Midwest
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.
DETROIT’S MOST WANTED, SOUGHT FOR SEX CRIMES, CAPTURED IN WASHINGTON STATE AFTER POLICE CHASE
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.
MOB OF UP TO 30 LOOTERS, SOME ARMED, RANSACK FREIGHT TRAIN IN CHICAGO
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.
BIZARRE MOMENTS CAPTURED ON RING CAMERA IN 2023
“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.
Read the full article from Here
Utah wildfire burnover kills three firefighters near Colorado border
Three firefighters were killed and two were injured in a Utah wildfire burnover as the Snyder Fire grows past 28,000 acres.
One of three firefighters killing fighting a Colorado wildfire on Saturday, June 27, was a southeast Michigan woman, department of Interior officials announced on Monday, June 29.
Emily Barker, 38, of Clinton Township, was assigned to the U.S. Forest Service Rifle Helitack crew. She died from burns while engaging in the initial attack on the Knowles Fire in Mesa County in western Colorado near the Utah border.
The two other fallen firefighters were identified as Nick Hutcherson, 27, of Glendale, Arizona, assigned to the USFS Kaibab National Forest; and Sydney Watson, 27, Warrior, Alabama, assigned to the USFS Rifle Helitack crew.
“We mourn the loss of three firefighters who answered the call to protect others and made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their fellow citizens,” U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chief Brian Fennessy said in a June 29 announcement. “Our thoughts are with their families, loved ones, friends and crewmates as they face an unimaginable loss. These firefighters embodied the courage, professionalism and selflessness that define the wildland fire service. Please join me and my family in keeping our thoughts and prayers with the families of the fallen and our injured firefighters and their families.”
Barker was a graduate of Grosse Pointe Academy and alumna of Northern Michigan University with a degree in ski area business management, the school said in a 2020 Facebook post.
The firefighters from the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service were battling the Knowles and Gore fires near the Colorado-Utah border June 27 when the incident occurred in Colorado, the U.S. Department of the Interior stated in a June 28 news release.
The firefighters were killed and injured during a burnover, which occurs when fire behavior changes and unexpectedly overtakes firefighters. The firefighters had deployed their protective shelters, according to a U.S. Forest Service news release June 28.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shared her condolences with Michigan firefighter’s family in a Facebook post.
“I am deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Clinton Township native, Emily Barker, who lost her life while fighting a wildfire in Colorado,” Whitmer said on Facebook on June 29. “My condolences go out to Emily’s loved ones. Her bravery in the face of danger kept people safe and will not soon be forgotten.”
As of Tuesday, June 30, the wildfire, known as the Snyder Fire, had consumed 30,163 acres, according to Map of Fire.
The blaze began Saturday, June 27, during a red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service due to strong winds, low humidity and dry fuel. The fire prompted evacuations.
The state is facing several other wildfires and is covered in red flag warnings as of Tuesday morning, June 30.
Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com
A St. Cloud Tech ninth-grader won the Minnesota State High School League Clay Shooting championship on Friday.
Allie Lauer won the title with a score of 99 and reverse run of 83, while second-place finisher Isabella Blaz (Rosemount) also scored a 99 but a reverse run of 54. LeRoy-Ostrander’s Kimberly Volkart finished in third place with a score of 98.
MSHSL:
“I was nervous coming in because the other girls are older,” Lauer said. “It was nice weather today and things worked out well. Your average (score) doesn’t really matter. Just keep a good mindset and don’t focus on the scores.”
BOYS CLAY SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP
Proctor sophomore Lane Graves took home the championship after a grueling three-way, two-round shoot-off against Rushford-Peterson’s Colton Ronnenberg (second place) and Prior Lake’s Jack Benedict.
After Benedict was eliminated in the first shoot-off, Graves outlasted Ronnenberg with a 9-7 win in round two.
TEAM CLAY SHOOTING CHAMPIONSHIP
The Bemidji Lumberjacks took the team title with a total score of 487, one ahead of Lakeville South and five better than both Stewartville and Spring Grove.
St. Cloud’s Stanley Cup Champion Nate Schmidt [GALLERY]
Former St. Cloud Cathedral and University of Minnesota standout Nate Schmidt will bring the Stanley Cup to St. Cloud on August 25th. Here’s a look at his career through photos.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected linebacker Nick Bolton in the second round, 58th overall, of the 2021 NFL Draft. The University of Missouri Tigers star is a two-time Super Bowl champion and can now add Hall of Famer to his resume after a special reveal from head coach Andy Reid after a recent team practice.
“You guys know I’m a Missouri Tiger at heart; I had a chance to coach there, for you that didn’t know, before I got in the NFL. We got a couple of Missouri Tigers here, but we got one that’s real, real famous right now. Not only for his play here with the Chiefs, but also what he did at the University of Missouri,” said Reid. “He did great things there. We know him as kind of a team guy. He’s Nick Bolton, right? We know him as a team guy, the ultimate team guy, but today you’re going to get an individual award, bud. Today you’re going into the University of Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame.”
During his college football career at Missouri, Bolton was named First-Team All-SEC in 2019 and 2020 and Second-Team All-American in 2020.
Bolton had another impressive season in 2025, leading the Chiefs with 154 total tackles, along with a sack and an interception. He was selected as an alternate for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games.
-
Louisiana8 minutes agoLouisiana is epicenter for red snapper fishing in Gulf of America
-
Maine11 minutes agoMaine could face $50M in penalties from federal food assistance policy changes
-
Maryland16 minutes agoHutzell: The best, worst and just plain weird of Maryland’s weak primary
-
Michigan23 minutes agoMichigan firefighter among 3 killed in Colorado. What we know
-
Massachusetts26 minutes agoWho will take care of our older and disabled people? – The Boston Globe
-
Minnesota31 minutes agoAllie Lauer Of St. Cloud Tech Claims Clay Shooting Championship With A Score Of 99
-
Mississippi38 minutes agoBobby Harrison: Mississippi Democrats hope they are not saying ‘if’ again after midterm elections
-
Missouri41 minutes agoNick Bolton earns induction into the Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame
