Stowaway arrested by FBI after returning to US from France: Official
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(NEW YORK) — Svetlana Dali, the woman who stowed away on a Delta Air Lines flight to France, was arrested by the FBI upon her return to New York, an official confirmed.
She returned to John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday, once again flying Delta, but this time escorted by U.S. law enforcement, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
The TSA confirmed that its inspectors, along with other law enforcement officials, were there to meet Dali at the gate for questioning when she deplaned.
The stowaway’s name was confirmed Tuesday by her daughter and ex-husband, although authorities had yet to verify her identity at the time of her return to the U.S.
Dali had previously been described only as a Russian national who had been caught traveling without proper documentation on Delta Flight 264. The flight was scheduled to fly between New York City and Paris on Nov. 26.
According to a statement from the French Interior Ministry, “She was not admitted to French territory due to lack of a valid travel document (visa) and was placed in the waiting area for the time necessary for her re-routing to the United States since she held a valid US residence permit.”
Dali will be making her initial appearance in Brooklyn Federal Court on Thursday, officials have confirmed.
However, the charges against her have not been made public as of the time of her arrest.
It is therefore unknown if the appearance is related to the civil case that the TSA told ABC News it was preparing against Dali.
“TSA opens a civil case against any passenger when there is evidence that TSA regulations may have been violated,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
Upon Dali’s reentry to New York on Wednesday night, Delta issued a statement thanking French and U.S. authorities for assisting in the incident.
“Our review affirms that Delta’s security infrastructure, as part of our Safety Management System framework, is sound and that deviation from standard procedures is the root cause of this event,” the statement said.
“We are thoroughly addressing this matter and will continue to work closely with our regulators, law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders,” it continued. “Nothing is of greater importance than safety and security.”
Details about how she was able to originally sneak onto an international flight remain under investigation.
Christopher Looft and Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.
(SPOKANE, Wash.) –A 40-year-old man attacked a priest during a church service in Spokane, Washington, on Tuesday night, according to officials.
Around 350 to 400 people had gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes in downtown Spokane on Tuesday for the second night of novena, a tradition of gathering for prayer for nine days or nine weeks, when the man, identified as Joshua James Sommers, allegedly attacked the priest.
Security camera footage shows Sommers leaving his pew, rushing up to the altar near the end of the service and attempting to strike Rev. David Gaines in the face. Gaines was able to pin down Sommers, with other staff and churchgoers running up to help.
In the footage, Sommers lets out screams, and Gaines continues to say, “It’s OK, just calm down.”
Security guards quickly came to assist, and the Spokane Police Department was also notified immediately of the incident, according to the church. Gaines was not harmed in the attack.
Father Darrin Connall, who was kneeling at the altar when the attack occurred, told ABC News the church has not seen “anything quite this serious.”
“All of us were pretty shaken,” Connall said. “You don’t expect to see something like that when you’re gathering together to pray and worship.”
Once Sommers was escorted out by police, Connall said the entire group stopped the service and prayed for him.
“Whatever demons he was struggling with needed to be healed,” Connall said.
Sommers was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges, and also has a previous record of harming others. In 2023, Sommers was charged with third-degree assault after attacking an employee at a mental health facility. Sommers, who was a patient at this facility, allegedly punched the employee multiple times and stole their keys to try and escape, according to the affidavit on those charges.
Sommers appeared in court Wednesday on assault charges, along with the outstanding warrant from his previous assault. He will return to court later this month and remains behind bars.
ABC News’ Irving Last and Jennifer Watts contributed to this report.
The NYPD is searching for a man who allegedly tried to rape a woman in Brooklyn on Feb. 11, 2025. NYPD
(NEW YORK) — Authorities in New York City are searching for a man who allegedly impersonated a federal immigration enforcement agent before trying to rape a 51-year-old woman in broad daylight, according to police sources.
The victim was waiting for a cab outside a Brooklyn CityMD just before 11 a.m. Tuesday when the suspect approached and said he was an ICE agent and needed to talk to her, according to police sources.
The man allegedly forced her into a basement stairwell, punched her and tried to rape her, the NYPD said.
He took her phone, her purse and a chain before fleeing the scene, police said.
The woman suffered lacerations to her face, bruising and scratches, and was hospitalized in stable condition, police sad.
The suspect never showed any identification, according to police sources.
(LOS ANGELES) — More than 30,000 people were told to evacuate in Southern California on Tuesday after a fast-moving brush fire erupted in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood near Los Angeles.
One firefighter has been injured and “multiple” people burned in the Palisades blaze, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The fire has burned more than 2,900 acres.
By early Wednesday morning, the Eaton Fire — which broke out miles away from the Palisades Fire, in Altadena,
Hurst Fire expands to 500 acres
The Hurst Fire in Sylmar had expanded to 500 acres as of 1:50 a.m. PT, per an update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The fire northeast of San Fernando was at zero percent containment, Cal Fire said, with the cause of the blaze still under investigation.
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
Harris promises more support for California to fight ‘devastating’ fires
Vice President Kamala Harris said her “heart goes out to all those being impacted by the devastating wildfires in Southern California.”
In a Wednesday morning statement, Harris said she and her husband “are praying for our fellow Californians who have evacuated and we are thinking of the families whose homes, businesses and schools remain in harm’s way.”
“We are deeply grateful for the heroic first responders who are risking their own safety to fight the flames and help keep communities safe,” Harris added.
The vice president said she had been briefed on the situation and was receiving “regular updates” on the fires. “I am also urging residents in the affected areas to listen to local officials, remain vigilant and evacuate immediately if told to do so,” she added.
The White House is “committed to ensuring that no community has to respond to this disaster alone,” Harris said, noting the mobilization of federal resources to suppress the fires and assist those affected.
“As a proud daughter of California, I know the damage that wildfires have on our neighbors and communities,” Harris said.
“I also know that the impact is often felt long after the fire is contained. As we respond and as Californians recover, I will ensure that our administration is in constant contact with state and local officials.”
-ABC News’ Justin Gomez
James Woods recounts ‘losing everything at once’ in Palisades Fire
Actor James Woods documented the spread of the Palisades Fire into homes in the hills around Los Angeles on Tuesday, writing in posts to X that “all the smoke detectors are going off in our house” as the blaze approached.
“I couldn’t believe our lovely little home in the hills held on this long,” Woods wrote. “It feels like losing a loved one.”
“It tests your soul, losing everything at once,” he added.
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
1,400 firefighters deployed to ‘unprecedented’ fires, Newsom says
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said more than 1,400 firefighting personnel and hundreds of “prepositioned assets” have been deployed to battle the “unprecedented fires” ravaging parts of Los Angeles.
“Emergency officials, firefighters, and first responders are all hands on deck through the night to do everything possible to protect lives,” Newsom said in a post to X.
Hurst Fire burns 100 acres in Sylmar
The Hurst Fire — burning in Sylmar, north of San Fernando — expanded to 100 acres as of early Wednesday morning, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.
Santa Clarita City issued mandatory evacuation orders for four areas of the city — Newhall Pass, Wildwood, Eternal and Calgrove.
-ABC News’ Lissette Rodriguez
Los Angeles schools to close amid fire threat
The Los Angeles County Office of Education reported Wednesday school closures in 19 districts due to spreading wildfires and related weather conditions.
Among them was the Los Angeles Unified School District, which announced that six schools will close on Wednesday “due to the fire activity across the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.”
In a statement, the district said Kenter Canyon Charter Elementary, Canyon Charter Elementary School, Marquez Charter Elementary School, Palisades Charter Elementary School, Paul Revere Charter Middle School and Topanga Elementary Charter School would all be closed.
Los Angeles’ Griffith Park will also be closed, while classes at the North Hollywood High School’s Zoo Magnet are cancelled, the district announcement said.
“Students at the six closed schools will pivot to continuity of learning where they will have access to academically enriching digital resources,” the district said.
Los Angeles Unified said it would “continue monitoring the situation” and, if necessary, extend online learning into Thursday.
“The high winds and red flag warnings will remain through Wednesday and Thursday,” it added.
“We urge everyone to be careful and cautious when commuting to school or work, especially in areas with extreme wind and heavy smoke. Please make the right decision for you and do not compromise your safety or security.”
Eaton Fire spreads to 1,000 acres
The fire that broke out at about 6:12 p.m. near Eaton Canyon in Pasadena had spread by midnight to about 1,000 acres, the Angeles National Forest said in an update.
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
Pasadena issues mandatory evacuation orders
The City of Pasadena issued mandatory evacuation orders for the area north of Orange Grove and Rosemead Boulevard, east of Lake Avenue and west of Michillinda Avenue as the nearby Eaton Fire continued to grow.
The city earlier said on its X account that those subject to emergency evacuation orders should go to the Pasadena Convention Center.
The Eaton Fire is burning in the hills northeast of the city, posing a direct threat to the northern suburb of Altadena.
Firefighter injured, ‘multiple’ people burned in Palisades Fire Erik Scott, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said that a 25-year-old female firefighter “sustained a serious head injury” during the response to the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County on Tuesday evening.
“She received immediate treatment at the scene and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation,” Scott said in a statement posted to X.
Scott also said that “multiple burn victims” were identified “walking toward a nearby restaurant,” which he later identified as Dukes.
“Incident operations redirected medical resources to the location to provide evaluation and treatment,” he added.
-ABC News’ Marilyn Heck
Palisades Fire burning at 5 football fields per minute
With the winds picking up Tuesday evening, the Palisades Fire is burning at the rate of five football fields per minute, according to CalFire.
The winds around the fire are expected to increase to up to 80 miles per hour through the night.
Eaton Fire grows to 400 acres
The Eaton Fire is now at an estimated 400 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
“Firefighters are working aggressively to slow the spread and protect critical infrastructure under extreme conditions,” CalFire said in a statement.
Fifteen streets in Altadena are under mandatory evacuation.
LAFD summons off-duty firefighters to help combat multiple fires
The Los Angeles Fire Department called on all of its firefighters to report for duty on Tuesday night as multiple brush fires relentlessly raged on in Southern California.
In a post on X, the LAFD wrote, “All #LAFD members currently off-duty are to call [in] with their availability for recall.”
The summons came at approximately 6:30 p.m. local time.
New fire breaks out in eastern Los Angeles
A second fire broke out Tuesday evening, in Altadena, California, located in eastern Los Angeles County.
Fueled by rapid winds, the Altadena-based brush fire quickly grew from 10 acres to 200 acres in just 30 minutes.
The Eaton Fire prompted evacuations as high winds are set to continue overnight, the Angeles National Forest said in a post on X.
Biden urges residents to heed evacuation warnings
President Joe Biden is urging Los Angeles residents to heed evacuation warnings as two wildfires burn out of control.
Biden, who is in Los Angeles, was briefed twice throughout the day Tuesday as the flames spread and “encourages residents in the affected areas to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials—especially if ordered to evacuate,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden traveled to California for a ceremony to designate two new national monuments.
Evacuation order issued in Santa Monica
The City of Santa Monica issued an evacuation order for all areas of the city north of San Vicente Boulevard.
There is an “Immediate threat to life” in the area due to the Palisades fire, the order warned.
