Jamari Charles’ family told 7News life for all of them changed drastically, New Year’s Day.

“He’s so young. 14 years old, full of life,” said Talia Stewart, Charles’ aunt.

Charles was riding an ATV when he collided with a car near Southwest 220th Street and 118th Avenue as celebratory fireworks continued going off, Thursday night.

Charles had just received the ATV as a Christmas gift.

At first, his family had gotten some good news after he was taken to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in critical but stable condition.

“He has no broken bones. There was no internal bleeding or anything like that,” said Stewart.

However, Charles wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and has swelling on his brain as a result.

His doctors are keeping him sedated for the time being.

“He did sustain a head injury so right now we’re just trying to make sure that that is fine, but he is gonna be out of school for the rest of the year and he’s gonna be doing rehab and therapy,” said Stewart.

As an athlete and student at Arthur & Polly Mays 6-12 Conservatory of the Arts, his family described Charles as being passionate about football.

His family also said Charles is kind and loves his family.

“He’s a very respectful kid. We have a very big family, he’s very family-oriented,” said Stewart.

His family now sharing their love for him as he looks at several months to recover from the crash.

“We hate that it happened so young because the brain is still developing. We do believe that God can do anything, all things, God can do anything and God is a healer, so you know that he’ll make it out,” said Stewart.

For now, Charles’ family continues to pray that they receive more good news once he is no longer sedated.

The driver of the other vehicle was not injured in the crash and no charges have been filed.

The family has created a GoFundMe asking for assistance to cover Charles’ medical expenses. If you would like to donate, click here.

Fort Lauderdale Police units responded to a call of a possible shooting late Wednesday night at 17 South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Upon their arrival, officers located the victim suffering from a gunshot wound.

Officers secured the scene, and tactical medical aid was immediately given to the teen, who was later identified as Joshua Gipson Jr.

Cellphone video captured the moment panic spread, as witnesses ran for cover.

“That’s real deal, better get down,” a man is heard saying in the video.

Jeff Saylor told 7News he heard gunshots ring out.

“I heard another shot, a couple of shots, I believe about five total,” said Saylor.

Investigators said someone began shooting outside the CVS pharmacy in the Beach Place complex.

Some witnesses recognized that the popping sounds weren’t fireworks going off in the sky.

“And I said, ‘That’s not fireworks,'” said Bob McDonald, another witness. “It scared the heck out of me.”

Guests at a nearby hotel even received a text message from the building’s management warning them to stay indoors.

“It was alarming, right, because you don’t know what’s going on, you know. In this day and age, you don’t know what it is or what it could be,” said Chris Pate.

Paramedics with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue promptly transported Gipson, who had just turned 17, as a trauma alert to Broward Health Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The teen’s grieving father, Joshua Gipson Sr., said his son was out with friends when he believes the teen was caught in the crossfire.

“He was doing the right thing, he didn’t have no problems,” he said. “An innocent bystander. Some people were arguing when the shooting started and he got shot.”

One witness who did not wish to be identified told 7News the shooting appeared to happen after two people got into an argument, but authorities have not made any conclusions.

“A guy, he just passed away right there, he just got shot,” said the witness. “I’m 18 years old, and I saw him, he was 17 years old, and it just broke my heart seeing that.”

“I just hate it happened,” said a longtime friend of the teen who did not wish to be identified.

The elder Gipson said his son was a football player for several South Florida high school teams and planned to attend Virginia Tech.

“He made good choices in life, you know what I’m saying? He wasn’t making anything bad,” he said.

A lifelong friend of Gipson, who asked not to be identified or show his face on camera, said the two had known each other since they were kids who played football together.

“He was funny, he was fun to be around, he was always a happy soul. He was a good person,” he said.

Detectives have not shared many details but said they believe this to be an isolated incident.

Gipson’s death comes a few days after, police said, five people were hurt in a shooting just a few miles away, in downtown Fort Lauderdale’s Himmarshee Village district.

Detectives said someone started shooting outside Dicey Riley’s Irish Pub on Southwest Second Street, off Third Avenue, at around 2 a.m. on Sunday.

The FBI has since joined forces with local police, as they work to track down who was behind this overnight shooting.

As for Gipson’s loved ones, they are still trying to make sense of it all.

“I went blank. I don’t know how to – it’s just crazy,” said his friend. “I mean, I expected a lot on New Year’s night, but when it’s one of your peoples, or one of your old friends or somebody you grew up with, you don’t know what to think.”

The victim’s mother described him as the kind of kid that younger children looked up to and that he was fearless.

The incident remains under investigation.

A GoFundMe has been created to assist the family with funeral expenses. If you would like to donate, click here.

If you have additional information regarding this shooting or the gunman’s whereabouts, please contact Detective J. Sanchez of the homicide unit at 954-828-4900 or call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

All across the region, celebrations are planned Wednesday, from Fort Lauderdale to Miami and even all the way down to the Florida Keys.

The Big Orange will rise in downtown Miami, it will be anchors away in Fort Lauderdale, and the shoe will drop in the Keys, as tens of thousands of revelers ring in 2026.

At Bayfront Park, the Big Orange — a 35-foot, 2,000-pound LED sculpture — will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a 400-foot rise to the top of the InterContinental Miami at midnight. The iconic “Mr. Neon” will begin its ascent at 6 p.m.

An estimated 100,000 people attended last year’s event at Bayfront Park in what organizers called the “biggest Hispanic New Year’s Eve gathering in the country.”

In true Miami fashion, South Florida didn’t wait for midnight to start the party.

There’s no better place than Miami to celebrate New Year’s, no better place. We had to be here,” said a woman.

Some came from across the world to celebrate in the 305.

“I’m from Zimbabwe. 20 hours in the plane,” said one woman.

The Miami skyline will be lit up by thousands of fireworks synchronized with music the second midnight strikes.

Great views aren’t the only thing partygoers will get to see at night.

Willy Chirino, Flo Rida, and Marshmello are all scheduled to perform Wednesday night.

“We’ve got a fusion of Latin hip hop, all the talent of South Florida is gonna be out here tonight,” said a man.

“I’m very excited to see Marshmello,” said a woman.

The crowds will have several bites available to eat as they enjoy the beats throughout the night.

All of the excitement will lead up to the moment everyone is waiting for.

“Two minutes ’til, we’ll raise it to the top,” said Steve Carpenter, the designer of the Big Orange.

The iconic orange will make its climb up the side of the InterContinental at 11:58 p.m. for everyone to begin counting down.

“It’s free to the public, so anybody and everybody can come down and see it and they have food trucks and they have bands, it’s amazing,” said Carpenter.

The party in downtown Miami is expected to carry on past midnight.

In downtown Fort Lauderdale, a 900-pound anchor made of steel and covered in 5,000 LED lights will slowly drop as the clock strikes midnight. The anchor was chosen to reflect the city as the marine capital of the world.

“We’re here to celebrate the New Year and say goodbye to the old year,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.

As with years past, kids got to start ringing in the New Year early in the afternoon.

“There’ll be activities for kids, there’ll be kiosks for food, it’s gonna be a great festival for everyone to enjoy,” said Trantalis.

“We’re gonna have a DJ on stage, we’ll have a bunch of inflatables over here in the park. We’re gonna have pony rides, petting zoos, face painting, arts and crafts,” said Todd Stilphen, the Fort Lauderdale community program manager.

The anchor lit up at 7 p.m. for those that need to be in bed before midnight.

As the night rolled in, the crowds grew and the excitement escalated.

For many visiting from out of state, the mild temperatures made for the perfect time to be outdoors for the countdown.

“This is the best place on earth, I guess, I don’t know,” said a tourist.

As for some of the youngest partygoers, they shared their New Year’s resolutions with 7News as they wait for the anchor to drop.

“I wanna learn to do times,” said one girl.

“Play outside more,” said another girl.

“Eat more veggies,” said a boy.

“I’m gonna practice skateboarding more often,” said another boy.

For anyone looking to head to downtown Fort Lauderdale, officials have Southwest Second Street closed between Southwest Fifth Avenue and Southwest First Avenue, with the surrounding streets restricted to local traffic.

“We’re gonna ring in the New Year, we’ll be safe, we’ll be happy and I hope we’ll be successful for everyone,” said Trantalis.

Officials also said there will be an enhanced police presence during the festivities to ensure everyone’s safety.

In the Keys, a giant red shoe will drop outside the Bourbon Street Pub on Duval Street. Year after year, a drag queen sits inside the supersized heel as a rowdy crowd of revelers gather on the street below.

No matter where you eventually decide to celebrate, officials say they just want you to do it safely.

“The best way to stay safe while celebrating New Year’s is by leaving the fireworks to the experts,” Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesperson Erika Benitez said. “If you decide to celebrate at home, only buy fireworks from approved vendors and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.”

First responders work to prevent many of the thousands of fireworks-related injuries and fires reported nationwide every year. One way they do this is by reminding revelers to wear protective eyewear, light fireworks on pavement, and keep water or a fire extinguisher nearby.

Better yet, they say, sit back and leave it to the professionals.

“Make sure that you have a sober adult, a sober, responsible adult who is in charge of discharging the fireworks. Make sure you’re shooting the fireworks off of a hard flat surface,” Dan Peart, the Director of Government Affairs for Phantom Fireworks, said. “I know a lot of people are shooting fireworks from their lawn. If it’s possible, you can lay down a piece of plywood to give yourself a hard flat surface, and again, you can brace the items in there if you’re shooting aerial fireworks.”

So, no matter how you decide to celebrate the New Year this year, be sure to do it safely and responsibly.

If you’re going to be outdoors, remember to bring a jacket as temperatures are forecasted to be in the 40s by the time the clock strikes midnight in some parts of South Florida.

Speaking with 7News on Tuesday, Juan Alcocer said the victims in Monday evening’s crash were his little brother, his cousin and a family friend.

“I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it,” he said.

Late Tuesday morning, Alcocer visited the spot along the 1600 block of North Federal Highway where, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said, the victims were killed.

“It’s unbelievable still, still trying to cope with it, you know,” he said. “Devastating, right now, it’s unbelievable.”

“It’s just, it’s a real sad situation,” said a family friend. “We really wanted to come out here to show respect and support.”

Alcocer identified the victims as his 18-year-old younger brother, Richard Manuel Alcocer; their 16-year-old cousin, Miguel Montes; and their 15-year-old family friend, Ruben Balthazar, known to loved ones as Junior.

“They were like the Three Musketeers, always together, every day, always together,” said Alcocer.

“I just came here to see how it happened, for real. They sure was joyful, you feel me? They spread good around them,” said Williamson Joseph, a friend of the victims. “Junior, he was a respectful child, Miguel, he was a funny kid, and Richard, he was fun to hang around with.”

A cousin of the victims, Maria Gonzales, also spoke out on her family’s loss.

“Three Musketeers, like they always hanged out together, every day; that’s why they named them the Three Musketeers,” she said. “They’re all gonna be missed.”

Investigators said the victims’ white BMW lost control and crashed into a bus stop and concrete pole.

Witnesses Jessica and Jerry Garcia described what they saw.

“The white car in particular was flying by to try and make the light. The light was already yellow turning to red, and he flew by,” said Jerry.

Deputies said the white car collided with another car before crashing into the light pole and the bus stop.

“So loud, it was so loud, like we’ve just – we’ve been shaking.” said Jessica.

Cellphone video captured first responders as they worked quickly to remove the three victims from the vehicle as nearby drivers watched in fear.

Paramedics rushed the patients to Broward Health North.

“Sadly, all three were pronounced deceased,” said BSO spokesperson Carey Codd. “To have three young people die in a crash like this, it absolutely breaks your heart.”

Alcocer said their families found out about the crash because the mother of one of the victims got an alert on her phone.

“It notified her that her son, they were going super fast. All of a sudden, it stopped, and it stayed there for quite some time,” he said. “And they tried calling. No pickup, nothing.”

The crash left the bus stop torn apart and the light pole on its side, with shattered glass thrown about the sidewalk.

“We have teenage boys, and so, for us, this is just so painful,” said Jessica.

Deputies shut down a portion of North Federal Highway for hours. Their investigation lasted well into the night.

“They are taking witness statements, gathering evidence, looking for video that will help them try and understand what led up to this tragedy,” said Codd.

Tuesday morning, crews removed the debris left behind.

Family members told 7News all three victims were students at Blanche Ely High School, with Richard having graduated this past spring.

Detectives stated that excessive speed from the driver of the sedan may have been a contributing factor in the crash, as they continue their investigation.

Speaking with 7News on Monday, Miami DJ Lyrikill and resident Christian Ojeda recounted their experience late Saturday night.

Lyrikill said at first, he thought the sound he was hearing was fireworks, but he quickly realized it was something else entirely.

“I heard the first shot, then a bunch of rapid shots afterward,” he said.

Lyrakill was on Himmarshee Street to have a good time when he witnessed the shooting.

“I just saw people running, and maybe I wasn’t even thinking, you know, ‘What am I listening to?’ but it was just trying to get out of there,” said Lyrakill.

Lyrakill’s footage, captured on his phone, shows police surrounding a fire rescue truck as a person is wheeled inside on a stretcher.

Fort Lauderdale Police said five adults were left with gunshot wounds and had to be rushed to the hospital.

Lyrakill stated that he hopes this event was isolated and that people be careful.

“A lot of the people partying, you know, be more responsible, you know, there are people overdrinking, not watching out for their friends, getting into arguments over stupid things,” he said. “So everybody, as a whole, could preserve the entertainment district that we all love.”

Ojeda also saw the shooting and shared what he saw.

“Everybody was like screaming, yelling, running, I didn’t know what to do at that time,” said Ojeda.

Ojeda was enjoying the night with his friend and brother when he saw the chaos unfold.

“I saw one guy, like, on the floor, another girl on the floor, like, it was terrible,” he said.

Video shared by Ojeda to 7News shows a medical team moving an injured victim on a stretcher towards a fire rescue truck.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department has not released any information on the status of the victims or information about the suspect.

In a press release on Monday afternoon, city officials said they are “working on a multifaceted revitalization plan to address issues related to late-night activity in the Himmarshee Village Historic District,” and will take “additional steps to ensure a safe environment” around the city ahead of New Year’s.

If you have any information related to this shooting or the whereabouts of the subject or subjects involved, contact the Fort Lauderdale Police Department at 954-828-5700 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477).

Miguel Mourino and his family have been looking to sell their home during the holiday season. Over the weekend, they came home to find their front door busted open and more than $30,000 worth of jewelry taken.

“When we got to the house, we grabbed the baby, the door was open, and we noticed somebody had been inside the house,” said Mourino.

Mourino’s wife immediately went to check their closet, where the valuable jewelry was stored inside a locked drawer.

“This drawer is the only one locked, the only one with a locking mechanism. They ripped it right out, it’s right here,” said Mourino.

After reviewing his home’s security system, Mourino said he recognized the man who may have broken in.

On Saturday, Mourino spoke with the man, who appeared interested in visiting the home, and asked him about an open house for potential buyers.

“So I said, ‘No, I don’t.’ He said, ‘I thought you did,’ and I said, ‘No, no, I don’t have an open house,’ and he turned around and said, ‘Blessings,’ and walked away,” said Mourino.

The next day, surveillance cameras captured the same man pulling up to the house while Mourino and his family were away, remaining out of frame for about five minutes before walking back to his car and pulling away.

Mourino and his family arrived shortly thereafter.

The shocking theft has left his family shaken in a home they’re trying to sell and now don’t feel safe in.

“I don’t sleep. I didn’t sleep last night at all,” said Mourino. “My wife stays up most of the night; we just can’t, it’s like in and out.”

The high-priced heist also comes during a holiday season they would typically be able to enjoy together.

“This is the Grinch that stole Christmas,” said Mourino.

Authorities have not been able to determine whether the man shown in the surveillance footage was responsible for the stolen jewelry.

If you have any information on this burglary or the subject’s whereabouts, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

The calls describe a hectic scene as several people tell authorities a tow truck driver took off with a vehicle that still had a child inside as the girl’s father chased the truck through the parking lot outside of Bistro Creole Restaurant on West Oakland Park Boulevard, Sunday afternoon.

“They jacked the car up and pulled off as the dad was trying to tell the tow truck driver there’s a kid in the car,” one caller said. “He did not care. He proceeds to drive off into the middle of the highway.”

According to authorities, the girl’s father had parked his car and walked into the restaurant for about 2 minutes to pick up a takeout order.

Surveillance video from inside the restaurant shows the moment he sees the tow truck pull up in front of his car, then runs outside.

Within seconds, the driver hooked up his car and was gone.

“Oh, his kid’s in there,” a witness is heard saying in cell phone video showing the father chase after the truck.

Surveillance footage from outside the plaza shows the father attempting to grab the handle of his vehicle, appearing to open it just before the truck speeds off.

Court documents say the father told police he saw his daughter fall out of the vehicle and that he “immediately ran into traffic, picked up his daughter from the middle of West Oakland Park Boulevard, and moved her to safety.”

“And the little girl fell out of the truck, in the middle of the road,” a caller told dispatchers.

“Did she fall and hurt herself?” the officer asked.

“Cars were coming out, and the tow truck kept driving and kept going,” she said.

One caller told authorities she attempted to help the girl calm down as other drivers stopped to check on her.

“This just happened. Everybody is pulling over to help the little girl, and I opened my door so that she could lie down,” the caller said.

She then heard trying to soothe the girl, who was asking where her dad was.

The tow truck driver, later identified as 34-year-old Sergio Suarez, was taken into custody.

Bodycam video from later that day showed officers telling the father that Suarez had been arrested and returning the keys to his vehicle.

The father told officers his daughter is expected to be OK after suffering some minor scrapes and bruises.

Suarez has been charged with child neglect.

7News was there when he bonded out of jail on Monday night.

Always Towing in Pembroke Park, the company Suarez works for, has not commented on the arrest.

The driver of the tow truck, Sergio Suarez, was seen quickly lifting the car that was parked and towing it away, Sunday, apparently without checking whether there was anyone inside.

Sunrise Police detectives said the car was parked in front of the Bistro Creole Restaurant on West Oakland Park Boulevard.

Suarez posted bond on Monday after being charged with child neglect without great bodily harm.

“This is one that stuck out to me this morning. He towed a vehicle, allegedly, without checking whether or not there was anybody in the vehicle,” Broward Circuit Court Judge Corey Friedman said.

A court document states the driver and father of the young girl parked the car for and went inside the restautant for about two minutes. When he noticed his car was about to be towed, he ran outside to alert Suarez that his daughter was inside.

The surveillance video showed the very moment the white tow truck sped away with the dark colored sedan.

Within seconds, the young girl’s father tried to stop the driver, as he frantically chased the truck out of the camera’s frame.

Cellphone video from a witness shows another angle of the father chasing after the truck.

“Oh, his kid’s in there,” the witness is heard shouting.

A woman who did not want to be identified told 7News she saw it all happen.

“The [tow truck] driver is speeding, and the dad is behind, screaming, ‘My daughter is in the car, my daughter is in the car, my daughter is inside,’ and he didn’t stop,” she said.

The court document states the child in the vehicle then jumped out of the vehicle in the middle of the road.

The father told police he saw his daughter fall out of the vehicle and that he “immediately ran into traffic, picked up his daughter from the middle of West Oakland Park Boulevard, moved her to safety,” the court document states.

Suarez, 34, works for Always Towing in Pembroke Park.

Another driver who spoke with 7News said she found herself in a similar situation at the same restaurant.

“So many people have experienced the same thing out there; they have a huge problem with it,” she said. “And I ran out and said, ‘Hey, I’m right here,’ you know, so they just do a partial hookup to get it far away from you, and you’re pretty much running down the street.”

The driver said she was pregnant at the time this happened to her.

“At this point, I was seven months pregnant, right, and that did not stop him from taking the car,” she said.

After seeing footage of Sunday’s incident, she went on to say she was saddened to see how it unfolded.

“It was really sad. I mean, I’m surprised because they’re very ruthless out there. They don’t care if there’s a child out there, if you’re seven months pregnant, they’ll take your car,” she said.

Officer-worn bodycam video shows the moment a police officer returned the keys of the towed vehicle to the father and informed him Suarez had been taken into custody.

“The guy got arrested. Those are your car keys, I parked your car in a spot,” the officer said.

The father told officers his daughter would recover from the ordeal.

Meanwhile, witnesses hope something like this doesn’t happen again.

“They got to hold him accountable, that’s all; because with human beings, when we’re dealing with people, especially a little girl, the situation could’ve been worse, and I think we have to hold them accountable,” a witness said.

In court Monday, Suarez’s attorney defended his actions.

“He advised me he checked the vehicle three times before he towed it. There was no child inside. He also had a partner, whom he called the spotter. He had the spotter also look at the vehicle, and that’s why he said he doesn’t know how this came about,” the attorney said.

The judge pushed back on the assertion.

“He admitted that he didn’t look at the vehicle, and I think it’s also on surveillance,” said Friedman.

Monday night, Suarez was tight-lipped as he bonded out of jail. Friedman ordered him to avoid contact with the victim and refrain from driving until further notice.

As for the little girl, police said she suffered minor injuries to both arms and her right calf.

7News contacted the tow company multiple times to learn more about their side of the story, but they did not wish to comment.

Sunrise Police told 7News that they can’t provide information on whether the father will be facing any charges for leaving his daughter unattended, as it remains an active investigation.

Twenty-two-year-old Jason Banegas sat with a straight face and shook his head toward his defense attorney after he learned the jury had spared him of the death penalty.

“Jason Banegas will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. So say we all this 15th day of December 2025, Fort Lauderdale, Florida,” said the foreperson.

7News cameras captured the families of the victim and defendant walking out of the courtroom speechless after the verdict was read.

After the verdict was read, Lien Lafargue, Banegas’ defense attorney, said she’s glad jurors spared his life.

“I think I didn’t know if I had said everything that I needed to say, but I’m thankful that I was able to save his life,” she said.

The death penalty phase lasted a little over a week as jurors decided the fate of Banegas who pled guilty to shooting and killing an on-duty Hollywood Police officer four years ago.

At the time, 28-year-old Officer Yandy Chirino was responding to reports of a suspicious person near North Hills Drive in Hollywood when he spotted then-18-year-old Banegas. The two of them struggled before Banegas shot Chirino twice in the face.

Earlier on Monday, both the prosecution and the defense presented their closing arguments at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

Prosecutors said that Banegas shot the Chirino, 28, twice. He knew that carrying a gun and committing crimes was wrong, prosecutors argued, and that he knew he was taking the life of another human being.

“The solution to not being considered a monster is not breaking into cars with a gun, it’s not shooting a police officer in the line of duty and taking his life,” prosecutor Stephen Zaccor said during his closing arguments.

The defense told jurors that life in prison without the opportunity or the possibility of parole should be the fair and just verdict here as Banegas was only 18 when he committed the crime.

“The death penalty that they are asking you to command of somebody that was a child at the time of the offense,” said Lafargue. “The problem is that he didn’t have a hero. But you, each and every one of you can be heroes.”

Hollywood Police Chief Jeffrey Devlin appeared in the courtroom multiple days to witness the hearing, but after the verdict he also walked away without providing comment.

The judge will return in February to formally sentence Banegas.

Monday morning, on the eighth day of the death penalty phase in the case against Jason Banegas, both the prosecution and the defense present their closing arguments at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

Soon, the jury must decide whether Banegas will receive the death penalty or life in prison.

Banegas was 18 when, police said, he shot Officer Yandy Chirino in the face during a struggle on Oct. 17, 2021. Officers were responding to reports of a suspicious person near North Hills Drive in Hollywood.

Chirino was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital, where he later died. The 28-year-old had been with the Hollywood Police Department since 2017.

Prosecutors said that Banegas shot the officer twice. He knew that carrying a gun and committing crimes was wrong, prosecutors argued, and that he knew he was taking the life of another human being.

“He had a lousy childhood. His mother certainly was not going to win mother of the year awards. He came from a bad neighborhood,” prosecutor Stephen Zaccor said during his closing arguments. “Remember this: Mitigation neither excuses nor justifies the murder. And I didn’t even tell you that; the defense team told you that.”

Banegas pleaded guilty back in October as jury selection was underway for his trial. Prosecutors said Banegas changed his plea to guilty without a negotiated deal.

The defense said life in prison without the opportunity or the possibility of parole should be the fair and just verdict here.

Lien Lafargue, Banegas’ defense attorney, stated her case to the jury on Monday.

“Do we kill Jason Banegas? Must we kill Jason Banegas? Is that the only option that you have? Absolutely not. The law never requires you to kill,” she said.

7News cameras found the courtroom packed with family members and friends on both sides of the case.

Banegas was charged with first-degree murder, armed burglary, battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, grand theft of a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm.

The defense rested last Thursday after Banegas’ sister testified. The prosecution rested their case on Thursday, Dec. 4.

The jury will be sequestered once they begin deliberations.

In a video testimony shown in court on Wednesday, Ingrid Villanueva Pineda described her life being trafficked as a child by the man who would eventually become the father of her son, Jason Banegas. She said she was a teenager when she gave birth to her son despite the demands of his father.

“I didn’t want to abort my child. That was everything to me,” she said.

Villanueva Pineda described Banegas’s tumultuous childhood, filled with ups and downs. She said stealing was part of growing up in his Miami neighborhood and that depression had already set in before he witnessed his best friend get shot and killed in front of him.

“He’d cry for nothing, he’d cry for anything and everything. ‘What’s wrong with your son?'” the mother said in the video testimony.

After she described a tumultuous childhood, Villanueva Pineda asked the presiding judge and the jury to save her son.

Following her testimony, Xinnia Zapata, a family friend who took the stand while wearing a cotton mask, told similar stories of dysfunctional adults, violence, and poverty.

“I’ve seen what his mother and other adults have done to him,” she said through an interpreter. “But everybody shut the door on him, and I know that he is not the boy that is sitting over there.”

Banegas was just 18 years old when he shot and killed Hollywood Police Officer Yandy Chirino in the Emerald Hills neighborhood on Oct. 17, 2021.

Chirino was responding to possible burglary calls when he got into a scuffle with Banegas, who is now 23. Chirino suffered two gunshot wounds and was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

He has since pleaded guilty to this charge, and it’s up to the jury to decide whether or not he should be sentenced to life in prison without parole or if he should die by lethal injection.

“My son isn’t perfect, and I beg you to spare his life. He has psychological problems, and I ask for forgiveness on behalf of my son,” said Villanueva Pineda in Spanish. “Please don’t take my son’s life. Give him another chance, because what happened was an accident. My son has never been inhuman. He has always been a very humble person, and I ask the judge to please spare his life.”

Additional members of Banegas’ family and loved ones are expected to take the stand as they try to convince the presiding jury to recommend life in prison.

Chirino’s family also provided emotional impact statements in recent days.

If the jury recommends death, it would have to be eight of the 12 jurors, and only then can the judge sentence him to death in the state of Florida.

The defense attorneys for the now 22-year-old Jason Banegas detailed their client’s difficult childhood as the son of a teenager who was sex trafficked and a father who disappeared. Banegas also grew up in poverty, in a violence-infused neighborhood and community.

A friend of the defendant, Eduardo Colon, was brought to court and shared his experiences growing up with Banegas.

“He has a good heart. He doesn’t wanna hurt anybody, doesn’t wanna do any bad.” said Colon.

Banegas was 18 years old when he shot Officer Yandy Chirino in Hollywood’s Emerald Hills neighborhood back in 2021. Chirino had been responding to possible burglary calls when he got into a struggle with the teenager and he was shot twice.

Chirino, who at the time was just 28 years old, did not survive.

A family therapist, Jenny Campos, was also brought in to testify and share his troubled upbringing. She treated him during his time in juvenile detention for other crimes.

“He was just a kid, he was 13-years-old, and he was alone. He was confused,” said Campos.

Music from Banegas’ rap career was played in court, with the defense showing the jury how Benegas’ struggle was apparent in his music.

Earlier in the day, the defense brought in a childhood trauma expert, Dr. Micah Johnson.

“So, by the time Jason was 17, I think he had lost four or five close friends, mostly to gun violence.” Johnson said. “And Jason has had experiences with homelessness, and he’s had experiences with losing multiple friends.”

Prior to Johnson’s testimony, in-chamber conversations took place between the attorneys and the judge, but 7News has yet to confirm whether or not any of those discussions will become significant.

The Hollywood Chief of Police, Jeffery Devlin, was in the audience among Chirino’s friends and loved ones, and said that his death left a permanent wound.

Testimony from Officer Chirino’s loved ones was heard late last week in the court proceedings. Banegas’ attorneys are trying to convince enough jurors that life in prison is a just punishment.

Eight of the 12 jurors have to vote yes in order to send Banegas to death row. A few years ago, the law in Florida changed from requiring all jurors to vote for the death penalty to just eight.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the hearing had ended and will resume, Wednesday morning with other loved ones and friends expected to testify.

Defense attorneys representing Jason Banegas on Monday said that life without the possibility of parole is appropriate in this case, adding that jurors will hear from those closest to Banegas to make that case.

“Everyone here agrees that Jason deserves to be punished for what he did without a doubt. Life in prison without the possibility of parole is a severe enough penalty,” said defense attorney Krista Richman.

Despite the display of sadness shown by the officer’s family during court last Thursday, Banegas’ defense attorney says jurors should not use the power of those emotions to send their client to death row.

His defense team argued in front of jurors that the defendant’s age at the time and background contributed to the fatal October 2021 shooting of Officer Yandy Chirino.

“…And once you hear his story, you’ll know in your heart [that] a vote for life is the right vote,” said Richman.

According to authorities, Banegas, then 18, shot Chirino during an altercation in the Emerald Hills neighborhood in 2021.

Chirino, who was just 28 years old at the time, encountered Banegas while responding to a call of a possible burglary.

Banegas has since pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.

Richman claims life in prison would bring justice, and she again promised jurors that they would hear from those closest to the defendant to describe his turbulent life. She said he grew up around abuse and violence and, at one point, even attempted suicide.

Several experts were brought in by the defense on Monday, one of whom shared new information that questioned whether the second shot was fired by Banegas, as described by the medical examiner.

“There’s nothing that suggests that because two bullets were fired, that both of them hit the officer. One of them clearly did,” said forensic pathologist William Anderson.

Another expert, Dr. Robert Ouaou, a neuropsychologist, testified that an 18-year-old’s brain was not that of an adult.

“More impulsive, less attentive, more risk-taking,” he said.

Inside the courtroom, near the jury box, was the bicycle that Benegas was riding the day of the shooting.

Only eight of the 12 jurors have to vote yes for Banegas to be sentenced to death.

More testimony is expected on Tuesday.

7News cameras captured Passha Davis, dressed in a red prison jumpsuit, as she walked into a Broward County courtroom, Thursday morning.

What happened to Davis’ daughter, Gabrielle Patricia Terrelonge, remains a mystery.

Broward County Circuit Court Judge Kim Theresa Mollica agreed to extend the defendant’s mental health evaluation.

“We’re asking for a two-week reset. She has a felony case,” an attorney told the judge.

Gabrielle’s father, Gordon Terrelonge, attended Thursday’s hearing hoping to learn additional information about his missng daughter, but no light was shed on her whereabouts.

“I still want answers,” he said.

Davis was stopped by police in Margate back on Oct. 17 because she was suspected of shoplifting at a Dollar Tree. Officers didn’t know at the time that Gabrielle had not been seen by family since June.

Davis was placed in handcuffs and taken into custody, not for shoplifting, but for resisting without violence.

The arrest worried Gordon, since Davis was the girl’s sole caretaker, even when mother and daughter were living on the street.

Now Davis is facing a child neglect charge. She has remained quiet about her daughter’s fate.

Gordon said he has tried to retrace Davis’ steps.

“I started going to businesses and pretty much buildings that I think that they could have went to,” he said. “I don’t know, I’m not sure, ’cause I know when she was homeless and running around, she could have been anywhere, so I’m just, like, looking for clues ’cause, I mean, I don’t like waiting around for anyone to tell me what’s next. I feel like I really want to find out the truth of my daughter.”

The concerned father said he’s struggling to hold onto hope.

“My faith is still strong, but yeah, the hope of her returning home is really slim to me now,” he said.

In court Thursday, Davis said nothing, except to ask that the prosecutor represent her, but Mollica told her that’s not the way it works.

“A public defender is a licensed attorney, so they’re appointed to your case. You can address it with Judge [John D.] Fry next time if you’d like to,” said Mollica.

Gordon said he even visited Davis in jail over the Thanksgiving holiday, but he learned no new details about his daughter.

According to Margate Police, there is no update on the whereabouts of the young girl.

Davis is expected back in court later this month.

School district officials said the students got sick after they ingested some kind of edible at the school, located at 1800 SW Fifth Place, on Wednesday morning.

“I don’t put anything past any child, but the bottom line is she was drugged,” said Tshura Jones. “I’m going to press charges.”

Jones said her 14-year-old daughter, who is a freshman at the high school, was one of those students who was transported to Broward Health Medical Center as a precaution.

She said it all started with a text from her daughter early Wednesday morning requesting to be picked up early.

“I got the message at 9:21 a.m. stating, ‘Mom, can I come home? I’m not feeling well,” said Jones, recalling the message. “‘I took one of the candies, and right now, I’m feeling like I wanna pass out, so I said ‘OK, that is not candy. It is laced, and you need to get to the nurse immediately.”

Jones said her daughter did not know what she was ingesting, only that another student presented it to her as some sort of candy, and she started snacking on it during class.

7News spoke to the shaken teen moments after her release from the hospital on Wednesday. Her mother asked that her identity be kept private.

The 14-year-old said the substance tasted like candy.

“They pulled out something in a green bag, and it tasted like candy,” she said.

She said she wasn’t the only one who ingested the candy, but soon found out it had been laced with marijuana.

“There was a girl who passed out in the classroom. I was scared,” said the young girl.

The teen added that the edible gave her an “out of body experience.”

Other students provided additional details of the incident to 7News.

“It’s like different colors, and it looked like regular candy, but 10 minutes later, they just passed out. I was like, ‘Wow,'” said witness Brandon Jordan.

“How does a child get a hold of edibles?” said another student.

“Students shouldn’t be indulging in this type of activity at school,” said a third student.

“You don’t know where it came from. Don’t take it!” said a fourth student.

Jones added she got scared when she heard the news, but is thankful her daughter is OK.

Now, she hopes this will be a lesson for parents to look at what their kids are bringing to school and to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.

“I used to work in a rehab facility. I know fentanyl, these drugs, she could’ve had that, and that would’ve been it for my daughter. Why bring drugs into a school? You come here to learn,” she said.

As her daughter physically recovers from Wednesday’s events, Jones said the emotional toll this nightmare has taken weighs even heavier on them.

“It’s disheartening because now she’s telling me she doesn’t want to come back,” said Jones. “I don’t feel safe sending her to school.”

The teenage girl was treated for nausea, but she and the other students are expected to be OK.

Jones said her daughter is facing school suspension as a result of the incident.

The other students are also facing disciplinary action, but it’s unclear what exactly it will be.

As of late Wednesday evening, officials have not specified where those edibles came from or how they were brought to campus.

Speaking with 7News on Monday, the grandmother who did not want to be identified said it has been a difficult day for her since the Sunday night incident.

“I don’t know how I feel, but I broke down this morning,” she said.

The woman said the encounter with responding deputies began when her 35-year-old grandson that she raised began firing a gun inside their home.

She said while he wasn’t threatening her, he was clearly agitated.

“I thought it was firecrackers so I told him to stop throwing firecrackers inside the house,” she said.

His refusal to listen prompted her to call deputies.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the home located on the 7800 block of Northwest 74th Avenue moments after her call.

“They encountered the individual and a deputy-involved shooting took place,” said BSO spokesperson Gerdy St. Louis.

The grandmother said upon their arrival, a confrontation ensued, leading deputies to fire their weapon hitting her grandson.

When asked if she believed her grandson fired at deputies, she said “I don’t know. They told me that they said for him to drop the gun or surrender and I guess he didn’t and that’s when they shot him.”

BSO said the man injured was transported to a local hospital. They didn’t’ provide further information on the shooting.

Area resident Alvaro Sarria watched the incident unfold outside the home.

“The police was running with a gun in their hands and stayed behind the other car,” he said.

“[I feel] a little nervous because it’s the first time that this has happened. I think this neighborhood is quiet,” said neighbor Patricia Naranjo.

The grandmother told 7News he has been in chronic pain ever since a car crash that occurred six years ago and he’s never been the same since.

While she says she hasn’t been able to talk or see him since the incident, she believes at this point that the deputies were just doing their job.

“He was [struggling], a lot. I feel for him,” she said.

She said her grandson remains in the intensive care unit with a gunshot wound to his stomach and foot.

BSO and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating this incident.

“Oh lord, oh no,” the 911 caller said.

A short time later, police surrounded the home located near the 4700 block of Southwest 70th Terrace.

Officers approached with guns drawn but later determined there was no further threat to the community.

Authorities identified the couple to be 81-year-old Charles Watson and 77-year-old Kathleen Watson.

One of the calls to 911 reportedly came from the daughter of a caretaker for the elderly couple.

Neighbors told 7News the caretaker had just left the home shortly before the shooting.

“The wife had dementia, that’s who my mom takes care of,” the woman said. “She called me panicked, I told her to call 911.”

The chilling calls giving concerning messages to authorities.

“He said, ‘I’m not going to do anything to you, I’m going to do a suicide, me and my wife right now,” said a caller.

“I heard a shot, oh lord,” said another caller.

Although one of the elderly residents was rushed to the hospital, neither survived.

Neighbors described the couple as friendly and loving, with many saying Watson was affectionately known as Doc.

The elderly couple also had grown children, one of which would regularly visit to help them maintain the yard.

They all agreed that the disturbing scene from the weekend was something they never imagined could happen.

Officers responded around 8:35 p.m. Sunday to the 4700 block of Southwest 70th Terrace following reports of gunfire.

Inside the residence, they found two elderly adults suffering from gunshot wounds, according to Davie police.

One victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The second, who had been taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries, has since died, investigators said.

Neighbors say the woman living at the home had been suffering from a chronic illness for several years and her husband was struggling.

They say a hospice nurse had rushed to the home just before the shooting occurred.

Neighbors also said the couple had grown children, one who would visit often to cut their grass.

Authorities have not confirmed any details about the couple or what led up to their deaths.

Police said they are not releasing the victims’ names and that there is no threat to the community.

No additional persons of interest are being sought.

Edwin Cherfilus, the brother of U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, heard the charges against him in a Miami courtroom on Friday, related to a conspiracy and money laundering scheme.

His attorney, Michael Pizzi, spoke to reporters following his client’s day in court.

“He’s pleaded not guilty. He has proclaimed his innocence,” said Pizzi.

If convicted, Edwin could face decades behind bars.

“He’s just a hard-working man who’s never gotten a traffic ticket his entire life. This man doesn’t even have a traffic ticket, a misdemeanor. He’s never done anything wrong in his entire life,” said Pizzi.

According to federal prosecutors, Edwin, his sister Sheila, and another person are accused of stealing $5 million in disaster funds.

The indictment alleges the healthcare company Sheila and Edwin worked for received an overpayment of federal funding from the state of Florida by more than $5 million, and “was the result of a clerical error by FDEM,” the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Prosecutors allege that the two of them had the intent to keep the stolen funds and convert them into funds for their own use. They add that the money was “withdrawn through wire transfers and personal checks into accounts controlled by Cherfilus-McCormick, Cherfilus and others.”

The indictment goes on to say that on top of purchasing an over “3.14 carat Fancy Vivid Yellow Diamond ring,” some of the money was used to fund the congresswoman’s 2021 run for Congress disguised as campaign contributions.

Cherfilus-McCormick went on to win that race.

Four years later, she, her brother, and two others are facing a federal indictment. The congresswoman called the charges against her a sham on Thursday.

“Well, it’s an unjust indictment, and it seems like these intimidation tactics have been pervasive, so we’ll keep fighting for the people and keep working like we’re doing now until they get what they need. So we’re here for the people. So the only people who elected me should have to make that decision. Thank you so much,” she said.

Edwin bonded out of jail on Friday. His next court appearance will be on Dec. 5

The congresswoman’s chief of staff, as well as a tax preparer, also appeared in court on Friday.

It’s unclear exactly when Cherfilus-McCormick herself will appear in court.

“For a mother to do this to her child, I was in shock,” said Coconut Creek Police Detective Cheri Stabile.

According to police, Teyonna Canady exchanged explicit messages and videos of her daughter, who has autism and is nonverbal, with 55-year-old Vincent Parlapiano, who lives in DeLand, north of Orlando.

Detectives say the pair began communicating with each other over the private messaging app, Kik.

“They started their own sexting and all that, and then he brought her into the conversation, he said ‘Would the little one be around,’ and then it just went from there,” said Stabile.

Authorities began investigating their messages after receiving a tip that originated from the app.

After reviewing their messages, police said “there are videos of what appears to be a 5-year-old girl in a shower naked with an adult female” and “other videos of the same 5-year-old girl laying down on what appears to be a couch,” according to the arrest report.

Authorities went on to say messages from the two adults then described several explicit acts.

“There are also pictures of an adult female, wearing a JetBlue t-shirt with a FLL name tag on her person… the adult female is seen getting naked in a video, which appears to be at her job,” the report says.

After executing a search warrant at Canady’s home in Coconut Creek, police say “she admitted to touching her daughter in an inappropriate way to send to (recipient)… because she was bored… she advised she would tell (recipient) that it was ‘hot’ the fact that he wanted to touch her daughter in inappropriate ways.”

Investigators say the recipient of those messages is Parlapiano, who now faces serious charges, including viewing a sexual performance by a minor.

“I can see two adults maybe fantasizing about each other but when you bring a child into that conversation or you actually start filming your daughter or taking pictures of her nude and doing sexual things with her and typing about it, it’s a whole other level, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Stabile.

Parlapiano’s bond was set at $400,000 while Canady remains behind bars with no bond.

The service for MDSO Deputy Devin Jaramillo started at around 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, more than three hours after the hearse carrying his body left Caballero Funeral Home South surrounded by deputies on motorcycles.

7News cameras captured the moment law enforcement officers carried Jaramillo’s casket, draped in a U.S. flag, inside the stadium.

The somber ritual was familiar: the flag draped coffin accompanied by an honor guard and a riderless horse symbolizing a fallen leader.

Among the brothers and sisters in blue who spoke about the 27-year-old deputy’s character was an officer from Coral Gables Police, where Jaramillo served for three years before joining MDSO.

“You were the kind of officer every partner hopes for: loyal, driven,” Coral Gables Police Officer said Melenni Alzate. “You faced every call with courage and every person with heart. You reminded me and everyone around you what this job truly means: service, sacrifice and love for the community we swore to protect.”

Coral Gables Police Chief Edward Hudak said it was tough to find comfort words during this difficult time.

“I am honored with offering words of comfort. Words that make sense. Quite frankly, I’ve not been able to find those words for days,” he said.

MDSO Sgt. Carlos Arguelles, Jaramillo’s uncle, described his nephew as a caring human being.

“He was a grand young man. Devin Matthew Jaramillo: a devoted son, brother, nephew, uncle, student, athlete, deputy, connoisseur and the sweetest, most genuine soul I’ve ever known,” he said.

The deputy’s mother, Yolanda Jaramillo, called him her pride and joy.

“There are no words for what it feels like to lose a child. My baby boy, mi macho lindo. Devin chose a life of service, a life of courage and a life centered around protecting others,” she said. “My son wore his badge with pride. I am proud of the man he became, proud of the officer he was, and I’m proud to be the one he called ‘Mommy.'”

Jaramillo’s father David also paid tribute to his son, who followed in his footsteps to become a law enforcement officer.

“Devin could have been – could have chosen any other path, but instead, he followed in my footsteps and became a protector, a guardian, committed to the greater good,” he said. “His acts of kindness and courage were just small fragments of his character. He was a gladiator who stood against injustice, those who couldn’t protect themselves.”

For his family, it was a ceremony that came far too soon.

“For me, he was my older brother who made the world feel a little less scary,” said sibling Isabella Jaramillo. “Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God. Rest easy my beautiful brother.”

Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz told the audience that what happened to Devin is never OK.

“There is nothing about this that is fair and this is not OK and it will never be OK. But you are not alone,” said Cordero-Stutz.

The emotional occasion comes hours after the motorcade left the funeral home and made its way to St. Matthew The Archangel Catholic Church, located near Southwest 27th Avenue and Flagler Street, where family members and friends of the 27-year-old gathered for the private Mass.

7Skyforce hovered above the hearse as Jaramillo’s casket was removed of the vehicle and taken inside the house of worship, as several dozen deputies stood in a respectful salute. While the service was held, MDSO deputies stood guard outside.

Once the Mass wrapped up, at around 9:15 a.m., the motorcade left for loanDepot Park for the larger public memorial service.

Earlier in the day, cameras captured an enhanced police presence outside the stadium, including K-9s and officers blocking off entrances.

Fire officials were also on hand to prepare the venue for the service. Cameras showed a giant U.S. flag hoisted atop two ladder trucks — one from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and the other from Coral Gables Fire Rescue — near the entrance to the stadium.

The public began parking at the stadium at around 7:30 a.m., and the doors opened about an hour later.

The service comes 11 days after Jaramillo was shot and killed when he responded to a traffic crash near a warehouse by Southwest 128th Street and 122nd Avenue in Southwest Miami-Dade.

Upon arrival, investigators said, Jaramillo and the gunman, identified as 21-year-old Steven Rustrian, got into a fight, and at one point the shooter disarmed the deputy and used his gun to shoot him.

Authorities said Rustrian went back to his own car and took his own life.

Despite the best efforts from first responders, Jaramillo would not survive.

Once it left the church, the funeral procession traveled north along Northwest 27th Avenue before arriving at Seventh Street. It then headed east to 17th Avenue and arrived at the stadium.

After the ceremony ended, another procession headed for Jaramillo’s burial site, a cemetery located about 20 miles away, where he was laid to rest.

Broward Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn on Monday touted the state-of-the-art equipment aimed at improving security.

“We’re all in for innovation when it comes to keeping our students and our staff safe,” he said.

The Campus Guardian Angel program features a $500,000 fleet of remote-controlled drones that can assist authorities in responding to threats at schools once a panic alert is activated.

“Those drones will be deployed in the building. Being able to have a bird’s-eye view of what’s going on the hallway and the classroom, it could also announce audio announcements to the potential shooter, engage with that shooter,” said Hepburn.

The program is offered by a company based out of Texas, which employs a remote team that will activate the drones onsite at the school.

“We put them in the schools ahead of time, in charging boxes, and if somebody presses a button or alerts from the school, our job is to respond in five seconds to be on the shooter in 15 seconds and to degrade or incapacitate in 60 seconds,” said Campus Guardian Angel founder Justin Marstin.

Broward County, along with Volusia and Leon counties, were chosen to roll out the new security measure.

“We haven’t decided what school yet; we’re gonna start with just one school first and then go from there,” said Hepburn.

Hepburn believes technology like what’s used in these drones could have made a difference in the shooting that killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.

“Going up on the higher floor, I think it was the second floor, being able to get those drones up on the second floor and using the audio to alert students and staff, absolutely I think it would have saved lives,” said Hepburn.

Hepburn said the district will be coordinating with the company to decide which school at which to start the pilot program. He said it will most likely start at a high school before being considered anywhere else so they can make assessments on whether to expand the security system further.

7News cameras captured people coming together on Sunday night and placing candles and flowers around a photo of the victims at a growing memorial outside the Windsor Bay neighborhood where the crash occurred last Monday.

“I get the chills, I get the chills every time I look at the picture,” said area resident Mary Troia. “It’s heartbreaking to know they are gone, and they were good people.”

Authorities say the Beechcraft King Air twin-engine plane, which was on its way to Jamaica to deliver hurricane supplies, disappeared into the water when it crashed.

The crash killed 53-year-old Alexander Wurm, the founder of the Cayman Islands-based Ignite the Fire Ministry, and his 22-year-old daughter Serena. 

Both had been on several flights across the world helping others. Their efforts are well known to the neighbors in the community where they died.

“I couldn’t believe it. I was sitting on my couch and I heard the bang,” said resident Ellen Allen.

Before the vigil got underway, Anna Benvenuto talked to her grandson about loss and why some things are just impossible to explain.

“My daughter said, ‘Where was God? I said, ‘You can’t blame God,” she said. “I believe that God had a purpose and a higher purpose for them. They were doing a good thing.”

“You never know when this could happen to you,” said her grandson.

Immediately following the deadly crash, 911 calls captured witnesses’ panic as they told first responders what they had just seen.

“A plane crashed in my neighborhood,” said a female caller.

“Heard huge noise and can’t see the plane anymore,” said another caller.

Since then, the shock and panic of that day have given way to sadness and gratitude as was evident during Sunday’s vigil.

“Lord, in the midst of our grief, we also offer our gratitude. We thank you that no other lives were lost and the protection and guidance you provided us in the midst of tragedy,” said another resident during a prayer.

While the victims had no connection to this Coral Springs neighborhood, residents said that now they will always be linked and remembered for the honorable act they were doing before they passed.

“We will continue to pray for the family, Lord. The wound is so deep,” said another resident during the prayer session.

In a sign that the neighborhood has claimed the Wurms as one of their own, neighbors even celebrated Serena’s 23rd birthday during the vigil.

“Happy birthday to you!” sang the group as they lifted flashlights and candles to honor her life.

Residents say investigators were seen coming in and out of the community all weekend long.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash. A report could take up to two years to be concluded.

Callers raced to call 911 after the Beechcraft King Air twin-engine plane disappeared into the water in the Windsor Bay community, Monday morning.

“A plane crashed into my house!” said a caller.

“Are you able to get out of the home?” said the dispatcher.

“I’m trying to,” said the caller.

However, investigators say the aircraft didn’t hit a house. It clipped a palm tree and struck a fence bordering the backyard of a home before parts of the aircraft went into the lake behind the house.

Other calls came in shortly after.

“The airplane is broken! Oh, my God,” said another caller.

“There was just an explosion off of Creekside [Drive], and I felt it, and stuff came flying over the house and into the lake,” said a third caller.

“There’s somehting on – a battery or something like that on the roof, but it’s small, like, whatever it is, it’s the size of a small purse,” said a fourth caller.

“Heard huge noise and can’t see the plane anymore,” said a fifth caller.

Authorities said the crash killed 53-year-old Alexander Wurm , the founder of the Cayman Islands-based Ignite the Fire Ministry, and his 22-year-old daughter Serena. The victims were bringing relief supplies to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Five days later, the search and recovery for pieces of the aircraft continues.

Crews are painstakingly bringing pieces of debris out of the lake and gathering them into containers and bags — first on the shoreline and then just outside the community.

Every piece, no matter how small, is a clue that, investigators hope, leads them to the cause of the crash. However, the search for answers is expected to take months.

Valmore Jones, an area resident, decided to pass by the Windsor Bay neighborhood entrance on Friday to leave behind a Jamaican flag at the memorial because he says that is all Alexander was trying to do before he tragically passed away.

“I saw him on television. He was so joyful. Knowing he was going to help, daughter was smiling. It broke my heart,” he said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into the crash.

Davie Police and other law enforcement agencies responded to the area near Interstate 95 and Atlantic Boulevard to reports of a pursuit.

Details on the circumstances behind the pursuit remains limited.

Following the pursuit, the six subjects bailed out in the area of Northwest Third Street and Sixth Avenue. Almost immediately, three of them were handcuffed.

Several people reportedly ran through the nearby park and into an apartment complex across the street.

Heavily armed officers were captured on camera surrounding the building before teams started performing sweeps inside.

Cellphone video shot by a resident from their balcony shows officers running through the complex.

One resident who did not wish to be identified described what he witnessed.

“They were all over the building. We come out, I hear all of the police screams and then I see the K9 dogs, and we knew they were searching for someone,” he said.

Another told 7News she saw one of the individuals climb up to her floor.

“I was on the second floor. He climbed from, I don’t know if it was from the top or the bottom, but he got onto our floor and started running,” she said. “That’s scary.”

It’s believed the other three individuals were taken into custody a short time later.

Multiple officers remained at the complex following the arrests though it’s unclear if there’s an active investigation.

7News cameras captured the casket of Miami Beach Police Sgt. David Cajuso, seen draped with the U.S. flag, as officers carried it inside the Miami Gardens venue’s stage prior to the start of the service, late Wednesday morning.

During the service, his wife, Eileen Cajuso, said after he would arrive home from work, his focus and mission was on his family. She said despite only being together seven years, they built together a strong foundation that now allows her to weather this profound loss.

She pondered openly about faith and said her husband was a deep follower of God.

“Why didn’t the God who he loved so deeply save him? I wondered the same thing, I had so many questions. So I asked God, ‘Why didn’t you save my husband?’ and in time God replied, ‘I did, I did save him. I saved his soul,'” she said.

Cajuso’s friends and family remembered him as a joyous person who was kind to everyone.

“Dave loved the saying, and it was his saying and mantra, ‘It’s a beautiful day.’ He would say it all the time,” said Miami Beach Police Sgt. Phillip Elmore. “Dave knew everyone in the building. They started calling him ‘the golden retriever’ because you would send Dave into a room full of [Fraternal Order of Police] members, and they all came out laughing — slapping them on the back, telling stories. They couldn’t be happier to see Dave.”

“He could turn your hard day into a bearable one, with just one phone call out of the blue,” said his aunt, Monica Gordo. “‘Hey, Tia, how’s your day? Guess who I ran into today? Check your texts. I sent you a picture. Gotta go.'”

Inside the stadium, pictures of Cajuso with loved ones were shown to attendees. They painted a picture of the motorman as a loving husband and father of three young children.

“David’s life may have been short, but his impact reaches far and deep,” said his wife.

One of his daughters hugged her mother as she listened to stories of the dad she and her siblings have lost so young. At one point, they were seen looking at the photo displays.

“You three. You were his purpose, his pride, his everything,” said Miami Beach Police Officer Peter Carballo.

One of the videos shown during the ceremony was of his daughter saying a Bible verse that showed the family’s strong faith.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go,” she said.

7News cameras captured Cajuso’s beloved bike, a Hobie that he also enjoyed outside of work, next to the stage as the service got underway.

His parents were devastated as they told the audience they were looking forward to spending more time together.

“We were looking forward to making so many more memories together, and losing that future feels unbearable,” said David Cajuso Sr.

Hours before the somber ceremony, it was an emotional start as the procession departed Vista Memorial Gardens in Miami Lakes at around 9:10 a.m. and headed east along the Gratigny Expressway.

Before Cajuso’s body reached Hard Rock Stadium, the massive motorcade would pass by Miami Beach Police headquarters, where the 33-year-old served for 10 years, a third of his life as a police officer.

7Skyforce hovered above the procession as it headed down Interstate 95 toward South Beach. All southbound traffic on the highway was brought to a halt to allow the motorcade to go through.

Drivers were urged to plan ahead, allow extra travel time and use alternate routes where possible.

Just after 9:40 a.m., the procession made its way east along the Julia Tuttle Causeway, then south along Pine Tree Drive as it headed to the police department’s headquarters along Washington Avenue.

At around 10 a.m., cameras showed the moment the hearse passed by headquarters. Officers lining the sidewalk on the western side saluted as the procession quietly made its way down the street.

Just before 10:50 a.m., the procession pulled into Hard Rock Stadium and was met by a large crowd that included law enforcement officers from across Florida who came together to mourn Cajuso’s passing.

On Wednesday afternoon, a second procession took place from Hard Rock Stadium to Caballero Rivero Woodlawn South in Southwest Miami Dade, where he was laid to rest.

This all comes two weeks after Cajuso was killed in a crash along I-75 near the Palmetto Expressway in Hialeah. He lost control of his motorcycle and fell down a steep embankment.

Cajuso was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Investigators said no other vehicles were involved in the crash.

“He leaves behind three children and a grieving wife. We ask that you keep his young family in your hearts and in your prayers,” said Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones during an Oct. 28 news conference.

Cajuso’s death sparked a tremendous display of support from his brothers and sisters in blue, as well as the community he so graciously served.

Officials with Miami Beach Police said Cajuso will receive full line-of-duty death honors in a private ceremony.

The victims’ Beech B100 nosedived behind a home on Northwest 57th Way off Creek Side Drive on Monday while delivering hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica.

Inside the plane were Alexander Wurm, the founder of Ignite the Fire Ministry, and his 22-year-old daughter Serena.

Friends said Wurm flew several relief flights to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa.

“He had a huge vision and heart for the people of the Caribbean nations, and when this hurricane happened, he didn’t hesitate. He sprang into action and did what he could,” said Sean Malone, CEO of Crisis Response International.

They described Alexander as a man of unwavering kindness.

Video posted to social media shows Alexander handing somebody a gift and embracing them. Earlier this year, he wished everyone a blessed 2025.

The devastating chain of events happened shortly after the Wurms took off from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, clipping a palm tree and narrowly missing the homes in the neighborhood on the way down.

“Within 100 feet of our doorway. Thank God I was not home,” said area resident Myles Shell.

Initially, rescue crews stated that the damage was so extensive that divers couldn’t find the King Air aircraft that the organization had purchased specifically for relief flights.

The tragic crash has left the community devastated.

On Tuesday night, several people showed up at the entrance of the Windsor Bay neighborhood to create a memorial for the two victims. 7News cameras captured a photo of Alexander and Serena that was placed at the entrance along with flowers and candles.

“The community wants to share the sorrow and share the devastation of it and we just hope there’s some level of healing at some point for the family,” said area resident Myles Shell.

“I wish that it never happened, and I wish that they were still alive,” said 10-year-old Angel Santiago who passed by to pay his respects despite not living in the community. “They need to be remembered. They were just trying to help the people in Jamaica, and it didn’t happen.”

Friends of the Wurms said this last journey embodied his and his family’s mission of service and love.

“I just want his family to know and those who knew him that he really made a difference,” said Malone.

“The last thing that he said was that he wanted to join us up on Tower Hill, distributing water filters with his daughter. Alexander lost his life today with a family member bringing supplies to Jamaica because he loved this nation and he wanted them to know Jesus,” said Ferrin Cole with Crisis Response International.

“He’s one of those people who acts, gets it done. He’s not just about the talk but gets it done,” said Dr. Sylvia Wilks with Ignite The Fire Ministry. “We’re people of faith, and we have hope so definitely I know I’ll see him again.”

Alexander leaves behind a wife and two other children.

After working throughout the day on Tuesday to clear the debris, investigators had left for the night, but the investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the cause of the crash remains ongoing.

All roadways in the area are now open, but access to the Windsor Bay community remains limited.

“We’re committed to making sure that if you’re homebound, senior, that we get you some food right away,” said Meals on Wheels Broward Executive Director Wendy Bourgault.

That task for South Florida organizations like Meals on Wheels Broward is expected to become substantially more difficult as the government shutdown continues into its 38th day.

Among the many impacts caused by the shutdown is millions of Americans losing their SNAP benefits.

Most of the calls received by organizations have been from seniors who lost their benefits.

“These seniors are scared to death. They’re frantic,” said Bourgault. “These are the most vulnerable seniors in our community.”

Meals on Wheels delivers food weekly to roughly 260 low-income homebound Broward seniors. With no clear end to the shutdown in sight, the organization is expecting the number of seniors they help to double.

The anxiety over keeping food on the table is also amplified by thousands of federal workers who have gone without paychecks.

“It’s overwhelming. It’s overwhelming with the government shutdown but we’re super thankful,” said one federal worker.

On Miami Beach, a long line of people could be seen waiting to receive canned food and fresh produce from Feeding South Florida, Friday.

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to use a contingency fund to replenish SNAP after payments came to a halt at the start of November.

The administration initially agreed to partially pay out benefits for recipients but said it would take some time for that to process.

From the judge’s ruling:

“The defendants failed to consider the practical consequences…”

The judge went on to accuse the administration and United States Department of Agriculture of withholding benefits for political reasons.

“They knew that there would be a long delay in paying partial SNAP payments and failed to consider the harms individuals who rely on those benefits would suffer.”

Attorneys for the Trump administration have said they intend to appeal the judge’s decision ordering to fully fund SNAP benefits.

“This court should allow USDA to continue with a partial payment and not compel the agency to transfer billions of dollars from another safety net program with no certainty of their replenishment.”

Meantime, millions of federal workers and SNAP recipients across the country are caught in the middle and scrambling to keep food in their pantries.

“The fear in these folks, you’d think, ‘Wow, at 90-years-old, to have to fear how I’m gonna eat tonight.’ We’re better than that,” said Bourgault.

The USDA has said they will abide by the judge’s order to fully fund SNAP benefits but it’s unclear how long it will take for those payments to process for recipients.

Senate Democrats also offered a new deal to Republicans that would reopen the government, including extending health care subsidies for one year. It remains unclear if Republicans will agree with the newest deal as many remain opposed to a straight extension to those subsidies, arguing they need reforms first.

If you would like to donate food and supplies to help struggling families, you can donate to Meals on Wheels here and The Pantry of Broward here.

According to court records, 34-year-old Passha Davis appeared before a judge Wednesday morning, where her bond was set at $100,000.

Gabrielle’s family believes Davis may know the little girl’s whereabouts but has not given authorities any information.

“Am I to understand allegedly she doesn’t know where the child is?” the judge asked.

“Your honor, what’s understood is she hasn’t said anything. It’s not known if that’s actually accurate,” said the prosecution. “She hasn’t given any piece of information, but the last time she saw the child, anything.”

She was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and undergo a mental health evaluation.

The FBI Miami Field Office, Margate Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said Gabrielle remains missing and at risk.

Investigators said Gabrielle was last seen on June 21 in Broward County but was not reported missing until Oct. 29, after authorities discovered her mother had been incarcerated in Florida, accused of shoplifting from a Dollar Tree in Margate.

Her disappearance was upgraded to a Missing Child Alert earlier this week.

Gabrielle is described as a Black female, about 4 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 100 pounds, with shoulder-length black hair.

She was last seen wearing a white T-shirt, black long pants and white Crocs.

Authorities said Gabrielle is known to travel between Central and South Florida with family members and may have been with Davis before her arrest.

Gabrielle’s aunt, who did not want to be identified, said she has been fighting to take Gabrielle into her home because the girl and her mother had been living on the streets.

“We don’t have any clue where she is. I mean it would have been better if they even didn’t want to give her to me they could have taken her and put her in foster care, but there was more than enough family members that were willing to take her but nobody was willing to help to do the right thing,” the girl’s aunt said. “Her family loves her and we are looking for her and would like her to return safely and would like her to come and be with us away from harm.”

Gabrielle’s aunt said the last time she saw her was last year.

“Gabby, she liked being indoors. She said she was tired of walking around on the street and she told her mom she wants to stay,” her aunt said.

With Gabrielle’s mother remaining behind bars and authorities having very few hints on the girl’s whereabouts, her family is struggling to remain hopeful but have a message they hope reaches the lost child.

“Her family loves her and that we’re looking for her and she knows that her aunt loves her,” her aunt said. “My worst fear is that Gabrielle is not alive.”

Davis now faces child neglect charges.

Anyone with information about Gabrielle’s whereabouts is urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or call the Margate Police Department at 954-972-7111 or 911.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the subjects targeted a pillar underneath the pier, at around 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19.

Investigators said this was one of several such incidents, dating back to September, where the subject spray-painted the base of the pier with initials and designs.

Beachgoers told 7News the graffiti made the pier unappealing to visit.

“This is horrible what they’re doing. Like, why, it’s unnecessary,” said Jackie Miller. “This is, for us, our escape place, our happy place. We don’t need them to come and destroy it.”

Many said the actions of the people captured on video is maddening to see.

“These kids need to, I don’t know, they need to know better,” said Miller.

“It’s disgusting, unfortunately,” said Cindy Schwarz. “It’s sad.”

“I don’t believe in spray painting any public property without some sort of permission or anything,” said David Lawrence. “It’s not art.”

The Murphy family is visiting from Chicago to escape the cold weather and said they’re shocked nobody saw the young men and said anything.

“It’s upsetting that they think they’re able to get away with it and there’s gonna be no consequences or anything like that,” said Larry Murphy. “To do it in broad daylight, it’s just, ‘Hey, we really don’t care. there’s gonna be no punishment. It’s upsetting to see.”

“It’s a family-friendly thing here so you want everything to be nice, you know, no graffiti, no swearing a lot,” said Michael Murphy.

Deputies say they don’t know if any of the letters or designs have any meaning, but it’s been one of several incidents since September.

“This is a crime. They are vandalizing property, in this case, it’s city property,” said BSO spokesperson Carey Codd. “This is something where detectives want to try to nip this in the bud.”

The pier has undergone renovations and repairs over the years, including substantial damage caused by Tropical Storm Nicole in 2022, so authorities are taking this matter seriously.

“Mother nature is an unbelievable force. It is incredible the damage that we’ve gotten at the end of our pier,” said Bill Ganz, a former mayor for Deerfield Beach.

Detectives said city workers have since painted over the graffiti, and they continue to investigate the matter as possible criminal mischief.

If you have any information on this act of vandalism or the subjects’ whereabouts, call BSO Deerfield Beach Detective Jason Arellano at 954-250-4392 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Speaking with 7News on Monday night, Judson Grosvenor said he spotted smoke not far from where he was on the water, Monday afternoon, and rushed to the rescue.

“I hauled [expletive] over there and we were the first on scene,” he said.

Hollywood Fire Rescue, Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to the blaze.

Aerial footage from 7Skyforce showed thick, black smoke rising from the vessel, which was fully engulfed in flames.

Grosvenor said he called the U.S. Coast Guard as he made his way to the boaters in trouble.

“It was totally in flames when we got there,” he said.

Upon his arrival, he said he noticed someone stranded in the water and got to work with a water rescue. Cellphone video shared with 7News shows one of the men on a floating water pad as Grovesnor’s boat nears him.

“We picked him up. He said there was another guy in a life jacket floating off to the north of the boat,” said Grosvenor.

By then, first responders had arrived. The good Samaritan said he helped point out the second person seeking help by jumping off his boat and swimming into the ocean.

He found the second boater and led Coast Guard officials to him.

“He seemed very calm for someone whose boat just erupted in fire,” said the good Samaritan.

BSO Fire officials say the 35 foot vessel was underway when the flames erupted on board. Firefighters used water hoses from their vessels to fight the flames.

Fire crews were able to successfully put out the fire.

The two boaters then boarded a USCG vessel and were taken to the Coast Guard station in Dania Beach. They are expected to be OK.

Despite a tow boat arriving as well, it appeared there was little of the burned vessel to save after the flames were extinguished.

Beachgoers watched the tense rescue from shore.

“We saw black smoke that seemed like it went for at least half a mile,” said Renee Salyer. “That’s nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s really concerning.”

And Grosvenor said he was happy to have lend a helping hand.

“Yeah, mariners look out for each other. I am sure that another boat would have come if we didn’t,” he said.

No injuries were reported.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

Between 40,000 and 50,000 pounds of supplies have arrived to Kingston following an overnight effort by four South Florida man who joined forces to bring relief to the island.

The people with cargo company 7 Air, as well as the groups 25 United, Helpful Harrison, Cheney Brothers and Armalini Logistics, all got together late Wednesday night to figure out how they will get all of those items to Jamaica.

The items arrived at the warehouse at Miami International Airport early Thursday morning. The aid boxes include an assortment of food, medical supplies, tarps, diapers, everything that they think people might need in the very difficult early days in the aftermath of the hurricane.

But before heading out to Kingston, Michael Weinberg, one of the organizers, video chatted with his 13-year-old son Harrison.

“I’ll call you from Jamaica,” said Michael.

The proud father said his son at just 8-years-old set up a lemonade stand to raise money for animals affected by the Australian wildfires. Years later, he pitched this joint effort to his father to help those affected by Melissa.

“I wanted to help out the people in Jamaica because I feel bad for them with everything they have been going through. Like how they can lose their homes and family members and that’s really sad,” said Harrison when asked why this mission is important to him.

Michael said his son is always looking at ways to help.

“One 13-year-old boy with a passion can change the world,” said Michael.

And in just a few hours and a flurry of calls, the plan to help Jamaica came together. The group of men from South Florida said everything happened quickly once they got word that the Jamaican airport had re-opened.

“The airport opened up last night at 7 p.m.. We got everything transported in to our warehouse here at the airport,” said Jose Rodriguez, Chair and President of TXG Group of 7 Air.

The groups tried to get all of the supplies from various collection points and bought food straight out, as they wanted to make it a point to be the first relief flight to the island.

With no time to waste, supplies were packed and the planes flew off the runway from Miami to Kingston on Thursday morning to become what appears to be the first relief flight to arrive.

“You see these goods and this relief effort and food being brought to people who, going on 48 hours now, need just some nourishment. These people are going to be sleeping under the stars tonight,” said Stephen Leighton, founder of 25 United.

7News cameras captured a largely empty Kingston airport on Thursday, an effect of Hurricane Melissa.

The items were unloaded and then turned to the prime minister’s office, who is responsible for distributing them to the areas that need them.

Outside the airport area, in the hardest most hit western part of Jamaica, at least one million residents remain without power and have their homes destroyed and in full desperation.

These are the people that, the South Florida organizers say, most need all of these items.

“The matter that we pulled this off so quick to get stuff here, I think it shows the capabilities of what humans are capable of doing to try and help others,” said David Armellini, President of Armellini Logistics.

“They know that we are here to help their community and that’s what we’re here to do. God has a way of healing and helping,” said Leighton.

Several more relief flights will be cycling in and out over the course of the next few days and the organizations will continue collecting donations.

For more information on 25 United and to donate to the effort, click here.

“The water was rising pretty quickly,” said Jackie Campbell, a resident. “But I’ve never been in a situation where water has come into my house from the rain.”

That all changed for Campbell and several of her neighbors after several inches of rain fell over three hours across Deerfield Beach, causing her neighborhood near Southeast Eighth Avenue to be completely flooded.

Campbell was even forced to move her young daughter from her bed as water crept into every room of her home.

“Which was very traumatic, she was crying, asking if we were going to drown,” said Campbell.

Days later, with fans constantly running and several floors and sections of dry wall ripped out, she didn’t think her situation could get worse until she went to take a shower, Wednesday morning.

“I took a shower and very shortly thereafter every one of my bathrooms filled with several inches of sewage,” said Campbell.

Photos provided to 7News by Campbell show what the bathrooms looked like before and after being swamped with sewage.

“I didn’t even really know what to think,” said Campbell.

It’s been a rough week for her and her neighbors, with piles of ruined belongings stacked up outside multiple homes.

Many of those residents said what makes this worse is a multi-million dollar city drainage project that lasted most of the year was supposed to mitigate flooding in their area.

“The majority of the project was right here in this area, on my block specifically,” said Zac Ulrich.

Ulrich told 7News the neighborhood flooded out five years ago, which sparked the city’s project, and left neighbors optimistic that it wouldn’t happen again.

Pictures provided by Ulrich showed the entire inside of his home filled with water, Sunday night.

“Insurance can only cover so much, you know, the heartache and what it’s put us all through,” said Ulrich. “The heartbreak is just profound.”

The City of Deerfield Beach says they are working on figuring out what went wrong with the drainage system in the neighborhood, whether the failure was due to excessive rainfall exceeding the project’s threshold, or if the system’s construction or functioning failed in some way, if there was any maintenance issues or if any other factors like blockages, debris or sedimentation played a role.

A spokesperson for the city shared a statement regarding residents’ heartache:

“We know how disruptive and emotionally stressful flooding can be, and we are committed to partnering with the neighborhood to provide the answers and solutions they deserve.”

Meanwhile, Campbell and her neighbors recognize their lives won’t be returning to normal any time soon.

“I don’t think I even have words to describe how disruptive this is honestly,” said Campbell. “This new issue happened and we’re back to square one.”

Officials for the City of Deerfield Beach also addressed Campbell’s circumstances specifically, saying they currently believe what happened at her property may be an isolated incident. They went on to say it could be related to the recent flooding, but it will be something she has to continue working through.

7News cameras captured volunteers with Feeding South Florida as they handed boxes and bags filled with produce to people in the parking lot of Bass Pro Shops in Dania Beach, Tuesday morning.

Some of the recipients told 7News they’re essential workers who are working without pay. Others have been furloughed.

“Working. I’m still working, I know they’re gonna pay in the future, hopefully. I have to work,” said one federal worker.

Several dozen people were already lined up hours before the giveaway even started.

In addition to produce, volunteers handed out nonperishable items and meat products.

“It’s going to help with my mom that has dementia, and she’s bedridden, and I’m the main caregiver for her, so that’s why I’m here from Miami,” said one federal worker.

Many of the federal workers who spoke with 7News are Transportation Security Administration employees, both at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport. Almost everyone said they’ve been through this with other shutdowns, but they worry about how long this one is lasting, and they are really worried about how they’re going to make it through the next few weeks.

“The concern is if it gets too long then it can become a bigger issue,” said John Perez, whose wife is a federal employee. “I mean, people deplete their savings.”

“It’s tough. Like right now I would normally be in the car with [air conditioning] on, but I got it off because I’m down to 20 miles,” said another federal worker. “You know, bills and everything, it don’t stop.”

John Hubert, the president for Florida’s American Federation of Government Employees, said he’s worried about how long this could go on as a deal to continue funding the government remains unclear.

“Unlike this partisan stuff, politics, all of this nonsense, the federal workforce is held in the middle.” he said. “We continue to come to work.”

Feeding South Florida CEO Paco Vélez said they’re just trying to help as best they can.

“Our community in South Florida has always stepped up and provided support and supported our mission during times of disaster, during a global pandemic and here this man-made disaster, where all these folks are still working, still keeping our skies safe, our seas safe, our community and our country safe. Yet they’re not getting paid,” he said.

Tuesday’s giveaway ended at 1 p.m., but organizers said they will definitely be hosting more, adding that the best place for these federal workers to find out where there is one is to either contact Feeding South Florida or through their own union representatives.

The Sunday soaker flooded streets in parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties during the overnight hours. Forecasters said about five inches of rain fell in a short amount of time just before midnight.

Just after 6 a.m. on Monday, 7News cameras captured standing water in a residential neighborhood along Southeast Seventh Avenue, near Third Street, as well as stalled cars along the roadways.

There were multiple reports of stalled cars in Deerfield Beach, including several vehicles along U.S. 1 and and Northeast 54th Street.

Hours later, crews were seen cleaning out flood damage at David Evanofsky’s home along Southeast Seventh Avenue.

“I got two inches of water through the entire house,” said the homeowner.

Just down the street, residents assessed the damage and debris from the storm that left part of the neighborhood under water.

“Most rain I’ve ever seen here. It seemed like three hours of nonstop rain — heavy, heavy,” said area resident Willie Abreau.

Abreau, who has lived in this neighborhood since 1992, says water has never reached his house and he’s never seen rain leave such a mess on roadways.

“This pile here came from down the street. It wasn’t even really here. Most of it came floating over here, along with a bunch of other debris all shoved up under my truck,” he said.

A nearby rain gauge picked up more than six inches of rain that comes down in a short amount of time, resulting in knee-high water along Southeast Sixth Avenue.

In true South Florida fashion, some neighbors were seen getting out their kayaks in Deerfield Beach. late Sunday night.

“Unbelievable. I’ve lived here my whole life. Never in my life have I seen this,” said a woman.

The flooding led to several rescues as well, including one near Mizner Park in Boca Raton. Good Samaritans were seen rescuing an elderly man who was trapped in his car.

According to a Facebook post, the elderly man was stuck in his vehicle with water up to his chest, but thankfully the good Samaritans were there to get him to safety.

On Monday, 7News spoke to Thomas Ruzzano who helped the elderly man escape from the flooded car.

“His car was completely flooded. He was almost [chest] high up with water and he was struggling to get the seatbelt off and to open up the door to get out,” he said.

While the group of good Samaritans got the man to safety, Ruzzano said the man was far from the only driver in trouble.

“We saw about 10 to 15 cars all backed up, flooded,” he said.

Back in Deerfield Beach, the unexpected flooding left many residents upset and frustrated after, they said, the city recently completed a major drainage overhaul project intended to mitigate flooding.

“I saw no flow in the drains. I went out there and videotaped it, but there was no flow; the water was not receding,” said Evanofsky.

“We’re mad. They tore the whole neighborhood, and we had to go through that, and it still didn’t work,” said Laura Evanofsky.

One man, who spoke to 7News, said he couldn’t find his car on Monday morning after leaving it on Sunday due to the flooding.

Most of the floodwaters in that Deerfield Beach neighborhood have since receded, but localized flooding lingers in the region.

The City of Deerfield Beach responded to residents’ concerns in a lengthy statement that reads in part:

“The City’s Engineering and Environmental Services teams are conducting a thorough review of the design, construction, maintenance, and performance of the drainage system in this zone.”

Officials go on to say that they are reviewing whether there was any problem with the system’s construction, whether there was too much rainfall or extra debris. They also said they are currently monitoring the water levels.

Several Transportation Security Administration agents were seen picking up food provided by Feeding South Florida at Miami International Airport on Friday as federal workers face tough times with no clear end in sight.

“It does help, especially for us that have kids at home and stuff so it helps,” said one TSA worker.

“I’m grateful for all the things that we are receiving today,” said another TSA worker.

“It’s very nice of them, because we could use it,” said a third.

Friday was the first payday that federal workers have gone without their paycheck during the ongoing government shutdown after Republican and Democratic lawmakers failed to pass a spending bill to remain open past Oct. 1.

About 1.4 million federal workers are currently on unpaid leave or working without pay.

With Democrats and Republicans blaming the other for the shutdown, federal workers are caught in the middle.

“So now you have to pick and choose, what can I pay now, what can I postpone, can I call the creditors to see if they’ll work with me,” said a 10-year federal employee who did not want to be identified.

That worker had also previously served in the military, including a deployment to Afghanistan.

Now, she’s left trying to figure out how to stay afloat while lawmakers bicker.

“It’s disheartening ’cause I’ve served with the, you know, my country and I chose to do it again. On this side, it’s almost like a slap in the face,” she said.

Retired TSA instructor Harry Herring told 7News the financial stress caused by the shutdown piles onto what’s an already stressful job for employees.

“Rent, car loans, car insurance, all those expenses that have to be taken care of, it’s not gonna be taken care of,” said Herring. “That causes what I call ‘interference with my ability to do my duty.'”

Shaunellia Ferguson represents nearly 700 Social Security Administration workers for the American Federation of Government Employees in eastern Florida and said her members are still working.

“We are human beings too. We don’t make a lot of money, we’re not wasteful, we’re not parasites the way they’re calling us, we’re not,” said Ferguson. “Especially now without getting paid, you’re still doing it, you’re still hearing all the concerns and you’re sitting there wondering ‘How is my rent gonna be paid?” or ‘How am I gonna cover child care?’ We have feelings just like everyone else and we work and we are here to serve you, the American public.”

Several other organizations like Feeding South Florida have been working to support federal workers across the country.

Ferguson said what she really wants, however, is for politicians to come to the table and find a way to reach an agreement.

Jordan Hawk, 26, was teaching her social studies class at the Miami Lakes K-8 Center when authorities arrested her on Tuesday.

“Good morning ma’am, you have an arrest warrant from North Carolina,” said Judge Mindy S. Glazer during Hawk’s court appearance, Wednesday.

Hawk is accused of inappropriate conduct with a student in North Carolina.

“Felony indecent liberties with a minor, four counts,” said Glazer.

According to police, Hawk was a teacher at the time at Kannapolis Middle School, north of Charlotte.

The grandmother of one of the alleged victims discovered the disturbing behavior after finding love letters addressed to her grandson.

“I found two love letters, that’s how it all started,” said an alleged victim’s grandmother. “And I told my daughter, I said, ‘This is inappropriate for a teacher to be telling a child that they love him and not to tell the other students.”

She told 7News Hawk tried several times to keep in contact with her grandson.

“She kept trying to reach out to him through Xbox, social media, basically started stalking him at that point,” she said. “At the time, he was 12-years-old.”

That school’s district said Hawk quit in late March before the end of the school year.

As of July, she still wasn’t facing any charges and, at some point, according to authorities in North Carolina, she moved to Florida.

State records show Hawk was certified to teach across Florida as of July 1.

Shortly after, she began working at the Miami Lakes K-8 Center.

Police in North Carolina filed the charges against Hawk last week and contacted Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office to inform them of her outstanding warrant.

Parents of the Miami Lakes school were shocked to learn about Hawk’s arrest.

“I was honestly scared. The first thing I did was research to figure out who this teacher was and make sure she had no association with my child,” said a concerned parent.

Other parents wondered why officials didn’t find out about this sooner.

“Why didn’t they investigate her? They should do that to every employee,” said a concerned parent.

“If you’re gonna be a volunteer, you have to go all through the system and get your fingerprints and stuff,” said another concerned parent. “I thought that they would’ve done the same with teachers.”

Miami-Dade School officials say a background check was done for Hawk, but because the charges against her hadn’t yet been filed at the time, there were no red flags.

Officials also released a statement, confirming Hawk had been fired.

“M-DCPS is cooperating with authorities involved in this matter. The individual’s employment has been terminated and will be prohibited from future employment with this district.”

As of now, Hawk is still certified to work as a teacher in North Carolina, according to official records.

“I don’t understand how this woman was able to move to Florida, run to Florida, and get another job around kids,” said the alleged victim’s grandmother.

On the Miami-Dade Schools’ website, teachers interested in applying are required to submit transcripts and letters of recommendation before undergoing a background check.

It’s unclear what records Hawk provided the county but 7News has put in a public records request to obtain that information.

As for Hawk, she is expected to be extradited back to North Carolina sometime over the next 30 days.

Ronison Exavier appeared before Broward Circuit Court Judge Corey Friedman on Tuesday morning.

“If and when you do bond out, sir, you’ll be on pretrial GPS Level 2,” said Friedman during the bond hearing. “I am ordering no victim contact; that applies to both the alleged victims in this matter, no contact with minors. I am granting an exception for family members, and I’m also ordering no presence. You can’t be on or about any Broward schools properties.”

According to the school’s website, the suspect is the Assistant Athletic Director.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, a student reported retrieving a lost item from Exavier’s office sometime in October when he “made comments toward her pertaining to her clothing and how she should modify it to show off her buttocks.”

The student then told officials he squeezed her buttocks, calling them “grab-able.”

The student said the incident made her have a panic attack in a restroom. She was overheard by another student who also had an interaction with Exavier this year and in 2024.

According to the second student, this past June, during a stretching session, “[Exavier] positioned himself behind her, got on his knees and pulled her body toward his.” Then, he “placed his groin/genital area against (the victim’s) buttocks for approximately 30 seconds.”

The school released a statement to parents that reads in part:

“The Head of School … was informed by a staff member of an allegation involving inappropriate touching by another staff member toward a student.”

The statement goes on to say that school administrators ‘notified the Florida Department of Children and Families and placed the employee in question on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.”

After meeting with the student who was allegedly targeted, as well as speaking with her family and the Broward Sheriff’s Office, “more allegations surfaced prompting further investigation,” the statement says.

The statement goes on to say:

“Highlands Christian Academy is fully cooperating with all investigative authorities and will continue to provide any necessary support to ensure a thorough and impartial process. The safety and well-being of our students remain a top priority.”

Tuesday afternoon, school officials issued a second statement that reads in part:

“Mr. Exavier has been terminated as an employee and is no longer permitted on the school campus or at any school-related activities.”

Prior to his arrests and based on social media posts, Exavier was congratulated by the school for being an alumni teacher and had called himself “blessed” for the opportunity to coach after a college career-ending injury.

He also posted several inspiration quotes on his social media page, calling coaching a “ministry,” going on to say “somewhere there’s a parent praying for a son or daughter to have a coach in their lives that will help them and love them like their own. Be that coach.”

Parents outside the school said they were concerned by his arrest.

“We’re praying for the victims. We have children so it could be anybody’s child. It’s unacceptable,” said parent Jessica Arellano.

“This is a Christian school. They should check everybody,” said parent Fernando Gomez.

“I’m happy that they reacted fast and quickly,” said parent Tara Albrecht.

Exavier is being held at the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach on a $75,000 bond.

The 24-year-old faces a slew of charges, including three counts of soliciting to engage in sexual conduct and two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior.

BSO deputies are worried there could be additional victims.

If anyone has information about this investigation, they are urged to contact deputies immediately.

The young girl is back home after being hospitalized following the incident in the area of Northwest 18th Court and 35th Way, just before 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday.

The family, who have been left so shaken by the ordeal they didn’t want to be identified, spoke with 7News about the shooting.

“It’s no value to life for them, they don’t care nothing about life,” the girl’s mother said.

The mother said the bullet pierced a window of the family’s home, striking the child, who was sitting on a couch inside.

“So I was calling my dad for him to bring me some stuff on a field trip and that’s when I thought somebody threw something at my leg ’cause I had vibrated and that’s when my mom had came out the room and she was like, ‘I’ve been shot,'” said the young girl.

The girl’s mother showed where the bullet went after piercing the window, ripping straight through the arm of a chair.

“It traveled through the window and then it hit the arm of the chair, so it tore through the arm of the chair and I could see the cushion from the chair, that’s how I know something was wrong,” said the mother.

The girl’s mother believes the shooting is likely the result of some kind of neighborhood dispute.

Willie, a neighbor who was in his carport across the street, dove to the ground when he first heard the gunshots.

“When I heard ‘pow,’ this is what I did,” he said as he demonstrated how he crawled away and lay flat on his stomach in order to shield himself.

Willie said he was also unsettled by someone trying to hurt this family.

“They’re good neighbors, those are good kids,” said Willie.

The little girl and her family now live in fear of what else could happen at their home as police try to determine who was responsible.

“My kids, not sleeping at all,” said the mother.

When asked how she could explain what happened and why to her children, she said “you really can’t explain why, you just have to tell them to stay prayed up, keep your eyes open, pick your friends wisely and try to do better.”

She also said her daughter has been very strong during all of this, not crying at any point and looking forward to everything returning to normal.

The little girl is expected to be OK and will be returning to school next week.

If you have any information on this crime, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Pompano Beach Fire Rescue officials said crews responded at around noon on Thursday after pepper spray was discharged during an argument between two students.

Twelve students were transported to Broward Health North, all in stable condition.

Students said a fight nearly broke out when one girl pulled out a pepper spray canister.

“They was finna jump her, so she pepper-sprayed them,” one student said.

“I think she meant to aim for a girl specifically, but everybody got hit in the crossfire,” a second student said.

Other students described the aftermath.

“Some of them went to the cafeteria to get milk for they eyes and stuff,” said a third student.

“My face still burns a little bit ’cause I was there, my face still burns, but I’m good,” said a fourth.

The school briefly went into lockdown, but officials clarified it was unrelated to the pepper spray.

“Parents showed up, and one of the parents was not following the direction of staff and tried to go on campus without permission, so they put the school on a brief lockdown while they dealt with that situation,” said Broward Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn.

Several students were left annoyed by the chaos on campus.

“I think it’s immature and very disrespectful to our learning environment, because we’re trying to learn and get our education and graduate,” said a student.

“You’re coming here fighting on grounds, now I’m scared because now I feel like, ‘Oh, what if I’m gonna get attacked?'” said another.

Students said the tension between the two involved had been reaching a boiling point after a fight broke out between them in a field near the school, Wednesday.

In a video shared with 7News, there appeared to be at least three adults present at the time of that brawl.

District policy allows students to carry up to two ounces of pepper spray on campus, but they cannot remove it from their bags or use it.

“You need to talk to your parents, talk to your school administrators, talk to somebody on campus for help before you decide to take matters into your own hands,” Hepburn said. “This is an example of not talking to an adult, either your parents or school staff, and taking matters into your own hands.”

Hepburn said the student who discharged the spray will face disciplinary action.

Officials said all the hospitalized students are doing OK.

According to Lauderhill Police, officers were dispatched to a ShotSpotter alert in the area of Northwest 18th Court and 35th Way, just before 7:50 p.m. on Wednesday.

Investigators said the victim was inside the home with her family when a bullet went through the window and hit her.

7News spoke to neighbor, Willie, who was in his carport when the gunfire rang out.

“When I heard ‘pow,’ this is what I did,” he said as he demonstrated how he crawled away and lay flat on his stomach in order to shield himself.

Residents were unsettled by the senseless act.

“They’re good neighbors. Those were good kids,” Willie said. “All those kids over there, all they do is play. They play together. This ain’t right.”

Paramedics with Lauderhill Fire Rescue transported the girl to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. She is expected to be OK.

If you have any information on this shooting or the whereabouts of the subject or subjects involved, call Lauderhill Police Department at 954-497-4700 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.

Officers were dispatched to 300 block of Baker Drive, at around 2 a.m., Tuesday.

Responding units were met by gunfire, and an officer was struck in his bulletproof vest.

“Responding officers came under gunfire from an individual inside the home. The officers did return fire,” said West Palm Beach Police Chief Antonio Araujo.

Siblings Juanita and Zachary Lenair said they witnessed the officer going down near their home.

“He said, ‘Hey, I’m hit, I’m hit,” said Juanita. “Then he got up and immediately walked over there.”

The initial scene occurred a few houses down from the Lenairs, where a person who lives there said it’s made up of several apartments.

7News spoke to a nonverbal man who lives in one of the units. He was able to tell another resident that he wrestled a gun away from two men fighting. It appears he didn’t know there was another gun.

Witnesses described what unfolded.

“I’m shaking, I’m nervous, let me go! Call 911,” said a resident who didn’t want to show her face as she explained what occurred. “All of a sudden, the police officer said, ‘Put your hands up, put your hands up.’ Next thing, nothing. Gun. ‘Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop.'”

“Whoever was next door from them down there started shooting at the police, and that’s when the police started firing back,” said Juanita.

“I just saw sparks; that’s all I saw,” said Zachary.

The siblings said the officer was transported to a local hospital in a police car. He was listed in stable condition before being released.

At least two dozen evidence markers lined the streets as crime scene investigators worked to gather evidence.

Neighbors said they were woken up by the gunfire.

“Boom, boom, boom. We didn’t know what it was, so we were really scared about that,” said neighbor Julienne Levy.

“I wondered, ‘Who’s beating my door down like that?’ And when I came out and didn’t see anyone, but then I opened the door and saw the people out there,” said neighbor Efna Fuller.

7Drone Force hovered above the scene as a car in the driveway was checked out by police. K-9 units were also deployed to assist in the search for any missed clues.

Juanita said the gun violence needs to stop.

“It’s so sad. I hope he’s doing well. This gun violence around here shouldn’t be happening,” she said.

On Tuesday afternoon, WPB Police released a photo of 22-year-old Emmanuel Keevon Dashawn McRae who, they said, is the man who shot the officer. He remains on the loose.

It’s unclear if McRae was a resident at the apartment complex where the fight and shooting occurred. Detectives consider him armed and dangerous.

The incident remains under investigation.

Officials urge anyone with information to contact the West Palm Beach Police Department at 561-822-1900.

Sparkles is being teated for her wounds at Deer Run Animal Hospital in Deerfield Beach after she was found shot in Pompano Beach, according to I Heart Animal Rescue.

“I got a phone call from my girlfriend who’s a police officer, and she said there was a dog shot and that they needed help,” said Cindy Mucciaccio with I Heart Animal Rescue.

When they came to rescue the pit bull mix, near the 100 block of Northeast 17th Court, she was barely moving, with her two puppies shaking by her side.

“Very sad that the dog was just laying there, with blood all over, and supposedly she was laying there for 10 hours,” said Mucciaccio. “Polie told me that they think it might be the neighbor, because the neighbor didn’t like the dog, supposedly warned them that he was going to shoot the dog, and I guess he did, but we don’t know that for sure.”

Dr. Sara Gangadin, a veterinarian at Deer Run Animal Hospital, showed 7News where Sparkles was injured.

“Mother wounds are right here, there’s another one right here,” she said as she pointed at the dog’s chest and front legs. “And it looks like the bullet must have went like that [through her leg], but she’s really [in pain] along her front here.”

While Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives investigate who shot Sparkles, the staff at Deer Run are focused on her recovery.

“She had lost a lot of blood . She actually wasn’t picking up her head,” said Gangadin. “When I came in I gave her, I placed an IV catheter, I gave her some pain meds.”

And even while she’s in excruciating pain, Gangadin said, Sparkles gives nothing but love.

“She’s been really nice, sweet. She actually was giving Cindy kisses so, especially in such a poor condition and for what happened to her, she’s an amazing dog,” she said.

A day later, caregivers say it looks like her leg may not be able to be saved, but that her prognosis is good.

“It’s just so sad that she has to go through this situation, and thank God right now that she’s alive,” said Mucciaccio.

Now, Sparkles’ caregivers said, she needs a lot of help to get her back on her feet.

“We just feel that the people who did this should go to jail,” said Mucciaccio.

If you would like to help I Heart Animal Rescue with Sparkles’ treatment, click here.

The family of Kallie Bligen shared their sorrow after learning she did not survive when she was pulled unresponsive from a lake by Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies near the 4100 block of Northwest 16th Avenue, just before 9 a.m., Friday.

“My Kallie, my Kallie B,” said Jasmine Kessler, her mother.

“I’m gonna be honest, half my world is gone, and I’m holding on for my other half right now,” said Lailah Stukes, her sister.

The family was overwhelmed with emotion as they spoke about Kallie.

“We worked so hard, we worked so hard to prevent this, to prevent this, and we really worked so hard, we tried everything, from locks, everything,” said Kayshawn Bligen, the child’s father.

Kayshawn said his 5-year-old daughter got up very early in the morning.

“We wake up in the middle of the night because my baby, she has a sleep condition, as well as autism, you understand, some sleep deficiency, so she stays up all night, playing on her iPad, roaming the house, and we had all these measures to prevent her from doing this,” said Bligen.

He said the little girl managed to get out of the house.

“I’m just sitting there with her feet in my back, and the next thing you know, I’m waking up, I hear her tablet faintly, but she’s not there, so I wake up my wife, ‘Baby, baby not in the back,'” said Bligen.

The whole family went around the neighborhood, asking neighbors if they had seen the 5-year-old.

“My wife is coming out the house saying, ‘She’s not in the house,’ and as I turn around, my baby is in the canal right there, in the lake. I immediately jump in that water, pull my baby to shore, started CPR, CPR from whatever I know, until the police got here,” said Bligen.

Deputies rushed the unresponsive child to a local hospital.

“We’re gonna be taking [Interstate] 95, please hold the Davie bridge,” a first responder is heard saying over Broadcastify.

Oakland Park Fire Rescue crews attempted lifesaving measures and transported the child to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.

“They said my baby was alive, she died in the hospital, so why my wife couldn’t ride with her?” said Bligen.

Kallie’s family said they want to continue being advocates for autism awareness as they grieve this tragedy.

They said Kallie Bligen was a light in their life and had been progressing so much.

“She loved to sing, she loved to paint, she loved to dance, she was into herself. She loved expressing herself through music, through singing, through her sense of style,” said Stukes.

Detectives with BSO’s Homicide and Crime Scene Units are investigating the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

Fifty-two-year-old Rafael Javier covered his face from the cameras and didn’t say a word Thursday night as he bolted into a waiting car.

But Wednesday morning, Davie Police officers said, Javier had a lot to say when he shot the tire of an SUV in the midst of a road rage incident.

Cellphone video captured Javier yelling at another man, named Scott, before they begin fighting.

Scott told 7News he believes this all happened because he rolled through a stop sign.

“Basically, I went a little too far into the stop sign, and then we started having a word back and forth,” he said.

Scott said Javier got out of his car and began yelling and swinging at him.

Several shoppers called 911, including Scott’s girlfriend, during the tense confrontation.

“My boyfriend just got into an altercation with someone, and he just shot our tire,” Scott’s girlfriend told a 911 dispatcher.

Cellphone video recorded by a witness captures audio of the gunshot and air hissing out of the tire.

The video shows Javier moments after holding what appears to be a firearm after he shot the tire.

Officers swiftly arrested Javier on Wednesday. 7News cameras captured him being walked into jail.

Thursday morning, he appeared in front of Broward County Circuit Court Judge John Bowman, who found probable cause for the charges.

He faces a list of charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

Dr. Missy Williams, a biologist who works at the Dania Beach Vervet Project, says less than a quarter-mile from the sanctuary where she cares for and studies a colony of vervet monkeys, sits over 21 acres of wild Florida.

Video provided to 7News shows a different world away from humans.

“There are snapping turtles, there are water snakes, different bird species that live back there, raccoons, possums…” said Williams.

But a Dania Beach-based LLC is hoping to develop a slice of this area, just over three acres, and create a 62,000 square foot warehouse, prompting concern from Williams and others.

“When you walk into the mangroves, you will see lots of crop roots, which are part of the mangrove trees. You’ll see some wetlands, animals that occupy the trees, the land, and also the water. It’s beautiful,” said Williams.

In a virtual meeting with residents earlier this month, Ed Stacker, the attorney for the developer, assured those wary of the project that the company will jump through plenty of hoops to make sure the construction is done correctly.

“I don’t agree with anyone on this line who says that obtaining permits is easy,” said Stacker.

During the meeting, residents spoke up about the project’s environmental impact, saying it appears Florida’s beautiful wildlife is disappearing.

“I absolutely understand, I don’t want to be the crazy environmental guy, who’s like, ‘you can’t do this.’ It’s not just about the fact that the proper permits are accepted; everywhere around the state is disappearing, all the natural areas,” said area resident Dean Fraser.

“Unfortunately, it’s carrying on this precedent of, ‘We’re only going to take a little bit, a little bit,’ and you know, that’s already happening and that’s how we got to where we are now,” said another concerned resident.

The property in question has been designated an “area of particular concern” by Broward County. If that designation is changed, it would move the approval process along, but as of May, county staff recommended against the change.

In a memo outlining their decision, they wrote: “The site has a predominance of native, mature red and black mangroves, provides nursery, roosting, foraging and refuge habitat for many species.”

Since then, the developer has promised to set aside more than an acre to maintain the mangroves and water flow. In a letter, they wrote, “The wetlands preserved onsite will also be enhanced through the removal of invasive/non-native species.”

Recently, the change in designation has passed, but the process remains ongoing.

“We are asking you to balance the benefit of preserving a small amount of degraded mangroves versus the benefit of economic development,” said Stacker at a recent county planning council meeting.

But those on the council wanted a full commitment from the developer that the environment wouldn’t be harmed.

I need an absolute commitment that can be passed from this board to the county commission that any and all environmental requirements will be fully and completely adhered to,” said Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo at the meeting.

Williams adds that if those who care about the environment don’t push back, there will be precious little of mangroves and wildlife left.

“Currently, we are chipping away at all the natural space that we have, and it’s important to hold onto that, not just for us but for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. I feel like we’re losing the value and the appreciation of natural lands,” she said.

The developer’s representative was unavailable to provide a comment to 7News on this story.

Dania Beach City Manager Ana M. Garcia said in a statement: “The City of Dania Beach follows a consistent process obtaining input from the subject matter experts at Broward County and the State of Florida so that the City can properly assess, evaluate, and comment on the application. The review process is ongoing.”

It appears there could be an opportunity for residents to voice their opinion on the project in front of the Broward County Commission in November.

Davie Police officers responded to reports of a shooting in the north side of the large retailer, located at 1890 S University Dr, at around 10:15 a.m., on Wednesday.

“Road rage…says that two males were fighting and caller heard a pop,” said a 911 dispatcher.

Scott, the driver of the shot SUV tire, said this all began when he rolled up on a stop sign as he was finding parking in the big box store.

“Basically, I went a little too far into the stop sign and we started having words back and forth,” the victim said.

He said the other man, identified as Rafael Javier, parked his car, got out of his car angrily yelling which prompted a brief fight between the two men before Javier pulled out a gun and shot Scott’s tire.

“It went into the tire and rim and my rim is cracked now,” said Scott. “My girlfriend is shaken up.”

At one point, the girlfriend also calls 911 to report the crime.

“My boyfriend just got into an altercation with someone and he just shot our tire,” she said.

Cellphone video affirms Scott’s story. It shows two men arguing in the parking lot, and at one point, one of the men appears to throw a punch at the other driver involved while screaming at him.

The witness who recorded the footage said Javier fired a single gunshot at Scott’s SUV as he was driving away.

Video shows air leaking from the punctured tire as it is driven away. Then Javier begins picking up things from the ground while holding what appears to be the gun.

7Skyforce hovered above a section of the parking lot that was cordoned off with crime scene tape.

Scott said the gunfire was unnecessary. He said while he has a gun permit, he did not have his gun on him during the incident.

“Just too many idiots with guns, that don’t know what they are doing with the guns,” he said.

Shopper Eder Dorne told 7News he wasn’t too surprised by the violent confrontations.

“It’s the new law in Florida, no? Now you can carry a gun, yeah, everybody can walk with a gun,” he said.

No injuries were reported, and investigators believe the incident was isolated.

Javier was arrested as 7News cameras captured him arriving to Broward County Jail. He faces several charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill.

As of Wednesday night, he remains behind bars.

The state’s DOGE team were in Broward County over the summer, reviewing all the books over two days, analyzing the county’s general funds.

On Tuesday, Blaise Ingoglia appeared at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines to discuss what, he says, is the county’s wasteful spending.

“The government bureaucracy itself is the wasteful spending, we will show you examples of specific spending when the DOGE reports come out,” he said. “Government is expanding because they can, not because they need to.”

DOGE officials said the current nearly $2 billion fund for the county has grown by $617 million over the past five years. They believe nearly $200 million from the county’s budget could be cut.

“Broward County has added an extra $190 million in excessive, wasteful spending in its general fund budget. They’re expanding way past inflation and population growth,” said Ingoglia.

Ingoglia went on to condemn local officials for allowing the budget to increase to the point of needing state intervention to control.

“I don’t get paid $400,000 a year as administrator. “It’s not my job to go in and cut the budgets, it’s not the policymakers’ jobs to go in and cut the budgets. It’s the job of the administrators and the city managers and the people to cut their budgets. We can do it at the state, I just don’t understand why they don’t do it at the local [level,]” said Ingoglia.

State officials were reluctant to give specifics of what could be cut from the county’s budget.

Broward County Mayor Beam Furr welcomed the state’s review over the summer, saying local officials would be open to any suggestions they have over the budget.

“If they can find some things that we can do better, we’ll do better. I’m looking at it as a teachable moment,” said Furr.

Earlier this month, the Broward County Commission passed a decrease to the property tax rate that would reduce the amount they receive in property taxes by about $1 million. They said they also wanted to keep up reserve funds in the case of emergencies, such as hurricanes and economic downturns.

“We’ve done well with our reserves, we have no debt, which is very rare , so that tells you this county is doing very well,” said Furr during that commission meeting.

Furr went on to say that Broward County is one of the few counties in the country that has maintained a triple-A bond rating, which is similar to having a good credit score.

“Other cities or counties may have run up their budget, we haven’t,” said Commissioner Steve Geller. “We haven’t. The county has chosen to put additional money into fighting homelessness because state law made us do that.”

Geller said the increased spending has also gone to critical emergency services.

“The majority of the increase has gone to either police and fire, public safety and or building our reserves, and both of those are the right thing to do,” said Geller.

Ingoglia says the specifics about the Broward County budget will be available when DOGE releases their full report.

The organization said they are preparing for a significant setback, the loss of $3.3 million in federal SNAP-Ed funding that will end Sept. 30. Following that setback, they also expect to lose $8 million in federal funding in December and another $3 million next spring.

These budget cuts will impact many families who rely on the resources provided by Feeding South Florida like Rosa and her family.

Rosa’s a mother of two children who enjoy having plantains, pasta with sauce and other snacks. But with groceries becoming more expensive, it’s become very difficult to keep up and have those favorite foods.

“Times are very difficult. Right now, I’m spending around $200, $250 per week,” Rosa told 7News in Spanish.

While her husband works, it’s her responsibility to take her children to medical appointments, so a once per month visit to Feeding South Florida’s Pembroke Park location makes all the difference.

“I have to take her to therapy and that’s why I can’t afford to go to work,” said Rosa. “But this is helping me a lot.”

The organization’s stocked pantries help bring food for more than a million people across South Florida, like Rosa.

“it’s getting very difficult for us to do what we do and put food on the table for many families who are struggling,” said Feeding South Florida CEO, Paco Velez.

Organization officials say a large portion of that federal money helps local farmers provide produce for the organization, while a smaller portion goes directly to the clients to help themselves.

“We teach basic food budgeting and how to make sure that their dollar stretches and their food stretches and also keep people healthy,” said Velez. “The produce is what’s really gonna be affected. All the healthy products, the fresh products that people struggle to get, that’s what’s gonna be really affected by this $8 million cut.”

The funding cuts were part of nearly a billion dollars slashed from the Department of Agriculture by the Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year, which led directly to the cuts in South Florida.

“We are extremely efficient, probably some of the most efficient organizations, our food banks, that you’re gonna find anywhere and the return on investment is pretty significant,” said Velez. “There’s so many families who are struggling and resources keep getting taken away.”

Those resources are critical for families like Rosa to be able to keep going.

“When you come face-to-face with someone and you see the struggles that they’re faced with, you see that they’re doing everything that they can to put food on the table and keep a roof over their head to feed their kids, I mean, you know that your resources are going to a great cause,” said Velez.

While the most immediate effect from the cuts will likely impact their fresh produce, Feeding South Florida said it’s too early to know how much of their operations will be affected.

If you would like to donate to Feeding South Florida, click here.

An Instagram video showed the dog as a puppy with nonfunctional hind legs in the woods in Georgia three years ago.

He was fittingly named Warrior for what he endured.

“Because he’s a survivor, he survived in the woods with another dog,” said Wendy Betulia, a United for Animals Rescue volunteer.

“He didn’t have any marks on him from being hit by a car or being hit by anything,” said Bryan Ruvolo, a United for Animals Rescue volunteer.

When Warrior was brought to United for Animals Rescue Margate for help, doctors couldn’t find any signs of injury.

“When he was brought here and immediately seen by a vet, they didn’t find one cut, scar, old bruise, road rash, anything on him. Nothing

Rescuers believe he was simply abandoned in the wooded area.

For the last three years, he lived in a kennel at the rescue, surrounded by other dogs in need of a home.

He sometimes uses his wheelchair to move around, but he doesn’t like it too much.

“We’re a small, independent rescue. We’ve tried to raise the money unsuccessfully, but if we can raise the money to get him to therapy, we have an amazing therapist in Margate, and we do believe that there is a chance for him,” said Ruvolo.

Volunteers at the rescue are optimistic that Warrior will be able to recover.

“Hopefully, he can be able to walk again one day without a wheelchair,” said Betulia.

Right now, he likes to scoot himself around to make the best of his circumstances.

His rescuers are hoping most of all that Warrior can find his own family that can help him progress even further.

“Somehow animals just have a resilience that humans can only learn from,” said Ruvolo. “He is definitely a warrior.”

Workers at the rescue say anybody interested in adopting Warrior will need to have good patience and be dedicated.

If you would like to donate to help support Warrior’s treatment, click here.