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Suspect in fatal hit-and-run at Black Lives Matter protest in Seattle pleads not guilty

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kuzma/iStockBy BILL HUTCHISON, ABC NEWS

(SEATTLE) — The suspect in a hit-and-run on a closed Seattle freeway that left a Black Lives Matter protester dead and another seriously injured was arraigned on Wednesday as demonstrators stood outside the courthouse chanting the victims’ names.

Dawit Kelete, 27, pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault, and reckless driving in the July 4 incident that killed Summer Taylor, 24, and injured Diaz Love, 32, who were part of a Black Lives Matter demonstration that prompted the police to shut down a section of Interstate 5 in Seattle.

During the brief hearing Wednesday, protesters stood outside the King County Courthouse in Seattle and chanted the names of Taylor and Love, who remains in a hospital.

Prior to the hearing, Love received cheers from supporters while appearing on a livestream broadcast from a hospital bed.

“As soon as I get out of here and get in a … wheelchair, I’m going to be on the marches with you,” Love told the crowd.

Love, of Portland, Oregon, suffered a traumatic brain injury, a shattered pelvis and tailbone, a broken arm, and three fractures to a leg. Love said the recovery from the injuries is expected to be a long one.

Love said Kelete, who was driving a Jaguar, did not have insurance.

“I think my monthly bills are going to be about $10,000 a month with, like, rent and having to get full-time caregivers and equipment. So the money I have, so far, is going to go quick,” Love said. “I don’t know when I’m going to get back to work and this is going to be a really long process.”

Surveillance video captured Kelete’s 2013 white Jaguar driving down the freeway, swerving around cars that were blocking the lanes to support the protest, and striking Taylor and Love, who were walking on the shoulder. The blow knocked them both into the air, over the roof of the vehicle, and onto the pavement.

According to charging documents filed in the case, Kelete allegedly did not slow down as he drove on the shoulder.

The incident unfolded at about 1:40 a.m. when Kelete allegedly entered the closed freeway by going the wrong way on an exit ramp, and drove at high speed toward a crowd of people protesting the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, authorities said.

State police said that following the collision, the Jaguar continued to head south on the freeway and that protesters in a vehicle chased it for about a mile before maneuvering in front of the Jaguar and forcing it to stop, according to the complaint.

Kelete remains in custody at the King County Correctional Facility on $1.2 million bail.

Investigators have not commented on a motive for the incident, but Kelete’s attorney, Francisco A. Duarte, said it was not an intentional act.

“This tragic event was not a political act or statement,” Duarte said. “On behalf of Kelete and his family, we ask each of you to leave room for the fact that we witnessed a tragic accident and not a crime. We are at the beginning of our investigation and will produce a truthful and trustworthy defense.”

Kelete’s family released a statement expressing support for Taylor and Love.

“No words can express or make up for the suffering that Diaz Love, Summer Taylor’s family, and their loved ones and friends are enduring at this moment,” the family’s statement reads. “We recognize the pain is profound, raw and unbearable. It is always gut wrenching to lose one’s child at a young age, but it is more hurtful under these circumstances.”

Kelete was given field sobriety tests and volunteered to take a Breathalyzer test, which determined he was not impaired at the time of the deadly episode, according to the complaint.

He denied taking medication, according to the charging documents. Later, Kelete allegedly told jail personnel that he struggles with an untreated Percocet addiction, the documents said.

The results of a blood test administered several hours after the crash have not been made public. A substance that “appears similar to crystal methamphetamine” recovered from Kelete’s car is also pending testing, according to the charging documents.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Parents taking kids' education into their own hands this fall

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iStock/coscaronBY: GENEVIEVE SHAW BROWN

(WASHINGTON) — If there’s one conversation dominating parent groups right now — online, in person or in a rapid flurry of group texts — it’s this: What will the upcoming school year look like?

There’s the possibility of a full return. There’s the possibility of a full return but with kids in smaller “pods.” There’s potentially a part-time return where kids attend school a few days a week. There’s also the no-return, where all schooling takes place via remote learning or via a homeschooled curriculum.

And as families inch toward September and with almost zero information, a growing subset of parents are taking education into their own hands.

Take Helene Alonso, a full-time working mom of two who’s hoping to create a school for the kids in her building, including her pre-K and second grader for whom she said distance learning “did not go well.”

The spring, she said, was about “just trying to survive.” But that’s not going to cut it for the upcoming year.

“We have a diverse group of parents and kids,” Alonso told “GMA” of the families in her Harlem apartment building, “with a rainbow of concerns.” The building does have a courtyard and a community room that the residents — all homeowners — are able to use.

“So I was thinking, what if we could get a sports teacher to teach the kids in the courtyard while kids are learning in small groups or one-to-one with a teacher in the community room as the classroom,” she said. “They can run around supervised and learn. But most importantly they would have social interaction.”

Her biggest obstacle, she said, is getting the building management to agree to using the space in those ways.

It’s a service teachers are willing to provide and one many for which people are searching. Care.com reports an increase in families searching for caregivers who have experience as a teacher, early childhood educator or tutor. And companies that have always offered small-group enrichment are now inundated with requests for in-home teaching.

 Rina Collins, the owner of Book Nook Enrichment in New York City, offered small-group literacy programs prior to the pandemic. Now, she’s fielding inquiries from parents looking for teachers to come to their homes.

“Those with kids in kindergarten through second grade are looking for academic teachers, while those with kids 2 to 5 are looking to fill up a schedule” with art, yoga and more, she told “GMA.”

Her clients are considering not returning to school — even if it does open — for a variety of reasons, she said, adding, “Someone might be immunocompromised, or it may just be the school schedule now doesn’t fit their needs.”

The most popular request, she said, is for one-to-one tutoring and small-group learning. In one case, she said, she has a mom who has formed a group of five looking for a teacher for that group only.

It’s a scenario Karin Golden has set up for her own preschooler and a group of friends. When the pandemic hit and her preschooler’s Spanish-language immersion program went virtual, Golden and the other parents in her group — all friends — decided they would host their own school if things did not resume as normal in the fall. And the closer the fall gets, the better Golden feels about having a plan in place for her daughter — at least for two days each week.

“We are friends with the families and trust them,” she said. They have hired the teacher who taught the kids in their immersion program and an assistant teacher. Golden’s even just started a company, Colores, to help other parents do the same. Classes will be held outdoors for as long as weather allows, and then move between homes every two months.

“If her regular preschool opens, great, she’ll go there too,” Golden said. “But I’m glad to tell her that no matter what, she will get to go to Spanish school.”

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

At least 13 nuns from same Michigan convent have died since coronavirus pandemic began

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iStock/Anton_HerringtonBY: KARMA ALLEN

(LIVONIA, Michigan) — At least 13 nuns from a single convent in Livonia, Michigan, have died since the COVID-19 pandemic began nearly three months ago.

A dozen nuns in the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice died after contracting the virus between April 10 and May 10, religious officials said. Another nun from the congregation died on June 27, according to the Global Sisters Report.

Family and friends of the sisters described them as a group of teachers, librarians and authors who “lived together, prayed together and worked together.”

At least 18 other Felician sisters at the Michigan convent have also contracted the virus, according to the report.

“We couldn’t contain the grief and the sorrow and the emotional impact,” Noel Marie Gabriel, director of clinical health services for the Felician Sisters of North America, told the publication. “We went through the motions of doing what we had to do, but that month was like a whole different way of life. That was our most tragic time. It was a month of tragedy and sorrow and mourning and grieving.”

The sisters, who ranged in age from 69 to 99, were longtime members of the Livonia convent who dedicated their lives to servicing others, according to their obituaries. Several were organists, others helped with needy children, and one even authored a 586-page book about the history of the convent. Another previously worked as a secretary in the English section of the Vatican Secretariat of State.

Separately, the Detroit Catholic news service reported that as many as 22 sisters at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Michigan had tested positive for the coronavirus through early May.

The report comes as infection rates continue to soar, especially among essential workers like religious leaders.

In addition to the 13 sisters in Livonia, at least 19 other nuns have died in the U.S., including a Felician sister at the order’s convent in Lodi, New Jersey; six sisters from two communities at a shared convent outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and three Maryknoll sisters in Ossining, New York, according to the the Global Sisters Report.

The actual number of deaths could be much higher, but the national figures aren’t being tracked well, religious officials said.

In a memo to members earlier this month, Felician Sisters of North America officials said “some of our Sisters who have had COVID-19 are struggling to recover from a variety of effects, including continuing weakness, respiratory issues and more.”

The virus can also cause lasting difficulties for those with other chronic medical conditions even after recovery, officials noted.

As of early July, Felician Sisters of North America officials said they planned to move forward “slowly loosening the tight restrictions under which Sisters in our convents, especially our larger convents, have operated for more than three months.”

“We have resumed gathering in our chapels as much as we are able, depending on convent circumstances, for celebration of the Mass and opportunities for private prayer. Some of our Sisters continue to participate in daily Mass via television or other electronic devices,” officials said in a statement. “Holy Communion is being distributed to some of our Sisters in their bedrooms.”

“Sister leadership and convent lay leaders collaborate in creating opportunities for safe gatherings in our chapels, supporting infection control guidelines to control exposure to the virus which is, unfortunately, still present with us,” it added.

As of Wednesday, some 617,000 people had died from the virus worldwide although the official toll could be much higher. The United States has become the worst-affected country, with more than 3.9 million diagnosed cases and at least 142,312 deaths.

More than 14.9 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, but some experts say the infection rate could be as much as 10 times higher.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Salas shooter linked to California murder of men's rights attorney: FBI

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ABC NewsBY: JON HAWORTH, AARON KATERSKY, MARK CRUDELE, and IVAN PEREIRA

(NEW YORK) —  Roy Den Hollander, whom the FBI has called the “primary subject” in the shooting at Judge Esther Salas’ New Jersey home, was also the leading suspect in the murder of a like-minded attorney in California earlier this month, the FBI said.

Hollander, an attorney who took on cases against feminist causes, was found dead by police Monday from an apparent suicide, according to investigators.

Hollander allegedly posed as a FedEx employee when he approached Salas’ home Sunday evening and shot Salas’ husband, Mark Anderl, and her son, Daniel Anderl, 20, before escaping in a car, according to sources. Daniel Anderl was killed and Mark Anderl is recovering at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Law enforcement sources say the suspect who killed men’s rights attorney Marc Angelucci on July 11 in San Bernardino County dressed in a similar disguise. The FBI’s Newark office said in a statement on Wednesday it is working with its San Bernardino counterpart and has evidence linking the Angelucci’s murder to Hollander.

While the FBI didn’t provide more details, law enforcement sources told ABC News the gun used in the California incident was the same one used in the New Jersey shootings.

Hollander had previously received media attention for lawsuits challenging perceived infringements of “men’s rights” on networks like Fox News, Comedy Central and MSNBC. Investigators are looking into whether Hollander was jealous of Angelucci for winning a recent case, according to law enforcement sources.

In the meantime, investigators in New York and New Jersey are taking precautions to protect people who may have been Hollander’s alleged targets.

During conference call with reporters, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he ordered state police to provide protection for New York State Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, who may have been targeted by Hollander.

A municipal employee discovered Hollander’s body in a car in the town of Rockland, New York, according to the New York State Police. He died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Inside Hollander’s vehicle was a photo of Judge DiFiore along with her address, according to Cuomo. Sources told ABC News that a dozen other names were found in Hollander’s car.

Shortly after the shooting Sunday night, security was ramped up for all federal judges in New Jersey, a law enforcement official told ABC News. Officials feared the incident at Judge Salas’ home could be the beginning of a coordinated attack.

“Our hearts, thoughts, prayers, are overwhelming with Judge Salas and her husband and hope that he makes a speedy recovery,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said on Wednesday. “This notion we made a lot of progress on gun safety … there are too many examples that continue to tell us that we are not home yet, we have a ways to go.”

Hollander, 72, had been diagnosed with cancer and officials are investigating whether the attacks were grudge killings committed by someone who knew they were dying, according to sources.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Authorities probe 3rd Fort Hood-linked death in a month

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ABC News/KXXVBY: ELLA TORRES

(KILLEEN, Texas) — An investigation is underway into the death of a 26-year-old Fort Hood soldier found unresponsive in a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir, government and local officials said.

Pvt. Mejhor Morta was found July 17 after a fisherman called 911 to report seeing what he believed to be a body at the base of the dam, according to a statement from the Bell County Sheriff’s Office, which is investigating.

Although the investigation is ongoing, preliminary autopsy results show that the cause of death is consistent with drowning, officials said.

“The Black Knight family is truly heartbroken by the tragic loss of Private Mejhor Morta. I would like to send my heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones,” Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time. Private Morta was a great Trooper and this loss is felt by every member within our formation.”

Morta, whose home of record was listed in Pensacola, Florida, entered the Army in September 2019 as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle mechanic. Since May 2020, he had been assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

Morta’s death marks the third for the base in a month.

On June 19, skeletal remains were found near Fort Hood based on an anonymous tip and later identified as Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, who had been last seen Aug. 19.

On July 1, human remains were discovered near Fort Hood and subsequently identified as Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old missing soldier. A suspect in the case, 20-year-old army specialist Aaron Robinson, died by suicide as officials moved in on him. Another suspect, Cecily Aguilar, 22, Robinson’s girlfriend and accused of helping him dispose of Guillen’s body, was charged with one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. Aguilar is being held in jail without bond. She pleaded not guilty.

Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.