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Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dead Body Found in Man's Pool Could Be Missing Fugitive
Police in New York were stunned to find what appeared to be the body of a missing fugitive in a homeowner's pool during Memorial Day weekend. According to WABC News, a veteran detective in Suffolk County found the dead body of a man floating his pool on Sunday, May 25. The detective was opening his pool for the summer season when he made the discovery, calling 911. In a press conference, Suffolk County police commissioner Kevin Catalina said the body is believed to be 23-year-old Matthew Zoll. Zoll has been wanted since November 2024 for allegedly killing his father. "We are currently waiting for a DNA analysis to confirm that, but, you know, based again on all of the ancillary evidence that we were able to uncover, we are investigating that strong possibility," Catalina said, according to CBS. Police noted that Zoll was schizophrenic and had allegedly fatally stabbed his father Joseph Zoll, who was 61. The alleged stabbing took place at the Zoll residence in Rocky Point. After stabbing his father to death, police say Zoll took an SUV and crashed close to the home in East Shoreham where he was found. After the crash, police say a badly hurt Zoll disappeared for months. According to ABC 7 New York, the home and pool the body was found in belong to a member of the same task force that was searching for Zoll after the alleged stabbing several months prior. The detective who found the body opened the cover to his pool with his son. "It was a Loop-Loc cover, but it appears that one of the portions of the Loop-Loc was undone, and somehow the body became secreted under that portion of the pool cover," Catalina said, explaining how the body got into the pool. "I don't know why somebody would try to get under the cover. It's not a smart thing to do," neighbor Paul Gawreluk told WNBC. The commissioner also stated that no signs of foul play were spotted in or around the home of the detective. Police have yet to confirm that the body belongs to Zoll, and are awaiting definitive results after DNA testing. Dead Body Found in Man's Pool Could Be Missing Fugitive first appeared on Men's Journal on May 29, 2025
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Husband mourns pregnant wife run over by hit-run driver in Brooklyn fender-bender clash
A woman fatally mowed down by a heartless hit-and-run driver during an argument over a Brooklyn fender-bender was pregnant — and the center of her family's world, her devastated husband told the Daily News Monday. Tiffany Cifuni, 32, got out of her 2021 Toyota 4Runner to confront the driver of a Chevy Trax who rear-ended her near Van Buren St. and Marcus Garvey Blvd. in Bedford-Stuyvesant about 11:55 p.m. Saturday, cops say. The heartless Chevy driver ran Cifuni over, dragging her the wrong way down a one way street before crashing into two other vehicles and then running off. 'Tiffany was literally was the center of our world,' James Cifuni told the Daily News in an exclusive interview Monday. 'She made me a better person, a better man.' 'She was pregnant,' he added. 'And it's not about me, it's about her. But I lost my whole family tonight and I don't think I'll ever be the same.' The expectant mom had just told her in-laws she was in her first trimester a couple of weeks ago and was on her way home from the Beyoncé concert at MetLife Stadium when she was killed, her father-in-law told ABC 7 New York. 'This is a tragic act of violence and we're all just trying to deal with this in our own way,' her husband told the News. Late Saturday, tragedy struck in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Cifuni got into a fender-bender with another driver, and when the motorist tried to drive away, she approached the car. Cifuni was driving east on Van Buren St. when she was hit from behind by a woman driving a 2016 Chevy Trax driver, cops said Monday. In surveillance video obtained by ABC 7 New York, Cifuni drives after the Chevy, then gets out of her vehicle to confront the driver off camera over the fender-bender. 'Where are you going?' Cifuni shouts. 'Get out!' 'You trying to drive away? Get out!' she yells, repeating the command as banging sounds can be heard off-screen. ''Get out right now. Park your car and get out!' she yells. 'You don't f—ing drive away … Park your car, you just hit me!' As traffic piles up behind them, a yell and a bang can be heard as the Chevy driver pulls out, running Cifuni over and dragging her down the street. The victim's scream of anguish is captured in the video. The Chevy driver turned right onto Marcus Garvey Blvd. then turned onto Lafayette Ave., heading the wrong way down the one-way street to get away. The Chevy driver crashed into a parked SUV and a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by a 38-year-old woman before abandoning the Chevy and fleeing on foot. Cifuni didn't become dislodged from under the Chevy until its driver struck the parked vehicle, witness Shane Bridges told The News Sunday. 'They dragged her like to the middle of the street,' Bridges, 28, said. 'Then they turned wrong up Lafayette and she was just left there.' Cops were still looking for the driver Monday. The Chevy had temporary paper license plates, cops said. Cifuni married her husband in 2022 and recently moved to Long Island, her father-in-law told ABC. Her pregnancy announcement surprised and delighted her family. ''They had just hit us with that news two weeks ago and she was so proud of the fact that she surprised me and buckled my knees with the news, you know?' Nick Cifuni told station. 'Tiffany was the rockstar of our family and we're interested in getting justice and in this person getting caught.'
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One of Alcatraz's last living inmates speaks out on Trump's plan to reopen prison
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Charlie Hopkins, one of the last living to have served time in Alcatraz, San Francisco's notorious island prison, has dismissed President Donald Trump's order that the jail be reopened. 'I don't think he wants to reopen it, he's trying to draw attention to the crime rate,' Hopkins, now in his 90s, told ABC7 New York. 'When I was on Alcatraz, a rat couldn't survive.' Hopkins, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, who was hailed in his youth as a Golden Gloves boxer, was sentenced to 17 years behind bars in 1952 for his part in a robbery ring responsible for a string of carjackings. He served 11 years in jail – three of which were spent at Alcatraz, where he was known as Inmate #1186 – before reforming and finding work as a carpet fitter and then as a hospital security guard. Former Alcatraz inmate Charlie Hopkins was sentenced to 17 years behind bars in 1952 for his part in a robbery ring responsible for a string of carjackings (Asocial Media/YouTube) Later in life, Hopkins became a pen pal of the infamous Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger, another Alcatraz veteran, a story he shared in his memoir Hard Time (2019) and in the TV series Alcatraz: The Last Survivor (2020). Despite Hopkins' scepticism, the president appeared to be in deadly earnest when he posted on Truth Social over the weekend: 'REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! 'For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering. 'When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That's the way it's supposed to be.' He added that he would be directing the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, the FBI and Homeland Security 'to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America's most ruthless and violent Offenders.' The former Alcatraz penitentiary seen in the San Franscio Bay (AP) The California maximum security penitentiary was opened in 1934 but closed again in 1963 after it was found to be three times more expensive to run than other jails and too costly to maintain, not least because of the extreme weather it was exposed to from the Pacific. The facility has since enjoyed a second act as a lucrative tourist attraction, with visitors drawn by its reputation acquired during its three decades of service, when it housed legendary criminals such as Al Capone, George 'Machine Gun' Kelly, 'Creepy' Alvin Karpis, and Robert Stroud, a psychopathic amateur ornithologist known as 'the Birdman of Alcatraz.' One of the first to reject Trump's suggestion was former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, a San Francisco resident, who wrote on X: 'The president's proposal is not a serious one.' Chicago mob boss Al Capone, arguably Alcatraz's most famous inmate (Getty) On Tuesday, Florida Democrat Rep. Jared Moskowitz ridiculed Trump in the House by calling the plan 'just another distraction to divert attention away from the tariffs, rising prices, or the struggle on Main Street.' Moskowitz went on to suggest that the president had gotten the idea from watching reruns of old movies on late-night television. 'Perhaps he was watching Escape from Alcatraz,' he suggested, referring to Don Siegel's 1979 Clint Eastwood hit. 'The funny part about that is that it was actually on television in South Florida. It was on PBS South Florida over the weekend when Trump was at Mar-a-Lago. In fact, he made his announcement just hours after it aired.' The congressman's reference to the scheduling is correct. Alcatraz has enjoyed a revival as a tourist attraction since its closure in 1963 (AP) A number of tourists visiting the prison this week sounded out by ABC were equally withering, with one commenting: 'I think it's one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard in my life. 'It would cost billions to refit this building. It's not even earthquake proof.' But U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, for one, has defended the idea, telling Larry Kudlow on Fox Business the venture would yield 'cost savings', without explaining how, and insisting it would serve as a powerful deterrent to would-be criminals.
The Independent
08-04-2025
- General
- The Independent
Polly want a flight? Bizarre story of 81-year-old woman who can't fly home because of her parrot
An 81-year-old New York woman is stranded in Puerto Rico because her airline will not let her leave with her pet parrot. Maria Fraterrigo, of the Bronx, visited Puerto Rico with her pet parrot, Plucky. Fraterrigo raised the bird from birth, and the pair has been together for more than two decades. When Fraterrigo tried to return home to New York, she was told her parrot would have to stay behind. "I got no more tears my mind is blank, just want to go home. That's all, I don't ask for much," Fraterrigo told ABC 7 New York. Fraterrigo will not leave her parrot behind. The bird helped her process and cope with the death of her husband, an NYPD police officer who passed away in 2019 from cancer related to the 9/11 terror attacks. "He kept me going, talking to me, making me laugh when I was down," she said of the bird. The couple had traveled to Puerto Rico multiple times with the bird, and never had any issue getting home with Plucky in tow. On Saturday, April 5, Fraterrigo was on her way home when a Frontier Airlines employee told her she couldn't board the plane with the bird. "You won't be able to make the flight. Get rid of your bird and give it to somebody," Fraterrigo said she was told by the Frontier Airlines employee. According to her son, Robert Fraterrigo, he has been working on his end to try to find a way to get his mother home. He said that Frontier allegedly acknowledged that the bird was "not checked correctly" upon Fraterrigo's departure from New York. He said he provided evidence that the bird is considered a service animal for his mother. The airline refunded her ticket — about $190 — and issued a $250 voucher, and pointed out that its policies do not allow large birds like parrots in its cabins. Frontier told The Independent that it is investigating the issue and is working to find a way to get Fraterrigo home. 'We are currently investigating the matter and attempting to reach the customer to assist her in returning home,' a Frontier spokesperson said. "My mother did nothing wrong and she just needs to be taken care of and sent home, she didn't want anything else but to go home and no one wants to help," Robert told the broadcaster. Robert has been trying to find smaller airlines that will allow his mother to fly to Tampa with her parrot, but has thus far been unsuccessful.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Yahoo
This Queens woman got swindled out of $700K in gold bar scam — here's how it works and 3 red flags to watch for
A new gold bar scam is fleecing unsuspecting victims across the U.S. out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It starts with a phone call, where an official-sounding person convinces you they're with a government agency, such as the FTC or the Treasury, and that your bank account has been hacked. All you need to do is buy gold bars and hand them over. Your money will be safe, or so you're told. Then you never see your money again. Eva Rothman of Queens lost all $700,000 of her life savings to the scam. Her nephew is trying to help her get her money back, but they're unsure if they'll be successful. 'Would you do this to your mother?' Rothman asked. 'I can't understand why people do these things. They don't have heart.' They shared her story with ABC7 New York to prevent others being victimized. A near-record number of Americans are grappling with $1,000 car payments and many drivers can't keep up. [Here are 3 ways to stay ahead]( ?throw=DM1_streamline_managing-money) 5 ways to boost your net worth now — easily up your money game without altering your day-to-day life Cost-of-living in America is still out of control — use these 3 'real assets' to protect your wealth today It all started when an unsuspecting Rothman opened an email link that gave fraudsters remote access to her computer. They froze her screen and displayed a phone number for her to call. When she called, a conman pretending to work for the government convinced her that her bank accounts were compromised and that she was being watched. She was also told she could go to jail if she told anyone. The fraudster convinced her to withdraw $20,000 cash from her checking account, put it in a box, and take it outside and put it in the backseat of a car that pulled up. Next, the fake agent told her to go to a specific store in Jackson Heights and buy gold bars, which she did — three times. Each time, the agent sent a car to pick up the gold bars from her house. While investing in gold can be legitimate, being asked or pressured to hand it over is not. Eva was provided with fake receipts from the U.S. Treasury and promised a check that would secure her assets. The check never came. Her nephew Lyle Rothman, rabbi of Community Synagogue in Port Washington, says his aunt doesn't have a cent left. 'If it happened to my family, it could happen to any family,' Rothman said. Read more: Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead He's right. According to the FTC, older adults lost nearly $2 billion to fraud in 2023, a conservative figure given that the vast majority of scams are not reported. To protect yourself and your loved ones from similar scams, keep an eye out for these red flags. Watch for phishing scams. Never click on links in any email you don't recognize, and double-check the 'sent' email address to see whether the email sender is legitimate. Never call random numbers that pop up on your computer screen or talk to people who 'accidentally' text you. If someone claiming to be from a government agency calls, hang up, look up the agency's official number online, and call back. Paying with credit cards can offer consumer protection and payments can be reversed. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay via unsecured channels, whether that's with cash apps, gift cards or physically handing over cash or gold. These unsecured payments are hard to trace and make your money near impossible to recover. Several people tried to warn Eva she was being scammed, including her bank and financial adviser, but the scammers often tell you to ignore them or lie. If anyone asks you to lie, it's likely a scam. If you're worried for your safety, contact law enforcement immediately. Scammers often use fear to manipulate people into making decisions they wouldn't usually make. Always be wary of anyone who uses fear or pressure to convince you to send money. If you believe a scammer is trying to take advantage of you or a loved one, call law enforcement and file a complaint with the FTC. I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) 'Savers are losers': Robert Kiyosaki warned that millions of 401(k)s and IRAs will be 'toast' — here's his advice for older Americans who want to protect their wealth Suze Orman: If you think you're ready to retire, think again — 4 critical money moves to avoid a financial crisis in retirement This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
