Latest news with #JasonPeña
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
U.S. State Dept. places Mexico placed under Level 2 travel advisory; Chicago area teen was shot during visit
The U.S. State Department has a new warning for anyone planning to go to Mexico in the near future. The State Department said Mexico is under a Level 2 advisory, and people should be cautious of terrorism, crime, and kidnapping. This does not mean people should not travel there, but experts say travelers should do their research before going. Jason Peña's family has seen the threat of danger in Mexico firsthand in a tragic way. The 14-year-old Oak Forest boy went into a coma after a man shot him in the head. It happened along a highway while Jason was visiting his family in Durango, Mexico in December. Jason's mom said only 30% of his brain can function now, even with months of rehab. Authorities said his dad, his uncle, and a third man died in the shooting after a family celebration. "In my perspective, on a daily basis, I work with individuals who have fled imminent danger in Mexico," said Pastor Julie Contreras, an immigration advocate who works with Jason's family. After countless cases she has dealt with in Mexico, Contreras said travelers have limited government assistance and emergency services to access. "The family had to hire attorneys in Mexico, pay a lot of money to see justice be served," she said. While the State Department issued a Level 2 advisory for the whole country of Mexico this week, each Mexican state might have its own risks. The states of Colima, Guerrero, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas are all under a Level 4 warning — meaning the State Department advises not visiting them at all due to homicides and shootings. Several other states — Baja California, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Morelos, and Sonora — are under a Level 3 advisory in which it is advised to "reconsider travel." Mexico City and the State of Mexico, as well as the states of Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Durango, Hidalgo, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz are under a Level 2 warning, or "exercise increased caution." Quintana Roo includes such popular tourist destinations as Cancún and Cozumel. Only two states — the states of Campeche and Yucatán — are under a Level 1 advisory in which travelers may exercise normal precautions. All this being said, CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg said almost every country has a travel advisory. "Level 2 means travel with increased caution, which doesn't worry me at all," said Greenberg. But he said people should still study up before going anywhere. "All it really means is increase situational awareness, which every traveler should have, and it should not stop you from traveling to Mexico — or Cleveland, for that matter," Greenberg said. As for Jason, Contreras said it is a miracle he's alive. But she said no one's vacation should cost them their life. "It still doesn't change the fact that that mother had to go through several hoops and receive humanitarian assistance from organization to bring her child — children — to safety," Contreras said. Under the advisory, the State Department said anyone who is stopped at a road checkpoint while traveling should cooperate with officials. People should also avoid traveling in the dark or alone, especially in remote areas.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: Oak Forest teen shot in Mexico left with serious brain injury
Good afternoon, Chicago. Seven weeks after an Oak Forest teen was shot in the head in Mexico and flown to a Texas hospital for treatment, his mother said he is recovering, but the teen's life will never be the same after surviving the shooting that killed his father, uncle and cousin in December. Jason Peña, 14, was in a coma for several weeks after he was shot Dec. 27 on a highway near the town of Las Palmas, authorities in Mexico said. His father, Vicente Peña Jr., his uncle, Antonio Fernández, and a third man, Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre, were killed in the shooting. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Tyler Q. Wright, of Calumet Heights, faces one felony count of child endangerment. Prosecutors said in court filings that he had invited Dalilah and five other children under 14 to the home, where there was a ghost gun and a loaded, semiautomatic gun with an extended magazine and a laser sight attachment. Read more here. More top news stories: Embattled CPS chief Pedro Martinez vying for job as Las Vegas schools' chief More snow possible Friday afternoon with below zero windchills into night hours Trump's Republican administration has insisted that its new tariffs would level the playing field between U.S. manufacturers and foreign competitors, though these new taxes would likely be paid by American consumers and businesses either directly or in the form of higher prices. Read more here. More top business stories: Evanston gives preliminary OK to Workers' Retention ordinance Old Town 4-bedroom home designed by Harold M. Hansen: $1.4M The Bulls appear to be a step behind again when it comes to their starting center — and potentially missed an ideal window to move him in the process. Read more here. More top sports stories: Garrett Crochet — after being on 'short leash' with Chicago White Sox — ready to unleash with Boston Red Sox Bill to lure Chicago Bears to Indiana passes out of House committee Ravinia plans to unveil the updated Pavilion in July 2026 as the Hunter Pavilion, named for a $10 million donation by the Hunter Family Foundation. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Column: You know who's suddenly flocking to old movies in Chicago? Young audiences Frequency Festival is back: A sneak peek at this year's acts President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Canada should be the 51st U.S. state as he proposes erasing the 5,525-mile-long border that separates the countries and alleviating the need for tariffs he's threatened against one of America's top allies and trading partners. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: At least 28 are hurt as a driver plows into a demonstration in Germany Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as Trump's health secretary after a close Senate vote
Chicago Tribune
13-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: Oak Forest teen shot in Mexico left with serious brain injury
Good afternoon, Chicago. Seven weeks after an Oak Forest teen was shot in the head in Mexico and flown to a Texas hospital for treatment, his mother said he is recovering, but the teen's life will never be the same after surviving the shooting that killed his father, uncle and cousin in December. Jason Peña, 14, was in a coma for several weeks after he was shot Dec. 27 on a highway near the town of Las Palmas, authorities in Mexico said. His father, Vicente Peña Jr., his uncle, Antonio Fernández, and a third man, Jorge Eduardo Vargas Aguirre, were killed in the shooting. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Second suspect charged in death of 12-year-old Dalilah Batey Tyler Q. Wright, of Calumet Heights, faces one felony count of child endangerment. Prosecutors said in court filings that he had invited Dalilah and five other children under 14 to the home, where there was a ghost gun and a loaded, semiautomatic gun with an extended magazine and a laser sight attachment. Read more here. Trump signs a plan for reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners, ushering in economic uncertainty Trump's Republican administration has insisted that its new tariffs would level the playing field between U.S. manufacturers and foreign competitors, though these new taxes would likely be paid by American consumers and businesses either directly or in the form of higher prices. Read more here. Chicago Bulls didn't trade Nikola Vučević at the deadline. Did they miss their best chance for a maximum return? The Bulls appear to be a step behind again when it comes to their starting center — and potentially missed an ideal window to move him in the process. Read more here. More top sports stories: Garrett Crochet — after being on 'short leash' with Chicago White Sox — ready to unleash with Boston Red Sox Bill to lure Chicago Bears to Indiana passes out of House committee Ravinia Festival begins a $75 million renovation plan, starting with the Pavilion Ravinia plans to unveil the updated Pavilion in July 2026 as the Hunter Pavilion, named for a $10 million donation by the Hunter Family Foundation. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: Column: You know who's suddenly flocking to old movies in Chicago? Young audiences Frequency Festival is back: A sneak peek at this year's acts Could Canada really become the 51st US state? Here's what it would take President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Canada should be the 51st U.S. state as he proposes erasing the 5,525-mile-long border that separates the countries and alleviating the need for tariffs he's threatened against one of America's top allies and trading partners. Read more here.
