Six people wearing shirts with an environmental message dumped a powdery orange substance on the green as Scottie Scheffler, Tom Kim, and Akshay Bhatia stood by and watched.

Cromwell police quickly subdued the protesters and handcuffed them.

WATCH: Protesters stormed the 18th green at the TPC River Highlands as the leaders were preparing to putt on the final hole of regulation at the 2024 Travelers Championship on Sunday afternoon.

More: https://t.co/1NTgUdicx4 pic.twitter.com/ZYE8LNQ4cL

— NBC Connecticut (@NBCConnecticut) June 23, 2024

The massive crowd around the 18th chanted “USA, USA” as the protesters were led away.

According to Cromwell police, all 6 protesters were charged with first degree criminal mischief, first degree criminal trespass, and breach of peace. The six protesters hailed from a number of out of state locations including Washington, D.C., White Plains, Maryland, and Brooklyn, New York.

Cromwell Police said they were all released on bond and given a court date of July 1 in Middletown Superior Court.

Scheffler had a one-shot lead over Kim coming the the 18th but Kim made a 10-foot put for birdie to send the Travelers Championship to a playoff.

Scheffler went on to win the tournament after parring the first playoff hole to defeat Kim, who bogeyed. Scheffler, who has won six of his last 10 starts, shot a final round 5-under 65 to finish at 22-under in regulation play.

Officers responded to a 911 call about a slashing at Queens Plaza subway station around 8:20 a.m., according to an NYPD spokesperson. Two people were found with a slash wound on the face by 43 Avenue and 27 Street.

A third victim with a slash wound on the side of the face was also found inside the station, police said.

All the victims are expected to recover from their injuries, according to the NYPD. The victims did not know each other, police said.

No other information was immediately available.

The tornado warning was issued for Hartford and Tolland counties around 3:30 p.m. The warning expired at 4:15 p.m.

The storms moved in to northern Connecticut and moved southeast, taking down trees and powerlines throughout the afternoon. Eversource was reporting thousands of customers without power on Saturday evening. Power appears to have been restored to a large majority of those customers.

The thunderstorms brought heavy rain, vivid lightning, strong winds, and even dropped ping pong ball-sized hail in some towns. At one point, there were more than 200 lightning strikes within a 15-minute period.

It was the second day in a row that severe weather caused damage in the state. The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down in Harwinton on Friday. The storms also led to a weather delay at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell for a second consecutive day.

Three people were injured following lightings strikes in Cromwell, according to the town’s fire department. Fire officials say a tree was struck by lighting and injured 3 people nearby.

Cromwell FD says two of the patients were treated by first responders and taken to the hospital, while the third victim refused treatment.

Cromwell’s town manager had said the lightning strike occurred at the Travelers Championship.

There is the possibility of severe weather on Sunday as well, according to the NBC Connecticut StormTracker team of meteorologists.

The boys, who police say are 16 and 17 years old, were swimming at Jacob Riis Park on Friday. Witnesses say they saw a huge wave overtake them and the two never resurfaced. Rescuers from FDNY deployed into the water after receiving an emergency call just after 6:00 p.m., but even the most experienced swimmers and divers were called back to shore.

The search continued for nearly five hours with marine units and fire boats, according to authorities.

Drones and helicopters deployed from Floyd Bennett Field circled the area Saturday morning. Officials vowed to find the boys in what is now a recovery effort.

The teens have not been identified and the NYPD said it’s unclear if they knew how to swim. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry added that the situation is a parent’s worst nightmare.

“We think that it may be a riptide, but that’s still under investigation,” Daughtry said Friday.

In court papers filed Friday, prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office argued that portions of the gag order remained necessary given the Republican former president’s “singular history of inflammatory and threatening public statements,” as well as efforts by his supporters to “identify jurors and threaten violence against them.”

“Since the verdict in this case, defendant has not exempted the jurors from his alarming rhetoric that he would have ‘every right’ to seek retribution as president against the participants in this trial as a consequence of his conviction because ’sometimes revenge can be justified,” the filing states.

The gag order, issued in March, prohibited Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about witnesses, jurors and others connected to the case. It does not restrict comments about the judge, Juan M. Merchan, or Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office prosecuted the case.

Attorneys for Trump have called on the judge to lift the order following the culmination of his trial last month, which ended in his conviction on 34 felony counts for falsifying records to cover up a potential sex scandal. Trump, who has denied any wrongdoing, is set to be sentenced on July 11.

Defense attorneys argue Trump should be free to fully address the case as he campaigns for the White House, pointing to comments made by President Joe Biden and the continued public criticism of him by his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen and the porn actor Stormy Daniels, both key prosecution witnesses.

“Now that the trial is concluded, the concerns articulated by the government and the Court do not justify continued restrictions on the First Amendment rights” of Trump, they wrote earlier this month.

In their letter, prosecutors agreed that the provision barring statements about trial witnesses no longer needed to be enforced but said the restrictions on statements about court staff and members of the prosecution, excluding Bragg, should remain in place.

They cited an “intensified” threat situation in recent months, with more than 60 “actionable threats” directed against Bragg, his family and court staff since April. The threats include social media posts disclosing the address of an employee of the district attorney’s office and a photo showing sniper sights aimed on people involved in the case, according to police.

Merchan is expected to issue a ruling soon, possibly before Trump’s June 27 debate with President Joe Biden.

Earlier this week, New York’s top court declined to hear Trump’s appeal on the gag order, finding it does not raise “substantial” constitutional issues that would warrant an immediate intervention.

The U.S. Marshals Service said the New York Police Department contacted the New York and New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force on June 5 to ask for help to find a child who was believed to have been missing since Dec. 8, 2021.

Working together, investigators with the U.S. Marshals Service and police from New York and Bridgeport developed information that the missing child, who is now 16 years old, was staying at a Bridgeport home.

The teen was found on Friday and reunited with family members at the Bridgeport police department.

The incident occurred on June 4, around 2 p.m., according to the NYPD who released video of the suspect appearing to take out the bag from inside of his jacket. He was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk.

Police say the man approached the victim in front of 46 Howard Street and made antisemitic statements before throwing the black bag of feces at the victim. The bag landed inside of the victim’s vehicle, according to the NYPD.

It’s unclear whether the two exchanged words before the incident.

Authorities are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

Davis hit .232 with four homers and five RBIs in 135 plate appearances with the A’s, who signed him to a $2.5 million contract in mid-March and designated him for assignment on Tuesday. Davis defeated San Francisco in arbitration and was awarded a $6.9 million salary as part of a nonguaranteed contract, then was released by the Giants and given $1,112,903 in termination pay.

A 31-year-old right-handed hitter, Davis has a .273 average with 119 homers and 386 RBIs in eight seasons with Houston (2017-18), the New York Mets (2019-22), Giants (2022-23) and A’s.

Rizzo broke his right forearm on June 16 and is expected to be sidelined until August. Stanton, the Yankees’ primary designated hitter, strained his left hamstring on Saturday.

New York called up Ben Rice from the minors to fill in at first in Rizzo’s absence.

Groshans, 24, hit .232 with one home run and 15 RBIs in 50 games this year with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset. He was claimed by the Yankees off waivers from Miami on Feb. 13.

“I’m assuming that he’ll probably go to Double-A for us to play shortstop every day,” A’s manager Mark Kotsay said before his team hosted the Twins. “I think as early as next week, Jack Wilson will be back with the Triple-A team. And obviously, Nick Allen’s there. So there’s some depth in the middle right now. It’s just nice to have another player that can play the middle.”

Stanton went on the injured list for the eighth time in six seasons on Sunday, a day after straining his left hamstring.

A 34-year-old former MVP, Stanton left Saturday night’s 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves and was scheduled to undergo imaging Sunday. Stanton doubled off the center-field wall in the fourth inning and winced when he rounded third base on Gleyber Torres’ double. Trent Grisham pinch hit for Stanton leading off the sixth.

“We know it’s at least going to be those 10 days. So we’ll see the severity of it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday. “I will say G was in pretty good spirits last night, so hopefully that’s a result of it hopefully not being too severe.”

Stanton missed 266 of 708 games in the past five seasons (38%). He appeared to be walking gingerly as he exited the locker room on Saturday night.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had said on Nov. 13 at the annual GM meetings: “He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game.”

When a visibly slimmer Stanton reported to spring training, he said succinctly: “He knows my reaction to that.”

Boone said Aaron Judge likely will see more designated days while Stanton is sidelined and Grisham will be be the primary outfield replacement after get outfield time. Grisham was hitting .113 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 77 plate appearances, making 21 outfield starts.

“This should give him that uptick of playing time,” Boone said.

Stanton played in 69 of the Yankees’ first 79 games — none in the field — and is hitting .246 with 18 homers and 45 RBIs. The active leader in home runs with 420, he is in the midst of his healthiest season with the Yankees since he played in 158 games in 2018, his first after he was acquired from Miami.

“He’s been that force that you want in the middle. He’s been a threat every day,” Boone said.

Stanton was sidelined during the previous five seasons due to a strained right biceps and strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee (2019), strained left hamstring (2020), strained left quadriceps (2021), right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis (2022) and a strained left hamstring (2023).

“He’s been such a force for this offense,” said Judge, who leads the major leagues with 28 homers. “Hitting the homers, coming up clutch with guys on base — that’s a big part of his game.”

Infielder Oswald Peraza was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Boone said Jasson Domínguez would have been Stanton’s roster replacement had he not strained his left oblique on June 15 with the RailRiders, an injury expected to sideline the outfielder until mid-August.

New York, which began Sunday a big league-best 52-27, had been relatively healthy early in the season. Infielder DJ LeMahieu didn’t make his season debut until May 28 after breaking his right foot on a foul ball during spring training on March 16 and AL Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole didn’t make his first start until June 19 because of right elbow nerve inflammation and edema.

Tributes poured in over the weekend for Johnny Medina at his Washington Heights home, blocks away from the West 175th Street subway station where he was stabbed multiple times. Authorities say the 40-year-old got in an argument with his alleged attacker, 24-year-old Diego Figueroa-Hepner, before the violence began.

According to Medina’s family members and police sources, Medina had recently filed a harassment report against Figueroa-Hepner who lived right across the street from him.

“This person was drawn to Johnny…engaged with him and over months built this obsession with him and posting these conspiracies online and cyberbullying him to the point that Johnny felt like he had to make a report,” one of Medina’s cousins, Anthony Reyes, said.

Figueroa-Hepner was charged with murder-intention and criminal possession of a weapon, according to an NYPD spokesperson.

Although they are devastated, loved ones remembered Medina as a beacon of light.

“That’s what really hurts the most is that he was like a river of dreams and ideas and designs,” another cousin Eliana said. “Just that brutal reminder that life is short and you never know when you’ll never get a chance to continue pursuing your dreams.”

Tensions within the Democratic Party about President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war are playing out in a key New York primary race on Tuesday.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman faces Westchester County Executive George Latimer in Tuesday’s highly contentious Democratic primary in New York’s 16th Congressional District. This is a safe Democratic district, but it encapsulates the fissures that have emerged within the party.

The race headlines a ballot that includes six primaries for the U.S. House, plus races for state Senate, state Assembly and county district attorney.

The ugly primary in the 16th District has exposed the party’s deep divide over U.S. policy on Israel, with current and former members of the New York congressional delegation sniping at each other and both candidates here seeking to paint the other as out of touch with and unfit for the district.

Bowman, allied with the progressive group of representatives known as the “squad,” represents the left’s opposition to Israel’s conduct during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and to the Biden administration’s support for Israel. Latimer is running on a more centrist, establishment position: His platform affirms Israel’s “rights of existence, stability, self-defense, and peace.”

The race has already seen eyebrow-raising spending in New York City’s expensive media market. The two candidates have spent $3.2 million apiece in the race, according to campaign finance filings. Outside spending has injected an additional $14.4 million into the district, with the United Democracy Project — the super PAC associated with the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee — leading these groups with $11.5 million in support of Latimer.

Bowman has been endorsed by his fellow members of the “squad” and Democratic House leadership. Latimer has been endorsed by former Democratic presidential nominee and Westchester resident Hillary Clinton (though she lives in Chappaqua, which falls in the 17th District), local mayors and council members, and multiple Westchester County legislators.

The winner of the Democratic primary of the 16th congressional district is favored to win the seat in November.

In the 1st Congressional District, Democrats Nancy Goroff and John Avlon are competing for the nomination to face Republican Rep. Nick LaLota, who represents a district that Biden narrowly carried in 2020. Goroff previously led the chemistry department and taught at Stony Brook University. In 2020, Goroff was the Democratic nominee and lost to Republican Lee Zeldin.

Avlon is a former CNN anchor who helped create No Labels, a centrist political group. Goroff boosted her fundraising advantage with a $1.2 million personal loan to her campaign. As of their latest filings, Goroff’s campaign had spent $1.7 million on the race while Avlon’s campaign had spent $1.2 million. However, a PAC backing Avlon is spending $1.4 million on the race, according to data from AdImpact.

In the 22nd Congressional District, based in Syracuse, Democratic voters will choose between Air Force Veteran Sarah Klee Hood and former public school teacher John Mannion. Klee Hood leads in fundraising and has backing from VoteVets, a progressive group that supports veterans running for office. Mannion represents part of the district – stretching from Syracuse suburbs to Lake Ontario – in the state Senate.

Several Democratic House incumbents are facing under-funded primary challengers in races that are not expected to be competitive. Rep. Claudia Tenney is the only House Republican facing a challenge in Tuesday’s primary, though her challenger, Mike Fratto, trails in fundraising, too.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares faces a rematch of his 2012 race against attorney Lee Kindlon. Soares is running on a tough-on-crime message, while Kindlon, an attorney, accuses the incumbent of financial scandals. Kindlon is spending roughly $9,300 on advertising in the primary, according to data from AdImpact, while Soares is spending $4,000. Soares first won the Albany County District Attorney seat in 2004, and won his last primary election in 2020 with 56%, or 18,674 votes.

Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday:

PRIMARY DAY

The primary will be held on Tuesday. Polls close at 9 p.m. ET.

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT

The Associated Press will provide coverage for 46 contested races, including U.S. House, state legislature, and county district attorney.

WHO GETS TO VOTE

New York has a closed primary system, which means that only voters registered with a political party may participate in that party’s primary. New York registered voters can use THIS TOOL to look up their polling place.

DECISION NOTES

The 16th District includes parts of two counties: northern reaches in Bronx County and southern Westchester County. After redistricting, around 90% of the district’s residents live in Westchester.

These district lines work in favor of Latimer, who has spent more than three decades in state and local government in Westchester. Bowman, who has represented this district since 2021, was elected from a version of this district that included a much larger piece of the Bronx.

Latimer and Bowman have tried to pitch themselves to two different pieces of the Democratic Party base. Bowman has emphasized his support among working-class people of color, who tend to live in denser parts of the district closer to New York City, such as the Bronx, Yonkers (where his campaign is headquartered), Port Chester and Mount Vernon. Latimer, who hails from Rye, has sought to forge connections among suburban voters and the district’s Jewish electorate.

One of the key factors in the primary will be turnout in the Bronx and Yonkers, where Bowman is likely to perform better than in Westchester. One area to look at is Co-Op City, which has more than 47,000 residents and is the largest housing cooperative in the United States.

Latimer’s path to victory runs along the New Haven and Harlem Metro-North train lines, which pass through wealthy suburbs like Pelham Manor, Scarsdale, Larchmont and Rye, among others.

New York is not particularly fast at counting its votes. Additionally, mail ballots can arrive up to a week after election day, provided they are postmarked by election day. Late-arriving ballots could delay a race in a close contest.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

In New York, recounts are automatic if the margin between the winning and losing candidates is within 20 votes or not more than 0.5% of the total vote. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

WHAT DO TURNOUT AND ADVANCE VOTE LOOK LIKE?

As of Feb. 27, there were 13,108,347 registered voters in New York. Of those, 49% were Democrats and 22% were Republicans.

In the 2022 race for governor, turnout was 7% of registered voters in the Democratic primary and 3% in the Republican primary. About 20% of votes in that election were cast before Election Day.

As of June 18, a total of 44,204 ballots had been cast.

HOW LONG DOES VOTE-COUNTING USUALLY TAKE?

In the 2022 Republican primary election, the AP first reported results at 9: 04 p.m. ET, or four minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 2:51 a.m. ET with about 96% of total votes counted.

REGISTER TO VOTE

In New York you can register to vote online – CLICK HERE for the online registration portal.

The registration deadline for the primary election was June 15, but you can register now to vote in the General Election in November.

The incident occurred around 5:55 p.m. at the A train station at West 175th Street and Fort Washington Avenue in Washington Heights.

The victim, identified as a 40-year-old male, suffered multiple stab wounds to the torso, police said. Emergency medical services transported him to Harlem Hospital, where he died as a result of his injuries.

Law enforcement sources told NBC New York the stabbing was the result of a dispute.

“This was a senseless attack that spilled from the street to the subway, and we are providing full cooperation in the investigation, with confidence the NYPD will rapidly identify and apprehend the perpetrator,” MTA Communications Director Tim Minton said in a statement.

On Saturday, police arrested 24-year-old Diego Figueroa-Hepner. He was charged with murder-intention and criminal possession of a weapon, according to an NYPD spokesperson.

According to the NYPD, the 52-year-old driver was found wounded in the driver’s seat of a black Mercedes-Benz on Lincoln Place in Prospect Heights around 10 p.m.

He was last said to be in critical condition.

Police are looking for two men that witnesses said had been in the vehicle and ran from the scene. No description was immediately available.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy used the Juneteenth holiday to announce the creation of a new clemency program, which will allow some young and nonviolent offenders, along with domestic violence victims and others, to apply to leave prison early.

The program is designed to address mass incarceration, racial injustice and parole rules that make it difficult for people to get a new start when they leave prison, supporters said. A clemency board will review petitions and make recommendations to Murphy on pardons and commutations.

“We, and I, are looking for individuals who have been rehabilitated or who could be giving back to their communities, but are instead being unjustly held back by our criminal justice system,” Murphy said at an event Wednesday at St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Newark.

“I am going to use my clemency powers as governor to remedy these injustices,” he said.

Those eligible for expedited review include people who committed crimes before they turned 25 and did not reoffend. Others include victims of sexual violence or sex trafficking who committed crimes against their perpetrators; people sentenced to long sentences during the ‘War on Drugs’; people given longer-than-offered sentences after asserting their right to a trial; and nonviolent offenders nearing the end of their sentence.

Murphy, a Democrat, signed an executive order creating the program at the event, where he was flanked by rapper Robert “Meek Mill” Williams and activist and entrepreneur Wallace “Wallo267” Peeples.

Both spent years enmeshed in the justice system in Philadelphia. Peeples said he was first arrested, for robbery, at age 11.

“Since that day, June 30, 1990, I’ve never been off of probation, parole, out of the system. I get out of parole in 2040,” he said.

With the launch of our historic clemency initiative, we are changing the lives of thousands of individuals who deserve a second chance.

Thank you, @MeekMill and @Wallo267, for joining us in Newark today. I know this is deeply personal for both of you. pic.twitter.com/VCoN5MKoLd

— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 19, 2024

He has nonetheless found success in music, business and entertainment, he said, leading him to become a proud entrepreneur — and taxpayer — in New Jersey.

“I’m saying that to say this: The possibilities after prison are amazing,” Peeples said.

Murphy had not granted any clemency petitions since taking office in 2018. Justin Dews, a lawyer who will serve as chairperson of the Clemency Advisory Board, said the process would be fair to both petitioners and victims and their families.

“Our work will be grounded in fairness and not influence. Clemency is not reserved for the favored and well-connected,” Dews said.

NJ Transit and Amtrak riders found themselves stranded again Friday, with rail service suspended in and out of New York’s Penn Station during the morning rush — and another few hours after that.

Again, NJ Transit cited Amtrak overhead wire issues as the problem.

Amtrak attributed the mess to a disabled commuter train in Penn Station and said it didn’t anticipate service being fully restored until noon Friday.

Midtown Direct trains are still diverting to Hoboken.

NJ Transit said its tickets and passes were being cross-honored by NJ Transit, private buses, and PATH at Newark Penn, Hoboken, and 33rd Street. See more alternate routes here.

It comes less than a day after a power issue caused a lengthy disruption of both NJ Transit and Amtrak heading into the evening rush hour.

Amtrak had previously said that service suspension, which lasted hours Thursday afternoon, was caused by a “malfunctioning circuit breaker” that caused a loss of power on the tracks between Newark Penn Station and Newark Union Station. Amtrak and NJ Transit later said a brush fire in Secaucus had also caused issues for trains.

Earlier in the week, Amtrak warned the high temperatures the region is facing could require trains to operate at lower speeds and result in afternoon delays of up to 60 minutes.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Of the 46 people charged with trespassing in connection with the building’s occupation, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office dismissed cases against 31 people largely due to a lack of evidence. Prosecutors told 14 others that their cases will be dropped if they avoid being arrested in the next six months. 

The remaining defendant, James Carlson, has two other open cases against him, involving separate charges, including flag burning. Carlson has no affiliation with the school.

Protesters had seized the building on the Manhattan campus of Columbia University on April 30 as demonstrations against the war in Gaza erupted on some U.S. college campuses and as tensions at Columbia intensified over mass suspensions.

Dozens were arrested the next day when police with riot helmets cleared the damaged and barricaded building. 

Those arrested included at least 14 Columbia undergraduates, nine graduate students, two employees, and six students from affiliated schools, a Columbia spokesperson previously said. At least 13 of them had no affiliation with Columbia, the school said.

The 31 people whose cases were dismissed were students or staff at Columbia, Barnard or Union Theological Seminary.

Of the defendants who will later have their cases dismissed, pending no further arrests, 12 were not staff members or students at Columbia and two were students, the district attorney’s office said.

During the court appearances Thursday afternoon, a prosecutor said the defendants do not have criminal histories and that they will face internal disciplinary proceedings at Columbia. 

A Columbia University official said the disciplinary process is ongoing but declined to comment further.

The prosecutor said it would have been “extremely difficult” to prove the dismissed cases because the district attorney’s office lacks evidence, including surveillance footage from cameras that were covered up. The fact that some of the defendants wore masks also made it difficult to identify their specific actions.

An attorney for the defendants asked the court to immediately dismiss the charges against all of the accused, saying there are no allegations that the defendants hurt people or damaged property.

In the downtown courtroom, some of the defendants wore face masks and some wore kaffiyehs, which are distinctly patterned Palestinian scarves. At least two wore sunglasses.

As the hearings began, police confiscated what appeared to be a protest sign found under one of the seats.

When a prosecutor told the court that Carlson was accused of burning an Israeli flag, some of the defendants seated in the room could be heard snickering. A police officer instructed them to be quiet.

Hamilton Hall was famously occupied by people protesting the Vietnam War in 1968. 

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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All power had been restored around 5:30 p.m., according to Amtrak, with all rail service between New Haven and Philadelphia resuming — but “significant delays” could be expected due to backed up rail traffic and single-tracking, the transit agency said.

Amtrak had previously said the service suspension, which lasted hours Thursday afternoon, was caused to do a “malfunctioning circuit breaker” which caused a loss of power on the tracks between Newark Penn Station and Newark Union Station. Amtrak and NJ Transit later said a brush fire in Secaucus had also caused issues for trains.

NJ Transit said service service had resumed just before 6 p.m., with trains on the Trenton and Long Branch lines seen leaving NY-Penn Station by 5:50 p.m. There were still delays up to 60 minutes expected through the evening.

NJ Transit said its tickets and passes were being cross honored by NJ Transit, private buses, and PATH at Newark Penn, Hoboken, and 33rd Street.

NJ Transit said there are trains running from Newark to Trenton and encouraged passengers heading south to take the PATH to Newark. Dover and Montclair commuters were told to take the PATH to Hoboken to access their trains.

Some Amtrak trains were terminating at Philadelphia or Newark due to the power issues.

PATH was also reporting “network connection” issues Thursday afternoon at Newark Penn Station leading to delays on the World Trade Center – Newark line, but those were resolved before 5 p.m. and service was reported to be resuming to normal.

Earlier in the week, Amtrak warned the high temperatures the region is facing this could require trains to operate at lower speeds and results in afternoon delays of up to 60 minutes.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

It wasn’t clear what sparked the fire, which broke out between the train tracks and I-95, near the Eastern Spur that leads to the Lincoln Tunnel. Traffic appeared to be backed up all the way to Newark by 3 p.m. The fire was located in the marsh area between exits 15X and 16E on the Turnpike.

Flames could be seen coming close to the edge of the highway as traffic moved through on the far left northbound lane.

Shortly before 5 p.m., Secaucus police said the fire had been extinguished, about two hours after it started.

New Jersey Forest Fire Service said it assisted the Secaucus Fire Department on the fire.

No injuries were immediately reported. Drivers in the area were asked to be cautious of smoke and watch for firefighters and fire trucks in the area.

The Secaucus Fire Department had been overseeing the firefight. Officials said it began shortly before 3 p.m.

Amtrak later said that the fire was at least part of the reason it had to temporarily suspend service between Philadelphia and New Haven. It also pinned the blame for the halt in service on a “malfunctioning service breaker resulting in a loss of power” between Newark and New York City.

A severe thunderstorm watch was issued for parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut until 10 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Here’s a breakdown of the weekend weather:

Check the latest severe weather alerts for your neighborhood here.

Sunday

Similar to Saturday, Sunday begins rain-free. And this will be another morning where you won’t want to spend much time outside. Humidity will be miserable and temperatures will be in the 90s by midday.

New York City issued an air quality health advisory for sensitive groups — such as older adults over 65 or children younger than 14, pregnant individuals, outdoor workers, and those with medical conditions — from 11 a.m. through 11 p.m. Sunday.

Wind damage will be the main threat with the storms on Sunday. The risk is there for tornados but conditions for twisters are more likely in northern Connecticut.

Starting in the early afternoon scattered storms will again make their way through the area.

Unlike Friday and Saturday, the placement and intensity of the storms does not favor one specific region. And as such, the chance for severe weather is area-wide.

These storms have the potential to bring along damaging winds as well as the chance for hail.

Keep in mind, these wind gusts can reach up to 60 mph and are strong enough to knock down tree limbs and impact power lines. Hail up to an inch in diameter can result in minor damage to property.

Unfortunately, this cold front does not do too much in terms of dropping our temperatures.

We’ll have to wait until the end of next week for that.

10-day NYC weather forecast

PVWC said the advisory is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice.

The areas impacted are:

• Clifton/Paterson: Lakeview Ave from Maryland Ave to E 3^rd St
• Clifton/Paterson: Marshall Street / Kuller Rd
• Clifton: Route 46 (Piaget Ave)
• Paterson: 21^st Ave going east to E 26^th St

Residents and businesses affected by the advisory must:

• Boil water before all use.
• Use alternate water sources, like bottled water, if boiling is not possible.

PVWC crews are actively working to address the issue and restore normal water service.

“We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we work safely and diligently to make necessary repairs,” PVWC said.

In May 2024, a woman reported to Trenton police that she was sexually assaulted by Gerald Araya, 44, of Ewing, New Jersey. Araya owns El Catador Lounge Restaurant, Dubai Restaurant & Lounge and Mill Hill Restaurant & Lounge in Trenton.

The woman told investigators she met Araya while interviewing for a job at Dubai Restaurant. Araya wanted to show the woman his other restaurants and the two left, investigators said.

When they arrived at another bar, Araya began making the woman drinks and insisted that she try them so that she knew what to serve customers, officials said.

The woman told police she began feeling sick and told Araya she wanted to go home. Police said the woman then passed out. Araya then sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious at a motel in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, investigators said. The woman told police she woke up in a room naked.

Investigators also said they identified three other victims who Araya sexually assaulted. All three previously worked for him, according to officials.

Araya was arrested in Trenton on Wednesday, June 19. He is charged with sexual assault, kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and other related offenses. The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion to detain Araya pending trial.

While Araya is in custody, the investigation continues. Anyone with information on him is asked to contact the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit at 609-989-6568 or email mcposvu@mercercounty.org.

Resources for victims of sexual assault are available through the National Sexual Violence Resources Center and the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673.

The 24-page filing said Judge Engoron should step aside in light of a state judicial conduct investigation launched last month. Sources familiar with the investigation said the probe is examining whether Engoron engaged in an improper conversation about the case with an expert real estate lawyer three weeks before issuing his $454 million penalty ruling.

That lawyer is Adam Leitman Bailey, who unexpectedly revealed his alleged interaction with the judge during two taped TV interviews with NBC New York in February.

“I wanted him to know what I think and why…I really want him to get it right,” Bailey said, repeating that it had been his intention to advise Engoron about the law in the Trump case and why harsh penalties would be bad for business in New York. Bailey later said he and the judge “never mentioned the word Donald Trump,” but when asked if it had been clear which case they had been discussing, Bailey responded “Well obviously we weren’t talking about the Mets.”

In their motion, the Trump legal team said WNBC’s reporting on Bailey’s public statements raises questions about outside influence on the judge.

“Where, as here, this Court’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned under the circumstances, it must recuse. Indeed, there is no other means of dispelling the shadow that now looms over this Court’s impartiality,” the filing states.

Read the full filing below:

When reached for comment, court spokesman Al Baker said “we have no further comment on this matter.” WNBC also reached out to Bailey for a response but has not yet heard back.

Bailey is a high-profile attorney who has coedited textbooks on New York real estate law. His law license was once suspended in part for cursing at opposing litigants. Bailey told News 4 he had a longstanding professional relationship with Engoron, so he approached him in the courthouse to explain to him that a fraud statute at issue in the case was not intended to be used to shut down a major company, especially in a case without clear victims.

“I know he respects my real estate knowledge,” Bailey said. “So I gave it to him. I gave him everything I knew. He had a lot of questions, you know about certain cases. We went over it.”

A statement from a court spokesman in February did not deny that a conversation had taken place between the judge and the lawyer, but implied the interaction was insignificant.

“No ex parte conversation concerning this matter occurred between Justice Engoron and Mr. Bailey or any other person. The decision Justice Engoron issued February 16 was his alone, was deeply considered, and was wholly uninfluenced by this individual,” said Al Baker, a spokesman for the New York State’s Office of Court Administration, in a written statement.

After Bailey’s on-camera claims to WNBC and the judge’s broad, written denial, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct (NYSCJC) opened an investigation last month, according to sources familiar with the matter.

And within weeks, the commission questioned Bailey under oath about his claims. In a statement, NYSCJC Administrator Robert Tembeckjian said “The Commission on Judicial Conduct is constrained by a strict confidentiality statute and has no comment on this matter.”

The commission is collecting evidence to determine whether Engoron violated ethics rules, the sources said. These rules generally prohibit judges from discussing pending cases with outside parties, or accepting any expert advice unless it is disclosed to the parties in the case who must be given a chance to respond.

Ethics experts point out that the rules do not prohibit abstract discussions of the law, and that judges are afforded discretion in deciding which contacts must be disclosed.

In their filing, the Trump team said Engoron had “failed to notify” them of Bailey’s alleged input, accusing the judge of three months of “obfuscation.”

Trump’s motion requests a separate evidentiary hearing before a different judge to call witnesses — including Bailey — if Engoron does not agree to recuse himself. Trump’s attorney Christopher Kise said they are also issuing their own civil subpoenas seeking communications between Bailey and Engoron.

Sources familiar with the Judicial Conduct investigation say the Commission already asked Bailey to turn over any emails and texts he may have exchanged with Judge Engoron.

Bailey suggested he was texting Engoron seeking intel on his penalty ruling, hours before it was due to be released.

“What’s he thinking?” Bailey asked, as he appeared to type on his phone during his on camera interview with WNBC.
“I should text him….He’s probably getting bombarded…I’ll text him. I wanna get this decision.”

The court spokesman declined to tell NBC New York whether Engoron received texts from Bailey inquiring about his Trump ruling before it was issued that day.

Since February, the court spokesman has not responded to any of WNBC’s specific additional questions about the duration and nature of the interaction between Engoron and Bailey. For instance, did the judge engage with Bailey or did he try to shut the conversation down?

According to Trump’s motion, a judge’s responsibility to avoid any appearance of impropriety is heightened “in a case that has commanded worldwide attention.”

Several ethics experts and former judges contacted by News 4 say it will likely be the judge’s decision whether to recuse himself from the Trump civil case. But they note the existence of a Judicial Conduct investigation does not itself necessitate a recusal.

Former President Trump has repeatedly accused Engoron, a Democrat, of bias. The Trump team unsuccessfully demanded a mistrial in November and has criticized the judge’s decisions which are currently on appeal.

Under a lawyer’s rules of professional conduct, a lawyer should not “state or imply an ability” to improperly influence a judge, nor assist a judge in violating their own rules. But Bailey emailed WNBC several hours after Engoron issued his penalty ruling on February 16:

“I guess I convinced the judge to change his mind and reverse his ruling on the certificates and selling DT’s (Donald Trump’s) NY assets. Crazy,” Bailey wrote, without offering evidence.

But by the time Bailey approached the judge, there were other forces in play. An appeals court had already put Engoron’s initial ruling to revoke Trump’s business certificates on hold.

It’s not clear why Bailey would disclose in a television interview an effort to advise a judge that could land himself in trouble, according to legal ethics experts consulted for this report. When NBC New York pressed Bailey about the ethics of the conversation he had described, he said he had done nothing improper. So far it is unclear if Bailey is facing any sort of ethics probe for his alleged actions.

Bailey stopped responding to News 4 in February after learning his interaction with the judge might become the subject of our story. In his last email to WNBC in February, he wrote:

“If you do a story about my conversation about the law with the judge, you will harm my reputation with the judge and others. Why is this news?”

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East Brunswick Public Schools hired a law firm to investigate after the situation came to light earlier this month and caused an uproar. A photo of a group of Muslim students appeared in the spot reserved for the Jewish Student Union, and the names of the Jewish group’s members were omitted from the page.

It was the yearbook advisor who placed the incorrect photo on the page, the probe concluded. The advisor said she was rushing to finish production and mistakenly grabbed the wrong photo from a computer folder that stored yearbook images for the Coptic Club, the Muslim Student Association and the Jewish Student Union. The advisor also said it was “too late” to ask for a roster of Jewish Student Union members for inclusion, according to the probe’s written findings.

“I conclude that the use of the incorrect photograph was not purposeful, but rather was a highly unfortunate error,” Yaacov Brisman of Brisman Law, who conducted the probe, said in the report. “I have no basis to find that she acted out of any animus, racial, religious, or political, towards Jewish or Muslim students.”

Brisman said the educator “was at best careless, but her actions can also be considered negligent,” and that she should have “exercised greater attention to detail” and shown more sensitivity. The report suggested an overhaul of the yearbook production process but did not make a recommendation on discipline.

The district said students can have corrected pages professionally inserted into their yearbooks. Superintendent Victor Valeski told People Magazine that an initial investigation found it was a mistake, and that the yearbook staff never received a photo or roster from the club.

“It sparked a lot of outrage in the community because it’s hard for most people to fathom how this happened ‘by accident,'” said Mayor Brad Cohen, who had also demanded answers.

There are hundreds of copies of the yearbook currently in circulation. Cohen previously had questioned if the omission should be considered a hate crime, if it was indeed done maliciously.

The district said Wednesday it plans more oversight over the yearbook production and review process and that it will also launch a “tolerance training program” next school year.

“While I’m grateful that the results of this investigation show that these actions were serious mistakes without malice, we must now focus on repairing the deep hurt and division that has been created in our school and community,” said East Brunswick Schools Superintendent Victor Valeski. “We will make sure that there is accountability for the mistakes that were made.”

East Brunswick’s mayor had called the yearbook omission a “blatant Anti-Semitic act” and said the probe should consider whether it was a hate crime worthy of prosecution. The New Jersey office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations had called for a “transparent and fair investigation” and said the yearbook incident had triggered “heinous backlash” against Muslim students.

Messages were sent to East Brunswick Mayor Brad Cohen and CAIR seeking comment on the results of the probe.

Camden County Commissioners, the Phillie Phanatic and others welcomed the historic U.S. Navy ship back to the New Jersey side of the Delaware River with “a welcome home party featuring food trucks, live music, carnival games and more” on Thursday June 20, 2024.

“For the past three months, the 82-year-old vessel has undergone extensive maintenance work to support its lifespan,” County Commissioner Melina Kane said ahead of the move. “It is an incredible piece of history that completes the Camden Waterfront and we have eagerly been awaiting its return.”

Back in March, the battleship — that now serves as a museum — made the journey with help from tugboats along the Delaware River first to the Paulsboro Marine Terminal before dry docking at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The total cost of repairs was estimated around $10 million.

The ship made the reverse commute to Paulsboro on June 14, 2024.

The final journey home took place on June 20, starting just after 11 a.m. as tugboats began pushing the ship.

The journey wasn’t anywhere as fast as the Philadelphia-built ship would speed up to during its days as a commissioned vessel.

A flotilla of other ships — some chartered — joined the battleship on its slow ride.

Commissioners and what appeared to be hundreds of people welcomed the boat back to Camden around 1:30 p.m. at a riverfront party. Kids are free at the party, while a $10 donation is suggested for adults.

New Jersey Mar 2

Battleship NJ leaves Camden, embarks on historic journey

The battleship, which was built in the 1940s in Philadelphia, served for about 50 years before its retirement in February 1991. It has been a floating museum since 2001. The ship was built at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and was launched there on Dec. 7, 1942, the first anniversary of the Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor.

The ship is the most decorated battleship in Navy history, earning distinction in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War and conflicts in the Middle East, according to its website. The ship steamed more miles, fought in more battles and fired more shells in combat than any other battleship.

A 6-year-old boy and his mother have died after being struck by a school bus as they walked to school in Westchester County Thursday, police said.

The boy was a kindergartener in Mamaroneck, according to the school district. The two were hit on Mamaroneck Avenue, where a yellow backpack with a ripped-apart strap lied in the middle of the road afterward.

Neither his nor his mother’s name have been released. The area was shut down as police investigated. A mini school bus was spotted stopped in the middle of the road in front of the school, with caution tape blocking off the vicinity.

“There is nothing more difficult for a community to experience than the loss of life, and we know that everyone in the Mamaroneck and Larchmont communities is heartbroken by this news,” the school district said in part. “We also know that the death of a child is particularly difficult for other children to process.  At this time, we have informed our staff of this incredible loss, and social workers and psychologists are fully deployed at MAS.” 

Village of Mamaroneck Police Department confirmed the child died on scene, while his 43-year-old mother was initially taken to an area hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.

According to police, “The bus was turning, there were several parents and children crossing the street at the crosswalk with the walk sign. The driver of the school bus is cooperating with investigators, and it appears at this time that this incident was a tragic accident.”

The 68-year-old bus driver from Mount Vernon was not immediately charged; he was so shaken up afterward, he was taken to the hospital.

The bus had a green light and was making a left turn onto Mamaroneck Avenue at the time, police said. There were several students and an adult aide onboard the bus at the time, according to police.

Thursday was the last full day of classes for Mamaroneck schools, with the young boy set to graduate from kindergarten on Monday.

Doris Miranda, who lives near the scene of the fatal accident, told NBC New York that they have wanted traffic cameras in that area, but that has yet to happen.

Miranda said she was inside her residence when she heard “Stop! Stop!” followed by a woman yelling “Oh my God!”

While she has seen “many accidents” in the area over the years, “nothing like this has ever happened.”

Although she did not see the accident, Miranda said she and her children, who are 8- and 12-years-old, did see the aftermath — a sight that has left an impression on them all.

“They need to put cameras here, but they never did,” Miranda told NBC New York in Spanish, adding that she has witnessed drivers not stop when they need to. “Really, there should be someone there helping to cross children.”

“It is very sad,” she said.

The tour will hit Madison Square Garden on Sept. 29, the XL Center in Hartford on Oct. 2, and the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Oct. 8.

Sabrina’s new album, “Short n’ Sweet” is scheduled to be released just ahead of the start of the tour on Aug. 23. She’s already released two singles from the album, “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.”

Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, June 28 at 10 a.m. local time. You can register for presale access at the official tour site.

Announced “Short n’ Sweet” Sabrina Carpenter tour dates:

• 9/23 – Columbus, Ohio (Nationwide Arena)
• 9/25 – Toronto, Canada (Scotiabank Arena)
• 9/26 – Detroit, Michigan (Little Caesars Arena)
• 9/29 – New York, New York (Madison Square Garden)
• 10/2 – Hartford, Connecticut (XL Center)
• 10/3 – Boston, Massachusetts (TD Garden)
• 10/5 – Baltimore, Maryland (CFG Bank Arena)
• 10/8 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Wells Fargo Center)
• 10/11 – Montreal, Canada (Bell Centre)
• 10/13 – Chicago, Illinois (United Center)
• 10/14 – Minneapolis, Minnesota (Target Center)
• 10/16 – Nashville, Tennessee (Bridgestone Arena)
• 10/17 – St. Louis, Missouri (Chaifetz Arena)
• 10/19 – Raleigh, North Carolina (PNC Arena)
• 10/20 – Charlottesville, Virginia (John Paul Jones Arena)
• 10/22 – Atlanta, Georgia (State Farm Arena)
• 10/24 – Orlando, Florida (Kia Center)
• 10/25 – Tampa, Florida (Amalie Arena)
• 10/28 – Austin, Texas (American Airlines Center)
• 11/1 – Denver, Colorado (Ball Arena)
• 11/2 – Salt Lake City, Utah (Delta Center)
• 11/4 – Vancouver, Canada (Pacific Coliseum)
• 11/6 – Seattle, Washington (Climate Pledge Arena)
• 11/7 – Portland, Oregon (Moda Center)
• 11/9 – San Francisco, California (Chase Center)
• 11/10 – San Diego, California (Pechanga Arena)
• 11/13 – Phoenix, Arizona (Footprint Center)
• 11/15 – Los Angeles, California (Crypto.com Arena)

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When a building fire broke out on a rooftop on Broome St early Thursday morning, Chopper 4 captured video of a shirtless man with a garden hose spraying water onto the the roof from an adjoining building.

Firefighters were called to the five-story luxury building at 463 Broome Street for a rooftop fire shortly after 6:30 a.m. The fire spewed thick black smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away.

The cause is under investigation.

The fires broke out within about an hour of one another. Nearly a half-dozen firefighters were hurt in the SoHo one, officials say, but they’re all expected to be OK. Four suffered minor injuries in the Bronx.

“We are lucky this happened so early in the morning; the heat and humidity hadn’t really kicked in yet. We rotate the members out due to extreme conditions to make sure everybody’s hydrated and doing well while operating at these types of environments,” said Division Chief Mark Bonilla.

Firefighters were first called to Third Avenue near 156th Street in the Bronx around 5 a.m. for a fire in a Dunkin’ Donuts that appeared to have spread to other businesses. It’s not clear what sparked the fire, but it was out within a few hours.

The fire destroyed a row of four or five businesses in the Melrose neighborhood, including a Chinese restaurant, a smoke shop, a furniture store and an electronics store, in addition to the Dunkin’. An investigation by fire marshals was ongoing, and inspectors with the Department of Buildings were also at the scene to scout for any possible structural damage to the commercial building.

Over in SoHo, about an hour later, firefighters were called to a five-story luxury building on Broome Street for a rooftop fire. That fire spewed thick black smoke into the air that could be seen from miles away.

The cause is under investigation.

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The attack happened after the conclusion of the graduation program for Academy Charter High Schools as the graduates and their families and guests were leaving the venue, according to a statement from the school.

Officials said a guest attending the graduation was slashed in the leg by the group and a student who had invited the guest tried to intervene, but was slashed in the ear. Both the student and the guest were taken to a local hospital.

“We are told that it is believed the incident was related to a domestic dispute,” the school said in a statement but did not elaborate.

Graduation attendees had to pass through magnetometers to enter the venue. Police said they were called to the campus around 4:20 p.m. for a report of an assault.

Nassau County police and Hofstra University security are also involved in the investigation.

New details were shared by the man suspected in a violent sexual attack of a 13-year-old girl in a Queens park, as he admitted to having a drug problem and that he recorded the entire alleged assault, according to prosecutors.

Christian Inga faced a judge for the first time Wednesday as he faced a long list of charges including rape and kidnapping for the afternoon attack on June 13 in which he ambushed two teens at the popular Kissena Park after school, then forced them into the woods at knifepoint and tied them up before sexually assaulting the girl.

Inga was arrested in Corona Tuesday following a dayslong, city-wide manhunt. He was recognized by people in his neighborhood who took matters into their own hands, holding the 25-year-old down and belting his legs together as they waited for police.

Queens Jun 18

‘Come get him': Suspected Queens child rapist in custody after people recognize him, call 911

Queens Jun 14

NYPD offers $10,000 reward for ‘animal' who attacked 2 kids in Queens park after school

Queens Jun 14

Knife-wielding stranger forces two 13-year-olds into park woods in brazen NYC sex attack

“I told everybody yo this the rapist. I punched him. I kicked him. I ain’t gonna lie,” Jeffrey Flores told NBC New York on Tuesday.

He had recognized Inga from the NYPD wanted posters and decided to take some friends to wait at a bodega on 108th and Waldon streets where they knew he frequently stopped at. The group waited for hours before Inga showed up, and they went after him, according to sources, calling 911 to say, “Come get him.”

“He started yelling ‘help, help’ in Spanish. I was like ‘Yeah that’s what the little girl was saying,'” said Flores. “He really try to run, run, run for his life but he couldn’t.”

At one point, Flores says the man tried to hide underneath a car until officers arrived and took him into custody. Inga was in court Wednesday following a brief hospital stint to treat injuries delivered by the neighbors who captured and turned him in.

Flores said Inga didn’t deny the sexual assault allegations, a statement corroborated by a bodega worker in the store at the time.

According to investigators, the boy and girl were in a field in Kissena Park around 3 p.m., just after school let out for the day, when a curly-haired man with braces walked up and demanded they follow him into the woods. When they refused, police say he pulled out a “large machete-style knife” and forced them into an isolated area, where he bound each of their wrists with a shoelace. Then he sexually assaulted the 13-year-old girl.

The kids told cops the man warned them to stay where they were for 20 minutes. He then ran off with their phones. Once time was up, they returned to school and told administrators what happened. They called 911 immediately.

The children were taken to a hospital for treatment. A shoelace, possibly the one used to tie the children’s wrists, was recovered at the scene.

During his court appearance, prosecutors said Inga admitted to having a drug problem. In the same interview, he allegedly told police he saw the boy and girl near the woods and tied them together, gagged them and then assaulted the girl.

He told police he recorded the attack, but Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz would not answer any further questions about that detail, saying it is “under investigation.”

Echoing police’s words from a day ago, DA Katz commended the victims for helping police find him in the days after the attack that terrorized the community and shocked New Yorkers across the city.

“This attack on two children in broad daylight in a city park strikes the very core of our society,” said Katz.

Two senior police officials say Inga is an Ecuadorian national who arrived in New York City in 2021 after crossing the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, along with his then-3-year-old son. Inga, a father of two, was charged with rape, robbery, sexual assault, kidnapping, endangering child welfare and other counts.

Prosecutors said his immigration status was a major reason he was a flight risk, to which the judge agreed, ordering him held without bail. Inga requested additional medical attention for the bruises on his face. His next court appearance is scheduled for July.

If convicted, Inga faces 25 years to life in prison. His lawyer did not immediately comment. The Ecuadorian consulate did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Police previously said Inga had no prior arrests in New York City but did have one arrest in Texas.

Love Island USA, hosted by Ariana Madix, will be hosting an experience at the Jersey Shore on June 29. It will take place at Bar Anticipation at 703 16th Ave in Lake Como from 2-7 p.m.

At the pop-up villa, fans of Love Island USA, will be able to record an audition tape for the an upcoming season of the show. In addition, fans can also mingle with favorite ex-Islanders from previous seasons and get a chance to see what it feels like in the villa.

Participants much be 18 years or older and will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Other experiences will take place in Los Angeles on June 14 and Chicago on June 22.

Gensel Soler Avila was indicted Tuesday on four counts each of first- and second-degree assault as well as weapon possession, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said. The charges stem from attacks on the night of Dec. 4 in Huntington Station.

Avila, 21, got into a fight with another man at a bar, and when the other man tried to run off, Avila chased him into the intersection of Pulaski Road and New York Avenue, an investigation found. After knocking the victim to the ground, Avila allegedly beat his face and body with a sharp object, stabbing him repeatedly, including in the eye.

The victim was left bleeding heavily and eventually passed out in the middle of the street. He was still unconscious when police found him later on, according to the investigation.

While Avila, a reputed member of the MS-13 gang, was walking away from the first victim, he attacked another man, the DA said. He punched the man repeatedly while holding a sharp object, and caused a stab wound from the victim’s forehead down to his eye, leading it to bleed heavily.

Both victims were taken to Huntington Hospital and later transferred to North Shore University Hospital to get specialized surgery. Each man suffered permanent loss of vision in one of their eyes in addition to other injuries, including cuts to the face and chest, Tierney said. The first victim needed a prosthetic skull to be inserted and more than 50 staples to his head.

These alleged brutal acts which resulted in the permanent loss of vision for the victims, are a stark reminder of the senseless violence that torments our communities,” said District Attorney Tierney. “The allegations against this individual, including that he is an MS-13 gang member, are deeply troubling.”

Avila was arraigned and held on $1 million bond. He is due back in court on July 24. Avila is being represented by attorney Joseph Hanshe.

Police said Maria Coto, 56, was attacked during a home visit on South Street in the afternoon of May 14. Coto was found unconscious by officers with serious head injuries and was transported to the Westchester Medical Center. Police said Coto died Wednesday from the injuries she sustained in the attack.

31-year-old Hasseem Jenkins was at the South Street location when police arrived on May 14 and was taken into custody, police said. Jenkins was initially charged with second-degree attempted murder and assault in the first degree, officials said.

“Maria was a dedicated employee of the Westchester County Department of Social Services, who was brutally attacked while selflessly performing her duties,” said Westchester County Executive George Latimer. “It is enraging that someone whose life was devoted to helping others was viciously taken from her friends and family.”

 Jenkins is still in custody at the Westchester County Jail awaiting his next court appearance, according to police.

As a result of the attack, the county Department of Social Services has expanded the availability of security escorts for staff making home and community visits.

“This unforeseen and tragic incident has prompted us to take immediate action to protect our personnel from further harm while they perform their duties on behalf of the County of Westchester,” Latimer said.

Century Protective Services is assigned to provide security for staff making home visits on a case-by-case basis, the department said.

Police asking anyone with information on the attack against Coto to reach out to Peekskill police.

The victim, a 77-year-old woman, got a phone call around 3 p.m. on May 20 from someone who claimed to be working for the New York City-based bank, police said. The person on the phone told her she had been hacked and the bank needed money from her in order fix the account.

The individual then took a cab to the woman’s home in Great Kills and collected about $15,500 from her before getting back in the taxi and taking off on Lindenwood Road, according to police.

The suspect, a woman, was seen on a doorbell camera and was described as having a heavy build with glasses, hair in a ponytail and wearing a surgical facemask. She was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt with gold letters and black jeans.

The victim was not injured.

A large area of high pressure has been sitting over the region, keeping the weather pattern stagnant and forming a heat dome.

Heat domes are responsible for prolonged periods of hot weather. They can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, depending on how long it takes the high pressure system to move out.

How heat domes work:

High pressure systems are characterized by sinking air. This sinking air typically means no-rain, fewer clouds, and lots of sunshine. Under these conditions it is easy for temperatures to rise, facilitating a stretch of quiet and warm weather.

But if the high pressure system does not move, it starts to act like a lid, trapping in the warm air.

That warm air then sinks, compresses, and reheats on repeat, cranking up the temperatures and humidity for those living under the influence of the heat dome.

And that is what has been happening here. We’ve got high pressure sitting just offshore, keeping us under its influence.

A few storm systems get near our area, but high pressure keeps them mainly north.

It is not until a cold front comes through late on Monday that we see any kind of relief from the heat and humidity.

But even that relief will be short lived. We are likely to experience above average temperatures through the end of June right into the start of July.

An attorney for Justin Timberlake has issued a statement regarding the pop star’s arrest on Long Island for alleged drunken driving after he repeatedly refused to take a chemical test during a police traffic stop.

“I look forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake on these allegations,” said attorney Edward Burke Jr.

An officer observed the grey BMW with Florida license plates that Timberlake had been driving as it twice failed to stay on the right side of the road shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday in Sag Harbor, according to the criminal complaint. He also allegedly failed to stop at the stop sign on Madison Street at Jermain Avenue, before having trouble staying on his side of the road.

After seeing him swerve twice, police pulled the vehicle over.

The cop who stopped him said the so-dubbed “Prince of Pop” appeared to be drunk, with bloodshot, glassy eyes and a strong smell of alcohol on his breath. The complaint says Timberlake was unsteady and had slowed speech; he also allegedly performed poorly on field sobriety tests. They said he couldn’t focus on speaking to police while he was looking for his registration, either.

“I had one martini and I followed my friends home,” Timberlake allegedly told officers.

Officers took him to the Sag Village Police Department for processing, where the complaint says he refused three times over the course of about 40 minutes to take a chemical test of his blood alcohol content.

“No, I’m not doing a chemical test,” Timberlake said according to the complaint. The singer reiterated twice, “I refuse.”

He was then taken to East Hampton Town police headquarters and held overnight ahead of his Tuesday morning arraignment. Timberlake was released on his own recognizance after that hearing. Timberlake pleaded not guilty in court and was ordered back on July 26, officials said.

On Wednesday, Timberlake’s attorney released a statement regarding the arrest.

“I will have a lot to say at the appropriate time but am currently awaiting full discovery from the District Attorney’s office,” said Burke Jr.

The singer has not released any comment on the incident himself. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office had no further comment.

Timberlake’s wife, Jessica Biel, was spotted back on set filming “The Better Sister” in Manhattan hours after his arrest, according to E!.

Police also have the encounter on body and dash cameras, but the footage has not been released.

Before his arrest, Timberlake had been leaving The American Hotel on Main Street, a popular spot in Sag Harbor. Famed singer Billy Joel lives in the town and was spotted at the hotel and restaurant Tuesday by an NBC News crew.

“I don’t really know him that much, so I have no comment,” Joel said when asked about Timberlake’s encounter with police.

“Judge not, lest ye be judged,” Joel added.

The arrest comes amid Timberlake’s first world tour in nearly six years. The pop icon is scheduled to perform at Madison Square Garden in New York City next week on June 25 and 26.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment representatives deferred questions to Timberlake’s representatives.

Sag Harbor is a coastal village in the Hamptons, around 100 miles from New York City. In the summer, it is a hot spot for wealthy visitors.

“The City of Long Beach is aware of, and actively working to cancel, another unauthorized beach gathering promoted on social media planned for this afternoon at Long Beach Boulevard,” Long Beach Manager Daniel Creighton said in an automated alert. “Out of an abundance of caution, I would ask that residents enjoy the beach away from this location.”

Creighton said the city is working the state, MTA, and county officials to provide resources. LIRR and NICE service in the area will be monitored and suspended as needed, Creighton said.

Creighton said police officers will be actively patrolling the boardwalk Wednesday. But the city’s message to people planning to attend the gathering: stay away.

On June 13, more than 2,000 teens showed up as part of a “Senior Cut Day” outing. Swarms of kids from multiple schools had gathered on Long Beach for “a day of fun in the sun,” as some said, that was advertised on social media. But arguments started to cause disruptions, according to police. Long Beach police called in Nassau County authorities and MTA police to help clear the sprawling group, which spilled the fist-fare into the streets.

Soon after, a shot rang out just off the boardwalk. Police said a 16-year-old boy suffered a chest injury. He was taken to a hospital and authorities said early Friday he is expected to make a full recovery.

Moments later, multiple shots were fired at the Long Beach LIRR station. The city said that two males were taken into custody as a result of the incidents, including a 15-year-old boy who was charged with attempted assault, reckless endangerment and other gun charges.

Jarring video shows the crowd and police response the moment a gun goes off. Police crouch behind an ESU vehicle, their hands on their service weapons as teens take off running. Later, officers with long guns are spotted at the scene.

People who were there described a fright.

“A lot of people were in the streets, people were getting trampled over. It was really concerning,” said Rowan Campbell, from Valley Stream.

Large beach events will continue to need a permit, which thursday’s gathering did not have.

“Unpermitted gatherings of groups larger than 100 people is illegal and punishable not just by imprisonment, but the organizers will be held responsible for the City’s cost to police, disperse and clean up any such event,” said Creighton. “I promise you, those costs are substantial.”

The city council announced new measures to try and prevent similar incidents from occurring, including making passes required every day in order to access the beach, effective immediately. Passes were previously only required on weekends and holidays until June 27.

Keeping the beach closed from dusk until dawn will now occur everyday, the city announced. The city manager will also have the authority to close any portion of the beach or boardwalk at his discretion.

“Long Beach is a safe City and we plan on keeping it that way,” said Long Beach City Council President Brendan Finn. “What we witnessed yesterday and what our citizens endured is unacceptable…The social contract appears to be falling apart. It seems to be a trend in America and may be in New York City, but it won’t be a trend here in Long Beach.”

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Mays began his MLB playing career with the New York Giants and ended it with the New York Mets.

Mays, a 24-time baseball All Star, also wore #24 throughout this career, a number that was retired by the New York Mets in 2022.

Steve and Alex Cohen from the New York Mets released a statement: “Willie Mays was one of the greatest to ever play the game. Willie ended his Hall of Fame career in Queens and was a key piece to the 1973 NL championship team. Mays played with a style and grace like no one else. Alex and I were thrilled to honor a previous promise from Joan Payson to retire his iconic #24 as a member of the Mets in 2022. On behalf of our entire organization, we send our thoughts and prayers to Willie’s family and friends.”

The Yankees shared a statement on social media: “The Yankees join the baseball community in mourning the loss of Willie Mays, who was an iconic figure during a Golden Era of baseball in New York City and simply one of the greatest players that the game will ever see. We offer our deepest condolences to the Mays family, the Giants organization and all who knew him.”

One of the indelible images in New York baseball history is Mays making “The Catch” in the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds helping the New York Giants to a World Series win.

Derek Jeter described Mays as “one of the best to ever play the game and even a better person.”

“There will never be another Willie Mays,” said Bernie Williams. “You don’t play Centerfield without thinking of Mr. Mays. We should all celebrate and salute his legacy – – he transcended baseball, served our country and is a true American legend & icon.”

New York Yankees great Paul O’Neill said, “Say Hey, you were my truly my idol, Willie. You will be missed.”

Yankees All-Star Dave Winfield said it was “my pleasure and honor to have played against arguably the best [baseball] player of all time.”

“Willie Mays was one of the most talented athletes to ever grace New York,.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “He made history time and again, and left an indelible mark on baseball. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

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Rodlin Gravesande was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the Dec. 2022 incident which left the victim with second- and third-degree burns to the left side of her face. Gravesande had been convicted of first- and second-degree assault in May.

The attack occurred after the victim, a 21-year-old woman, was riding to work at Kings County Hospital on a southbound No. 2 train just before 1 a.m. on Dec. 2, 2022, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. As she was on the train, Gravesande started to yell, threaten and push passengers aboard the subway for several minutes, before turning her attention to the victim.

The train soon after stopped at the Winthrop Street Station in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, where the victim got off — followed by Gravesande. The two traded words on the platform, the DA said, before the victim tried to walk away. But Gravesande punched her in the head, and when she walked toward the stairs, Gravesande followed her.

She then took out a vial of sulfuric acid and threw it in the victim’s face, the investigation found. Gravesande, 34, ran from the station immediately after.

The victim ran from the station to the hospital where she worked. She was transferred to the burn unit at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx for treatment.

Since the attack, the victim has had a nose and lip reconstruction, in addition to multiple skin grafts. As a result of the burns she suffered, the victim has permanent facial scarring.

Gravesande fled to Atlanta but was extradited back to Brooklyn in Jan. 2023. Attorney information for her was not immediately available.

New York City finally found a buyer for the craft that was involved in a deadly crash two decades ago. The Andrew J. Barbieri Ferry went up for auction in May with a starting price of $155,000. It didn’t attract a single bid before the auction was set to end on May 27, however.

The auction was then extended and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services lowered the opening bid. It sold on Monday, the last day of the auction, for just over $101,000.

The ferry was removed from regular service in 2023 ahead of the 20-year anniversary of a deadly crash it was involved in back in 2003. The vessel crashed full-speed into a concrete maintenance pier at the at the St. George Terminal. Eleven people died as a result of the crash and 70 were hurt, some critically, according to an National Transportation Safety Board report.

Back in 2022, “Saturday Night Live” stars Jost and Davidson — both raised on Staten Island — bought the retired JFK Ferryboat for almost $300,000. They have plans to turn it into an entertainment venue.

Those fans might have also told you that oftentimes things do not break right for the Mets. (They can be a glass-half-empty bunch, particularly on social media.) At times the bullpen has blown leads, key hitters have struggled at the plate, and as recently as a week ago, when the Mets were nine games under .500, the team’s situation appeared to be relatively bleak.

That is, until a new and unexpected hero emerged at the Mets’ ballpark in Queens: Grimace.

The beloved McDonald’s character, who is celebrating his birthday this month, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Citi Field prior to a June 12 game against the Miami Marlins. He was introduced as the “ultimate baseball fan, all the way from McDonaldland.”

Standing on the mound and wearing the Mets’ City Connect cap, Grimace bounced a pitch in the dirt but kept the smile on his face.

The pitch in and of itself wasn’t remarkable, though it was pretty impressive for a fast-food mascot. No, what has been remarkable is what has come since for the Mets: a seven-game winning streak.

The Mets, seemingly out of contention pre-Grimace, are undefeated since his first pitch: two wins against the Marlins, a three-game sweep at home of the San Diego Padres, and two road victories against the World Series champion Texas Rangers. While they’re still 13 1/2 games behind the NL East division leader Philadelphia Phillies, they are now only 1/2 game behind for one of the NL’s wild card spots.

Sure, their record is a still-mediocre 35-37, but let the Mets fans and the media have fun with this moment: They’re fully embracing Grimacemania on X. A photo circulated June 16 of a fan at Citi Field wearing a Grimace Mets jersey. T-shirts have been made of Grimace posing with the Mets’ mascots, Mr. and Mrs. Met. There have been suggestions that Grimace’s jersey number be retired if the Mets make the playoffs this year.

Emma Baccellieri of Sports Illustrated posted, “Without a signature milkshake this year, Grimace had to direct his powers elsewhere, surveying the nation for worthy causes in need and settling on the New York Mets,” referring to the much-ballyhooed shake McDonald’s released in celebration of Grimace‘s birthday at this time last year.

As others have simply summarized it, it has become a “Hot Grimace Summer” in baseball.

McDonald’s itself has chimed in, too. On June 17 it posted a digitally altered image of Grimace wearing a Mets hat, and after New York trounced Texas, 14-2, wrote, “The grimacee effectt im flattereddd.”

In a postgame interview the same night, Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo was asked how much credit he and his teammates give Grimace for their inspired play.

Laughing, Nimmo answered, “I don’t know about coincidences. He definitely correlates with us going on this run. If that’s what you want to attribute it to, then I’m all for it. Whatever it is, let’s keep it going.”

The Mets will try to keep the Grimace magic going June 19 when they continue their series against the Rangers.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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That air quality alert was issued until 11 p.m. Wednesday for NYC, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam counties in New York; Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, and Union counties in New Jersey; and Fairfield, New Haven, and Northern Middlesex in Connecticut. The alert is a warning that the air quality may approach a level that is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Another air quality alert will be in place again Thursday for NYC and the surrounding area, with the AQI forecast to reach levels deemed “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.”

Heat advisories went into effect for most of the region Tuesday, except for New York City, Long Island and the shoreline of New Jersey and Connecticut (but don’t worry, it’ll still be plenty hot in those areas too). While it might not quite reach a heat wave for the city, Wednesday did mark the third straight day of at least 90-degree heat for Newark, making it an official heat wave in parts of the tri-state.

Central Park fell just short of 90 degrees (reaching 89), but had a heat index that peaked at 95. Thursday looks more likely for NYC’s first 90-degree day of the water. Poughkeepsie hit a record high of 94.

Heat indices are expected over 95 degrees in inland areas for the rest of the week. Temperatures are expected to climb higher along with higher overnight lows, meaning minimal overnight relief is in sight.

The heat will continue to build, with the hottest days expected to be Thursday and Friday, as highs reach the mid-90s. Temperatures will go back down a bit over the weekend, but there is no real break expected in the near future.

The warm, humid weather will be downright dangerous — and not just because of the higher temperatures and humidity, but because of the cumulative effect and the lack of relief overnight. There is a chance some areas in the tri-state could set some record high overnight temperatures.

Parts of New Jersey will face an excessive heat watch on Thursday and Friday when the heat index will climb up to 105. Some school districts in the state let students out early on Wednesday as temperatures began to soar.

Afternoon and evening storm chances pick up Friday and last through early next week.

Storm chances possible this week

Storm chances pick up Thursday with a possible spotty shower well north of NYC in Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess counties.

Friday’s forecast high of 94 degrees would approach the record for the day for Central Park, but likely will fall a few degrees short. The all-time record for the month of June (at Central Park) is 101.

The chance for showers on Friday increases as a cold front moves closer, and the threat will linger Saturday evening through Monday. Rather than helping bring relief for the heat, any storms could actually make it feel more humid outside.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is activating the National Guard to help people in the heat. The MTA said heat patrols will be deployed to inspect train tracks to keep service running. In New Jersey, some schools have early dismissal for the rest of the week due to the scorching temperatures.

A tiny bit of the edge from the heat will go away over the weekend, at least on Saturday, though it will remain very warm and muggy across the region. In fact, Sunday may be as rough as Friday in terms of dangerous heat and humidity combination. We see a brief break with temperatures and humidity by Tuesday.

Any sort of relief from the heat will be brief. After the weekend, temperatures will linger in the upper 80s and will once again near 90s by mid-week, so make sure that A/C is running well. Sadly, no long-term relief is in the forecast for June.

Exclusive Storm Team 4 10-Day Forecast

Next week remains hot with chances of thunderstorms.

Aurora Agapov, 19, filed a suit against her roommate Kaitlyn Fung and Fung’s mother, accusing the 18-year-old of concocting a scheme to steal Agapov’s pricey belongings and sell some of the items on an online luxury resale marketplace.

Agapov’s father is Andre Agapov, a Russian-American mining magnate and CEO of a gold mining company.

The suit alleges that Aurora Agapov discovered in May that some of her things had gone missing from their room in Founders’ Hall. She also found a receipt written to Fung from the online consignment shop The RealReal that listed the missing items, according to the lawsuit.

According to the suit, Agapov had Fung open her account on The RealReal, which allegedly showed several items Fung was in the process of selling including an 18-karat ring worth nearly $24,000, a $3,300 Celine tote, and a $4,000 Chanel handbag.

Items that had already been sold included a Bvlgari necklace sold for $2,485 and a Chanel bracelet sold for $175. The lawsuit says that both items were sold for substantially less than their true market value. The bracelet had a value of $2,000 and the necklace had a value of about $13,000, the suit says.

Other stolen items such as a Gucci handbag, Christian Louboutin shoes, and a Celine handbag had been sold but returned to Fung, according to the lawsuit.

Fung, of Old Tappan, New Jersey, was arrested on May 2 after Agapov reported the incident to the police. She’s been charged with grand larceny, a police spokesperson said.

The suit says that Agapov went to The RealReal’s location in New York City and was informed by an employee that Fung’s mother had allegedly instructed them to send the unsold items to her home.

Fung, whose LinkedIn says that she’s studying politics and criminology, and her mother could not be reached Tuesday at phone numbers listed for them. Attorney information for them was not listed in court documents.

Agapov says in the lawsuit that Fung and her mother “have failed and refused” to return the stolen items to her.

A representative for The RealReal said that none of the allegedly stolen items are in their possession anymore and the company is working with law enforcement.

All consignors are required to sign an agreement confirming they have the right to sell the items and that they are not stolen, the representative said in a statement.

“If we receive any information that items might be stolen, we act fast by removing the items from the site and starting an investigation,” the statement said.

A spokesperson for NYU said they cannot comment on the specific incident but said stealing from roommates is rare at the school and is a “lousy thing to do.” If a student is found to have stolen from a roommate, the student would most likely be immediately removed from the dorm and face serious consequences such as suspension.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. More from NBC News:

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This season, pool-goers will have another option when it comes to choosing where to keep cool in the city. A grand option, as in “New York City’s largest pool”- type of grand.

The Astoria Pool, which is the city’s largest pool, holding one million gallons at 330 feet long, is almost ready for swimmers after being closed nearly two years to undergo a $19 million upgrade.

In an exclusive interview with NBC New York, NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said the biggest ticket item for Astoria Pool is a new filtration system. 

“We are looking at a brand new pool liner and we re-did the whole pool deck,” Donoghue said.

The upgrades have been a long-time coming since it is replacing infrastructure, including the filtration system, from the 1930s. 

On Tuesday, the city announced it is committing $1 billion dollars to re-do 39 other pools. 

But all that investment hasn’t solved another challenge plaguing pool and water safety across the country: the lifeguard shortage. 

Even though pay has jumped from $19/hr to $22/hr in New York City, officials continue to struggle to find lifeguards and blame the pandemic — when many training programs got scaled back. 

In 2016, New York City had peak staffing with 1,500 lifeguards. However, last season that number was down almost half — reaching just 825 lifeguards. Meanwhile, this year, the city is hoping for 900 lifeguards. 

“It’s a national shortage — municipalities across the country are dealing with shortage of lifeguards,” Donoghue said.

Now, as families wait to move some of their kids from the sprinklers into the pools amid the steamy temperature, many New Yorkers ask if the pools can open earlier than the scheduled date next week.

Donoghue said that although the city would like to, the reality is there is “so much work that goes into facilities.“

So the original plan is still in motion: the pool season in New York City starts June 27 — the day after NYC Schools end for summer, and on which the Astoria Pool and 49 others will open for all summer revelers.

Assamad Nash, 27, also pleaded guilty to burglary as a sexually motivated felony in the Feb. 13, 2022, attack on 35-year-old Christina Yuna Lee, in which police said Nash stabbed the victim more than 40 times in the neck and torso.

“Today Assamad Nash was held accountable for senselessly taking Christina Yuna Lee’s life after he followed her into her own home,” District Attorney Bragg said in a statement. Bragg said his thoughts “are with her family and our community as they continue healing from this tragedy.”

Chinatown Jun 12, 2023

Suspect in gruesome Chinatown stabbing death of Christina Lee deemed unfit for trial

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Christina Lee family sues NYC, NYPD over cops alleged inaction during Chinatown murder

Prosecutors said Lee was returning home from a Saturday night out when Nash followed her into her Chrystie Street building in Chinatown and up six flights of stairs to her apartment. The building’s landlord said that Nash “mercilessly stalked” his victim, and images obtained by NBC New York showed him following her up the stairs.

As Lee entered the apartment, Nash pushed his way inside and attempted to sexually assault her, prosecutors said.

“She opened the door and he just slipped in right behind her. She never even knew he was there,” Lee’s landlord, Brian Chin, previously told NBC New York.

Lee’s screams pierced through the building just after 4 a.m., which led two young women who live across the hall to call 911. Officers got to the building in three minutes.

Prosecutors said Lee was still alive when officers arrived in the building, as they could hear her cries and screams for help, but the door was barricaded. Police had to break the apartment’s steel door down to get inside, and got inside as Lee went silent. They found Nash hiding under a mattress and Lee dead in the bathroom with at least 40 stab wounds; the alleged murder weapon was under a dresser.

Officials familiar with the case said Nash had five prior felonies and three pending court cases on various matters.

Leaders of New York’s Asian American community feared that the murder of Lee, who was Korean American, was part of a wave of anti-Asian violence during the coronavirus pandemic, but Nash was not ultimately charged with a hate crime.

Just five weeks before the alleged killing, Nash had been caught jamming dozens of MetroCard machines in early January. He was released without bail and granted supervised release, but was not ordered to undergo psychological examination by mental health professionals, which could have led to him being recommended for professional treatment.

Nash, who had previously been found unfit to stand trial following a psychiatric examination, is expected to be sentenced to 30 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on July 30. Attorney information for Nash was not immediately available.

A Queens woman is facing multiple charges after police allegedly saw her attempting to sell puppies from what police described as a “sack” that was tied shut over the weekend.

According to the NYPD, on Saturday, shortly before 7 p.m., officers Lukasse Pusz and Brian Chan, who were in the field training unit of the 101 Precinct saw a woman trying to buy a puppy from another on the corner of Beach Channel Drive and Horton Avenue in Far Rockaway.

Allegedly, when the potential buyer asked if there were any other puppies for sale, the woman reached for a bag that was tied shut.

Pusz said the bag was so small it didn’t have any ventilation. When the officers intervened, the took hold of the sack and cut it open, discovering five pitbull puppies inside, covered in urine and condensation, the NYPD said.

“We found out they’re no more than 6 weeks so they didn’t have much life to even experience and they were being tortured,” Pusz said.

Chris Pimental who was working in a Dollar General nearby said he saw the illegal seller.

“She came in the store started walking up and down the aisles asking people to make offers on the puppies it was crazy,” Pimental told NBC New York.

Body cam captured the moment a witness panicking asks the officers for help.

“We cut the bag open and that’s when five puppies flooded out well 4 because one was completely at the bottom unconscious…opened up its eyes and came back to life,” Officer Austin Glickman, another one of the officers who helped the puppies, said.

Police on the scene immediately gave all the puppies water and love.

Now the puppies are being treated at the Manhattan ASPCA where they are being evaluated, while cops from the 101st Precinct are keeping in touch — in hopes of adopting them.

Officers immediately took the puppies and arrested the woman, who was identified as 44-year-old Shirley Medina.

Medina was subsequently charged with torture injury to an animal, neglect of impound animals, and criminal possession of a weapon since she allegedly had brass knuckles.

Attorney information for Medina was not immediately known.

In a statement following the ordeal, the ASPCA said in part: “Thanks to the actions of the New York City Police Department, these puppies were quickly transported to the ASPCA, where veterinary experts are conducting forensic exams and providing them with much-needed care.”

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Tribeca Festival is one of the largest spring film festivals hosting hundreds of screenings within 12 days, as well as discussion panels, speaker series and immersive experiences.

OpenAI granted five directors early access to Sora, a program that uses textual descriptions or prompts to generate short videos to match the characterization.

Michaela Ternasky-Holland is an award-winning virtual reality filmmaker and one of the chosen directors to create an AI-based short for this year’s festival, called “Thank You, Mom.”

This “SORA Short” is an autobiographical account of Ternasky-Holland’s experience growing up as the daughter of a widow navigating her grief journey. At least eight people, including animators, voiceover talent and a composer, were behind the three-minute production.

“I come from an emerging technology background, and putting a virtual reality head on somebody does not feel very human, but my goal as a creator is to make the content and the story feel very human and connected,” Ternasky-Holland told NBC New York during an interview at Onassis ONX Studio.

Ternasky-Holland notes that while Sora was the backbone of the production, other editing programs, like Adobe Premiere, were used to fine-tune the exact image.

She likens the use of AI technology to be similar to when traditional film transformed into digital productions or when analog editing switched to computers. The use of OpenAI could be a natural progression of where the film industry is heading.

“This is a continuation of what’s happening in the world. You can educate yourself and create your stance on it and also know that it’s not perfect. ‘Big Tech’ makes real humans think about where they stand and ethically with their data,” Ternasky-Holland said.

The theme of AI continued at the festival with a separate premiere of the documentary “How I Faked My Life with AI” directed by Kyle Vorbach, who used the latest tech tools to fabricate his own life online.

Vorbach poses the question of what defines a human connection if technology plays an active role in linking people together.

“If you have a computer that can generate art, and we’ve been generating art and telling stories for so long, we have to go, ‘What is the thing that is human? What is the thing that we’re making human?'” asked Vorbach during an interview.

Vorbach did not have a direct answer but an open-ended thought of if art is generated by AI, yet still elicits human emotion, would it make it any lesser? He says the next step using AI would be to create a narrative film and see what reaction people would have to the story.

After the controversial Hollywood stikes seen last year against the use of generative AI, NBC New York reached out to the Writers Guild of America East and the Directors Guild of America for comment on AI-created films at the Tribeca Festival. Neither of the unions responded.

NBC New York and Telemundo 47 are partners of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.

Hadi Matar, 26, sat silently in Chautauqua County Court as lawyers outlined a proposal they said was worked out between state and federal prosecutors and agreed to by Rushdie over the past several months.

The agreement would have Matar plead guilty in Chautauqua County to attempted murder in exchange for a maximum state prison sentence of 20 years, down from 25 years. He would then also plead guilty to a yet-to-be-filed federal charge of attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, which could result in an additional 20 years, attorneys said.

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Matar, who has pleaded not guilty, has been held without bail since his 2022 arrest after prosecutors say he attacked Rushdie as the acclaimed writer was about to address an audience at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. Rushdie was blinded in one eye. Moderator Henry Reese was also wounded.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said Rushdie, who was stabbed more than a dozen times and detailed the near-fatal attack and painful recovery in a memoir, “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” favors the “global resolution” proposed in the case, which otherwise could mean two separate trials.

“His preference was to see this matter come to an end,” said Schmidt. Without Rushdie’s approval, Schmidt said he would have opposed reducing the maximum state prison term, given the nature of the attack.

“He came into Chautauqua County and then committed this crime, which is not just a crime against a person, but it’s also a crime against a concept of freedom of speech,” Schmidt said.

Matar’s attorney, Nathaniel Barone, said Matar wants to take his chances at trial.

“He’s saying, `What have I got to lose?,” Barone said after the hearing.

Judge David Foley instructed Matar to discuss the offer with Barone and to provide a definitive answer at his next appearance, on July 2.

Rushdie, who turns 77 on Wednesday, spent years in hiding after the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, or edict, in 1989 calling for his death due to his novel “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous. Rushdie slowly began to re-emerge into public life in the late 1990s, and he has traveled freely over the past two decades.

After the on-stage attack, investigators said they were trying to determine whether Matar, who was born nearly a decade after “The Satanic Verses” came out, acted alone. The federal charge that prosecutors are reportedly considering points to the possibility that he did not.

“The approach is that it was a terrorist organization supported by countries in the Middle East, and that’s how they’re handling it,” Barone said.

“The federal government is taking the position that there was support before it happened,” he said. “I think in order for them to indict or obtain a conviction on any terrorist-related type of charges, they’re going to have to demonstrate that there was support beforehand as part of a conspiracy.”

Barbara Burns, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office, declined to comment on the potential terrorism charge, explaining that the office doesn’t confirm or deny investigations.

Matar was born in the U.S. but holds dual citizenship in Lebanon, where his parents were born. His mother has said that her son changed, becoming withdrawn and moody, after visiting his father in Lebanon in 2018. Schmidt has said that Matar got an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arrived from New Jersey a day early bearing a fake ID.

Rushdie, whose works also include “Midnight’s Children” and “Victory City,” wrote in his memoir that he saw a man running toward him in the amphitheater, where he was about to speak about the importance of keeping writers safe from harm.

The author is on the witness list, should Matar’s trial go forward as scheduled for September in Chautauqua County.

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BILLY JOEL

Singer Billy Joel and Long Island commercial fishermen from the East Hampton Baymen’s Association were charged with catching striped bass illegally during a July 1992 protest against fishing regulations. The charges were later dismissed. The plight of fishermen whose livelihood is threatened by regulations inspired Joel’s song “The Downeaster ‘Alexa.’”

Then in Jan. 2003 Joel swerved off the road and crashed his Mercedes into a tree in Sag Harbor. Joel was hospitalized; he was not arrested.

MARTHA STEWART

A landscaper working for real estate mogul Harry Macklowe accused TV personality and homemaking entrepreneur Martha Stewart of intentionally backing her car into him in May 1997 amid a feud between Macklowe and Stewart, East Hampton neighbors. The Suffolk Count district attorney’s office investigated but decided not to bring charges against Stewart.

“Not every event which adversely affects a person’s life deserves to be litigated in criminal court,” then-District Attorney James Catterson said.

“P.R. PRINCESS” LIZZIE GRUBMAN

Lizzie Grubman, a so-called publicist to the stars whose clients included Britney Spears and Jay-Z, was asked by a security guard in Southampton to move her Mercedes out of a fire lane on July 7, 2001. Grubman responded by backing the vehicle into a crowd, injuring 16 people. Grubman was charged with crimes including second-degree assault, driving while intoxicated and reckless endangerment. She faced a prison sentence of up to eight years but served only thirty-eight days in jail and five years probation after reaching a plea deal.

JASON KIDD

Jason Kidd, the basketball Hall of Famer and coach whose Dallas Mavericks lost the NBA finals to the Boston Celtics on Monday, slammed his Cadillac Escalade into a light pole in Southampton in July 2012. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DWI charge and was placed on probation. In exchange for the guilty plea, Kidd agreed to speak to Long Island high school students about the dangers of drunken driving.

BRIAN FRANCE

Former NASCAR CEO Brian France was arrested in Sag Harbor for driving while intoxicated and criminal possession of oxycodone in August 2018 after police said he was seen driving his Lexus through a stop sign. France pleaded guilty to DWI and was required to perform 100 hours of community service and undergo alcohol counseling.

Essex County officials have announced an increase in the reward they are offering for information that would lead to the identification of those responsible for the shooting death of a beloved Muslim leader who was gunned down outside of his Newark mosque before morning prayers in January.

The killing of Imam Hassan Sharif as he prepared to open the Masjid Muhammad-Newark mosque on Jan. 3 has generated an intense law enforcement dragnet.

The state’s attorney general pledged to assist county and local officials, with the Essex County sheriff initially announcing a $25,000 reward. In a joint press release on Tuesday, Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II and Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura announced that the Essex County Crime Stoppers reward was increased to $35,000.

Sharif’s shooting comes amid intensifying bias incidents against Muslims and Jews since Hamas committed terror attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, provoking a punishing war in the Gaza Strip.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, recorded more than 2,000 bias incidents against U.S. Muslims in the first two months since the Mideast attacks began, up from nearly 800 in the same period last year.

The council previously announced it was offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction in the imam’s death.

Newark Jan 5

$35,000 reward now being offered in hunt for Newark imam's killer

Newark Jan 4

Reward of up to $25,000 offered in shooting death of beloved Newark imam

I-Team Jan 13

Newark imam may have been shot by relative, sources say

“Due to the unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim bigotry and violence we have witnessed in recent weeks, local, state and national law enforcement authorities must thoroughly investigate the shooting of Imam Hassan Sharif and keep the Muslim community safe,” CAIR national executive director Nihad Awad said at the time.

Following the shocking murder, Attorney General Matt Platkin said there’s no evidence that Sharif’s killing was a hate crime, but he and other officials didn’t detail how they determined that, or offer more details beyond saying Sharif was shot more than once in his car at about 6 a.m., and was quickly taken to the adjacent University Hospital, where he died in the afternoon.

Even without evidence of a connection to anti-Muslim bias, authorities explicitly acknowledged the broader global context.

“I want every resident of our state to know that we are bringing all of our resources to bear to keep our Muslim friends and neighbors safe as well as all New Jerseyans safe,” Platkin said.

Sharif had been the resident imam at his mosque for five years and was active in the interfaith community, city officials said. Among other things, he helped oversee the mosque’s involvement as a safe house where people could go to avoid violent interactions with police, which “greatly assisted” the apprehension of felons and serving of warrants, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé previously said.

For nearly two decades Sharif also worked as a transportation security officer for the Transportation Security Administration at Newark Liberty International Airport, said TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” she said in an emailed statement.

In a video statement posted on its website in the aftermath of the fatal shooting, the mosque offered prayers and said the community would focus on delivering Sharif his last rights and burial. The statement described Sharif as a brother, friend, father and husband and called on the community to be mindful of the family’s grief.

The investigation is active and ongoing.

Authorities continue to urge anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office tips line at 1-877-TIPS-4EC or 1-877-847-7432.

New York’s highest court on Tuesday dismissed former President Donald Trump‘s appeal of the gag order in his criminal hush money trial.

The New York Court of Appeals in a brief decision declined to hear Trump’s bid “upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.”

The decision means Trump’s gag order, which bars him from speaking about jurors, witnesses and other parties involved in the Manhattan Supreme Court case, remains in effect.

Trump’s attorneys have also asked Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial, to terminate the gag order because the trial is over.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office, however, urged Merchan to keep the restrictions in place, at least until after a sentencing hearing is held and certain post-trial motions are resolved.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement that the former president and his legal team “will continue to fight against the unconstitutional Gag Order imposed by Justice Merchan.”

The order “wrongfully silences” Trump “at the height of his campaign,” Cheung said, adding that voters “have a fundamental right to hear his message.”

Trump’s attorney Todd Blanche and a spokesperson for the Manhattan DA declined to comment.

Trump last month was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records as part of a scheme to hide a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee is set to be sentenced July 11, just four days before his party holds its nominating convention.

The crime of falsifying business records in New York carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison, though Merchan could deliver a sentence that spares Trump any time behind bars.