2 charged in death of 20-year-old Dartmouth College student Won Jang
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(NEW YORK) — Two people have been charged in the death of Dartmouth College student Won Jang, 20, who was found dead by the Connecticut River on the school’s New Hampshire campus in July, according to police.
The Hanover Police Department announced misdemeanor charges for providing alcohol to persons under 21 years of age at an event Jang attended before his death.
A sorority was also charged as a corporation for facilitating an underage alcohol party, which was organized by its members, according to the Hanover Police.
Jang was found dead off the shore of the Connecticut River on the school’s campus on July 7 after drinking at a fraternity party the night before, according to police.
At the time of his death he had a blood alcohol level of 0.167.
Dartmouth College previously suspended a sorority and fraternity on campus in relation to Jang’s death.
The college said its Greek organizations have a responsibility to ensure the school remains a safe, respectful, equitable and inclusive community.
“Following the tragic loss of Won Jang during the summer, Dartmouth immediately suspended both Alpha Phi and Beta Alpha Omega, and an internal investigation was initiated. These suspensions remain in effect pending the results of Dartmouth’s internal investigation and conduct process, which is still ongoing,” Dartmouth said in a statement to ABC News Friday.
(LOS ANGELES, Calif.) — Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has issued an executive order to rebuild homes and businesses that the city lost in the ongoing LA County fires that overall have so far burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed more than 12,000 structures
The executive order calls for city agencies to expedite temporary occupancy approvals for 1,400 housing units that are near completion, and the establishment of a “Debris Removal Task Force” and “Watershed Hazards Task Force” to respectively develop plans for debris removal and mitigate the risks and dangers of post-fire flash floods, mudslides and debris flows.
The order also calls for city agencies to collectively expedite the building permit review process, calling for reviews to be done in 30 days following the submission of an application. Inspections by the Department of Building and Safety are to be conducted in two business days of a submitted request, according to the order.
For structures being rebuilt, city agencies will be required to process necessary clearances and releases related to building permit applications and certificates of occupancy within five business days, the order states.
The order notes that eligible rebuilds under these requirements must be rebuilt at the same location where they previously existed, used for the same use as the previous structure and are not to exceed 110% of the floor area, height, and bulk of the previous structure.
“This unprecedented natural disaster warrants an unprecedented response that will expedite the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities,” Bass said in a statement. “This order is the first step in clearing away red tape and bureaucracy to organize around urgency, common sense and compassion. We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home.”
Bass received criticism for being away from the city on a planned diplomatic trip to Ghana when the Palisades Fire first erupted and has been hit by critics for her leadership, particularly from her 2022 Republican mayoral opponent Rick Caruso who claimed Bass was “abandoning her post” during the tragedy in an interview with Politico.
Bass, who posted a warning about the windstorm on social media ahead of the wildfires, told reporters Wednesday, Jan. 8, the day after the fire started, that she took the “fastest route back, which included being on a military plane.”
The wildfires have been predicted by financial analysts to “be the costliest wildfire event in California history,” with Goldman Sachs estimating total losses at $40 billion.
With families displaced across the county, the wildfires have put pressure on communities already facing housing crises. California, and specifically Los Angeles County, has some of the highest rent and home costs in the country, according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, with mid-tier homes priced more than twice as high as an average mid-tier home in the United States.
According to Apartments.com, renters also face challenges: the average rent in Los Angeles is 39% higher than the national average rent, the real estate research organization states.
According to the U.S. Office of Housing and Urban Development, the availability of housing for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the area led to a decline in homelessness for the first time in 7 years.
Los Angeles County’s point-in-time estimate of homelessness declined by 0.27%, while the city estimated a decline of 2.2%. The unsheltered homeless population decreased by larger margins, with the county decreasing it by 5.1% and the city decreasing it by 10.4%.
Addressing homelessness and the lack of affordable housing in the region was a key piece of Bass’ campaign, though not without controversy and hurdles.
In December 2022, Bass declared a state of emergency concerning homelessness on her first day in office.
Bass’ Executive Directive 1, aimed at expediting thousands of affordable housing projects, was also criticized by some residents for targeting areas with rent-controlled apartments that had tenants in place who would be displaced by demolition and construction or for potentially impacting wealthier, designated historic districts.
Bass’ latest order does not note how it may impact the creation of these affordable housing projects.
Since the start of her tenure, she founded Inside Safe, a program to house homeless residents in local hotels and motels. According to local reports, the program faced pushback from hotel and motel owners tasked with housing the participants and was criticized for the poor living conditions faced by those being sheltered.
The program’s website states it has placed more than 3,600 people in temporary housing and more than 700 in permanent housing so far.
Overall, Bass’ office states it has moved 23,000 homeless residents into temporary housing and doubled the number of residents it has moved into permanent housing.
ABC News’ Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
(TAMPA, Fla.) — One pedestrian was killed and several pedestrians and officers were hurt by a driver who allegedly drove into people in multiple intentional hit-and-runs in Tampa, Florida, Sunday night, police said.
“Tonight was a tragic night involving an extremely dangerous suspect” who was fatally shot by police, ending the “violent rampage,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said at a news conference.
The incidents began just before 8:30 p.m. when officers responded to a report of a driver blocking someone’s car at a Dollar General, Bercaw said.
The two drivers argued and eventually the victim left, the chief said. Then, the victim noticed the suspect was following him to his house, and the two drivers threw items at each other, Bercaw said.
The suspect then “reversed out, hitting the victim with the car twice,” the chief said. “While this was happening, a friend of the victim was firing at the suspect in an attempt to stop this violent act.”
That first victim was listed in stable condition, the chief said.
At 8:33 p.m., the suspect drove his white Honda in circles and then struck and killed a man in an apparently intentional act, police said.
The suspect fled and then struck another pedestrian, who survived, police said.
At 8:39 p.m., the suspect was seen driving toward pedestrians on a sidewalk, police said. The driver struck another man who was hospitalized with serious head injuries but is expected to be OK, Bercaw said.
At 10:16 p.m., another call came in reporting that the driver intentionally veered into people, striking another person, Bercaw said.
Police chased the suspect and eventually stopped his car, Bercaw said.
“The suspect was getting out of the car, reaching for what [officers] believed was a weapon, and then shots were fired,” Bercaw said. “The suspect did not survive.”
Three officers were injured in that incident; none of their injuries are life-threatening, Bercaw said.
The 47-year-old suspect, whose name was not released, had an “extensive violent criminal history” and was released from prison about two years ago, the chief said.
“This was a violent night,” the chief said.
“Our thoughts are with the family of the man who was killed,” he added.
(ROME, Ga.) — The death of a woman this week in a car crash involving a police officer who was responding to a bomb threat against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Georgia home demonstrates the growing danger of swatting, police and experts said.
Swatting refers to when a false threat is made to draw police and first responders to a location.
The woman, identified by police as Tammie Pickelsimer, was killed after crashing into a bomb squad member who was responding to the call, according to a statement from the Rome Police Department.
According to police, the threat was sent by email to them last week, but it was re-routed to a junk folder. Police on Monday discovered the email which correctly listed the congresswoman’s home address.
Greene was not home at the time, but the message from the email specifically targeted the congresswoman’s mailbox, Greene posted on X.
The email spurred a response from police who then sent an officer to monitor the mailbox while waiting for the bomb squad.
Rome police sergeant and bomb squad member David Metroka was en route to join the bomb squad at their headquarters when he crashed into the 66-year-old Pickelsimer, Georgia State Patrol said.
Picklesimer suffered significant injuries and later died at the hospital, according to GSP. The officer had minor injuries and was later released from the hospital.
Police did not find a bomb at Greene’s home. In a statement, the Rome Police Department addressed the dangers of swatting incidents.
“The Rome Police Department continues to work closely with Congresswoman Greene’s staff to address the growing concern of swatting incidents and has implemented protocols to ensure that emergency responses are only triggered when truly necessary,” the police department said in a statement. “This particular situation did not require an emergency response.”
The police department added, “The Rome Police Department extends its heartfelt condolences to the Pickelsimer family during this difficult time. The department holds the individual responsible for sending the threatening email fully accountable for setting this tragic chain of events into motion. In collaboration with Congresswoman Greene’s office, the Rome Police Department is working with federal authorities to ensure the perpetrator is apprehended and brought to justice.”
The Rome Police Department told ABC News the email had an IP address linked to Russia.
Greene said she “felt heartsick,” and expressed her concern over violent political threats in a statement on X.
“These violent political threats have fatal consequences,” she said. “It’s an undue strain on our law enforcement who must treat them seriously. The officer was responding to protect my life. And now, a woman has lost her life because of this despicable act.”
According to John Bandler, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, swatting is a harassment tactic used to dispatch an “arm of government” for emergency services.
Bandler believes the uptick in swatting stems from cyber crimes allowing criminals to commit a crime against someone else without having to get close to it, he said.
“It is a way people can do a crime and they think they won’t get caught doing it,” Bandler said. “And it seems much more an indirect way of doing it.”
Most people are never going to be swatted, Bandler said. But he notes it will be hard to protect yourself from this sort of crime, just like it is to protect yourself from all crime, he said.
Bandler calls for all swatting attempts to be prosecuted as a felony in every state and on the federal level. Swatting becomes a felony on the federal level when it crosses state lines.
He said swatting is extremely dangerous and scatters police efforts.
“Not only are you wasting law enforcement’s time, but you’re triggering that emergency response and that is always going to be dangerous,” Bandler said.
Greene said her office is cooperating with local law enforcement and the FBI as they investigate the threat.
