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Sheep Escapes Zoo, Hit by Driver

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A bighorn sheep that escaped from the Los Angeles Zoo died after being struck by a hit-and-run driver in a Los Feliz neighborhood Saturday, police said.

The adult female sheep went missing from an exhibit about noon and  traversed the Santa Monica Mountains from the area in Griffith Park where the zoo is located, zoo spokeswoman April Spurlock said.

It was struck by a car near the Greek Theatre about two hours later.

Los Angeles park rangers and police found the sheep on a home driveway in the 2200 block of North Commonwealth Avenue.

When zoo personnel and veterinarians got to the sheep, they tranquilized the animal with a dart to bring it back to its habitat but it died at the scene about 3 p.m., Spurlock said.

The sheep is believed to have died from its injuries, but the official cause of death will be determined by an autopsy, Spurlock said.

The sheep was one of five bighorns at the zoo. Officials are trying to figure out how it escaped.

The desert bighorn sheep has been listed as endangered since 1998 due to loss of habitat, disease brought by domestic sheep and cattle and predation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Man Killed While Hunting

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A man was shot and killed during a hunting trip with his father in West Windsor, New Jersey, according to police.

The accidental shooting occurred Saturday afternoon on the 1200 block of Old Trenton Road. Officials have released little information on the incident so far but said a man in his 70's and his 45-year-old son were hunting Canada geese on a large property they owned. The father and son were properly licensed to hunt the birds, according to investigators.

Police initially told NBC10 the elderly man accidentally shot his son in the back of the head. However, they later told NBC10 the victim died from a gunshot wound to the head and neck from his own firearm.

Responding police officers and medics found the victim in a patch of woods on the property. After several life saving attempts were made he was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The initial call was for a hunting accident out here at the farm," said West Windsor Township Police lieutenant Matthew Kemp. "Medics and police officers were immediately dispatched and came across a person who was obviously deceased. Everything appears to be an accident. We're just dotting the "I's" and crossing the "T's" to be sure that's what it is." 

Police also said the father and son were the only two people in the hunting party.

West Windsor Police and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office are investigating the incident. They have not yet released the victim’s identity. An autopsy is scheduled for next week.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Baby Accidentally Shot by Dad

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The parents of a 9-month-old girl who was accidentally shot in her Brooklyn home are being criminally charged, investigators said Sunday.

The baby's father, Pedro Rosales, 47, faces a slate of charges, including second-degree assault criminal possession of a firearm and endangering the welfare of a child, according to a court document.

Rosales was cleaning an illegal Colt .45 handgun at about 4 p.m. Saturday when it discharged, police said. His daughter Jessica was wounded in the hip. She underwent surgery at the Bellevue Hospital Center and is recovering in stable condition.

Rosales and Jessica Aguilar, the baby's mother, flagged down a police patrol car outside their home at 580 Sutter Ave. after the shooting and officers escorted parents and child to the hospital.

Police charged Aguilar with endangering the welfare of a child and second-degree reckless endangerment.

It wasn't immediately clear if either parent had a lawyer.

People Displaced in Bridgeport Fire

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A few people were displaced after an overnight fire in Bridgeport.

The fire happened about 2 a.m. on Sunday.

No one was injured.

NBC Connecticut left a message with the fire department, but information was not immediately available.

Fire officials have not confirmed the address or further details at this time.

Check back for updates.

Boy Awakens From Coma After Fall

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After nearly 10 days, a 4-year-old boy who fell off a cliff in Bodega Bay, Northern California, has woken up from his coma Friday.

Sebastion Johnson fell more than 200 feet down a seaside cliff nearly two weeks ago, as he was throwing rocks into the ocean with his family when he slipped over the edge.

"I wanted to jump off and and grab him and make sure he's alive," Sebastion's father, Daryl Johnson, told NBC's "Today" show of the ordeal.

Rescuers rappelled down the cliff to save him. They slowly lifted him to safety. Sebastion ended up with a broken leg, arm and jaw.

But, on Friday morning, Johnson's father said his son was breathing on his own and had his neck brace removed.

"We're amazed he's pulled through," Sebastion's mom Jamie Guglielmino told "Today." "We've given him a nickname,'miracle monkey.' Everyone in our family has a monkey nickname."

Sebastion was still recovering on Sunday.



Photo Credit: NBC's "Today" show

New Stores Opening in Downtown New Haven

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Seven stores are celebrating their grand opening in downtown New Haven this week.

Take a walk down Broadway at the Shops at Yale and you’ll already see stores that are attractive to Yale students and shoppers like the Apple store, JCrew and Yale Bookstore. New stores opening range from clothing stores geared toward students to other businesses like a a wine bar and olive oil store intended to appeal to a wider pool of shoppers.

Stores like Barbour and Lou Lou are adding their names to the list. While the additions may come as good news to some shoppers, the Yale Daily News reported that the student body has mixed feelings about the new businesses near campus.

“A lot of the stores are too expensive to a student, which is certainly a problem that people are aware of,” Yale student Alex Dubovoy told NBC Connecticut. "A grocery store would be great, a pharmacy perhaps something like that where students could get prescriptions. Right now the closest drug store to campus is Walgreens which you have to walk all the way down York to get to."

However, shopper Carol Liu, who was visiting with her daughter, said the stores are part of what drew her to the area, and she says the more the better.

"It's great, that's what we were just saying, things aren't open yet but we're going to stick around because it looks great," Liu said.

Between the opening celebrations, Black Friday and ongoing construction, city leaders expect some traffic delays Downtown.

Mom Who Killed Kids, Dies: Police

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A Burlington County, New Jersey, mother accused of shooting her three kids in her bedroom before turning the gun on herself has died, according to New Jersey State Police.

Jeaninne LePage, 44, died at Cooper Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, Sunday morning, police confirmed to NBC10.

LePage, who was hospitalized since she and her three children were found shot in her bed last Thursday, is the responsible for killing two of her kids before turning the gun on herself inside their Holly Park Drive home in Tabernacle, said New Jersey State Police.

Police found the weapon — which has been in the family for a long time — close to LePage.

Eight-year-old Nadia Harriman and her 14-year-old brother, Nicholas Harriman, died, according to New Jersey State Police.

Alexander Harriman, 11, remained in severely critical condition at Cooper University Hospital Sunday, officials said.

Neighbors identified the victims Thursday, but authorities waited to confirm their names until they family members, including the children's father who was located in Maryland, were informed of the deaths.

Another relative who lives in the house found the victims around 9 a.m. and called for help.

"When police got there, they found a really horrific scene,’ said Jones. The victims were found in the same room and police believe they were shot with the same handgun, which was found at the scene."

Neighbors said that LePage shared the bed with her children and was in financial troubles.

Investigators believe the shootings occurred sometime between 5 and 9 a.m.

Nine people live in the house. They have all been accounted for and were interviewed by police, who assured neighbors early in the investigation that there was no manhunt and no reason for anyone to feel threatened or alarmed.

LePage tried to hide the shootings, according to police.

"A pillow was used to muffle the gunshot sounds, which we believe is why the other members of the house didn't hear the gunshots," said Noble.

The shootings shock the quiet community.

Members of the community organized a candlelight vigil Thursday night at Tabernacle's Town Hall, located at 163 Carranza Rd. At the vigil, children remembered their classmates.

Students and staff at Seneca High School — where Nicholas attended — had a moment of silence for the family Friday morning. Grief counselors were also on hand at local schools Friday to talk with grieving students and staff.

A trust fund was set up at PNC Bank under LePage-Harriman Memorial Fund.



Photo Credit: NBC10

Marion Barry Dies at 78

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Marion Barry, an icon of D.C. politics good and bad for more than 40 years, has died at age 78.

"It is with deep regret that the family of former four-time D.C. Mayor, and Ward 8 City Councilman, Marion S. Barry, Jr., announces that he has passed," read a statement early Sunday from Barry's family.

Barry had been hospitalized at Howard University Hospital Thursday after complaining of a urinary tract infection. He was released Saturday, and family members said he seemed to feel well. "In his own words, he was 'fantabulous' -- his words, not mine," said Barry spokeswoman LaToya Foster at an early-morning press conference at United Medical Center.

Sunday morning, Barry visited with his son, Christopher, and then stopped to eat. On his way back into his home from the car, Barry collapsed. His driver brought him inside the home, unresponsive.

Barry was taken to United Medical Center at about 12:15 a.m. Sunday, and was pronounced dead at about 1:45 a.m.

Reaction poured in as news of Barry's death spread early Sunday morning. "He loved the District of Columbia and so many Washingtonians loved him," D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said in a statement that expressed "deep sadness" and promised "official ceremonies worthy of a true statesman of the District of Columbia."

Gray ordered flags at all D.C. buildings to be flown at half-staff beginning Sunday in Barry's honor.

In a statement released Sunday, incoming D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said, "Mayor Marion Barry gave a voice to those who need it most."

Barry had recently taped an interview with Oprah Winfrey for her show, "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" The Barry family statement indicated that the interview — which included his new book, "Mayor For Life: the Incredible Story of Marion Barry, Jr." — still would air Sunday at 9 p.m.

Barry served four terms as mayor and had a lock on the D.C. Council’s Ward 8 seat. But along with that huge political success, many personal failures marked his turbulent life.

Early on in his career, the Washington City Paper dubbed him “Mayor for Life.” He confounded critics who railed against his melodramatic life, even as he basked in the admiration of forgiving citizens who looked to him as their champion.

The son of a Mississippi sharecropper, Barry emerged from the student and civil rights activism of the 1960s to serve on the elected D.C. school board and D.C. Council.

In 1979, Barry began serving the first of three consecutive terms as D.C.’s second elected mayor. His pro-business policies helped spur economic development. He built civic programs for youth and senior citizens, and opened the city government to many African-American professionals, who previously had been shut out.

But lackluster city services, like slow snow removal and lost city ambulances, dogged Barry's administration. He battled a soaring homicide rate among the worst in the nation, and vowed a war on illegal drugs even as rumors about his own drug addiction swirled around Washington.

Barry's stature crumbled spectacularly in 1990, when an FBI sting videotaped Barry smoking crack cocaine in Washington’s Vista Hotel.

Barry famously complained that he had been set up by former girlfriend Rasheeda Moore, an FBI informant.

Barry’s federal trial turned into a drama of prosecution charges and persecution complaints. Out of 14 drug charges, a jury convicted Barry of a single misdemeanor possession charge. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson sentenced him to six months in prison, the maximum punishment.

Many thought the scandal would finish Barry's political career.

But in 1992, Barry emerged from prison and began his comeback right at the prison gate. Just months later he won the Ward 8 council seat from longtime ally and four-term incumbent Wilhelmina Rolark.

In 1994, he swept back into the mayor’s office for a fourth term, trouncing failed reform Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly. Congress reacted sharply to concerns over another term for Barry and Kelly’s massive debt by creating a five-member federal control board to run the city over Barry.

Barry appointed then-obscure Anthony Williams as his chief financial officer. Acerbic and shy compared to Barry, Williams won the mayor’s office in 1998 when Barry chose not to seek re-election.

Barry returned to the political limelight in 2004, winning Ward 8 over another former ally, Sandy Allen. Waving off criticism of disloyalty, Barry said it wasn’t personal — it was politics.

In recent years, Barry easily won re-election in Ward 8. But he suffered from declining health, and received a kidney transplant.

Other controversies endured: failing to file income taxes, being censured for steering a city contract to a girlfriend, and making insensitive remarks about Asian storeowners and Filipina nurses, to whom he later apologized after stinging public criticism.

In August, Barry was involved in a wrong-way accident on Pennsylvania Avenue. Barry blamed low blood sugar that had made him disoriented.

But of the six mayors who’ve served the city since home rule began in the 1970s, it was Barry’s Mayor for Life personality and rollercoaster career that helped define D.C. politics for decades.

Barry first came to D.C. with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. He later helped establish and run Pride, an inner-city help group. When Congress granted limited home rule to D.C., Barry won a first seat on the D.C. Council in 1974.

Shot in the chest by Hanafi Muslims when they overran at the Wilson Building in 1977, Barry used the publicity to help launch his 1978 campaign for mayor. He was a brash reformer, equally eloquent on the streets and in boardrooms. He narrowly won a three-way battle after The Washington Post editorial page heavily and repeatedly endorsed him.

But his terms in office were marred by investigations into cronyism, those drug abuse allegations and his image as a self-professed night owl.

Despite his faults, Barry is credited with opening the city’s government to black citizens; for creating a massive summer jobs program that while wasteful in many cases offered a job or paid internship to any city youth who wanted one; and for treating senior citizens as a top priority with homes and programs for those in the twilight of life. His pro-business stance helped fuel the downtown real estate boom in the 1980s and helped fill his campaign war chest. He completed the city’s first convention center on time and on budget. In his last term as mayor, Barry landed the deal to get the MCI Center (now the Verizon Center) built downtown.

In his final days on the Council, Barry suffered from ailments including diabetes, high blood pressure and infections. On the Council he was once again pushing for summer youth jobs, development east of the Anacostia River and help for senior citizens.

Still, his national reputation is one of a promising politician undone or diminished by his personal failings; a politician who rose against seemingly hopeless odds to win and stay in the life of politics, often in spite of himself.


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Bombing Victim Out of Hospital

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A woman injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing who had several surgeries before having part of her leg amputated recently was discharged from a rehab facility Saturday and has vowed to run the race next year.

Rebekah DiMartino said she looks forward to getting her stitches out in early December and being fitted for a prosthetic left leg.

"The prognosis is great. I chopped off what was holding me back," DiMartino said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press as she packed up to leave. "The prognosis, is you'll see me running the Boston Marathon next year."

DiMartino had more than a dozen operations but still dealt with lingering pain. She had surgery Nov. 10 at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital to remove her left leg below the knee. She entered rehab Nov. 14 and was going home Saturday to nearby Richmond.

Rebekah Gregory was watching last year's Boston Marathon when bombs exploded. Her son, now 7, and her then-boyfriend, Peter DiMartino, were also hurt. The couple wed last spring in Asheville, North Carolina.

Their Houston-area home still needs some modifications for accessibility, she said.

"I have been wheelchair bound for the last 18 months basically, so when we built our house we built it with wider doors," said DiMartino, 27.

She does not expect her loss of a limb to adversely affect the rest of her life.

"This is about to be Rebekah unleashed. They haven't seen anything yet. This is the good part of the story," DiMartino said. "Not only am I moving on, I am trying to do my part in changing the world while doing it."

A suspect charged in the bombing, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, awaits trial. His older brother, Tamerlan, was killed in a shootout with police after the bombing that killed three people and injured more than 260.



Photo Credit: NBC News

Marion Barry Remembered

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Friends and colleagues remembered former four-time D.C. Mayor Marion Barry who died early Sunday morning at age 78.

President Barack Obama added his thoughts to the many reactions on the passing of Barry.

"Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of Marion Barry. Marion was born a sharecropper's son, came of age during the Civil Rights movement, and became a fixture in D.C. politics for decades. As a leader with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Marion helped advanced the cause of civil rights for all. During his decades in elected office in D.C., he put in place historic programs to lift working people out of poverty, expand opportunity, and begin to make real the promise of home rule. Through a storied, at times tumultuous life and career, he earned the love and respect of countless Washingtonians, and Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathies to Marion's family, friends and constituents today."

Barry collapsed early Sunday morning and was taken to United Medical Center where he was pronounced dead around 1:45 a.m. ET.

"He loved the District of Columbia and so many Washingtonians loved him," D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said in a statement that expressed "deep sadness" and promised "official ceremonies worthy of a true statesman of the District of Columbia."

“Marion was not just a colleague but also was a friend with whom I shared many fond moments about governing the city,” said Gray. “He loved the District of Columbia and so many Washingtonians loved him.”

Gray ordered flags at all D.C. buildings to be flown at half-staff beginning Sunday in Barry's honor.

In a statement released Sunday, incoming D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said, "Mayor Marion Barry gave a voice to those who need it most. I – along with all Washingtonians – am shocked and deeply saddened by his passing, and we send out condolences to Cora Masters Barry, Chris Barry and the entire Barry family. He has been a part of my family for decades, and he will continue to be an example to me and so many others.”

While speaking on News4, Ward 1 DC Councilmember Jim Graham lamented Barry's passing and its impact on the city he loved.

"The city has lost a huge chunk of its soul today with the passing of Marion Barry," Graham said.

Radio station host Donnie Simpson added his thoughts as well.

"Marion Barry was always about the people of DC from day one, long before he got that Mayor's seat."

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton offered condolences to Barry's family.

“From my earliest encounter with Marion Barry, when he was the first chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee until I came back home and found him mayor of my home town, I have seen Marion take hold and write his signature boldly on his own life and times and on the life of the nation’s capital. Many took his struggle to personify in some way their own, endearing him and making him a larger-than-life figure as he became a creator of post-home-rule D.C.”

Councilmember David Grosso issued the following statement on the passing of Mayor Marion Barry:

"I was saddened to learn of the passing of my D.C. Council colleague. Marion Barry was a strong advocate for Ward 8 and devoted his life to the residents of Washington, D.C. His strong passion for making our city a great city was only surpassed in effort by his incredible commitment to ensuring that the poorest of our residents were never forgotten. It has been an honor for me to sit next to Mayor-for-Life Marion Barry on the dais and serve with him on the education committee for the past two years. I learned a lot about my beloved city from him and a lot about him. I will forever respect what he has done for this city in spite of his many challenges over a 40-year career."

Barry's annual turkey giveaway will go on despite his death.

Barry's spokeswoman LaToya Foster said Sunday at an early morning press conference at United Medical Center, where Barry died, that the annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway for needy residents would continue because ``that's what he would have wanted.''

The giveaway is scheduled for Tuesday at Union Temple Baptist Church in southeast Washington.

Police Seek Enfield Gas Station Robbery Suspect

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Enfield police are looking for a gas station robbery suspect caught on camera.

The Mobil gas station store at 1595 King Street was robbed at 1:44 a.m. on Saturday morning.

A man stole cash from the store and fled in a dark truck with white graphics, police said. An employee was inside at the time, but police didn't report any injuries or say whether the robber had a weapon.

The robbery remains under investigation. Police released a surveillance photo of the suspect with the hopes of finding him.



Photo Credit: Enfield Police Department

Bristol Police Search for Hit-and-Run Driver

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Bristol police are searching for a hit-and-run driver.

Travis Gornto, 43, is suspected of fleeing the scene of a crash at 193 East Main St. in Bristol, police confirmed.

The department is looking for a red Ford pickup truck with Connecticut plates reading 51ZTE.

Route 179 Reopens After Serious Crash

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Life Star airlifted an injured motorcyclist to the hospital after a crash on Route 179 in Canton.

Route 179 was closed for several hours at the Ocean State Job Lot near the intersection with Route 202 where the crash happened, but the road has since reopened. The crash was reported at 10:53 a.m.

A motorcyclist involved in the crash was injured and transported via Life Star to Hartford Hospital to be treated for serious injuries. Police have not released the identity of the person injure or parties involved.

The individual's condition is unknown. It's unclear whether the driver of the car was injured or whether anyone else was in the car.

The North Central Municipal Accident Reconstruction team responded to help with the investigation. Canton Volunteer Ambulance and Canton Volunteer Fire Department also responded.

Canton police are still investigating the crash and no charges have been filed at this time.

Police ask anyone with information to contact the Canton Police Department.



Photo Credit: Canton Compass

Man Steals Airport Vehicle: Police

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San Jose police are investigating a security breach at San Jose airport Sunday and have arrested a suspect.

A man breached the airport and stole a maintenance worker's vehicle at around 10:15 a.m., police said.

Police said the suspect breached the airport on the Coleman Avenue side of the airport. Employees of Atlantic Aviation captured him and alerted police.

While waiting for police to arrive, he ran from the company's lobby to the public side of the airport and asked an employee driving a maintenance truck for a ride. When the airport worker said no, the suspect stole it, according to police.

Police caught up with the suspect, 39-year-old Miguel Zaragoza, and arrested him at Terminal B.

No flights were affected because of the incident.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

1 Dead, 30 Hurt in Calif. Bus Crash

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One man is dead and at least 30 injured in a Northern California charter bus crash, authorities told an NBC affiliate.

The bus was traveling from Los Angeles to Pasco, Washington when it ran off the road on the 5 Freeway in northern Shasta County Sunday at 7:41 a.m., California Highway Patrol officials told NBC affiliate KNVN.

Three people were in critical condition, according to the Sacramento Bee, which reported that 32 people were taken to the hospital in the crash.

The bus had apparently been involved in a minor crash at a Denny's earlier Sunday morning, CHP officials told KNVN, and the driver appeared fatigued.

The driver went into CHP headquarters for questioning voluntarily, according to KNVN.

Photos of the all-white bus showed no large logos, but a sign on the door said the bus belonged to a company called Transporters Yellow Arrow.

Flecha Amarilla del Norte, meaning Yellow Arrow of the North in Spanish, is a bus line based in Los Angeles, according to business listings online. It appears to be related to a Mexican bus line.

Refresh this page for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Courtesy KNVN

Driver Reached Speed of 122 MPH During Police Chase

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A Massachusetts driver was arrested after state police said he drove recklessly while drunk, speeding as fast as 122 miles per hour early Sunday morning.

Troopers monitoring drivers' speed on Interstate 395 in Killingly tried to stop a car originally clocked at 95 miles per hour at 3:45 a.m., state police said. As the driver, Mathew Deyette, of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, led state police on a brief high speed chase, another state trooper conducting a traffic stop at exit 92 on the highway also clocked him going 95 miles an hour, state police said.

The driver also illegally passed multiple vehicles from the right and accelerated even faster, reaching a speed of 122 miles an hour between exits 93 and 94, according to state police.

Troopers stopped him just north of exit 94 at 3:05 a.m. and he cooperated with state police without further incident.

State police charged Deyette with driving while under the influence and reckless driving. He was released from police custody after posting a $500 cash bond.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com

Rapper Who Shot Cop to Be Executed

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A Philadelphia hip hop artist convicted of shooting and killing a female police officer will be executed next year.

Christopher Roney was convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Lauretha Vaird Jan. 2, 1996. Governor Tom Corbett signed an execution warrant for Roney on Friday. He is scheduled to be executed Jan. 8, 2015. Executions in Pennsylvania are carried out by lethal injection.

Roney, 44, was found guilty of first-degree murder and other offenses Oct. 30, 1996. The jury also returned a death verdict Nov. 1, 1996 in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas.

On Jan. 2, 1996, around 8:20 a.m., Roney, Ernest Canty and Warren McGlone tried to rob a PNC Bank at 4710 Rising Sun Avenue in Philadelphia. As the assistant manager arrived at the bank, Canty grabbed her as well as the bank manager and forced them inside at gunpoint. Roney then grabbed the head bank teller as she arrived.

A nearby business contacted police. Officer Lauretha Vaird, a nine-year veteran with the 25th District, was the first officer to arrive at the scene. As she entered the bank, Roney opened fire, striking her in the abdomen, according to officials. He and the other two men then fled the scene as other officers arrived.

Vaird, a 43-year-old single mother of two boys, died from her injuries. She was the first Philadelphia female police officer to be killed in the line of duty.

Roney and his two accomplices were arrested after police received statements from eyewitnesses.

Prior to his arrest, Roney was a hip hop artist who released two solo albums under the stage name “Cool C” in 1989 and 1990 as well as an album with the hip hop group C.E.B. in 1993.

Roney was recording a comeback EP at the time of Vaird's death. McGlone, who performed under the stage name "Steady B" was another member of C.E.B. while Canty was also a local hip hop artist.

Aside from Roney, Governor Corbett also signed execution warrants for Mark Duane Edwards, who was convicted of murder in the shooting deaths of a husband, wife and their pregnant teen daughter in 2002 as well as Dennis Reed, who was convicted in the shooting death of his girlfriend and mother of his son in 2001.

The three execution warrants signed Friday were Corbett’s 41st, 42nd and 43rd warrants signed since he took office.



Photo Credit: NBC10.com

Investigators to Give Update on 16-Year Case of Murdered Yale Student

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The Jovin Investigative Team trying to help solve the reopened cold case of a Yale student stabbed to death almost 16 years ago will give an update on its findings at a public forum in December, the New Haven Register reports.

The public forum is scheduled for Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, the Register reports, the 16th anniversary of Suzanne Jovin's death.

Jovin was stabbed to death near the intersection of Edgehill and East Rock roads in New Haven on Dec. 4, 1998, according to the state's website of cold cases. Police have not made an arrest in Jovin's case to date.

Retired Connecticut state police detectives started independently investigating her murder in June 2007 at the request of New Haven State's Attorney Michael Dearington, reviewing past "inquiries into the murder" and searching for new information to help authorities crack the case, according to the state's cold case website. The team, known as the Jovin Investigative Team, continues to volunteer time "as unpaid consultants" in the investigation.

The Division of Criminal Justice Cold Case Unit is handling the investigation of the reopened case with the help of the Jovin Investigative Team.

The state is offering a $50,000 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of Jovin's killer, the state cold case website states. Yale University is also offering a $100,000 reward.

Information about the case can be reported to the Cold Case Unit at 1-866-623-8058 or jovin.case@ct.gov or mailed to the Cold Case Unit at P.O. Box 962 in Rocky Hill, CT 06067.

Triathletes, Community to Gather at Vigil for Slain Runner

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Members of the Simsbury community gathered Sunday to remember a local mother who died of a stab wound in Simsbury's only homicide since 2012.

Melissa Millan, 54, had been jogging on Iron Horse Boulevard Thursday night near the bike trail that passes through the heart of Simsbury before she was found injured alongside the road at about 8 p.m., police said. She later died at the hospital.

Community members gathered at Winding Trails in Farmington, where Millan has raced before, for vigil Sunday afternoon to remember Millan. The vigil was originally scheduled to be held near the spot on Iron Horse Boulevard where Millan was found.

Lynne Tapper remembers her friend and fellow runner as "an amazing friend," "athlete," mother" and "executive," who was "just an amazingly special person." She said that her passing is a "huge loss" and that Millan will be missed.

"She found time for everything in her life and for the people in her life and she made every person she ever spent time with feel special and they were the most important person to her," said Tapper, who has known Millan for nine years and raced with her at Winding Trails. "....I don't know how I'm going to come back here and race without her...We wanted to remember her life. This is where she lived. One of the places. There's a lot of dimensions to Melissa and I'm not going to pretend I knew all of them, but we created a community that she was a part of for nine years...And every time she walked into our training sessions, I smiled just to know she was there and gave her a big hug."

Tapper and friends of Millan's who trained for triathlons with her through Team Training New England helped organize the event.

"To our dear friend and fellow triathlete, may the wind always be at your back. Our hearts are broken as we try to process the untimely death of Melissa Millan last night (Thursday, November 20) on Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury," the organization posted Friday on a memorial page for Millan on the Team Training New England website. "Melissa has been a pillar of the TTNE community since she first trained with us in 2006. Regardless of her formidable responsibilities at home and at work, she made every effort to mentor "newbie" triathletes and provide moral and other support to her team members year in and year out, without fail!"

On the memorial page, her fellow triathletes in the organization described her as an "extraordinary human being" who "touched so many lives in a profound and genuine way."

"Melissa's loss is UNFATHOMABLE — for her kids, her dad, Chris, brothers,
sisters- in-law, nieces, nephews, and the rest of us," the event organizers wrote, adding, "Although her presence will always be missed, her spirit will live on in all the people whose lives she has touched."

Police initially considered the possibility it was a hit-and-run, but found no evidence to back that theory. After examining the body, the state medical examiner's office ruled her death a homicide and said she died of a "stab wound of chest."

In addition to being a mother of two and active community member, Millan was a senior vice president at MassMutual and a volunteer at Connecticut Family Theatre in West Hartford where her children were students.

The vigil organizers invited people who attended the vigil to participate in a Yin Yoga session afterward with Julie Erasmus at Be.Yoga in Avon at 17 West Main Street between 4:30  and 5:45 p.m.

Friends who knew Millan and her children from summers spent at the private West Hill Beach Club in New Hartford are also reflecting on their friend as they process her passing.

"Melissa was a wonderful, warm woman with a keen sense of humor and sharp intelect," Sally Albrecht, former president of the beach club board and a friend of Millan's, wrote to NBC Connecticut in an email. "We so loved having her and her kids at the Beach Club. Melissa's passing is a confusing and heartbreaking tragedy for all of us, especially her family."

Tapper said that she "can't imagine what her family is going through, but we were her extended family."

“I feel for her children. But hopefully she was, she was a great inspiration and she’ll live on in them and I know she will in all of us," Tapper said. " We will keep racing and keep training because that’s what she would have wanted us to do.”

Meanwhile Simsbury police have increased patrols near Iron Horse Boulevard. Investigators combed the area on Saturday night to no avail and are following leads in the investigation.

No suspects have been identified at this time.

Police ask anyone with information to call detectives at 860-658-3145.



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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Bristol Family Displaced After Fire

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A Bristol family has been displaced after a fire Sunday morning.

Bristol police say they were called to assist the fire department at 59 Stearns Street around 10:40 a.m. Residents of the home were displaced but no injuries were reported. The Red Cross is assisting those families.

According to police, the fire does not appear to be suspicious.
 



Photo Credit: NBCConnecticut.com
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