Wildfires erupt in New Jersey, fueled by dry, windy conditions
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(NEW JERSEY) — Multiple wildfires have erupted across New Jersey amid windy and dry conditions
A large brush fire broke out on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Bergen County in northern New Jersey, near New York City. The fire covers 19 acres and is 30% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. No structures are threatened.
On Friday, “conditions will be extremely dangerous for more brush fires and rapid fire spread,” the Englewood Fire Department warned.
New York City Emergency Management said New Yorkers may smell smoke on Friday.
Another wildfire is threatening over 100 structures in Burlington and Camden counties in southern New Jersey, outside of Philadelphia. The blaze spans 360 acres and is 75% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said.
In Jackson Township, in central New Jersey, the Shotgun Wildfire has burned through 350 acres and is 80% contained, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. No structures are threatened.
A fourth fire, the Pheasant Run Wildfire, covered 133 acres in the Glassboro Wildlife Management Area, a wildlife park in southern New Jersey. It’s 50% contained and isn’t threatening any structures.
Fire danger has increased in the Northeast due to the combination of a historically dry fall, gusty winds near 30 mph and relative humidity down to 25%. A red flag warning has been issued from Boston to New York City and Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, the Mountain Fire in Southern California has exploded in size, blazing through 20,000 acres, destroying homes and prompting mass evacuations.
(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) — Ryan Routh, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump at the president-elect’s golf club in Florida, is now facing a state attempted murder charge in connection with a car accident that occurred following his arrest, officials announced Wednesday.
The Florida Attorney General’s Office said it has obtained an arrest warrant against Routh, who was apprehended on Interstate 95 in Martin County on Sept. 15 after he allegedly fled the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, authorities said.
Following his arrest, an accident occurred that seriously injured a 6-year-old girl who was traveling with her family, according to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.
“As a result of that, we felt compelled to seek justice on her behalf and her family that will never be the same as they cope with her injuries,” Moody said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
The multi-vehicle accident occurred on I-95 approximately three or four miles south of where Routh’s traffic stop occurred, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.
A Martin County deputy located the suspect’s vehicle at approximately 2:09 p.m. It was unclear if any vehicles or explosives were in the vehicle, and northbound traffic was stopped due to the “high-risk potential” of the traffic stop, according to the affidavit. Routh was taken into custody at approximately 2:23 p.m., according to the affidavit.
Southbound traffic was also stopped while authorities worked to clear Routh’s vehicle, and traffic began to back up in both directions for miles, according to the affidavit.
The accident occurred at approximately 3 p.m., according to the affidavit. The child, whose name has not been released, suffered critical injuries after a vehicle rear-ended the one she and her family were traveling in, according to the affidavit.
“When you couple those terrible injuries together with [Routh’s] other criminal conduct, which we believe rises to the level of domestic terrorism, it turns his actions into an attempted felony murder case,” Moody said.
Moody said her office has filed a complaint and arrest warrant against Routh on Wednesday. The charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison if convicted.
Moody said her office had reached out to the federal government regarding pursuing the attempted murder charge against Routh.
“They responded that we should not bring charges,” she said. “The excuse and the reasoning kept coming back to the need to protect the case and national security.”
Moody filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice in October claiming the agency was unlawfully attempting to block Florida’s criminal investigation into the alleged assassination attempt against Trump.
ABC News has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, which is prosecuting the federal case against Routh, for comment.
Routh faces multiple federal charges in connection with the alleged attempted assassination.
On the day in question, Trump was playing golf on the course when a Secret Service agent spotted a gun barrel poking out from the tree line near the sixth green, according to investigators.
The agent then fired in the direction of the rifle and saw Routh fleeing the area and entering his nearby vehicle, according to the federal criminal complaint.
In the area of the tree line where the suspect was seen, agents found a digital camera, two bags, including a backpack, and a loaded SKS-style 7.62×39 caliber rifle with a scope, according to the complaint.
Trump was not harmed in the incident and was taken to a safe location by Secret Service agents.
Routh pleaded not guilty to federal charges including attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer, as well as several firearms charges.
(NEW YORK) — When Cory Martin wanted to know how to cover up a grisly crime and dispose of a murder victim’s dismembered body, he turned to television, watching “The First 48” and “Dexter” for tips, according to federal prosecutors.
“The defendant directed Witness-1 to watch the television show Dexter with him in preparation for the murder. In Dexter, a serial killer murders and dismembers his victims, concealing forensic evidence by covering his ‘kill room’ from floor to ceiling with plastic,” prosecutors said.
Martin is set to be sentenced in Brooklyn federal court for murdering a sex worker, Brandy Odom, as part of a life insurance scam and then cutting up her body for disposal.
His sentencing, which was originally scheduled for Thursday, has since been rescheduled for Nov. 6.
He faces a mandatory life sentence.
“It is fitting that that Martin faces a mandatory sentence to spend the rest of his life in prison for this ghastly, cold-blooded crime that was motivated by greed and executed after extensive planning,” United States Attorney Breon Peace said after Martin’s conviction. “Martin saw the victim as a moneymaker, trafficking her for commercial sex, then after killing her with his bare hands, tossing out her slaughtered body parts like trash so he could profit from her death.”
Odom’s mother is expected to address the court prior to sentencing.
Odom’s dismembered body was found in a Canarsie park in 2018, according to authorities. The 26-year-old’s head and naked torso were found among leaves and twigs. Her arms and legs were discovered nearby, officials said.
He was not arrested until November 2020.
Martin, 36, was convicted in March of murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire resulting in the death of Odom, as well as wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft and fraudulent use of identification.
“During the time Odom lived with the defendant, he acted as her pimp and controlled every aspect of her life, using the income from her commercial sex work to pay his bills and finance his lifestyle. The defendant then plotted to profit further off Odom by taking out life insurance policies in her name and murdering her to collect the proceeds,” prosecutors said.
Police said Anderson read several articles about the murder in the months after the killing, including one titled “Search area expands after dismembered body found in Canarsie Park in Brooklyn.”
Adelle Anderson, 32, who was also arrested as part of the crime, already pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, identity theft and wire fraud. She has yet to be sentenced, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
(NASSAU, Bahamas) — Search efforts have been suspended for a 66-year-old woman who fell overboard on a Taylor Swift-themed cruise Tuesday night, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
The Coast Guard previously said they were assisting with the search, which was being led by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.
“We were informed by @TheRBDF this afternoon that they are suspending the active search efforts pending further developments & were no longer requesting further @USCG assistance,” the U.S. Coast Guard wrote on X.
The missing passenger fell off the Royal Caribbean ship Allure of the Seas about 17 miles north of Nassau, Bahamas, the Coast Guard said.
The woman has not been publicly identified.
The four-night Swift-themed voyage, known as “In My Cruise Era,” set sail from Miami for the Bahamas on Monday. It was not officially affiliated with Swift.
About 400 people registered for the cruise, which was scheduled to include karaoke, a dance party and friendship bracelet trading.
In a statement from the cruise company, Royal Caribbean said it initiated search efforts as soon as the woman fell overboard.
“Our crew immediately launched a search and rescue effort and is working with local authorities We are also providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our guest’s family, we have no additional details to share,” a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said.
