Woman suffers burns in Savannah chemical attack: Police
Savannah Police are looking for a suspect in conjunction with a crime where police say a woman had an unknown chemical poured on her. Savannah Police Department.
(SAVANNAH, Ga.) — A woman is recovering after officials say she was the victim of a chemical assault in Savannah, Georgia.
The victim suffered burns in the incident, officials said. She was walking around Forsyth Park near West Waldburg and Whitaker streets just before 8 p.m. on Wednesday when a man came from behind and poured a chemical on her, according to police.
The victim did not know the man, officials said, and no arrests have been made yet. On Thursday, Savannah police released an image of a man in dark clothing they are trying to locate.
Savannah resident Grace Warner told WJCL that the incident shocked her.
“I walk around this park a lot, even at night,” she said. “You just don’t expect something like this to happen here.”
Savannah Police Chief Lenny B. Gunther noted in a press release that local authorities are investigating the incident.
“Our first priority is the well-being of the victim, and our detectives are working around the clock to determine exactly what happened,” he said. “While this was a disturbing incident, we want to reassure our community that we are actively investigating and have increased patrols in our parks out of an abundance of caution.”
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson also released a statement on social media decrying the incident.
“City leadership is working closely to ensure SPD has every resource needed, from personnel to technology, to bring resolution to this case swiftly,” he said in the Facebook post. “We will continue to keep our community informed, and we thank everyone who has already stepped forward to assist.”
The uncle of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman who was fatally stabbed while riding the Charlotte light rail, speaks out after his niece’s murder. (ABC News)
(CHARLOTTE, N.C.) — The uncle of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian woman who was fatally stabbed while riding the Charlotte light rail late last month, spoke out after his niece’s death, saying on Friday that she “didn’t deserve” to be killed.
“Iryna was…she was the glue of the family,” the uncle, who requested to not be named, told “Good Morning America.”
Zarutska, 23, was fatally stabbed on Aug. 22 just before 10 p.m. while riding the Blue Lynx Line in Charlotte, according to an affidavit obtained by ABC News.
The recent release of the attack on video has caused national outrage, with President Donald Trump demanding the suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown, be “awarded THE DEATH PENALTY” in a social media post on Wednesday.
The victim’s uncle, who described his niece as a “comforter” and “confidant,” said Zarutska fled Ukraine and arrived in the United States in 2022, where she was living with her uncle, aunt, mother and siblings before moving in with her boyfriend in May, he said. Officials said Zarutska had lived in a bomb shelter before arriving in the U.S.
He said that Zarutska immediately wanted to go to work once arriving in the United States. After receiving the proper papers, she worked at a sandwich shop and an assisted living home with her mother, according to her uncle.
Zarutska, who was working at a local pizzeria at the time of her death, had a “strong desire to have a better life” and was planning on going to school to become a veterinary assistant, according to her uncle. She was also taking English classes at a community college, he noted.
But her aspirations were “taken from us” on the night of Aug. 22, her uncle said.
That night, Zarutska had just finished work and had “texted her boyfriend that she would be home soon,” according to a statement from her family’s attorney.
She boarded the train and sat in an aisle seat in front of the suspect, who is seen wearing an orange sweatshirt, the affidavit noted.
The train travels for “approximately four and a half minutes before the suspect pulls a knife out of his pocket, unfolds the knife, pauses, then stands up, and strikes at the victim three times,” the affidavit said.
“If you watch the video, you can see, she just came on and she took the first seat that was available to her. It would appear she didn’t recognize there was any danger,” her uncle told “Good Morning America.”
Zarutska’s family viewed the footage of her death at the same time as the public, according to her uncle.
“I watched the video — it was just terrible, just absolutely terrible. She didn’t deserve that and nobody does. It’s been very tough on the family,” her uncle said.
Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene and a witness directed officials to the location of the suspect, the affidavit said.
The victim’s loved ones “became alarmed” when Zarutska did not arrive at her apartment “at the anticipated time,” with her phone’s location showing she was still at the train station, the family’s attorney said in a statement.
“Upon arriving at the station, they were devastated to learn that Iryna had died at the scene,” the family’s attorney said.
Her uncle, who was out of town when his niece was killed, was told by his wife to “come home right now” when the family was alerted of Zarutska’s death, he noted.
He said in the last text message he received from Zarutska, she was “expressing gratitude and how happy she was here in the United States.”
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) confirmed to ABC News there was no security on board the train at the time of the attack, with a spokesperson saying a security team “patrols the system, they are not stationed in one area.”
In the aftermath of Zarutska’s death, her uncle said that “things need to change.”
“Our country has to change on how we deal with these situations, and that requires our leadership to take action, and I need for them to take actions,” he said.
Brown, who was arrested for Zarutska’s murder the same night she was killed, was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of North Carolina with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, which could make him eligible for the death penalty, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.
The suspect has a criminal record including larceny and breaking and entering charges. He also spent five years in prison for robbery with a dangerous weapon starting in 2015, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction.
In total, Brown has been charged 14 times in the past, including an arrest in January, but was “still on the streets” leading up to the attack, North Carolina FBI Special Agent James Barnacle Jr. said on Tuesday.
Brown’s mother and sister said he struggled with mental illness for years after being released from prison and that he claimed there was a “material” in his body that controlled him. His mother, Michelle Dewitt, told ABC News on Wednesday her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been given medication, but she said he refused to take it.
Brown’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 19, according to court records. It is unclear whether Brown has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
Despite the Ukrainian Embassy reaching out to Zarutska’s family, her uncle said she was buried in the United States, with her father — who is still in Kyiv — watching over FaceTime, who is “heartbroken” after his daughter’s death.
Once the news of her death circulated, Zarutska’s uncle said he remembers the outreach from the community, calling it “unbelievable.” When she was alive, he said Zarutska would paint murals in people’s homes and take care of their dogs and children, but he didn’t realize how she “touched a lot of people in a very short period of time.”
“I’ve lost family members in my life, of course, but just the outpouring of support from my neighbors, it was just remarkable,” her uncle said.
(MIAMI) — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, while Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is among several people charged in a separate but related illegal gambling case, authorities announced on Thursday.
Billups, in his fifth season as head coach, was arrested in Oregon, where he is expected to make an initial court appearance on Thursday, sources said.
The poker games were allegedly rigged in favor of those running the games, using advanced technology, such as rigged shuffling machines and even X-ray technology to read cards facing down on the table, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said.
Christopher Raia, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, called it a “massive, nationwide takedown” of 34 defendants in connection with two separate sports betting and illegal poker schemes.
Among the defendants are current and former NBA coaches and players as well as 13 Mafia members and associates, Raia said.
Billups coached the Trail Blazers in their season opener on Wednesday night, a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Billups was also a star player, mostly for the Detroit Pistons, before retiring in 2014. He was a five-time All-Star in his 17 years in the NBA and led the Pistons to the NBA title in 2004, being named Finals MVP.
He was the No. 3 overall pick in 1997 and finished his career with 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were charged in a separate case, authorities announced.
They allegedly passed inside information to four co-defendants, who are accused of passing the information to a network of sports bettors, sources said. Those bettors allegedly placed wagers with online sports books or retail betting outlets, which prohibit betting based on nonpublic information.
The indictment included an example from March 23, 2023, when Rozier — then playing for the Charlotte Hornets — allegedly tipped off a co-defendant that he planned to leave the game early with a purported injury, sources said. He left the game nine minutes in. A co-defendant and others allegedly placed $200,000 in wagers, betting Rozier would underperform his statistics.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the charges at a news conference Thursday, saying over 30 people were arrested in the “historic” and ongoing cases.
Rozier is in his 11th year in the league. He’s appeared in 665 games and has averaged 13.9 points per game over 665 games played. He was a key contributor for the Boston Celtics on playoff runs in 2016-19 before joining the Hornets.
His team opened the 2025 season Wednesday night in Orlando, but Rozier did not play as he deals with a hamstring injury.
Last year, former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to wire fraud and received a lifetime NBA ban after he bet on his team to lose, pretended to be hurt for gambling purposes and shared confidential information with gamblers.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
A man plays a trumpet on Bourbon Street, November 29, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana amid reports of federal immigration enforcement surge. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images)
(NEW ORLEANS, La.) — More than 200 federal agents are expected to begin fanning out across New Orleans on Wednesday after the Department of Homeland Security announced the start of an immigration crackdown dubbed Operation Catahoula Crunch.
Named after the Louisiana state dog, the immigration enforcement operation in New Orleans is the latest stop in the Trump administration’s nationwide effort targeting undocumented migrants with criminal records, according to the DHS.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commander-at-large Greg Bovino is expected to lead the operation in New Orleans, sources with knowledge of the plans told ABC News.
“We are here arresting criminals who should not be here,” Bovino said on Wednesday in a post on X, announcing the operation. “The state, local and federal law enforcement partners in Louisiana are excellent partners!!”
The actions of the CBP have previously ignited protests and pushback from Democratic leaders in Chicago, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina. The crackdown has also prompted violent clashes between protesters and federal agents, who have deployed tear gas to quell demonstrations.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, DHS alleged that New Orleans’ sanctuary policies have led to the release of immigrants “who continue committing crimes against innocent Americans.”
“Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
McLaughlin said the immigration operation will go after “violent criminals who were released after arrest for home invasions, armed robbery, grand theft auto and rape.”
But some leaders in other cities where immigration sweeps occurred have criticized the tactics of masked federal agents they allege have instilled fear in their communities by snatching up people off the streets for simply being in the country illegally.
“What we are seeing unfold in our community is not public safety; it is a political stunt wrapped in badges, armored vehicles, and military uniforms,” Rep. Troy Carter Sr., D-La., who represents New Orleans, said in a statement on Tuesday. “These are militarized forces who are not trained in our local laws, not trained in community-based de-escalation, and do not know our neighborhoods or our people. That is a recipe for fear, confusion, and dangerous mistakes.”
New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, a Democrat who immigrated to the United States from Mexico as a child, issued a statement last month advising immigrants in New Orleans to know their constitutional protections.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, has welcomed the federal immigration enforcement in New Orleans.
“New Orleans is a place under which we’ve had illegal criminal activity, alien activity,” Landry said in an interview on Fox News last month.
In a social media post on Saturday, Bovino hinted at “next level” immigration enforcement, but didn’t reveal where that would occur.
“Hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen, immigration enforcement is going next level,” Bovino said in the post. “Illegal aliens, utilize the CBP Home app. to self deport — immediately.”
Bovino has come under fire after video from a protest in October showed him throwing a tear gas canister at demonstrators in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood without giving a verbal warning, a violation of a U.S. district judge’s earlier temporary restraining order limiting the use of force.
U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis admonished Bovino during a court appearance in November, saying he admitted to lying about the rock-throwing incident used to justify the deployment of tear gas against protesters. She then issued a preliminary injunction limiting the use of force during immigration arrests and protests.
The Trump administration appealed Ellis’s injunction. The Department of Justice argued, “This overbroad and unworkable injunction has no basis in law, threatens the safety of federal officers, and violates the separation of powers.” On Nov. 19, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay on the injunction.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the FBI New Orleans Field Office and the Louisiana State Police announced a joint enforcement effort to “deter assaults on federal officers and attempts to obstruct law enforcement actions.”
“We will not tolerate assaults on law enforcement officers in Louisiana and there will be consequences,” Jonathan Tapp, the special agent in charge of the New Orleans Field Office, said in the statement.
Tapp warned that FBI agents and State Police will “investigate and arrest anyone assaulting law enforcement officers, unlawfully impeding federal law enforcement activity, or assisting anyone to commit this criminal activity.”
