November 2, 2019 4:16 am
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WPXI) – “I’m waking up and it’s like a piece of me is really missing.” The mother of Nalani Johnson shared her pain with our news partners at Channel 11, speaking publicly for the first time. Police said Nalani was kidnapped on August 31, triggering an AMBER Alert. Three days later, her body was found in an Indiana County park. Homicide charges were filed in the case last week. Gladys Duarte has since moved out of Pittsburgh because of her daughter’s tragic death, but she smiled when talking about Nalani — her first and only child. “She was such a happy baby,” Duarte said. “She was literally like this ball of energy. I just love her so much and I just want her to know that.” Duarte told Channel 11 some days she forgets about the tragedy, thinking her daughter is still there. “I’ll look at the time and it’s like, ‘Oh my God it’s 5 o’clock. I have to go pick Nalani up from daycare.’ And then… I check my surroundings and I’m like OK no,” she said. Duarte said she last saw Nalani on Aug. 30 when her father picked her up. The next day, the search for Nalani began. Police said Sharena Nancy drove off with Nalani after getting into an argument with Nalani’s father that day. Investigators said the two were romantically involved. “I didn’t know this woman at all,” said Duarte. “I didn’t even know she was in his life.” Nancy was spotted in Penn Hills hours after Nalani was last seen, but Duarte’s daughter was nowhere to be found. After days of searching, investigators found Nalani in a wooded area in Pine Ridge Park. There was a split-second of hope for Duarte, but those emotions quickly turned to grief. Duarte said she lost it when detectives told her they found Nalani lifeless, still strapped in a car seat. On Oct. 25, Nancy was charged with homicide. She is awaiting trial, and Duarte had a message for her.
November 2, 2019 4:09 am
WASHINGTON, Pa. — A Washington County Court Judge has revoked the bond of a South Strabane Township man accused of child luring. After three weeks of court appearances, Judge Gary Gilman ordered 66-year-old Jan Ondra to be jailed until his trial on charges of attempting to lure a ten-year-old into his van in Clarksville in June. He posted bail and remained free until prosecutors went to court asking that his bond be revoked after three children claimed that Ondra approached them and offered them candy at North Strabane Town Center on September 28th. A condition of Ondra’s bail was that he was not permitted to have contact with children. Gilman ruled that Ondra violated the terms of his bond and ordered him to jail. Ondra’s attorney says they plan to appeal that ruling.
November 1, 2019 12:30 pm
A Washington County Court Judge has revoked the bond of a South Strabane Township man accused of child luring. After three weeks of court appearances, Judge Gary Gilman ordered 66-year-old Jan Ondra to be jailed until his trial on charges of attempting to lure a ten-year-old into his van in Clarksville in June. He posted bail and remained free until prosecutors went to court asking that his bond be revoked after three children claimed that Ondra approached them and offered them candy at North Strabane Town Center on September 28th. A condition of Ondra’s bail was that he was not permitted to have contact with children. Gilman ruled that Ondra violated the terms of his bond and ordered him to jail. Ondra’s attorney says they plan to appeal that ruling.
November 1, 2019 8:53 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – More Americans approve of the impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump than disapprove of it. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. But there are warning signs for both parties. Many think the inquiry is motivated mainly by politics. And only about a third say the inquiry should be a top priority for Congress. The poll comes as the impeachment investigation is entering a new, public phase as the Democratic-led House investigates the Republican president’s dealings with Ukraine and whether he abused his office or compromised national security when he tried to pressure the country to dig up dirt on a political rival. Trump has denied doing anything wrong.
November 1, 2019 4:15 am
CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago police say they believe a gang member was the intended target in a shooting that left a 7-year-old girl who was trick-or-treating critically injured. Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says police believe it was a gang-related shooting and that the man who was the target was a 30-year-old shot in the hand. Guglielmi says the girl, who was wearing a bumblebee costume, was walking on the other side of the street when she was struck by the gunfire. Authorities have said she was shot in the lower neck area. Guglielmi says she is now listed in critical but stable condition at a hospital. The shooting occurred early Halloween evening in the Little Village neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. Guglielmi says investigators are following up on leads that poured in from the public in the hours after the gunfire. He says they believe surveillance video retrieved from the area shows either people involved in the shooting or people who know those who were involved.
November 1, 2019 4:13 am
NEW YORK (AP) – Emmy-winning “Pose” actor Billy Porter, Latin singer Ozuna and Grammy-winning performers Black Eyed Peas, TLC, Chicago and Kelly Rowland will be among the stars celebrating at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Macy’s said Friday that Ciara, Idina Menzel, Lea Michele, Debbie Gibson, Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin and former NASA astronauts Kay Hire and Janet Kavandi also will participate in the 93rd annual parade on Nov. 28. The special will air at 9 a.m. EST on NBC’s “Today” show. Others part of the lineup include the cast and Muppets of “Sesame Street,” That Girl Lay Lay, Natasha Bedingfield, Chris Young, NCT 127, Chris Janson and Josh Dela Cruz.
November 1, 2019 4:12 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) – California weather conditions that led to power shutoffs to prevent wildfires and fanned fires that broke out around the state have eased significantly. Southern California Edison says only 1,100 customers remained without power early Friday, down from 80,000 the previous evening. San Diego Gas & Electric says power was restored Thursday to more than 25,000 customers and its community resource centers have been demobilized. Pacific Gas & Electric has finished restoring power to dozens of counties in the north and central regions. Cal Fire says containment of the state’s largest fire has increased to 67 percent. Latest assessments show the 121-square-mile (313-square-kilometer) fire in Sonoma County has burned 167 homes and 175 other structures. Another 33 homes are damaged.
November 1, 2019 4:11 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats have swept a rules package for their impeachment probe of President Donald Trump through a divided House, as the chamber’s first vote on the investigation highlighted the partisan breach the issue has only deepened. By 232-196, lawmakers have approved the procedures they’ll follow as weeks of closed-door interviews with witnesses evolve into public committee hearings and – almost certainly – votes on whether the House should recommend Trump’s removal. All voting Republicans opposed the package. Every voting Democrat but two supported it. Trump tweeted, “Now is the time for Republicans to stand together and defend the leader of their party against these smears.”
