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PA Measles Outbreak Tops 1,000, Highest In US, 4 Vaccinated Residents Among Infected
Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak has surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases and now includes five deaths, state health officials announced Monday, Oct. 5.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,004 cases across 39 counties so far in 2026 — up 27 cases since Friday, Oct. 2.
There have been 198 hospitalizations tied to the outbreak, according to the department. Nearly 20 percent of people identified by the state with measles have been hospitalized.
The new numbers come less than a month after the statewide total stood at 676 cases in 37 counties, with 124 hospitalizations and two measles-a…
LI Woman Admits Following, Killing Her Ex-Boyfriend After Argument At Lirr Station: Authorities
A Long Island woman who stabbed her ex-boyfriend to death after tracking him from an LIRR station has pleaded guilty, authorities said.
Nikeya Barker, 46, of Bay Shore, pleaded guilty Monday, Oct. 5 to first-degree manslaughter in the death of Shurvell Rush, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Barker previously faced a top charge of second-degree murder and cut a plea deal in the case, prosecutors said. She’s expected to get between 15 and 25 years in prison, according to authorities.
Rush, 47, of Central Islip, and Barker had previously dated but were separated by May 3, 2…
Fifth Measles Death Reported In US As Outbreak Tops 1,000 Cases
A fifth measles-associated death has been confirmed in Pennsylvania as the Commonwealth’s outbreak surpassed 1,000 cases across 39 counties, health officials said.
An unvaccinated Lancaster County resident with confirmed measles died, the Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Wednesday, Sept. 30. The department did not release the person’s age, sex, or other identifying details.
The death is the fifth Pennsylvania resident to meet the state’s measles-associated death definition this year, officials said.
As of Monday, Oct. 5, Pennsylvania had confirmed 1,004 measles cases and 198 hos…
LI Thieves Flee In Tesla Cybertruck After $4,000 Bloomingdale’s Theft: Cops
Two shoplifters took more than $4,000 worth of clothing from a Long Island store, then fled in a Tesla Cybertruck, police said Monday, Oct. 5.
The thieves hit Bloomingdale’s in Huntington Station on Sunday, Sept. 27, walking out with clothing worth approximately $4,100 around 11:20 a.m., the Suffolk County Police Department said.
Both men fled the scene in a silver Cybertruck, according to investigators. Though they were seen on surveillance cameras, police have been unable to identify them.
Authorities are offering a cash reward for tips that lead to an arrest in the case. Anyone with inf…
Fraud Protections Saved Nassau Disability Center From $1M Theft — But FL Woman Stole $50K: Cops
A Florida woman tried to steal $1 million from a disability assistance center on Long Island, police said Monday, Oct. 5.
Nicole Ramirez, 28, of Orlando, only got about $50,000, the Nassau County Police Department said. She was arrested five months later, cops said.
The Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County was contacted May 5 by someone claiming to be a representative from M&T Bank, police said. The caller provided the necessary account information, according to investigators.
But eight days later, the Cerebral Palsy Association received a follow-up call from the actual M&T …
Dead Passengers, Fake Drivers: NJ Woman, Colombian Lover's $13M Scheme Unravels
Some of the passengers were dead. Some of the drivers had never driven a car.
But a New Jersey woman and her Colombian lover apparently had no trouble taking taxpayers for a ride.
For years, prosecutors say, Jael Watts, 45, of Alloway, operated Pearl Transit Corporation, a New Jersey-based company that purported to have drivers scattered across the country giving rides to elderly and disabled people while also conducting outreach for homeless Americans.
Watts and Luis Pino-Copete, 42, of Bogota, Colombia, were convicted following a multi-week federal trial in Utica of orchestrating a spraw…
Woman Stabbed, 88-Year-Old Beaten With Cane During Nassau County Attack, Police Say
Two women, including an 88-year-old, were hospitalized after an argument inside a Long Island home escalated into a stabbing and assault with a flower pot and cane, police said.
The violence unfolded at a residence on Empire Street in Elmont at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, according to Nassau County Police.
A verbal argument involving 31-year-old Faheem Winstead and the two women, ages 58 and 88, turned physical, detectives said.
Winstead stabbed the 58-year-old woman in the leg and struck her in the head with a flower pot, leaving her with a laceration, investigators said. He then br…
Fashion CEO, Wife Found Shot Dead Outside California Residence
A fashion company CEO and his wife were found shot dead outside their California home, according to multiple reports.
Neighbors identified the couple as Bryan and Michelle Walker, who built the women’s clothing brand, Bryn Walker.
They were found outside their home on Panoramic Way in Oakland, California, on Friday, Oct. 2, The Berkeley Scanner reported.
Police had not publicly released their names when the Scanner published its report. Michelle was 63. Reports differed on Bryan’s age.
A neighbor who heard gunfire discovered the couple around 10:45 a.m., according to the Scanner, ci…
Nassau Woman Attacked By Man With Loaded Gun, Suspect Captured After Chase: Police
A Long Island man threatened a woman with a loaded gun and bit her on the lip during an attack Thursday, Oct. 1, police said.
Ernest Naranjo, 22, of Westbury, got into a “disturbance” with a 21-year-old woman at a home in New Cassel around 7:30 p.m., the Nassau County Police Department said.
Naranjo initially bit the woman on the lip, then walked outside, cops said. But he quickly returned, kicked in the front door, and pointed a firearm at the victim, police said.
As the woman feared for her life, Naranjo struck her with the weapon, then fled on foot, investigators said. The victim called…
Father Of Four Stabbed To Death On NYC Subway, ‘Heartbroken’ Children Launch Fundraiser
After a father of four was stabbed to death in a random attack on the New York City subway, his children have launched a fundraiser to honor his life.
Mesias Lojano, 59, of Jamaica, Queens, was killed while riding the J train near Woodhaven Boulevard on Wednesday, Sept. 30.
“He was a devoted father to four children, a cherished member of our family, and a friend to so many,” the Lojano children wrote in a GoFundMe. “We are his children, William, Laura, Darwin, and Edwin, and we are heartbroken.”
Jyrell Thomas, 25, of the Bronx, was arrested and charged with murder in Lojano’s death, WABC r…
LI Coke, Fentanyl Traffickers Hauled In $2M While On Parole For Drug Convictions: Investigators
Two major drug traffickers on Long Island who made more than $2 million from their operation have been arrested, authorities said Thursday, Oct. 1.
Shamiek Porter, 34, and Branden Harris, 36, are both accused of being major narcotics distributors, according to court documents filed in Suffolk County.
Porter and Harris also have previous drug trafficking convictions and were on parole prior to their arrests on Wednesday, Sept. 16, according to state prison records and county prosecutors.
While Porter and Harris worked together throughout the scheme, Porter was the initial provider of cocain…
LI Man Turned Supposed Romance Into Drug-Fueled Sex Trafficking Nightmare: Authorities
An accused Long Island sex trafficker has been hit with additional charges for controlling and raping a second victim, authorities said Friday, Oct. 2.
Torrey Brown, 36, formerly of Blue Point, gave the second victim drugs and kept her hooked, then threatened her with violence when she tried to leave, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Brown, also known as “Smiley,” was arrested in the first case in April and indicted in June, authorities said. After his first case was publicized, a second victim reported his additional actions to the Suffolk DA’s office, prosecutors said. …
Serial LI Bank Robber With ‘No Funny Business’ Demand Note Headed Back To Prison: Authorities
A serial Long Island bank robber who hit two more banks in December 2025 was sentenced Thursday, Oct. 1 to more prison time, authorities said.
Brian Blackford, 52, of Kings Park, got five and a half to 11 years in prison after admitting to the heists, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said. The sentence was consistent with his plea deal in August.
Blackford’s name, age, hometown, and general appearance match a man who was charged in seven bank robberies and arrested in 2014, according to prior reports. Blackford spent seven years in state prison before his release in November 20…
LI Town Officials Admit Pocketing Fast-Track Bribes While Others Waited Months: Authorities
Two Long Island town officials pleaded guilty to bribery charges this week, authorities announced Thursday, Oct. 1.
Evelyn Calderon, 47, of Mastic, and Ryan Benitez, 38, of East Hampton, admitted taking bribes to fast-track building permits through the Town of East Hampton, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Building permits in East Hampton could take months for approval, and the office was understaffed and overworked, according to prosecutors and prior reporting from Newsday.
But if you knew the right people — namely Calderon and Benitez — you could get permits in days fo…
14-Year-Old LI Girl Stopped, Offered $300 By Creep In SUV: Police
A 14-year-old Long Island high school student was accosted by a bald man in an SUV, and now police are searching for the man.
The female student at Smithtown High School East was walking home Friday, Sept. 11 when she reached Lincoln Avenue and 6th Street in St. James, the Suffolk County Police Department said Thursday, Oct. 1.
At the intersection, a bald man between 40 and 50 years old driving a black Audi SUV parked in front of her, made an "inappropriate comment,” and offered her $300, police said.
Traffic cameras captured the man’s SUV on video, and he is wanted for child endangerment,…
