Midwest

Manhunt in deadly suburban home invasion spans US after phony utility workers target upscale neighborhood

Published

1 year ago

October 16, 2024

Manhunt in deadly suburban home invasion spans US after phony utility workers target upscale neighborhood

Police are still looking for one of two men who impersonated a utility worker to gain entrance to a Michigan home on Friday, when a man was murdered and his wife tied up in their house.

One of the suspects, 37-year-old Carlos Jose Hernandez of Dearborn, was tracked down to Louisiana and charged with felony murder in the death of 72-year-old Hussein Murray and two counts of unlawful imprisonment, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a Facebook post. The other man was still on the run Monday morning.

“We don’t have as much information on him. He was more in the background in the video,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, FOX 2 Detroit reported.

Police released Ring doorbell footage showing Hernandez and the other man wearing yellow florescent vests and masks outside Murray’s home in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills. The pair had a bogus work order on a clipboard and fake badges.

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Carlos Jose Hernandez, 37, was charged with felony murder and two counts of unlawful imprisonment after he and an accomplice allegedly impersonated utility workers to get into a Michigan home. (Oakland County Sheriff’s Office)

“We’re DTE, we’re checking for gas leaks,” Hernandez can be heard saying, claiming to work with a local energy company.

Murray signed the fake work order and led Hernandez and the other man into his basement, Oakland County prosecutors said.

“Shortly thereafter, the defendant and the other male came up and asked the female victim where the money and jewelry were,” the prosecutor’s office said, NBC News reported. “They duct-taped her wrists and ankles. At one point, she started to scream, and the defendant hit her across the face.”

Murray’s wife was able to reach a phone and call 911, summoning police to the home. She was briefly hospitalized after her ordeal.

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Carlos Hernandez was arrested in Shreveport, Louisiana, by the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office on Saturday. (Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office)

Hernandez and the other man allegedly fled the scene with the woman’s phone and watch; Murray was found dead in the basement of the home with his wrists and ankles duct-taped.

The pair fled the scene in a white pickup truck with a DTE energy decal. Before successfully gaining access to the home at 10 a.m. Friday, the pair made an earlier attempt at the same time on Thursday, but were turned away.

Police believe they targeted Murray due to prior knowledge of valuables or money they expected inside. The couple own a Detroit-area jewelry and pawn shop, prosecutors said.

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“That’s going to be a continuing part of our investigation, what put them on that door for that particular tragic moment,” Bouchard told NBC.

Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies in Shreveport, Louisiana, took Hernandez into custody on Saturday after spotting him traveling south on I-49 from Arkansas, the agency said. There is also a warrant for his arrest in Ohio in connection with an alleged armed robbery there, NBC News reported. The U.S. Marshals Service has also been involved in the case.

“This was a gruesome attack on an elderly couple in their home,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. “I have authorized the highest charge which carries a mandatory life without parole sentence for this brutal crime.”

The deadly incident took place along Newcastle Drive in Rochester Hills. (Google Maps)

DTE Energy released a statement to warn residents against allowing imposters into their homes, saying the company can be called at 800-477-4747 to check the credentials of any workers.

“If anyone arrives at your home or business saying they are from DTE, please ask to see a badge with photo ID. If the person refuses to show their badge, do not allow them inside,” the company said.

A manhunt was still underway Monday for the accomplice in the Rochester Hills attack.

“One way or another we will find you,” the sheriff wrote in the agency’s Facebook post.

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Illinois

Firefighter faces arson charges after Illinois wildfire burns hundreds of acres

Published

1 hour ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Firefighter faces arson charges after Illinois wildfire burns hundreds of acres

A volunteer firefighter is facing arson charges after he allegedly set a fire in a Lee County wildlife preserve, scorching hundreds of acres.

According to authorities, 21-year-old Trent Schaefer, a volunteer firefighter in Ohio, Illinois, was charged with one count of arson in connection to a fire that occurred in the Green River State Wildlife Management Area Friday.

On that date, temperatures had soared into the 60s, winds were whipping at more than 30 miles per hour, and humidity plunged below 30%, leading the National Weather Service to issue warnings on the danger of wildfires in Illinois.

It is alleged that Schaefer was seen by witnesses getting out of a vehicle and igniting multiple small fires within the nature preserve, which then coalesced into a larger blaze.

Those witnesses were able to restrain the suspect until Lee County sheriff’s deputies arrested him.

Image taken by Lee County Sheriff’s Office

By the time firefighters arrived on scene the blaze had already spread, and multiple departments were called in to assist with the fire, including the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control by the late afternoon, but not before it burned more than 700 acres, according to authorities.

Schaefer is also a suspect in several other arsons around Lee County, but he has not been charged in any other fires at this time.

Illinois State Police are assisting with the investigation, and no further information was immediately available.

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Indiana

Coast Guard investigates death of mariner working barge in Jeffersonville

Published

1 hour ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Coast Guard investigates death of mariner working barge in Jeffersonville

U.S. Coast Guard officials are investigating March 1 after a mariner died while working on a barge in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

An incident involving the mariner occurred the afternoon of Feb. 27 at mile marker 597 of the Ohio River, said Lt. Cmdr. Steve Leighty, public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Ohio Valley Sector. Leighty declined to provide further details about the mariner and the circumstances of their death, citing the ongoing investigation.

Officials with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office are also investigating the incident, Leighty said.

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@usatodayco.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

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Iowa

Nebraska Men’s Basketball’s Week Ahead: Crucial Games at UCLA and Home vs. Iowa

Published

1 hour ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Nebraska Men’s Basketball’s Week Ahead: Crucial Games at UCLA and Home vs. Iowa

Nebraska men’s basketball faces a critical week that will determine its Big Ten Conference and NCAA Tournament seeding.

The Huskers play at UCLA on Tuesday night and finish the regular season next Sunday at home vs. Iowa.

The Huskers are currently tied for second place in the Big Ten with Michigan State. Both teams have four conference losses. They are one game in the loss column ahead of Illinois and Purdue, with five losses. Wisconsin has six losses.

The top four teams earn the coveted triple bye for the Big Ten Tournament. Regular-season champion Michigan has one spot locked up.

Here are the remaining schedules of the contenders for the triple bye, with conference record in parentheses:

Nebraska (14-4)
* Tuesday: at UCLA
* Sunday: vs. Iowa

Michigan State (13-4)
* Sunday: at Indiana
* Thursday: vs. Rutgers
* Sunday, March 8: at Michigan

Illinois (13-5)
* Tuesday: vs. Oregon
* Sunday, March 8: at Maryland

Purdue (12-5)
* Sunday: at Ohio State
* Wednesday: at Northwestern
* Saturday: vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin (12-6)
* Wednesday: vs. Maryland
* Saturday: at Purdue

Maintaining an NCAA seed no worse than 3 should benefit the Huskers, who wouldn’t have to play, theoretically, the No. 1 seed until the Elite Eight game.

It’s a ton to play for in the final week of a historic regular season for Nebraska. But that’s what March is all about.

Nebraska at UCLA

When: Tuesday, 10 p.m. CT
Where: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; UCLA, 19-10, 11-7 in Big Ten
TV: FS1

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

UCLA rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: Not ranked
* NCAA Net Ratings: 40
* USA Today Coaches Poll: Not ranked
* Kenpom.com: 41
* ESPN Power Index: 34
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 41

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, UCLA is a 9-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament. The next Bracketology will be released Tuesday.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska-UCLA analysis

The Bruins are coming off a strange week. They crushed visiting rival USC, 81-62, on Tuesday, then lost at Minnesota, 78-73, on Saturday.

UCLA is 16-1 at home, its only loss to Indiana, 98-97, in double overtime on Jan. 31.

The game will be a homecoming for Huskers forward Berke Buyuktuncel, who played at UCLA in 2023-24, his freshman season. Buyuktuncel has started 27 games and averages 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season for the Huskers and frequently earns praise from coach Fred Hoiberg.

Nebraska thoroughly dispatched USC on Saturday, 82-67, an impressive performance on the road against a Trojans team desperate for a statement win to help — or save — their NCAA hopes.

Pryce Sandfort scored 32 points — one short of his career high — as the Huskers won their 14th conference game, a school record. Nebraska is 7-2 on the road in conference games.

This should be a great matchup — UCLA a strong team playing at home vs. a Nebraska team playing well and full of confidence. This feels like a one-possession game.

Nebraska guard Sam Hoiberg goes to the basket as Iowa forward Cooper Koch defends during the first meeting in Iowa City. | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Iowa at Nebraska

When: Sunday, March 8, 4 p.m. CT
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena
Records: Nebraska, 25-4, 14-4 in Big Ten; Iowa, 20-9, 10-8 in Big Ten
TV: Fox

Rankings updated based on games through Saturday.

Iowa rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 33
* NCAA Net Ratings: 28
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 30
* Kenpom.com: 24
* ESPN Power Index: 35
* Top 25 and 1: Not ranked
* Team Rankings.com: 31

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Iowa is an 8-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska rankings

* Associated Press Top 25: 12
* NCAA Net Ratings: 12
* USA Today Coaches Poll: 10
* Kenpom.com: 11
* ESPN Power Index: 15
* Top 25 and 1: 8
* Team Rankings.com: 11

In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology projections for ESPN, Nebraska is a 3-seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska forward Braden Frager defends a fast-break layup attempt by Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz in the teams’ first meeting on Feb. 17. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Nebraska-Iowa analysis

The Hawkeyes are coming off a puzzling, 71-69 loss at Penn State on Saturday. Iowa led 67-62 with 3:49 to play, and then scored only one more basket. Iowa plays host to Michigan on Thursday.

Nebraska will get a final curtain call at Pinnacle Bank Arena, where the Huskers are 15-2.

Nebraska should have revenge on its mind after losing at Iowa, 57-52, on Feb. 17, in Sandfort’s return to Iowa City, where he played for two seasons.

Whatever Nebraska nerves were a factor at Iowa shouldn’t be in play at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Nebraska shot only 21 percent from distance in Iowa City. Sandfort scored 13 points, his lowest total since Jan. 10, when he scored 12 at Indiana.

Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points. That won’t happen in this game. Neither will Nebraska’s ice-cold shooting from distance, especially if the game could determine the triple bye for the Huskers.

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