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Costa Rica

Veteran Severely Injured In Costa Rica, South Jersey Mom Fighting To Get Him To U.S. Hospital Veteran Severely Injured In Costa Rica, South Jersey Mom Fighting To Get Him To U.S. Hospital
Veteran Severely Injured In Costa Rica, South Jersey Mom Fighting To Get Him To U.S. Hospital A Forked River woman is fighting for her veteran son to return to the U.S. after he was severely injured in Costa Rica, according to a fundraising campaign. On a GoFundMe page, Debra Vargas said that her son Codey Vargas suffered several injuries in an accident, including severe head trauma, a collapsed lung, several fractured ribs, paralyzed intestines, pneumonia, facial fractures, and several scrapes. Codey's accident happened on Wednesday, Mar. 20, but Debra wasn't aware of it until the U.S. embassy in Costa Rica told her on Tuesday, Apr. 2. The GoFundMe page for Codey raised more than $…
Guide Dog Graduation: Yorktown-Based Nonprofit Provides Pups To Homes Across US Guide Dog Graduation: Yorktown-Based Nonprofit Provides Pups To Homes Across US
Guide Dog Graduation: Yorktown-Based Nonprofit Provides Pups To Homes Across US A new class of guide dogs that graduated from a New York nonprofit organization – including one dog going to serve the organization’s CEO – demonstrates the group’s 60-year commitment to changing the lives of people with vision loss or blindness. On Friday, April 12, Guiding Eyes for the Blind held one of its biannual guide dog graduations, celebrating the hard work of volunteers and pups alike and officially transferring the furry friends’ care to their new owners. However, this graduation was a little different from others — one of the graduates was a yellow lab named “Ten,” who had tra…
NJ's Aaron Rodgers, Possible VP Pick, Denies Spouting Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories NJ's Aaron Rodgers, Possible VP Pick, Denies Spouting Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories
NJ's Aaron Rodgers, Possible VP Pick, Denies Spouting Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theories Aaron Rodgers, who lives in Essex County, is denying a CNN report that he believed the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre were actors. In a statement on X, Rodgers said the CNN story was not true. "I am not and have never been of the opinion that the events did not take place," Rodgers said.  "I hope that we learn from this and other tragedies to identify the signs that will allow us to prevent unnecessary loss of life. My thoughts and prayers continue to remain with the families affected along with the entire Sandy Hook community." Mark Blanston, …
WWE Star's Wedding Weekend Celebrated At NJ Castle WWE Star's Wedding Weekend Celebrated At NJ Castle
WWE Star's Wedding Weekend Celebrated At NJ Castle That's Mrs. Daria Berenato, to you. The WWE star from Burlington County, who goes by Sonya Deville in the ring, married  fitness model fiancée Toni Cassano over the weekend at a popular Morris County venue, PEOPLE reports. The wedding at the Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains on Saturday, Feb. 10 was officiated by Maria Menuonos and featured a who's who of WWE stars. Berenato attended Seneca High School in Tabernacle and is a former WWE Women's Tag Team Champion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Darian Marie Horn (@darianmarie_…
Killer Husband Captured 30+ Years After Estranged Wife's Fairfax County Murder: Cops Killer Husband Captured 30+ Years After Estranged Wife's Fairfax County Murder: Cops
Killer Husband Captured 30+ Years After Estranged Wife's Fairfax County Murder: Cops After more than 30 years on the run, a man accused of killing his wife in Fairfax County has been captured, authorities announced. Jose Lazaro Cruz has been wanted since spring of 1991, when he stabbed his wife, Ana Jurado, 24, on the 3100 block of Cofer Road in West Falls Church, county police said.  The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and Cruz, her estranged husband, was charged on a warrant for felony murder in May 1991.  Cruz fled to El Salvador, and authorities followed — but their efforts in finding him were futile. In 2022, Cruz was detained while crossing in…
'Golden Bachelor' Could End In Heartbreak For NJ Grandmother: 'I Love Them Both' 'Golden Bachelor' Could End In Heartbreak For NJ Grandmother: 'I Love Them Both'
'Golden Bachelor' Could End In Heartbreak For NJ Grandmother: 'I Love Them Both' Gerry Turner is looking for his second love — and he's nearly there. The problem is that he loves them both. Turner made his feelings clear to both Theresa Nist, a grandmother from Shrewsbury, and Leslie Fhima of them on the Thursday, Nov. 16 episode of ABC's "Golden Bachelor."  But on Nov. 30, he'll have to choose just one. Turner had a day-date and night in the fantasy suite with both women on the most recent episode, filmed in Costa Rica. He said what he loves about Fhima is the excitement and her adventurousness, while Nist makes him feel "warm and safe." He told Fhima: "I have …
NJ Grandmother Heading To Fantasy Suites On 'Golden Bachelor' NJ Grandmother Heading To Fantasy Suites On 'Golden Bachelor'
NJ Grandmother Heading To Fantasy Suites On 'Golden Bachelor' Gerry Turner must make a choice: Leslie Fhima or Theresa Nist. Nist, 70, of Shrewsbury, NJ, and Fhima, of Minnesota, have progressed to the top two contestants on ABC's "The Golden Bachelor," following a round of hometown dates. Turner, who sent Faith Martin home during the Thursday, Nov. 9 episode, visited with Nist's family last week, even having met three of her grandchildren, her daughter, and her sisters. When he asked the three little guys what they thought of him and their Nana dating, they seemed to be for it: "She comes over a lot because she's always lonely," one said. "It w…
Mastermind Of Historic $175M Psychic Mail Scam Convicted, Feds Cite More Than 1M Victims Mastermind Of Historic $175M Psychic Mail Scam Convicted, Feds Cite More Than 1M Victims
Mastermind Of Historic $175M Psychic Mail Scam Convicted, Feds Cite More Than 1M Victims The mastermind of a mass-mailing scam that stole $175 million from more than a million victims, most of them elderly or ailing, was convicted by a federal jury in New York City. Patrice Runner, a 57-year-old Canadian and French citizen, directed a ruthless psychic mail scheme for over two decades, beginning in 1994, the jurors found. It was one of the largest -- if not the largest -- scam of its kind ever, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Friday, June 16, in announcing the verdict reached a day earlier on Long Island. Runner sent mailings to millions of Americans that claimed t…
$600,000 Stolen: Long Island Yacht Club Bookkeeper Sentenced, DA Says $600,000 Stolen: Long Island Yacht Club Bookkeeper Sentenced, DA Says
$600,000 Stolen: Long Island Yacht Club Bookkeeper Sentenced, DA Says Over the course of seven years, the woman siphoned club funds into her personal accounts and falsified business records, authorities report. Anna Maria Restrepo, a 59-year-old Glen Head resident, was sentenced on Thursday, April 27 to three to six years in prison on grand larceny charges, the Nassau County District Attorney announced. Restrepo (who is also known as Anna Maria Saboski), had been stealing hundreds of thousands from the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club for nearly her whole employment with the club. According to the District Attorney, Restrepo was hired as a bookkeeper and …
El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case
El Chapo Sons, Dubbed ‘Pioneers' Of Fentanyl Epidemic, Charged In Massive Sinaloa Cartel Case Four sons of notorious druglord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman are among more than two dozen members of Mexico's reigning Sinaloa cartel charged in a massive fentanyl-trafficking offensive announced by federal officials on Friday. The infamous quartet known as the Chapitos – each of whom had $5 million U.S. bounties placed on their heads – were dubbed “the pioneers” of fentanyl’s introduction to American users by DEA Administrator Anne Milgram during an April 14 news conference in Washington, D.C. “Death and destruction are central to their whole operation,” said Milgram, a former New Jersey a…
Thousands Raised For 'Sweet, Gentle' White Plains Hospital Worker Injured On Vacation Thousands Raised For 'Sweet, Gentle' White Plains Hospital Worker Injured On Vacation
Thousands Raised For 'Sweet, Gentle' White Plains Hospital Worker Injured On Vacation Hundreds of people have come together to help out two beloved hospital workers from Westchester who became stuck in Costa Rica after their vacation went horribly wrong.  Westchester residents Fenton Soliz and his girlfriend, Gabby Sandaire, were horribly injured on Saturday, March 25 during their vacation in Costa Rica when the brakes on their rental car failed while they were on their way to the airport to fly home.  To avoid a head-on collision, they swerved and their vehicle went off a cliff, resulting in the couple both suffering severe injuries that involved br…
Former Top Cop In VA, Other Officers Accused Of Covering Up Prostitution Ring: Report Former Top Cop In VA, Other Officers Accused Of Covering Up Prostitution Ring: Report
Former Top Cop In VA, Other Officers Accused Of Covering Up Prostitution Ring: Report Some former top cops in Virginia find themselves on the wrong side of the law as they continue to stand a civil trial for allegedly covering up a sex trafficking ring, according to reports. Former Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin Roessler, former Capt. James Baumstark, who is now a deputy chief for a different agency in North Carolina, and officers Michael Barbazette and Jason Mardocco are all on the hot seat for their alleged roles in a prostitution enterprise, FOX News reported. The report states that an illegal immigrant recently took the stand and testified that she was "lured away fro…
Immigrant Living In NJ Facing Deportation For Sexual Abuse Of Minor: US Marshals Immigrant Living In NJ Facing Deportation For Sexual Abuse Of Minor: US Marshals
Immigrant Living In NJ Facing Deportation For Sexual Abuse Of Minor: US Marshals A citizen of Costa Rica who had been wanted for the sexual abuse of a minor was in ICE custody awaiting deportation after his New Jersey capture, authorities said. Felix Montero-Molina, 56, was captured by US Marshals agents on 5th Street in Raritan on Thursday, Oct. 13 around 7:30 a.m., a spokesperson for the agency said. Montero-Molina had been wanted by authorities in Costa Rica since 2019 in connection for the incident, which happened there, US Marshals said. Turns out, he'd been living in Raritan, authorities said.
Men Busted For Running Organized Crime Loan Sharking, Gambling Ring: Mass AG Men Busted For Running Organized Crime Loan Sharking, Gambling Ring: Mass AG
Men Busted For Running Organized Crime Loan Sharking, Gambling Ring: Mass AG State and federal agents wrapped up a multi-year investigation with the arrest of three men who they say used threats, intimidation, and extortion to run a multi-million dollar gambling ring with the help of an organized crime syndicate.  Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced the arrests last week and laid out the state's case against them. They are, and their charges include: Eric Rogers, 54, of Revere: Extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion, witness intimidation, and gambling charges.  Michael McMahon, 44, of Boston: Extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion,…
3 From Westchester Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family 3 From Westchester Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family
3 From Westchester Charged In illegal Gambling Operation Allegedly Run By Lucchese Crime Family Five New York men, including three from Westchester County, have been accused of overseeing and operating a 15-year long, large-scale illegal, online gambling business with suspected ties to the Lucchese crime family, federal authorities announced. An indictment was unsealed in Brooklyn Federal Court on Wednesday, Sept. 14 charging them for their roles overseeing and operating a large-scale illegal, online gambling business under the protection of the Lucchese organized crime family. The gambling business known as “Rhino Sports” utilized an offshore website and dozens of bookmakers in …
Disruptive Passenger Removed From United Airlines Flight From NJ To Costa Rica: Reports Disruptive Passenger Removed From United Airlines Flight From NJ To Costa Rica: Reports
Disruptive Passenger Removed From United Airlines Flight From NJ To Costa Rica: Reports A United Airlines flight making its way from New Jersey to Costa Rica was forced to make an unexpected pitstop in Virginia for an unruly passenger Wednesday, Aug. 17, as first reported by the Washington Post. One passenger was reportedly removed from the flight for being unwieldy and causing a disruption on the plane, though United Airlines has not released official details of the incident. The FBI was involved in the investigation, according to the Washington Post. Flight 1080 left Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after 8:30 a.m. with a planned landing set in San Jose, Costa Ri…
Lehigh County Man Busted In Elder Fraud Sweep Sentenced To 58 Months In Prison Lehigh County Man Busted In Elder Fraud Sweep Sentenced To 58 Months In Prison
Lehigh County Man Busted In Elder Fraud Sweep Sentenced To 58 Months In Prison A Lehigh County man is facing nearly five years in prison for his role in what federal authorities called the largest coordinated elder fraud sweep in the nation. Anthony Redd, 65, of Fullerton, was sentenced Thursday to 58 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for mail fraud and money laundering offenses by U.S. District Judge Sylvia Rambo. He pleaded guilty in the case in September 2020. Redd was also ordered to pay $240,133 in restitution to the victims. There were at least 29 victims of the conspiracy involving Redd, according to The United States Attorne…
COVID-19: Costa Rica To Open Borders To Residents Of 6 US States COVID-19: Costa Rica To Open Borders To Residents Of 6 US States
Covid-19: Costa Rica To Open Borders To Residents Of 6 US States Costa Rica is re-opening its borders to Americans who reside in six specific states. Residents of Vermont, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut may all begin traveling to Costa Rica again starting Sept. 1. Many countries have closed their borders to American tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to stop the spread of the virus. Costa Rica’s re-opening strategy is unique in its targeted border opening. As of Aug. 3, these countries were among the ones Americans could still visit during the pandemic, according to National Geographic: Albania, Brazil, Camb…
Support Pours In For Family Of 36-Year-Old Father Of Two Killed In Head-On Easton Crash Support Pours In For Family Of 36-Year-Old Father Of Two Killed In Head-On Easton Crash
Support Pours In For Family Of 36-Year-Old Father Of Two Killed In Head-On Easton Crash People have opened their hearts and their wallets to support the family of a Redding father of two killed in a car crash that left his mother and young daughter injured. Andy Rivera, 36, was killed around 5:33 p.m., Sunday, July 14, on Route 59 in the area of 757 Stepney Road, said Easton Police Chief Timothy Shaw. Also, in his vehicle at the time of the accident were his 62-year-old mother, Maria, who will need two surgeries and his six-year-old daughter, Brianna, who was also injured. The second vehicle involved was driven by a 50-year-old woman, who had two 17-year-olds in the vehicle…
Hawthorne Fan's 100-Game Streak Has Red Bulls Players, Coaches In Awe Hawthorne Fan's 100-Game Streak Has Red Bulls Players, Coaches In Awe
Hawthorne Fan's 100-Game Streak Has Red Bulls Players, Coaches In Awe It began on Oct. 1, 2016 at a home game against the Philadelphia Union -- and Steven Ferrezza of Hawthorne isn't done yet. The 28-year-old has been to 100 Red Bulls games in a row ever since, including six outside of the U.S.  Saturday's MLS home opener against San Jose will be Ferrezza's 101st, according to the New York Post. Ferrezza's job as a logistics analyst for Delta Airlines at Newark Airport has come in handy for booking flights to follow the team. His most impressive feat in during the streak might have been sneaking into a match last year against Honduran club Olimpia,…
Beware Of These Lottery, Sweepstakes Scams, Better Business Bureau Says Beware Of These Lottery, Sweepstakes Scams, Better Business Bureau Says
Beware Of These Lottery, Sweepstakes Scams, Better Business Bureau Says Tired of your spouse, friend, children, relative or even yourself getting duped by fraud -- which is exploding on cellphones, mailings and computers? The Better Business Bureau (BBB) produced this new study (also attached below) which offers basic tips to avoid being conned. As the saying goes, if it seems to good to be true -- it probably is.  Sweepstakes, lottery and prize scams are among the most serious and pervasive frauds operating today, according to the BBB.  While the scams’ roots go as far back in the culture as gambling, the fraud continues to evolve with the times -- and now in…
NYPD Officers, Including Just Married Groom, ID'd As Maserati Crash Victims NYPD Officers, Including Just Married Groom, ID'd As Maserati Crash Victims
Nypd Officers, Including Just Married Groom, ID'd As Maserati Crash Victims Two off-duty NYPD officers from Long Island, one of whom was a groom on his wedding night, were killed when their rented Maserati struck a tree in the Hudson Valley over the weekend. Shortly before 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night, state police troopers from Kingston were dispatched to Oliveria Road in Shandaken, just west of Woodstock, where there was a report of a one-vehicle crash in the area. An investigation into the crash determined that a 2018 Maserati, which was being driven by Hauppauge resident John Martinez, 39, had left the roadway and struck a large tree before overturning and coming…
Health Craze You Might Be Able To Get Down With Coming To Fairfield County Health Craze You Might Be Able To Get Down With Coming To Fairfield County
Health Craze You Might Be Able To Get Down With Coming To Fairfield County If you haven't seen aesthetic photos of the fruity bowl of goodness, you've likely heard about the Playa Bowls that are taking the Tri-State area by storm. Here's why people are loving Playa Bowls -- which is set to open a store in Fairfield soon, according to its website. The idea stems from two Jersey Shore natives and longtime surfers, who fell in love with the fruit-based bowl on summer surf trips to Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, California, Hawaii, Nicaragua and Panama. The bowls are built like smoothies with a base of Acai (a Brazilian berry packed with antioxidants) or pitaya (a fancy wa…
Wyckoff PD: DWI Driver Stopped On Rt. 208 Illegally Entered US 9 Years Ago Wyckoff PD: DWI Driver Stopped On Rt. 208 Illegally Entered US 9 Years Ago
Wyckoff PD: DWI Driver Stopped On Rt. 208 Illegally Entered US 9 Years Ago WYCKOFF, N.J. – A Wyckoff police officer stopped a drunk, unlicensed driver on Route 208 who it turned out had been living in the U.S. illegally the past nine years, authorities said. Keilor Mendez-Herrera, 28, who’d been living in Paterson after entering the U.S. from Costa Rica, was briefly held in the Bergen County Jail before being turned over to the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau, Lt. Joseph Soto said. Officer Robert Schlossberg was on patrol around 10 p.m. last Tuesday when he stopped Mendez-Herrera for erratically driving his silver Honda o…
Bird's The Word: Putnam Photographer's Work On Display At Mahopac Library Bird's The Word: Putnam Photographer's Work On Display At Mahopac Library
Bird's The Word: Putnam Photographer's Work On Display At Mahopac Library More than two-dozen images of wild birds photographed by Glenn Sapir from his travels to Florida, California, Costa Rica and closer destinations, along with several taken on his Putnam County property, will be on display beginning next month at Mahopac Public Library. Sapir's photographs will be displayed from May 5 through July 30, and can be seen during regular hours on the library's second floor at 668 Route 6 in Mahopac. A long-time Putnam Valley resident in the Mahopac School District, Sapir has explored the outdoors in 48 states and several other countries through his job as both writ…
Dance Passion Leads To Business For Dobbs Ferry 23-Year-Old Dance Passion Leads To Business For Dobbs Ferry 23-Year-Old
Dance Passion Leads To Business For Dobbs Ferry 23-Year-Old Joshua Dooz grew up behind the scenes of his parents’ dance studio, Central Park Dance Academy in Scarsdale but never took a palpable interest in dancing deciding to play sports like wrestling and basketball instead.  But everything changed during a three-month study abroad trip to Zapote, a village in San Jose, Costa Rica, the summer before his senior year of college. That's when the Dobbs Ferry resident walked into his first dance class and and saw how the rhythmic motions of his instructor, Francy, woke up an energy in the room and in him. “She [Francy] must have been 70, but she moved …
Officials Suspend Airline That Crashed Leading To Death Of Scarsdale Family Officials Suspend Airline That Crashed Leading To Death Of Scarsdale Family
Officials Suspend Airline That Crashed Leading To Death Of Scarsdale Family The Costa Rican charter company that operated the plane that killed a popular Scarsdale family in Costa Rica on New Year’s Eve has had its services suspended by aviation officials in South America. Nature Air has been grounded, with its operations suspended until further notice by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation in Costa Rica, following the holiday crash that took the lives of 50-year-old Bruce Steinberg, 51-year-old Irene Steinberg and their teenage sons, Matthew, William and Zachary of Scarsdale. A single-engine Cessna plane crashed into a mountain in the province of Guanacaste …
A Little Craig’s List Luck Leads To New Norwalk Soccer Facility A Little Craig’s List Luck Leads To New Norwalk Soccer Facility
A Little Craig’s List Luck Leads To New Norwalk Soccer Facility NORWALK, Conn. – When Michael Broncati was a young boy, it took him eight months to save $137 to buy a CD player and CDs so he could listen to his favorite music while kicking the ball around his parents’ basement, pretending to take on soccer defenders. “I used to spend hours and hours in the basement,” said Broncati. “I would practice everything and even use my brother as a goalie.” He still remembers that Nickelback CD and the number of lightbulbs he had to replace in a typical six-month period – 50. Broncati says soccer is in his blood because of his Brazilian background. That may be, …
Travel Company Investigating Plane Crash That Killed Scarsdale Family Travel Company Investigating Plane Crash That Killed Scarsdale Family
Travel Company Investigating Plane Crash That Killed Scarsdale Family The travel company that organized the Costa Rica trip that ended with a fatal New Year’s Eve plane crash that took the lives of 12 - including a prominent Scarsdale family - is working with authorities to “understand the cause of the crash.” A single-engine Cessna plane crashed into a mountain in the province of Guanacaste while en route to Punita Islita, a beach resort on the Pacific coast, claiming the lives of the 10 passengers a pilot and tour guide, according to officials. Among those passengers were 50-year-old Bruce Steinberg, 51-year-old Irene Steinberg and their teenage sons, Matthe…
Services Set For Scarsdale Family That Died In Plane Crash Services Set For Scarsdale Family That Died In Plane Crash
Services Set For Scarsdale Family That Died In Plane Crash Services have been set for the Scarsdale family that was among the 12 people killed in a New Year’s Eve plane crash in Costa Rica. On New Year’s Eve, 50-year-old Bruce Steinberg, 51-year-old Irene Steinberg and their teenage sons, Matthew, William and Zachary of Scarsdale were on a single-engine Cessna plane that crashed into a Costa Rican mountain while en route to a beach resort. The Westchester Reform Temple - where the Steinbergs were active members - will open its Sanctuary to visitors for "quiet contemplation and sacred gathering" between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, …
Community Mourns Loss Of Prominent Scarsdale Family In Costa Rica Crash Community Mourns Loss Of Prominent Scarsdale Family In Costa Rica Crash
Community Mourns Loss Of Prominent Scarsdale Family In Costa Rica Crash WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. - The Scarsdale community is mourning the loss of the Steinberg family, who were among a dozen Americans killed in a New Year’s Eve plane crash in Costa Rica. A single-engine Cessna plane crashed into a mountain in the province of Guanacaste while en route to Punita Islita, a beach resort on the Pacific coast, claiming the lives of the 10 passengers and two pilots, according to officials. Among those passengers were 50-year-old Bruce Steinberg, 51-year-old Irene Steinberg and their teenage sons, Matthew, William and Zachary of Scarsdale. Bruce Steinberg and his wife…