Top Miami Area Local News Stories
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<p> Three people are dead after a standoff Thursday night in which police said a man took his wife and children hostage. </p><p> A SWAT team moved in on a recreational vehicle in Deerfield Beach after neighbors found a man shot and bleeding and the gunman inside claiming to have a hostage, according to police. </p><p> "He was bleeding, blood all over the place," said witness Gerald Baudim. </p><p> "When he was lying there, he was still breathing. He was still breathing," said witness Larraine Garneau. </p><p> Joanna Beauchemin said her mother, Pierrette Beauchemin, was the hostage, and her mom's boyfriend was the one killed. She said this started when a man, identified by BSO as William De Jesus, 41, of Port Orange, pulled up in a car with his wife and two kids, asking to use Beauchemin's phone. </p><p> BSO said Ovila Plante, 76, of Quebec, who was with Beauchemin, approached De Jesus, who started yelling. Plante pushed De Jesus, who then pulled out a revolver and shot Plante in the chest, investigators said. When Plante fell to the ground, De Jesus shot him in the head, killing him, BSO said.</p><p> De Jesus led his wife, Deanna De Jesus, 37, and their two children, Jeshiah and Samson, ages 9 and 7, into the RV, with Beauchemin still inside, BSO said.</p><p> "We see the guy closed the window and everything," said witness Rick Forteil.</p><p> "We saw the man in the trailer breaking all the lights," said Garneau.</p><p> Cops arrived and stood their ground as negotiators worked to coax the gunman out peacefully. Moments later, a woman, identified as Beauchemin, emerged from the RV unharmed. </p><p> Police decided to make a move at about 12:30 a.m. Friday after a standoff that lasted for hours. Once inside, they found Jeshiah De Jesus dead and his 7-year-old brother, Samson, and his mother, Deanna De Jesus, in critical condition. </p><p> William De Jesus took his life before cops could confront him, BSO said.</p><p> Investigators determined that William De Jesus stabbed his sons with a knife from the RV's kitchen, then stabbed his wife and himself.</p><p> "It was devastating to everyone who worked here all night long to have a little boy die and another little boy and woman critically injured," said Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Dani Moschella.</p><p> Samson and Deanna De Jesus remained in serious condition at hospitals Friday.</p>
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:46:26 GMT
<p> A wastewater main break has been reported in Miami Beach.</p><p> The incident occurred on Indian Creek Drive near 69th Street.</p><p> The city of Miami Beach said it does not know how much wastewater leaked.</p><p> City representatives said crews were at the scene and had one valve shut down. They are working to cap the leak.</p><p> Several roads in the area are closed down. </p><p> Officials said drinking water in the area is not affected.</p><p> Miami Beach representatives said they expect to finish fixing the wastewater main by the end of Friday.</p><p> The cause of the break is unknown.</p>
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:50:33 GMT
<p> A man was arrested at the Sawgrass Mills mall, accused of taking pictures up women’s skirts. </p><p> Police said Mel Ortiz, 29, was using a video camera to capture images underneath the dresses of women who were shopping. </p><p> The incident happened at the Saks Fifth Avenue store, police said. </p><p> Mall security guards told police they spotted Ortiz sneaking around the store with the camera and videotaping the unsuspecting women. </p><p> It was similar to another incident in December at the Saw Grass Mills Mall. In that case, a man was caught in the clothing aisle with his cellphone at the Marshalls store. When security guards approached him, he tried frantically to delete the images, police said. </p><p> Ortiz is charged with voyeurism and providing false information to police. He's being held with no bond as authorities try to determine his immigration status.</p>
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:52:47 GMT
<p> A father accused of beating his 4-month-old son, fracturing his skull, is charged with murder after the baby dies.</p><p> Yosi Mahlab faced a judge Miami-Dade County court Friday morning, charged with first-degree murder in the death of his son, Javon.</p><p> The mother of the baby recently took the child off life support. </p><p> Mahlab was already in jail and expected to face additional charges in connection with the incident. </p><p> According to police, Mahlab called police Jan. 28 to report that his son was unconscious. The child was rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital in critical condition. </p><p> Instigators said the infant had internal bleeding and a fractured skull. The arrest reports stated the Mahlab hit his son in the face twice. The child fell of the father’s lap and hit his head on a night stand, police said. </p><p> The boy was being kept alive on life support until recently.</p>
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:51:56 GMT
<p> A woman and a horse were killed and another woman was injured Friday morning in an explosion at an equine rehabilitation center in Ocala.</p><p> Authorities said a hyperbaric chamber exploded around 9:30 a.m. at Kesmarc Florida at 15530 West County Road 326.</p><p> Fire rescue officials said the horse started kicking while it was inside the chamber and the workers went to turn the chamber off when the explosion occurred.</p><p> One woman died at the scene. The other was airlifted to a hospital.</p><p> Authorities are investigating.</p>
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:40:57 GMT
<p> An 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting that critically wounded a 17-year-old boy Thursday in Liberty City. </p><p> Terry Joseph Darling, 18, was arrested in connection with the shooting of Brandon Allen, 17. </p><p> Miami police said Allen and some friends were walking home from school at about 2:40 p.m. when someone drove by and started shooting, wounding Allen. </p><p> According to the arrest affidavit, Allen’s friends identified the shooter as Darling. Police said Darling drove by the group in a green Nissan Maxima, made a U-turn and drove back toward them and stopped. </p><p> The affidavit said Darling, who was driving the car, leaned out the window and fired six shots across the roof of the car at the group of teenagers. </p><p> Allen was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he was in serious condition Friday after undergoing surgery. </p><p> Darling was arrested on count of first-degree attempted murder and three counts of aggravated assault.</p>
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:40:21 GMT
<p> First Lady Michelle Obama will make a trip to South Florida Friday where she will continue her fight against childhood obesity.</p><p> Mrs. Obama will visit the YMCA Family Center, 1034 NE 8th Street in Homestead.</p><p> She will be joined by pediatricians as well as experts from the popular medical website, WebMD.</p><p> The First Lady and the doctors will focus on physical fitness and the importance of eating healthy.</p><p> This is all part of Mrs. Obama's national initiative called "Let's Move" which is designed to help fight childhood obesity.</p>
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:05:04 GMT
<p> UM President Donna Shalala, Zoo Miami's Ron Magill and State Rep, Ana Rivas Logan will be among the thousands expected Saturday for BARKupy Miami, an event that will impact the future of pets in Miami-Dade County.</p><p> The first-ever coalition that has united rescue groups, animal advocates and the community will gather at Tropical Park at 11 a.m. on Saturday to demand the right to vote on life-saving legislation for animals in Miami.</p><p> The goal is to establish a Pets’ Trust in Miami-Dade County, modeled after The Children’s Trust, in order to improve the welfare of animals and end shelter deaths of adoptable pets. </p><p> The Pets’ Trust is the brainchild of Michael Rosenberg, a South Florida resident who vowed to do something good for animals when the kitten he adopted at Miami-Dade Animal Services died after contracting panleukopenia, a deadly virus that spread through Miami-Dade Animal Services, forcing the shelter's temporary closing last year.</p><p> The Pet's Trust would run independently of the County. </p><p> The goal of BARKupy Miami is to get the people of Miami to vote on this matter. But before they can vote, the governor and the legislature have to grant the residents of Miami-Dade County the ability to put it on the official ballot. </p><p> BARKupy Miami's coordinators see this event as a chance for animal advocates to tell Tallahassee that they want to vote and make their voices heard.</p><p> "Pets’ Trust has developed life-saving legislation to fund programs that will solve the issues facing our community’s animals: overpopulation, high euthanasia rates, lack of affordable spay/neuter programs and limited educational programs," Rosenberg said. "Each year more than 20,000 animals are killed at Miami-Dade Animal Services. In the last 25 years, this number has remained constant, as more that 70 dogs and cats are killed daily. If the community does not act now another 400,000 adoptable animals will face certain death over the next 20 years."</p><p> BARKupy Miami will be held at Tropical Park, 7900 SW 40th Street (by the stadium) from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. </p><p> For more information, please visitwww.PetsTrustMiami.com.</p><p> You can download a flier with complete information by clicking here.</p><p> To read more about the Pets' Trust, click here.</p>
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:34:05 GMT
After the yearbooks came out, school couldn't end soon enough for these students. Just proves that class pictures may take only a second to snap... but they last a lifetime.
Published: Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:41:44 GMT
J.C. Penney recently hired talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres as a spokeswoman in an effort to rebuild its image, despite protests. Celebrity spokespeople have stirred controversy before. While Ellen has earned J.C. Penney's support, some celebrities have lost their jobs due to their own bad behavior. Here's how other famous spokespeople have faired.
Published: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:00:00 GMT
Click to see the latest mugshots from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties.
Published: Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:54:45 GMT
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