At the edge of their campground in Yellowstone National Park in June, Susanne and her husband, Benjamin “Bennangy” Anguiano, gazed at the lodgepole pine tree forest. The ground was covered with piles of broken branches and dry, old trees that had fallen on top of each other.
The Anguianos felt overwhelmed and distraught: Somewhere in that forest was their small, brownish seal point Siamese cat that had run off from the Fishing Bridge RV Park.
For five days the couple searched the area, calling out for their 2-year-old cat named Rayne Beau (pronounced “rainbow”). They used cat food and toys to try and lure him back.
Benjamin and Susanne Anguiano in Yellowstone National Park.
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(Benjamin and Susanne Anguiano)
But it would be weeks before they would reunite with their beloved pet, a tearful reunion that by some miracle would also take place hundreds of miles west in California.
There is no shortage of stories about pets traveling great distances to get home. In 2012, a black Labrador named Bucky walked 500 miles from Virginia to South Carolina, eventually reuniting with his owner.
Hollywood has even made movies about them — take 1993’s “Homeward Bound,” in which an American bulldog, a golden retriever and a Himalayan cat make their way through the Sierra Nevada to San Francisco to reunite with their family.
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And now, there’s Rayne Beau.
Although it has been a month since the cat returned home, it wasn’t until this weekend that the Anguianos felt comfortable enough to talk about the incident, in part because they want to know if anyone helped the cat travel more than 800 miles from Yellowstone to California.
In a phone interview Friday, Susanne Anguiano said everything began June 4 when the couple arrived at the campground. She said she was trying to transfer Rayne Beau and his sister, Star, a flame point Siamese cat, from the truck to the traveling trailer.
Anguiano said she was untangling the cats’ leashes when Rayne Beau jumped out of the vehicle, slipping out of his collar before dashing toward the forest.
“I screamed,” she said. “I swear, I think the whole campground heard me.”
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She ran after Rayne Beau, leaving the truck door open and the other cat behind. She said her husband shut the door to prevent the other cat from escaping.
She said Rayne Beau ran under a log, where she tried to scoop him up, but that caused him to run off again, this time deeper into the woods. Eventually, she lost sight of him.
The next day they reported the cat missing with the ranger’s office, providing a photo.
“Every morning I went out for an hour and called,” she said. “Even his sister, from the safety of the screen door of the trailer, meowed for him.”
The couple spent days searching the forest, calling out for him, trying to entice him with tuna and toys well into the night.
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“But he never showed up,” she said. “Then came the day when we had to leave and that was horrible.”
“It felt like I was abandoning him,” she said.
As their truck pulled out of the campground on June 8, Anguiano looked out the window, crying, calling and scanning the road.
“I knew it was hopeless to do that but I did it anyway,” she said.
The ride home was somber. The couple didn’t talk, and Star clung to Susanne. She worried about Rayne Beau getting stuck in a tree or falling from one. Would he starve? No, she told herself, there were plenty of mice he could live off.
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Susanne Anguiano took a sighting of a double rainbow in the Nevada desert as a sign of hope.
(Benjamin and Susanne Anguiano)
As they were entering the Nevada desert, the couple saw a double rainbow. For Anguiano, it was a sign that their cat was safe.
“I’m a Christian and I was praying the whole time,” she said. “God told me: ‘I have him safe,’ and that’s what I hung on to.”
It was July 31 and Alexandra Betts had arrived at her job at Sutter Roseville Medical Center in Roseville, Calif. It was hot and temperatures were in the triple digits, she recalled. She was making her way from the parking lot to the hospital when she heard yowling coming from some bushes.
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Betts said it sounded like a cat in heat or in labor, so she walked over to take a look. There, she noticed saw a small brownish cat near a storm drain.
She stayed with it for a few minutes before going into work. Her co-workers told her the cat had been there for days and likely belonged to someone nearby. Betts didn’t buy that. A cat yowling and in the same spot for days didn’t seem right to her.
Alexandra Betts found a panting cat during triple-digit temperatures in Roseville, Calif. She took it home and posted pictures in hopes of finding the owner.
(Alexandra Betts)
She checked in with her sister, who once worked at an animal shelter, and learned that cats that yowled were either in distress, in heat or lost.
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Betts ordered cat food from DoorDash. On her lunch break, she went out to feed it.
“I could tell it was a house cat of some kind because it could register what the sound of a can opening was,” she said.
But the hot weather was starting to take its toll on the cat. Betts said it was panting, and she felt she needed to bring the cat home.
Betts was no stranger to helping animals. She owned a cat herself and often fostered many felines for many years. The next day, a Thursday, she brought the cat home in a carrier.
That night, she said, she took photos and uploaded them to the Facebook account for Roseville Lost and Found Pets.
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The cat stayed with the family until Saturday, snuggling and playing.
“It was just the sweetest cat,” Betts said. “My son wanted to keep him but I told him: ‘if your cat Ninja got out, how would you feel if you never got to see him again?’”
She told him they needed to do everything they could to get the cat back to its owner.
On Aug. 3, she took the cat to the Placer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Roseville. She updated her post on Facebook that day to let people know where she took the cat.
Betts took more photos of the cat after bringing it home, where she said it loved to cuddle. Her son wanted to keep it, but she took it to a shelter so it could have a chance of being reunited with its owners.
(Alexandra Betts)
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Leilani Fratis, chief executive with Placer SPCA, said the cat was in fairly good condition when it arrived at the shelter. She said staff immediately scanned the pet for a microchip, and it had one.
“What’s really incredible is that we get over 1,000 cats that come through our shelter,” she said. “Only 23 are ever reunited with their owners and of that number, a teen of them are microchipped.”
“Microchipping is especially important for cats,” she added, “as it can be hard to keep a collar on them.”
She hoped the story will encourage more people to microchip their pets if they haven’t done so.
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It was Saturday afternoon when Susanne Anguiano got the call, but she didn’t pick up. The number didn’t show up as Placer SPCA. In fact, the shelter had to call her daughter to inform them of the news.
Even then, Anguiano didn’t believe it. She thought it was a scam. She Googled the number to make sure it matched that of Placer SPCA in Roseville.
She called them and asked if they had Rayne Beau. They told her they did. She asked them to describe the cat and they did that too.
As she was on the phone, her husband walked in and told her he had received a text message that Rayne Beau had been found.
“Wait, is this really happening?” she recalled telling herself.
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She said her husband asked the shelter to provide photos. When they received them, the couple was stunned: It was Rayne Beau.
“Eight weeks of hoping and praying just came full circle,” she said. “We were blown away, we hugged and cried, it was just so surreal.”
The next morning, they drove to Roseville, about four hours from their home in Salinas. They walked into the shelter and reunited with Rayne Beau.
Shortly after, Anguiano said she took the cat to the vet.
“He was so skinny,” she said. “He had lost 40% of his body weight.”
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She said his blood work showed low protein levels, and the pads on his paws were dry, cracked and calloused, proof that he had spent a lot of time on his own.
Anguiano said they wanted to thank the person who had found their cat but for privacy reasons the shelter couldn’t release that information.
A few days later, however, her husband stumbled upon Betts’ Facebook post. They were able to thank her and provide some details of the story.
“She’s the only one who did something,” she said. “She’s our hero, our angel.”
Betts was elated to hear that the family had reunited with their pet. She was also happy that she decided to help Rayne Beau after learning about his long journey.
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“I think everything lined up perfectly for it to work out the way it was supposed to work out.”
A California man was charged Tuesday after authorities say he brought an explosive device and other weapons through a security checkpoint at Sacramento International Airport.
Kimani Osayande Jones, who also uses the last name Jackson,attempted to bring an improvised explosive device, a knife and other bladed weapons, a torch lighter and zip ties through a TSA security checkpoint on May 30, according to court documents filed Tuesday in the Eastern District of California.
Officials believe Jones, 49, repeatedly called the FBI tip line to report he was being threatened and intimidated in the months leading up to the incident.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office bomb technicians safely removed the explosive device and tested its powder and fuse, both of which were determined to be “viable and energetic,”officials say.
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Investigators said the device had the potential to damage an aircraft and cause a loss of cabin pressure.
Jones’ other luggage, which had already been through security and loaded onto an American Airlines flight to Charlotte, North Carolina, was hand-searched and examined by a canine unit upon arrival, and investigators said nothing “illegal or concerning” was found.
Jones has been chargedin federal courtwith unlawful possession of explosive material at an airport. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
His attorney, Meghan McLoughlin, told CNN in a statement: “There is often more to these cases than the government’s allegations, and that the criminal process will reveal Mr. Jones’ story as well.”
Multiple cell phones and repeated FBI tip line calls
The Sacramento resident went through security on May 30 wearing a face covering and blue latex gloves, court documents say.
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When officers found the explosive device and other items in Jones’ carry-on bag, he told them he was unaware the items were in his possession and said “he would be okay with just discarding them.”When authorities informed him that explosive material could not simply be thrown away, he denied ownership of the backpack.
Jones also had five mobile phones in his possession. The cameras on each phone had been covered with painter’s tape, which authorities believe was intended to prevent his surroundings from being recorded.
One phone contained a 15-minute timer ready to start and another had a message from an unknown number on the screen stating, “we will be awaiting your call,” according to court documents.
An individual police believe to be Jones made approximately 13 calls to the FBI tip line leading up to the incident,beginning in March.
On May 24, the caller reported being followed to and from a doctor’s appointment and described what he said were threats and intimidation by another individual.
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He said he was “being coerced in sleep to say certain phrases through digital media” and described “hearing sounds coming through walls, window panes, or even outside, attributing the outside sounds to drones,” court documents say. The call was ultimately terminated because of its “nonsensical nature.”
On the day of the incident, the same caller again contacted the FBI tip line, alleging that several individuals were threatening him throughout the past year through “cyber means.” He also referenced exercising his Second Amendment rights while denying any intention to harm others.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office also noted it had prior contact with Jones, “wherein he had a history of being paranoid.”
Hilton, Becerra lead California governor primary results
Vote counting continued after California’s primary election for governor with just over half of the results in.
Although results from California’s primary election began rolling in on Tuesday, June 2, it could take days or even weeks before the final counts are certified.
“This is normal … We have a process that by law ensures both voting rights and the integrity of elections, so I would call on all Californians to be patient,” Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber said in a June 2 news release.
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The Golden State’s lengthy vote-counting process has “become a national narrative about California elections,” according to Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego.
“In California, it takes a long time to certify votes, to verify the signatures, to then count the ballots; all of that process takes a while,” Kousser said in an interview last week. “It may take a while for us to learn who the top candidates who emerge are.”
Here are some factors behind California’s lengthy vote-counting process.
Mail-in ballots come with added verification step
With each mail-in ballot cast, elections officials must compare the signature on a returned vote-by-mail envelope to the voter’s signature on their voter registration card. Various factors go into determining whether the signatures match, including the slant of the signature, whether it is printed or written in cursive, and the size, proportions, or scale.
Vote-by-mail ballots were Californians’ preferred voting method in both the 2024 primary and general elections, with drop-off locations — such as ballot drop boxes and voting centers — the most popular way to return mail-in ballots.
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During California’s 2024 primary, more than 7.7 million votes were cast statewide, and 90 percent of those were mail-in ballots. This means election officials had to verify the signatures on more than 6.8 million ballots before they could be counted. For the November 2024 general election, 80% of cast ballots, or about 13 million, were vote-by-mail.
Reviewing conditional voter and provisional ballots
California also allows for same-day voter registration, also known as conditional voter registration. Voters who need to register, or re-register, within 14 days of an election can do so at their county elections office, polling place, or vote center. These ballots will be processed and counted after the county elections office has completed the voter registration process.
In addition to conditional voter ballots, there are provisional ballots that must be verified before they are counted. Voters cast provisional ballots for a wide array of reasons, including if their name does not appear at a polling place or if they’ve made a mistake on their ballot. After a voter casts a provisional ballot, it will not be counted until election officials have confirmed that the voter is registered to vote in that county and has not already voted in that election.
Vote-by-mail ballots can be sent on Election Day
Though state officials recommend voters mail their ballots sooner rather than later, state law allows vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive within a specified window afterward, thereby extending the tallying process.
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For the primary, ballots needed to be postmarked on or before June 2 and received by county elections office no later than June 10.
California is, well, big
California is the most populous state in the nation. And, as of May 18, a record total of 23,155,447 Californians were registered to vote.
While not all registered voters are expected to have voted, county election officials estimate that more than 5 million ballots were cast statewide.
When to expect final results
Under state law, county elections officials are required to report the results for most ballots by June 15, or 13 days after the election, according to Weber. However, some ballots can take counties up to 30 days to count every ballot and then conduct a post-election audit.
State law requires county elections officials to report final official results to state officials July 3. State officials then have until July 10 to certify the results of the election.
California’s crowded, protracted gubernatorial primary is going to take a little more time to settle.
The race remained too early to call Wednesday morning with 50% of the expected vote counted, according to NBC News’ Decision Desk. Three main candidates — former Fox News host Steve Hilton, a Republican, and two Democrats, former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and billionaire activist Tom Steyer — are competing for two spots in the general election, with the candidate in fourth place, Republican Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, running well behind.
Hilton had 27% support in the all-party primary with about half of votes still left to count, while Becerra had 26% and Steyer had 20%. Bianco was the only other candidate in double digits, at 11%.
In California, all candidates run on the same primary ballot in the primary and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, move on to the general election.
It’s difficult to say when it will be clear which two candidates advance to the November general election, however, due to the state’s protracted vote counting.
And with millions of ballots left to count, other key races in California remain uncalled as well, including the second runoff spot to face Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass one on one in November, several House races that could help determine the majority next year, and more.
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In the governor’s race, all three candidates rallied supporters around the state as the evening drew on.
“We’re not there yet, but it’s looking good,” Hilton told allies. “It looks very much as if Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November and take our state in a new direction, a fresh start for our state, which is long overdue.”
But while Hilton was narrowly in first place when he spoke, Democratic candidates were capturing the majority of the votes.
Becerra looked back at his own “underdog story,” from his immigrant relatives to his bid for governor, which took some time to catch fire.
“Almost immediately, he’s counted out, an afterthought, overlooked by many, outspent by a ton, even called along the way to drop out and save us the trouble,” Becerra recounted to his supporters. “Well, guess what? The underdog stayed in the fight. Like my parents, I never gave up.”
Steyer struck a hopeful note in his election night speech despite a deficit in the vote count.
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“It might take some time to figure out where this is going, we’re going to wait till every ballot is counted, we’re going to give democracy a time to work, and we know we finished really strong,” Steyer said.
Major battleground districts
GOP Rep. David Valadao’s district has been one of Democrats’ top targets for years, but two Democrats are locked in a close race for the second spot in the November general election against the incumbent.
School board member Randy Villegas, who won support from national progressives, has a slight lead over state legislator Jasmeet Bains, 30% to 26%, with less than half of the expected vote tallied in the 22nd District. Valadao is comfortably in first place.
And in Northern California’s 6th District, Rep. Kevin Kiley — who was elected as a Republican and switched to become an independent this election cycle, as he runs in another newly redrawn district — is bunched up in a tight race that includes Democrat Richard Pan, a former state legislator, and Republican Michael Stansfield. Currently, Stansfield is running ahead of Pan; they spent much of Tuesday night and Wednesday morning trading the lead, which could have significant general election implications.
Meanwhile, outside California, Democrats think they might be able to challenge for one of Montana’s red-tinted congressional districts this fall, after Rep. Ryan Zinke decided to retire. But less than 2 percentage points separate Democrats Sam Forstag and Ryan Busse with more than 85% of the expected vote tallied in their primary in Montana’s 1st District.
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Read more about Tuesday’s House primaries here.
A safe seat battle to watch
Plenty of other House districts in California — and a few elsewhere — still have unsettled primaries, but one attracted particular attention due to how nasty the campaign got.
In Southern California, where two Republican incumbents are facing off in one district due to redistricting, Rep. Ken Calvert has advanced to the general election, but Rep. Young Kim is still battling for the second spot. She leads Democrat Esther Kim-Varet in the race for second, 22% to 16%, with about half of the vote in.
Who will face Bass in Los Angeles?
While Bass is projected to advance to a November runoff in Los Angeles, it’s not yet clear whether she’ll face Republican Spencer Pratt or Democrat Nithya Raman.
Bass has about 37% of the vote to 29% for Pratt and 21% for Raman so far, with approximately half of the expected vote tallied.
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Speaking to supporters on election night, Raman, a member of the Los Angeles City Council, said that “tonight may not give us a final answer on this race.”
“Many thousands of votes will be counted in the days ahead, and we may not get an answer we like, but regardless of what happens next, nobody, nobody can take away what all of us have built together,” she continued.
Pratt, meanwhile, was looking ahead to a potential matchup with Bass when he spoke to reporters.
“Now I have five months to get deep into every community that hasn’t heard my message to make them safe,” said Pratt, a former reality TV star. “So I’m actually very excited, because I felt very rushed. It’s a big city, and I was not able to talk to as many people as I look forward to talking to.”
Bass also projected optimism, telling her backers, “We got a lot more to go, but so far it’s looking good.”
