Latest news with #13WHAM
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Shelter in place issued after mountain lion spotted in New York
Residents in an upstate New York neighborhood are on high alert after a shelter-in-place order was issued over a possible mountain lion sighting. Rochester police were alerted to a viral social media video showing a massive cat, followed by a flurry of calls from alarmed residents who feared they had seen a wild animal far from its natural habitat, according to 13 WHAM News. Some residents even claimed they came face-to-face with the feline as it calmly strolled down the street, fueling panic over the whereabouts of the elusive predator. 'After I see the people run, I just see something big, just walking just right over there - it went right over there I swear, I promise you, it went right over there,' Curtis Jones, who said he saw the beast while on a walk, told 13 WHAM. 'It said "rawr."' 'I don't play with lions, I don't play with tigers, bears, nothing in the wild, I don't play with those, I promise you,' Jones added. 'I don't even do rollercoasters. I'm good.' A shelter-in-place was quickly issued on Wednesday, but later lifted after police were unable to confirm the presence of a large cat. The Rochester Police Department first learned of the potential incident through a social media video - captured by an outdoor Ring security camera - showing a large animal slowly pacing along a row of residential homes. Several sighting reports also poured in, including one near North Clinton Avenue and Rauber Street just after midnight on Thursday - the very spot where Jones just so happened to be out for a walk. While out on his walk, Jones said he saw several people frantically running from what looked unmistakably like a mountain lion. 'I just kept walking,' Jones told 13 WHAM. 'I seen it, seeing me, see it - so in my head, I'm like, "Nah, I got to go man, I'm out."' 'I heard the "rawr." I felt that "rawr,"' he added. 'I knew to keep it pushing. I knew that.' 'It was just walking, slithering - I don't know man.' Although the shelter-in-place was lifted shortly after being issued, an investigation was launched with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, which deployed an aerial drone to scan the area, but found no trace of a mountain lion. The Seneca Park Zoo, located in Rochester, also confirmed that none of its animals were missing or had escaped their enclosures. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is also assisting with the investigation, but Rochester police have stated that none of the reported sightings have been confirmed, according to the outlet. According to the department, which reviewed the doorbell video, the animal does appear to be a potential cougar - though they caution there's no way to confirm its authenticity or rule out possible editing at this time. However, they noted that if the animal is indeed a cougar, it's unlikely to be wild - more likely an escaped captive, possibly kept illegally as a pet. In a statement to 13 WHAM, the DEC said they are 'actively investigating the reports of a big cat in a Rochester neighborhood and determining if there is evidence to validate the images.' 'DEC reminds the public to treat an encounter like any other with a large, potentially dangerous wild animal or unfamiliar dog,' the statement added. 'Keep a safe distance, and slowly back away. Only take photos from a very safe distance and immediately report it to law enforcement.' But despite extensive search efforts, residents remain on edge - worried that law enforcement couldn't locate the animal. Jones, in particular, has been patrolling the neighborhood armed with a bat, unsettled by what he saw. 'I am going to keep this bat right here, man, just in case,' Jones told 13 WHAM on Thursday. 'I am going to protect us, I ain't going to let nothing happen to us, nothing. OK?' 'They ain't find it last night, it's still out here, it could be out here in one of these bushes or something,' he added. 'You know, a mountain lion, it be "rawr." They be crawling and... serious.' Police are urging the public to remain vigilant while authorities work to verify the video's authenticity. Residents are advised to stay indoors and call 911 immediately if they encounter a large cat. 'DEC encourages the public to submit reports if they observe this animal, especially if they obtain photo or video evidence,' the statement to 13 WHAM read. 'These reports can be directed to the regional wildlife office at 585-226-5380 or r8wildlife@ or directed to DEC Environmental Conservation Officer dispatch after-hours or on weekends at 844-332-3267.' The last confirmed cougar sighting in New York was back in 2011, when the elusive beast trekked thousands of miles - from South Dakota, through Michigan's Upper Peninsula, all the way down eastern New York and into Connecticut, according to the DEC.
The Guardian
18-02-2025
- The Guardian
No evidence of hate crime in killing of US transgender man, authorities say
Authorities investigating the alleged torture and murder of Sam Nordquist in upstate New York say they have found no evidence the transgender man's killing was a hate crime, pointing out that five people recently charged in connection with the slaying also identified as LGBTQ+. 'We urge the community not to speculate into the motive behind the murder as we work to find justice for Sam,' authorities said over the weekend in a joint press release from the Ontario county district attorney's office and New York state police. 'At this time, we have no indication that Sam's murder was a hate crime.' The statement added: 'To help alleviate the understandable concern his murder could be a hate crime, we are disclosing that Sam and his assailants were known to each other, identified as LGBTQ+, and at least one of the defendants lived with Sam in the time period leading up to the instant offense.' All five suspects – Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer A Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick A Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19 – have been arrested, arraigned and were ordered held without bail in Ontario county's jail on charges of second-degree murder. A felony complaint obtained by 13WHAM provides gut-wrenching details of Nordquist's brutal killing. Authorities say he was tortured and sexually assaulted using a table leg and broomsticks. He was also reportedly subjected to repeated, prolonged beatings which included being punched, kicked and struck with various objects such as sticks, belts, ropes, dog toys and canes, ultimately leading to his death. Nordquist's family reported him missing on 9 February, authorities said. Within days, investigators from the state police alerted the Ontario district attorney's office that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance 'appeared suspicious'. On 12 February, police discovered Nordquist's remains in a field in Yates county. Authorities determined that Nordquist was killed in Ontario county and that his accused killers disposed his body after transporting it to Yates county in an effort to conceal the alleged murder. 'No human being should have to endure what Sam endured,' authorities said during a televised news conference. One police captain mentioned that in her 20-year law enforcement career, this crime was 'one of the most horrific' she had ever investigated. Nordquist, who was originally from Oakdale, Minnesota, had reportedly traveled to New York in September to meet his 'online girlfriend', as detailed on a GoFundMe page created by his sister, Kayla. He had bought a round-trip plane ticket, it adds, and was supposed to return home by mid-October. Nordquist's family said that they had not heard from him since 1 January – and the last confirmed sighting of him was in early February. As of Tuesday, the GoFundMe campaign set up to help the family with expenses – including a flight to New York to retrieve his body and bring it back to Minnesota – had received more than $100,000 in donations. On Sunday, the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, said that she had directed the state police to provide 'any and all support and resource' to the district attorney as they continue the investigation into Nordquist's alleged murder. 'The charges against these indviduals are sickening and all New Yorkers should join together to condemn this horrific act,' she said.
