A Houston man is facing criminal charges after his 12-year-old daughter drove a car, hitting and killing a man and his dog, NBC News reported.

Tomás Mejía Tol was charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering a child on Friday night for causing the man's death by allowing a “child to operate a motor vehicle with no driver’s license and no driving experience,” according to documents from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

The victim, Enrique Vázquez, was walking his three dogs on Thursday afternoon near an apartment complex where Mejía lived when he was fatally struck by an SUV driven by the girl, according to authorities.

Police told NBC affiliate KPRC in Houston that the girl apparently “hit the gas instead of the brake.” Vázquez died at the scene and one of his dogs died later.

Mejía, who was in the vehicle at the time with a 2-year-old child, said that he was teaching his daughter how to drive, Sean Teare, chief of the Vehicular Crimes Unit at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, told NBC News.

Clear the Shelters, the fifth annual pet adoption drive sponsored by NBC and Telemundo stations, culminates today with more than 2,000 shelters participating in dozens of communities across the country.

Animals lovers nationwide lined up early for a chance to find the purrfect pet to take home.

At the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, all adoptable dogs found new homes within hours of opening its doors, NBC Boston reported.  

One of those lucky dogs was Irie, a 5-year-old mix-breed that was adopted by Chandler Solsky, of Rochester.

"I fell in love right away. We came a couple of days ago and we saw her and we had to come back and get her," Solsky said.

And in Connecticut, the North Haven Animal Control cleared its shelters on Saturday, including finding a home for two senior cats that became homeless two months ago after their owner died. 

[[549827901, C]]

"We were hopeful to get them adopted together, but was really shocked when a family walked in today and wanted to make them part of their family," Assistant Animal Control Officer Chrystal Tashaba told NBC, noting that senior pets are typically overlooked. "So, to get them both in the same home made it all worth it."  

Since this year’s event was launched on July 27, more than 70,000 pets have already been adopted. To encourage families to find a new pet, many of the participating animal shelters and rescue organizations are reducing or waiving adoption fees.

King, a 5-year-old pit mix, was surrendered by its owner last month and arrived at the NYC Animal Control Center on July 24. But, "the biggest wiggler in the shelter" shimmied his way into the heart of a new pet parent on Saturday. King received a royal goodbye as he left the Brooklyn shelter. 

[[549867701, C]]

Although dogs and cats were by far the most common pets to be adopted, even some feathery animals were rescued on Saturday. Bob, a 4 1/2-month-old White Crested Black Polish rooster was adopted from the Stongington-Animal Rescue Project in Connecticut. "Bob the Rooster," as he's called, is headed to Covernty, Rhode Island, where he will join seven hens in his new home. 

[[549804751, C]]

And Bob wasn't the only "unusual" pet adopted on Clear the Shelters day. Rabbits and guinea pigs in New England also found their forever homes. 

The need remains great. The number of animals entering shelters each year is about 6.5 million, 3.3 million dogs and 3.2 million cats, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Though the number has declined from about 7.2 million in 2011, with the biggest drop in the number dogs, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized each year.

On the happier side, about 3.2 million shelter animals are adopted annually and another 710,000 are returned to their owners.

Clear the Shelters began in North Texas in 2014 as a partnership among the NBC and Telemundo stations in Dallas-Fort Worth and dozens of North Texas animal shelters. More than 2,200 homeless animals were adopted that first year, the most in a single day in North Texas.

A year later that number jumped to nearly 20,000 as the adoption drive went national, with more than 400 shelters taking part across the country. Last year, as the event was extended over a month, more than 100,000 pets were adopted from over 1,200 shelters.

[[491185241, C]]

During Clear The Shelters 2018, pets of all types found their forever home, including "Bailey" a long-haired Chihuahua-mix puppy from Orange County, California, who was adopted by a veteran and his family. In New Hampshire, "Baby," a 15-year old senior cat was adopted after being a hospice resident at a Massachusetts shelter. One year later, Baby is off her medications and showers her new family with unconditional love. In Texas, a yellow Labrador named "Pepperjack" who found wandering the streets of Texas City, spent weeks at the Galveston County animal shelter before a Sante Fe family adopted him during Clear the Shelters. One year later, the once stray who was renamed "Jake," is living his best life enjoying the great outdoors of the family's lake property and helping his new parents take care of their horses.

"The love that these dogs give you is worth it," Bailey's owner Don Winderman said. "All they need is love. And really, if people gave out more love than hate this country would be a lot better — and the whole world would be better."

Bristol police are investigating after they say a body was located in a wooded area this morning. 

Police said the body was found near the railroad tracks off center street just before noon. 

The Chief Meical Examiner is investigating and will conduct an autopsy. 

No identification has been made yet.

Police said there is no foul play suspected or any danger to the public. 

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Bristol Police Department. 

In the days after our chronically sleep-deprived country “springs forward,” costing us an hour of rest, disoriented Americans face a slightly greater risk of heart attack and stroke. There are more car crashes. Workplace accidents increase, too.

For decades, most of the United States has observed daylight saving time, dutifully changing the clocks twice a year, NBC News reports. But recently, many have begun to question the semi-annual switch — not only because of the potential dangers associated with it, but because staying on one time year-round could bring benefits ranging from the economic to the emotional, according to those leading the charge to “lock the clock.”

“We don’t have a good reason to do it. Let’s stop,” said Scott Yates, 54, of Denver, an activist who for more than five years has advocated for the elimination of the time change and has testified before state legislatures about it. “Even if it doesn’t kill you, it’s annoying.”

It’s a movement that has suddenly exploded in popularity. So far this year, at least 36 states have introduced legislation to end or study the practice, more than any year before. Some bills call for all-year standard time, but most endorse permanent daylight saving time — which would result in an extra hour of evening sunlight for more of the year in exchange for a delayed sunrise in the winter.

An award-winning local TV news anchor in New Orleans died in a plane crash while working on a story about a stunt pilot, NBC News reports.

Nancy Parker, 53, was killed along with the pilot, Franklin J.P. Augustus, on Friday when the plane crashed into a field near the New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The cause of the crash in under investigation, local officials said.

Parker, who earned five Emmy Awards for her work as a journalist, was a fixture in New Orleans and at the station she worked at for 23 years, her station said. Her colleagues choked back tears as they shared news of the fatal accident during their newscast.

“Nancy was absolutely a joy to work with each and every day,” said the station's vice president and general manager, Tim Ingram. “Today we lost a wonderful journalist and remarkable friend, the New Orleans television community lost a true treasure, but beyond that, her family lost a wife, a mother and daughter. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.”

An Alabama high school student who wore a tuxedo for her senior portrait instead of the traditional black drape for girls received her yearbook only to discover that her photo was missing, NBC News reports.

Holley Gerelds, who graduated this year from Springville High School, told NBC affiliate WVTM in Birmingham that she wanted to be herself in her senior portrait so she asked the photographer if she could wear a tuxedo. Gerelds, who according to WVTM is part of the LGBT community, said it would have been "kind of humiliating" to have to wear the traditional black drape.

The photographer agreed to let Gerelds wear a black tux, but when she received her yearbook earlier this week she noticed that her portrait was not published. Instead, her name was listed on a back page as "Not Pictured."

Mike Howard, superintendent of the St. Clair County School District, said in a statement that senior portraits "were taken in accordance with long-standing school guidelines," adding that the district is "reevaluating those guidelines to consider what changes, if any, need to be made." The superintendent said the school will reprint a page of the yearbook to include all students.

In major cities, rising housing costs and a lack of new low-income housing have contributed to a spike in homelessness. But it’s not only the poor who are feeling the pinch. Affordability concerns are filtering upward to middle class and even relatively affluent families, who complain they’re being shut out of job-rich metropolitan areas, NBC News reports.

“With any kind of major issue in our country, it’s when it hits the middle class that policymakers start paying attention,” Diane Yentel, president of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, told NBC News. “That’s certainly the case now.”

The 2020 field has taken notice. Top-tier contenders, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and former Housing Secretary Julián Castro, have released detailed plans promising to provide new aid to renters and encourage more housing development.

The issue still hasn’t quite had its breakout moment nationally; it came up only in passing during the first two Democratic debates. But with a rise in activism already pushing candidates to get ahead of the issue, its time in the spotlight seems inevitable.

The moments happen all across the country. Tiny faces, peering out from behind their parents, or timidly accepting a microphone as the room falls silent. They make eye contact with a larger-than-life presidential candidate and ask: Can you keep me safe at school? Can you stop the shootings?

The questions from children have become a hallmark of the 2020 presidential campaign, with nearly every candidate facing some version of the same emotional query, NBC News reports.

The candidates often respond to the questions with similar policy prescriptions: expanding background checks and "red flag" laws, banning the sale of assault-style weapons or proposing programs to buy them back. But the candidates also reflect much of themselves back at the questioner.

Groton City Police are investigating after a body was found by boaters in the Thames River in Groton Saturday night. 

The body was taken to shore and detectives are investigating the incident. 

No other information was made immediately available. 

NBC Connecticut will update this story as more information becomes available. 

The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is congratulating federal officials along the U.S.-Mexico border in Otay Mesa, California, for seizing a large amount of marijuana smuggled in a shipment of jalapeno peppers.

The officers found 7,560 pounds of marijuana in a shipment of jalapeno peppers, according to Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan.

"Very proud of our CBP officers in Otay Mesa," said Morgan as he shared a photo of the seizure on Twitter.

[[549464421,C]]

Even though voters in California legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, the sale of illegal marijuana is still rampant throughout the state.

Last month, NBC 7 shared a recent report suggesting an underground economy is cutting into the profits of legal businesses.

New Frontier Data, a Denver-based company that studies cannabis trends, estimates there are $70 billion in illegal sales nationally — seven times the size of the legal market.

Read more on that story here.

[[67754217,C]]

With the passage of new hemp-legalization laws over the past eight months, crime labs across the country have suddenly found themselves unable to prove that a leafy green plant taken from someone’s car is marijuana, rather than hemp, NBC News reports. Marijuana looks and smells like hemp but has more THC, the chemical that makes people high.

Without the technology to determine a plant’s THC level, labs can’t provide scientific evidence for use in court. Without that help, prosecutors have to send evidence to expensive private labs that can do the tests or postpone cases until local labs develop their own tests, a process that could take months.

Rather than deal with prohibitive costs or lengthy delays, prosecutors in several states, including Texas, Florida and Ohio, are dropping low-level pot cases altogether or declining to bring new ones. Police in those states are now unsure whether their age-old pretext for searching cars ─ the smell of pot ─ is still valid. Some have been told not to make any arrests for marijuana possession, although they can issue tickets and confiscate the suspected drugs for testing later.

There is no way to determine how many cases have been imperiled by the new laws, but they number in the hundreds, perhaps thousands, law enforcement officials say.

Jennifer Canada remembers when her pediatrician in Middletown, Maryland, recommended a vaccine that would protect her against a virus that is known to cause several types of cancer, NBC News reports. But Canada’s mother, who had consented to all of the other recommended immunizations for her 13-year-old daughter, declined it, saying she'd heard rumors that the shots had caused the death of several girls.

It wasn’t until after beginning a career in cancer research that Canada realized how lucky she's been to avoid exposure to human papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. Now 26, she just finished the three-shot HPV vaccine series recommended for adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

But even if Canada had wanted the HPV vaccine during that doctor visit, Maryland has no statute or regulation that allows dependent teens to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent. Neither do at least 23 other states. Generally, unless teens are legally emancipated, married or are already parents, they have no recourse when their parents or other legal guardians refuse vaccines, including the HPV shot, on their behalf.

However, in the wake of an increasingly visible anti-vaccination movement and concern over the measles outbreaks in the U.S., more state legislatures are trying to create a legal way for dependent teens to get vaccinated, in particular, the HPV shot, without their parents' consent.

To help keep you informed on the most shared and talked about stories, each Saturday and Sunday we'll revisit five stories from the previous week, including the most recent updates.

Alarming Arrest

Police say a Norwalk man showed interest in committing a mass shooting in a Facebook post. They arrested 22-year-old Brandon Wagshol on Thursday. Police and the FBI seized multiple weapons, large magazines, and tactical gear from Wagshol's home. Wagshol is a student at CCSU and has been suspended and banned from campus, according to school officials. For more on the charges he's facing, click here.

[[545801362, C]]

Campground Concerns

The state has closed two campgrounds indefinitely over concerns about Eastern Equine Encephalitis. The campgrounds are in Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown, where several mosquitoes infected with EEE have been trapped. See more on what the closures mean for campers here.

[[545307902, C]]

Hands Up!

Darien police released video this week of the moment they stopped Yankees general manager Brian Cashman at gunpoint. 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. To see what happened during the traffic stop, click here.

[[542477342, C]]

Rattled in Glastonbury

Glastonbury's animal control officer was called to a home on Mountainview Road on Tuesday to remove two timber rattlesnakes from a yard. The timber rattlesnake is one of two venomous species of snake native to Connecticut. The snakes were relocated. For more on the timber rattlesnake, click here.

[[542403532, C]]

Kindergarten Cops

A group of young children who witnessed a motorcyclist flee the scene of a crash on Tuesday wanted to do their part to help police catch the man. They each used crayons to draw sketches of the man, complete with descriptions like "hands," "shirt," and "blood." Police posted the drawings on Facebook and say they have sparked interest in the case from the public. See more on the drawings here.

[[542839122, C]]

The Hartford Athletic hosted the Puerto Rican National Soccer Team on Saturday.

A portion of the ticket proceeds will help with hurricane relief on the island.

At last check, that amount is still being tallied.

While the home team won 5 to 1, the “international friendly” was more than just the goals.

The Puerto Rican community in the Hartford area embraced celebrating their culture and supporting the island.

Many local families we spoke to still have loved ones living there.

“It’s actually something coming from the heart. You know it’s going to go there. Puerto Rico needs it you know,” said Anthony Murray Conde of Hartford.

“Everyone is enthusiastic about the game and it’s just really fun to be here,” said 12-year-old Olivia of Mansfield.

Half and half scarves sold out in less than an hour.

The game held an extra layer of meaning for one Hartford family.

Jacob Conde, a Bloomfield High School grad and now Hartford resident, laced up for the Puerto Rican National team.

“My family grew up just right over this all raised, his father too, and now he’s performing right here? What story do you write like that better than this?,” said his cousin Murray Conde.

“He’s been playing since he was young, so not only does it mean a lot to him, but also to the family because he’s playing for the island,” said cousin Elijah Hilliman.

The Hartford Athletic had said they hope to continue international friendlies like this in the future.

NBC Connecticut First Alert Meteorologists are forecasting the state’s next heat wave.

Temperatures will be near 90 degrees or higher starting Sunday afternoon inland. If temperatures reach 90 or higher 3 days in a row, that makes an official heat wave.

Along with the high heat will be high dew point temperatures making the lower 90s feel like middle and even upper 90s.

The heat wave will be accompanied by a risk of a shower or thunderstorm each and every afternoon through midweek.

A stronger cold front will move in to end the heat wave and lower the humidity by Friday.

You can get the forecast in your town anytime here.

Two people died after a small plane crashed into a house in Dutchess County, authorities say.

The Cessna 303 aircraft, which departed Orange County Airport, had stopped to refuel at Sky Acres in LaGrangeville. It was leaving Sky Acres en route to Farmingdale when it crashed into a house on Smith Road in Union Vale around 4:15 p.m. Saturday.

Authorities on Saturday said one person died, one was badly hurt and another remained unaccounted. 

State police on Sunday confirmed that a second person had died, without immediately providing additional details. 

Three men were on the plane; one died and two survived, though no other details on them were given at a Saturday night press conference. There were three people in the home at the time of the crash, officials said: a man, who was missing as of Saturday, a 21-year-old woman with life-threatening injuries and a 30-year-old woman who was not hurt. No names of the victims have been released. 

Photos taken by a person on the ground showed flames engulfing the house after the plane hit. Authorities said it was totally destroyed.

Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. 

Each year, more than 3,300 babies are born prematurely in Connecticut.

On Sunday, hundreds turned out to support them and their families in the 11th annual Babies Heart Run in Groton.

The goal of the run is to raise money for parents who have babies that are in neonatal or pediatric intensive care units who do not qualify for assistance. The annual Babies Heart Run was started in 2009 by Jay and Nina Bills in Groton.

Their baby, Isabella, was born with a heart condition known as SVT on February 3, 2009.

Eleven years later and Nina Bills is still in the business of helping others. Every year, she dedicates one full day to raising funds for newborns inside the neonatal or pediatric intensive care units.

“There is this population of people that are kind of in the middle that don’t qualify for extra assistance because of their income and stuff like that,” said Nina Bills. “We look forward to helping these families who sometimes don’t have the support they need to make it through the difficult time."

Not long after she was born, the doctor decided that Bella needed the close care of specialists and pediatric cardiologists.

However, Bella is now medication free. Jay and Nina Bills have organized the ride to help out people who have found themselves in a similar situation.

The non-profit gives back by sending packages to other families in NICUs across Connecticut. People can nominate the families anonymously. The packages consist of gas cards, preemie size onesies and sleep sacks.

Families who receive those care packages pay it forward with their time.

Sandra Chapman-Pisarz is one of those volunteers who is a recipient of the care package.

“It made such a difference especially being so overwhelmed with everything,” said Chapman-Pisarz. “You never expect a new born baby to be in the NICU.”

Sandra’s first child was admitted to the NICU and says it’s the support from Nina and Babies Heart Run that made the post-pregnancy less stressful.

“It meant the world to have the physical and emotional support,” said Chapman-Pisarz. “It was wonderful.

Sandra says it’s even more rewarding when other families who like her have benefited from the care pacakges come back to help others.

“Being a part of it from the beginning, I’ve seen so many wonderful people,” said Chapman-Pisarz. “I’ve met them, people that we’ve helped through both the NICU and the PICU, it’s just been amazing.”

For more information, please click here.

Marconi Beach in Wellfleet has been closed to swimming for one hour following a shark sighting, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy announced Sunday morning.

The sighting comes after a string of sightings both this weekend and throughout the summer. The most recent sightings were Saturday, when beaches on both Cape Cod and in Plymouth, Massachusetts were closed.

An Ohio man was arrested on Saturday after allegedly making credible threats against a Jewish community center, according to law enforcement officials and the Anti-Defamation League.

James Patrick Reardon, 20, a self-identified white nationalist, posted a video to Instagram on July 11, which led to his arrest, according to NBC News affiliate WFMJ. 

The video allegedly showed Reardon firing a gun along with the caption, "Police identified the Youngstown Jewish Family Community shooter as white nationalist Seamus O'Reardon," WFMJ reported. "I-R-A Seamus" was Reardon's online pseudonym, according to police.

The Youngstown Police Department and the FBI searched the home of Reardon's mother in New Middletown, Ohio, and confiscated two AR-15s, a rifle with a bayonet, a .40 caliber anti-tank gun, knives, a gas mask, a bulletproof vest, several magazines and 223 rounds of ammunition, WFMJ reported.