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Texas arrests 8 in widening probe of midwife accused of illegal abortions

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Texas arrests 8 in widening probe of midwife accused of illegal abortions

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Eight people linked to a Houston-area midwife accused of allegedly performing illegal abortions have been arrested and indicted for practicing medicine without a license, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday.

In a statement shared online, Paxton described the group as “a cabal of abortion-loving radicals” who “endangered the very people they pretended to help.”

The arrests are the latest development in an investigation into Maria Margarita Rojas, 49,who earlier in 2025 became the first to be charged under the Texas Human Life Protection Act.

ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR CALIFORNIA DOCTOR IN LOUISIANA ABORTION PILL CASE

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Pro-abortion rights activists participate in the “Rally for Our Freedom” to protect abortion rights for Floridians, in Orlando, Florida. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty)  (CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)

Rojas faces 15 felony counts, including three for performing an abortion and 12 for practicing medicine without a license. Her case is ongoing.

Paxton said the eight new defendants were working under Rojas at her clinics in Waller, Cypress, Spring, and Katy. 

Those charged were identified as Yaimara Hernandez Alvarez, Alina Valeron Leon, Dalia Coromoto Yanez, Yhonder Lebrun Acosta, Liunet Grandales Estrada, Gerardo Otero Aguero, Sabiel Bosch Gongora, and Jose Manuel Cendan Ley. 

MAJOR PRO-LIFE GROUP DEMANDS INVESTIGATION INTO ABORTION PILL BILLBOARDS IN FLORIDA

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Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.  (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In his statement, Paxton, who is running for U.S. Senate, said the arrests show his commitment to enforcing the state’s strict abortion laws and said, “beyond being illegal, it is evil.” 

“These dens of fake doctors will not be allowed to operate in Texas,” Paxton added. 

“Those responsible will be held accountable. I will always protect innocent life and use every tool to enforce Texas’s pro-life laws,” he said.

The Center for Reproductive Rights called the case against Rojas a “sham.” The organization is representing Rojas in a separate civil lawsuit.

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Jenna Hudson, Senior Counsel, told Fox News Digital that the indictments were “an escalation of Texas’ scare campaign against doctors and healthcare workers.”

TEXAS MAN SUES CALIFORNIA DOCTOR IN UNPRECEDENTED ABORTION PILL CASE OVER UNBORN CHILD’S ALLEGED ‘MURDER’

Cesar Franco prays the Rosary with pro-life and aniti-abortion supporters gathered with the Tradition Family Property organization to sing and pray Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in protest to an apparent pro-abortion statue installed in Cullen Family Plaza on the campus of University of Houston.  (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

Hudson said Paxton “went after Rojas, a licensed midwife dedicated to helping her pregnant patients.”

“He heartlessly shut down several clinics that provided lawful, affordable services to families around Houston, most of whom were low-income, uninsured immigrants with few options for health care, ” she added.

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“It’s no coincidence that he is targeting Rojas and these clinics amid the widespread anti-immigrant sentiment nationwide. Texas health care workers deserve respect, not to be treated like criminals.”

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Los Angeles, Ca

Knee irritation forces Shohei Ohtani out of Friday start, All‑Star game

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Knee irritation forces Shohei Ohtani out of Friday start, All‑Star game

Shohei Ohtani will not make his scheduled start Friday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks because of continued irritation in his left knee, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Friday.

Ohtani left a June 11 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to irritation in his left knee, which underwent surgery in 2019 to correct a congenital condition called bipartite patella.

According to ESPN, he has been managing the issue since.

Due to the injury, Ohtani will also not travel to Philadelphia or participate in the 2026 All‑Star Game.

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The two-way star will serve as the designated hitter through the weekend, and after the series, “he will have some interventions on his knee to put him in the best position for the second half of the season,” according to the Dodgers.

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Los Angeles, Ca

O.C. police prep for beach, theme park ‘takeovers’ promoted on social media

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O.C. police prep for beach, theme park ‘takeovers’ promoted on social media

A woman injured during the chaotic Fourth of July beach takeover in Newport Beach is speaking out as authorities prepare for a similar event that could target nearby Huntington Beach this weekend, as well as an Orange County theme park.

The July 4 gathering in Newport Beach devolved into violence, with fires set, businesses looted and law enforcement officers targeted with explosives.

More than 400 people were arrested in connection with the unrest. Authorities later said many of those taken into custody had traveled from Arizona and Nevada.

Among the dozens of people injured was Cassandra Torres, a longtime Orange County resident who said she never expected to become a victim while celebrating the holiday in a city she has visited for years.

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“It’s horrible. It’s disgusting behavior, and now we’re paying for it,” Torres told KTLA.

Torres said she was riding her e-bike when a large crowd of young people suddenly rushed toward her.

“The next thing I know, I’m waking up with strangers around me, which I’m grateful for all of them, and all I hear is, ‘She got pushed off her bike,’” she recalled.

She was taken to a hospital, where she was treated for multiple injuries, including serious cuts, bruising and a concussion.

“I’ve never seen a hospital that busy in my life,” Torres said. “It was supposed to be a safe, fun day, and it turned into a nightmare.”

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As victims continue to recover and investigators sort through the aftermath, law enforcement agencies are now focused on preventing another large-scale disturbance after social media posts promoted a so-called “Beach Bash” in Huntington Beach.

The Huntington Beach Police Department acknowledged the online flyer in a social media post Thursday, writing:

“Dear ‘Beach Bash’ organizers… Thanks for the flyer. We’ve seen it too. We have no intention of allowing that to happen here.”

In a statement to KTLA, the department said it has implemented a comprehensive public safety plan.

“Our comprehensive public safety plan includes increased staffing, proactive enforcement and the deployment of specialized resources throughout the city,” police said. “We are coordinating closely with our regional law enforcement partners and are prepared to respond quickly to any criminal activity.”

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Officials also warned that anyone who organizes, promotes, encourages or participates in criminal acts associated with a takeover event could face arrest and prosecution.

Officials at Knott’s Berry Farm said they were also aware of a social media post promoting a teen takeover of the park over the weekend. Buena Park police officials said they plan to have an increased presence at the park.

As for Torres, a GoFundMe has been organized to cover her medical expenses as she continues to recover and follow up with specialists.

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Los Angeles, Ca

California teen e-biker baiting police to chase tracked by drone, arrested

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California teen e-biker baiting police to chase tracked by drone, arrested

Police in Palm Springs deployed a drone to track and assist in the arrest of a teen e-bike rider who had reportedly been trying to bait officers into a high-speed chase.

In footage released on social media Wednesday by the Palm Springs Police Department, the teen can be seen doing wheelies and donuts while stopped at a traffic light. He is also seen performing similar stunts in an intersection.

“Instead of giving the suspect the pursuit he seemed to be looking for, officers used drone technology and coordinated tactics to safely monitor his movements into Cathedral City,” police said in an Instagram post.

Police in Palm Springs deployed a drone to track and assist in the arrest of a teen e-bike rider who had reportedly been trying to bait officers into a high-speed chase. (Palm Springs PD)

Video shows the rider traveling through grass at a nearby park before getting off the e-bike in the shade of a pavilion.

Police quickly moved into the park and took the teen into custody. Video appears to show a physical struggle before he was eventually placed into a patrol vehicle.

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“While seated in a PSPD patrol vehicle, the suspect apparently wasn’t thrilled with the accommodations and shattered a window, adding felony vandalism to his list of charges,” police said.

  • Palm Springs e-biker arrested
  • Palm Springs e-biker arrested
  • Palm Springs e-biker arrested
  • Palm Springs e-biker arrested

The teen, who has not been identified, was booked on suspicion of reckless driving, resisting arrest and felony vandalism.

E-bikes and e-motorcycles have been a growing concern for law enforcement across Southern California.

Data released in Riverside County shows e-bike crashes surged from 224 in 2023 to 494 in 2024, then nearly doubled again to 958 in 2025, according to county officials, who added that at least 416 incidents have already been reported this year.

Cities in Orange County have enacted new laws that include stricter penalties for violations.

On June 7, shoppers at an Orange County Walmart were left shaken after a group of teens was captured on video riding electric bikes through the store, narrowly missing customers and creating a dangerous scene.

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Video obtained by KTLA shows several riders weaving through aisles at a Foothill Ranch store while customers scrambled to get out of the way.

In April, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced felony charges against the mother of a 14-year-old boy accused of fatally striking an 81-year-old man while riding an e-bike in Lake Forest. Prosecutors allege the mother knew her son had repeatedly engaged in reckless riding behavior before the crash.

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