Man wanted for killing woman, kidnapping their 2 daughters may have fled to Mexico: Sheriff
Kings County Sheriff’s Office
(CALIFORNIA) — Authorities in California are searching for a man who allegedly gunned down his daughters’ mother and kidnapped the two young girls.
The suspect, 23-year-old Jonathan Alexis Maldonado-Cruz, may have fled to Mexico, the Kings County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
The case began Tuesday afternoon when deputies responded to a welfare check in Hanford, about 30 miles south of Fresno, and found a woman shot dead, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities believe Maldonado-Cruz fled the home around 1 a.m. Tuesday with the two daughters he shares with the victim: 3-year-old Arya Maldonado and 2-year-old Alana Maldonado.
An Amber Alert has been issued for Arya and Alana, the sheriff’s office said.
Maldonado-Cruz was last known to be driving a gray 2020 Hyundai Elantra with California license plate 8LZD084, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office urges anyone with information to call Detective Tyler Haener at 559-670-9320 or 559-852-2818, or the Kings County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 559-852-2720. Information can be provided anonymously at 559-852-4554.
(NEW YORK) — An American Airlines flight departing New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Thursday evening had to divert to nearby John F. Kennedy International shortly after takeoff after a reported bird strike caused damage to one of the aircraft’s engines.
The aircraft, powered by its second engine, landed safely and without incident shortly after 8 p.m., the Port Authority New York and New Jersey said. There were no reported injuries.
“The aircraft landed safely at JFK where it will be inspected by our maintenance team,” American said in a statement. “We are grateful to our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience this may have caused.”
Charlotte, North Carolina-bound flight 1722 had 190 passengers and six crew members on board. The aircraft was an Airbus A321. Passengers were expected to board another flight to Charlotte on Friday morning.
(NEW YORK) — It’ll be a rainy New Year’s Eve in New York City, but dry and warm for much of the country.
Here’s what you need to know:
Rain will hit the Ohio River Valley on Tuesday and then push into the Northeast in the evening.
Detroit and Cleveland will see snow and Pittsburgh can expect rain by the evening.
For those heading to watch the ball drop at Times Square in New York City, intermittent showers are expected throughout the evening. By midnight, there will likely be a drizzle and breezy winds around 20 mph.
But temperatures in Times Square will be much warmer than usual, hovering around 50 degrees.
Portland, Oregon, and Seattle will also see rain on New Year’s Eve, but it’ll be mostly dry for the rest of the country.
Temperatures will be above average across the east on Tuesday, with highs forecast to reach 81 degrees in Miami, 66 degrees in Atlanta, 62 in Washington, D.C., 53 in Boston and 39 in Chicago.
Los Angeles will reach the mid-60s, while the temperature will climb above 70 in Phoenix. Denver will be chilly with highs in the mid-30s.
Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images
(WASHINGTON) — The state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter is an attractive target “for violent extremists to attack,” especially after the vehicle ramming in New Orleans that killed 14 people, though there are no known threats to the funeral, according to a new security assessment obtained by ABC News.
“State funerals are considered no-notice events that significantly reduce planning timelines for potential hostile actors,” the document said. “However, state funerals still present attractive targets due to the large gathering of senior US government officials, foreign dignitaries, and heads of state, as well as the symbolic nature of the venues and media attention expected.”
Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, will be honored with a state funeral at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday. President Joe Biden will deliver a eulogy and President-elect Donald Trump is expected to attend.
The memorials for Carter begin on Saturday when he’s transferred from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta. A ceremony will be held at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta on Saturday afternoon.
Carter’s remains will be transferred to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday and he will lie in state at the Capitol from Tuesday to Thursday. After the service at Washington National Cathedral, Carter’s remains will return to Plains.
The assessment also noted other specially designated security events this month, including the certification of the Electoral College on Jan. 6 and Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. The simultaneous events “may increase the perception of a target-rich environment for a variety of threat actors,” the document said.
“Targets could include the planned special events and ceremonies related to the State Funeral and associated First Amendment-protected activities around these ceremonies,” the assessment said. “While there is no indication that the intersection of these two events will lead to an increased threat picture, the potentially large crowds for both may provide an attractive target to threat actors.”
The document also specifically mentioned the New Year’s attack in New Orleans, noting “the use of vehicle-ramming alone or in conjunction with other tactics has become a recurring tactic employed by violent threat actors in the West.”
The document added that “large crowds gathering in publicly accessible locations to observe or participate in State Funeral events could become targets of opportunity for a vehicle attack.”
Fourteen people were killed and dozens were hurt when a man drove a truck through crowds on Bourbon Street early on New Year’s Day. The suspect, who also died in the attack, posted several videos online “proclaiming his support for ISIS,” and mentioning he joined ISIS before this summer, according to the FBI.
