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GOP Candidates for Governor Complete Ice Bucket Challenge

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The day after winning the primary election, Republican candidate for governor Tom Foley got cold and wet in support of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Foley and former competitor State Sen. John McKinney, who conceded the election Tuesday night, appeared together at Foley’s campaign office in Trumbull Wednesday morning in a display of party unity. McKinney said in his concession speech his efforts now will be focused on helping elect Foley in the November general election.

After addressing the media, McKinney poured ice water over Foley’s head as part of the “Ice Bucket Challenge” to raise awareness of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. McKinney completed the challenge last night and nominated Foley to do the same. Both politicians said they will also donate $100 to the ALS Association.

The challenge, which began with 29-year-old ALS patient Pete Frates, has taken social media by storm. The cameras are rolling as participants douse themselves with icy water, then challenge their friends and family members. Anyone who opts out of the icy shower is asked to donate.

NBC Connecticut team members such as Gerry Brooks, Shirley Chan, Bob Maxon, Kevin Nathan, Amy Parmenter and Abbey Niezgoda have taken the icy plunge.

Donations have been pouring in. Fundraising has spiked to $1.35 million over the past couple weeks, compared with just $22,000 at the same time last year, a spokesperson for the ALS Association told NBC News earlier this week.

Locally, the Association has raised $20,000 more than last year, according to Jacky Denicola, events coordinator for the Connecticut chapter of the ALS Association.


Pair Faces Federal Charges in Sex Trafficking of 5 Minors

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A former and current Connecticut resident faced a judge in New Haven after allegedly selling five children for sex, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Two people with Connecticut ties answered to sex trafficking charges in New Haven after allegedly selling five children into sex slavery between June 2013 and February 2014, according to the release.

Wellington “Jamal” Brown, 25, a Jamaican citizen who lives in Hartford; and Sheena Dume, 21, formerly of Stratford and Greenwich, faced a judge in federal court following their July 30 arrests in Glen Burnie, Maryland.

They’re accused of recruiting, transporting and selling five minors into sex slavery with the help of other individuals not named in the press release.

The pair was arrested in Maryland after the indictment was returned at the end of last month. They were extradited to Connecticut and presented to a federal grand jury, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says.

Dume and Brown were arraigned Aug. 7 and Aug. 12, respectively.

If convicted, they could face life in prison and will each be sentenced to at least 10 years behind bars, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Plymouth School Board to Investigate Superintendent

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The Plymouth Board of Education will launch a special investigation into the actions of Supt. Eleanor Cruz, who is supected of stealing $15,000 from the town of Hebron while serving as superintendent there.

The board moved to terminate Cruz during a Wednesday night meeting at Terryville High School, which was met with a standing ovation from parents and community members.

During the executive session that followed, the board appointed chariman Raymond Engle to lead a special investigation into Cruz's conduct. Her employment status is unclear at this point.

Cruz, 63, of Essex, was charged with larceny last week. She's accused of charging personal expenses to two distric credit cards while working in Hebron.

Officials said some of the stolen funds were used to analzye Board of Education data in Plymouth before she took the job there, according to state police and an audit conducted by the Hebron Board of Education.

The allegations came to light when the Hebron school board discovered “insufficiently documented transactions” and learned some purchases couldn’t be verified. The board then notified state police and a forensic auditor.

According to the audit, dated Feb. 20, 2013, Cruz used district credit cards at restaurants, jewelry shops, boutiques, pharmacies, food stores, farmer's markets, florists, online retailers, a toy store and a car wash, among others, during the 2012 calendar year.

She's accused of reimbursing herself nearly $4,000 in unauthorized travel and insurance expenses and using district cards to pay for FedEx home deliveries, according to the audit.

Officials from the Plymouth school system said Cruz was asked not to return to work after her arrest. Tonight the Plymouth Board of Education passed over a motion to terminate her immediately, and frustrated parents say it isn't enough.

"Make a decision; stop kicking the can down the road," said Plymouth parent George Franek, who has two children in the school system. "I don't want those accusations. Unfortunately, they've tarnished this town's name."

Kari Nizzardo, another parent, said it's too little, too late. She's already withdrawn her three kids form the school system.

"Shame on the Board of Ed for not taking care of it sooner," she said.

According to Engle, the Board of Education is doing everything in its power to conduct a fair investigation and handle the situation appropriately.

"We're going to do the best job we can to meet those obligations," Engle explained.

It's not clear how long the Board of Education's investigation is expected to take. In the meantime, Cruz is on paid leave, Engle said.

She's due in court Aug. 26.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com/Plymouth Public Schools

Serial Stowaway Gets 6 Mos. in Jail

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The serial stowaway arrested at LAX this month, just a day after she managed to board an LA-bound flight without a ticket and was warned to stay away from the airport, was sentenced Wednesday to nearly six months in jail.

Marilyn Hartman, 62, was sentenced to 177 days after admitting Wednesday to having violated her probation, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said.

Hartman was first arrested Aug. 4 at Los Angeles International Airport after Los Angeles police say she got through security at Mineta San Jose International Airport and boarded an LA-bound flight.

After pleading no contest to a misdemeanor trespassing charge on Aug. 6, she was ordered to 24 months probation and told to "stay away from LAX."

The following day, she was arrested again at LAX after being seen wandering through terminals, LAX officials said. 

"I just knew she would come back," said Los Angeles World Airports Police Chief Pat Gannon after her second arrest. "She is a serial attempter of being a stowaway."

Hartman said after her release last week that was trying to reach Hawaii but did not say how she bypassed security. She described herself as homeless and "desperate."

Hartman has previously breached security at San Francisco International Airport and has a history of trying to get on flights without a ticket, officials said. She had at least seven encounters with police at SFO and was arrested four times, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office.

Cops Called 86 Times to Vic's Home

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Indonesian police say a Chicago teen and her boyfriend are refusing to cooperate with investigators after they were arrested in connection with the death of the girl's mother.

Sheila von Wiese-Mack, 62, formerly of the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, was discovered Tuesday in a suitcase in the back of a taxi at the upscale St. Regis Hotel in Denpasar.

Wiese-Mack's daughter, Heather Lois, 19, and 21-year-old Tommy Schaefer were arrested on Wednesday in connection with her death.

The suspects are being held at South Kuta police station at Nusa Dua where investigators say they are refusing to talk.

NBC 5 has learned that Oak Park police made 86 calls to Wiese-Mack's former home between January 2004 and June 2013 for a combination of domestic violence, theft and a missing person.

The domestic incidents involved the daughter and mother, according to authorities.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports Lois used her mother's credit card to charge for a room at the Conrad Chicago Hotel on Rush Street last month. NBC 5 has learned that Schaefer and a female were arrested following an incident at the hotel. The female was released and Schaefer was charged with disorderly conduct.

Brittany Strangmann lived on the same dorm floor as Schaefer at Northern Illinois University before he dropped out last year. She describes him as a "nice guy."

"He was so focused on his music. That was his life," Strangmann said. "He would show me videos of stuff that inspired him."

"A few days ago on Facebook he said he was going to Indonesia and wasn't sure when he was coming back, and then going to China. I thought that was odd."

Denpasar police chief Djoko Hari Utomo told local media that Wiese-Mack and her daughter had been staying at the hotel for several days before Schaefer joined them. Surveillance cameras later recorded Wiese-Mack and Schaefer arguing in the hotel lobby, The Daily Mail reported.

The morning after that argument, Lois and Schaefer checked out of the hotel and took a large suitcase out to a taxi stand. The pair then went back into the hotel and snuck out through the back of the resort.

After a two-hour wait, the taxi driver was instructed by hotel personnel to drive to the police station. Authorities there opened the suitcase and found Wiese-Mack's body.

Utomo said Lois and Schaefer were tracked down and arrested while they slept at a hotel in the Legian tourist area.

A doctor who performed an examination on Wiese-Mack's body said there were defensive wounds.

Wiese-Mack and her husband, composer/producer James Mack, lived in Oak Park for a number of years, a neighbor said. James Mack died in August 2006. His widow remained in the home before moving to a downtown Chicago condo after taking a big hit in the 2008 real estate market crash.

Music producer Willie Nance is a long time family friend who said when he spoke with Lois last week, it was clear she was "hurting inside."

"I never thought it would go this far. I never dreamed it would go this far," Nance said.

Neighbors said the Oak Park home masked a volatile relationship between the mother and daughter, but none expected it would end in such tragedy.

"I heard they had some domestic issues especially after Heather's dad died but I didn't know it was this bad," said Lois' former classmate Alex Bailey.

"[Sheila] had a hard time of it since her husband died," said neighbor Barbara Watkins. "She didn't deserve this."

Bridgeport Police Search for Armed Robbers on Bicycles

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Bridgeport police are searching for the men who robbed a convenience store at gunpoint Tuesday night.

According to police, two men on bicycles arrived at the Banvlado Market at 1218 State Street in Bridgeport shortly after 9:30 p.m.

Surveillance footage shows one of the suspects enter the store, pull out a handgun and point it at the clerk, who backs away and raises his hands. The suspect then jumps onto the counter and gestures at the cash register.

The employee opens the register, and the first suspect grabs bills and coins and stuffs them into his pockets, the video shows.

While he's taking the money, the second suspect comes over and demands cigarettes. The clerk hands over three packs and the suspects leave the store, according to surveillance footage.

Surveillave video shows both suspects to be dark-skinned men wearing black hooded sweatshirts with the hoods pulled over their hands, along with jeans and white sneakers.

Anyone with information on the robbery is urged to call Bridgeport police Det. M Fiumidinisi at 203-581-5246.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Ambulance Rushes Injured Rock Cats Player Off Field

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An ambulance carted Rock Cats centerfielder Byron Buxton off the field after he collided with rightfielder Mike Kvasnicka during a Wednesday night game against the Bowie Baysox at New Britain Stadium.

The players slammed into each another while chasing a ball into centerfield. Both men were down for a period of time after the collision.

Team officials say Buxton, the top prospect for the Minnesota Twins, suffered a concussion and was unconscious for 10 minutes after the impact.

Tonight was his AA debut with the New Britain Rock Cats. Team General Manager Terry Ryan, who was there to see it unfold, said Buxton will be out for seven days. It's unlikely he'll play again this season, which ends in just a couple weeks.

"This was so unfortunate for him to have that collision," said Anne Provera, of West Hartford, who was in the stands. "I cried, I felt so bad. It's very sad."

MLB.com reports that Buxton was alert and talking as he was loaded into an ambulance.

Ryan said Kvasnicka is being treated for a left hip injury. Both players were taken to a local hospital.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Gay Activist Dies After Beating

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A man who police said was beaten and left for dead in San Francisco's Castro District was taken off of life support Wednesday afternoon.

Police are now searching for the person responsible for killing Bryan Higgins, who was discovered by passers-by around 7 a.m. Sunday on the corner of Church and Duboce streets.

"He was an incredibly heart-centered human being," friend Justime said. "The fact that somebody would hurt him just seems insane."

Higgins, 31, also went by the name Feather Lyn. He was a member of the Radical Faeries, a movement of gay men searching for a spiritual dimension to their sexuality.

Police said they originally did not know what happened to him, or even who he was, until a photo released to the public helped identify Higgins. Officers also said they have surveillance video that shows Higgins was beaten.

"We do not know what the motive is at this point or if this was a hate-crime motivated type incident," San Francisco Police Officer Albie Esparza said.

Police are not releasing the surveillance video. The video shows a suspect in the attack, described as a white man in his 20s or 30s, and wearing a grey-hooded sweatshirt.

The attack happened in an area known for transients, according to local property manager Michael Smithwick.

Friends gathered at Duboce Park on Wednesday afternoon for a prayer circle as Higgins' family removed him from life support at the hospital.

"He had a huge impact on the entire LGBTQ community here in San Francisco and the Bay Area, but especially within the radical faeries," Justime said.

Higgins leaves behind a husband and family. Higgins described himself on his Facebook profile as a "starving artist" who worked at Rosenburg Delicatessen at 276 Noe St., only a few blocks from where he was found.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.


Ferry Disabled by Wave

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A ferry traveling from Provincetown, Massachusetts, to Boston made its way into port after its engine was temporarily disabled when a large wave slammed into the vessel.

Officials say 42 passengers and crew were on board when the ferry was temporarily stranded just north of Scituate around 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Passenger cell phone video shows people walking around with life jackets on, water on the floor of the boat, and water pouring from the ceiling of the passenger cabin.

One woman could even could be heard saying, "The boat is sinking."

U.S. Coast Guard says a patrol boat and a cutter was deployed to help the Bay State Cruise Company's Provincetown IV before the ferry was able to get its starboard engine running as help was coming. The Provincetown IV came to Boston on its own power with the Coast Guard's cutter by its side in the event there were more problems, officials said.

"The water hit and it was like this huge green sheet of water," said passenger Polly Burnell.

"People started getting life vests on, and people were crying and throwing up," Ariel Shrum, a Berklee College of Music student, said.

Shrum says when he finally calmed down, he played his trumpet on the deck to calm others' nerves.

The Bay State Cruise Company says the captain of the ferry was taken away by ambulance after suffering a minor hand injury from a cut. The wave broke two of the seven windshields of the pilot house, where the captain navigates from. Officials say there were no other injuries.

In a statement, the Bay State Cruise Company said, "When the wave broke the windows, the vessel's control systems went off line for a period of time. The captain was able to bring the starboard engine up to speed, but not the port engine."

The Coast Guard says the incident is under investigation.



Photo Credit: NECN

Court Denies Sterling's Appeal to Halt Clippers Sale

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A California appeals court on Wednesday denied Donald Sterling's latest effort to halt the historic $2 billion sale of the LA Clippers to former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

The Court of Appeal rejected Sterling's petition for emergency relief to unwind the sale of the Clippers because "the sale has closed."

"There is nothing for this court to stay," the ruling read.

"Shelly is thrilled that her decision to sell the Clippers to Steve Ballmer has been upheld by the Court of Appeal," Shelly Sterling's lawyer Pierce O’Donnell said in a statement Wednesday.

The move was Sterling's last legal maneuver to block the record-breaking team purchase negotiated by wife Shelly Sterling, a sale that was officially completed Tuesday.

"While we have no doubt Donald Sterling will appeal to the Supreme Court, we are beyond thrilled and gratified and supremely confident that this is now over and done and Steve Ballmer is the undisputed owner of the Los Angeles Clippers," Ballmer's attorney Adam Streisand said Wednesday.

Shelly Sterling said she was initially given her husband's blessing to sell the team, but Donald Sterling later refused to sign the deal and challenged in court her right to negotiate the sale.

The path to approval appeared clear after a judge in the case ruled against him last month.

 

2 Yale Students Expelled Over Sexual Assault Allegations

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Two undergraduate students have been expelled from Yale University after sexually assaulting female students at the school, according to a report conducted by the university.

The semi-annual report, dated Aug. 5, reviews sexual misconduct complaints filed between Jan. 1 and June 30.

According to the report, formal complaints were filed against both male students. Investigators with the university found enough evidence to hold them responsible for raping two undergraduate women. They were subsequently expelled.

The school has declined to elaborate on the incidents.

In February, two undergraduate students reported that they had been sexually assaulted at an off-campus fraternity house. It’s not clear how those complaints are documented in the report or whether they may have contributed to the expulsions.

Sixty-four complaints are listed in the semi-annual report, more than during any of the five previous reporting periods, according to the report.

Nonetheless, a spokesperson for the university said “it’s impossible to conclude whether the number of sexual assault complaints reflects changes in the prevalence or the reporting of sexual assault” at Yale.

She added that, “Yale is the only institution that regularly releases reports of this nature,” which have been conducted semi-annually since 2012.

New Britain Alderman Asked to Resign

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On Wednesday the New Britain Common Council formally requested that Alderman Michael Trueworthy resign.

The move comes after his highly publicized drunken tirade in Mayor Erin Stewart’s office on July 22nd. The same night, he was kicked out of a bar and allegedly screamed homophobic slurs.

Democrats and Republicans alike are requesting Trueworthy’s resignation. If he doesn’t resign, the council could vote him off the Board of Alderman.

“How do we explain to the public someone behaves like that and keeps his job?” asked Alderman Don Naples. “ I present this statement now to give Alderman Trueworthy a chance to step down on his own." I believe this gives him the best chance of recovery and avoids a formal removal hearing which would expose him and the city to further embarrassment," he said.

Trueworthy did step down as council president after the incident, but stayed on the board, saying he can keep doing his job and serve the public. He has admitted he caused problems last month at City Hall that prompted a police response. He also admitted to calling Stewart vulgar names.

However, he still does not plan to resign.

“The legal process has to take its course,” Trueworthy said.
 

Hamden Police Investigate Daytime Burglaries

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Hamden police are investigating a series of daytime home burglaries.

Police said the burglars went into several houses through unlocked ground-level windows and stole jewelry and electronics.

Police received several complaints on Tuesday evening from residents of Tanglewood Drive South, Farrell Street, Cromwell Street, and Willard Street. 

The burglaries happened during the day when no one was home, according to police, and they are reminding residents to lock all windows and doors.

Anyone with information about the burglaries should call the detective division at (203) 230-4040.  

 

Blackhawks Won't Play "The Stripper" Song

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An online push to ban the song "The Stripper" from being played at the United Center during Chicago Blackhawks hockey games appears to have worked.

The organist traditionally plays the song during the "Shoot the Puck" promotion when an obviously attractive woman participates.

Blackhawks President John McDonough told the Chicago Sun-Times Wednesday that starting with the upcoming season, the song will no longer be played.

Blackhawks brass were asked about the song at the recent fan convention, and a #BanTheStripper hashtag was picking up steam on Twitter.

Some have also called for a revamp of the scantily-clad Ice Crew, but McDonough told the newspaper that it's "very common throughout the league," and that the team is discussing ways to make female fans feel more welcome at the United Center.

In other words, the Ice Crew is likely safe for now.



Photo Credit: Flickr.com/ jkozik

2.7 Magnitude Earthquake In Deep River

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There was 2.7 magnitude earthquake in Connecticut early Thursday morning and state police started receiving calls from residents reporting that their houses shook.

The earthquake happened at 3:07 a.m. about 3 miles south west of Deep River Center, according to the U.S.Geological Survey. 

State Police in Westbrook said they received several calls from residents from Deep River and Chester. There are no reports of damage or injuries, according to police.

Paul Flammang, of Deep River, lives on a boat and said he felt the earthquake.

The largest earthquake in state history was in East Haddam on May 16, 1791. The U.S. Geological Survey lists the earthquake as an intensity VII and reports two heavy shocks in quick succession.

The quakes shook down stone walls, knocked off chimney tops and a fissure formed in the ground.

 

 



Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Missing 11-Year-Old Hartford Boy Found: Family

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The family of an 11-year-old Hartford boy who disappeared around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday said he has been found and is safe.

Jeremy White's family said he left for a bike ride with friends on Wednesday and those friends said they watched Jeremy get into a van that took off. Police searched for Jeremy for hours and issued a Silver Alert on Thursday morning.

The search now appears to be over.

A family friend found Jeremy near Franklin Avenue and he is going to hospital to be evaluated after he said he did not remember anything.

Police are responding to the boy's home.

"There was mention that it was a minivan that took him and that's all they keep mentioning, over and over, so we're sticking by that," Margarita Valdez, Jeremy's aunt, said early Thursday morning. "And then they found his bike in Highland Park and that's the only information we have about him."

Police have not confirmed whether or not they have found Jeremy's bike or if they are looking for a specific vehicle.

 



Photo Credit: Submitted

School Board Yanks Sex Ed Book Over Explicit Language

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Faced with a growing backlash from hundreds of parents up in arms over a sex education book they say is too explicit, a Northern California school board has agreed to hold off on allowing the students to read passages some parents say exposes them to "sexual games, sexual fantasies and sexual bondage."

At a Fremont Unified School District board meeting Wednesday, trustees voted 3-2 to work with Publisher McGraw-Hill to revise the controversial book, "Your Health Today," that was slated to be 9th grade reading material this coming school year.

District employees must report on those change to the board in January. Meanwhile, Fremont students will use the district's old health book instead, which is ten years old.

More than 2,000 parents signed an online petition describing their gripes with the book, noting that the material was not "age appropriate," as its pages apparently discuss "sexual bondage with handcuffs, ropes, and blindfolds, sexual toys and vibrator devices."

NBC Bay Area has not reviewed the book in question.

But Slate reports that some of the sexual topics are described "in the most boring prose imaginable."  To explain sexual bondage, for example, the next passage reads: "Most sex games are safe and harmless, but partners need to openly discuss and agree beforehand on what they are comfortable doing." Students are also cautioned to only do "what they are comfortable doing."

The book touts itself as being "truly inclusive and socially responsible." Its authors are doctors and PhDs from UC Davis, SUNY Buffalo and the University of Northern Colorado.

Other chapters include information on nutrition, fitness, stress and body weight. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the book is being used in a handful of Texas districts, but none in California.

Parents came out at the board meeting to make sure their voices were heard, loud and clear.

"I don't trust you as board members, I don't. I do not trust you with my child," Parent Jim Schultz told the board. "I'm sorry, I cannot see anything that a child needs to know in ninth grade about bondage. What are you teaching them?"

In an interview earlier this month, School Supt. Jim Morris said the teachers reviewed several books and chose "Your Health Today" out of several choices. “The teachers really said ‘what’s the best up-to-date material,’ and this was their recommendation – and I supported that recommendation,” he said.

But not everyone agrees the book should be removed from the lesson plan - it was a decision trustees first made in June. Some parents support their children opening up their eyes to what's going on around them.

"If you listen to popular music, if you read popular books, if you see popular movies -- none of the content in the book contains anything our kids haven't already been exposed to," parent Dianne Jones said.

NBC Bay Area's Marianne Favro contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

Caught on Tape: Vandals Deface American Flags

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Police are searching for three brazen suspects caught on video defacing an American flag in a north San Diego senior community, spray painting “F*** USA” on the stars and stripes.

According to police, the vandalism happened on July 18 at a home in the 3800 block of Rosemary Way in Oceanside.

At around 11:45 p.m., three suspects vandalized three American flags in the neighborhood – a senior community near El Camino High School. Police said the vandals also damaged other private and public property in the area, including in the 3800 block of Mesa Drive.

The suspects – two young men and a young woman – were caught on surveillance video spray painting a flag at one of the homes. In blue paint, the vandals wrote “F*** USA” on that flag. The second flag was tagged with monikers, police said, and the third was spray painted with blue streaks.

On the surveillance video, the two young men can be seen smiling while holding the flag and spray painting it. The girl looks on, also smiling, and appears to take a photo of the action on a cellphone.
After they’ve finished their work, the trio walks away with smirks on their faces.

The Oceanside Police Department released the video and details of the vandalism case for the first time Wednesday. Investigators said the suspects are still at large.

Suspect No. 1 was wearing a black Orioles baseball cap with white lettering, a dark sweater and dark shorts. Suspect No. 2 wore a black hooded jacket, black jeans and a white baseball cap with black brim and marijuana leaf on the left side of the cap. The young woman wore a gray zip-up jacket, black shirt and black and white shoes. All three are described by police as Hispanic juveniles between 16 and 20 years old.

Anyone with information on the identities and whereabouts of these vandalism suspects should contact Officer Munoz with the Oceanside Police Department at (760) 435-4682.



Photo Credit: Oceanside Police Department

Man Hid Brass Knuckles in Carryon at Bradley: Police

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State police arrested a Florida man who is accused of hiding brass knuckles in carry-on luggage at Bradley Airport.

Agents from the Transportation Security Administration stopped Richard Demalo, 63, of Lake Alfred, Florida, just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday after an X-ray machine detected the brass knuckles in his luggage, according to a news release from state police.

TSA notified state police, who transported Demalo to a sub-barracks at the airport.

He was charged with carrying and sale of a dangerous weapon and tampering. Bond was set at $2,500.
Demalo was due in court on Thursday. It’s not clear if he has an attorney.

 

Pope Francis Talks Philly Visit

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The Pope himself said he is likely coming to the City of Brotherly Love.

NBC News correspondent Anne Thompson told the "Today" show Thursday that she spoke to Pope Francis during his recent flight to South Korea.

Thompson said she asked His Holiness in Italian if he would be attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia next year.

“He said 'yes,' and he mentioned World Family Day,” said Thompson.

The Vatican has yet to officially confirm a papal visit to the United State but all signs point to it being likely that he will visit Philly. In the past months, a group of Philadelphia representatives went to Rome and a contingency from the Vatican visited Philly as the Catholic Church prepares for the event.

Normal policy keeps the Vatican from making anything official at this time, according to the Philadelphia Archdiocese.

"We still expect that any official confirmation will come approximately six months prior to the event and we remain confident that the Holy Father will be present with us," said archdiocesan spokesman Kenneth Gavin. "This confidence is based on Archbishop Chaput’s personal conversations with Pope Francis and previous comments by the Vatican Press Office regarding Pope Francis’ 'willingness to participate in the World Meeting of Families.'"

Pope Francis also has kept his word about travel desires. During a visit to South America he stated that he wanted to go to Asia. He is currently in Korea and has upcoming travel plans to Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

The World Meeting of Families will take place Sept. 22 to 27, 2015.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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