Zachary Jackson was killed in 1993. Now his kids’ mom and her then-boyfriend are in custody.
An undated photo of 30-year-old Zachary Jackson, who was found shot to death in his home in Hayward, California, on June 17, 1993. Alameda County Sheriff’s Office
(ALAMEDA COUNTY, Calif.) — Two people have been arrested in a man’s 1993 cold case murder, including the mother of his two children, Northern California authorities announced.
On June 17, 1993, Zachary Jackson, 30, was found shot to death in his home in Hayward, about 30 miles from San Francisco, Alameda County Sheriff’s Detective Pat Smyth said. Authorities believe Jackson was killed around June 14.
Now the mother of Jackson’s children, Veronica Fonseca, and her boyfriend from 1993, Anthony Fox, are in custody for his murder, Smyth said at a news conference on Monday.
“We believe they were both there and that Mr. Fox was the one who pulled the trigger,” he said.
In 1993, Jackson and Fonseca shared a 4-year-old daughter — who was in Jackson’s custody — and a 1-year-old son, who was in Fonseca’s custody, Smyth said.
Fonseca was interviewed several times during the initial investigation, but nothing at the time led investigators to believe she was involved, Smyth said. Fox wasn’t interviewed at the time, Smyth said, adding that investigators at first focused on a dispute between Jackson and his landlord.
“In 1993, they did not have a lot of the things that we have available to us today, investigatively, to find leads,” Smyth explained. “No electronic footprint like we have these days. They relied heavily on witnesses, fingerprint, that sort of thing. DNA was in its infancy.”
“Without any viable leads,” Smyth said, the case went cold.
In 2014, a tipster reported having information about who was responsible and identified Fonseca and Fox, Smyth said.
But over the next year or so, investigators “encountered a roadblock” that stalled the case, Smyth said.
Several more years passed, and in 2021, someone left an anonymous tip on the sheriff department’s website identifying Fonseca and Fox, he said.
Smyth interviewed the tipster, but he said there was still an “impediment in the case.” He did not elaborate on the impediment.
“The case really didn’t move forward until this year, when we developed an investigative plan to try to bring this case forward,” Smyth said.
Over the last few months, “there’s been a lot of investigative resources poured into this case,” Smyth said, and more witnesses cooperated and “told a similar story as to our previous tipsters.”
On Thursday, Fonseca was arrested in New York City and Fox was arrested in Iowa on charges of murder and first-degree residential burglary, according to Smyth and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office. Fonseca and Fox have not yet been transferred to Alameda County, officials said.
Smyth declined to discuss the evidence against them but called the case a “good example of what happens when good people have the courage to come forward … coupled with law enforcement leveraging all investigative resources to bring a resolution.”
(NEW YORK) — The Atlantic basin may have been quiet going into the peak of hurricane season, but officials are watching a new system that has developed into a tropical storm, which has the possibility of strengthening further.
The National Hurricane Center confirmed on Wednesday that Tropical Storm Gabrielle has formed in the Central Atlantic.
Te tropical storm does not pose a threat to the United States, as of Wednesday. The system should remain over open waters for several days, the NHC said.
The system previously met the criteria to be designated a tropical depression with winds greater than 34 mph on Wednesday.
Although dry air and other unfavorable atmospheric conditions have recently hindered development, the storm is expected to move into a more favorable environment later this week, giving it a better chance to become organized.
The storm will move Northwest and is not expected to hit any of the Leeward Islands or the Caribbean. If it develops further, the storm could be a hurricane in the vicinity of Bermuda.
The storm, which was originally described as a disturbance, was expected to become a tropical depression or tropical storm by the end of the week as it churns northwestward across the central Atlantic Ocean.
The development of a new tropical cyclone would mark the end of a notably quiet period in the Atlantic Basin, a stretch that included the climatological peak of the hurricane season on Sept. 10.
Tropical activity is expected to gradually ramp up over the next few weeks as conditions become more favorable for development, forecasters say.
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center said the odds of tropical development are increasing across parts of the Atlantic Basin for the second half of September, as large-scale environmental conditions become more favorable.
Tropical weather experts at Colorado State University (CSU) echo these predictions, saying overall atmospheric conditions, including wind patterns, will shift in a manner that supports a notable increase in activity.
While the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season has passed, roughly 60% of tropical activity typically occurs after Sept. 10, on average, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The remainder of September and October will likely be active, David Zierden, the Florida state climatologist and head of the Florida Climate Center at Florida State University, told ABC News last week.
September and October often see some of the busiest activity for hurricanes because sea surface temperatures can be at their highest, Zierden said. Higher temperatures provide “ample fuel” for the formation and intensification of tropical cyclones, he added.
Waters in the Gulf and Caribbean are currently “very warm,” Jennifer Francis, an atmospheric scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, told ABC News last week.
Historically speaking, about two-thirds of all Atlantic hurricane season activity occurs between Aug. 20 and Oct. 10. In August, NOAA predicted above-normal activity for the remainder of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Last year demonstrated that late September and early October can be an active period for tropical development, with multiple threats that may be high-impact and potentially devastating.
Hurricane Helene, which caused devastating flooding in North Carolina, formed on Sept. 24, 2024, while Hurricane Milton, which caused widespread destruction in Florida, formed on Oct. 5, 2024.
ABC News’ Kenton Gewecke and Kyle Reiman contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — At least four people were killed and 20 injured early Sunday in a shooting at a bar in St. Helena Island, South Carolina, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting unfolded around 1 a.m. at Willie’s Bar and Grill, 7 Dr. Martin Luther Drive on St. Helena Island, located about an hour north of Savannah, Ga., according to the sheriff’s office.
When deputies arrived at the scene, there was a large crowd at the bar with several people suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the sheriff’s office.
Four people were pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
“It was learned that hundreds of people were at the location when the shooting occurred. Multiple victims and witnesses ran to the nearby businesses and properties seeking shelter from the gun shots,” according to the statement from the sheriff’s office.
Of the 20 victims being treated at hospitals, four were in critical condition, the sheriff’s office said.
Several victims were taken to hospitals by ambulance, but other people injured in the shooting showed up at emergency rooms on their own, the sheriff’s office said.
No arrests have been announced in the incident, though the sheriff’s office said it was investigating a “person of interest.”
The names of the victims killed in the shooting are being withheld pending notification of their relatives, officials said.
“This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone,” the sheriff’s office said in its statement. “We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who represents Beaufort County, said in a social media post that she is “COMPLETELY HEARTBROKEN to learn about the devastating shooting in Beaufort County.
“Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific act of violence,” Mace said.
Mace asked that anyone with information about the mass shooting contact the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office “as soon as humanly possible.
(NEW YORK) — The Secret Service agent who spotted Ryan Routh’s alleged sniper perch on the golf course where Donald Trump was playing last year testified at Routh’s trial Thursday that he came within five feet of Routh’s rifle before he realized Routh was armed.
Routh, who is representing himself, is on trial in Florida on charges of attempting to assassinate Donald Trump on his golf course last September.
“The barrel of the AK was pointed directly at my face,” Secret Service agent Robert Fercano testified. “I was in fear for President Trump’s life.”
The first witness called in Routh’s criminal trial, Fercano offered testimony that sheds new light on the public’s understanding of the alleged attempted assassination.
Fercano said he was serving as a site agent on Trump’s West Palm Beach Golf course that day, reviewing the hole ahead of Trump for potential threats. As he approached the sixth hole, he said he first noticed some “abnormalities” at the tree line.
“I encountered what appeared to be the face of an individual,” he said. “I attempted to initiate contact by being friendly with the individual, and said, ‘Hey.'”
Fercano said he then noticed “an object to the left of me beginning to move.”
“I heard what sounded like a groan and the subject smiled at me,” Fercano said. “My initial thought was that this was potentially a homeless person camping out.”
While Fercano said he initially thought Routh was not a threat, he stated that he then noticed an object “black in nature protruding from the fence line” when he was approximately five feet from Routh.
“Upon further scanning, I had identified the weapon to be a Soviet-style weapon,” he said. “I noticed the front sight post was facing me.”
A former Marine marksman, Fercano said the situation “appeared to be a textbook ambush scenario.”
“The barrel of the rifle was continuously moving in my direction,” he said.
Fercano said he began moving backwards and drew his sidearm. “I made the decision to fire my service weapon in the last known direction of the subject,” he said.
Jurors in the courtroom then heard a recording of the frantic radio traffic after Fercano fired.
“Mogul on five green,” Fercano was heard saying on the radio, referencing Trump’s call sign. “Shots fired, shots fired, shots fired. Individual … with a gun.”
“AK-style weapon,” Fercano was heard saying. “The individual is inside the tree line. All units be advised that looked like an AK-47 style weapon.”
Fercano testified that he prepared for a gunfight, but Routh fled the scene. He found Routh’s rifle and body armor at the location Routh had used as his perch.
At one point, prosecutors brought out Routh’s weapon — unloaded and disarmed — for the jury to see. Fercano, wearing black latex gloves, demonstrated how the rifle was positioned to the jury.
Routh leaned forward in his chair and studied Fercano and the gun while the testimony took place.
On cross-examination, Routh — who is not a lawyer and has no legal education — greeted Fercano before he began his questions.
“Good to see you sir,” Routh said. “Is it good to be alive?”
“Yes,” Fercano responded.
“Right on,” said Routh.
Throughout the cross-examination, Routh appeared to acknowledge that he was the person Fercano had spotted on the course.
“I had noticed yourself in the fence line,” Fercano told Routh.
“The defendant was fairly concealed?” Routh asked.
“Yes, you were fairly concealed,” Fercano responded.
Rough attempted to suggest that the rifle Fercano spotted was not held in a threatening manner, or that he lacked the mindset to actually fire the weapon.
“I don’t know your mindset that day, but I know you pointed [your rifle] at my face,” Fercano said.
Routh concluded the cross-examination by attempting to cast doubt on how Fercano could defend himself without wearing body armor during the incident.
“I had my wits and my service pistol,” Fercano responded.
Fercano’s testimony followed the trial’s opening statements, during which Routh was cut off by the judge.
Routh launched into a speech about the origin of the human species, global conflicts, and his political grievances, before U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon cut him off after about six minutes for making arguments that she said have “absolutely nothing to do with the evidence in this case.”
“You do not have an unlimited license to go forward to make a mockery of the dignity of this courtroom,” Judge Cannon said.
Routh began his opening by contemplating how humans have gotten “derailed and so full of hate.”
“Modern trials seem to eliminate all that is human,” he told the jurors as he stood before the jury box. “What is in the heart and mind is all that matters.”
Routh then criticized U.S. foreign policy for standing by while, he said, “Putin has slaughtered 1.5 million” and “Netanyahu has killed 60,000” — arguing that the U.S. “supports his genocide.”
He also appeared to criticize Trump for “trading a war for an election” and moving the U.S. embassy in Israel.
After Judge Cannon criticized Routh for going off topic, Routh restarted his opening to encourage jurors to focus on his intent.
“This case hangs on intent. What is in one’s heart,” he said before nearly breaking into tears.
“This case means absolutely nothing. A life has been lived to the fullest,” he said before Cannon cut him off again.
Prosecutors allege that Routh put together a methodical plan — including purchasing a military-grade weapon, researching Trump’s movements, and utilizing a dozen burner phones — to kill Trump based on political grievances.
Hiding in the bushes of Trump’s Palm Beach golf course and armed with a rifle, Routh allegedly came within a few hundred yards of the then-presidential nominee before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle poking out of the tree line.
Routh allegedly fled the scene but was later arrested by a local sheriff’s office on a nearby interstate.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shipley, in his opening statement, described Routh’s alleged plot as “carefully crafted” and “deadly serious” with one goal in mind.
“Last year, the defendant Ryan Routh wanted to make sure the people of this country could not elect Donald Trump,” Shipley told the jury. “The defendant decided to take the choice away from the American people.”
If it weren’t for the actions of a bystander and a Secret Service agent, Shipley said, Trump would have likely been killed last year as he approached the sixth green of his West Palm Beach golf course.
Shipley told jurors that Routh lied to his family about his whereabouts while living in his car at a gas station near Trump’s golf course. While there, Routh began “obsessively researching the movements of Donald Trump online” and put together a “gear list” that included zip ties, metal armor plates, and adult diapers, Shipley said.
The morning of Sept. 15, Routh left the gas station and took up a sniper’s perch near the sixth hole of Trump’s golf course, “where the defendant expected his target to die,” Shipley said. If it weren’t for the actions of Fercano and a bystander who identified Routh, Shipley said Trump would have likely been killed.
“If not for Agent Fercano’s actions, Donald Trump would not be alive and the defendant’s assassination plot would be successful,” he told jurors.
Nearly a year after the alleged assassination attempt, Routh faces five criminal counts that risk sending him to prison for the rest of his life. Despite lacking any legal experience, Routh dismissed his lawyers earlier this year to defend himself at trial.
“I will be representing myself moving forward; It was ridiculous from the outset to consider a random stranger that knows nothing of who I am to speak for me,” Routh told U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon in a July letter. “I am so sorry, I know this makes your life harder.”
Routh’s self-representation created some issues during the three days of jury selection earlier this week. Judge Cannon — who previously oversaw and dismissed one of Trump’s criminal cases — refused to use many of his proposed jury questions, deeming them too “political.”
Among other subjects, Routh had proposed asking jurors about their stance on Palestine and Ukraine, and about Trump’s proposed acquisition of Greenland.
Routh has said in court filings that he plans to defend himself by focusing on his self-described peaceful nature and his care for humanity, in part by calling to the stand his son and multiple friends to testify about his character.
Judge Cannon has barred him from trying to argue that his alleged actions were justified, that he did not intend to carry out the assassination, or that his actions were protected by First Amendment rights.
