Midwest
Serial killer known as ‘Hollywood Ripper’ extradited to Illinois for 1993 murder of his teen neighbor
A serial killer known as the “Hollywood Ripper” and the “Boy Next Door Killer,” who has already been sentenced to death for two murders in Southern California in 2001 and 2005, has been extradited to Illinois for the 1993 murder of an 18-year-old.
Michael Gargiulo, 48, has been charged with the August 1993 murder of Tricia Pacaccio, 18, who was found by her father outside of her home in Fairview, Illinois, after spending an evening with friends, according to FOX 32.
“Michael Gargiulo, was a friend and classmate of the victim’s brother. The defendant’s residence was located one block from the Pacaccios,” Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Ethan Holland told reporters from the courthouse in Skokie, Illinois, on Friday.
Gargiulo was a suspect during the initial investigation, but he wasn’t linked to the crime through DNA until after he had left for California where he killed Ashley Ellerin, 22, in 2001 and Maria Bruno, 32, a mother of four whose breasts were cut off during her killing, in 2005.
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Michael Gargiulo has been charged in the 1993 murder of 18-year-old Tricia Pacaccio outside of her home. (FOX 32)
Actor Ashton Kutcher testified at Gargiulo’s trial for Ellerin’s murder that he was supposed to pick her up for a date that night in 2001, but she had been murdered by the time he arrived at her house. She was stabbed 47 times.
Gargiulo allegedly also attempted to murder another woman in the Los Angeles area in 2008.
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A sketch of Gargiulo in court on Friday. (FOX 32)
After those murders, Holland said more witnesses came forward. “These witnesses indicated that in the late 1990s Michael Gargiulo had admitted that he had killed a girl in Chicago.”
Holland said someone known as “Witness A” “accompanied Gargiulo, and another individual to get rid of knives that Gargiulo possessed. Gargiulo admitted to witness ‘A’ that he was afraid that police were coming after him.”
Pacaccio was found dead outside of her home in August 1993. (FOX 32)
He added that another person who came forward, known as “Witness C,” said that Gargiulo had told him he had “buried the b—-. When pressed by witness ‘C’ to tell the truth, Gargiulo said that he was only kidding and he had actually ‘left the b—- on step for dead.’”
Gargiulo was finally charged with Pacaccio’s murder in 2011, but wasn’t extradited until he was sentenced in California.
Gargiulo is being held without bond and is due back in court on Sept. 20.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Cook Country State’s Attorneys Office.
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Detroit, MI
Detroit water main break snarls travel on East Jefferson Monday morning
Vehicles travel through water collected near water main break in Detroit.
DETROIT (FOX 2) – A water main break in Detroit is causing headaches for drivers and sending water into the streets of one of the city’s east side neighborhoods.
The break involves a 42-inch pipeline at East Jefferson and Burns Drive.
The breakage happened on Sunday, leaving only one lane open for each direction of travel.
Local perspective:
A day after the breakage, water was still gathering on the road of Jefferson Avenue.
Video captured of the scene Monday morning showed vehicles driving through ponds of water. Construction equipment were on site along with traffic cones.
The backstory:
This isn’t the only major disruption to water services in the region.
This weekend, a catastrophic breakage at 14 Mile near Drake impacted several Oakland County communities and thousands of residents.
Novi and Walled Lake were among those hardest hit by the breakage, which included dramatic scenes of waves of water washing down the road, submerging vehicles.
The Source: FOX 2’s Charlie Langton and previous reporting were cited for this story.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Public Schools budget proposals; board meeting Monday
MILWAUKEE – MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius proposed cutting more than 263 non-classroom positions to help bridge a $46 million structural budget deficit.
A special meeting of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors is scheduled to take place on Monday night, March 9, to vote on this proposal.
Shifting resources
What we know:
The district said the reductions, which would take effect for the 2026–27 school year pending school board approval, would save about $30 million.
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“It is an extremely difficult day for us here in Milwaukee Public Schools, but in the end, I’m still hopeful. I’m hopeful for our students, I’m hopeful for all of the employees we have, and every single employee matters to us,” said Cassellius. “This is hard, and we’ll get through it.”
Officials said no classroom teacher positions are being cut to close the budget gap. That said, the district may need fewer teachers where there is lower enrollment. About 40 of the 263 positions being eliminated are already vacant, meaning that not all reductions will result in layoffs. Affected employees eligible for classroom-based roles will be encouraged to apply for available positions.
Cassellius stressed that MPS faces rising costs while receiving a $0 state increase in general aid for 2026-27 public school students. While the recent referendum has helped to support arts, physical education, mental health services, and career exploration, the superintendent indicated it does not make up for the lack of state-funded inflation increase
Proposed reductions
By the numbers:
The approximately 263 position reductions include the following, according to the school district:
- MPS Central Services: About 116 positions from the offices of Academics; Communications; Family, Community, and Partnership; Finance; Human Resources; Operations; Schools office; and the Superintendent’s office
- Non‑classroom school‑based roles: About 147 positions, including assistant principals, deans of students, and implementers.
The Source: Milwaukee Public Schools released information about its proposal.
Minneapolis, MN
MN weather: Bright with highs in the 50s Monday
Expect a pleasant Monday with light breezes, filtered sunshine, and highs in the 50s. Temperatures cool into the 40s this week with chances for rain and snow. FOX 9 meteorologist Cody Matz has the full forecast.
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