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CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Electrical issues, smoke detectors probed after Maryland fire kills 6, including 4 children
Maryland investigators are still looking into the cause of an intense, fast-moving fire at a home in Waldorf, in Charles County, on Sunday morning that killed six people, including four children. Master Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire confirmed the fire started on the porch. "We are looking at a variety of causes. We are looking at all electrical causes, any type of e-bikes, e-scooters, anything along those lines," Alkire told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren on Monday. "While we did not recover any evidence of arson or incendiary act, it's something that we've got to keep open. We've got to keep our options open." Alkire said they are also still investigating whether the smoke detectors were functioning properly. "Right now, that's still currently under investigation," Alkire said. "Our investigators did determine there were smoke alarms inside the home, both on the second level, the first level, and the basement. However, we have no evidence that they actually activated." Alkire told WJZ it is possible the detectors did activate, but first responders did not hear them. "We must methodically examine every possible fire cause and contributing factor," acting State Fire Marshal Jason Mowbray said in a statement. "Determining whether smoke alarms were sounding is not always straightforward, but it is essential to understanding how and tragedies like this occur." Alkire said the Waldorf fire is one of Maryland's deadliest since 2015, when an electrical problem ignited a Christmas tree inside an Annapolis mansion and killed a tech executive, his wife, and four young grandchildren. In both that case and the Waldorf fire, the homes did not have sprinkler systems, something that is now required in new Maryland homes. "We're looking at the fire progression," Alkire said of the Waldorf fire. "Why did the fire spread so fast?" Alkire noted the home was built before the state required sprinkler systems. The fire marshal's annual report revealed that 55% of deadly fires last year were in homes without sprinklers. For decades, Baltimore City has led the state in fire-related deaths, including three children killed in a West Baltimore rowhome in 2023. In 2024, on East Lombard Street, an elderly man and two children died in a bedroom after an electrical malfunction sparked a fire. Investigators could not determine whether that home had smoke detectors. "Have an escape plan," Alkire said. "If you do have a fire, get out, stay out. Those are the messages we are constantly pushing out." In Baltimore City, if you would like a smoke detector, dial 311. The state fire marshal and local counties can also assist in providing smoke alarms. Despite these tragedies, the fire marshal's 2024 annual report shows the number of fatal fires was down 13% statewide from 2023. "We work with our partners in Baltimore City," Alkire said. "They've done a fantastic job of lowering their death rates, but there's always more work to do."
CBS News
01-04-2025
- CBS News
Maryland woman loses millions in crypto "pig butchering" scam as FBI warns of more targets
Baltimore's FBI field office is warning about a growing cryptocurrency scam that is costing some victims their life savings. The scammers, frequently based in Southeast Asia, slowly gain the trust of their targets and then convince them to give money to buy cryptocurrency. A Maryland woman said she lost millions of dollars. She told WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren she is embarrassed about the ordeal but wanted to tell her story to protect others. "I put in over $3 million into this, and it showed that I was making almost maybe like 80% profit," the victim said. WJZ disguised her voice, and we are protecting her identity at her request. "I never thought I would actually fall into something this crazy. I was so humiliated. It was very hard," she said. "You trust somebody, and you get betrayed. It really hurts more than the money part." The victim told Hellgren the female scammer first reached out to her unsolicited through a Korean messaging app and spent several weeks earning her trust. The scammer then slowly asked for money to invest in crypto for her. The victim shared screenshots with WJZ Investigates. The victim said the investment portfolio looked like the real thing, and she was first directed to the legitimate Coinbase website before being taken to other sites. "When she got a lot more of my trust, more money would be poured in," the victim said. "Unless you know what you're doing, you're not going to be able to tell—especially if you've never done crypto before." Often, the FBI said victims can withdraw a small portion of their money first to build trust. The scammers eventually take it all. The victim called it "the biggest mistake I've ever made." "I actually did see a couple red flags, and I decided to ignore it because I just kind of told myself, well, I've got to trust this person," she admitted. "It got to a point where I put so much in, I was just desperate for it to work." Sarah Lewis, an agent in Baltimore's FBI field office, learned this victim was being scammed through Operation Level Up, the bureau's program to crack down on these crypto scams. The scammers often prepare their targets in case law enforcement gets involved by coaching the victims on what to say. "When I spoke to her initially, she told me she wasn't being scammed, and she gave me specific language I knew came directly from the scammer," Lewis said. Lewis said many victims do not believe her when she calls. She asks them to do their research and warns them not to give more money to the fraudsters. "I tell them you don't have to believe me, but don't send them any more money," she told WJZ Investigates. Because of how vicious it is, the scam is commonly known as "pig butchering." Many victims are in their 50s and older, but not all of them. "They find the victims: They fatten the pig by increasing the amount of money that the victim is depositing into this fraudulent account that they believe they're investing in, and then the slaughter happens when the scammers disappear and the victim loses all of their money," special agent Lewis explained. Her colleague, special agent Jeremy Capello, said targets are often victimized again. "They will have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars to this scam, and then they are contacted again by these same scammers pretending to be recovery companies, where they will tell the victim, 'We can recover your cryptocurrency if you pay us a fee,'" Capello said. Of the websites that the criminals create, he said, "You would never know it's a fake website." Most victims will never see their money again, although it is urgent for victims to act quickly to report what happened to authorities and give them the best chance of recovering anything. "Once that money leaves, it goes to the bad guys, and it's gone," Capello said. In one Maryland case, a man in his 80s was scammed over Facebook and ended up taking his own life after losing his life savings. The victim who lost millions told WJZ she was lucky to have a strong family support system. "It's money, and as hard as it is and how humiliating as it is and how hurtful as it is, it's not worth your life," she said. The FBI said the fraud is a vicious cycle and some of the scammers are victims of human trafficking and forced labor—threatened to make these contacts as they work out of warehouses in Southeast Asia. The FBI cautions you should not respond to unsolicited messages and never invest your money with people and organizations you do not know. Agents said many times that the scammers will not want to communicate over the phone and will direct victims to encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp. Nationwide as of January 2025: If you believe you might be a victim of this pig butchering crypto scam, you can report it to the internet crime complaint center at .
CBS News
18-03-2025
- CBS News
Maryland sexual assault survivor tells story about abuse inside juvenile facility
A growing number of alleged victims are coming forward saying they were abused in Maryland juvenile facilities over several decades, and some are suing for compensation. Their advocates say the abuse scandal could rival that facing the Catholic church . The flood of lawsuits started when Maryland removed the statute of limitations on filing these cases . WJZ Investigator Mike Hellgren spoke to an alleged victim who is set to address a rally near Baltimore City Hall on Wednesday. "At 14 years old, all you want to do is go home, so what do you do? You stay quiet and you shut up," abuse survivor Nalisha Gibbs told WJZ Investigates. Gibbs is done being quiet, opening up about repeated sexual abuse she says she suffered as a child in 1989 and 1990 at the state-run Thomas Waxter Children's Center in Laurel , which has since closed. Investigator Mike Hellgren asked Gibbs about her message to other survivors. "That it's OK to come forward," Gibbs said. "It's OK to scream until you are heard. You deserve to be heard and you deserve your story to be told, and you deserve the healing that comes from it as well." According to her complaint against the state, Gibbs was sexually assaulted daily by a female staff member, then threatened that she would never go home if she reported the abuse. "She called me a throwaway," Gibbs said. "They wouldn't believe me because I'm a 'throwaway.' That's what she referred to children like me. We were throwaways to society pretty much." Jubi Williams, the victim advocate with the law firm Levy Konigsberg representing Gibbs said her client "was physically confined, abused and then these threats confined her even more—so she was too scared. She didn't trust anybody." Gibbs is one of 24 victims listed in just one lawsuit. Since the Maryland Child Victims Act lifted time limits on legal claims, more than 3,500 victims have sued Maryland. Some in the General Assembly are pushing this session for caps on damages. "The attorney general has gone so far as to dismiss some of these cases," said Jerry Block, also with the law firm who represents Gibbs. Block told WJZ the volume of abuse could dwarf that within the Archdiocese of Baltimore . "This sexual abuse goes beyond what the attorney general uncovered with the Catholic church in Maryland," Block said. "The children were sexually abused while they were in custody. These children had nowhere to run to. They had nowhere to hide. The perpetrators had the keys to their rooms." Gibbs hopes sharing her story stops the stigma. "Even when you're shaken and you think nobody else is really listening to you, still say something—say something because we're going to listen to you and we believe in you, and your voice is important," Gibbs said. The Department of Juvenile Services issued the following statement to WJZ Investigates: "DJS takes allegations of sexual abuse of children in our care with utmost seriousness and we are working hard to provide decent, humane and rehabilitative environments for youth committed to the Department. DJS notes that all the claims brought under the Maryland Child Victims Act involve allegations from many decades ago. Beyond that, DJS will not comment on this pending litigation." A rally is set for at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at War Memorial Plaza near Baltimore City Hall.
