7 years since Parkland school shooting marked by day of love and service
Across Broward County schools, it is a day of service and remembrance for the 14 students and three staff members who were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, in 2018.
Students and staff across the district will participate in a variety of volunteer and service projects in honor of those lives.
At 10:17 a.m., district schools and facilities will pause for a moment of reflection in memory of those who died.
"We will forever hold in our hearts those who died and those who were injured seven years ago," Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn said in statement. "This day serves as a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience and compassion that binds our community and a call to action for all of us to build a future rooted in love, kindness and understanding."
Parkland massacre led to new safety measures
Weeks after the Parkland mass shooting, families got to work to make schools safer to prevent another tragedy from happening.
The minimum age to purchase a gun was raised from 18 to 21, a red flag law was passed, and schools across the state moved to have a single entry, making it harder for outsiders to go into a building.
Another big change is the use of threat reporting apps. In Broward they use Safer Watch and statewide is Fortify Florida. The reporting apps allow students who see concerning behavior to report it to law enforcement and school officials so that they can work together to investigate any concerns.
Many Parkland families are still working to do more. They say the will will continue to fight for what is needed to prevent another tragedy.
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New York Post
09-08-2025
- New York Post
Families of slain NYPD cops plead to keep killers locked up
The families of two NYPD cops killed in the line of duty are pleading with the state's lefty parole board to keep the men who murdered their loved ones behind bars, The Post has learned. George Agosto who fatally shot Officer Thomas Ruotolo in the Bronx in 1984, and Eddie Matos who shoved Officer Anthony Dwyer to his death off a roof in Times Square roof in 1989, could be sprung from prison next month. The 16-member parole board — ripped by critics as a patronage mill of leftist ideologues and political has-beens — has released 43 cop killers since 2017 after they began giving less weight to the severity of a convict's crimes and more to their age and progress in prison. 7 The families of slain NYPD officers Thomas Ruotolo and Antony Dwyer speak out at the state parole board in Midtown, Manhattan. Helayne Seidman 7 NYPD officer Thomas Ruotolo was killed by a parolee while investigating a moped theft in the Bronx in 1984. NYPD Agosto, 65, who was out on parole for manslaughter when he killed Ruotolo, is serving 40 years to life at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, NY. 'Personally, I think it's really important to emphasize that the sentence was 40 years to life,' Ruotolo's widow Mary Beth O'Neill told The Post. 'I really believe the 'to life' part matters because some crimes are too severe. They're too violent. They're too intentional to ever risk repeating.' Ruotolo was responding to a call about a stolen moped in the Bronx that Valentine's Day when Agosto pulled out a revolver and shot him before the cop even said a word. 7 Ruotolo was fatally shot before saying a word while approaching the parolee at a Bronx gas station. New York Post 7 Marge Dwyer said she'd like to see the convict who killed her son put to death. Stephen Yang The parolee, who already had a murder conviction on his rap sheet, then shot Ruotolo's partner and an off-duty officer who happened to be on the scene. 'In his own words, he described himself as a 'non-violent guy,'' the widow said, quoting from what he told the board in his rejected 2023 appeal. 'But how can a man who killed two people and attempted to kill two others be called anything but violent?' She was also 'chilled to see' that he referred to the murder of her husband as 'a mistake' — wondering what part was the mistake, carrying the gun, using it to steal a moped or shooting her husband. 7 Mary Beth O'Neill (r) believes the man who shot and killed her first husband, Thomas Ruotolo, should remain in prison. Helayne Seidman 'None of those sound like mistakes to me,' she said. 'They sound like choices, criminal, deliberate, irredeemable choices.' Matos, 57, is serving a 25-years-to-life at Green Haven Prison in Stormville for killing Dwyer. The officer was responding to an armed robbery at a McDonald's when he chased Matos to the roof and was pushed, cops have said. 'They killed a cop,' Dwyer's mom, Marge, said. 'They should serve the rest of their lives in prison or get the death penalty. We don't have it anymore but if we did I'd be down there to turn the switch myself.' 7 Anthony Dwyer had chased Matos to a roof when he was apparently pushed and fell off the building. Stephen Yang 7 Matos, 57, is serving a 25-years-to-life at Green Haven Prison but is up for parole. Both killers are scheduled to go to the parole board in September. The dates of their hearings aren't released to the public. PBA President Patrick Hendry went to the board's Midtown office with the families to deliver their victim impact statements Friday. 'Every time they come here, they are forced to reopen their wounds and relive the worst day of their lives,' Hendry said. 'Every time they leave here, they're forced to wait and wonder whether their loved one's killer will be released.'
New York Post
28-07-2025
- New York Post
Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and Hollywood elites are sitting ducks for new breed of burglars: security expert
Vicious burglars and break-in gangs are using cutting-edge technology to pull off nefarious heists — and even celebs like Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman and Keanu Reeves aren't safe. A spate of home invasions, crafty break-ins and the recent tragic double-murder of 'American Idol' music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband Thomas Deluca inside their Encino home, at the hands of an apparent robber, have Hollywood on high alert. No number of cameras and alarm systems are enough to outwit the gangs, according to one pro. Advertisement 'They use signal jammers, which you can buy for a few thousand dollars' security ace to the stars, Kris Herzog, told The Post. 'It jams the signal to your cameras, your alarm, your mobile phone. 13 Brad Pitt's home was broken into after intruders climbed a fence to get on property. Anadolu via Getty Images 'It all turns off, as if you were home and simply deactivated your alarm. Then [the thieves] dress as gardeners and show up a few hours before or after the real gardeners. Advertisement 13 Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are among the stars who have had homes broken into. AFP via Getty Images 'They enter through the same gate [as the legit gardeners] and load leaf-blower bags with your valuables. I've been told 50 or 60 of these signal-jammer gangs are active in LA and none of them have ever been caught.' Celebrities and athletes are frequent targets, as the public nature of their lives means media-savvy thieves know when they're playing games out-of-town or promoting a movie abroad. They also use drones to surveil targets, according to sources. For example, unlucky Los Angeles Dodger Yasiel Puig reportedly had his house robbed four times over a 10-month period — with two incidents even going down while he was playing at Dodger Stadium. Advertisement 13 'American Idol' music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, were both killed by an intruder. Robin Kaye/Facebook 13 This is the Encino house where Kay and Deluca lived and were killed. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Herzog, owner of the Bodyguard Group of Beverly Hills, went on to boast, 'Right now I could go to the homes of multiple celebrities and show you in less than 10 minutes how to get onto their properties and inside their houses without anybody calling the police.' This past Valentine's Day, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's Los Angeles area home was broken into by an intruder who smashed a glass window to gain entry. It is unclear what was taken from the house. Advertisement In December 2023, Keanu Reeves was robbed by burglars wearing ski masks. They too used the broken-window gambit to enter his Hollywood Hills property. The following year, three of his watches, including a $9,000 Rolex, were recovered – all the way from Chile. 13 Jennifer Aniston's home was targeted by an intruder in his 70s. The man rammed into the gate. Getty Images for FIJI Water 13 This is the home where an intruder was caught by a guard and held at gunpoint until the police arrived. ABC7 Los Angeles police have previously warned about the proliferation of South American gangs who operate in the city. Such gangs often arrive in the country as tourists, carry out pre- organized burglary sprees, some even stealing to order, and then leave again, with fences moving the stolen goods separately. Police are often left clueless when it comes to IDing, matching fingerprints or DNA to the foreign intruders. 13 Kris Herzog believes that celebrities need to get smart about security. Courtesy of Kris Herzog 13 One of Herzog's police cars and a sign designed to ward off intruders. Courtesy of Kris Herzog This past June, Brad Pitt's home in a gated community was broken into; thieves climbed a fence to get on property and ransacked. In 2017, Kendall Jenner had hundreds of thousands of dollars of jewelry stolen from her, in what was reported to be an inside job. Advertisement 'The unfortunate reality is that the more you have in terms of wealth and notoriety, the more you become a target,' Jeff Zisner, president and CEO of Aegis Security and Investigations, told Fox News. As Max Lea, President of Safehouse Security Solutions, told Architectural Digest, 'These crimes are becoming the new normal. People have to change their response.' According to Hollywood Reporter, elaborate security details for celebrities can run six- to seven-figures. But, judging by the rash of criminal events over several years, it is money well spent. 13 Over the years, Drake has had the misfortune of dealing with bad guys on multiple occasions. WireImage Advertisement Tina Knowles, mother of Beyonce, had her Hollywood Hills home broken into and thieves managed to steal an entire safe, loaded with $1 million in cash and jewelry, in 2023. Marlon Wayans got robbed in July last year. The thieves were so stealth that brother Keenen Ivory Wayans, who was in the house at the time, slept through the break in. He later posted to Instagram, 'They didn't get much because I don't own s–t.' Drake has particularly bad luck with thieves. Over the years, he's been held up at gunpoint, endured his Toronto home being broken into (where a security guard was shot) and also had his Benedict Canyon mansion burglarized in 2023. On that occasion, officers nabbed a suspect within hours. Those who tip off criminals about whose home is ripe for burglary can be surprisingly close, according to Herzog. Advertisement 13 Break-in artists took a safe out of Tina Knowles' home. Paras Griffin 'Every day in LA, a valet, a landscaper, a pool cleaner, a maid will sell someone out to armed criminal gangs,' he said. 'They know the layout of the house, the home security system, which dogs are aggressive. Because these people have been in the houses for their jobs, they know where all the valuables are hidden and when the homeowners will be away — and they don't like their employers. 'That's how, 90 percent of the time, [burglars and home invaders] get away with it.' Advertisement Some celebrity helpers cut right to the chase and do it themselves: In 2000, comedian David Spade withstood a stun gun attack from his own assistant, who allegedly tried robbing his home. Spade later brushed off the incident saying the assistant was suffering a mental episode. 13 Marlon Wayons was robbed as his brother Keenan Ivory Wayans slept. EPA In 2017 he wasn't so lucky as Spade had his safe stolen, resulting in the funnyman losing some $80,000 in cash and jewelry. Herzog claims getting into massive properties is easier than an Oscar winner passing an audition for a Japanese cola commercial: 'When you have a home so large that there are 50 or 60 points of entry – windows that open and close, doors that open and close. Are you really telling me that [the star] is walking around the house [to check the doors and windows]?' The importance of celebrities having physical security guards – rather than relying exclusively on alarm systems – was recently underscored by an incident that took place at the $21m Bel Air home of Jennifer Aniston. 13 On two occasions, Yasiel Puig was playing baseball for the Dodgers when thieves hit his home. Getty Images This past May, a man in his 70s is alleged to have rammed his car through the gate of the star's house, while she was there. A security guard on duty held the intruder at gunpoint until the police arrived to apprehend him. In the case of Tyler Perry, a thermal imaging camera system plus 24/7 security guards managed to chase off intruders from the grounds before they used their bust-in equipment – which included bolt-cutters, a saw and crowbars – to steal the valuables. Herzog insists his clients take things further than merely having a human guard on the property. 13 Keanu Reeves is said to have had his home broken into. Luckily, three of his wrist watches were recovered in far-away Chile. Getty Images He capitalizes on an LA law that allows police officers to do private security work, while in uniform, when they are off the clock. He also cooks up a serious deterrent for clients. 'I have retired police cars,' said Herzog, maintaining his cars are near identical to the real thing. 'Nobody is afraid of a security guard. But if there's a police car sitting there? The bad guys say that they don't want to get shot. And if the cop presses one button, there's going to be 100 other cops from all different directions. Criminals don't want to trade freedom or their lives for getting money out of a house.' In 2025, Herzog maintained, anything less than a uniformed cop in the driveway and 'celebrities are easy targets because the word is out, they make [bad] security decisions.'
Miami Herald
22-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Is father facing death penalty for heinous child murder competent to stand trial?
A man accused of committing one of the most heinous acts of child abuse in South Florida in recent memory was in court for the first time in over a year Tuesday, as forensic psychologists dueled over his competency. In March of last year Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Andrea Ricker Wolfson determined that Jorge Barahona was delusional and incompetent to stand trial and ordered him moved from jail oversight — where he'd been for 13 years — to the state's Department of Children & Families. Now, 16 months later and after Barahona spent a year at a mental health facility on the Treasure Coast, Wolfson is undertaking the same task — but with testimony from more mental health experts in a hearing that is expected to end later this week. At Tuesday's hearing, Barahona, 58, sat next to defense attorney Carmen Vizcaino in the jury box. Looking little like the broad shouldered, curly-haired imposing figure that first took the witness stand 14 years ago, Barahona was dressed in a red jumpsuit signifying he was of high-risk. Barahona had already been severely beaten by five inmates while he was asleep at the county's Pre-Trial Detention Center in 2021. Now, his hair is thinned, long and stringy and he's lost significant weight. During the hearing, the defendant's hands were cuffed and tied to a chain around his waist, though he seemed at ease, chatting with Vizcaino and looking around the courtroom. He didn't utter a word during the proceeding. Barahona, 58, has been shuttled between Miami-Dade jail and mental health facilities since Valentine's Day 2011, when police found the body of his adopted 10-year-old daughter Nubia Barahona wrapped in a plastic covered with chemicals and decomposing in the bed of a pick-up truck on the side of I-95 in West Palm Beach. Her twin brother Victor — who miraculously survived — was in the truck's cab suffering seizures from chemical burns. Next to him at the wheel of the vehicle was Jorge Barahona, who was also suffering from chemical burns. Investigators soon determined that the twins had been beaten and tortured in the family's Westchester home and said they were starved and tied up in the bathtub for long periods of time with the door locked. Barahona and his wife Carmen Barahona were charged with first-degree murder, first-degree attempted murder and several counts of aggravated child neglect. Carmen, 74, accepted a life settlement in 2020 in exchange for her testimony. Her husband — should he ever go to trial — is facing the death penalty. Trial was delayed for years as the state's child welfare agency dealt with the fallout and attorneys took hundreds of depositions. Victor, who was last know to be living with relatives in Texas, was awarded $3.75 million by Florida state legislators in 2017. Carmen then took her plea as COVID hit. Dueling psychologists have opposing perceptions of Barahona On Tuesday, a pair of clinical psychologists took the witness stand as defense attorneys and prosecutors argued as to whether Jorge Barahona could stand trial. First up for the defense was clinical and forensic psychologist Jennifer Rohrer, who has spent several hours and several sessions with Barahona since September 2023. Though she found him always 'pleasant and co-operative,' she also said he provided 'delusional and psychotic-based answers.' Rohrer said it was her opinion that Barahona wasn't mentally fit to stand trial. 'He's unwilling and unable to accept that he may be incorrect,' she said. He believes 'he is innocent and this has been a conspiracy by multiple law enforcement agencies and his attorneys and the media.' Next up was state witness Lina Haji, a forensic psychologist who evaluates police officers looking for work in the Florida Keys. She said Barahona was competent to stand trial and said in the three hours over two years that she evaluated Barahona she found no sign of mental illness and said that he's never taken psychotropic drugs. Haji said she was convinced Barahona would act properly in a courtroom, that he would understand the arguments on both sides and that he could help his defense team. 'He's capable of testifying truthfully,' Haji said. 'He conveyed that to me in an organized manner.' Testimony is expected to resume Wednesday before Judge Wolfson.
