(CHICAGO) — A woman has been accused of a hate crime after she allegedly targeted a man wearing a “Palestine” sweatshirt at an Illinois Panera Bread, authorities said.
Alexandra Szustakiewicz, 64, was at a Panera in Downers Grove, a Chicago suburb, around noon on Saturday when she saw a man wearing a sweatshirt that said “Palestine” on it, the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office said. She allegedly confronted him and started yelling expletives, prosecutors said.
When a woman who was with the man started taking video of the confrontation, Szustakiewicz allegedly tried to hit the phone out of the woman’s hand, prosecutors said.
Szustakiewicz, a Darien resident, was taken into custody the next day and is accused of committing “a hate crime by reason of perceived national origin,” prosecutors said.
“This type of behavior is not and will never be tolerated in our community,” Downers Grove Chief of Police Michael DeVries said in a statement.
Downers Grove is about 23 miles west of Chicago.
“Every member of society, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or any other individual characteristic, deserves to be treated with respect and civility,” DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin added.
Szustakiewicz made her first court appearance on Monday on two counts of hate crime and one count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct, authorities said.
(ATHENS, Ga.) — Police questioned the man accused of killing Laken Riley about multiple scratches on his arms a day after the 22-year-old nursing student was found murdered on the University of Georgia’s campus, body camera footage played Monday during the suspect’s bench trial showed.
Police spoke to the defendant, Jose Ibarra, who is an undocumented migrant, at his apartment in Athens on Feb. 23, while investigating Riley’s death. The Augusta University student was found beaten in a wooded area on the Athens campus on Feb. 22 after she didn’t return from a run, authorities said. Her brutal death became a rallying cry for immigration reform from many conservatives, including President-elect Donald Trump.
Special prosecutor Sheila Ross said last week that Ibarra was “hunting” for women on the campus and encountered Riley while she was on her run. Ross said the evidence shows an extended struggle ensued and Riley “fought for her life” before dying due to blunt force trauma and asphyxiation. Ibarra’s DNA was found under Riley’s fingernails, according to Ross.
Officers questioned Ibarra in connection with the murder after a suspicious jacket was found in a dumpster near his apartment, Ross said. Ring camera footage captured a man discarding the jacket, which had Riley’s hair on it, in the dumpster at 9:44 a.m. on Feb. 22, about 16 minutes after she died, Ross said.
University of Georgia Police Sgt. Joshua Epps testified Monday that he noticed a scratch on Ibarra’s right bicep while questioning him at his apartment.
“On his left arm, he had a forearm scratch that was very similar, which in my mind, looked like fingernail scratches to me,” Epps said.
Epps said he also observed a fresh “puncture” on Ibarra’s left wrist.
Prosecutors entered into evidence on Monday photos of Ibarra’s scratches on his arms and bruising on his palm.
Body camera footage of the officers’ questioning Ibarra was also played in court.
When asked about what happened to his right bicep, Ibarra told officers that he had a scratch but “didn’t exactly explain from where or how,” University of Georgia officer Rafael Sayan, who was called to translate during the questioning, testified on Monday.
When asked what happened to his left wrist, Ibarra first said he didn’t have anything there, then said, “It’s just a scratch,” according to Sayan.
When asked why his knuckle was red, Ibarra said it was because of the cold, Sayan said.
Ibarra was detained following the questioning, Epps said. He was arrested that day on murder charges in connection with Riley’s death.
During testimony on Monday, one of Ibarra’s roommates identified Ibarra as the man discarding the jacket in the dumpster, based on his cap and loafers.
Ibarra, 26, has pleaded not guilty to malice murder and felony murder.
Police have said they believe Ibarra — a migrant from Venezuela who officials said illegally entered the U.S. in 2022 — did not know Riley and that this was a “crime of opportunity.”
Additional charges in the 10-count indictment include aggravated battery, kidnapping with bodily injury, aggravated assault with intent to rape, obstructing or hindering a person making an emergency telephone call and tampering with evidence. The latter charge alleged that he “knowingly concealed” evidence — including the jacket found in the dumpster — involving the offense of malice murder.
Ibarra waived his right to a jury trial. The case is being presented in the Athens-Clarke County courtroom to Judge H. Patrick Haggard, who will render a verdict.
(GATESVILLE, Tx.) — The family of Melissa Lucio, a death row inmate whose execution was delayed in 2022, expressed hope that the Texas woman would be freed after a judge concluded last month that Lucio is “actually innocent” after she was convicted of capital murder in 2008 for the death of her 2-year-old daughter.
“This is the best news we could get going into the holidays,” said her son, John Lucio, and daughter-in-law Michelle Lucio in a statement released by the Innocence Project.
“We pray our mother will be home soon,” the Lucios added, joined by Lucio’s son, Bobby Alvarez.
In a 62-page ruling that was signed on Oct. 16, 2024, and reviewed by ABC News, Senior State District Judge Arturo Nelson recommended that Lucio’s conviction and death sentence be overturned in the 2007 death of her daughter Mariah.
The judge found that prosecutors suppressed evidence and testimony – including statements from Lucio’s other children – that could support the argument that Lucio was not abusive and that her daughter’s death was accidental after a fall down the stairs.
“This Court finds (Lucio) has satisfied her burden and produced clear and convincing evidence that she is actually innocent of the offense of capital murder,” Nelson wrote in the ruling.
“(T)his Court concludes there is clear and convincing evidence that no rational juror could convict Applicant of capital murder or any lesser included offense,” Nelson added.
The judge’s recommendation was sent to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for review. ABC News reached out to the court for updates in the case.
“Melissa Lucio lived every parent’s nightmare when she lost her daughter after a tragic accident,” Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation at the Innocence Project, and one of Lucio’s attorneys, said in a statement on Thursday.
“It became a nightmare from which she couldn’t wake up when she was sent to death row for a crime that never happened. After 16 years on death row, it’s time for the nightmare to end. Melissa should be home right now with her children and grandchildren.”
Lucio has maintained her innocence over the years.
ABC News reached out to the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted this case, but a request for comment was not immediately returned.
Lucio’s story gained national attention through filmmaker Sabrina Van Tassel’s 2020 Netflix documentary, “Melissa vs. the State of Texas,” a documentary that follows Lucio’s journey on death row as she filed her last appeal.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers backed the calls to free the Texas woman and her case was further bolstered by celebrities who called for her freedom, like Kim Kardashian and Helen Prejean, the Catholic nun who wrote the book “Dead Man Walking.”
Abraham Bonowitz, coordinator of the #FreeMelissaLucio Campaign and executive director of Death Penalty Action, told ABC News in a statement on Thursday that Lucio credits the film with bringing attention to her case.
“Melissa Lucio was once two days from execution. It took a film viewed by millions and a massive public relations campaign just to halt her execution and get the courts to order a fresh look at the evidence,” Bonowitz said.
“If it were not for the film that was created, there would never have been enough pressure to stop the execution, which should concern us all — that if you don’t have a film and you don’t have a big campaign, then you can’t be heard,” Bonowitz added in a phone interview on Monday with ABC News.
Amid growing calls for the court to review her case in 2022, Lucio was granted a stay of her scheduled April 27, 2022, execution by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on April 25, 2022 – after nearly 15 years on death row.
“I thank God for my life,” Lucio said in an April 2022 statement reacting to the stay. “I am grateful the Court has given me the chance to live and prove my innocence. Mariah is in my heart today and always. I am grateful to have more days to be a mother to my children and a grandmother to my grandchildren.”
(NEW YORK) — Firefighters battling an outbreak of wildfires across the Northeast amid a historic autumn drought could get some relief from Mother Nature by the middle of this week.
A rainstorm on the way is forecast to reach the Northeast by Wednesday evening. The heaviest rain is expected Wednesday night through Friday from Northern New Jersey to upstate New York and New England, possibly bringing 1 to 2 inches of rain.
The forecast also calls for a chance for snow in western Pennsylvania and upstate New York and into New England on Thursday and Friday.
But until wet weather arrives, critical fire danger conditions will persist throughout the drought-stricken Northeast, officials said. Winds of up to 30 mph are expected to kick up across the Northeast Monday afternoon, and relative humidity is forecast to fall 35%.
Monday marked the second straight day that no new red flag warnings have been issued in the Northeast after nearly a full week of the region being under red flag warnings.
The pending precipitation will be a welcome sight to the hundreds of firefighters still fighting the Jennings Creek Fire burning on the border of New York’s Orange County and New Jersey’s Passaic County.
Joe Pollina, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Upton, New York, told ABC on Monday that 1 to 1 1/2 inches of rain is forecast for the area where the Jennings Creek Fire is located.
“It definitely will help when it comes to the fire,” Pollina said of the rainy forecast.
Over the weekend, the fire, which has burned about 5,000 acres, prompted hundreds of voluntary evacuations when flames jumped a containment line near Greenwood Lake and threatened homes in the private beach community of Wah-ta-Wah Park, according to New York State Parks Department spokesperson Jeff Wernick. On Sunday, Orange County fire officials said efforts to protect structures were successful and no structures were damaged.
The cause of the Jennings Creek Fire remains under investigation.
A New York State Parks and Recreation employee was killed earlier this month while helping the battle the Jennings Creek Fire, officials said. The deceased parks employee was identified by the New York State Police as 18-year-old Dariel Vasquez.
On Sunday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered that flags at state facilities be lowered to half-staff to honor Vasquez.
“Dariel was only 18 years old and had a truly bright future ahead of him that has now been unfairly taken away,” Hochul said. “I commend his dedication to serving and protecting his fellow New Yorkers and his bravery on the front lines.”
The majority of the Northeast has seen less than 25% of normal precipitation over the last month.
Many locations are also having their driest autumn on record, including New York City, Philadelphia, Atlantic City and Bangor, Maine. Boston is in the throes of its second driest fall season on record.
Northeast temperatures are also running 5 to 10 degrees above average for this time of year. The added warmth increases the drying of soils and other fuels such as leaves.
Since Oct. 1, New Jersey firefighters have responded to at least 537 wildfires that have consumed 4,500 acres, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, while officials at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said New York fire crews have battled 60 wildfires since Oct. 1 that have burned 2,100 acres.
At one point last week, the National Weather Service had issued numerous red flag fire danger warnings throughout New Jersey and New York. At least 15 New York counties were under red flag warnings last week, including New York City and all of Long Island.
Multiple wildfires broke out across the Northeast, including some in New York City, where one ignited in the Inwood neighborhood of upper Manhattan and another scorched wooded land in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.
The rash of fires in New York City prompted the New York Fire Department to create the first “brush fire task force” in the department’s 100-year history, FDNY Fire Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said.
In the first 14 days of November, the FDNY responded to 271 brush fires citywide — the highest amount in two weeks in New York City history, according to Tucker.
(NEW YORK) — A man has been taken into custody after allegedly killing two people and injuring a third in an apparent stabbing spree in Manhattan, authorities said.
The first victim, a 30-year-old construction worker, was fatally attacked on West 19th Street at 8:22 a.m. Monday, the NYPD said.
About two hours later, another man was fatally stabbed on East 30th Street, police said.
The third victim, a woman, is in critical condition after being attacked around 10:55 a.m. on East 46th Street, police said.
The 51-year-old suspect — who lives at the Bellevue Men’s Shelter on East 30th Street — allegedly provoked disputes with the victims, according to police. He appeared to pick the victims at random, police said.
(SEATTLE) — An 11-year-old is among three suspects who’ve been arrested in connection with a string of armed robberies at convenience stores and gas stations in the Seattle area, police said.
The 11-year-old, a 21-year-old and a 19-year-old are accused of four robberies committed within two hours early Friday morning and a fifth robbery Friday night, Seattle police said.
The suspects, who wore face masks and were armed with guns, demanded merchandise and cash before fleeing in stolen cars, police said.
No one was hurt, police said.
After the fifth robbery on Friday night, the suspects led several law enforcement agencies on a car chase that spanned multiple jurisdictions, police said.
The suspects eventually stopped the car and fled on foot, and were then taken into custody without incident, police said Saturday.
The adults were booked into King County Jail and the 11-year-old was taken to the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children & Family Justice Center, police said.
(WASHINGTON) — The White House has condemned an incident over the weekend in which a group of masked individuals with Nazi flags marched through the streets of Columbus, Ohio.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement President Joe Biden “abhors the hateful poison of Nazism, Antisemitism, and racism,” which he called “hostile to everything the United States stands for, including protecting the dignity of all our citizens and the freedom to worship.”
“Hate directed against any of us is a threat to every single one of us,” Bates said. “This sickening display comes during a tragic rise in Antisemitic rhetoric and violence that is a crises the American people should all come together against. That is why President Biden launched and continues to act on the first ever national strategy to fight Antisemitism in American history.”
On Saturday afternoon, a group of unidentified individuals marched through Columbus wearing black and carrying flags with swastikas on them.
The individuals were also “armed with firearms,” according to the Columbus Police Department.
Members of the group were detained, but no arrests were ultimately made, police said. Police said officers had initially been advised of a possible “physical altercation,” but released the detained individuals after determining “an assault did not take place.”
Officials spoke out after photos and videos of the demonstrators circulated widely across social media.
In a statement from the city of Columbus, city officials said they “reject the cowardly display” and would work with police to monitor the situation.
“The Columbus community stands squarely against hatred and bigotry,” the statement said. “We will not allow any of our neighbors to be intimidated, threatened or harmed because of who they are, how they worship or whom they love. We embrace tolerance and acceptance, and derive great strength from our diversity. It is who we are as a people, and it is precisely what has enabled us to grow and thrive and reach new heights of excellence.”
“We will not tolerate hate in Ohio,” Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said in a statement on social media Saturday. “Neo-Nazis — their faces hidden behind red masks — roamed streets in Columbus today, carrying Nazi flags and spewing vile and racist speech against people of color and Jews. There were reports that they were also espousing white power sentiments.”
He added, “There is no place in this State for hate, bigotry, antisemitism, or violence, and we must denounce it wherever we see it.”
The incident came a week after another group of masked individuals were seen waving Nazi flags outside a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Howell, Michigan.
(NEW YORK) — Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office are expected to rest their case Monday against Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran who is charged with manslaughter and negligent homicide in the chokehold death of a homeless man aboard a New York City subway car.
Defense attorneys will finish their cross-examination of the medical examiner, Dr. Cynthia Harris, who concluded “there are no alternative reasonable explanations” for Jordan Neely’s death other than Penny’s chokehold.
She is expected to be the last witness for the prosecution, which argued Penny’s chokehold became reckless when he held on too long, beyond the point when Neely represented any kind of threat to subway riders.
Jurors saw a video of Penny demonstrating the chokehold during an interview inside a police precinct.
“He had his back turned to me and I got him in a hold, got him to the ground, and he’s still squirming around and going crazy,” Penny is heard saying.
The defense is expected to shift the focus of the case from Penny to Neely, who had prior arrests, a history of mental illness and drugs in his system.
(NEW YORK) — The Thanksgiving travel period will see record-breaking numbers for those hitting both the roads and the skies, according to reports from several airlines and travel organizations.
American Automobile Association
The American Automobile Association projected that 79.9 million travelers will head to destinations at least 50 miles from their homes over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which officially runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, 2024.
That would be an increase of 1.7 million people from 2023, and 2 million more than in 2019 (looking to pre-pandemic figures, in light of the global event’s impact on travel).
AAA projected that 71.7 million Americans will travel by car over Thanksgiving, an increase of 1.3 million compared to last year.
However, drivers can expect to see lower gas prices this year compared to last year, according to AAA. Last year’s national average was $3.26 per gallon. With prices decreasing this Fall, AAA predicts the national average could drop below $3 per gallon for the first time since 2021, even before Thanksgiving travel begins.
Nearly 2.3 million people will also travel by bus, cruise, or train this Thanksgiving, according to AAA, which an increase of almost 9% from last year and 18% compared to 2019. This growth is largely driven by the rising popularity of cruises in the post-pandemic era, AAA explained.
When it comes to the friendly skies, AAA says that travelers are paying 3% more for domestic flights this Thanksgiving. International flight bookings have surged by 23%, partly due to a 5% decrease in international airfare, according to AAA.
The Top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations of 2024 share a common theme: warm weather. AAA data shows that the Top 3 domestic destinations are cities in Florida, while other top destinations include New York, California, Hawaii and Las Vegas.
Internationally, Europe and the Caribbean dominate the list, driven by interest in beach resorts, tourist attractions and river cruises, according to AAA.
Airlines for America
Airlines for America, a trade organization, said that airlines also expect an all-time high this year. It anticipates that more than 31 million passengers will fly on U.S. carriers over the given holiday period.
That’s compared to nearly 29 million passengers during the same period last year and 28 million in 2019.
Airlines are preparing to accommodate the demand by flying an average of 2.8 million passengers daily — a 5% increase from 2023, according to A4A. To meet the surge, carriers are adding 150,000 more seats per day compared to last year’s Thanksgiving holiday period, it said.
A4A expected that the busiest days for air travel will be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and Sunday, Dec. 1, each with over 3 million flyers per day projected.
Hopper
Hopper also predicted that this Thanksgiving will be the busiest on record, with 36.5 million seats scheduled to depart between Nov. 23 and Dec. 3 — a 4.8% increase from the same period last year.
Hopper projected that the busiest day to travel will be Dec. 1. For those who need to return by Monday, Hopper recommends taking an early flight that morning instead of returning on Sunday, as it can save you around $175 per domestic ticket.
The busiest airports for the Thanksgiving travel period are Atlanta, Dallas Fort-Worth and Denver as they are each scheduled to serve between 1.5 to 2 million passengers, Hopper reported.
According to Hopper, hotel rates over the Thanksgiving week are averaging $213 per night, with some rates as low as $140 still available. In popular cities, the prices are slightly higher; for example, in New York city, the average rate per night is as high as $423 due to the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
This year’s popular Thanksgiving destinations are Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas, Las Vegas and Chicago, according to Hopper. Internationally, the most popular destinations are Puerto Rico, Mexico City, Madrid, Bogota and Cancun.
Airlines, by the numbers
United Airlines has said that it expected its busiest Thanksgiving ever this year, with 6.2 million passengers expected to fly between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3. Nearly 480,000 people per day will fly with United — about 30,000 more people per day than last year.
Delta Airlines projected that it will see its busiest on record, with 6.5 million passengers anticipated between Nov. 22 and Dec. 3. An average of 540,000 passengers are expected to fly each day during the 12-day travel period, marking a 5% increase compared to last year.
American Airlines shared similar predictions, with 8.3 million passengers expected to fly on more than 77,000 flights between Nov. 21 and Dec. 3. The airline said it expected to carry over 500,000 more travelers than last year — which, it added, translates to serving roughly 6.8 million Biscoff cookies to its passengers during the holiday period.
Its highest-travel day is expected to be Dec. 1: To handle the surge, American Airlines said it will be operating 1,035 mainline and regional aircraft as of approximately 10:45 a.m. CT, marking the highest number of flights handled at any given time during American’s travel period.
Tips for travelers flying to their Thanksgiving destinations
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest weeks of the year to travel, with packed airports, highways and hotels across the U.S.
For those hitting the skies, plan for longer lines at security and potential delays or cancellations, as the airports will be packed with larger schedules than usual.
Here are a few tips from experts to manage holiday crowds and disruptions:
Book flights earlier in the day: Flights from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. are less likely to be delayed.
Download the airline’s app and check your flight status before heading to the airport.
Add trip protection.
Choose direct flights to avoid missed connections due to flight delays and cancellations.
Have flexible travel plans and try to build in a buffer day in case of delays or cancellations.
In the event you encounter any disruptions or issues, experts have also suggested that it is important to know your rights and options: Airlines are now required to provide 24/7 customer service via live chat or phone support. If your flight is canceled, contact an agent at the gate, by phone or through chat.
Federal regulations now mandate that airlines issue automatic refunds for domestic flights delayed over three hours and international flights delayed more than six hours. Additionally, if a passenger’s bag is delayed for more than 12 hours, they are eligible for a refund on their bag fees.
Passengers also have the right to request refunds on any unfulfilled ancillary services, like Wi-Fi access.
