For many young dancers, ballet dreams fade with age. But one local ballet company is proving it’s never too late to return to the barre.

Nicola Riettie: “Fifty-seven.”

Heather Walker: “Fifty-seven?”

Nicola Riettie: “Yes, ma’am.”

Heather Walker: “And at 57, you decided to start ballet.”

Nicola Riettie: “I know. It’s crazy, right?”

Nicki Riettie is not alone. This entire class is made up of adult dancers — some stepping into a ballet studio for the first time.

Ballet student 1: “I’m 45.”

Heather Walker: “And this is your first time doing ballet.”

[Ballet student 1 nods.]

Heather Walker: “Amazing.”

Ballet student 1: “I’ve always wanted to do ballet.”

Others are getting back to what they loved as little girls.

Ballet student 2: “I missed those days, and this really brought it back.”

It all started with Isabella Picinic, a lifelong dancer who couldn’t find an adult ballet class after moving to South Florida.

Isabella Picinic: “I just feel like there’s not a big space for adult dancers anymore. Even if there are studios that offer it, it’s maybe one class a week, and there’s just – you know, we’re adults, we don’t have time; if that class doesn’t work for us, then we can’t make it.”

So she decided to teach her own classes under the company named Precious Pace.

Isabella Picinic: “I made a post on Facebook, and it blew up. It got like 100 comments, so many people were interested.”

What started with 10 women has grown to nearly 50 dancers in less than a year.

Isabella Picinic: “The energy is just so uplifting when I come to teach. I love seeing these ladies push through class. Even when I know they are struggling, they are still pushing through.”

The leaps and turns have gotten harder with age, but at the same time, the rewards have gotten sweeter.

Nicola Riettie: “I love it, and it’s doable, that’s the other thing, honestly. Although it’s challenging, it’s challenging in a good way. It’s forcing you to use parts of your body, strength and focus in a way that you may not – certainly not if you are just sitting on the couch every evening.”

It’s a workout for their bodies and their minds, but it’s also me time.

Ballet student 3: “Just being a mom and a teacher working full time, and just giving to everyone constantly. It’s my thing, it’s my time.”

Because at this age, ballet isn’t about perfection — it’s about possibility.

Ballet student 4: “I decided, once I saw this, that I was going to give myself the chance to not be perfect, to not be super skinny, and try and see, and see what happens. It’s so rewarding to see yourself and like what you see, and realize that the kid in me, who thought, ‘You are not good enough,’ yes, you are. And not just me, but anybody can do it, you know?”

And they are — stepping onto the stage with more confidence than ever before.

Isabella Picinic: “You’re never too old to dance.”

Nicola Riettie: “It’s never too late, nope, mm-mmm. That’s a fact.”

Because sometimes the dream doesn’t end — it just waits for the right moment to begin again.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

At Love, 518 salon in Hollywood, not only do clients leave their appointments with a new hairstyle, they also leave with a huge weight off their shoulders, and their heads.

Hadassa Felix: “So initially, all this was matted. And it’s been matted for five years.”

Salon owner Hadassa Felix has had many jobs in the past, but hair has always been her passion.

Hadassa Felix: “I have a military background, law enforcement background, I did massage therapy, I did fashion design. I was always doing hair as a side job, but it would always call me back to hair.”

Her specialty is detangling some of the most matted hair you’ve ever seen.

She started a few years ago while training to become a hair stylist.

Hadassa Felix: “A client came in from South Africa, whose hair was matted and my employer was like, ‘Well, we can’t do that.’ I’m like, ‘I think I can, let me just try it.'”

Hadassa Felix: “So I’m detangling piece by piece.”

When Hadassa opened her own salon, she started posting her detangling videos. They went viral, and clients started pouring in from around the world.

Hadassa Felix: “A lot of people from Canada, Hawaii, Australia and Italy. For a person not to comb their hair, I mean, you have to be going through something really bad that it’s the last thing that you’re worrying about.”

Many of Hadassa’s clients come to her suffering from depression or burnout. Taking care of their hair — or themselves — is no longer a priority.

Hadassa Felix: “I get a lot of strong people, the strong friend, the strong mom, the strong dad, the person that’s here for everybody else and don’t know how to ask for help because no one’s checking on them.”

Detangling matted hair can take days. So Hadassa wants her salon to be a comfortable and safe space.

Hadassa Felix: “Some people just need me to be quiet and pray for them silently in my mind. Some people need me to hug them. Some people need me to say ‘It’s okay.’ I’m not saying I’m a therapist, but it’s, like, I call myself a hair-apist, because I’m going through the process of detangling not only their hair, but also their lives as well.”

It has taken days to slowly work out all the tangles on Hadassa’s client from New York.

Hadassa Felix: “After this, I’m going to wash her hair, do a treatment, cut her ends and stye it for her.”

Her client didn’t want to show her face, but she said taking care of others for years left her with no energy to focus on herself.

Client: “And you don’t realize the rut you get into when you stop taking care of yourself. And then one day after the next, this happened, just happened and believe it or not, when your hair gets like that, you feel the weight of your hair is the weight of your burdens.”

As Hadassa works to untangle her matted hair, the woman feels the burden being lifted.

Client: “And it’s the best experience. Because besides the detangling, it just gives you a sense of what you have to do internally.”

After four days, the client’s hair is transformed

Hadassa Felix: “I feel like I get to help people, yeah, I’m still always shocked by the fact that I get to do this. Like, I love it, it’s so cool.”

Hadassa’s joy comes from helping people work out the knots in their hair — and their lives.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

For Kenny Nodal – school safety isn’t just a concern – it’s her job. She’s a middle school math teacher at Doral Academy.

Kenny Nodal: “It’s something that I enjoy doing.”

Kenny has been teaching for nearly 20 years. Which is why she was shocked when this letter arrived from Miami-Dade Police.

Kenny Nodal, teacher: “I got the warning last week. I received the notice in the mail.”

It is a warning for a school zone speed violation – complete with a photo of her car and license plate. But something didn’t add up for this math teacher.

Kenny Nodal: “What caught my attention initially was the time that was stamped on the picture that was taken of the license plate.”

The time stamp says 7:52 am.

Kenny Nodal: “I’m at work at that time, so I thought that maybe it had been given on a weekend. So when I looked at the calendar, it was a day of the week, it was on a Thursday, so then I thought, ‘Am I confused? Did I have the day off?'”

But she was working that day.

Kenny Nodal: “It turns out I was sending an email from my desk at work two minutes prior to the camera taking the picture. So I was already at work, I was not in the area at 7:52 in the morning.”

To make matters worse…

Kenny Nodal: “I realized that the sign posted is 8 a.m.”

What people don’t know is that the reduced speed limit of 15 miles per hour actually takes effect 30 minutes before the start of school in Miami-Dade County. According to the sheriff’s office, the slower speed starts earlier than the posted time of 8 a.m.

Kenny Nodal: “It’s an injustice.”

This was just a warning, but Kenny worries about what could happen next time. She also wonders how many drivers received tickets with the wrong time and paid them without realizing.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office runs the school zone cameras.

A spokesperson tells us the time on the camera was correct, and the department does not have an explanation for how Kenny’s car was on the road at that time. The sheriff’s office also says it has put in a request to correct the sign.

Kenny Nodal: “What I do is advocate for people, whether it’s my students or my community.”

Kenny says she always teaches her students to double-check the numbers. Now, she hopes the sheriff’s office is doing the same.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Florida is home to more than 100 types of orchids. And these students are studying one of the rarest.

Domenica Arias: “I think it’s important for us to preserve these orchids.”

It’s called the ghost orchid.

Students at Jose Marti MAST Academy are are on a mission to try and grow as many as they can.

Hailey Marquez: “We know that they are highly endangered. It takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of patience and they don’t grow in a day.”

These students are members of the school’s botany club.

With the help of their teacher, Andrew Kearns, they’re learning all about orchids, especially the extremely rare ghost orchid.

Andrew Kearns: “The ghost orchid is something which has been treasured by many people, too treasured by some who try to poach it. Our native orchids were largely removed from many of our urban areas and suburban areas by poaching and developments.”

But there won’t be any poaching here! The students have planted and nurtured their own ghost orchids right in their own backyard.

Hailey Marquez: “It’s nice to be able to support a community of ghost orchids here in our very own school.”

The students received the orchid seeds from the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden as part of the garden’s “Million Orchid Project.”

The project aims to save Florida’s native orchids by planting one million of them in urban areas.

Hailey Marquez: “It’s definitely nice to be in it, and it gives me opportunities to research like this and to work with plants really hands-on.”

Students first kept the seedlings inside a classroom to study their growth. After a few months, they were moved outside and attached to trees.

The hope is that the orchids take root and eventually bloom.

Andrew Kearns: “Now is that going to survive?”

Student: “Maybe!”

Andrew Kearns: “Maybe. I think that’s a great answer because we don’t know.”

And in the process, the students are learning a valuable lesson about life.

Domenica Arias: “Honestly just patience. Having to wait to be able to see what your work has made was the hardest part, honestly. Being able to take part in this amazing experiment has been able to make me see my interest in life sciences.”

Their teacher hopes this conservation work inspires his students for the rest of their lives.

Andrew Kearns: “That’s my hope, is that they will be successful in making a change so that our natural world will not suffer some of the difficulties that we’re suffering right now.”

Perhaps their efforts in the classroom will bloom a new generation of scientists.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Inside this martial arts studio in Hialeah, every punch and kick comes with a purpose — and now, a new promise: free classes for kids whose families can’t afford them.

Damian Rodriguez: “We want to help people, we want to help the youth grow and make a positive impact in their life.”

Damian Rodriguez and his wife opened Millennium Martial Arts Academy more than 15 years ago. It’s made a positive impact on many kids over the years — but the business was born from a tragedy that struck on his way to a karate competition.

Damian Rodriguez: “When I was 13, I was involved in a car accident. I flew out of the car, I landed in the middle of Alligator Alley. I probably shouldn’t be here. Why am I still here? There has to be a purpose.”

That purpose, he says, is helping other kids through karate.

Heather Walker: “How does it make you feel?”

Carlos Luna: “Happy.”

Kids like Carlos Luna.

Heather Walker: “When did you start karate?”

Carlos Luna: “A long time ago.”

For a 7-year-old, a few years feels like a long time. He’s now a yellow belt and, according to his mom, a whole new person from when he started.

Mariela Luna: “It’s not just that he’s less shy, it’s that he’s more confident. He’s more independent.”

Carlos Luna: “I got more advanced in my fighting.”

Damian says conquering fears on the mat teaches kids how to conquer challenges in the real world.

Damian Rodriguez: “The martial arts is going to teach you the discipline, it’s going to teach you the respect, it’s going to teach you the time management, it’s going to teach them so much, and I feel like for it not to be accessible to some kids, it’s not right. It should be accessible to all kids.”

Which is why he started a nonprofit called Diamond, to offer free karate classes once a week.

Damian Rodriguez: “Via Diamond, they should be able to shine, have high integrity, they should have good values.”

That’s important for any kid. But especially for a child who is having a hard time at home.

Damian Rodriguez: “For whatever reason — divorce, lose a parent — and can no longer afford martial arts.”

Damian knows what loss feels like. His dad died in that car accident when he was 13, and Damian says martial arts helped him heal.

Damian Rodriguez: “There’s hundreds of thousands of kids in South Florida that, I think, could benefit from that opportunity, from having good quality martial arts and pressure in their life.”

With a little positive pressure, Damian is helping to shape the next generation of diamonds in our community.

Heather Walker, 7News.

For more information about Millennium Martial Arts, visit their website here. If you or someone you know would like to apply for the Diamond program, you can sign up in person at any Millennium Martial Arts location.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Weeks ahead of Thanksgiving, preparations for the largest meal delivery in South Florida were underway.

Packed inside these bags are mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and the most important ingredient: goodwill.

Isabelle Pike, Senior Vice President of Development at Branches: “On Thanksgiving morning, we’ll have over a thousand volunteers come together to cook, package and deliver over 6,000 meals.”

The meals are provided by a nonprofit called Branches. The group is based out of North Miami and works with low-income families to break through the poverty barrier.

Their Thanksgiving production is massive. The goal is simple: to make sure South Florida families who are struggling don’t have to worry about what will be on the table this Thanksgiving.

Josechaba Dolcema: “They help me. The kids are happy when I have Thanksgiving.”

With eight children, Josechaba Dolcema has a lot of mouths to feed. And now the stress of figuring out how to do that has been taken off her shoulders.

Josechaba Dolcema: “When I receive the meal, I am happy, because it helps me with my family and my friends.”

But these meals serve more than the families. The volunteers are also grateful for the chance to give back.

Hector Sanchez, volunteer: “My wife and I wanted to show our kids how to serve the community, and they started very little, when they were young, teenagers, and now they come and serve with their wives and, you know, I’m waiting for my granddaughter to come with us also.”

The first year of the program, they gave out 600 Thanksgiving dinners. Now, 25 years later, they are giving out 6,000.

Brent McLaughlin, CEO of Branches: “People have been so generous over the years that they keep getting more generous and want to give back. And I think at Thanksgiving, it’s both giver and receiver that is blessed.”

It takes a village to pull it all together year after year. But for the families who receive the meals and the people who volunteer, it is a labor of love.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Keon Hardemon: “Corrections Department has a lot of issues with cost. They have a lot of issues.”

That was Commissioner Keon Hardemon calling out the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department in October.

His criticism of the eighth largest jail system in the country continued.

Keon Hardemon: “I’ve been on the floor and seen Corrections officers asleep. I know what it means to support law enforcement. But I also know what it means when people hide behind the badge. And so I’ve seen behavior in the department that is unbecoming.”

Now 7Investigates has learned of more disturbing behavior. Miami-Dade Corrections has paid millions of dollars in overtime to Corrections officers and staff who never earned it.

We obtained these documents listing 587 employees’ names — some appearing more than once — along with the amount of money they were overpaid.

Sources say for the last few years, these employees put in for overtime and were paid for hours they never actually worked.

The dollar amounts vary, from a $63 overpayment to a Corrections technician all the way up to more than $31,000 to a Corrections corporal.

Commissioner Hardemon alluded to the issue during the October commission meeting.

Keon Hardemon: “I think the Corrections Department knows that they have an issue with time — what many would describe as theft of time that goes to the tens of millions of dollars. And that’s our biggest cost — when you start talking about overtime and Corrections.”

The documents 7News obtained show a total of more than $4 million in overpayments — with $2.8 million already recouped.

Records reveal the department is allowing employees to pay back what they owe through deductions in their paychecks.

When we asked Corrections about the overpayments, the department sent 7Investigates a statement saying they’re “aware of this matter and a full internal affairs investigation is underway,” adding “the department is committed to full transparency, accountability” and “any misconduct will face appropriate disciplinary action.”

Exactly how these county employees will be disciplined, and what is being done to prevent this from happening again, remains to be seen.

Because for taxpayers, fake hours add up to real costs.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

The trucks drive through our neighborhoods picking up items for recycling.

Angela Munez: “Plastics, cans and any paper goods, which would be like pizza boxes or anything else that goes into that blue huge bin I have at my house.”

But are those things actually being recycled? 7Investigates wanted to find out.

We put an AirTag on a plastic milk bottle in Coconut Grove. Another AirTag on a metal can in Country Walk. A third one on a soda can in North Miami and a fourth on a plastic bottle at Miami International Airport.

A City of Miami recycling truck picked up the milk bottle.

Four days later, it pinged at the Miami-Dade County central transfer station.

The plastic bottle thrown away at MIA showed up a day later at the Miami-Dade County west transfer station.

Waste taken to both of these transfer stations goes to a landfill and is not recycled.

The AirTag on the metal can of dog food in Country Walk and the one on the soda can we recycled in North Miami Beach stopped transmitting after being picked up.

They might have been smashed in the truck so we have no way of knowing if these items were recycled or not.

But two of our four items were not recycled and that frustrates some residents

Jacob Fleishman: “We’re paying to recycle. So might as well make sure it happens.”

But the reality is a lot of our recyclables end up in this long line of trucks at landfills

Kari: “Very mad, very upset. We’ve been recycling for a long time.”

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection wanted to find out why. So it commissioned this study, which found contamination is a big issue

Operators said “they could process more if incoming materials were cleaner.”

Dr. Yalan Liu: “A lot of them find diapers and all kinds of stuff in their recycling.”

Researcher Dr. Yalan Liu says as much as 50% of recyclable material is contaminated, something city officials say they deal with every day.

Russell Ketchem: “Contamination is by far the killer to a recycling program or to your commodity that you’re trying to recycle.”

So what can we do?

Start at home. Make sure your recyclable items are clean, so the load doesn’t get rejected and sent to a landfill.

Miami-Dade County is actually working on app-based tools to help residents identify what can and cannot be recycled.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Week after week, we place our boxes and bottles, cans and plastic in our recycling bins. We hope it will help save the planet.

Angela Munez: “I hope it is, I pray it is. That’s why I do it every two weeks. I take it out, it’s always full to the top.”

But 7 Investigates wanted to find out what really happens to the items we recycle.

We glued Apple AirTags to bottles, cans, plastic, milk cartons and boxes to see where they would end up.

We started in Broward County, with a cardboard box in Dania Beach and a wine bottle in Hollywood, a paper cup at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and a cardboard tube in Pompano Beach.

All of the items were tossed into recycling bins with an AirTag attached.

Heather Walker: “Do you think your recycling gets recycled?”

Susan Akhtarkhavari: “Honestly, I’m doing my part, and I’m hoping it does.”

Here’s what happened. The cardboard tube first went to a Waste Management transfer station in Deerfield Beach. It was sent from there to Waste Management’s large recycling center in Pembroke Pines.

City officials say this is how recycling is supposed to work.

Russell Ketchem, Director of Environmental Services: “So it will go from the truck that picks it up off the street to a transfer station, and then transferred to a recycling processing facility out in Pembroke Pines.”

Our box in Dania Beach was tracked to this Waste Management transfer station in Davie, where we lost the signal. Though we don’t know exactly what happened, an AirTag that is crushed into a recycling bale would be destroyed.

The wine bottle was picked up in Hollywood and also sent to a transfer station.

Less than 12 hours later, it pinged 178 miles away in Central Florida at the JED Landfill, where there is no recycling.

The airtag from FLL ended up at the South Broward Waste-to-Energy Plant. It was burned and turned into power, which is sold to Florida Power & Light.

Heather Walker: “Do you think your recycling is being recycled?”

Steven Price: “Uh, I have no idea. The cans and glass, I assume are; the plastic, I doubt it. But we do the best we can.”

Airport authorities in a statement said, “Unfortunately, recyclables typically end up being mixed by airport users with non-recycled waste like food, liquids, plastic bags, etc…” which means they have to go out with the trash to be burned.

Hollywood city officials also blame contamination for the wine bottle being sent to the dump. If collection workers believe the load is too contaminated, they send the load out as trash.

In Pompano Beach, collection workers don’t have to pick up a bin that has the wrong items inside it.

Russell Ketchem: “He has the last look to say, ‘This is a go, no-go.’ And if he looks in the bin, and it is full of contamination, then it’s a no-go. Because it’s remarkable how little contamination and the type can mess up a whole truck.”

The end result for Broward County? Three out of four of our test items appeared to have been recycled.

On Wednesday, we test Miami-Dade County and look deeper into why so much of what we recycle ends up in landfills.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Karla Kelley thought she had set herself up for a nice, comfortable retirement after 30 years of teaching.

Karla Kelley, Bitcoin ATM scam victim: “I had worked all my life to get to a point where I had no debt.”

But one phone call changed that.

Karla Kelley: “They put a fear into me, it’s like, ‘Oh, my gosh.'”

Karla says she got an email about her PayPal account and was given a phone number to call. That’s when she got the bad news.

Karla Kelley: “Your account is in jeopardy; somebody has got your identity.”

The man on the phone said her account was hacked and criminals now had access to her bank accounts. So, she needed to take steps to protect her money.

Karla Kelley: “The guy asked me, ‘How much do you have in my savings account,’ and I said, ‘$5,000.’ He said ‘OK, take the $5,000 and put it into it,'” and he gave me a bitcoin machine.”

The man told her to take her money out of the bank and put it in bitcoin, but the man wasn’t done. Over the coming weeks, he claimed to be working with the police and said all of her bank and investment accounts were in danger of being stolen.

Heather Walker: “I know people are going to be watching and say, ‘How did she fall for this?'”

Karla Kelley: “I know it, I know it. If I was watching me, I would be saying the same thing. It’s the fear.”

Scammers use fear to steal billions of dollars from people all across the country.

Karla Kelley: “In the very beginning, they told me, ‘You cannot tell anybody because it could jeopardize the investigation.’ So I’m like, ‘All right, well, the FBI knows what they are doing. I certainly don’t want to jeopardize their investigation.’ So I didn’t say anything to my daughter, my friends, and I lived with 14 months with this fear and anxiety.”

Experts say the crooks know exactly how to manipulate their victims.

Karen Murillo, AARP Florida: “This is not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. This is a game of numbers for the scammers; they are targeting us at a crazy rate these days.”

The actual number of victims is unknown because many people never report the crime.

A police body camera was rolling as this Texas woman inserted her life savings into a bitcoin atm. Not stopping, even when the police arrived.

These Bitcoin ATMs are a huge problem. Florida has more than 3,000 of them in stores across the state, and none of them are regulated.

Karen Murillo: “These scammers are exploiting the lack of consumer protections.”

There is no daily transaction limit, and most of the time when the money is sent, it’s gone instantly — because only the scammers have access to the cryptocurrency.

Karen Murillo: “It’s devastating, and Florida needs more protections.”

AARP Florida is pushing lawmakers to regulate Bitcoin ATMs and require the owners to pay back people whose money is stolen.

It’s too late for Karla. Her money is gone, and now she could lose her home.

Karla Kelley: “I’ve raised my daughter here. We’ve had Christmas, Thanksgiving, people all out on the patio, you know, we have a lot of memories here.”

Her daughter is trying to help – using social media to raise funds and warn others. She started a GoFundMe.

Now, with help from her family and friends, Karla is trying to rebuild her life.

Karla Kelley: “I can’t blame myself because I’m a trusting person. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Her lesson to others – if anyone asks you to put money in a bitcoin ATM – stop and call police.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

This group of talented students may soon share the spotlight with some of music’s biggest stars.

Choir member: “Like that’s crazy”

Choir member: “It’s something like a type of person like Beyoncé wins.”

We are talking about the Grammys — music’s highest honor.

Choir member: “We were more shocked than anything because like, what a Grammy that just kind of sounds unreal, I guess.”

It may feel like a dream for these Miami-Dade high school students – but they have a real shot at a Grammy nomination.

Gabriella Marquez, choir junior: “Every time I hear that, I’m like, ‘Wait, Grammy nomination? That’s like so cool, wait.'”

You may not recognize their faces or know their names — but there is a good chance you’ve heard the performance that made them internet famous.

Cindy Ellis, choir director, Miami Arts Studio: “I’m so proud of the kids. It is absolutely unbelievable. We put a lot of work and effort into that performance, but I never once thought to myself, ‘We’re performing to potentially get a Grammy.'”

Cindy Ellis is the choir director at Miami Arts Studio.

She leads an all-female group called MAS Vocal. The singers went viral last year for their powerful performance of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”

With millions of views, they went from school choir to global sensation — their voices touching hearts around the world.

Cindy Ellis, Choir Director at Miami Arts Studio: “Literally every corner, people from Australia to Canada to Brazil in languages that I’m like, ‘See translation, because I don’t even know.'”

The performance even caught the attention of the song’s composer, Grammy-winner Jacob Collier, who invited the girls to perform with him.

The soloist, with the incredible voice, is Gabriella Marquez.

Gabriella Marquez, Choir Junior: “It was insane, I think the greatest performance experience of my entire life.”

Gabriella and the girls all come from immigrant families; they say their shared journey gives the music the powerful emotion you feel when you hear them sing.

Choir member: “Some of us, our parents came here. Others, we ourselves, came here.”

Including the choir director.

Cindy Ellis, Choir Director at Miami Arts Studio: “I came in 2005 from Cuba because we are an all-female choir and because we are Hispanic because we are carrying our own journeys and our parents’ journeys and our grandparents’ journey and we are carrying Miami.”

Their dreams are only getting bigger— because a member of the Recording Academy has submitted them for Grammy consideration.

Gabriella Marquez, choir junior: “You know, win a Grammy, that would be so cool.”

Even cooler — if they are nominated, it will be the first high school choir ever — in the running for best choral performance.

Cindy Ellis, Choir Director at Miami Arts Studio: “The goal was never to win a Grammy – that has been incredible because it’s taken a bunch of little girls from Miami, our little corner of the world.”

Shining a spotlight on Miami.

The 2026 Grammy nominations will be announced on Friday morning.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

This huge state-of-the-art sports complex is now open to the public — thanks to a volleyball star living right here in Dania Beach.

Rita Crockett is a two-time Olympic volleyball player. She won a silver medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics, making her the first Afro-Latina woman to receive that award.

She also competed internationally in beach volleyball — and was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Rita continued her love of the sport, coaching volleyball at a number of universities. Before retiring, she spent 12 years as the head coach at Florida International University.

Rita Crockett: “For me, it’s just what I do. I loved it and had fun doing it.”

After a life well played, she wanted to share her love of sports with others.

Rita Crockett: “So I came from an extreme humble living, and I just promised myself that I would be somebody someday that can help people like me when I was a little girl get out of where I was.”

Rita’s husband read an article in a local newspaper about the city supporting new initiatives that would enhance and bring together the Dania Beach community. Rita pitched the idea of a sports complex.

Dania Beach Mayor Joyce L. Davis: “When Rita brought this idea, it was the first of its kind, something that could bring something new, interesting and fun for our entire community.”

The mayor approved the plan and Rita covered half the cost.

Now, the Rita Crockett Beach Sports Academy is open to the public inside Frost Park. There are eight sand courts to play volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, soccer, flag football and pickleball. Kids are already putting them to good use.

Nathan Vogel: “The facility is beautiful. I love volleyball and we came here today for a little sneak peek at what the program’s gonna look like.”

This new facility is also building a family legacy; Rita’s daughter, Marritta, helps run the courts.

Rita Crockett: “We have this beautiful place. There’s nothing like this in America, and the sand is beautiful. I’m happy, I’m happy I’m unretired.”

Rita may have stepped off the court professionally, but the joy of the game has never left her, and now she is sharing it with others.

Rita Crockett: “I play to win. This is a winning project and it will win for the Dania Beach community.”

Even with all her medals, Rita says setting up this sports hub for her community has been her biggest win.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

It was supposed to be the ultimate family vacation.

Ngozi Emelike: “Our family saved up for the entire year to take our parents out to vacation.”

Ngozi Emelike and her family live in DC. So they were ready to soak up some South Florida sun with her parents, who finally had some free time.

Ngozi Emelike: “They are retired, so we wanted to take them out. Got all the grandkids, all the parents together.”

They turned it into a true family affair – 11 people in total. They booked a big house so everyone could hang out together. Her sister-in-law, Bianca Parker, helped plan the trip.

Bianca Parker: “We were looking forward to it. We always imagined going to Miami is more of a fun spot. It’s time to relax, have a good time.”

This is the home they rented — “A Modern Three-Story Waterfront Residence” – with seven bedrooms, nine baths, a pool, and a hot tub.

Ngozi Emelike: “We hear a lot about the homes, how you can stay in the homes in Miami. They are really grand and nice by the water. We were super excited.”

But, days before their trip, the family says they got a call from Luxuri Management – the South Florida-based company that listed the home for rent on VRBO.

Bianca Parker: “All of the issues started when we received information from the house that the home we planned on staying at was no longer available. They had damages, and we wouldn’t be able to stay there.”

The family asked for a refund. That’s when they say things took a turn.

Bianca Parker: “They kind of, tried to convince us basically to stay at another home.”

Ngozi Emelike: “He was saying, ‘It’s the same house,’ we are going to have a good time, it’s above the water.”

This was the new house, it looked good on paper, and it was about $10,000 cheaper…

But when they arrived at the home, some toilets didn’t flush, appliances were broken, and it was dirty. They stayed because they had nowhere else to go. But after the trip, they filed a lawsuit — to get some of their money back.

Bianca Parker: “Just get the money back, just to get the difference so that way we could actually make our parents happy and make us feel good about what we did.”

7Investigates reached out to Luxuri Management LLC. The company sent us a statement saying, “We take pride in delivering exceptional service and hospitality. It is our goal to make every say a true reflection of the care and quality our guests deserve. We worked closely with the guest to reach a positive resolution, and the matter has since been resolved.”

The family says that the resolution was a “$2,000 refund” in exchange for removing any bad reviews. When we contacted VRBO, the company immediately agreed to refund the nearly $10,000 price difference.

Ngozi Emelike: “That is amazing! I mean, for you to be able to do this for us, wow. I just want to thank you and your team for listening to us, caring about what we had to say and fighting for us.”

VRBO says if a host cancels last minute, contact customer service before accepting any new offer. It wasn’t the picture-perfect vacation this family was hoping for, but now they have money for their next trip.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Bob Carr: “This beach park has a special story.”

It can be easy to overlook the small plaque on a monument near the pedestrian bridge on Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Tucker Howell: “I’ve walked by it probably 50 times this year, I’ve never read it once.”

The tablet marks the site of a fort built in 1839 during the Seminole Wars that the US waged against Native Americans.

Bob Carr: “This was the American government’s attempt to move all of the indigenous Seminoles and Miccosukees out of Florida. And this fort was constructed with the idea of facilitating that. One of the sad chapters in American history.”

Longtime archaeologist Bob Carr led a team that uncovered incredible historical finds back in 2011.

They found military buttons, musket balls and even a pine post believed to be part of the fort.

The artifacts are now on display at the History Fort Lauderdale Museum.

Some of the findings went even further back in time.

Bob Carr: “This has been a place where people have been probably coming and going for thousands of years.”

Now, this year, for the first time, there’s an effort underway to formally designate a portion of Fort Lauderdale Beach as a historically significant archaeological site.

Michaela Conca: “This is an important heritage site, archeological site to the history of Fort Lauderdale and should be preserved for future generations.”

Michaela Conca is the president of the Broward Trust for Historic Preservation.

The nonprofit has applied for the special designation with the city.

Michaela Conca: “It’s a way of helping people understand that the world in which they live in is more than what they just see in the moment. That it runs deeper.”

Somewhere below the beach, beneath the picnic tables and palm trees, Michaela and Bob believe there are more hidden relics of the past yet to be discovered.

Michaela Conca: “There is going to be more material that comes up, I have no doubt.”

More archaeological testing at the site is set to happen in the next month.

That’s because the city’s Historic Preservation Board has asked Michaela’s group to narrow the boundaries of where they believe the fort once stood nearly 200 years ago.

Commissioner Steve Glassman: “I think the exact location is not known. So I’m very curious to see what they come up with in terms of the actual location that they want to narrow that focus down for the archeological significant site.”

Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman’s district includes this part of the beach.

Commissioner Steve Glassman: “Historic preservation is of paramount importance to me.”

Still, he believes the area’s archaeological significance is already recognized under current code.

The difference is — with an official historic designation, any new development would have to go before the Historic Preservation Board.

Bob Carr: “What’s important to say is, this doesn’t exclude the use of the park. This doesn’t exclude all the amenities and improvements. It’s the hidden history of Fort Lauderdale, it’s invisible and now it’s time to make that change.”

And by revealing the past, they hope to educate well into the future.

The organization’s proposal is set to go back before the city board on Dec. 1. Ultimately — the city commission has the final say on the matter.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Kathy Thomas has lived in her Miami-Dade home for decades.

Kathy Thomas: “I bought this house in May, June, right before Hurricane Andrew in 1992.”

Her house survived Hurricane Andrew. But she’s afraid it might not survive a plan to replace a canal bridge just outside her backyard.

Kathy Thomas: “And there’s a crack that goes around the wall here.”

The bridge is on Caribbean Boulevard and crosses the canal between Southwest 103rd Avenue and Southwest 103rd Place. It was built in 1963.

Miami-Dade County announced it would spend $3 million to replace it in 2021.

The county promised it would take a little more than a year to complete.

Kathy Thomas: “Here we are in 2025 and the bridge is a dinosaur. It’s never been finished.”

Heavy equipment was moved in behind Kathy’s home in late 2021.

Crews dredged the canal and piled everything against the fence in her backyard.

Kathy Thomas: “I was so surprised to come home one day and find a five foot wall of coral rock where I couldn’t even open the fence gate in my backyard.”

This piece of machinery was then brought in to drill massive metal panels into the ground.

Kathy says it caused her house to shake.

Kathy Thomas: “I have the sound here if you’d like to hear it. It was sort of like ‘Jurassic Park,’ the movie where they got the glass and you see the dinosaurs walking and you see the glass is vibrating. That’s exactly what it was inside my house.”

Early last year, construction came to a screeching halt. Workers disappeared.

Kathy says they left behind a mess, and some major issues in and around her home.

Kathy Thomas: “Well, I first noticed cracks in the tile.”

Kathy believes the vibrations from the piledriving have damaged her home’s foundation.

Her patio floors have become uneven, and a wall has shifted out of place.

Kathy Thomas: “You can see that whole wall is hanging off of the foundation.”

She had her home checked by an engineer.

A report blamed the damage on “…shifting and movement of underlying soil caused by associated bridge construction activities such as sheet and pile driving related vibrations…”

Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works hired a private company to replace the bridge.

The department says the contractor “…adhered to all required specifications, including vibration monitoring and property surveys for the subject property…”

However, the county fired that contractor last year.

Kathy Thomas: “What is left there is just the bare bones of what a bridge should be.”

We reached out to the company hired by the county — no one has returned our calls.

Kathy says it could cost more than $100,000 to fix all the damage to her home. She believes she shouldn’t have to be the one to pay.

Kathy Thomas: “Why should I pay for the damage that was done to my home from a county project?”

We told Miami-Dade County about the damage to Kathy’s home.

It said: “While DTPW has received feedback from neighboring property owners throughout the project, none have raised concerns related to vibrations. Nonetheless, we have connected directly with the homeowner to review and address her concerns.”

Kathy’s concerns are only growing. The county is now accepting bids to restart the bridge project.

Kathy Thomas: “And so what’s going to happen when the new company comes and begins work again? Is my house going to be subjected to more types of construction damage?”

The new bridge is not expected to be finished until 2030, and Kathy is worried a lot more trouble could lie ahead.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

On the surface, it looks like any other dive class. But these students aren’t just learning to breath underwater — they are training to rebuild the ocean floor.

Noah Fernandez: “I’ve always, always loved the water.”

Noah Fernandez grew up in Miami. He spent most of his childhood in the water — swimming, snorkeling and exploring.

Noah Fernandez: “All the reefs and the fish in the water. It’s just, it’s beautiful.”

His dream was to go deeper — literally — and become certified to scuba dive.

Noah Fernandez: “We had been wanting to get certified for a really long time, me and my entire family.”

But that dream doesn’t come cheap. Between the training and the gear, it can cost thousands of dollars.

So his parents started looking for other options and found “Jr Scientists In The Sea,” or JSIS.

Les Burke: “This was a way for me to engage kids before they got into any kind of trouble.”

Les Burke started the organization. He’s a former lawyer who handled juvenile cases. He also has a deep love for the ocean.

The nonprofit gives young people who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity — a way to earn their scuba certification for free.

In exchange, they learn how to protect and restore South Florida’s coral reefs, the third largest barrier reef system in the world.

Les Burke: “We’re engaging our most precious resource to take care of our most endangered resource.”

Noah Fernandez: “That is actually one of the coolest trade-offs ever. It sounded a little boring, but it’s super cool when you are physically doing it. It’s something you have to experience.”

The students learn how to clean, restore and even plant new coral, while also setting themselves up for success.

Les Burke: “Life-changing, there have been students, where, ‘I don’t have a clue of where I am going or what I am going to do with my life,’ and now all of a sudden, ‘I’m being offered a full ride scholarship,’ and this has happened.”

Noah is still figuring out his future, but his mom is happy they found JSIS.

Mailin Perez: “It makes me very proud of them. The things that they are learning, the experiences that they are gaining, they can’t do in a classroom. At the same time, we are doing a little bit for the Earth.”

She is so inspired, she decided to join, too. Soon, the whole family will be diving together.

Mailin Perez: “It’s a beautiful program that hopefully gets bigger.”

A family hobby, turned into a shared mission to protect South Florida’s reefs and preserve them for the future.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Basketball is big for these two South Florida brothers.

Thirteen-year-old Bryson and 14-year-old Don’Terrion play together nearly every day, with two of their closest friends, Brian McGrath and his wife, Kyra.

The four of them share a special bond.

Kyra McGrath: “They keep us young, I guess, at heart!”

It started a few years ago when Bryson was matched with Brian through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County.

Brian McGrath: “I was matched with Bryson in May of 2021, I wanted to give back to the community and I had known a few people who were involved in Big Brother Big Sisters, so I applied.”

Big Brothers Big Sisters is the country’s oldest and largest mentoring organization.

Every year, hundreds of kids in South Florida enter the program with the hope of being matched with an adult mentor, called a “Big Brother” or “Big Sister.”

The relationships that are formed can form a positive impact on a child’s life.

Jennifer Becker: “They help our kids discover who they are and believe in themselves, believe in their potential.”

Mentors are always needed. There are so many kids waiting for a big brother or big sister that there just aren’t enough to meet the demand.

Jennifer Becker: “We have 600 littles this year. We have 252 that are waiting for a mentor today.”

After Brian and Bryson were matched, they started meeting twice a month. But as their bond grew, so did their time together.

Brian McGrath: “Now I see him multiple times a week, helping with basketball practice, pick up and drop off, and we try to read most nights on the phone.”

Bryson: “Sometimes we just read throughout the day, like on weekends, if I have no school.”

Brian’s work with Big Brothers Big Sisters was recently recognized by the organization.

He was named “Big Brother of the Year” in Broward County, then went on to be named “Big Brother of the Year” in the state of Florida.

Brian McGrath: “I’ve had the opportunity to go up to Tallahassee and be in the Capitol and talk about the impact that this program has.”

The program also had an impact on Kyra. Not long after meeting Bryson, she decided to become a mentor. She already knew of someone who was looking for one, Bryson’s older brother Don’Terrion.

Don’Terrion: “Before Ms. Kyra, I had my own big brother, but then he had to do work and stuff so he couldn’t see me no more. So that’s when she asked my grandpa to take me to an NSU basketball game.”

Kyra McGrath: “He said, ‘Can you just be my big sister?’ And Big Brothers Big Sisters accommodated, we’re just one big, happy family, right!”

The two families spend a lot of time together both on and off the court.

Brian McGrath: “We’ve always enjoyed taking them out on our boat, and they love to swim in Whiskey Creek. We’ve been into fishing somewhat recently over the last year or so, and that’s been fun to learn.”

Bryson and Don’Terrion say having mentors means they always have someone cheering them on.

Bryson: “It feels like I have someone I can always talk to, relate with and someone who can always help me.”

Brian and Kyra are happy to help.

Brian McGrath: “Watching Bryson and Don’Terrion grow and mature and become better teammates on the basketball court, better students in school, It’s been really rewarding to be part of that process.”

It’s a process that started off as mentorship and has now transformed into family.

Heather Walker, 7News.

To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

These two men were on a mission to steal.

Surveillance video obtained by 7Investigates shows the pair arriving at Extra Space Storage off Miami Gardens drive on June 29th.

They enter the access code — which opens the gate — and drive in.

The truck backs into the loading zone.

The men get out and keep their heads down to avoid cameras.

An access code is entered again, which gets them inside the building.

They take two carts into the elevator and up to the second floor.

And this is where one of them makes a mistake — he looks straight at a camera.

You also see part of his accomplice’s face.

They walk down a hallway — away from the camera.

You see sparks as it appears the lock to a storage unit is being cut.

Gabriela Ramon had her things inside that unit.

Gabriela Ramon: “They knew what they were doing.”

Heather Walker: “Gabriela does not think this was random. She believes her unit was targeted because of the valuable items she had inside, and that the men knew what they were after.”

According to an inventory list submitted to the insurance company — thousands of dollars worth of designer shoes and accessories, expensive sneakers and signed sports memorabilia were stolen.

Gabriela Ramon: “It’s very specific things — shoes, bags, footballs, jerseys. They pick and chose what they wanted to take. Total estimate I can give you from $20,000 to $30,000 of stuff that was in there.”

After breaking into the unit, the men head down the elevator, carts full of Gabriela’s belongings, and start loading them into the back of their truck.

The gate goes up and they’re gone.

The theft took less than an hour.

Gabriela Ramon: “I don’t think it was smart.”

Gabriela got behind on rent payments, legally allowing the storage company to cut her lock and take these pictures of the interior.

A notice of lien was placed on her unit, but Gabriela still had time before the contents were made public for auction.

Gabriela Ramon: “They’re supposed to give you 90 days, so I’m thinking in my mind as a consumer, ‘OK, I have 90 days to get this sorted out.'”

But she never got the chance — because she discovered someone had changed her account contact information and paid off her balance.

And that gave them access to her gate code.

Gabriela Ramon: “So if that person would have made a payment to my account and wouldn’t have changed my email and my phone number, I would have been notified, ‘Hey, your unit so and so was paid off.'”

A spokesperson for Extra Space Storage tells 7Investigates:

“This was an unusual, targeted break-in that impacted one unit at this facility…”

The company says the two men on video are not employees, adding:

“We have no evidence that would point to any employees being involved…” and the company has been “…Supporting the authorities in their investigation…”

Gabriela Ramon: “I just hope they find who it is and how they were able to change my information. I want to get to the bottom of it.”

That’s why finding these two burglars may be the key to unlocking the truth.

Heather Walker, 7News.

Authorities ask that anyone with information regarding the two men shown or their vehicle call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. The truck is a black Chevy Avalanche with a Texas license plate and damage to the right rear panel.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

It has been 47 years since Jayne Kennedy was first introduced to football fans across the country.

Jayne Kennedy: “‘The NFL Today’ was guaranteed, hands down, the most impactful thing that I’ve done in my career.”

In 1978, Jayne became the first Black woman to co-host an NFL pregame show.

Jayne Kennedy: “That changed the way that the sports industry saw women in the broadcast booth and particularly women of color.”

But before breaking the gridiron glass ceiling, Jayne tells us she had to fight just to get an audition.

Jayne Kennedy: “I remember that I wanted that audition very much. And I kept asking my agent to submit me. And they kept saying, ‘They don’t want someone like you,’ and that ‘like you’ was, they didn’t want someone Black.”

She didn’t give up.

Jayne Kennedy: “I knew that I could do this show, and I wanted to do it with all my heart. So, I made sure that I did everything that I could do to not let them block my way.”

Jayne landed the job, but initially the network only gave her a six-week contract.

That is, until they were looking to score an interview with an iconic athlete in another sport.

A man who happened to be Jayne’s friend — Muhammad Ali.

Jayne Kennedy: “‘I can get you the interview,’ and they looked at me and they said, ‘Who are you?’ So I said, ‘I’m the woman who can get you the interview from Muhammad Ali,’ and I’m sitting there, and I’m scared to death. I’m going, ‘Oh, my God, please, please Muhammad, walk through the door, walk through door.’ All of a sudden, he walks through the door, and he walks straight to the camera, and he says, ‘I only do this for my friend, Jayne.'”

Muhammad Ali (during interview): “I just couldn’t resist Ms. Jayne Kennedy, and I’m granting you something special, because you are the greatest like I’m the greatest.”

Her contract was extended.

Jayne Kennedy: “I landed the big one, but I was not going to quit.”

And that no-quit attitude very much defines Jayne Kennedy’s journey. She’s now detailing her triumphs and setbacks in a newly released memoir, simply titled “Plain Jayne.”

Jayne Kennedy: “I see myself as plain Jayne. I know other people don’t, but I do.”

Last weekend, Jayne did a book signing in Coral Gables as part of a nationwide tour.

She was also recently a guest on “The Tamron Hall Show,” which airs on ABC Miami.

Jayne Kennedy: “A lot of people have been telling me, ‘You need to write a book.'”

Jayne hopes her story resonates.

Jayne Kennedy: “I know for a fact it is true — that you can always be better, as long as you are willing to open your eyes. I have been so blessed in my entire life.”

A life filled with adventure, and a career recognized with this picture of Jayne on the set of “The NFL Today.”

It’s in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture — next to other legends like The Supremes and Nat King Cole.

Jayne Kennedy: “I can’t even explain it because it was, like, it took my breath away — my heart, my heart cried, I cried, because it was such a struggle just to get there.”

She got there — and continues to write her next chapter.

Heather Walker, 7News.

To learn more about her memoir:
Jayne Kennedy 

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Virgil Widmy wants to take his family away from the violence in Haiti and start a new life in the United States. But he says the “company” that was supposed to help him immigrate has left him stranded in the Dominican Republic for nearly a year.

Virgil Widmy: “I can’t go back to my country, and I’m stuck here.”

A friend recommended Virgil use Charluna #1 Travel Agency in North Miami to get a visa and move to the U.S.

Virgil called the agency and says he spoke to a woman named Lunie Pierre.

He says Pierre promised to get him a visa to Mexico, where he could then apply for temporary protected status in the U.S.

Virgil Widmy: “I had to come here to the Dominican Republic, since she told me we’d be boarding a flight to Mexico from Dominican Republic. She told us that we would get a visa.”

Virgil says he paid the agency an $8,000 deposit, then he sent an additional $4,508 after arriving in the Dominican Republic.

But Virgil says Pierre ghosted him right before his flight to Mexico.

Virgil Widmy: “I couldn’t reach her anymore. I was supposed to be boarding on October 20th. October 19, I didn’t hear from her.”

Amide Joseph says she had a similar situation when she tried to get a visa for her brother.

She didn’t want to show her face because she’s worried about her brother’s safety. He’s still in Haiti.

Amide Joseph: “I really feel bad because he is my youngest brother.”

She says she paid Pierre $4,000, but the day her brother was supposed to leave Haiti and head to the U.S., he and the other people traveling with him were stopped at the airport.

Amide Joseph: “Their tickets were checked, and they were told that their tickets were not in the system because they were not paid.”

7 Investigates spoke with more than a dozen people in Haiti and South Florida who say they paid thousands of dollars to the travel agency or Lunie Pierre for immigration help, but never got to the U.S.

Amide Joseph: “She doesn’t want to refund the money. The money is gone.”

7 Investigates called Lunie Pierre, but she refused to answer any questions.

A former customer filed a complaint against Pierre and Charluna #1 Travel Agency with the state. It claims Pierre gave them “a fake Brazilian visa and failed to deliver the promised services.”

Pierre denied the claims and said she doesn’t own a travel agency. She added her “…brother owns a travel agency … it is based and operated in Haiti…” and they “…do not offer visa services.”

After her response, the state closed the complaint.

Patricia Elizee, immigration attorney: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Immigration attorney Patricia Elizee says, if you want to move to the U.S, your best option is to hire a lawyer, because it’s a long process.

Right now, the only legal option most Haitians have is to get a visa in a different country, then go to the U.S. Embassy and try to be accepted as a third country national.

Patricia Elizee: “And that request is not always guaranteed.”

If the request is approved, there’s still work ahead, and it involves more than just paying for a visa and getting on a plane.

Patricia Elizee: “I know people are desperate, but this isn’t the time to take risks with the funds that you have or with your immigration status.”

Virgil took the risk. He’s now stuck in the Dominican Republic, afraid to go back to Haiti.

Virgil Widmy: “I can’t go back to my country. You know, the situation, the current situation, the gangs, violence, you know, everywhere in the country.”

He’s still hopeful to start a new life with his family in the U.S., if he can find the right person to help.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Whether you see them cruising down the highway, or showing up on a celebrity’s social media, these custom cars stand out.

And they’re all made by one South Florida family.

Joe Ghattas, Owner of Apocalypse Manufacturing: “I’m Joe Ghattas, owner of Apocalypse Manufacturing, where we build the baddest trucks on the planet.”

Joe Ghattas started the company 13 years ago in Fort Lauderdale. It began as a hobby, then took off, so he brought on his wife Ashley and the rest of her family.

Ashley Ghattas: “Joe builds the trucks, and my family sells them.”

Joe Ghattas: “This is just a dream come true. I couldn’t tell you how happy I am coming to work every day, doing what we do. And how big it’s gotten, it’s wild, it just blows my mind every day.”

Everything here is big — from the cars…

Joe Ghattas: “This is our gladiator Spartan. This is one of our signature builds.”

…to the operation that creates them.

Joe Ghattas: “The secret sauce, right? That’s our [six-wheel] axle.”

The company has grown to more than 100 employees across four locations. Between their two brands — SoFlo Customs and Apocalypse Manufacturing — the company turns out about 115 trucks a month.

The price tag? Anywhere from $60,000 all the way up to half a million dollars for this stretched G-Wagen.

Joe Ghattas: “These guys right here, they pull each part out, we wrap it, we stitch it al by hand.”

Heather Walker: “This is couture.”

Joe Ghattas: “Yeah, I like that word.”

Every inch of every car is customized.

Joe Ghattas: “If you look at the car, and you can’t recognize what it started as, that’s an Apocalypse.”

Heather Walker: “That’s it.”

Joe Ghattas: “That’s it.”

And that might be the reason celebrities go crazy for them.

Jerry Eisenband, Chief Marketing Officer, Apocalypse Manufacturing: “This place doesn’t have a shortage of celebrities.”

Like Drake.

Joe Ghattas: “Drake wanted a very custom interior; he wanted a zebra pattern style. Shaquille O’Neal, who you will see on the show, celebrities and athletes love it, like Luka Dončić. He appeared Monday night, Mavericks playoff game, in one of our Apocalypse HellFires, and everyone just lost their minds.”

They don’t just look cool — they’re just as much fun to drive.

Joe Ghattas: “I think, when you look at my trucks, they’re very South Florida. We’ve got the wider tire, because we’ve got the mud, we’ve got the Everglades, we’ve got the crazier fenders, we’ve got the wilder Miami colors.”

This South Florida family’s passion for custom cars has now driven them onto the small screen — starring in the new reality show “Truck Dynasty.”

Heather Walker: “What’s your biggest lesson that you’ve learned?”

Joe Ghattas: “You’re never going to fire your family, that’s step one, so just learn how to get better with each other every day.”

The other lesson he’s learned: If you build it, they will come.

Heather Walker, 7 News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

For the first time, we are seeing video of a pregnant Daisy Link and her baby’s father Joan Depaz — behind bars.

Miami-Dade Corrections officer: “What happened, tell me exactly what happened?”

Joan Depaz: “Well…”

It was Christmas Eve, 2023. Police were called to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center to find out how Link became pregnant while she was an inmate.

Body camera video shows an officer was able to rule out rape after she asked Link if the pregnancy was planned.

Miami-Dade Police officer: “You wanted it to happen, what you did? If it’s OK with you, that’s fine. I just came here to make sure that you’re OK.”

Daisy Link: “Yeah, I’m fine.”

In a separate interview, Depaz was asked to explain how he got Link pregnant, even though they were never physically together.

Joan Depaz: “We was talking, you know, back and forth and[…]”

Officer: “How were you talking to her?”

Joan Depaz: “Nah, through the vent.”

Officer: “Through the vent?”

Joan Depaz: “Yeah.”

Officer: “OK.”

Joan Depaz: “Through the vents. Anybody would say I’m crazy, ‘Oh, you’re talking to the vent.’ Yeah.”

Then about a minute into the video, the audio on the bodycam is muted and a black box is put over Depaz’s face.

Based on his hand movements, Depaz appears to be showing the officer the strange way they conceived this baby girl.

Daisy Link: “She’s a miracle baby. She’s a blessing.”

In addition to new videos, 7Investigates also obtained jail phone calls — including one where Link and Depaz discuss their plan to get pregnant.

Joan Depaz in jail phone call: “You gonna have my baby?”

Daisy Link (in phone call): “Yeah.”

Joan Depaz (in phone call): “You wanna do it for real?”

Daisy Link (in phone call): “Yeah, send it to me.”

Depaz says he sent his semen through an A/C vent connecting their cells — using a makeshift line made out of mattress string.

Their conversation backs up what the pair told 7News in jailhouse interviews last year.

Joan Depaz: “I put the semen in Saran Wrap every day, like five times a day for, like, a month straight.”

Daisy Link: “I had placed it inside of the yeast infection applicators. From there, yeah, I administered it.”

More than a month after that first call — Link and Depaz spoke again.

Joan Depaz (in phone call): “You think that [expletive] worked?”

Daisy Link (in phone call): “I don’t know. It probably could, I’m telling you, I would have, I’m supposed to have my period.”

Then by December, Link called her mom to break the unbelievable news.

Daisy Link (in phone call): “I’m under 24-hour lockdown because I’m pregnant.”

Link’s mother (in phone call): “You’re full of [expletive.]”

Daisy Link (in phone call): “I swear to God.”

Link’s mother (in phone call): “You’re full of [expletive.] This is shocking.”

Shocking, because Link has been locked up with no bond since 2022 awaiting trial for murder.

On the call, Link told her mom she got pregnant to get out of jail.

Link’s mother (in phone call): “Daisy, how could you?”

Daisy Link (in phone call): “What do you mean? I’m gonna sue ’em and get out. Do you know how much I can sue them for? This was all planned. I can get out now.”

That never happened. Link is still at TGK.

Depaz was transferred to another jail and is now in state prison.

In July, Link told us she was punished for talking to 7Investigates.

Daisy Link: “Well right now, I’m in unit 2-2, it’s a psychiatric unit. I’m basically just sitting in a room with a mattress and a blanket 24 hours a day with the lights that don’t shut off.”

Link believes it was retaliation for saying this:

Daisy Link: “They should actually thank me. I found a huge breach in their security. I haven’t gotten a ‘thank you’ yet.”

Daisy Link: “They’re telling me that I basically made a mockery of corrections. And because of that, they’re mad. That this was inevitable to come.”

Heather: “Like a mockery in what way?”

Daisy Link: “That they didn’t know what they were doing. That they basically allowed all of this to happen.”

The director of Miami-Dade Corrections — Sherea Green — has refused several interview requests.

Her department’s investigation into Link’s pregnancy found “insufficient evidence to substantiate staff misconduct.”

But it left many questions — including about the flow of contraband in the eighth largest jail system in the country.

Heather Walker, 7News.

Last week, a judge denied Daisy Link’s motion to have her second-degree murder case dismissed based on a self-defense claim. Her trial could begin at the end of the month.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Darryl Thomas, line dance instructor: “Let’s go, let’s go.”

Step by step, beat by beat, this is much more than a dance class. For Darryl Thomas, who goes by the name Coach D, line dancing is a form of therapy.

Darryl Thomas: “You release endorphins of happiness and joy. I have never, ever, ever seen a mad or angry line dancer; you will never see it.”

He started line dancing after an injury kept him from lifting weights.

Darryl Thomas: “One thing led to another, and next thing you know, I’m a line dance instructor with a whole line dance class, with a line dance team.”

These classes started a few weeks ago in Miami. They are offered for free by the nonprofit organization Circle of Brotherhood.

Coach D is the health and wellness coordinator for the group and named the class Dance Kickin’ Therapy.

Darryl Thomas: “The whole essence of the line dancing is to bring the community together.”

Anyone can take part. All you have to do is show up, get in line, and if you mess up, Coach D says just catch up.”

Sharon Johnson, line dancer: “The instructors, they’re very nice and patient.”

Nicole, line dancer: “It just awakens you because, you know, I was kind of like getting lazy, so I was like, ‘You know what? I need to get out. I need to get back in and start dancing’ and stuff like that, so it’s a form of exercise. We really sweated in here a lot, so people have this misconception that line dancing is not hard work. It is; you put a lot of cardio in, in line dancing.”

Nicole brought her grandkids along: 8-year-old Eugene and 12-year-old Fait.

Eugene: “It was fun.”

Heather Walker: “It was? What made it fun?”

Eugene: “Because I was dancing, and I love to have fun.”

Nicole: “Show him what your favorite part was.”

Some come to learn new moves or get a workout. Others find line dancing as a way to work through life’s challenges.

Sharon Johnson: “I had a lot of grief I was going through, and dancing really helps.”

For Sharon Johnson, the unexpected benefit has been the friendships she has formed.

Sharon Johnson: “Coming and meeting new people, that’s the best part, meeting a lot of new friends.”

Nicole: “Even if you don’t know the person that you are dancing next to, it kind of like brings people together. By the time you are finished, everybody is like, yeah, you are rooting each other on and, you know, boosting everybody up.”

These shared steps are turning strangers into supporters.

Darryl Thomas: “With all the things that are going on in our nation, you know, I think the best thing to do is just to dance.”

And that’s moving in the right direction.

Heather Walker 7News.

The class are held on Wednesday night and Saturday morning. For more information, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

911 call: “They’re yelling and screaming, so I’m assuming someone is hurt pretty bad.”

On Aug. 12, sisters Aviva and Rachel Nisanov slammed the personal watercraft they were riding into a concrete dock on the Intracoastal in Fort Lauderdale.

Officials say they jumped the wake of a passing boat and lost control.

911 call: “They hit really, really hard. I mean, they were going fast.”

Thirteen-year-old Rachel did not survive.

Tyson Matthews, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson: “This is a heartbreaking loss for everyone involved in this community.”

The sisters were taking part in a guided tour. Now, 7Investigates has discovered the owner of the company that rented the watercraft to their family has had more than a dozen boating-related charges filed against him in the last five years.

His name is Esteban Granados and he’s the owner of Prime Watersports LLC.

According to Broward Sheriff’s Office records, Granados has been in and out of Broward jail three times since 2022. And there was a warrant for his arrest — issued two months ago — for failing to show up to court.

It stems from a 2021 case in Hollywood, where police say Granados was operating a private jet ski rental business in a public park.

Another case involves a separate incident back in March.

Police cited Granados for renting a personal watercraft “without instruction on safe handling” and in both 2021 and 2023 — Granados pleaded no contest and was fined for renting personal watercraft without proper safety equipment.

Over the years, Granados has also been cited for operating personal watercraft at night, vessel registration issues and conducting business without an occupational license.

None of these cases is connected to the current investigation.

Granados turned down our request for an interview.

But in a statement, his attorney said:

“This was a tragic accident… Mr. Granados is heartbroken by this tragedy and looks forward to continuing to cooperate with law enforcement to aid their accident investigation.”

And while that state investigation continues, we’ve learned the Fort Lauderdale police marine unit stopped the teenage girls for a minor violation on their jet ski and discussed safety with them. No citations were issued.

Thirty minutes later, they crashed.

The attorney told 7Investigates Granados was “unaware” an arrest warrant had been issued for him. And Granados did show up to court Wednesday morning.

A judge found him guilty in the 2021 Hollywood case and sentenced him to six months probation. The judge also warned Granados that if he is cited with another violation involving his jet ski business during that time, he would face 60 days in jail.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Sean Ramrattan spends his days as a realtor, but when he’s not closing deals, he’s cooking up great food.

He’s also cooking up comedy.

Sean Ramrattan: “I just naturally make people laugh, life of the party.”

Sean is now combining his past career as a standup comedian with his chef skills to help feed hungry kids.

Sean Ramrattan: “In the long run, the smiles and the gratitude make all the difference.”

During the COVID pandemic, Sean realized many people would go days without a meal. He knew he had to help feed the needy.

Sean Ramrattan: “So it started where I would cook 50 meals and, really, was just to feed the less fortunate, the homeless.”

As the community started to hear about Sean’s efforts, he started getting calls from families with children who were struggling to put food on the table.

Sean Ramrattan: “We were getting messages like, ‘Hey, I know a lady with kids,’ ‘I know of a granddad with his four grandkids, and he’s struggling.’ I felt like I couldn’t disappoint these kids.”

For months, Sean and his friends would prepare meals in his kitchen and deliver them to families in Southwest Miami-Dade. But they were eventually forced to stop.

Sean Ramrattan: “We were told it’s, kind of, not legal to just cook food and give to people. We were stopped by the police.”

In order to keep going, Sean started a nonprofit called Givin’ 4 Livin.’ The purpose is the same: to provide meals for local families and children.

Sean Ramrattan: “It’s like, you’re not gonna get ham and cheese. You’re gonna get a ham and cheese with a blueberry jam. You’re gonna get a turkey sandwich with pesto, mayo and arugula. Like, I’m getting chills. It excites me to know that I’m making a difference.”

Sean is moving Givin’ 4 Livin’ from his home to a commercial kitchen. But that can be expensive, so he decided the best way to raise the money is to make people laugh.

He said it was an easy choice.

Sean Ramrattan: “For like five years, I did standup comedy.”

Starting in September, Sean and a team of local comedians will host a monthly show called the Miami Comedy Jam.

All proceeds will go toward meals for kids and families.

Sean hopes each show raises enough money to feed at least 100 kids every month. And, of course, each meal will be served with a side of laughter.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you would like to donate to help Sean provide meals for children and families, you can donate to his GoFundMe here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Jorge loved his wife, Daidys, just the way she was. But she wanted a Brazilian butt lift.

Jorge Fernandez: “I say, ‘If you like it, it’s no problem.'”

But it ended up being a very big problem, changing Jorge and Daidys’ lives forever.

Daidys’ surgery was supposed to be an outpatient procedure, but about a month after the operation, she was hospitalized with a pulmonary embolism, blocking blood flow from her heart into her lungs.

Doctors told Jorge she wouldn’t survive.

Jorge Fernandez: “She was my first, like my first love.”

Today she is alive, but the 50-year-old is a shell of the vibrant woman she once was.

Jorge Fernandez: “She never more will talk or walk or eat by herself.”

She eats through a feeding tube.

Jorge is her caretaker.

Heather: “Did you ever think this would happen?”

Jorge Fernandez: “No, never.”

Jorge is now suing A&E Med Spa, along with the doctor who performed the surgery, Dr. Fermin Morales, who is certified as a general surgeon, not a plastic surgeon.

Lavenia Santos, attorney: “This pulmonary embolism occurred because of this surgery.”

According to the lawsuit, patients, like Daidys, were misled by the med spa about the doctor’s qualifications, “from representations made by the agents at A&E Med Spa, any reasonable person would be led to believe that Fermin Esteban Morales, M.D., was Board Certified in Plastic Surgery when, in fact, he was not.”

Lavenia Santos: “The woman has no idea that she is not being cared for by a board-certified plastic surgeon. That’s just wrong.”

While some people might feel it’s wrong, it’s perfectly legal for any licensed medical doctor, regardless of their specialty, to perform cosmetic or plastic surgery.

Lavenia Santos: “If the public knew that, they probably not be so willing to go, regardless of price. What happened to her shouldn’t happen to anyone.”

7Investigates found the State Surgeon General recommended in January that Dr. Morales be sanctioned after another patient died during a butt lift procedure, but state records don’t show the resolution of the case.

We tried to talk to someone from Med Spa and Dr. Fermin Morales.

The spa’s lawyer said they had no comment on the lawsuit, but in a court filing they denied the claims in the lawsuit, they also told us that Dr. Morales no longer works there.

Despite several attempts to reach Dr. Morales, he never responded. Jorge says he hopes the doctor sees what happened to Daidys.

Jorge knows the lawsuit won’t heal his wife, but he hopes it will spare another family from this kind of heartache.

If you would like to support Daidys’ road to recovery and rehabilitation, click here.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

At 16 years old, Lauren Licea had her whole life ahead of her. But in an instant, everything changed.

Stefanie Celis, Lauren’s mom: “We didn’t even know if she was gonna make it at some point.”

Lauren was the passenger in this car when it crashed in 2018. Her injuries were life-altering.

Lauren is now blind in one eye, paralyzed from the chest down, and has a breathing tube, but she is focused on the future.

Lauren Licea: “I’m very strong. I don’t get down easily.”

Through it all, two important people have been by her side: Her surgeon, Dr. Arthur Desrosiers…

Lauren Licea: “He cares, and I appreciate him.”

…and her mom, Stefanie, a Miami-Dade public school teacher.

Lauren Licea: “I don’t know what I would do without my mom.”

Stefanie Celis: “You know, she lives in pain. That doesn’t go away with anything. I would do anything to take it away from her.”

Now, Dr. Desrosiers is going above and beyond to help Lauren have a better quality of life.

Dr. Arthur Desrosiers, Lauren’s surgeon: “She’s a very special young girl, and I think I feel empathetic for her situation.”

He specializes in facial reconstruction. This is a 3-D model of Lauren’s skull.

Dr. Arthur Desrosiers: “She broke more bones in her face of any patient that I’ve ever seen survive.”

But the big problem is Lauren developed bacterial infections in her face — that cannot be treated with regular drugs. It requires monthly surgeries, but the infections keep coming back.

Lauren Licea: “It’s been almost seven years that I’ve been fighting these infections.”

Dr. Desrosiers found an experimental treatment to try to eliminate the infections once and for all. But it’s expensive and not covered by insurance. So he stepped up to help the family raise money to pay for it.

Dr. Arthur Desrosiers: “I started the foundation, The Miami Foundation For Science and Medicine, specifically to raise money for underinsured or non-insured children and indigent people that needed to get healthcare and couldn’t access it.”

The GoFundMe he organized for Lauren has raised more than $13,000 of the $40,000 needed to start her treatment.

Lauren Licea: “Without the money, unfortunately, I can’t get this medicine.”

The experimental medicine Lauren is trying to get is called phage therapy. Phages are viruses used to target and destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Dr. Arthur Desrosiers: “What we’re going to do is then take that money that we raised through the GoFundMe and use it to purchase that cocktail of phages for Lauren for her surgery here in Miami. I’m very optimistic.”

Stefanie Celis: “He’s always available for us. I haven’t gotten that from any other doctor, and we see many doctors. I appreciate him more than words can say.”

Her doctor’s actions keep Lauren hopeful.

Lauren Licea: “I do want to go to college and be independent. I want to go out more without having people stare.”

If it works, the doctor says the left side of Lauren’s face will be successfully reconstructed. While she will never be the same, it has given her a new perspective on gratitude.

Lauren Licea: “Always be yourself and love yourself the way you are, because you never know what could happen.”

A powerful reminder from a resilient 23-year-old.

Heather Walker, 7News

If you would like to contribute to Lauren’s fundraiser, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Alias has owned his home in Sunrise since 1996.

Alias Panangayil: “When I bought this house, there was no houses around. It’s all empty, and I’m the first owner.”

But recently, he started to notice some problems with his roof.

Alias Panangayil: “Last year, I saw some leaks, and then I’m planning for replacing the roof in the near future.”

When this fax, advertising a flat roof specialist, came into his office, he thought he had found a solution. He called the business, talked to a man who said his name was Tommy and that he worked for Gravity Roofing.

Alias Panangayil: “When I met him, he looked like he was a professional person, because he was wearing the name of Gravity Roofing, blue T-shirt, and his two employees who is working with him, they are also wearing the Gravity Roofing’s T-shirts. So it looks professional, you know, appearance. So we believe that it’s real Gravity Roofing staffing.”

Alias’ Ring camera caught him and Tommy walking around the house, talking about the work that needed to be done.

Alias Panangayil: “I said, ‘OK.’ Finally, I agreed, $5,100.”

Alias says Tommy asked him to Zelle part of the money. The rest he wanted in cash so his guys could buy supplies and start working the next day.

Alias Panangayil: “I said, ‘I have to go to Sunday morning, the church, so I will be available after 2 o’clock or something.’ ‘Oh, no problem, 3 o’clock, I will come because I also go to church.'”

Come Sunday afternoon, no one showed up. Alias called Tommy for days, but no one returned his call.

The work was never done. At that point, he called Gravity Roofing.

Taz Crumpler: “Someone has been impersonating our company, Gravity Roofing, using our license number, our business identity, to scam homeowners across South Florida, especially targeting the elderly.”

Taz Crumpler owns Gravity Roofing, which is based in Orlando. He started getting calls from South Florida homeowners in June.

Taz Crumpler: “So, within the last 30 days alone, we have received calls from six different families in which most were scammed out of thousands of dollars.”

Crumpler immediately filed the complaint with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. He claims some of the homeowners “found Tommy” through “Angi and HomeAdvisor.”

He then got his lawyers involved.

Taz Crumpler: “We’ve sent cease and desist letters. Even like Angi and HomeAdvisor, like they haven’t even deactivated this person’s account, even though we’ve made them well aware.”

After a month of back and forth, both Angi and HomeAdvisor put disclaimers on the Gravity Roofing profile page. Angi says, “This pro is under review.” HomeAdvisor says there are “unresolved complaints.”

Taz is frustrated because those complaints are not about him or his company’s work and are hurting his business.

Taz Crumpler: “It’s also exposing dangerous gaps in the verification process of major platforms and also has embarrassingly revealed the lack of urgency from state regulators, like the [Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation], local police departments.”

Alias Panangayil: “When I talked to the police department, they said, ‘You have to file in the court.’ That’s what they told me.”

Taz says, while his company has not lost money because of the South Florida scam, he has lost peace of mind.

Taz Crumpler: “I haven’t been able to sleep knowing that there’s someone out there taking advantage of vulnerable people, using my name to do it.”

He hopes this warning, and showing these pictures and videos, will get “Tommy” caught before someone else is caught up in his web of lies.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Chef D: “I’m Chef D. How ya’ll doing today?”

Kids: “Good!”

Chef D is welcoming his latest group of future cooks.

Chef D: “Welcome to ‘Kids Can Cook.’

Miami Chef Dario Stephen created the “Kids Can Cook” program to teach children how to make healthy and delicious food.

Samiah: “Now, because of Chef D, I can cook.”

Heather Walker: “That’s amazing! How does that make you feel?”

Samiah: “I feel great and I feel excited.”

You can feel the energy when Samiah and the rest of the kids put on their aprons and chef hats to start preparing the food.

Chef D: “You want to huuuh (making a sound). You want that bread to be like a sponge, and then you want to flip it over, and when you pick it up, it’s like, ‘Oh goodness,’ and then oh yeah.”

On the menu today: French toast.

Chef D: “Let it drip, let it drip, one, two, skip a few 99, 100”

It’s a simple recipe.

Chef D: “Higher, higher, all right.”

With only a few ingredients.

Chef D: “Little bit more, thank you.”

For Chef D, this group of students is extra special because these kids are experiencing homelessness.

His goal is to make sure they leave with much more than a meal.

Chef D: “What I see them taking away a lot of times is confidence.”

Confidence that comes from learning to cook a dish successfully.

It’s not just about cooking; it’s about embarking on an adventure.

Chef D likes to use recipes that introduce his students to new places.

Chef D: “Just like with reading, I try to take them with food to different places. So you can experience India because we just made this Indian dish.”

These classes instill a love for cooking in some of the kids.

Lanardo: “I love making it.”

Heather Walker: “Why do you love making it?”

Lanardo: “Because I want to be a chef.”

And they all love how Chef D cooks up a fun time…

LJ: “He’s really nice.”

Lanardo: “He’s very funny.”

…While learning.

Esther: “So he was making Captain Crunch Chicken, and he said, ‘When you get into a pool, do you jump in the pool or do you walk down the stairs? You walk down the stairs so you don’t splash anyone,’ so we put it in the thing and then we let it go.”

For Chef D, it’s about passing his passion onto the next generation.

Chef D: “A lot of people want to focus on health and nutrition. That’s important, but my angle is to get them to fall in love with cooking. And as they fall in love with cooking, it’s going to correct some of the practices they have with eating processed foods, because they are cooking or eating out, and eating fast food because they are cooking.”

He hopes the lessons he’s serving up will last a lifetime.

Heather Walker 7News.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

From the air, this field full of mangled and damaged cars looks like a junkyard.

The lot is behind a BSO jail in Pompano Beach.

But the vehicles here are not junk — they’re evidence.

This is where BSO stores cars involved in homicide and traffic homicide investigations.

Now, 7News has learned that on May 30th, detectives discovered someone cut through a chain-link fence and burglarized 10 cars.

Michael Gottlieb: “It’s a definite concern that those vehicles that are obviously being held for evidentiary purposes have been violated one way or the other, and that there was a failure to secure the lot appropriately.”

Michael Gottlieb is one of six defense attorneys who received this notice from prosecutors, letting them know about the burglaries.

His client, Julius Clark, is currently in jail, charged with vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter for a deadly crash in January.

The car detectives say Clark was driving at the time was one of the cars burglarized.

Michael Gottlieb: “In all honesty, until I digest all the evidence in my case, including this newly discovered evidence, I have no idea if it’ll have any effect.”

A car involved in this crash was also burglarized.

Frantz Laine is accused of driving at speeds up to 112 MPH before causing a wreck that left two people dead in Tamarac back in 2023.

While some might find this breach in security concerning, the Broward State Attorney’s Office tells 7Investigates:

“Prosecutors do not believe the burglaries will have any effect on the cases…” because “…all evidence collection and testing… was completed prior to the reported burglaries…”

Michael Gottlieb: “It’s almost offensive, because when they say evidence and testing has been done on the vehicles, that’s from the state perspective. If we were talking about blood and the blood wasn’t stored in the right way, the state wouldn’t have that response.”

The state also says key pieces of evidence, like deployed airbags and items with DNA, were removed prior to the vehicles being moved to the lot.

Gottlieb is now calling the lot into question.

Michael Gottlieb: “I mean you have to scratch your head and say with all the cameras and all the law enforcement that’s going on, and somebody’s able to do it successfully twice, that there’s a serious security failure.”

We have learned the fence was cut not once but twice. In an email obtained by 7Investigates, a BSO lieutenant wrote that after the hole was repaired, the fence was “damaged and breached again”. She called for deputies to conduct extra patrols of the area.

Michael Gottlieb: “If any of these vehicles were damaged in a way that a defendant can raise a reasonable hypothesis of innocence, those cases are at jeopardy. I understand that a lot of people are going to say, ‘OK, these are attorneys just, you know, making a mountain out of a molehill.’ When you have somebody’s life on the line, it’s not a molehill.”

BSO turned down our request for an interview but told us there have been no arrests made in the case.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Taking care of a horse is hard work, but it can also be a lot of fun.

Noah: “And now she’s licking me! Ewww!”

Grooming ponies like River gives Noah the emotional support he needs.

Mayte, Noah’s mother: “I didn’t know what to do. I was completely lost.”

Noah’s mother says her son struggled after the death of his father. A friend told her about a program called “Tomorrow’s Rainbow,” a nonprofit that provides mental health services in a non-traditional setting.

Abby Mosher, Founder of Tomorrow’s Rainbow: “We have some goats as well, but the horses have a special therapeutic component that we rely on. We believe that people feel so much better in nature.”

Abby came up with the idea 20 years ago, after the death of her husband. She and her son Dustin were able to get grief counseling through their health insurance.

Abby Mosher: “But week after week, I’d sit in the waiting room and wonder, ‘What do all the other families do that don’t have that insurance or don’t have the money for therapy?'”

Abby started Tomorrow’s Rainbow to provide free grief counseling to children and their families. Instead of working out of an office, sessions are held on the farm.

Noah: “Hi, Precious!”

Abby Mosher: “So, typical therapy, you would be in an office, and you would rely on language. You would rely on talk a lot. But when we work with the children, they really do so much better through activities, through play, through experiential interactions.”

Noah: “This is a face brush, and we have to be very careful with it so it does not go in her eye.”

While kids like Noah learn about horses, they also learn how to open up and talk about their feelings.

Mayte: “Noah tends to hold everything in until he explodes, and coming here, being around other kids who are having similar experiences, has helped him really open up and talk about what he’s going through.”

Noah: “It lets me know that I’m not alone.”

Noah: “Ah, stop licking me!”

The horses do more than just provide comfort. They also help teach the kids valuable coping skills.

Abby Mosher: “They are the only animal in the animal kingdom that has the natural ability to mirror your behavior. So when the children are working with the horse, whatever they’re giving off, the horse is going to give back to them. If they don’t like what they see, they can make those adjustments. So they learn to self-soothe and self-regulate.”

Mayte says the therapy sessions have changed her son’s life.

Mayte: “He’s smiling a lot more. That’s a big win, ’cause for a long time, he wasn’t smiling.”

Noah: “Ah, Precious!”

For Noah, the program has not only helped him cope with the death of his father but also honor his memory.

Noah: “Honestly, I think that he’ll be proud of me, see what I’ve done without him. He’ll just probably be proud of me.”

Noah: “Bye, Snickers!”

A goodbye for now, to a very special therapist.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFO:
Tomorrow’s Rainbow

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Brickell is busy with lots of people and pets, but one thing the area is lacking, is parks.

Isabel Quintero, Brickell resident: “It’s so sad.”

Which is why when the Southside Park closed, residents like Isabel Quinetro were angry.

Isabel Quintero: “I was extremely upset when I found out because this is the only park that we have in this area of Brickell.”

The park is located near The Underline off of Southwest 11th Street. But as you can see, the playground, basketball courts and the rest of the park is fenced off.

A developer has put a sales office for a new high-rise here

Isabel Quintero: “No park for the dogs, my poor baby. So many people have dogs and so many kids also. That was a park that belonged to the community. Who gave them the right to take it?”

7Investigates went to the city for answers.

City of Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo: “We have not given the park to a private developer. That park will be developed by the private developer.”

Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo represents this area. He said the park closure is temporary. It is part of an agreement between the developer and the City of Miami.

Joe Carollo: “They have the right to be upset and be angry because they don’t have the use and haven’t had the full use of that park for some time.”

But he says the deal was made with residents in mind.

In order to build here, the developer agreed to put millions of dollars into park renovations, including a new playground, dog runs and basketball courts.

For residents like Isabel, that will be nice. But the developer says it won’t be done until 2027.

Isabel Quintero: “So now, what do we do?”

Heather Walker: “Is there any way for a portion of the park to be open during this process?”

Joe Carollo: “I have been looking at that, and I hope that in the next several weeks I’ll have an answer for you.”

7Investigates will be following up. Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

At 84 years old, JoAnn Sampson is not slowing down — literally.

JoAnn Sampson, sprinter: “Eighty-four-year-old, some days I feel 48 because I’m training with my trainer, and just stretching and doing everything, so I feel a lot younger.”

We watched as JoAnn and her trainer, Eleazar Murphy, went through a morning workout in Hollywood.

Eleazar Murphy, trainer: “As a trainer, she’s like living proof of what exercise and eating right does.”

From warming up, to jumping rope and strength training.

JoAnn Sampson: “Yeah, she’s tough on me. I needed someone not to treat me like an old lady, but give me the skills and things that I need to run my race.”

Running races is this senior sprinter’s specialty — competing in the 50-, 100- and 200-meter dashes.

Eleazar Murphy: “The other trainers would be like, ‘You know, you should not be having her run.’ I’m like, ‘She’s a sprinter, number one, so she has to run,’ you know what I mean? So to tell her that she can’t run, that’s crazy.”

JoAnn Sampson: “This map is all the places where I’ve left my footprints.”

Each sticker on this U.S. map represents a place where JoAnn has laced up her running shoes.

A wall at her home is adorned with an array of medals for her accomplishments.

JoAnn Sampson: “This is my purpose. You know, we all have a purpose.”

And if you think JoAnn has been racing her whole life, think again. The retired public school teacher started running at age 62.

JoAnn Sampson: “I finished from Miami Northwestern in 1960. They didn’t have track for girls; everything was for boys. The only thing I did in high school was a cheerleader.”

JoAnn credits her soulmate of 50 years, who passed away in 2022, as the one who got her into track.

JoAnn Sampson: “‘Pump them arms, pump them arms,’ and I can hear him. I still visualize him still there, at the end of the lane, and I just get my power from that.”

In December, JoAnn finished second in her age group in the Florida Senior Games. That qualified her for the National Senior Games in Iowa, which run through Aug. 4.

JoAnn Sampson: “I’m just going to show them the bottom of my cleats. JoAnn’s still got game.”

The 2025 National Senior Games feature more than 12,500 athletes competing in 25 different sports.

Florida has the most athletes of any state in the country, and JoAnn’s mission is to draw even more attention to her fellow seniors.

JoAnn Sampson: “I feel like I was chosen for this, to let seniors know that no matter what age you are, you can do something. You know, follow your heart. We are a generation of champions.”

And JoAnn doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Next year, she will move up to the 85-to-89 age bracket and says she’s motivated by her elders on the track.

JoAnn Sampson: “We have a team of 90s. I’ll see them in National. Yeah, I want to be like them.”

Athletes embodying the phrase “age is just a number,” one race at a time.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Florida Senior Games

National Senior Games

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Money is tight for so many people right now — and having a pet can be an extra burden.

Denise Payne: “He loves people.”

Denise has cerebral palsy and said her dog, Oscar, is the best medicine.

She rescued him after Hurricane Irma.

Denise Payne: “He’s loved us ever since. He’s got quite the personality.”

He’s loving and sweet. But after surviving the hurricane, he almost died when another dog attacked him.

Denise Payne: “He was nearly murdered, brutally mauled.”

He was alive, but in bad shape.

Denise Payne: “I couldn’t let him die. He was like, ‘Mommy, I love you. Mommy, save me,’ and that’s what I did, because how can you put a price tag on life?”

The cost for care was thousands of dollars, which Denise couldn’t afford. Luckily, she found out about a group called The Pet Project.

Sue Martino: “We don’t say no, we have to do what we have to do. My job is to make sure we make the money to do it.”

Sue Martino is the executive director of The Pet Project. A nonprofit that works to keep pets with their owners during tough times.

The groups cares for about 3,000 pets by supplying vet care and in-home assistance for people like Denise.

Heather Walker: “All of this food is given out for free?”

Sue Martino: “Yes. Our clients don’t pay one penny for this service.”

Along with providing food, volunteers will also walk dogs for people.

All of the services are free thanks to donations, grants and money raised from their thrift store, Hidden Treasures, in Wilton Manors.

Sue Martino: “It’s 100% volunteer. All the stuff in here is donated. We will do everything in the world that we can to keep pets in their homes to save the animal and to save the person.”

Denise said The Pet Project has done just that by keeping Oscar alive.

Denise Payne: “They made it happen.”

She is happy to have him back home with his sister.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
The Pet Project
2200 NW Ninth Avenue
Wilton Manors, FL 33311
Website

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Maria Rincon, Kiwi’s mom: “This is my baby Kiwi over here.”

Kiwi the cockatiel is more than a pet; she is part of the tight-knit Rincon family.

Maria Rincon: “Everybody sleeps in the room with us, so yes. And when I tell you in the room, in the bed, OK?”

That’s right! They all sleep together and eat together with Kiwi and the other birds.

Maria’s daughter, Emma, even bathes with them. She was devastated when she opened the front door and Kiwi flew out.

Maria Rincon: “I never saw my daughter cry like that day.”

The family looked for Kiwi, but she was nowhere in sight.

Maria Rincon: “Every day we put the windows down and started screaming, ‘Kiwi, Kiwi,’ and I was singing the song ‘The Cucaracha,’ because I always sing that song with her, to see if she could hear me.”

Maria posted pictures online, in case someone spotted the bird. But she knew the chances of seeing Kiwi again were slim.

Maria Rincon: “I posted everywhere with no hope, because if it’s hard to find a dog, let alone a bird.”

While mom Maria had lost hope, her daughter Emma still had faith that Kiwi would come home.

Emma Rincon: “I was praying for God to bring my little birdie back.”

Days later, her prayers were answered. Kiwi was found more than 20 miles away — at Holiday Park in the Everglades.

Jeremy Rigsby: “Yeah, it was crazy. That was a long travel, that it came down here.”

While avoiding all the predatory wild animals in the Everglades, Kiwi somehow landed safely on Holiday Park mechanic Jeremy Rigsby.

Jeremy Rigsby: “It liked me, it hopped on my shoulder. It was a cool bird. It was really friendly, too.”

He knew instantly that this bird belonged to someone, so he called for help.

Desiree Peacock: “They call me on the walkie, and they say, ‘We have a surprise for you.'”

Desiree Peacock is an animal handler at the park. She has encountered all kinds of creatures, but never a cockatiel.

Desiree Peacock: “I had to begin the hunt online.”

Heather Walker: “Did you think you would find the owner?”

Desiree Peacock: “Not really.”

But she did — in less an hour.

Desiree Peacock: “I saw another woman posted a bird that looked identical to this one. They had the same orange spot, gray feathers. I started saying Kiwi, and the bird started flapping its wings, getting excited, so I was like, ‘OK, this has to be Kiwi.,”

Maria Rincon: “She texted me, and she’s like, ‘Hey, I think I have your bird,’ and she sent me the picture, and the moment she sent me the picture, I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s my baby. That’s my baby.’ You don’t need to have a mark, you don’t have to have anything when it’s your baby, you know? You feel it.”

Emma never lost faith that her feathered friend would return, and she’s grateful for her new friends at the park.

Emma Rincon: “Thank you for bringing my bird back”

Desiree Peacock: “Of course. I’m so happy you guys have him back.”

Kiwi: “Chirp.”

Desiree Peacock: “And he’s happy, too.”

Heather Walker, 7News.

Like father, like son. When you watch Larry and Lakar Davis play piano together and jam in their backyard studio, one thing is clear: They’re a dynamic musical duo.

Lakar Davis: “He was my first mentor, and we can just connect anytime we want.”

Larry Davis: “We don’t even have to speak, like, he can play, I can play. It’s a bond that we have that, I think that nobody understands outside of me and him.”

You might not know Larry’s name, but you’ll definitely know his music. Back in the 1970s, Larry played trumpet for the Village People.

Larry Davis: “People still remember them. They come up to me, and they won’t even sing the ‘YMCA,’ they’ll sing my part, and I’m like, ‘How do you know my part out of that song?’ So, it makes me feel kind of good that I was part of the music.”

Lakar Davis: “Every, like, banquet or, like, a dance that I go to, the ‘YMCA’ always just randomly plays, and then everyone turns their heads towards me and my dad, and I always think that’s great.”

Larry went on to tour with some big names like Prince and Rick James. He still performs to this day, and now his son Lakar is starting to chart his own course in the music world.

Lakar Davis: “It’s very, like, full body work.”

The 17-year-old just completed his first season drumming with Legacy Production Company, a nonprofit for young musicians.

They practice at Mater Lakes Academy in Northwest Miami-Dade, and compete against teams in Florida and across the country.

Lakar Davis: “Every year, they come up with a theme and a story behind it, and we have to learn how to use our body and the melody to portray that story to the audience.”

Legacy’s founder and president, Jacques Bernard, was a band member at Hialeah Senior High School.

Jacques Bernard: “I went to school to go to band. That was my day.”

The 38-year-old started Legacy shortly after his father’s death to honor his love of music.

Jacques Bernard: “You would always know when my dad would come home, because you would hear his car pull up, and all you hear is music.”

The organization started with 13 members in 2021 and currently has 76 people. Most are ages 14 to 21.

All had to go through an audition process to get in. The group has music arrangers and a production designer.

Jacques Bernard: “You have Broadway theatrics, you have the musicality of a concert group, and you have the demand of a marching band or a drum corps. And that’s all being built into one.”

Lakar will soon be marching on. He’s attending Florida International University in the fall, where he is auditioning to be part of the band’s drumline, and he plans to come back for another season with Legacy.

Lakar Davis: “And, since me and my dad have a legacy, it’s great to also see that they have a legacy that’s carrying on from four years ago, and then I get to be part of that.”

Larry Davis: “We’re watching the second generation come in under us. It’s great.”

A legacy built on passion and talent, that is surely music to this father’s ears.

Heather Walker, 7News.

For more information about Legacy Production Company, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Going on a cruise can be a lot of fun.

Natasha Roosekrans: “We had an amazing vacation.”

Randy Roosekrans: “That’s true.”

Randy and Natasha Roosekrans say their cruise to Europe was smooth sailing, but getting to the ship was a rough ride.

Randy Roosekrans: “I apologize, I was trying to make it easier.”

Officer: “You’re not, so keep your mouth shut at this point.”

Back in April, Randy and Natasha flew from Georgia to Fort Lauderdale for a three-week cruise.

They decided to Uber from their hotel to Port Everglades.

It was their first time using the app.

Randy Roosekrans: “When we were thinking back about everything that happened, that at any point during the process of the ride, our lives were potentially at risk.”

They say everything seemed legit at first.

Natasha Roosekrans: “It was the right car that was advertised and it had the Uber sign.”

Randy Roosekrans: “It matched the number.”

The driver even had Randy’s Uber confirmation code, a four-digit pin number drivers and riders get when a trip is booked.

Randy says it didn’t take long before things took a wrong turn.

Randy Roosekrans: “Ten minutes in, the driver starts kind of looking around himself and, you know, feeling over on his seat. He said ‘Well, I seem to have left my wallet somewhere.'”

Port Everglades requires everyone over 18 to show an ID at the checkpoint, including rideshare drivers.

The driver pulled over and asked Randy to get behind the wheel.

Randy thought he was helping.

Randy Roosekrans: “He said, ‘You’ve got your passport on you, and so, why don’t you just switch places with me and drive in.’ Well, he got into the passenger seat. I came out of the backseat and got in the driver seat.”

The plan didn’t work.

The officer at the checkpoint asked everyone in the car for their IDs. The Uber driver was sitting in the passenger seat next to Randy. Things kicked into high gear, and Natasha caught it on video.

Officer: “Where’s your ID?”

Driver: “I try.”

Officer: “Produce it! Produce it for me, now! Don’t play like you don’t understand what I’m saying.”

Driver: “No! No!”

Officer: “You wanna play that game, I’ll put you in handcuffs and tow your car.”

Officers took the driver’s phone and checked his Uber account.

Officer: “I can’t verify your account, so it sounds to me like you’re operating on somebody else’s account and not your own. I’m writing you a notice of violation because you don’t have identification that matches with your Uber account. That’s a problem.”

An officer then told Randy and Natasha their driver was using a family member’s account to pick up fares.

Lady Officer: “What’s happening right now is illegal, okay?”

Randy and Natasha had to get out of the car and find another ride to the pier.

Randy Roosekrans: “It was embarrassing for us.”

Natasha Roosekrans: “We’re standing there with our luggage, just, in the middle of the street.”

To add insult to injury, when they filed a complaint with Uber and requested a refund, the company told them, “This trip isn’t eligible for a refund.”

Randy Roosekrans: “Illegal driver, you know, not his car, asked the passenger to drive him in, got detained by the police. We were escorted out by the police. If this doesn’t qualify for a refund, I’m gonna have you tell me what does.”

We emailed Uber to ask why Randy and Natasha weren’t eligible for a refund.

A representative said they would look into the complaint and the couple got their money back the same day. But Natasha says it’s not really about the cash.

Natasha Roosekrans: “It has to do with the safety of passengers. What if it’s a young kid that’s Ubering someplace?”

Things may have started off rough, but Randy and Natasha didn’t let it wreck their vacation.

They just hope rideshare apps work harder to pump the brakes on bogus drivers.

Heather Walker, 7News.

Broward Sheriff’s Office issued the driver two citations and a trespassing warning. He will also have to pay a $2,000 fine.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

The train departed from Chicago and was headed to Miami when it stalled out on the tracks just outside of Jacksonville.

Passengers aboard said the train turned into an oven while they sat there with no air conditioning inside. Local authorities even came by to check on them.

“The train is extremely hot. There is no power, none of the toilets work. So, it’s becoming very uncomfortable inside and it’s probably 95-plus degrees. The Nassau County Sheriff’s Office did a wellness check on everyone,” said Chris Brockett. “I asked, ‘Can we get off?’ and they said, ‘You can get off, we’ll escort you off, but you can’t get back on. It’s your own decision.’ We said, ‘Get us off.'”

Brockett said they were supposed to arrive at their destination by 6:30 a.m. but had been stranded since 10:30 a.m.

“We were told that it was an engineer who had been over his allotment of hours, and they’re going to be bringing in another engineer very quickly and will be back on the way in no time. That never happened,” said Brockett.

He said multiple passengers were treated by paramedics, with some being taken to the hospital, due to the sweltering conditions aboard the train.

“I was concerned about people who had high blood pressure. That’s why they were making sure that people have their medication, they were trying to get them to cool off and bring them water,” said Brockett.

After being stuck in a standstill for several hours, the train finally began moving again around 5 p.m.

According to one passenger aboard, they believed the train had close to 300 passengers when it stalled out and only a few stayed to finish the last stretch of their trip once it got fixed.

For those who chose to leave the train, Jacksonville Transportation Authority shuttles helped them reach their destinations.

Asha Walker, founder of Health in the Hood: “How about some tomatoes? Let’s do it.”

To grow a garden, you need some dirt…

Asha Walker: “Let’s crack open those seeds.”

Sunshine and…

Asha Walker: “What do you think the last thing we need to do is?”

Genesis: “Watering.”

Asha Walker: “Girl, you are a pro.”

This community garden in Pinewood, near Miami’s West Little River neighborhood, is a place where people can learn to plant, pick and enjoy food — fresh from the garden.

[Genesis pulls a sweet potato from the ground.]

Asha Walker: “Woo! That’s a big one. We had to work for that guy.”

Heather Walker: “What do you think about this?”

Jennifer Richards, Genesis’ mom: “Honestly, I love it, I love it.”

Jennifer Richards and her daughter Genesis recently moved to Pinewood and just happened to stumble upon the garden.

Genesis: “It’s very fun, and it’s very cool.”

Jennifer Richards: “I really like this aspect, the fact that this is an open garden in the neighborhood for kids to just stop by, learn certain things and just to have fun in it. Especially for her, since she loves to garden, so I love the aspect of having something so close for her.”

That was the goal when Asha Walker started these gardens with her nonprofit, called Health in the Hood.

Asha Walker: “Our mission is equal food access for all.”

Many inner city areas in South Florida are in what the Food and Drug Administration calls “food deserts,” which is any area more than a mile away from a grocery store.

Asha Walker: “If you are living in a community that’s more than a mile away from a grocery store, you don’t have a car, you don’t have extra disposable income, but if you have it growing in your backyard, it’s a totally different scenario.”

Which is what prompted Asha to bring fresh grown vegetables to the neighborhood through urban farming.

Asha Walker: “Urban gardens are really the heart of our model. We go into a neighborhood that you wouldn’t typically think of seeing a garden in, and we transform what was a vacant lot into a vibrant vegetable garden, and it truly transforms the neighborhood.”

Nikki Fowles has been working for Health in the Hood from the beginning.

Asha Walker: “She is totally the heart and soul of this program.”

She has seen the changes these gardens create in the community.

Nicole Fowles: “We have had a large impact. We’ve had a lot of the elder people that doesn’t drive anymore and doesn’t work.”

Along with planting gardens, Health in the Hood leads community nutrition education programs and holds food distribution events.

The food in the gardens is open to anyone in the neighborhood. They can pick what they need and take it home to enjoy with their family.

Nicole Fowles: “To grow your own food, and to actually be able to share it with others, it’s a wonderful feeling, Mama. It’s a beautiful feeling to give back.”

Heather Walker: “What was your favorite part?”

Genesis: “Planting the green beans.”

Asha Walker: “A little bit of love, a little creativity and some healthy soil, and you can truly transform a neighborhood.”

Genesis: “I want to come tomorrow.”

Jennifer Richards: “We’re going to come back later.”

Asha Walker: “Bye, thank you guys.”

Genesis: “Bye.”

These gardens are growing happier, healthier futures one row at a time.

Heather Walker, 7News.

For more information about Health in the Hood, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Arrested again.

Video obtained exclusively by 7Investigates shows Gregori Arzumanov in a blue shirt, sitting with his hands behind his back.

He was arrested earlier this month at Turnberry On The Green Condominium in Aventura. And it’s not the first time the 63-year-old has been handcuffed here.

Just eight months earlier, Arzumanov was taken by police through the lobby of the luxury high-rise.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle: “It turns out there was trouble in paradise.”

At this news conference last October, Arzumanov was accused in an “intricate fraud case,” with him serving not only as the board president of the condo building, but also as property manager and chief engineer.

Investigators say he used “…threats and fear as a means to maintain control…”

Aventura Police Chief Michael Bentolila: “He took over, not just the building, but all, everything going on around the building, every asset used in and around the building. It was a complete takeover. I’ve never seen anything like this in my entire career.”

Arzumanov has already been accused of stealing more than $1.5 million dollars from his fellow residents, spending it on things like art and airplane fuel. But as he awaits trial on those state charges, he’s now been hit with federal charges and in the new case, prosecutors say, he was not acting alone.

Robert Hills, condo owner: “We received notification that there was an issue of monies that had been wired or transferred.”

Robert Hills owns a condo unit here and says he asked Arzumanov about that missing money.

Robert Hills: “I confronted Gregori in the lobby and said, ‘What is this?'”

This has to do with an additional $726,251 that disappeared from condo funds. And it led to the recent indictment of Arzumanov and another person on federal wire fraud charges. Both are accused of conspiring to transfer cash from the condo association’s bank account to other accounts “…for their own use and benefit.”

The co-defendant’s name has not been released because the individual “…has not yet been arrested.” But Robert remembers questioning Arzumanov about that person.

Robert Hills: “He said, ‘Well, he’s left the country and don’t worry, we have insurance.'”

Now, it’s Arzumanov who has plenty to worry about.

7News producer: “Sir, do you have any reaction to the new federal indictment?”

He had no comment on camera after his arraignment on Monday.

7News producer: “Is there anything you would like to say to your fellow unit owners?”

Arzumanov has pleaded not guilty in both his federal and state criminal cases.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Monday nights at Brian Piccolo Park are all about soccer. These guys are doing more than just playing for fun; they’re playing to lose.

Igor Felicioni: “And I’ve lost, since I’ve started, I’ve lost about 20 pounds.”

Mario Fernandez: “I’ve lost 30.”

The players are all members of the MAN v FAT sports league. It helps men improve their health by playing weekly soccer games. The program started 10 years ago in the United Kingdom.

It immediately became a hit with guys who wanted to have a fun — and easy — way to improve their health.

Richard Crick: “These aren’t the guys that are looking for the perfect diet. They actually just need to reduce their calorie intake, lower their snacks, less takeaways, less alcohol, more physical activity, more walking.”

Last year, organizers took MAN v FAT to South Florida. MAN v FAT Broward currently has four teams made up of men of all ages. Players have to be at least 18 years old and be considered “clinically overweight.”

They don’t need to know how to play; they just have to be willing to get up and get active.

Richard Crick: “And they’re all united by that fact of looking after each other and losing some weight, getting out and having fun.”

Igor Felicioni plays several positions for his team, Ozempic Lyon. He said his family is his biggest reason for taking on the challenge of getting into shape.

Igor Felicioni: “I just want to hang out with my son more. And I get tired when I play with him and, you know, I figured I need to be there.”

The players are all weighed before each game. For every two players that lose weight, an extra point is added to their team’s score in the game. It’s a way for all players to help their team win, even if they don’t make a single goal.

Mario Fernandez: “For us, for the ones of us that don’t score many goals, it’s a way to contribute to the team as well.”

Sixty-year-old Mario Fernandez never played soccer before joining MAN v FAT. Joining Team A1C Milan was the perfect fit, because it’s helping him control his diabetes.

Mario Fernandez: “I’m in the pre-diabetic range now, so that’s been a big plus. And losing weight is great. I feel so much better.”

Coach Felipe Herrmann tracks the players’ weight each week. He said, at the beginning of the season, many of them were dealing with depression and cut themselves off from the world.

Felipe Herrmann: “They were not able to go in public places because they felt bad about it. They weren’t able to go the gym because they feel that they’re being judged by that.”

But as the pounds fall off, their self-esteem goes up.

Felipe Herrmann: “But the good story is that now, most of them are getting back to normal lives. They’re able to go to the beach, go to clubs, go to the gym.”

The players also gain a team of supportive friends they look forward to seeing every week.

Mario Fernandez: “You know, friendships that we’ve made and the pounds that we’ve lost.”

So far, MAN v FAT Broward has collectively dropped over 500 pounds in two seasons.

It shows that sometimes the best way to win is to lose.

Heather Walker, 7News.

MAN v FAT has also started teams in Miami-Dade.

For more information on the MAN v FAT league, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Summer is here and with the rise in temperature can come a rise in violence.

Lamont Nanton: “When you live in conditions that are not favorable, whether it’s the actual conditions of the home or the violence or just a lack of resources, it creates anger, it creates frustration.”

This area in Miami near Liberty City is called Buena Vista.

Lamont Nanton: “It’s public housing. So here, you will have people in low income brackets.”

Barbara French: “I got three kids and all four of us have been shot here.”

It was once one of the most violent neighborhoods in Miami until the nonprofit group, Circle of Brotherhood, started deploying peacemakers to the area. Men like Ernest.

Ernest was once involved in street violence. He was shot and left paralyzed. Now, he is trying to save others from a similar fate — like this high school athlete who has dreams of making it to the pros.

Ernest: “Look where you at man and you are still keeping your head down and still going out of this gate and going to make sure you handle your dreams, bro.”

The peacemakers do just that – make peace. They work to de-escalate situations and teach others those same skills.

Heather: “Do you think they have helped reduce violence in your neighborhood?”

Resident: “Yeah, yeah it died down. Some people, they are scared to come back over and visit because of them.”

And the statistics support that — showing homicide rates have dropped by double digit percentages in the areas patrolled by peacemakers. But despite proof the program is working, federal funding for the Brotherhood has been cut.

Lyle Muhammad: “For it to happen to be quite honest, days before summer, to me, that is actually a death wish.”

In April, Circle of Brotherhood executive director, Lyle Muhammad, received an email saying their three-year, $2-million grant was “terminated.”

Lyle Muhammad: “When funding for work like ours goes down, violence goes up.”

Heather: “If they disappeared from your neighborhood, how would you feel?”

Resident: “Well, that would be bad because, you know, I feel safe talking to them. That would be terrible, you know, if they cut them off like that.”

The Circle of Brotherhood didn’t give up. The group went to work and started fundraising.

A social media telethon brought in more than $75,000 in just three weeks.

Lyle Muhammad: “It’s been beautiful to watch to me, to be honest. It’s not just the funds being raised, but it’s the awareness in the community that is being built.”

For now, they are operating week-to-week until they meet their $1.6 million fundraising goal.

That’s enough to keep the program running for one year.

Lyle Muhammad: “Our work has helped drive crime down across the entire county. This work is worthy of support.”

Lyle is hoping that even if the federal government doesn’t see the benefit, the community will.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Heather Walker shares their digital detox in tonight’s 7Spotlight.

Inside KLA Academy in Miami, a group of super smart fifth graders studied the history of communication, from the telegraph to the internet, and technology’s impact on their young brains.

Alana: “So, we were learning about, like, our prefrontal cortex and, like, our impulse control and, like, how our brain hasn’t developed yet, and it’ll develop at, like, 25.”

Amy Crehore, teacher: “They already were like, ‘I feel like I’m addicted to my phone or I feel like I am addicted to tablet,’ and then this was the language, and the brain science, behind why you are.”

But attempting to break that addiction is where this school project got personal.

Maggie: “There’s a lot of pressure nowadays. Like, if you don’t answer, like, a message, like, a text message in, like, five minutes, it’s like, ‘did you look at what I sent you?'”

Twelve-year-old Maggie and 11-year-old Alana helped convince the rest of their class to join them in a 21-day digital detox.

Their teacher, Amy Crehore, says her students came up with the ground rules, which included nights and weekends.

Amy Crehore: “So it was basically, like, their parents had to lock away their phones, their tablets, their video game consoles.”

The students recorded video diaries during school hours to describe the highs and lows.

Day 9 / Sophie: “I’m not missing my device at all.”

Day 9 / Eva: “This is actually harder than I thought.”

Day 9 / Elena: “The struggle is real guys. It’s there. I miss my iPad.”

Under each student’s name is their average daily screentime.

Alana: “The first week was like getting used to it. I would be like, ‘OK, I’ll just call you later, don’t worry’, and then I’d be like, ‘I can’t call you later.'”

The goal was to see how taking a three-week tech break would impact things like sleep, mood, focus and creativity.

Day 4 / Eloy: “I’ve had a lot more patience, actually than I used to, so that’s also improved a lot.”

Day 15 / Maggie: “I started a book, like, a book from my house.”

Day 17 / Elena: “One thing I’ve been noticing about my productivity is that, like, I’ve been making my bed. Which is very, like, not usual for me.”

Amy Crehore: “They definitely, like, reflected that they slept better. They felt more connected with their parents.”

Amy says she wasn’t surprised by the positive effect the experiment had on her students.

Amy Crehore: “What I was surprised about was the fact that they were able to, like, go through the 21 days and not give up.”

And while not everyone was swayed…

Day 19 / Matias: “I feel like this was just a waste of time, I could be catching up on the TikTok trends right now.”

…Alana and Maggie say their digital habits have changed.

Alana: “So now I do three days a month without any devices. So I do like a mini digital detox for three days.”

Maggie: “Honestly, I do not want to be the teenager that spends, like, their whole day like watching stuff.”

And for all the kids watching, Alana has a message — just not by text…

Alana: “If you’re, like, ever feeling, like, terrible about yourself, and you’re on the screen, I think you know why, and I think that you should stop. It’s honestly just like a game, like, either you let the phones win, or you win.”

And maybe we can all win, with a break from our screens.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Two years have passed since Ana Vieira hired Alco Windows and Doors LLC to install impact windows at her Margate home.

The windows never arrived, but she was still being forced to pay for them.

Ana Vieira, homeowner: “I should not be penalized for somebody’s mistakes!”

Back in February, 7News revealed she was one of several homeowners with similar stories.

All of them say they got a loan to pay Alco Windows and Doors LLC, but either work was never started or jobs weren’t finished. It left them on the hook for thousands of dollars.

Ana says she refused to pay it back.

Ana Vieira: “My loan was, starting off, was $10,028.36. All I want and demand is for that loan to be out of my credit history.”

Homeowners are taking their cases to court. They are not only suing the window business but also the financing company that gave them loans to pay for the work.

Hal Axler: “Hopefully there will be some justice for this.”

The homeowners say an employee with Alco Windows and Doors LLC signed them up for loans through an online lending service called Momnt. It connects construction companies with banks to provide financing for customers.

Hal Axler: “Everything’s on a tablet. Everything was very quick and easy.”

Hal Axler was approved for a $10,000 loan.

The money was sent directly from Momnt to Alco Windows and Doors LLC, but no work was ever done, and no one from the window company would respond to his calls. Hal also called Momnt for help but didn’t get anywhere.

Hal Axler: “It got to a point where, you know, especially when Momnt would not return any calls, their customer service, you would email them and they were nonexistent.”

Several lawsuits have been filed against Alco Windows and Doors LLC, Momnt Servicing Company LLC and one of two banks that provided the money for the loans.

One lawsuit claims Momnt Servicing Company LLC and the banks were involved in “deceptive practices” by issuing payments without checking “whether Alco Windows and Doors LLC has pulled permits or initiated work.”

Attorney Yasha Osby says Momnt would send money to Alco Windows and Doors LLC before work was even started, adding that financing companies usually wait until a contractor has pulled a permit before sending any money.

Yasha Osby, attorney: “Why did you guys pay this company a full payment? And you didn’t even have evidence that they pulled a permit?”

Osby is representing five homeowners who are asking for the loans to be canceled or be awarded enough money to pay them off.

Yasha Osby: “They’re stuck with the loan for a service that they have never received.”

Momnt Servicing Company LLC tells 7News, “We are committed to resolving disputes and fulfilling our obligations to our consumers. We investigate all claims thoroughly and take appropriate action based on the results of the individual investigation.”

And just this week, Ana was notified her account was closed and the loan was taken off her credit report.

Ana Vieira: “Finally, I’ll be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

The other homeowners haven’t heard anything about their loans.

Ana says at least she can finally close the door on this devastating financial storm.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

When we first met Carolyn, the 78-year-old had been living in her car for nearly two months.

Carolyn: “It can happen to anyone. Don’t think it can’t, because I never thought about it.”

She slept sitting up, in well-lit parking lots, to stay safe.

Carolyn: “Since I’ve been here, I sleep here in this seat, scrunched down. My ankles and legs are swollen from having to sit all the time. I buy jug water — it’s cheaper — and I eat one meal a day, for $2.02, and then I get a free senior drink.”

What a difference a month makes.

Carolyn: “It’s unbelievable. I mean, I’m in shock. Everything’s moved so fast, everybody’s been so wonderful.”

And things were about to get more wonderful, because in just days, Carolyn would no longer be living in this hotel room.

This is Carolyn’s new home: a beautiful one-bedroom apartment in a 55-plus community.

Her new living arrangements were made possible by state and local leaders working together after seeing Carolyn’s story on 7News.

Cassandra Rhett, City of Pompano Beach: “I know that it touched so many people’s lives.”

Cassandra Rhett, the Housing and Social Services Manager for the City of Pompano Beach, had been trying since late April to find Carolyn a place to live — without any luck.

Because the number of homeless seniors is on the rise.

Cassandra Rhett: “The need is just overwhelming, and we can’t keep up. You know, we need housing for them, we can’t keep up. A lot of places that are taking the elderly are full.”

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs worked with local agencies to help Carolyn after being contacted by the offices of State Senators Jason Pizzo and Ileana Garcia.

State Sen. Ileana Garcia: “Seniors also not being able to catch up with the cost of living. It’s disheartening, we see it often. The most important thing that people can do is reach out — incessantly, insistently. Someone says ‘no’ to you, pick up the phone and call someone else.”

Carolyn’s story clearly struck a nerve. Thousands of you flooded our social media accounts with comments of support.

But it wasn’t just words. People donated more than $9,000 to help Carolyn get back on her feet.

Carolyn: “Absolutely amazing. And I really thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. And it’s gonna go to good use. It’s just a new chapter in my life.”

That new chapter began Tuesday morning, when All My Sons moved Carolyn’s belongings from a storage unit to her new home, for free.

The rent is nearly $1,200 a month, but Broward County’s Elderly and Veterans Services will be chipping in more than $300.

Meaning, Carolyn will only have to pay $864 a month, which she can afford with her Social Security.

Carolyn: “It’s amazing. And I’m not an emotional person, but you’re gonna make me cry — and I’m not crying on camera, I can tell that right now.”

Once she settles in, Carolyn wants to start paying it forward.

Carolyn: “I’ve told Cassandra I want to be active and working with the homeless.”

Through it all, Carolyn has not lost her compassion, sense of humor or loyalty to the only roof she had over her head during her darkest hours.

Carolyn: “I still love my car. My mechanic tells me, ‘You got to get rid of it, Carolyn.’ I says, ‘You gonna get rid of me ’cause I’m old?’ It goes where I go.”

Thankfully, she just won’t be living in it anymore.

Heather Walker, 7News.

If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness:

Florida Department of Elder Affairs
Elder Helpline: 800-963-5337

Broward County Homeless Services
Homeless Helpline: 954-563-HELP 

211 Broward 

City of Fort Lauderdale Homeless Resources

Miami-Dade Homeless Trust
Homeless Helpline: 877-994-4357

211 Miami

City of Miami Homeless Assistance

Monroe County Homeless Services
800-528-6595

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

It’s like an Airbnb- but for dogs. Heather walker shows us in today’s 7 Spotlight.

Isa Ega, property owner: “They love it, they just love it, you can see their face.”

These are the happy faces of dogs. They’ve come to play in Isa’s backyard using an app called Sniffspot. It was created by a dog owner who was looking for more space where his dog to play.

David Adams, Sniffspot founder: “Every dog is designed, you know, through breeding, through evolution to be free. Run free, sniff what they want, explore, but they aren’t doing that. They are living on leashes and couches today.”

Much like these pampered pooches, 7-year-old Tera, and her 7-month-old sister.

Nadine Heubel, dog mom: “Pipa! Pipa!”

Heather Walker: “These are big dogs.”

Nadine Heubel: “Yes.”

Heather Walker: “Lots of energy?”

Nadine Heubel: “Lots of energy, especially this one.”

These dogs have their own pool at home, but they don’t like the water. They like to run.

Heather Walker: “This is the backyard space, gorgeous.”

Nadine Heubel: “Thank you.”

Heather Walker: “But, no yard for them to play.”

Nadine Heubel: “No.”

And dog parks weren’t an option.

Nadine Heubel “She is the most gentle dog you can imagine, but she doesn’t like all dogs. So she’s a little bit ‘dog-selective’, and I couldn’t go to a normal dog park.”

So she started looking online for other options.

Nadine Heubel: “This is how I found Sniffspot.”

Here’s how the app works. You rent private properties by the hour, prices start at 10 dollars. You can browse photos and look at reviews.

David Adams: “It’s just for you during your visit. You can take your dog there, let them run, play games, hang out, bring friends. Do whatever you want. It’s a really fun time.”

Fun for the property owners, too.

Heather Walker: “What made you decide to do this?”

Isa Ega: “Well, number one, we love animals, we love animals and it’s an extra income.”

Isa makes about a thousand dollars a month from the app.

Isa Ega: “It’s not only about the money, it’s just like when you love animals, you see, then, like, I have rescued many animals, and you see them abused or on the street, and then you see them having this life, you know, it’s beautiful.”

And get this; Florida is now number one on the app, offering the most locations. So you are likely to find something your fur baby will like.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Sniffspot Private Dog Park Rentals

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

Julie Janides knows having kids can be expensive. After paying for their food and clothes, there’s little left over for fun things like toys.

Julie Janides, ToyTrader app creator: “I truly believe that like toys are the tools of childhood, so everyone should have access to them.”

But many parents feel guilty if they can’t afford the toy their child wants. They feel bad again when it’s time to get rid of toys the kids have outgrown.

Julie Janides: “Within 28 days, the kids are typically completely over their toys, anyway, but then, you know, you feel like you’ve spent so much money on them, so you don’t really want to get rid of them, because ‘I just spent a bunch of money on these toys.'”

Julie has four kids, so her house is packed with all kinds of Legos, dolls and stuffed animals. She has tried selling some online, but it hasn’t been worth the effort.

Julie Janides: “I found myself constantly on Marketplace and buying and selling toys. And then, ultimately, you end up just giving them away because there’s so many, and you’re just overwhelmed “

Julie figured other parents were in the same boat … so she created the ToyTrader app.

Parents post toys their children no longer want and exchange them for something different. It’s a way for kids to get new toys — for free.

Julie Janides: “It’s a little bit of a new concept for people, but it’s meant to kind of help families.”

Families post a picture of the toy along with the price they originally paid for it. That number is transferred into points that are called coins. Users can earn coins by posting and selling toys and referring new users.

Instead of paying for an item with real money, users buy it with coins they collect in the app.

Julie Janides: “Hit ‘buy item,’ and it will reserve it for you, and then you meet up with the person or, you know, schedule some sort of pickup option, and the coins will automatically transfer within the app.”

They can keep the toy, or even eventually give it back and get something else.

Nalene Rampersaud Baker, founder of Supermoms and app user: “There’s lots of learning toys, there’s lot of comfort toys, and there’s lots of toys for lots of kids, like, if you have two or three kids, for them to play together.”

Julie’s app has already caught the attention of a South Florida parent support group called Supermoms.

Nalene Rampersaud Baker: “Moms leverage technology, and in a lot of cases, we leverage technology to make our life easier, because we’re always multitasking.”

ToyTrader launched just a few weeks ago — and already has 100 users who are exchanging toys throughout South Florida.

Julie Janides: “So, it really does feel great just knowing that this gives families the opportunity to effortlessly get the toys to the kids without having to spend any money and not feel guilty about it.”

With summer approaching, Julie says ToyTrader can help parents create a fun experience for kids without breaking the bank.

Heather Walker, 7News.

The ToyTrader app is currently available for download on the Apple Store and Google Play. For more information, click here.

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

They paddle separately — but as one — with intensity and precision.

Teresa Murphy, Team USA Breast Cancer Paddler: “I didn’t expect to build such deep personal relationships with so many people as a result of being in a sport. They are my BFFs.”

Teresa Murphy is describing her teammates. “BFF” stands for Broward Fierce Fighters.

The name is fitting, because the women on this boat have fought for their lives. All have survived or continue to battle breast cancer.

Teresa Murphy: “The fact that we can be out here doing something that helps us mentally, emotionally and physically to navigate some of the challenges that we have from surgeries — from just the emotional impact of having cancer.”

Teresa has been a Miami-Dade Public Schools teacher for 32 years, even winning the county’s prestigious Teacher of the Year award.

Teresa Murphy: “Definitely the highest honor in my career, being the Teacher of the Year, nominated by your peers.”

In 2020, during the pandemic, she continued to teach her third grade class virtually — without telling her students she was undergoing chemotherapy.

Teresa Murphy: “My students are the ones that helped me get through a difficult time. In education, we’ve long done the three Cs — common core curriculum — and in my case, in 2020, it was cancer, chemo and COVID. I can laugh about it because I’m here, so 100%.”

One hundred percent is what Teresa and her teammates try to give each time they get on the water.

Teresa Murphy: “We’re giving it our all, we’re putting everything out there.”

We rode along on a sunny Sunday morning in Hollywood for a team practice.

Teresa Murphy: “When we’re on the water, we’re just paddlers — cancer aside, all of our ailments aside.”

They’re paddling a dragon boat — a watercraft that traces back to ancient China. The team has competed and won dragon boat races.

Karen Eisen, Broward Fierce Fighters: “When we race, we feel it in our personal race, and so, when Mary, our captain, will say, ‘It doesn’t matter if we get the gold,’ it does matter if we get the gold, because we personally won.”

Now, just three years after first stepping foot in a dragon boat, Teresa is taking her competitive drive to the next level.

Teresa Murphy: “It was very intense.”

She tried out and was chosen to be one of 35 paddlers to represent Team USA in this summer’s World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Germany.

Teresa Murphy: “It is the first Team USA breast cancer team. So, it is a historical honor to represent the United States, for sure.”

Angela Long, Team USA Breast Cancer Paddlers head coach: “She’s got great heart, she’s determined.”

Angela Long, a breast cancer survivor herself, is the head coach.

Angela Long: “We’ve got the best of the best going up against the best of the best of the other countries. I would say Canada is definitely gonna give us a run for our money.”

Teresa says she’s in the gym six days a week and several days on the water to train.

Teresa Murphy: “I think the thing that I’m most proud of is how proud my children are of my accomplishments, because I’m always so proud of them.”

Team USA’s Breast Cancer Paddlers, who are from 12 different states, will go for the gold in July. We’ll of course let you know how they do.

Heather Walker, 7News.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 

Broward Fierce Fighters

United States Dragon Boat Federation

International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission 

International Dragon Boat Federation

If you know of a person, place or group that you think we should highlight, email us at 7spotlight@wsvn.com.

She was once a celebrated sergeant with the North Bay Village Police Department.

Now, Amy Gordon is banned from having a badge.

A police investigation found that while Gordon was treasurer of the city’s Fraternal Order of Police Lodge, she stole more than $68,000 and used it to gamble.

Al Palacio, Florida Fraternal Order of Police District 6 Director: “I think it’s disgusting.”

A police review of the lodge’s bank statements revealed more than 130 withdrawals from ATMs at casinos here in South Florida and other states.

The statements also showed several transfers to her personal bank account — with amounts ranging from $200 to $1,000.

Al Palacio: “We’re supposed to be the good guys, you know, in every case.”

Al Palacio is the Director of the Police Unions in Miami-Dade County. He says Gordon was taking money from her fellow officers.

Al Palacio: “I would definitely be angry.”

Gordon was the secretary as well as the treasurer at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge. It’s similar to a union, and officers pay to be members.

Al Palacio: “However, there are checks and balances. The issue is, in this case, she was the secretary of the local lodge, so it kind of puts her in a position where she’s actually the checks and balances.”

North Bay Village Police began investigating after Gordon abruptly resigned from her secretary/treasurer position.

In a statement from the village manager, the case was sent to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office for review. “As a result of their investigation, they offered a non-prosecution package to former Sgt. Gordon.”

The package had several requirements for Gordon to avoid criminal charges.

She had to “surrender her law enforcement certificate” and “attend gambling addiction treatment.”

Her case remains open until she meets all of the requirements.

North Bay Village Police Chief Carlos Noriega called it a “successful conclusion” in his letter to the state attorney.

But some officers in North Bay Village aren’t satisfied with the results of the investigation. They say anyone else would have been charged with a crime, prosecuted and possibly faced jail time.

Instead, Gordon was allowed to retire with a full pension.

In her retirement email to the chief, there was no apology. Instead, she wrote: “I would like to “express my gratitude” to “my fellow officers.”

The same officers who now wonder why she wasn’t charged with a crime.

Heather Walker, 7News.

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com

Jessica Aguilar and her husband Josue have been together for five years. They have been trying to legalize his status, but it hasn’t been easy.

Jessica Rodriguez-Aguilar: “Why is it that we’re getting punished for trying to do the right thing, for trying to legalize in this country?”

Jessica said Josue came to South Florida from Honduras by himself 12 years ago when he was 14. He applied for asylum status, but was denied because of insufficient evidence.

Jessica Rodriguez-Aguilar: “So, during the time that his case was kind of ongoing, he got a temporary work permit and a social security number.”

He appealed the decision, and while he waited, he attended high school and got a job. A deportation order was issued after he graduated in 2018. It was never enforced– until now.

Josue Aguilar: “I’m just a little bit scared because I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

Jessica is a U.S. citizen. When she and Josue got married in 2022, they filed an application so she could sponsor her husband for a green card. That would allow him to live and work in the U.S. permanently. Their first appointment was last month.

Jessica Rodriguez-Aguilar: “And we actually got approved on the spot, which I was told is kind of rare and right after that, an officer came into the room, and asked me to step out.”

After she left, Josue was detained by ICE agents.

Josue Aguilar: “They just ask me for my name and then I told them my name and they told me ‘You’re under arrest.’ Honestly, I don’t remember anything because my brain was, you know”

Even though Josue had the 2018 deportation order, he was never a target for ICE agents. Immigration attorney Valerie Crespo said cases like his were not a priority back then because he didn’t have a criminal record.

Valerie Crespo: “So the previous administration didn’t focus on complying with the deportation orders necessarily if they weren’t criminals.”

But the Trump administration is, and illegal immigrants with no criminal records are being locked up when they visit the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, otherwise known as USCIS.

Valerie Crespo: “So I’ve seen that everyone that has a deportation order and go to the USCIS appointments are being detained. They have ICE officers inside the USCIS building like already waiting for immigrants that have deportation orders.”

Crespo said many of her clients have a tough decision to make if they want to continue trying to get legal status. They can go to their appointments and risk being detained or skip them and take their chances.

Valerie Crespo: “So we’re advising our clients, like ‘I cannot advise you against the law, so you have an appointment, you should comply with it.’ They’re like, ‘Am I going to pay for a process that will eventually deport me anyways?'”

Josue was taken from the immigration services center to Krome Detention Center in Miami-Dade. He was transferred four times.

Josue Aguilar: “They moved me to so many places that it was super hard for me.”

Josue was deported to Honduras a month later.

Jessica is now with him. The couple is staying with a family member while they file all the paperwork needed for Josue to enter the U.S. legally. They know it could take a long time.

Jessica Rodriguez-Aguilar: “We just have to wait.”

They know it won’t be easy, but they are willing to wait as long as it takes to bring Josue back to his family in South Florida.

Heather Walker, 7News

CONTACT 7 INVESTIGATES:
305-627-CLUE
954-921-CLUE
7Investigates@wsvn.com