Connect with us

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Family stunned after arsonist burns home to ground; Police still searching for suspect

Published

on

Cleveland Family stunned after arsonist burns home to ground; Police still searching for suspect


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A family is devastated after investigators say someone intentionally set their house on fire in the middle of the night.

“Who would do that to someone? Try to kill my whole family in our sleep with our 7-month-old baby? In a fire? It’s sickening,” said Felipe Freitas.

Freitas and Cecelia Li tell 19 News they’re still traumatized but grateful to be alive after their home went up in flames.

“I woke up by an act of God, saw flames outside our bedroom window and screamed, ‘Felipe, the house is on fire!’ He ran downstairs, tried to put it out. It went so fast, I picked up our baby, tried to go downstairs and the wall of smoke was so thick, it was like walking into a black cloud. I was choking, I couldn’t go downstairs,” said Li.

Advertisement

Li says she jumped from a second-floor window where Freitas caught her and their 7-month-old baby boy.

Sadly, they share that their pets, a dog and a cat named Salami and Evelyn, didn’t make it out of the home.

“They were the sweetest animals, they were the best friends, an absolute blessing and our son absolutely loved them,” said Li.

Cleveland Fire tells 19 News that when crews arrived to the home on w. 106th and Clifton Just after 2 a.m. Saturday, the fire had spread to two other houses in the neighborhood and two vehicles.

They estimate more than $700K in damages and for the house to be demolished.

Advertisement

“99 percent of everything in that house is irreplaceable, like one of a kind. The art, things we’ve kept for decades, that have been passed on for generations,” said Li. “Literally that night I was like, I got you [Felipe], I’ve got our son, that is all I have,” she said.

Investigators believe the cause of the fire is arson and the couple tells 19 News, they are stunned.

They’re hoping police get answers about the suspect and their case soon.

In the meantime, loved ones have wrapped their arms around the family with financial and emotional support.

“People can be really good and it’s like one person did something really evil to us but hundreds of people have done more and are doing so much good,” said Li.

Advertisement

Cleveland Police Department is investigating.

A $2,500 reward is being offered for any information that leads to an arrest.

Tips can be left by calling 216-664-6380.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Cleveland, OH

Report: Ohio among worst states in the U.S.

Published

on

Report: Ohio among worst states in the U.S.


OHIO — The U.S. News & World Report released its sixth Best States rankings, and this year’s shows Ohio is among the worst. 

The rankings are based across 71 metrics in eight categories, including the economy, health care, infrastructure and natural environment. Some categories were weighed more heavily than others. Health care and education had the most weight, then came state economies, infrastructure and opportunities given to each state’s citizens. 

Ohio came in 36th place. It ranked high in opportunities for citizens and fiscal stability, but low in natural environment, economy and health care. 

 

Advertisement

Here’s what the report ranked as the Top 10 states:

  1. Utah
  2. New Hampshire
  3. Nebraska
  4. Minnesota
  5. Idaho
  6. Iowa
  7. Vermont
  8. Washington
  9. Florida
  10. Massachusettes

Here are the top 10 worst states:

  1. Louisiana
  2. New Mexico
  3. Mississippi
  4. Arkansas
  5. West Virginia 
  6. Alaska
  7. Alabama
  8. Oklahoma
  9. Michigan
  10. South Carolina



Source link

Continue Reading

Cleveland, OH

3rd man charged in deadly shooting of Cleveland mom in front of her children

Published

on

3rd man charged in deadly shooting of Cleveland mom in front of her children


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Cuyahoga County prosecutor said a third person is now charged in the deadly shooting of a Cleveland mother in front of her two young children.

Alyson Appling-France, 29, was shot 17 times while unloading groceries in the parking lot of her apartment complex near Detroit Avenue and Berea Road on Jan. 10, said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley.

PREVIOUS STORY: 2 indicted for fatally shooting Cleveland mother in front of her kids

PREVIOUS STORY: Dog killed during SWAT situation in Garfield Heights; 2 arrested for Cleveland murder

Advertisement

Her daughters, ages six and 10, were inside the car. They were not injured.

O’Malley said a grand jury has indicted Jamar Skanes, 49, Alontez Beasley, 34, and Clarence Bennett, 43, on these charges:

JAMAR SKANES ALONTEZ BEASLEY CLARENCE BENNETT
One count of aggravated murder
One count of conspiracy to commit murder
Two counts of murder
Five counts of felonious assault
One count of aggravated murder
One count of conspiracy to commit murder
Two counts of murder
One count of involuntary manslaughter
Five counts of felonious assault
One count of having weapons while under disability
One count of aggravated murder
One count of conspiracy to commit murder
Two counts of murder
One count of involuntary manslaughter
Five counts of felonious assault
One count of having weapons while under disability

Skanes pleaded not guilty on Feb. 8 to aggravated murder, murder, and felonious assault, The judge ordered him held on a $1 million bond.

Beasley was also in court on Feb. 8 and pleaded not guilty to murder, aggravated murder, felonious assault, having weapons under disability, and involuntary manslaughter.

He received a $1 million bond.

Advertisement

PREVIOUS STORY: 2 men plead not guilty to shooting Cleveland mom 17x in front of her children

Arraignments for Skanes and Beasley on the new charges will happen at a later date, according to O’Malley.

Alontez Beasley (left) Jamar Skanes (right)(Source: Cuyahoga County Jail)

According to O’Malley, Bennett followed the victim to Target, watched her enter and exit, then tipped off Skanes and Beasley when she was heading home.

After the shooting, Skanes and Beasley fled the scene, said O’Malley. They were arrested by Cleveland police on Jan. 26.

Bennett remains on the loose and authorities need help locating him. Anyone with information should contact the U.S. Marshals at 1-866-4.WANTED.

Advertisement
Clarence Bennett
Clarence Bennett(Source: Cuyahoga County Prosecutor)

“These three individuals conspired to brutally murder Alyson Appling-France in front of her 10-year-old and 6-year-old daughters. Their actions were unfathomable, and it is my firm belief that they are a danger to the public… Jamar Skanes and Alontez Beasley are in custody. We need the public’s help to find Clarence Bennett. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact the U.S. Marshals at 1-866-4.WANTED.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Cleveland, OH

Eggy Performs National Anthem At Cleveland Guardians Game [Watch]

Published

on

Eggy Performs National Anthem At Cleveland Guardians Game [Watch]


Connecticut-native quartet Eggy on Tuesday headed to Cleveland, OH’s Major League Baseball park, Progressive Field, to perform the national anthem ahead of a matchup between the Cleveland Guardians and the visiting Seattle Mariners.

Appearing in red Guardians jerseys with “Eggy” emblazoned across their backs, band members Jake Brownstein, Dani BattatMike Goodman, and Alex Bailey left their instruments in the van and used their first-ever public rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to showcase their aptitude for four-part vocal harmony.

Eggy Guitarist Jake Brownstein Hits Record-Breaking Trick Shot At Westville Music Bowl [Watch]

“As long time fans of baseball, it was surreal to play a role in the actual production of a Major League game,” Battat told Live For Live Music of Eggy’s national anthem performance in Cleveland. “We challenged ourselves with an acapella arrangement by the Gaither Vocal Band, and are all extremely proud with the result. The whole experience is a dream come true and we can’t wait to do it again.” Watch a video of the Eggy national anthem performance at Tuesday’s Cleveland Guardians game below.

Advertisement

Eggy is in the midst of a particularly busy year. In addition to rolling out singles from their forthcoming sophomore LP, Waiting Game, Brownstein, Battat, Bailey, and Goodman are due to make their debuts at a number of notable venues and festivals in the coming months. After performing at Electric Forest today (6/20) and supporting Blues Traveler at Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on July 4th, Eggy will continue on to festival gigs at Quincy, CA’s High Sierra Music Festival (7/5–7/7), Snowshoe, WV’s 4848 Festival (7/18–7/20), Jay, VT’s Jeezum Crow Festival (7/19–7/20), Check, VA’s FloydFest (7/24–7/27), East Aurora, NY’s Borderland Music Festival (9/13–9/15), Asbury Park, NJ’s Sea Hear Now (9/14–9/15), Austin, TX’s Austin City Limits Festival (10/6–10/6, 10/11–10/13), Live Oak, FL’s Suwannee Hulaween (10/24–10/27), and more. In August, the group will join Umphrey’s McGee as support for a run of amphitheater shows. For a full list of upcoming Eggy tour dates, head here.

Eggy Shares New Single “Laurel”, An Ode To The Romantic Allure Of L.A. [Listen]

Tuesday’s a cappella “Star-Spangled Banner” at the Guardians/Mariners game came on the heels of Eggy’s debut performances at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival late last week. Watch a full, pro-shot video of the group’s Thursday, June 13th performance in the festival’s “This Tent” below.

Eggy – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival – Full Set [Pro-Shot] – 6/13/24 





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending