Mosby, who led prosecution of police over Freddie Gray death, sentenced to 12 months home confinement
A former Baltimore city prosecutor who achieved a national profile for charging police officers in a Black man’s death was spared prison time in her sentence on Thursday for perjury and mortgage fraud.
Former state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby’s sentence includes 12 months of home confinement, 100 hours of community service and three years of supervised release.
Continue reading...Officials made announcement Tuesday, as demolition crews prepared to use explosives in continued cleanup effort
The body of the last missing construction worker killed in the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in March has been recovered, officials announced Tuesday, as demolition crews prepared to use explosives in the ongoing cleanup effort.
Officials said the crew of the Dali will remain on board the grounded container ship while crews conduct a controlled demolition to break down the largest remaining span of the fallen bridge.
Continue reading...Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez was one of six construction workers killed when a container ship collided with bridge in March
The body of a fifth victim in the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, has been recovered.
Miguel Angel Luna Gonzalez was identified as the victim, per Unified Command salvage teams. The group, which is a joint effort by police, the coast guard and other government agencies, had reported one of their construction vehicles missing when the bridge collapsed in March and notified the Maryland department of state police, per ABC News.
Continue reading...Dazhon Darien arrested over fake recording of principal complaining about students and faculty members
A high school athletics director suspected of using artificial intelligence to create a fake, racist recording of a principal in Baltimore has been arrested by police.
Police arrested 31-year-old Dazhon Darien of Pikesville high school on Thursday after an investigation into an AI-generated recording which featured the duplicated voice of the school’s principal, Eric Eiswert. Officers allege that Eiswert was investigating Darien in connection with the potential mishandling of school funds when the latter man purportedly created the recording.
Continue reading...Crew starts intricate removal work on Francis Scott Key Bridge as officials stress that health of US national economy depends on it
Crews of engineers have begun the dangerous and intricate job of removing the mangled wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge from the Patapsco River outside Baltimore, as top federal government and Maryland state officials stressed Sunday that the health of the US national economy depended on it.
Officials took to the political talkshows Sunday to praise the emergency teams that have now amassed in the Patapsco and have started the delicate process of cutting and lifting steel debris from the north side of the destroyed bridge. Wes Moore, the governor of Maryland, said the operation was extremely complex.
Continue reading...US president to arrive next week, as crane moves in to begin weeks-long clearing of wreckage of Francis Scott Key Bridge
Joe Biden said on Friday he will go to Baltimore next week following the catastrophic collapse of the road bridge across the entrance to the Maryland city’s port after it was struck by a ship.
Four people were still missing, presumed dead and in the water on Friday afternoon, as the US president pledged to follow his transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, on a visit to the site after the tragedy in the early hours of Tuesday.
Continue reading...Maryland governor warns of ‘very long road ahead’ as cranes and barges start work to remove twisted metal and concrete from river
The Maryland governor Wes Moore has warned of a “very long road ahead” to recover from the loss of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved $60m in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.
The funding does not cover the reconstruction of the crippled bridge itself, but to instead remove shattered parts of the structure and deal with traffic in order to reopen Baltimore’s shipping channels.
Continue reading...Authorities say bodies of Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera found by divers in pickup truck
The bodies of two men trapped in their vehicle have been recovered from the waters beneath the Baltimore bridge that collapsed early on Tuesday when a container ship crashed into it, officials announced on Wednesday.
The authorities identified the men as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, a 35-year-old originally from Mexico who was living in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, who was from Guatemala and was living in Dundalk, Maryland.
Continue reading...Two bodies recovered from water beneath Francis Scott Key Bridge as authorities in Maryland continue their investigation
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after the Singaporean-flagged container ship Dali crashed into it on early Tuesday morning.
Here’s where things stand:
Six members of a construction crew filling potholes on the bridge who were missing following the incident are now presumed dead.
The bodies of two men were recovered on Wednesday morning when their submerged pickup truck was found in the waters under the collapsed structure. Authorities identified the men as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, a 35-year-old originally from Mexico who was living in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, who was from Guatemala and was living in Dundalk, Maryland.
Other named victims include 49-year-old Miguel Luna from El Salvador, a husband and father of three who lived in Maryland for over 19 years, and 38-year-old Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, originally from Azacualpa in Honduras, a married father of two who had lived in the US for 18 years and launched his own maintenance business.
The foreign affairs ministry of Guatemala confirmed that two of the workers were nationals, though it did not name them. The ministry said the two people were 26 and 35, originally from San Luis, Petén, and Camotán, Chiquimula, respectively.
Three Mexican nationals were working on the bridge when it collapsed, Mexico’s president Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Wednesday. One was rescued while two others remain missing, he said. The two Mexican nationals who remain missing were originally from the states of Veracruz and Michoacán, Mexico’s foreign affairs ministry has said. A third who was rescued on Tuesday is also originally from Michoacán.
Two construction workers were rescued on Tuesday. One was hospitalized at the Cowley Shock Trauma center in Baltimore before being later discharged.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board will examine whether “dirty fuel” played a role in the giant cargo vessel losing power and crashing into the span. The Dali had lost power and issued a distress call moments before the crash, just after it began heading out from Baltimore to its destination of Sri Lanka. One reason for the blackout is contaminated fuel that can create problems with the ship’s main power generators, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Maryland’s governor, Wes Moore, said it was “imperative” to get the port of Baltimore up and running as quickly as possible. Moore warned at a Wednesday briefing that the economic consequences of the bridge collapse “cannot be overstated and not just for the state of Maryland … we’re talking about what this means for the entire country”.
The transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, urged bipartisan support for federal funding to rebuild the bridge and reopen the port. At a news conference on Wednesday, Buttigieg said it was too soon to say how long it will take to reopen the Port of Baltimore or replace the destroyed bridge. Officials were focused on reopening the port, dealing with supply chain issues, rebuilding the bridge and addressing surface transportation, he said.
The Coast Guard vice-admiral, Peter Gautier, said there is no threat to the public from any materials on board the Dali ship. Gautier, at a White House briefing on Wednesday, said the vessel is holding over 1.5m gallons of fuel, and that more than 50 of the cargo containers on board contain hazardous material, but that the ship is stable and that authorities have determined there is no safety risk.
Lawmakers in Maryland drafted an emergency bill to cover the salaries of workers who have been affected by the shutdown of the port. Details about the bill have not been disclosed yet. Bill Ferguson, the state senate president, said more 15,000 people in the region rely on daily port operations “to put food on the table”.
Singaporean officials announced that they will lead their own investigation on the Key Bridge collapse. The Dali ship was a Singapore-flagged ship traveling to Sri Lanka.
Continue reading...Search for missing construction workers continues as Baltimore begins to weigh economic impact of collapse
A retired Coast Guard officer has said he expects the focus in Baltimore to shift to two main objectives: investigating what happened and reopening the channel as quickly and safely as possible.
Divers and remote equipment will likely be used to survey debris on the channel floor both as part of the investigation and in preparation for clearing the channel, Aaron Davenport, a senior researcher with the Rand corporation, told AP.
We have this big, giant ship. You don’t want the ship to sink. You don’t want it to leak fuel oil all over the port.
My friends were working on that bridge.
Continue reading...Six men presumed dead reportedly were construction workers from Latin American countries, including a father of three
The six men presumed dead in the Baltimore bridge collapse on Tuesday all appeared to be construction workers originally from Latin American countries, according to reports, including a father of three, Miguel Luna, from El Salvador, as authorities said they had recovered the black box recorder from the ship.
Since the container ship Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge after losing power early on Tuesday morning, six members of a construction crew filling potholes on the major bridge are now presumed to be dead, according to state officials.
Continue reading...Wes Moore says rescuers have deployed air, land, and sea methods to help search for survivors
Pete Buttigieg, the secretary of transportation, said he’s spoken with Maryland and Baltimore officials.
“Rescue efforts remain underway and drivers in the Baltimore area should follow local responder guidance on detours and response,” he said.
Continue reading...Mayor says rescue efforts continuing after cargo vessel hit Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending vehicles into the water
A frantic search-and-rescue effort continued on Tuesday hours after a major bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, snapped and collapsed when a container ship collided with it in the early morning, sending a number of vehicles into the water.
Baltimore fire department officials said at least six construction workers were still missing, after reports that a 948ft Singapore-flagged container ship leaving port on its way to Sri Lanka had crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Continue reading...A crew of construction workers from Mexico and Central America were on Francis Scott Key Bridge when it was struck by cargo ship
Since Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship that lost power early on Tuesday morning, new details are emerging surrounding the people who died in the incident.
Approximately six people – all members of a construction crew filling potholes on the major bridge – remain unaccounted for and are presumed to be dead, government and medical officials familiar with the situation have said.
Continue reading...Cold snap continues from south to Pacific north-west, with thaw not expected until next week
The deep freeze affecting millions of people across the US is continuing this weekend, as bitterly frigid air spilled into the midwest from Canada amid high winds that could make it feel like -30F (-34C) outside in some areas.
The list of severe weather events was growing as the US struggled with the intense cold and news reports said at least 55 people across 10 states had been killed in weather-related incidents over the past week or so since the cold snap hit.
Continue reading...Mosby, best known for failed prosecution of police in Freddy Gray’s death, was accused of improperly accessing retirement funds
A former top prosecutor for the city of Baltimore was convicted on Thursday of charges that she lied about the finances of a side business to improperly access retirement funds during the Covid pandemic, using the money to buy two Florida homes.
A federal jury convicted former Baltimore state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby of two counts of perjury after a trial that started on Monday.
Continue reading...Jason Billingsley charged with first-degree murder after Pava LaPere, 26, found dead in apartment complex on Monday
A suspect has been arrested over the murder of a Baltimore tech chief executive, following a citywide manhunt.
Jason Billingsley, 32, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder on Wednesday by Baltimore police over the killing of 26-year-old Pava LaPere. Billingsley was reportedly apprehended at a Maryland train station, ending a day-long manhunt for the suspect.
Continue reading...Shooting on 2 July resulted in two deaths and 28 people injured at a neighborhood block party in the Maryland city
Baltimore police said on Friday they had arrested a 17-year-old in connection with a 2 July mass shooting that killed two people and injured 28 at a neighborhood block party in the Maryland city.
The suspect, whom the Baltimore police pepartment did not name, “is being charged with possession of a firearm by a minor, assault weapon possession, reckless endangerment and handgun in vehicle”, the department said in a statement.
Continue reading...At least 15 people shot dead across the country in mass shootings so far on the holiday weekend celebrating the US’s independence
A long holiday weekend of bloodshed has intensified after a heavily armed gunman in a bulletproof vest opened fire on the streets of Philadelphia on the eve of Fourth of July celebrations, in yet another mass shooting in the US, killing five people and wounding two boys before surrendering to the police.
Across the country, Texas was entering the holiday to news that another shooting had killed three people, in Fort Worth, occurring just before midnight amid a gathering in a parking lot that also wounded eight.
Continue reading...Two adults killed and 28 wounded in incident, according to local police who are still searching for shooter
Two people have been killed and 28 wounded in a mass shooting in Baltimore, including three who are in critical condition, police have said.
The Baltimore Police Department acting commissioner, Richard Worley, confirmed there were a total of 30 victims during a press conference at the scene on Sunday. Police said they were still looking for the shooter.
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed reporting
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