Amber Alert in North Carolina for Abducted One-Year-Old
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
An Amber Alert was issued in North Carolina for Grecia Salome Alejandro-Benitez, a one-year-old girl who was abducted with her mother.
The Garner Police Department is searching for the girl, described as Hispanic, approximately two feet tall, weighing 26 pounds, and with brown hair and eyes.
She was last seen wearing a pink pajama shirt and red and yellow striped pajama pants.
Her mother is Alondra Michelle Benitez-de Jesus.
"The three abductors are described as two Hispanic males with no other description given and a Hispanic female described as short and stocky with black curly hair," the alert said.
"They were last seen traveling in a black Nissan Altima, license plate unknown."
Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or the Garner Police Department on 919-772-8810.
This is a breaking news story and more information will be added soon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Criminal Case Against Kilmar Abrego Garcia Is Highly Suspect
On Friday, the Trump administration finally complied with multiple court orders to bring Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the United States, securing his release from a prison in El Salvador. The catch: Federal officials promptly placed Abrego Garcia in criminal custody, unveiling an indictment alleging that he unlawfully smuggled migrants across the U.S. He will now be detained in Tennessee—far from his home and family in Maryland—awaiting trial on these charges. The indictment is, quite obviously, an effort by the White House to save face after losing its legal battle to keep Abrego Garcia imprisoned overseas. It has been nearly three months since the government deported him, due to its own 'administrative error,' in clear violation of a court order. And it has been almost two months since the Supreme Court ordered the government to 'facilitate' his return from the Salvadoran prison where he has been held. Although Abrego Garcia lacks permanent legal status in the U.S., he was protected against removal to his home country of El Salvador and denied due process during his expulsion, along with hundreds of other migrants to the notorious CECOT prison complex. (After his case garnered international attention, he was moved by Salvadoran authorities to a different prison.) Now, after repeatedly suggesting that it would defy SCOTUS, the Trump administration has finally complied, begrudgingly, by bringing Abrego Garcia back to the United States to face criminal prosecution. The charges against him may be valid. They may be exaggerated. Or they may be fabricated. It is far too soon to tell, and an indictment—which is notoriously easy to obtain—sheds little light on the matter. But already, there are at least five reasons to be skeptical that the government is acting in good faith and telling the truth about Abrego Garcia. First, it is unclear why the Trump administration waited so long to bring this indictment if the facts are as damning and undeniable as it claims. The White House has been desperately searching for ways to smear Abrego Garcia since it first deported him in March. It incessantly alleged that he was a known gang member without proffering any credible evidence; the White House's alleged 'proof' rested on the word of a disgraced former cop who later pleaded guilty to providing confidential information to a sex worker he had hired. The administration also accused Abrego Garcia of human trafficking because, in late 2022, he was pulled over while driving in a car with eight other Hispanic men. That episode now forms the basis of his indictment. But if that's true, why did federal prosecutors wait two and a half years to charge him? Second, and relatedly, the federal government took a very different view of the 2022 incident when it occurred. There was no overt evidence that Abrego Garcia was smuggling immigrants across the country, as prosecutors now claim. At the time, any inference of human trafficking rested entirely on circumstantial evidence and racial profiling. (A known construction worker, Abrego Garcia reported that he and his passengers were on their way to a construction site.) After pulling him over, Tennessee police reported Abrego Garcia and his passengers to federal law enforcement—but federal officers directed local police to let them continue along their way. The federal government did not see fit to even detain or investigate him then. Now it has brought felony charges against him. What changed—other than the president and his suddenly urgent desire to find a justification for his blatantly unlawful rendition program? Third, as Just Security's Ryan Goodman has noted, the government's account of the 2022 traffic stop has shifted as well. In their indictment and motion for pretrial detention, prosecutors claim that Abrego Garcia lied to officers during the encounter, concealing that he was driving his passengers up from Texas. That allegation lies at the heart of the case: It ostensibly confirms that Abrego Garcia was dishonest about his actions and intentions, giving rise to a reasonable suspicion that he was covering up criminal activity. The allegation, though, appears to be false. According to a 2022 Department of Homeland Security referral report, he was driving his passengers from Texas to Maryland for construction work. This report thus contradicts the government's new assertion that Abrego Garcia deceptively omitted the fact that his journey began in the Lone Star State. Fourth, prosecutors have now brought forth a raft of disturbing allegations about Abrego Garcia's behavior, accusing him of regularly smuggling guns, transporting migrants for cash, and attempting to solicit child pornography. But it has provided literally no supporting evidence for its claims about child pornography, or even the scantest details about this eye-popping accusation. Meanwhile, its allegations about human smuggling rest entirely on Abrego Garcia's alleged co-conspirators, who have since been imprisoned or deported. This kind of evidence is notoriously unreliable, in part because the government frequently offers deals—including payments, sentence reductions, or early release—to informants in exchange for inculpatory evidence. This practice incentivizes hyperbolic or made-up claims and disproportionately leads to wrongful conviction. Indeed, the Supreme Court recently took the rare step of overturning a capital conviction that rested on the dubious testimony of the defendant's alleged co-conspirator. The Trump administration's accusations should therefore be regarded with healthy suspicion. Finally, ABC News has reported that Ben Schrader, a high-ranking federal prosecutor in Tennessee, has resigned over his office's conduct in this case, fearing that Abrego Garcia was targeted for political reasons. Schrader's unusual move is a flashing red warning sign that something has gone terribly wrong in this case. There could be no clearer indication that the Trump administration is, indeed, persecuting Abrego Garcia as punishment for his efforts to fight his illegal deportation—a perverse attempt to ensure that, although he may have succeeded in returning to the U.S., his remaining time here will be spent behind bars. In 1940, shortly before his elevation to the Supreme Court, Robert Jackson issued a warning about the sweeping discretion of federal prosecutors. 'With the law books filled with a great assortment of crimes,' Jackson explained, 'a prosecutor stands a fair chance of finding at least a technical violation of some act on the part of almost anyone. In such a case, it is not a question of discovering the commission of a crime and then looking for the man who has committed it, it is a question of picking the man and then searching the law books, or putting investigators to work, to pin some offense on him.' This approach, Jackson warned, represents the 'greatest danger of abuse,' especially for those who happen to be 'unpopular' with the government. It is abundantly clear that in Abrego Garcia's case, the Trump administration started by 'picking the man,' then looking for the crime. That alone is cause for concern that this indictment represents a grievous abuse of the criminal justice system. The facts that come out at trial may or may not substantiate the charges. But at this point, the case bears so many hallmarks of a political prosecution that no one should assume that the government is speaking a word of truth.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
How One LA Restaurant Opened Its Doors to Injured Police During Protests
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A Salvadoran restaurant in Los Angeles opened its doors to police officers injured in escalating protests against the deportation of illegal immigrants over the weekend. Pupuseria La Ceiba workers were seen on ABC 7 footage tending to deputies who appeared to be hit with tear gas in Compton. Newsweek reached out to the restaurant and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for comment via email Monday afternoon. Why It Matters Compton was one of the neighborhoods hit by violent clashes as protestors demonstrating against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeted federal agents carrying out immigration raids as part of President Trump's mass deportation policy. Local law enforcement were called in to try and calm the situation, but they were not part of immigration enforcement efforts, due to sanctuary laws in both L.A. and California. Restaurant workers in Compton, Los Angeles, were seen helping sheriff's deputies over the weekend, following violent clashes between protestors and federal agents. Restaurant workers in Compton, Los Angeles, were seen helping sheriff's deputies over the weekend, following violent clashes between protestors and federal agents. ABC 7 Los Angeles What To Know Federal officers in tactical gear fired tear gas and other non-lethal weapons toward protestors in Compton and Paramount on Saturday, as efforts to quell the riots and violent outbursts ramped up. The footage from Pupuseria La Ceiba showed staff tending to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office deputies, rubbing what appeared to be milk in their eyes following the clashes in the streets nearby. Once the deputies were cleaned up, they went back to their duties. It was not immediately clear where the tear gas came from. The Associated Press reported that Compton's streets were littered with the remnants of tear gas pellets, as well as charred remnants of fires on Sunday morning, with locals clearing up as much as possible. Some in the neighborhood said they were angry at being left to clean up the mess, while others expressed their support for the immigrants living and working in the area. Over 100 people were arrested following the riots, some by federal agents and others by local law enforcement. The Trump administration has insisted that federal agents were targeting national security and public safety threats, as part of ongoing operations to deliver on President Trump's promise of mass deportations. The White House accused Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom of not acting soon enough to ease tensions, leading to the deployment of the National Guard to Compton and other protest areas. What People Are Saying Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in a post on X Monday: "I just met with LA immigrant rights community leaders as we respond to this chaotic escalation by the Administration. Let me be absolutely clear – as a united city, we are demanding the end to these lawless attacks on our communities. Los Angeles will always stand with EVERYONE who calls our city home." DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement Sunday: "These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets. Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer." Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, on X: "California Governor Newsom didn't request the National Guard be deployed to his state following peaceful demonstrations. Trump sent them anyway. It's the first time in 60 years a president has made that choice. Trump's goal isn't to keep Californians safe. His goal is to cause chaos, because chaos is good for Trump." What's Next Communities in LA were continuing to clean up Monday, as more anti-ICE protests were planned in the city and across the country.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Freedom Flotillas: The Deadly History as Greta Thunberg Detained by Israel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Israel announced on Monday the interception of a "freedom flotilla" carrying activist Greta Thunberg, the latest attempt by pro-Palestinian activists to bring aid into the Gaza Strip amid Israel's restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory. Newsweek reached out to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition for comment via email. Why It Matters The vessel, named Madleen and operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, was stopped in international waters on its way to a port in Gaza amid Israel's naval blockade. The FFC said that the group was attempting to deliver humanitarian aid, including food, baby formula and medical supplies. Activists have led these missions to try to bring in aid and food to Gaza, where citizens have faced starvation amid the war between Israel and Hamas. The World Health Organization (WHO) said 2.1 million people in Gaza are "facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death." On October 7, 2023, Hamas led an attack against Israel, killing 1,200 and abducting 251 people. Today, around 58 people remain captive. Israel has since launched an offensive on Gaza, killing more than 54,000 people, according to the Associated Press, citing Gaza's Health Ministry. What To Know The decades-long conflict between Israel and Hamas has seen several attempts at breaking through the naval blockade of Gaza, and these efforts have at times turned deadly, such as in 2010. That year, the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara aimed to deliver aid to Gaza and raise awareness about the conditions in the territory. In May 2010, the ship was intercepted by Israel, whose soldiers raided the boat. The raid ended with nine Turkish activists being killed by Israeli naval commandos. Main: The Madleen "freedom flotilla" approaches the Israeli southern port of Ashdod on June 9, 2025. Inset: Greta Thunberg speaks at a press conference in Catania, Italy, on June 1, 2025. Main: The Madleen "freedom flotilla" approaches the Israeli southern port of Ashdod on June 9, 2025. Inset: Greta Thunberg speaks at a press conference in Catania, Italy, on June 1, 2025. JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images;Israel said those on board attacked soldiers using knives and iron bars during the interception. Israel faced outrage over its handling of the first flotilla mission, with former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon being among the global leaders who condemned their response. The International Criminal Court, however, declined to prosecute Israel for the raid. Another "freedom flotilla" was planned for the following year, in 2011, from Athens; however, the Greek government banned Gaza-bound ships from using their ports. Additional flotillas were intercepted in 2015, about 100 miles off the Gaza Coast, and in 2018. Last month, another ship, the Conscience, was allegedly attacked by two drones while sailing in international waters off the coast of Malta, reported the Associated Press. There have been a few successful attempts at reaching Gaza, such as in 2008, when two boats carrying 46 activists successfully broke through the naval blockage. The ships carried cargo, including hearing aids, into the territory despite Israel's restrictions, according to a report from The Guardian at the time. Ship Carrying Greta Thunberg, Other Activists Seized Thunberg and other activists were on board the Madleen—named after Gaza fisherwoman Madleen Kulab, according to Al Jazeera—as part of the latest effort to break through Israel's naval blockade, but were intercepted on Monday about 120 miles off the coast of Gaza. Israel said the activists would be returned to their home countries and that aid would be distributed to Gaza. In total, there were 12 other individuals aboard the ship, including Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament and Al Jazeera Mubasher correspondent Omar Faiad. Huwaida Arraf, a human rights attorney and Freedom Flotilla organizer, said in a press release that the interception "blatantly violates international law and defies the ICJ's binding orders requiring unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza." "These volunteers are not subject to Israeli jurisdiction and cannot be criminalized for delivering aid or challenging an illegal blockade—their detention is arbitrary, unlawful, and must end immediately," Arraf said. What People Are Saying Greta Thunberg said in a pre-recorded video released Monday: "If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters by the Israeli occupational forces, or forces that support Israel." Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, on X (formerly Twitter): "To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas-propaganda spokespeople, I say clearly: You should turn back—because you will not reach Gaza. Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or assist terrorist organizations—at sea, in the air, and on land." Freedom Flotilla organizer Tan Safi, in a press release: "The world's governments remained silent when Conscience was bombed. Now Israel is testing that silence again. Every hour without consequences emboldens Israel to escalate its attacks on civilians, aid workers, and the very foundations of international law." What Happens Next Israeli authorities have indicated that the detained activists will be processed and repatriated. As of Monday, they were being transported to Ashdod.
