Jet ski driver flees after killing 18-year-old kayaker in Texas: Police
Grapevine Police Department
(GRAPEVINE, TEXAS) — An 18-year-old who was kayaking on Grapevine Lake in Texas over Memorial Day weekend was killed after being struck by a jet ski, whose driver fled the scene, police said.
The incident happened on Sunday evening when the jet ski, with a driver and a passenger onboard, hit the victim, Ava Moore, according to the Grapevine Police Department.
Grapevine Lake is a reservoir in northern Texas, approximately 20 miles northwest of Dallas and northeast of Fort Worth.
The passenger on the jet ski remained at the scene to be interviewed by first responders, police said, while the driver fled with an adult male.
While leaving the area, the driver and the man then struck another vehicle, according to Grapevine Police.
Police are investigating the related automotive hit-and-run incident, while Texas Game Wardens are leading the investigation into Moore’s death on the lake.
Grapevine Police released an image of the alleged jet ski driver, asking anyone with information about the incident and the individual to contact Grapevine Police detectives at cidmail@grapevinetexas.gov.
“Our thoughts are with Ava’s family and friends during this difficult time. Texas Game Wardens remain committed to keeping our public waters safe,” Grapevine Police said in a statement.
(GALENA PARK, Texas) — A 9-year-old girl has died in after she was intentionally left alone in a hot car while her mom was at work, according to Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
The girl’s 36-year-old mother left the child unattended in a white Toyota Camry on Tuesday from approximately 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. while she worked at a manufacturing plant in Galena Park, Texas, near Houston, the sheriff’s office said during a press conference.
The mother left the child with some water, partially rolled down the windows of the vehicle and then “proceeded to go to work for the day,” officials said.
“There’s never an excuse to leave a child unattended,” Gonzalez said during the press conference.
Upon returning to the vehicle later in the afternoon when her shift ended, the mother found her daughter unresponsive. Law enforcement was contacted at approximately 2:06 p.m. and detained the mother, officials said. Temperatures in the Houston area reached around 93 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
The child was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, officials said.
Detectives continue to speak with the mother to gain more insight on why the child was kept in the car and the exact timeline of how long she was alone in the vehicle, the sheriff said. Officials are also waiting to receive the child’s autopsy results before deciding whether to press any charges.
Gonzalez said the incident, “which could have been prevented,” is a “unique” situation, since most hot car deaths are typically an accident.
“Maybe she has to make ends meet and keep food on the table and work. But the risk of death or harm — there’s just no reconciling that in my mind. You got to make other arrangements. It’s not worth it to put a child at risk like this, for any particular reason,” Gonzalez said.
He went on to say that nothing at this point shows that the mother “thought this would be the outcome.”
This tragedy marks the third hot car death to occur in Texas in the last four days and at least the 13th child to die in a hot car nationwide this year, according to Kids and Car Safety, an organization focused on “saving the lives of children and pets in and around vehicles.”
An ABC News graphic shows flood watches for Tropical Storm Chantal as of 5 a.m. on Sunday, July 6, 2025.
Tropical Storm Chantal made landfall at about 4 a.m. on Sunday near Litchfield Beach, South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of 8 a.m. ET, the center of Chantal was about 15 miles to the northwest of Conway, South Carolina, or about 100 miles north of Charleston, according to the National Hurricane Center. Chantal’s maximum sustained winds had decreased slightly from around 60 mph early Sunday to 40 mph, with the storm moving north-northwest at 8 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A tropical storm warning remains in effect from the South Santee River, South Carolina, to Surf City, North Carolina, including Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Peak winds in the area are forecast to be 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.
About an hour after making landfall, Chantal had weakened, with sustained winds then up to 50 mph.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms from Chantal’s outer bands continue to impact portions of inland South and North Carolina, with the more concentrated showers and thunderstorms from Chantal’s inner bands moving from the South and North Carolina coastline inland.
The tropical storm watch has been discontinued from Edisto Beach to South Santee River, South Carolina, including Charleston.
Chantal is expected to continue to weaken as it moves inland, likely becoming a tropical depression later today and dissipating by Monday.
The storm is forecast to produce scattered showers, and some areas will see heavy rain and gusty winds from thunderstorms throughout the day.
Flood watches remain in effect at least until Sunday night from Myrtle Beach to the west of Wilmington, North Carolina. Flood watches are expected to extend into parts of inland North Carolina, including Fayetteville and Raleigh, until Monday.
Chantal, the third named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, was forecast to bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to portions of the eastern Carolinas, with isolated amounts up to 6 inches that could cause flash flooding.
Thunderstorms from the bands of Chantal may also produce isolated tornadoes, as well as lightning and gusty winds.
The storm was also expected to bring minor storm surges to parts of the Carolina coastline, with between 1 to 3 feet of storm surge possible during high tide for coastal areas under the tropical storm warnings.
(MOSCOW, Idaho) — Bryan Kohberger admitted to the killings of four University of Idaho students at his change of plea hearing on Wednesday, pleading guilty to all five counts, despite the former criminology student’s initial eagerness to be exonerated in the high-profile case.
At the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho, Judge Steven Hippler asked Kohberger how he pleads for each count. Kohberger quickly said “guilty” each time, showing no emotion.
Kohberger — who was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the 2022 killings of the four students — will be spared the death penalty as a part of the plea, according to a letter sent to victims’ relatives. He’ll be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count, according to the agreement.
At the start of the hearing, Kohberger briefly answered questions from Hippler with “yes” and “no,” marking the first time since his arrest that Kohberger spoke during court proceedings.
He was asked if he was thinking clearly, and Kohberger responded, “yes.” When asked if he was promised anything in exchange for the plea, Kohberger responded, “no.” Asked if he was pleading guilty because he is guilty, Kohberger responded, “yes.”
Hippler asked Kohberger if he “killed and murdered” each victim, naming the four students: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin. Kohberger responded “yes” each time, showing no emotion.
Kohberger’s father shook his head as the victims’ names were read.
Prosecutor Bill Thompson outlined for the judge the state’s evidence against Kohberger, including Kohberger’s DNA matching the male DNA on a knife sheath left by Mogen’s body.
Kohberger also waives his right to appeal as a part of the agreement.
The plea comes just weeks before Kohberger’s trial was to get underway. Jury selection was set to start on Aug. 4 and opening arguments were scheduled for Aug 18.
Prosecutors — who met with victims’ families last week — called the plea a “sincere attempt to seek justice” for the families.
But the dad of 21-year-old victim Kaylee Goncalves blasted the move, accusing the prosecutors of mishandling and rushing the plea deal.
Steve Goncalves said outside court on Wednesday that the prosecution “made a deal with the devil.”
The Goncalves family told ABC News they contacted prosecutors on Tuesday asking for the terms of Kohberger’s deal be amended to include additional requirements: they asked for a full confession and for the location of the alleged murder weapon — described by authorities as a KA-BAR-style hunting knife — which has never been found.
The family said prosecutors turned down the request, explaining that an offer already accepted by the defendant could not ethically be changed. The family said the prosecutors indicated they’re asking the court to allow the prosecution to include a factual summary of the evidence against Kohberger at Wednesday’s hearing, and that more information about Kohberger’s actions would be presented at his sentencing hearing.
The family of 20-year-old victim Ethan Chapin said in a brief statement that they’re at the hearing “in support of the plea bargain.” This is the Chapins’ first appearance at court since their son was killed.
Idaho law requires the state to afford violent crime victims or their families an opportunity to communicate with prosecutors and to be advised of any proposed plea offer before entering into an agreement, but the ultimate decision lies solely with the prosecution.
Kohberger’s parents also attended Wednesday’s hearing, their first time in court with their son since his arrest in Pennsylvania more than two years ago. Attorneys for the Kohberger family said in a statement on Tuesday, “The Kohbergers are asking members of the media for privacy, respect, and responsible judgment during this time. We will continue to allow the legal process to unfold with respect to all parties.”
Prosecutors allege Kohberger fatally stabbed Goncalves, Mogen, Kernodle and Chapin in the students’ off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022.
Two roommates in the house survived, including one roommate who told authorities in the middle of the night she saw a man walking past her in the house, according to court documents. The roommate described the intruder as “not very muscular, but athletically built with bushy eyebrows,” according to the documents.
Kohberger, who was studying for a Ph.D. in criminology at nearby Washington State University at the time of the crime, was arrested at his parents’ home in Pennsylvania in December 2022.
