Einstein said.

A D-dimer blood test helps detect blood clots in a patient and in Morales’ case, if performed, the results “would’ve been positive,” according to Einstein.

Morales, who was recently promoted to manager at the Church's Chicken fast food restaurant in her hometown, had lost her Medicaid health insurance about a month before because her new income exceeded the limit for eligibility. Soto said they were in the process of acquiring a private medical insurance plan for her and her son.

From 'An Amazing Week' to the 'Unthinkable'
Soto recalled having “an amazing week” in the Dominican Republic. They met another Puerto Rican couple and spent time at beaches, the hotel pool, nightclubs and an adventure park.

On June 16, the evening of Father's Day when they landed in Puerto Rico, Morales mentioned “her back hurt really bad.” So they decided to go to a pharmacy. She took a pain reliever and lay down in bed to rest, but it didn’t help, he said.

The following morning, as her pain persisted, Soto took Morales to the Aguadilla Medical Services Center where they gave her a shot of decadron -- a steroid to treat inflammation -- and a pain medication prescription after X-ray images didn’t reveal anything abnormal except a severe spasm, records show.

The scene repeated five other times in three other hospitals in the following week. The four hospitals visited by Morales declined to comment on her case regardless of a HIPAA waiver form the family signed allowing them to talk to NBC about Morales’ case. The hospitals said it's their policy not to comment about specific cases even if authorized by families.

The three times Morales visited the emergency room at Aguadilla Medical Services, on June 17, 18 and 19, she was given shots and higher doses of pain medication each time, until a doctor referred her to a physical therapist, according to Soto.

“We went to the therapist who massaged her and she felt slightly better so we didn’t go to the hospital” the following day, Soto said.

But on Friday, June 21, the pain worsened. They visited the Buen Samaritano Hospital, also in Aguadilla, after she noticed a rash on her chest and complained about having trouble breathing. “The doctor said that was a normal reaction to the severe spasm she had,” Soto said.

As her pain intensified, Soto said he became desperate. He took Morales to a different hospital, San Carlos Borromeo, in the nearby city of Moca on June 22 and 24, where a doctor referred her to a chiropractor thinking she might have had a pinched nerve, records show.

That day, June 24, the chiropractor gave her a referral to have an MRI, according to documents. The problem was that “she didn’t have medical insurance,” Soto said. The San Carlos Borromeo Hospital told Soto they don't perform MRIs and that the procedure would cost them at least $800. Instead, they gave her a shot and more muscle relaxants, according to Soto.

However, “an MRI is not the standard way for detecting a pulmonary thrombosis (blood clot) or embolism,” Gidwani said. Instead, he would have ordered a CT scan or an ultrasound image -- that could have given them time to tackle the clot, he said.

Soto took Morales back to the Aguadilla Medical Services Center on Tuesday, June 25. As Soto ran out of patience, he said a nurse at the medical center told him to take his partner to another hospital that was better equipped and staffed in Mayagüez.

Both Soto and Morales' family criticized the Aguadilla Medical Services Center for allegedly not providing Morales an ambulance to transfer her to Mayagüez, roughly a 30-minute drive. She had shortness of breath, they said, and Soto had to drive.

They arrived at the Mayagüez Medical Center at 7 p.m. The staff there ran a CT scan, detected the blood clot and provided Morales a blood thinner, according to Soto. But it was too late. She was intubated and sent to the ICU at around 4 a.m., where she was conscious but struggling to breathe, Soto said. Since she was going to stay there he went home at around 5 a.m. to grab clothes, documents from the previous hospital visits and other personal documents in case they asked him for more information. But the “unthinkable” happened.

“At 8 a.m. of Wednesday, June 26, they called me to tell me she passed away,” he said.

That’s when Soto was told by doctors that she died from a pulmonary embolism and that it was possible she had an undiagnosed condition. “They didn’t say it had something to do with our trip to the Dominican Republic,” he said.

Her body was sent to the Forensic Sciences Bureau in San Juan, the only forensic laboratory on the island, which is short-staffed with five pathologists working only on weekdays with about 300 bodies to examine, according to Carlos Vélez, a forensic investigator at the bureau. Violent deaths and car accidents are the priority.

An autopsy was performed and a toxicological analysis was done, the results of which will be available in “not less than 90 days,” Vélez told NBC.

Morales' body was returned to her family on July 10, after two weeks at forensics. They held the funeral and burial on July 11 in her hometown.

“I’m not thinking about lawsuits or any of that," Soto said. "I’ll wait for the results, for answers. I lost my partner and we were always together. I don’t know how things are going to be from now on.” 

'Impossible Not to Love Her'
The pair met seven years ago behind the counter of a Church's Chicken. As co-workers their relationship grew over time. In a short time they became friends. Then, they found themselves in love.

"It was impossible not to love her. She gave herself to everyone around her [...] She was joyful, very charismatic," he said.

Morales' aunt, Yolanda Salas Guzmán, told NBC that the days following her niece's death have been "painful and devastating" for the whole family.

Salas, 52, will remember Morales as the light of the party, with her "sparkling smile" while dancing to Romeo Santos' bachata. "She loved to dance, and she danced good," she said.

Salas also highlighted her niece's generous spirit, saying that she lived for others. "She liked to stand up for people that couldn't, and help them," she said.

Morales was close to her grandmother. As the youngest of nine grandchildren, she was the favorite, according to Salas. She'd show up randomly during the week with gifts for her grandmother, even if there was no holiday.

Her grandmother, Morales' favorite cook, lives on the top of a high hill. The only way to get there is by walking up a set of stairs, a total of 102 steps, that she very often walked with her stylish stilettos to enjoy her favorite dish, "arroz con habichuelas y bistec encebollado con tostones," or rice and beans with steak, onions and green fried plantains.

That close tie between Morales and her grandmother made it difficult for Salas to tell her about the death of their "dear Jeimily."

"It was devastating [...] She fainted and couldn't stop crying," Salas said. "A cold shiver ran down our spines. It's been very difficult."

Like Soto, Salas is worried about the 4-year-old who'll have to live without his mother.

"I'd tell him that mamá is up in heaven, but while she was here on Earth she was the best mom in the world," she said.

For Soto, Morales was "the best person" in his life.

"We felt in good company. We were always together," he said.

Soto was recently promoted and "that would've been something to celebrate together. Now, it doesn't mean much. It's not the same," he said.

The family's grieving has been made worse due to inaccurate local media coverage, he said.

Soto referred to outlets in Puerto Rico that seemed to tie her death with their visit to the Dominican Republican without providing other details.

“I don’t know where were they getting that information,” he said.

He said he felt "harassed" by reporters showing up at his home, her workplace and her grandmother's house.

For Carmen Guzmán, Morales’ cousin, the young woman was a “loving and caring mother and daughter.” She hopes authorities “investigate and shed light on what happened to her.”

As for Soto and Salas, nothing can be ruled out, but the possibility that Morales' may have been a victim of an inadequate medical intervention “is present in our minds.”

"I think the protocol failed. They (hospitals) didn't dig deeper, because she didn't have a spasm," Salas said.

For now, Soto says he has to somehow carry on because of his two kids and Morales' 4-year-old boy.

“I told her everything I felt for her. We expressed our feelings all the time," he said. "I had the person I always wanted by my side.” 

Fire caused extensive damage to a vacant house on Morley Drive in Meriden Thursday morning. 

The fire started just before 2 a.m. and is believed it started in a garage and spread to the house. 

Officials do not believe anyone was injured.

If you really love "Friends" and have 25 hours to spare, there's a job for you.

In honor of the hit NBC comedy's 25th anniversary, online retailer Frontier Communications wants to pay someone to sit and watch "Friends" for one day and one hour. That's about 1/3 of the whole series.

In return, the superfan will get $1,000 as well as a 12-month Netflix subscription, just in time to watch more "Friends" before it leaves the video service in 2020.

That one lucky person can get paid right from their own couch, the company says. All they'll be asked to do is live-tweet throughout the 25 hours and post a selfie with their real life friends.

It will probably help if you already have an active Twitter account and a following, according to the retailer.

Starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer, "Friends" ran for 10 seasons on NBC between 1994-2004 and has become a cultural icon.