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Police ID man found dead inside truck at Cutler Bay shopping center; suspect charged with 1st-degree murder

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

Police have identified the body of a man that was found inside a pickup truck that caught on fire at a shopping center in Cutler Bay. A homeless man has since been charged with the victim’s murder. The victim was identified on Friday as 39-year-old Igor Ernesto Ortiz, who was a father and husband. The incident happened at a shopping plaza near Southwest 92nd Avenue and Old Cutler Road, at around 1:45 p.m.According to an arrest report, witnesses saw the suspect, 35-year-old Randall Lautzenheiser, and Ortiz arguing inside the truck.The report stated that Lautzenheiser was later seen walking to a Chevron gas station across the street and buying a gas can.The store’s clerk confirmed that information with 7News.“Yes, he came in. He was [in a] rush. From there, [he said], ‘Give me $5 gas,'” the clerk said.The clerk sold him the gas that he allegedly used to ignite the truck, which killed the man inside.Soon after, witnesses said, the suspect walked back to t...

Friend of woman killed in Stoneham car crash speaks out about loss as police investigation continues

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

The friend of a woman killed in a crash in Stoneham last week is now speaking out about the loss, describing her friend while the police investigation into the crash continues. Authorities said 34-year-old Kayla Driscoll lost her life after her car rolled over on the northbound side of I-93 on Dec. 13.Driscoll, a Somerville resident and a massage therapist, was later mourned at her funeral on Wednesday just days before Christmas. “She was such a great person, awesome energy,” her friend, Theresa Milano, said in a recent interview. “Really, she just always had this big smile on her face.” Milano works as an esthetician. She said Driscoll was a lash model who eventually became a client. Milano said she happened to hear about the fatal crash and took interest. “I just remembered thinking ‘How horrible, this close to Christmas?’” she said. Milano said she didn’t initially know Driscoll was the person who died. Two days later, she said the always punctual Driscoll had...

Good Samaritan recounts snapping into action to help Groton police K9 struck during hit-and-run

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

A Groton police dog who was struck by a hit-and-run driver this week is still on the mend but back home, as authorities continue to call on the motorist responsible to turn themselves in.K9 Bane suffered a broken femur, broken ribs, and a dislocated hip among other injuries Wednesday afternoon when police said he was struck on Pleasant Street near the department’s headquarters.“He was in significant distress,” Ellen Potter told 7NEWS. “I saw the car in front of me jolted a little bit and then I saw something in the road that I couldn’t identify at first and then when I realized what it was, I jumped out of my car.”Potter was one of several good Samaritans who saw the hit-and-run unfold on Wednesday around 4:50 p.m., when the dog darted into the busy roadway.“We just kept talking to him, trying to calm him down, trying to stop him from standing up – he wanted to get up quite badly,” she recounted.The Groton resident and others hel...

Santa trades sleigh for water taxi to hand out gifts in Seaport

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

Santa traded his sleigh for a boat and brought special guests with him to spread holiday cheer in the Seaport Friday.Just days before Christmas, Santa and Bruins mascot Blades celebrated the holiday with dozens of children from the South Boston Neighborhood House at the St. Regis Residences.Rudolph was given the day off to prepare for Christmas travel, leaving Santa to cruise in on a water taxi. The heartwarming event was put together as part of an effort to give 1,200 gifts to hundreds of families in need. After his arrival, all the children were given a present from Old St. Nick, himself. “This is a magical event for them,” one event organizer told 7NEWS. “The gift they’re getting from Santa really means something.” “Many of them don’t have a Christmas tree at the house,” the organizer continued. In addition to gifts, children were treated to hot cocoa and cookies, as well as a story by Santa.When the sugar rush kicked in, they had their pick of holiday ga...

Column: Dodgers “fully throttle” Red Sox with $325 million Yamamoto contract

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

The promise of a “full throttle” Red Sox offseason, already an unrealistic dream, was officially broken on Thursday night, when Jack Curry of YES Network broke the news that the Los Angeles Dodgers had won the Yoshinobu Yamamoto sweepstakes.It’s the latest in a string of enormous, historic offseason transactions by the Dodgers, and the latest in a long line of Red Sox disappointments.Yamamoto completes an Orion’s belt of shining new stars; already in the last two weeks, the Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani a record $700 million while also trading for and extending Rays star Tyler Glasnow. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, Yamamoto’s is a 12-year, $325 million deal. There’s no deferred money, a $50 million signing bonus and player opt-outs after the ’29 and ’31 seasons. The Dodgers must also pay a $50.6 million posting fee to Yamamoto’s Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Orix Buffaloes. It’s not only unprecedented for the post...

Delaware hospital system will pay $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations of billing fraud

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

By RANDALL CHASE (Associated Press)DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware’s largest hospital system will pay more than $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations by its former compliance officer that it provided kickbacks to outside doctors in return for patient referrals, resulting in fraudulent Medicaid billing. The settlement announced Friday comes nearly seven years after Ronald Sherman filed his whistleblower lawsuit, which remained under seal for more than a year, against Christiana Care Health System.The lawsuit alleged that Christiana Care employees, including nurse practitioners, hospitalists and physician assistants, treated patients referred by non-CHSS physicians at no cost or below fair market value. Those outside physicians then billed insurers, primarily Medicaid, for care that was actually provided by Christiana employees. In exchange for the unearned billings, the physicians continued to funnel patients to Christiana Care rather than to other hospitals, accord...

Toronto, GTA under freezing rain warning

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

Toronto and most of the GTA are under a freezing rain warning as the Christmas long weekend begins.Environment Canada says freezing rain is expected to begin overnight and carry into Saturday morning, creating icy and slippery conditions across the region.“Latest analysis suggests that a few hours of freezing rain are likely beginning overnight and persisting into Saturday morning. Freezing rain is expected to be light, which should limit ice build-up to 2 mm at most,” the national weather service said in a statement issued late Friday.Environment Canada says the closer you are to Lake Ontario, the less likely the threat of freezing rain as temperatures are expected to be just above the freezing mark.The warning also extends to Mississauga, Brampton, York and Durham regions.

North Dakota lawmaker made homophobic remarks to officer during DUI stop, bodycam footage shows

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota lawmaker who serves on a panel that handles law enforcement legislation made homophobic and anti-migrant remarks to a police officer who arrested him on a charge of driving drunk, body camera footage shows.Republican state Rep. Nico Rios of Williston was also charged with refusing to provide a chemical test. Both that and the drunken driving charge are misdemeanors under state law. Rios is scheduled for a Feb. 5 pretrial conference in municipal court. Williston police pulled him over on Dec. 15 for failing to maintain his lane, according to an officer’s report. The officer wrote that Rios “was verbally abusive, homophobic, racially abusive and discriminatory” toward him “for the entire duration of the incident following road side testing.”The homophobic slurs can be heard in body camera footage requested by and provided to The Associated Press. In the recording, Rios also said he would call the North Dakota attorney general about the situat...

First Quantum says Panama hasn’t provided legal basis for mine closure plan

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

TORONTO — First Quantum Minerals Ltd. says the Panama government hasn’t provided a legal basis for pursuing a closure plan for its Cobre Panama copper mine. The company says that earlier this week, the government announced it’s pursuing a plan to close the mine that it intends to present in June.But First Quantum says its subsidiary Minera Panama S.A. has been unable to formally engage with the Panama government “to clarify the legal situation and associated environmental obligations.” The company suspended operations at the mine in late November after Panama’s Supreme Court ruled that a 20-year concession agreement covering the copper mine was unconstitutional.The agreement has raised both nationalist and environmental concerns, prompting widespread protests. First Quantum says it’s crucial that steps are taken to ensure the mine is maintained safely, and the company will “pursue all appropriate legal avenues to protect its investment and r...

Utah man is charged with killing 2-year-old boy, and badly injuring his twin sister

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:44:34 GMT

ROY, Utah (AP) — A Utah man who served two years in prison breaking a child’s arm seven years ago was charged Friday with killing a 2-year-old boy and badly injuring his twin sister, Weber County prosecutors said.Jonathan Allen Dunn of Roy is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated child abuse and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. The aggravated murder charge carries the possibility of the death penalty, court records said.Dunn, who told officers he had been babysitting the children, called 911 on Thursday morning to report the boy was not breathing, an affidavit supporting the charges said. After his arrest, Dunn, 36, acknowledged punching the children in the back, sides and chest on Wednesday night and said that “he was hitting them harder than he should have,” court records said.He also reported pinching the children and pushing them into a door frame, court records said. He said he gave them both Tylenol, gave the boy cough medicine and the girl some chi...