October 3 top stories
It is October 3. Here are today’s top stories.
Missing girl found safe; suspected kidnapper detained
A 9-year-old girl who went missing on Saturday while she was on a camping trip with her family at a state park in New York has been found safe on Monday.
Her name is Charlotte Sena. Her family said she disappeared after riding on a bike in one of the park’s loops after 6:00 pm. The family found the bike left alone with no sign of the girl. The family later received a ransom note at their home.
New York Gov. Hochul explained to CNN that police found fingerprints on the letter and it matched with a name on a police database. Police also used cell phone pings to locate Charlotte down to an individual’s home. The governor said the home was surrounded by law enforcement and helicopters. The girl was found in a camper behind the house. She was hiding in a cabinet. Police were able to bring the girl to safety and took her to a hospital where she was reunited with her parents.
The suspect’s name is Craig Nelson Ross Jr. (47). He was arrested in 1999 for driving while intoxicated, so that’s how his name was in a police database.
The state park is the Moreau Lake State Park. It is currently closed until further notice. CNN said before Charlotte was found, there were about 400 people searching for her.
North Dakota state senator and family killed in plane crash
North Dakota state senator Doug Larsen died in a small plane crash near Moab, Utah on Sunday night. He was flying the plane with his wife Amy and two young sons, who were tragically also killed.
A North Dakota Senate leader said the Larsens were visiting family in Scottsdale and were returning home, stopping to refuel in Utah.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it is investigating the crash.
There are many tributes and messages of grief over the deaths. An image shows that there are roses resting on Sen. Larsen’s desk.
Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to gun charges
Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges in a courthouse in Delaware. He was charged with deceiving a firearms dealer when he bought a gun in 2018 by falsely filling out a form that he was not addicted to any drugs. Hunter was, at the time, struggling with crack cocaine addiction.
There was previously a plea deal for Hunter’s gun and tax charges but it fell apart due to issues with whether Hunter was protected from future charges.
Hunter’s tax charges could be refiled.
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Wedding officiant accidentally shoots child
A 62-year-old man in Nebraska accidentally shot a child in the shoulder while he was officiating a wedding on Saturday.
Police said the officiant, Michael Gardner, brought a gun to the wedding because he wanted to use it to get everyone’s attention. He loaded a blank with gunpowder and glue and as he tried to fire it in the air, the gun somehow slipped and went off, hitting the child. The child was hospitalized with injuries that are fortunately not life-threatening.
Gardner turned himself in to police on Monday to be arrested on suspicion of felony child abuse. Police said it is neglectful to take a gun out that has blanks and fire it amongst people.
Sam Bankman-Fried to face trial
Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is now facing a trial on federal charges of fraud and money laundering.
FTX collapsed last November and Sam was arrested a month later. He was accused of scamming customers by using their investments to fund his outside personal businesses, make political contributions, and buy luxury real estate.
The trial is expected to last six weeks. Sam faces a lengthy prison term if he is convicted.
Nationwide test of emergency alert system
NPR said the federal government will conduct a nationwide test of the emergency alert system on Wednesday afternoon. The test messages will be sent to all cellphones, televisions and radios. Your cellphones may emit sound and a vibration.
The FEMA and the FCC are running the test in preparation for actual emergencies.
The alerts will be similar to National Weather Service alerts or AMBER alerts.
The test will happen around 2:20 pm ET on Wednesday, October 4. You will see a message that reads, “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://apnews.com/article/utah-plane-crash-moab-killed-a7064a4f3a883be6f920fb647d10c6ca
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/us/doug-larsen-senator-plane-crash-killed.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/02/nyregion/charlotte-sena-missing-child-found-ny.html
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/02/us/charlotte-sena-missing-child-moreau-lake-monday/index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-trial-cryptocurrency/