(HILLSBOROUGH, Fla.) — A former Florida theme park security guard has been arrested for allegedly acting like a “vigilante” when he “racially profiled” and falsely detained a Black teen who was on his way to basketball practice, prosecutors said.
The 18-year-old was riding his bicycle during the early morning hours of June 8 when Luis Santos drove his car alongside the teenager.
“You work here? You live here?” asked Santos, 54, as he recorded with a cellphone, according to excerpts released by prosecutors.
The teenager stopped and answered Santos’ questions before the situation quickly escalated.
“You’re not going anywhere,” said Santos, stepping out of his vehicle. “You’re being detained. You’re not going anywhere.”
Before the 30-second video stopped, the young man said he was “sorry.”
Santos called 911 claiming that the unidentified teenager was seen on video “breaking into cars” and that he thought the teen had stolen a bike. Prosecutors with the Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office said there was no evidence of any crimes.
Santos identified himself to the 911 operator as an off-duty officer, according to the call recording. Santos had left his job as a theme park security guard six months prior to the incident, but because his required security officer certifications were still valid at the time he confronted the teenager, he isn’t being accused of impersonating an officer, prosecutors said.
Still, prosecutors said, Santos had no legal authority to detain the 18-year-old.
The case also is not being classified as a hate crime, prosecutors confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday.
“What happened that morning should upset everyone in our community. We have skilled police officers — we don’t need vigilantes confronting people on the street,” State Attorney Andrew Warren said in a statement concerning what “appears to be a case of racial profiling.”
Santos classified himself as a white Hispanic and listed his employment as a shop assistant in Tampa, according to jail records.
It took local sheriff’s deputies about eight minutes to arrive after Santos’ call, during which the teen, who kept his hands in the air, was terrified as Santos allegedly placed his right hand over his pants pocket in a “manner that made the victim feel as if the defendant may have a weapon, even though none was seen,” according to the criminal affidavit.
When deputies arrived, they “calmed the situation down and comforted the victim. Then they took this vigilante to task for what he’d done and referred the case to our office for potential charges,” Warren added. One officer then took the 18-year-old to his basketball practice.
“There have been recent examples of confrontations like this across the country that have ended tragically. The fact that this didn’t end with a loss of life doesn’t make it any less of a crime. What Mr. Santos did is unacceptable and illegal — now he’ll face consequences for his actions,” Warren said.
Santos was released on $2,000 bond on July 25, according to online jail records. If convicted on felony third-degree false imprisonment charges, he could see up to five years in prison. Michelle Borton, an attorney for Santos, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
The case is reminiscent of what led to the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer in his Florida community. Zimmerman was acquitted of Martin’s murder after a jury trial in which he claimed to have acted in self defense.
(HOUSTON) — Despite a global pandemic here on Earth, NASA is persevering with its mission to Mars — launching its most advanced “Perseverance” rover to discover more about our neighboring red planet.
“We are in extraordinary times right now with the coronavirus pandemic and yet we have in fact persevered, and we have protected this mission because it is so important,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said at a news conference Tuesday.
He added that he thinks the name of the rover — chosen by a seventh grader from Virginia — is “perfectly appropriate” for the times.
The launch is scheduled to take place Thursday at 7:50 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. It will be broadcast live on NASA’s website and YouTube channel.
On Tuesday, Perseverance made its way onto the launch pad, and the U.S. Air Force 45th Weather Squadron predicted an 80% chance of favorable weather conditions for Thursday’s launch.
The rover’s main job is to seek out signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for a possible return to Earth, according to NASA. It will also test out new technology to pave the way for future robot or human exploration of our neighboring planet.
“This is the first time in history when NASA has dedicated a mission to what we call astrobiology, the search for life, maybe now or ancient life, on another world,” Bridenstine said.
The mission will also feature “a bunch of other neat things,” according to John Logsdon, a professor emeritus at George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute.
“There is an attached little helicopter that is going to fly like a drone over the Martian surface and give us images,” Logsdon told ABC News.
“There is an experiment called ‘MOXIE’ that will see whether it is possible to manufacture oxygen out of the methane in the Mars atmosphere, which would be important for eventual human missions,” he added.
The launch also comes on the heels of two other nations — the United Arab Emirates and China — sending missions to Mars over the summer.
If Thursday’s launch goes well, the six-wheeled rover is expected to land on Mars on February 18, 2021. Perseverance is then expected to stay on the Red Planet for at least one Martian year, or 687 Earth days.
Ovidiu Dugulan/iStockBy JON HAWORTH and EMILY SHAPIRO, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — The novel coronavirus pandemic has now killed more than 662,000 people worldwide.
Over 16.7 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their nations’ outbreaks.
The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 4.3 million diagnosed cases and at least 149,873 deaths.
Here is how the news is developing today. All times Eastern. Check back for updates.
1:54 p.m.: Georgetown moving classes all online
Georgetown University is moving classes fully online this fall for undergraduate and graduate students “due to the acceleration of the spread,” the administration said Wednesday.
Earlier this month Georgetown said it planned to bring some undergraduates, including freshmen, to campus.
“We are revising this approach based on current pandemic conditions,” Georgetown President John J. DeGioia said. “We plan to introduce in-person course elements as soon as health conditions permit.”
Neighboring George Washington University announced Monday that all undergraduate courses would be online this fall.
Alabama’s “safer at home” order, which was set to expire this Friday, has now been extended until the end of August, Gov. Kay Ivey said Wednesday.
This includes extending the statewide mask ordinance through Aug. 31, Ivey said at a news conference.
At school, second-graders through college students are required to wear masks, she said.
Ivey said she encourages schools to phase-in classroom learning when and where possible.
“I respect those districts that have elected to go to virtual classrooms,” Ivey said, adding that she believes “a slide will come by keeping our kids at home.”
“And that slide is likely to have a dramatic, negative impact on Alabama’s future — our young people,” the governor said.
Alabama has over 81,000 confirmed cases and more than 1,400 confirmed fatalities, according to state data.
In the last few days, some hospitals have set all-time high patient numbers, state health officer Dr. Scott Harris said Wednesday.
11:10 a.m.: Florida reports 2nd day of record-setting deaths
In hard-hit Florida, 216 new fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours — a second day in a row of record-setting deaths, the state’s health department said Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the department said a record 191 new fatalities had been reported in the previous 24 hours.
Throughout Florida, 15.69% of the state’s adult ICU beds were available as of Wednesday morning, according to the state’s Agency for Healthcare Administration.
Three counties — Monroe, Okeechobee and Putnam — had no ICU beds, the agency said.
These numbers are expected to fluctuate throughout the day as hospitals and medical centers provide updates.
10:25 a.m.: Rep. Louis Gohmert diagnosed with COVID-19
Congressman Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican who has refused to wear a mask, has tested positive for the coronavirus, sources told ABC News.
People familiar with the matter said Gohmert was tested because he was slated to travel with President Donald Trump to Texas. Gohmert was pre-screened at the White House, and following his positive diagnosis, he returned to his Capitol Hill office to inform his staff, people familiar with the matter said.
His staff has not responded to requests for comment.
Gohmert was in the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday for Attorney General William Barr’s hearing.
9:40 a.m.: Teens, pre-teens make up highest positivity rate in Austin
Those ages 10 to 19 have had the highest positivity rate average in Austin in the last two weeks, Austin Interim Health Authority Dr. Mark Escott said, ABC Austin affiliate KVUE-TV reported.
According to Escott, school district officials say 20% to 25% of students are expected to learn from home when the school year begins, KVUE reported.
Travis County, which includes Austin, has over 19,900 coronavirus cases, according to county data.
8:54 a.m.: Deaths on the rise in western Washington for first time since March
Coronavirus deaths are on the rise in western Washington for the first time since March, the state’s department of health said Tuesday, according to ABC Seattle affiliate KOMO-TV.
Deaths are continuing to rise in eastern Washington, KOMO said.
There’s a new concentration of cases among young adults, the report said, according to KOMO.
Hospitalizations are on the rise with most age groups, the report said.
“We are still at great risk for significant growth as the virus continues to spread in Washington state,” Secretary of Health John Wiesman said, according to KOMO. “And, as it moves into more vulnerable age groups, I am very concerned that hospitalizations and deaths will continue to increase.”
4:25 a.m.: McAllen, Texas Convention Center will be used to treat coronavirus patients
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the McAllen Convention Center would be transformed into a temporary medical facility to treat coronavirus patients.
Abbott visited the Rio Grande Valley on Tuesday to survey damage caused by Hurricane Hanna and meet with local leaders — who are contending with both hurricane damage and the coronavirus pandemic.
“And if there’s one thing that I want to emphasize to everyone in the Rio Grande Valley it is this: This hurricane has not eliminated COVID-19,” Abbott said.
Abbott announced several major steps designed to assist the Valley, including:
The McAllen Convention Center will be transformed into a temporary medical facility to treat coronavirus patients. The convention center’s maximum capacity will be 250 patients, Abbott said.
The U.S. Department of Defense will deploy additional medical teams to the Valley. A U.S. Army Reserve unit arrived in Cameron County on Tuesday to assist local hospitals.
Another U.S. Army Reserve unit will arrive in Hidalgo County on Wednesday to assist DHR Health.
“This is on top of the more than 2,000 medical personnel that we have already allocated to this region,” Abbott said.
Abbott was joined by local leaders and state lawmakers from across the Valley, including state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville; state Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen; state Rep. Oscar Longoria, D-Mission; state Rep. Eddie Lucio III D-Brownsville; Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez, Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., Starr County Judge Eloy Vera, Hidalgo County Precinct 1 Commissioner David Fuentes, McAllen Mayor Jim Darling, Harlingen Mayor Chris Boswell and Weslaco Mayor David Suarez, among others.
Vera, the Starr County judge, said hospital capacity remains a major problem.
Adding capacity in Hidalgo County and Cameron County will help Starr County, Vera said.
“We work together as region,” Vera said.
3:07 a.m.: 73 COVID cases in Illinois traced to July 4 parties
Seventy-three people are now part of a COVID-19 outbreak in Lake Zurich which has been traced back to several Fourth of July gatherings, health officials said.
The outbreak was first detected in a group of Lake Zurich High School students earlier in July. Lake County, Illinois, health officials said contact tracing has now led them to believe the infections stem from multiple July 4 parties, and was not the result of a super spreader event.
“We have identified multiple smaller gatherings where COVID-19 infections occurred,” said Hannah Goering, Lake County Health Department.
The outbreak was detected on the first day of an athletic camp scheduled to take place at Lake Zurich High School, when several students tested positive during an initial health screening. The camp was cancelled, and a mobile testing unit was sent to the high school for several days. Free testing was offered to those in the area.
“At least half of the cases are Lake Zurich High School students, but there are also parents and family members and people from other community members tied to this outbreak,” Goering said.
County officials said during this process they’ve had some trouble with contact tracing, as many people have either ignored messages, delayed responding, or simply didn’t pick up the phone. They said they really need anyone who is contacted by a tracer because of possible exposure to COVID-19 to take the call seriously and get themselves tested as soon as possible.
2:06 a.m.: FEMA says the COVID-19 death toll is surging
An internal FEMA memo obtained by ABC News reports that new cases are going down but deaths are surging.
In the seven days ending Monday, new cases nationwide have decreased 0.6% from the previous week but that time period also saw a 30.1% increase in deaths from the disease and deaths have been increasing steadily in recent days.
1:59 a.m.: Alaska requiring all visitors to have negative COVID-19 result within 72 hours prior to arrival
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced Tuesday evening that all visitors to the state will have to present a negative result on a COVID-19 test performed within 72 hours prior to arrival. The policy goes into effect on Aug. 11.
Testing will no longer be available for non-residents when they arrive and residents can still be tested when arriving at the airport
“If you are going to other countries you require shots so we are not trying to make this difficult when you come here. We just want to make sure we are taking care of Alaskans first,” said Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy during a press briefing. 12:28 a.m.: Pence held call with governors, Fauci was a participant
Vice President Pence held his usual weekly call with governors Tuesday.
A readout of the call reveals that Dr. Anthony Fauci was part of Tuesday’s discussion, the day after he came under attack from the president on Twitter.
President Donald Trump insisted Tuesday that he has a good relationship with Fauci despite his tweets undermining him but also complained that Fauci’s approval ratings are higher than his own.
At the end of the readout, the administration includes this roundup of statistics as a demonstration of the volume of work the administration has done: “Since January 2020, the Trump Administration has led over 325 briefings — including 31 governors’ briefings — with over 152,000 State, local, and Tribal participants.”
“Dr. Fauci reminded governors that universities that receive Federal funding, including funding from the National Institutes of Health, can take the burden off of commercial labs by focusing pooled testing resources on surveillance,” the statement read. “Dr. Fauci and Admiral Giroir pressed governors to encourage those colleges and universities in their states that receive such funding to begin such testing.”
“Ambassador Birx thanked the governors of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia for their time during her recent travel and recapped the findings from those discussions and recent data analysis. Ambassador Birx also highlighted efforts by states to encourage social distancing and the use of cloth face coverings when social distancing cannot be maintained, and to increase outdoor dining capacity,” it continued.
jetcityimage/iStockBy ELLA TORRES and AARON KATERSKY, ABC News
(NEW YORK) — New York political leaders, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Campaign are demanding answers after an 18-year-old protestor was arrested by plainclothes officers and thrown into an unmarked van on Tuesday night.
That protestor, Nikki Stone, was arrested at a demonstration near 2nd Avenue and East 25th Street in Manhattan. Other protesters said they were fighting for Black liberation.
The New York City Police Department said Stone was wanted for damaging police cameras in five separate vandalism incidents in and around City Hall Park. A police official also told ABC News Stone’s arrest was conducted in a manner consistent with NYPD warrant squad deployments.
Fellow protesters said the arrest looked more like a kidnapping, reminiscent of a tactic used by federal officers in Portland, Oregon.
After video of the arrest hit social media, the response from politicians and nonprofit organizations was swift.
“Our civil liberties are on brink. This is not a drill,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., wrote on Twitter. “To not protect our rights is to give them away. It is our responsibility to resist authoritarianism.”
Carlina Rivera, the councilwoman for the 2nd District of the New York City, where the arrest took place, tweeted that there needs to be an independent review and “an immediate explanation for why an unmarked van full of officers was anywhere near a peaceful protest.”
“It’s clear that using an unmarked van and plainclothes officers to make an arrest for vandalism (in the middle of a peaceful protest) is a massive overstep. I’m exploring legislation,” Rivera later tweeted.
Nikki is currently waiting to be released from the 1st Precinct w/ supporters there on-site.
It’s clear that using an unmarked van and plainclothes officers to make an arrest for vandalism (in the middle of a peaceful protest) is a massive overstep. I’m exploring legislation.
The ACLU called the actions of police “dangerous, abusive, and indefensible,” while the Human Rights Campaign said the incident was “deeply troubling.”
Stone, held for five hours before being released, was charged with five counts of criminal mischief, four counts of making graffiti and three counts of possession of a graffiti instrument.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison wrote on Twitter that while police welcome peaceful protesters “damage to NYPD technology that helps keep this city safe will never be tolerated.” The cameras, he wrote, are “vital resources which help prevent and solve crimes throughout the city.”
However, damage to NYPD technology that helps keep this city safe will never be tolerated. These cameras are vital resources which help prevent and solve crimes throughout the city. pic.twitter.com/dwv5vkhQiP
— Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) July 29, 2020
Harrison also released video that appears to show Stone vandalizing a police camera overlooking City Hall.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the arrest in a daily briefing on Wednesday, saying it was “the wrong time and wrong place.”
De Blasio said it’s been painful to see what is going on in Portland and “anything that even slightly suggests” something similar is happening in New York City is “troubling.”
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesBy LUKE BARR and ALEXANDER MALLIN, ABC News
(PORTLAND, Ore.) — After unrest and public outcry over clashes between protesters and law enforcement, there will be a “phased withdrawal” of federal officers from Portland, the Oregon governor announced Wednesday.
“These federal officers have acted as an occupying force, refused accountability, and brought violence and strife to our community. Beginning Thursday, all Customs and Border Protection and ICE officers will leave downtown Portland, and shortly thereafter will begin going home,” Gov. Kate Brown said in a statement, adding that the withdrawal agreement came after “my repeated requests.”
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said in a statement that a joint plan with the governor “includes a robust presence of Oregon State Police in downtown Portland.”
“State and local law enforcement will begin securing properties and streets, especially those surrounding federal properties, that have been under nightly attack for the past two months,” Wolf said.
The Department of Homeland Security will keep federal law enforcement personnel present in the city “until we are assured that the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other federal properties will no longer be attacked and that the seat of justice in Portland will remain secure,” according to Wolf.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
iStock/z1bBY: CHRISTINA CARREGA
