Northeast
Man charged with murder of missing woman is illegal immigrant out on bail after previous DWI arrest: report
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A man reportedly in the U.S. illegally was charged with killing a 19-year-old Maryland woman whose body was discovered off a highway earlier this week.
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, was arrested Thursday in the killing of Dacara Thompson, the Prince George’s County Police Department said.
Hernandez-Mendez is an illegal immigrant and had a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer issued on Thursday, according to WJLA-TV.
Prince George’s County Police Department told Fox News Digital the department was not releasing the immigration status of Hernandez-Mendez. ICE did not immediately respond when Fox News Digital reached out.
MARYLAND MOTHER KILLED WHEN 4 TEENS IN STOLEN CAR SLAM INTO HER AND HER CHILD
Hugo Hernandez-Mendez, 35, was charged with first- and second-degree murder in Thompson’s death. (Prince George’s County Police Department)
The news outlet also reported that U.S. Park Police arrested Hernandez-Mendez for a DWI in April, but he was subsequently released pending a court appearance. Fox News Digital reached out to the Park Police but did not immediately hear back.
Thompson’s family reported her missing on Aug. 23. On Sunday, her body was discovered dumped in a grassy area near Route 50 in Anne Arundel County.
Dacara Thompson, 19, was found dead on Sunday, over a week after her family reported her missing. Police said they believe she was murdered. (Prince George’s County Police Department)
Investigators combed through security footage that showed Thompson had approached a black SUV in the early hours of Aug. 23. She was seen speaking to the driver, according to police, before entering the vehicle. The driver then drove to a home in Bowie.
Detectives executed a search warrant on the home Thursday and uncovered evidence that suggested Thompson had been killed in the bedroom of the home, police said.
Hernandez-Mendez lived at the home in the bedroom where authorities say the killing happened. Police said he also has access to the black SUV that Thompson was seen entering.
MULTIPLE FATAL CRASHES LINKED TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS SPARK ARRESTS ACROSS US IN RECENT DAYS
Hernandez-Mendez was charged with first- and second-degree murder in Thompson’s death.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore released a statement on the death investigation Friday, calling Thompson a “bright light” who was “committed to public service.”
“Our entire state mourns the horrible loss of Da’Cara Thompson, who was taken from us by an act of senseless violence,” the governor said in the statement, vowing to use “every tool at our disposal” to hold those responsible for her death accountable.
The 19-year-old’s cause of death has yet to be determined, though police said it may be ruled a homicide based on the evidence collected.
As the investigation remains active, police said detectives are working to determine whether Hernandez-Mendez and Thompson knew each other before the day she went missing.
Hernandez-Mendez is being held without bond by the Maryland Department of Corrections.
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The second-year Golden State Valkyries keep clearing hurdles that have never been scaled in the history of the WNBA.
They did it again Friday night.
Across the country from Ballhalla, against an opponent with the league’s worst record, the Valkyries became the fastest WNBA expansion franchise to 40 victories.
They needed just 68 games over two seasons to hit the mark.
That was among the bullet points in their 79-64 victory over the Connecticut Sun, an outcome that extended Golden State’s franchise-record win streak to seven games, including the first four in a five-city trip that concludes Wednesday at Indiana.
The Valkyries overcame a rough start on a night in which their All-Star forward, Gabby Williams, was ruled out before tip-off because of a back injury that sidelined her in the fourth quarter of the team’s win in Toronto on Wednesday.
Connecticut, which fell to 5-18, stormed to a 9-2 lead in the opening minutes and maintained an advantage into the second quarter even though its leading scorer on the season, center Brittney Griner, missed her second consecutive game because of a quad strain.
But the Valkyries’ highly touted defense eventually put a grip on the home team, and Golden State grabbed its first lead, 24-23, when Kaila Charles drove for a layup.
The visitors led 30-25 at halftime.
Connecticut kept the margin within single digits for nearly all of the third quarter, but Veronica Burton closed the period with an up-and-under layup as time expired to give Golden State a 54-44 cushion heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Valkyries put the score out of reach when Charles and Burton made back-to-back 3-pointers to widen the lead to 60-44 with 7:19 to play.
Burton had a superb game against her former team, finishing with 17 points, six assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal. The Valkyries are undefeated this season when the point guard has at least six assists.
Golden State’s bench contributed 42 points, seven more than its league-high season average. Janelle Salaun led the reserves with 16 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Laeticia Amihere added six points, five rebounds, three blocks and three assists. The Valkyries also got nine points from Tiffany Hayes and eight from Kaitlyn Chen.
Williams, meanwhile, gave the team a boost from the bench.
“Gabby is still going to contribute, and she still helped us,” Burton said. “She was one of the loudest people throughout the entire game. With that … it’s a next-man-up mentality. There is not necessarily any drop-off. We find different ways to win, and we just rely on every single person on this team.”
With the win, Golden State is the first to 17 victories this season, as the result on Friday improved its record to 17-7, tying the Valkyries with Las Vegas and Minnesota (both 16-6) for the league’s top mark.
How has Golden State done it?
It starts with “high-character” players the front office brought in, coach Natalie Nakase said, noting that everyone has accepted their roles, some more challenging than others.
“The best thing about our team is we have a selfless team that understands matchups,” Nakase said. “Having a deep bench was intentional. But it also comes with the humility that each player has to have that sometimes they can start, sometimes they’ll have a night, sometimes they might not start, sometimes they might not have a night.
“This is a very special group. I am not going to take this group for granted at all because they have meshed a lot better together than I anticipated.”
But even with far more highs than lows, the Valkyries are not a finished product in the eyes of their coach. Nakase noted the team’s slow starts in its previous two games, against Washington and Toronto, and stressed stronger consistency.
The Valkyries had another rough start on Friday.
Afterward, Nakase pointed to fatigue caused by an extended period on the road.
“We lost our vocalness in the first quarter, so I wasn’t really happy with that,” she said. “When you’re tired, the first thing that goes is the mind and they stop talking. We found pockets tonight of when we were very, very connected. But I need to see some rest. They deserve it. Four games in seven days and the emptying-the-tank mentality, I saw a lot of consistency there. But this game was really tough. Credit to Connecticut.”
LEWISTON (WGME) Nearly three years after the Lewiston mass shooting, the Maine Resiliency Center is asking the public to share how the tragedy has affected them and the community.
The nonprofit has launched a survey to better understand the impacts of the mass shooting in October 2023 and to help guide future support efforts.
The director of the Maine Resiliency Center said the ripple effects have spread widely and the organization wants to hear from anyone who has been affected.
“You could have been a service provider who is providing therapy or counseling for people; you could have been a funeral home director or city employee; you could be someone who lives in this community and knows somebody who is directly impacted or you could be directly impacted yourself. All of those opinions and information are really valuable to us as we look to support the broader community moving forward,” the director said.
To take part in the survey, go to maineresiliencycenter.org.
GLENS FALLS, NY (WRGB) — A Massachusetts man is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he robbed two banks in separate states and tried to evade investigators by switching license plates—before evidence gathered in New York’s Capital Region helped lead authorities to him.
Joseph Sawyer is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from St. Mary’s Bank in New Hampshire and a Chase Bank in New Jersey last month. In both robberies, prosecutors say Sawyer fled in a Honda Odyssey minivan.
Prosecutors say the minivan originally had Massachusetts license plates, but Sawyer swapped them out with stolen New Jersey plates in an attempt to cover his tracks.
After the second robbery, highway cameras in Albany County captured the minivan as it tried to flee the tri-state area, prosecutors said. The FBI later tracked the vehicle to a motel near Glens Falls, where Sawyer was staying.
Prosecutors also say Sawyer’s own family helped identify him through surveillance photos, linking him to the robberies.
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