A 17-year-old Texas girl died Saturday morning after she was hit by a moving vehicle that she fell from, police said.

At about 2:45 a.m. Saturday, police responded to a call on the 1500 block of South Cooper Street in Arlington. When officers arrived at the address they found Lelys Leyva-Monreal injured in the roadway; three others were trying to help her.

According to police, Monreal and four other passengers were inside a sport utility vehicle traveling southbound on South Cooper Street. As the vehicle was moving, Monreal began hanging out of an open window.

One of the passengers attempted to pull Monreal back inside the vehicle but was unsuccessful. The young woman exited through the window and landed on the roadway. She was then struck by the moving SUV, police said in a news release.

The driver stopped and three of the passengers came to her aid. However, the driver went back to the vehicle and took off, leaving the other passengers on the roadway with Monreal.

The young woman was transported to Medical Center in Arlington by an ambulance and died a short time later due to her injuries, police said.

Officials do not know if alcohol was involved and it's unknown if Monreal fell or jumped from the SUV window.

Crash investigators have been able to locate the driver of the SUV after speaking to witnesses, said police. 

Singing echoed through the trees at the top of Soapstone Mountain as more than 100 parishioners of Somers Congregational Church gathered to watch the sunrise on Easter.
 
"This is the best sunrise I have seen on Easter on this mountain," said Dave Gavlak.
 
For more than 40 years breakfast has been served for this Sunday morning. The tradition started all that time ago by Gavlak.
 
"I was going to sleep this morning and at 4:55 it was like The Lord threw me out of bed and said,"Get up there!" said Gavlak.
 
The reason this year meant even more is because of something that happened more than two years ago. On January 1st, 2012, the church burned to the ground. For the first time on Easter Sunday parishioners were able to worship in their new sanctuary.
 
"It's kind of a resurrection for the church as well as celebrating the resurrection of Christ," said Pastor Barry Cass.
 
As dozens entered Somers Congregational Church everyone there knew there was a lot to be thankful for and a lot of blessings at their door.
 
"I'm just going to be thanking God for blessing us. Out of the tragedy we have done good things. We have a wonderful community that has supported us," said Cass.
 
The church will host an open house on May 10th to celebrate the completion of their meeting house and will hold a dedication the following weekend.

A televised stunt on Mount Everest that was supposed to have aired on the Discovery Channel next month has been canceled, days after an avalanche on the world's highest peak claimed the lives of at least 13 Sherpa guides.

Veteran climber Joby Ogwyn, a wing-suit flier and BASE jumper, had been planning to attempt the first wing-suit jump off the summit on May 11, a feat set to be aired live, NBC News reported. He said Saturday he had lost his Sherpa team in the Friday tragedy.

"In light of the overwhelming tragedy at Mt. Everest and respect for the families of the fallen, Discovery Channel will not be going forward with Everest Jump Live. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the whole Sherpa community," Discovery spokeswoman Laurie Goldberg said.

The avalanche that swept down the mountain's upper slope Friday was the deadliest disaster ever recorded on Everest.

A nurse was in critical condition after allegedly being stabbed by a man who bypassed a hospital’s weapons screening area in Sylmar early Sunday.

• Man Arrested After Allegedly Stabbing Nurse at Torrance Hospital

Authorities said 26-year-old Romero Carnailla ran into the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, located in the 14400 block of Olive View Drive around 2 a.m., according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Security and law enforcement officers were searching the hospital for the man until they heard a woman screaming. They found her a short time later suffering from stab wounds to her upper and lower torso, officials said.

She was taken to a trauma center in critical condition.

Authorities took Carnailla into custody. A knife was found at the hospital, deputies said.

• Download the FREE NBC LA app

Officials said it appears the attacker did not know the victim.

Carnailla faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon and battery, sheriff's officials said. He was being held on $55,000 bail.

County Services Bureau, a law enforcement operation that presides over nearly 200 Los Angeles County facilities, was handling the investigation.

The incident marked the first of two stabbing attacks on an on-duty nurse in Southern California on the same day.

Later Sunday morning, another nurse was stabbed by a man at a Torrance hospital. She suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

An elderly man from Fairfield was rescued after getting pinned between his garage wall and his truck Saturday.

The incident happened on Stratfield Road just before 6 p.m.

Firefighters and a police officer jumped into action to help the 86-year-old man by using their bare hands to pick up his truck and free him.

The man suffered three broken ribs and was taken to St. Vincent's Hospital.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

When buses and parents drop off students at RHAM High School and Middle School for the start of another school week, they'll be taking a different route, one school officials hope will be safer from what was in place before.

In March, a parent accidentally drove into the bus lane, abruptly backed up and struck Dawn Mallory-Bushor, of Groton, a middle school math teacher. Mallory-Bushor suffered critical injuries in the crash and died.

After that tragedy, RHAM Middle School increased security, evaluated the traffic pattern on campus and the superintendent also met with a civil engineer.

Beginning on Monday morning, the district is changing how RHAM students are dropped off in order to keep them safe.
  
"I'm surprised this is the first incident because after experiencing it for four years, you would think that more things would happen," said Casey Lavallee, who graduated from RHAM High School last year.
 
Buses for middle and high schoolers will drop students off behind the high school. Middle school students will then walk through the high school to reach their own building.
 
Parents will take another path. Middle and high school parents will drive through different entrances to hopefully ease congestion and confusion.

"I just started driving to school, so it's chaos. Lots of cars backing out, pulling in," said RHAM High School student Mykenzie Lanagan.  "It'll probably increase the safety because the buses are in one spot instead of going and cutting through all the student parking and drop off."
 
The district is also planning other safety measures, including signs, speed bumps, and Jersey barriers.
 

A 32-year-old man has died after losing control of his motorcycle and collided with a tree in Coventry Saturday afternoon, according to police.

Police said Michael Hastillo of Coventry lost control at around 1:40 p.m. in the area of 357 Flanders River Road.

Investigators said speed may have been a factor in the crash.

Anyone having witnessed the collision or having information about it is asked to contact Sgt. Mike McDonagh or Officer Jeff Spadjinske of the Coventry Police Department at 860-742-7331.

William "Bill" Blair, a man who made history and later helped record North Texas history as a newspaper publisher passed away Sunday, according to family members. Blair was 92.

Blair was the publisher of The Elite News newspaper, which focused coverage of the black community for decades. The newspaper was the primary sponsor of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade, one of the largest events in the nation honoring the slain civil rights leader.

Blair's family told NBC 5 that he will be laid to rest on Friday, April 25, but further details are pending.

Blair was born in Dallas on Oct. 17, 1921. He attended Booker T. Washington High School and Prairie View A&M University.  He enlisted in the United States Army and became the youngest black first sergeant during World War II.  Between 1946-1951, Blair pitched for the Indianapolis Clowns and other Negro League baseball teams.

In 1947, Blair founded the Highlight News. That was followed by the Southwest Sports News, which published scores from black college games. In 1960, the newspaper was renamed The Elite News.

In 2010, NBC 5 profiled The Elite News for a story. In an interview with NBC 5's Kristi Nelson, Blair's son Jordan said, "our niche is the church community and doing things within our community, covering our stories that people normally don't cover."

William Blair later lost his son Jordan in February 2012 to cancer.

In June 2012, Blair donated his collection of newspaper materials and Negro League memorabilia to the University of Texas at Arlington.

In addition to being a publisher and athlete, Blair fought for civil rights and helped recognize church leaders with the Religious Hall of Fame that began in 2004.

The City of Dallas renamed Rochester Park William "Bill" Blair Jr. Park in 2011. 

Blair’s son, Darryl Blair, has been handed the legacy of the family’s print business.

“My dad — his challenge was to us, once a task has begun, never stop until it’s done,” he said, adding that his father’s vision for the paper was to “promote people” and “the good of our community”.

Blair said his father’s message to his children, as well as the politicians and community leaders he supported in its pages, was simple: “Do what you can do.”

“His failure was that he didn’t know how to say no even in light of insurmountable opposition and obstacles. He would try to overcome. He just believed in what he could do.”

A memorial service for Blair will be held Friday at Concord Baptist Church at 6808 Pastor Bailey Drive in Dallas. The service is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

Route 8 South was closed near exit 20 in Seymour after a tractor-trailer went down an embankment, according to state police, but it has reopened.

The crash happened around 6:30 a.m.

No injuries are reported.
 

Quinnipiac Avenue in New Haven is closed between Clifton Street and Runo Terrace because of a crash.

No additional information is known.

You’ll be able to spot one Connecticut team of runners at the Boston Marathon this year by the outfits they decided to wear.

They are running in orange tutus and said it is to show there solidarity as a team as well as their strength.

Three members of the team are running the Boston Marathon for the first time.

“Just ready, excited,” Wendy Ku, of Farmington, said. “Like a kid in a candy store.”

She began training with her running partners at Fleet Feet in West Hartford in January and said the race has so much more meaning this year.

“Definitely with everything that happened last (year), this is a great opportunity for the running community to band together and honor those who were victims during last year's tragedy,” she said.

Lisa Pillow, of West Hartford, is part of the team and this will be the third marathon she runs.

“It's just an incredible experience and I look forward to being part of it this year,” Pillow said.

Erika Wisniewski, of Farmington, is also a member of the team and said the run will be a healing experience.

“We all wanted to show some solidarity as a running group and some strength out on the course. We're all going to hopefully finish together,” Wisniewsk said.

More than 500 runners from Connecticut have signed up for the marathon. 


 

A 70-year-old Stamford woman was killed in a hit-and-run on Sunday night and police arrested the suspected driver after a witness called 911 with the license plate number and a description of the car.

The crash happened on Woodland Avenue in Stamford near Atlantic Street at 6:48 p.m.

Police said the woman was crossing Woodland Avenue when a 2002 Chrysler Voyager minivan heading west on Woodland Avenue drove over the double yellow line, went into the eastbound lane to pass stopped cars and struck the pedestrian. 

The Chrysler kept going west in the eastbound lane and hit a 2008 Nissan Versa that had stopped to allow the pedestrian to cross the street, police said.

A witness followed the car and called 911.

About an hour later, officers from the Stamford Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation found the Chrysler in the driveway of a home on Durant Street, where they took Yolanda McDowell, 45, into custody.

She was charged with second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle and felony evading responsibility. 

She has been held on $250,000 bond and will be arraigned at Stamford Superior Court on Monday.

Police have not identified the victim.

Police said several witnesses helped Stamford Police in the investigation, which is ongoing. 

Anyone with additional information should call the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad. 

A Brooklyn 15-year-old was shot in the foot after cutting a line of customers waiting to buy a pair of coveted $250 sneakers Saturday morning, police say.

The boy was shot outside a Foot Locker on Knickerbocker Avenue in Bushwick about 6 a.m. as he and other customers waited outside the store for the chance to buy a pair of Nike Foamposite Pro Premium "Yeezy" shoes, named for Kanye West, police say.

After the boy cut in line, one of the customers left and returned with a handgun, police say. The shooter fired the gun four times, with one of the bullets hitting the 15-year-old in the foot.

The boy was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive, according to the NYPD. The shooter has not been arrested.

Earlier this month, there was nearly a riot after hundreds of people lined up outside a Soho sneaker store for the debut of a different model of Nike Foamposite sneakers, according to the New York Post. The store canceled the sale after customers got unruly.

The man who caused a drunken crash in Meriden that killed two young children will be sentenced today.

Police said Israel Gonzalez, 29, was drunk early on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 3 when he struck a car that was carrying three children and two adults.

Five-year-old Tatiana Cruz and 8-year-old Lorenzo Cruz, a brother and sister from Meriden, were killed in the crash.

Blood alcohol tests revealed that Gonzalez was more than three times over the legal limit.

He was charged with manslaughter, assault with a motor vehicle and operating a vehicle under the influence. 

In February, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, three counts of second-degree assault with a motor vehicle, driving under the influence and evading responsibility.

The victims -- the family of Michael Cruz and Gina Schroder -- were in a Subaru Legacy that was  stopped at a traffic light at Broad Street and Gale Avenue around 2 a.m. when Gonzalez crashed a GMC Denali into the back of it, police said.

Michael Cruz and Gina Schroder, as well as Schroder’s 12-year-old son Alejandro, were injured in the crash.

Alejandro was in the intensive care unit after the crash, but was released from the hospital. Gina had to undergo surgery.

Barbel Valentin, the children's grandmother was in court one of the hearings and said she is grateful to the people who have been supporting the family through this difficult time. 

Gonzalez was being held on $1 million bond.

A fund has been set up for the victims of the crash and is meant to help pay for funeral arrangements and the survivors' medical expenses.

"Their long-term needs is what we're trying to protect and help with," said Cruz. "You know they're obviously going to have a lot of bills and we just want to try and help and be there, with community help. That's our greatest goal."

You can send donations to:

The Cruz and Schroder Memorial Fund
Care of David R. Cavanaugh
Vice President of People United Bank
1310 Silas Dean Highway
Wethersfield CT, 06109

An Ansonia man is accused of shooting his neighbor on Easter Sunday morning, according to police.

Officers responded to 97 Woodbridge Ave at 9:15 a.m. and found a man inside the home who was bleeding profusely from his lower leg area after being shot three times.

Officers said Steven Sentementes, 73, is accused of shooting his 39-year-old neighbor after an argument.

Authorities said the man told police his neighbor shot him. He was taken to Bridgeport Hospital, where he is expected to be OK.

Sentementes has been charged with first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, burglary in the second-degree and unlawful discharge.

He was held on a $500,000 bond.

Among the many runners who arrived early at the starting line of the Boston Marathon this morning, were more than 550 people from Connecticut.

For the first time since 1983, an American man won the marathon. Meb Keflezighi, an Olympic marathon runner, has won with an unofficial time of 2:08:37, which would be a personal record, as well as the second fastest time by an American male at Boston.

Rita Jeptoo, of Kenya, won the women's race, setting a course record of 2:18:57.

This is 118th Boston Marathon, but the first running since the bombings last April and security is tighter than ever along the whole route, from Hopkinton, Mass. to the finish line in downtown Boston.

Liz Hebert, of Darien, decided after the bombings last year that she had to run this year.

"I was just very emotional, even taking the buses here. There are people in houses waving and holding signs," she said. "I think every runner has to be here. It's a huge race. It's a milestone race, I think the running community has to prove to the world that nothing can stop us."

Holly Salegna, of Norwich, is also feeling the emotion. 

"All of the love and support is just filtering through my head right now. There's definitely a lot of emotion here, and in Boston in general," she said.

Police presence is heavy along the racecourse, helicopters flew overhead this morning and barriers line the 26.2-mile route that 36,000 runners will soon take.

All the security is not detracting the 577 Connecticut runners who have signed up, including Matthew Lynch, of West Hartford.

He’s run the course five times and said the tragedy has only united the runners even more.

“This really cemented that and made everyone that much closer and that much more determined to show that we’re going to go out there and we’re not going to be afraid of this running. (Which) is really a celebration of life,” he said.

John Williams, of West Hartford, ran the marathon last year, but was unable to finish because of the bombings. Today, he plans to finish what he started last year.

"People said, when you get to Kenmore Square, you have a mile left and I pumped my first in the air. I knew I had it, and then all the sudden, we got stopped so you know this year it’s going to be kind of the same way when I get to Kenmore Square, I’m going to be pumping my fist," he said.

More than 1 million spectators are expected and several roads along the route will be closed. If you are going, check the list here.

Spectators are scanned with metal detectors and bags must be clear. No backpacks are not permitted this year. 

Learn more about the 2014 Boston Marathon here.

Boston Police are asking anyone who sees something out of the ordinary during the Boston Marathon to text ‘BOSTON’ to 69050 or call 911.

#MarathonSafetyTip: If you see something out of the ordinary during the #BostonMarathon - text ‘BOSTON’ to 69050 or call 911.

— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) April 21, 2014

If you are going, send photos to us at shareit@nbcconnecticut.com

Two prep school graduates who prosecutors say had their sights set on running the drug trade on suburban Philadelphia's Main Line have been arrested along with so-called "sub-dealers" for allegedly selling illicit substances in high schools and colleges.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman announced on Monday the arrests of Neil Scott and Timothy Brooks and detailed their alleged operation called the "Main Line Take Over Project."

Scott, 25, and Brooks, 18, employed "sub-dealers" at five Main Line high schools and three area colleges who would sell marijuana, hash oil, cocaine and MDMA, a drug commonly known as Ecstasy, Ferman said. Authorities confiscated drugs, cash and guns in a sweep related to the operation, which officials said had been running for the past couple of months, officials said.

“This was not a game. These people were in business, they were in business to make money and they were going to do whatever they needed to do so that no one threatened their business," Ferman said.

The schools involved were the private Haverford School and public high schools Lower Merion High School and Harriton High School in Lower Merion Township, Pa., Conestoga High School in Tredyffrin Twp., Pa., Radnor High School in Radnor, Pa., as well as Gettysburg, Lafayette and Haverford colleges.

Ferman said both men, who are graduates of the prestigious all-boys preparatory school The Haverford School, worked together to "create a [drug] monopoly to high school students in the area." Both men played lacrosse at the swanky Montgomery County private school and coached youth sports leagues, according to Ferman. The DA said Brooks and Scott exploited those relationships to help grow the criminal enterprise.

According to a 100-page criminal complaint obtained by NBC10.com, Scott received bulk shipments of marijuana from California to his apartment in Haverford, Pa. Drugs would also be sent to his parent's home in Paoli and Brooks' home in Villanova, according to the complaint.

Authorities said Scott worked, at one time, at a legal marijuana dispensary in California and used those connections to garner his supply.

Through text messages obtained during the investigation, prosecutors said they learned Scott and Brooks ran the ring like a legitimate business. Scott allegedly coached Brooks, who would in turn supervise the "sub-dealers" inside the high schools.

“The high school sub-dealers were encouraged to develop their business so that they could sell at least one pound of marijuana each week,” Ferman said. "Brooks instructed the dealers to make sure that there was never a drought."

John Nagl, headmaster for The Haverford School, said school officials were notified about an on-going investigation several weeks ago, but were asked not to interfere.

"We focus on developing boys with good character, despite our best efforts, sometimes boys make bad choices," he said. "This was destructive and horrible. And we are deeply saddened."

Nagle said the school, which teaches 1,000 boys in a lower, middle and upper school, does not comment on current or former students. He said he did not know how many students may have purchased drugs through the ring.

“The school is cooperating with the law enforcement investigation," he said.

Spokespersons for the Lower Merion, Radnor and Tredyffrin/Easttown school districts said officials have been made aware of the allegations and that the safety of students is most important. All said they were unaware of the investigation, but will cooperate if asked.

Gettysburg College is conducting an internal investigation, a spokesman for that college said.

NBC10.com also reached out to the other schools involved in the case, but so far we have not heard back.

Ferman said investigators learned about the "Main Line Take Over Project" through confidential informants and conducted a one-day round-up in February. In that operation, prosecutors said they confiscated 8 lbs. of marijuana, 3 grams of hash oil, 23 grams of cocaine, 11 grams of Ecstasy, $11,000 in cash, a loaded handgun, an AR-15 assault rifle and AR-15 style rifle. Most of the contraband came from Scott's Haverford apartment, authorities said.

In addition to Scott and Brooks, seven alleged "sub-dealers" were also charged. They are: Daniel McGrath, 18, a student at The Haverford School; John Rosemann, 20, a student at Lafayette College; Christian Euler, 23, a graduate of The Haverford School and student at Lafayette College; Garrett Johnson, 18, a student at Haverford College; Reid Cohen, 18, a Haverford College student; Willow Orr, 22; Domenic Curcio, 29.

Two juveniles, a 17-year-old Radnor High School student and 17-year-old Lower Merion High School student, have also been petitioned by the DA's office.

Scott, who is being held on $1 million bail, covered his face and shouted expletives at reporters attempting to get comment following his arraignment on Monday afternoon. His attorney declined comment saying he had just gotten the case.

Brook's attorney said the teen "lost his way" and is remorseful. His parents posted the $25,000 bail to release him from jail.

Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.

Danbury police have arrested two juveniles who they said threatened a Danbury High School student, as well as the whole school.

Police started investigating when they received a report of a threat a Danbury High School student received. 

A boy had placed a call saying he was going to harm the student and “everyone else” at Danbury High School, police said.

The investigation revealed that the call was made from a home in Danbury and police identified two juveniles believed to be responsible for the call. Police said the youths conspired to contact the victim and make threats. 

Arrest warrants were issued for both, charging the juveniles with threatening in the first and second degree and conspiracy to make threats in the first and second degree.

The juveniles were arrested on Monday morning and transported to the Bridgeport Juvenile Detention Center.   

They both told police that the call was only intended to be a prank, but the Danbury Police Department has a zero tolerance on threats are made toward schools, police said.

 

Waterbury police have captured a pit bull they say is responsible for attacking another dog and its owner on Easter Sunday.

Leo Forget and his dog, Pilot, were attacked while walking along Townsend Avenue.

Pilot, a three-year-old dog, looked fine the day after, but his owner, Leo Forget, is slow to recover.

"A lot of pain," he said, "Scared, I can't even talk."

His wife Cecilia was inside their home on Townsend Avenue cooking at the time of the attack, but a neighbor alerted her that her husband had jumped in front of Pilot to try to get the attacking dog off of him.

"I'm a dog owner, a dog lover, but we are very afraid in this neighborhood, a very friendly neighborhood. We all own dogs, but we take care of them, they're on leashes," she said.

According to Cecilia Forget, the aggressive dog has jumped fences in the past to attack neighbors' dogs on their territory.

"Whatever needs to be done to the dog, I just don't want him around here," she said. "We're afraid to go outside."

The pit bull's owner may now face charges, according to Acting Dep. Chief Christopher Corbett.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo says it will review and work to improve its safety procedures following a shooting just outside its gates Monday afternoon.

"We are very concerned about the incidents yesterday on Connecticut Ave. People-- of all ages --come to the zoo to see the animals and enjoy the festivities," said National Zoo spokeswoman Annalisa Meyer. "Our number one priority is safety. We’re going to do whatever it takes to ensure the safety of our visitors."

The shooting was reported around 5:17 p.m. on a busy stretch of Connecticut Avenue in northwest D.C. According to D.C. police, a large group of between 30 to 50 people was traveling southbound on Connecticut Avenue when shots rang out.

Police are reviewing security camera footage from businesses near the zoo, in hopes of finding the gunman.

"We have no indication that there was an argument that precipitated the shooting," D.C. Police Cmdr. Michael Reese said during a news conference about an hour after the shooting.

Jim Battagliese with WTOP-103.5 FM said he heard two shots and saw parents diving to the ground to protect their children.

One victim was shot in the hand, and the other was shot in the arm. Both injuries are non-life threatening, and no suspect information has been released. Additional police presence spread to neighboring Metro stations immediately after the shooting.

The zoo hosted Easter Monday: A Washington Family Tradition event throughout the day, with family-friendly activities and live entertainment.

"We were scared because we do have our kids out here," a mother who was at the zoo at the time told News4.

"We were not expecting [a shooting] but we had a heavy police presence up here," Reese said. "We had multiple agencies... this is a very festive event. Numerous times nothing happened up here, but it's important for us to show a force and that's what we did."

On Easter Monday in 2011, a 16-year-old stabbed a 14-year-old at the zoo. Mshairi Alkebular received an 82-month sentence after pleading guilty in that stabbing.

On Easter Monday in 2000, a 16-year-old shot seven people near the zoo entrance. That teen was sentenced to 25 years in jail.

2600 block of Conn. NW ambulance arriving for possible 2nd victim of #NationalZoo incident @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/D7CFy5M0v9

— Jackie Bensen (@jackiebensen) April 21, 2014