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A driver faces charges after two teenagers died and another was seriously injured in a car crash early Saturday morning on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens. Checkey Beckford reports
Young Parents Killed in Queens...
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Two teenagers died and another was seriously injured in a car crash early Saturday morning on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, according to officials.
Police say the driver, 20-year-old Manosh Hansraj, was speeding and under the influence when he lost control and hit a guard rail near exit 17, throwing three people out of the vehicle.
Anil Persaud, 18, and Meera Dukharan, 17, were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. According to family members, the couple were parents to a 14-month-old girl and engaged to be married.
A third victim was taken to New York Medical Hospital of Queens in serious condition, authorities.
Hansraj was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and driving while impaired.
Information on a lawyer for Hansraj, who sustained minor injuries, was not immediately available.
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Bob Fitch/GrandPrairieReporter.com
Apparently the wallaby was very excited and officers had a hard time controlling the wallaby while they waited for animal control to arrive.
Wall-E the Pet Wallaby's Day Out
The Grand Prairie Police Department caught a wandering wallaby in a residential neighborhood on Friday.
The Grand Prairie Police Department gets interesting 911 calls, but this one will be talked about for days.
Police in the Dallas suburb received a 911 call just before 7:45 a.m. Friday about a kangaroo hopping westbound in the 2200 block of Prince John Drive.
Officers arrived but didn't catch a kangaroo -- the animal was, in fact, a wallaby.
"I have been doing this for 20 years, and I will probably never see something like this again," Detective Lyle Gensler said.
John Richardson, the 911 caller, sent NBC 5 DFW a photo of the Wall-E the wallaby sitting at his front door.
Grand Prairie police said the wallaby was very excited, saying officers had a hard time controlling him while they waited for animal control to arrive. When asked how he knew how to catch a wallaby, Charles Munoz, the animal control officer, replied "Animal Planet" with a laugh.
The wallaby had tags and was returned to his owner unharmed.
"As far as we know, we don't have anything in our city ordinance that says you can't have one, " said Danielle Tate, animal services manager.
Wall-E's owners came to get him from animal control after friends saw on social media that he was loose. Their son-in-law said they believe someone tried to steal Wall-E because their fence was ripped.
Jessica Churchill, the owners' daughter, said her father gave the wallaby to her mother for Christmas after she said she wanted a kangaroo someday.
NBC 5's Julie Fine contributed to this report.
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Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis (D) Fort Worth will appear on "Meet The Press" Sunday morning.
The national spotlight will shine on Texas State Senator Wendy Davis of Fort Worth once again on Sunday morning. The Democrat will appear on "Meet The Press with David Gregory." It airs Sunday at 9:00 a.m. on NBC 5.
State Sen. Davis' appearance comes nearly a week after her 12-hour filibuster and the subsequent protest that killed an effort to restrict abortions. The victory was short-lived. On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Perry called a second special session beginning July 1 to pass the restrictions and other measures.
Since the filibuster, State Sen. Davis has appeared on msnbc's "Morning Joe" program, "CBS This Morning" and other national news programs.
As of Saturday night, she has more than 118,000 followers on Twitter. She had only 1,200 before the filibuster began.
The Austin band The Bright Light Social Hour recorded a song named "Wendy Davis."
Not all of the attention has been positive. During his address to the National Right To Life convention, Gov. Perry criticized State Sen. Davis.
"It's just unfortunate that she hasn't learned from her own example that every life must be given the chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters," Gov. Perry said.
Davis told msnbc's "All In With Chris Hayes" last week she is considering a run for statewide office.
You can see what she has to say on NBC's "Meet The Press with David Gregory" Sunday at 9:00 a.m. only on NBC 5.
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Andres Gutierrez, NBC 5 News
For the first time, Nancy Monnette and other Plano residents can buy liquor at stores in Plano.
Plano Begins Selling Liquor
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Angel's Beverage in Plano is the first store to sell liquor in the city since voters approved the referendum last month.
"We've been waiting 25 years for this to happen," said Shawn O'Connor, the wine director at Angel's Beverage,
Throughout the day, customers stopped by to get some of the hard stuff. For Plano resident Nancy Monnette it's about the convenience.
"It's very convenient for us because traveling into Dallas or the south end of Richardson is a good 15 miles down the road," Monnette said.
Overall the sales equals tax dollars for the city. Plano estimates that in years past, they've lost half a million dollar each year in sales tax revenue to neighboring cities.
"Every day for the past five years I've picked up the phone and said no we don't sell liquor in Plano," O'Connor said. "Today that's finally ended I can say 'Yes! Come and see us'."
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Hood County Deputy Dies From Gun Battle Wound
Sgt. Lance McLean, a 38-year-old Hood County sheriff's deputy, was shot in the head at a Granbury home while responding to a disturbance call. He died Saturday. Officers honored him outside of John Peter Smith hospital in Fort Worth.
Sheriff's Deputy Shot in Head; Gunman Killed in Hood County Shootout
A sheriff's deputy is in critical condition and a police officer is in the hospital after a shooting in Granbury.
A Hood County sheriff's deputy that had been shot in the head after responding to a disturbance call has died.
Sgt. Lance McLean, a 38-year-old Hood County sheriff's deputy, was shot in the head at a Granbury home while responding to a disturbance call, the Texas Department of Public Safety said. McLean died from his injuries at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.
As word spread of McLean's passing, law enforcement officers arrived from multiple cities to honor McLean's memory outside JPS Hospital. With their police lights flashing, officers stood at attention in the street as the hearse pulled out of the hospital.
"He was one of the best. The very best," says Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds.
Deeds said he had big plans for McLean and expected to promote him through the ranks.
"He excels in everything he's ever done," says Deeds. "Great guy who's always out to help, help people, help everybody. He was always there when you needed him."
Granbury Police Chief Mitch Galvan knew McLean as well.
"He was just a tremendous leader. He had a great sense of humor. A very caring man," says Galvan. "His family was his life and his job was his life."
McLean was a SWAT officer and field training officer who mentored younger deputies. He is survived by his wife and two children with special needs.
"This has been a tremendous loss," says Chief Galvan. "You can't replace Lance McLean."
Two accounts have been set up to help his widow and two children. They are at Hico's First National Bank and Community Bank in Granbury.
McLean will be buried in Hico but the day and time of the funeral are pending.
Chad Davis, a Granbury police officer, was also injured in the shootout. Davis sustained a nonlife-threatening gunshot wound to an upper extremity believed to be an arm or shoulder. He was transported to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth.
Granbury Police Chief Mitch Galvan said Saturday that Davis was being moved out of intensive care. In addition to Davis' shoulder wound, Galvan said doctors found three bullet fragments in his knee.
The shooting suspect, Ricky Don McCommas, 49, of Joshua, was later killed during a shootout with Granbury police just 50 feet from the doors of Granbury City Hall.
Community Mourns Slain Sheriff's Deputy
On Saturday night, a group of Granbury citizens tied blue ribbons on trees, light posts and street signs near city hall in honor of Sgt. Lance McLean.
Joyce Mashburn knew Sgt. McLean through his work as a deputy and says his death has deeply effected her personally.
"If you ever met him, he was such wonderful deputy," Mashburn said. "He loved his work, he helped out everybody he could help out. The only way I could think of to try and give back is to paint Granbury blue."
A memorial is also growing at the Hood County Sheriff's Office. A patrol vehicle is parked in the front grass and flowers and ribbons are being added to it to remember Sgt. McLean.
"We've lost a great deputy, heaven has a new hero," Mashburn said. "We're going to really, really, miss him."
DPS Details Gun Battle
DPS spokesman Sgt. Lonny Haschel said McLean was dispatched to a residence in Oak Trail Shores shortly before 11 a.m. When he arrived, he made contact with McCommas. Moments later, shots were fired and McLean was struck in the head, Haschel said.
Another Hood County deputy responding to the call provided a description of McCommas' van as it left the scene -- white with its windows shot out.
A neighbor told NBC 5 that McCommas lives in Joshua and drove to the house in Granbury, where he started a ruckus that led to the shooting. Deputies were then called to the scene, the neighbor said.
Granbury police officers later spotted McCommas' van as he pulled into the Granbury City Hall parking lot. It is unclear if McCommas chose to enter the parking lot or was forced there by pursuing police officers.
Haschel said McCommas then got out of the van and exchanged gunfire with Granbury officers.
McCommas was hit several times and died at the scene.
New Details Revealed on Saturday
Sheriff Deeds revealed on Saturday that the suspect, Ricky McCommas, had a criminal trespass warning to stay away from the home on Edgecliff Court north of Granbury, where Sgt. McLean responded and was shot.
Deeds said McCommas was due in court in Johnson County on Friday but never showed up. McCommas was arrested last year for sexual assault involving a minor.
Chief Galvan described the gun battle has happening so quick that he heard the gunshots from inside city hall, but that it was over by the time he reached the scene out front. He described McCommas as having an arsenal.
Witnesses See, Hear Gun Battle
Several witnesses who were working at a residence just 15 feet away from where the van pulled into the City Hall parking lot saw it all go down.
"He had a cold look on his face. He was going to go for them," Joe Vanderveer said. "He put it in park, looked at us, he got out. He turned and then the cop cars pulled up, because they pulled up about 15 seconds after he pulled up. And then the shooting started."
Gary Farina, who is opening a restaurant next to City Hall, a half block north of the town square, said he heard 40 to 50 shots.
"We kept hearing a barrage of gunfire," he said.
Farina and Vanderveer took cover on their outdoor patio before hiding inside the business. They said McCommas appeared to be wearing a vest, but they were unsure if it was a tactical vest or bulletproof vest.
"He definitely looked like he had a purpose in mind," Vanderveer said.
At least 50 evidence markers were placed at bullet casings and other evidence at the scene. What appeared to be an assault rifle was next to McCommas' body for several hours as the investigation continued.
"Those of you who've been to the scene saw how big a scene it is, how many details are going to have to be looked at, so it's going to take some time for everyone to go out and interview witnesses, take a look at physical evidence on the scene, send officers out and really comb those areas," Haschel said.
Haschel had no other details to offer about the shootings, saying only it was an ongoing investigation with large, multiple scenes.
Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office and Joshua police spent hours Friday evening at McCommas' home along Joshua Boulevard. They removed several guns, boxes of bullets and what appeared to be body armor.
Neighbors said McCommas had been buying and selling guns to make ends meet since he lost his job as a security guard at Texas Health Resources Harris Methodist Hospital following a sexual assault arrest in August.
A man who identified himself as a friend of McCommas said he always carried a gun with him but was a nice man who was a good neighbor.
The case is being investigated by the Texas Rangers, the Hood County Sheriff's Office and the Granbury Police Department.
Multiple NBC 5 reporters and editors including Ben Russell, Chris Van Horne, Kevin Cokely, Greg Janda, and Mark Schnyder contributed to this report.
Editor's note: DPS originally reported the name of the gunman as 60-year-old Richard Randall McComas and then later identified the gunman as 49-year-old Ricky Don McComas.
It has been 16 years since the last time BART workers walked off the job, but with each passing hour the threat of a strike seems more and more likely come Monday.
The unions contract expires Sunday at midnight with a threatened strike to start the workweek commute.
Saturday's negotiation session ended before 5 p.m. with the union saying that management was "a no show." A union spokesperson told gathered reporters in Oakland that a strike was likely.
Union officials said they would move forward with plans for a BART strike on Monday after walking out of the contract talks today.
"BART management is engaging in what is called "surface-bargaining," said Jose Mooney, spokesperson for Service Employees International Union 1021. "They're trying to appear in public like they are working to keep the trains running, but they're doing nothing to respond to good-faith offers by BART workers aimed at avoiding a strike."
BART officials said they had told the union they would have a proposal ready by 5 p.m., but when they submitted it to the mediator at 3:45 p.m., they were told the negotiators had already walked out.
BART spokesman Rick Rice said management delivered a new economic proposal to the mediator Saturday afternoon, and received a response from the union to a proposal made Thursday. He said the latest BART proposal increased the salary offer and reduced the amount employees would contribute to pensions and health care.
"We're disappointed," Rice said of the union's decision to break off talks.
Friday's negotiation sessions did not go well either. The session started late and ended at 10 p.m. with no reported progress.
Talks are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. each day. It was not clear if any talks would take place Sunday.
Antonette Bryant with ATU Local 1555 said Saturday morning that negotiators had their suitcases packed and were prepared to stay at the bargaining table until a contract is negotiated and a potential strike was averted, but he session didn't last even six hours.
On Friday, negotiations were supposed to begin at 11 a.m. but were delayed for hours.
They were pushed off until after the BART Board of Directors' meeting, set to end around 6:30 p.m. Both sides blamed the other for the stall.
BART's two employee unions, SEIU Local 1021 and ATU Local 1555, are asking for a higher salary increase: a five percent increase for the next three years, plus a cost-of-living adjustment. BART is offering a one percent increase for the next four years. The biggest concession from either side has been BART's decision to remove conditions off of the increase and make it a guaranteed raise.
Talks began April 1 and quickly soured.
"They refused to allow us to come to the table to work together, get resolution early so we would not put the public through this," said John Arantes, president of SEIU Local 1021. "Instead they pushed us off till May 13."
MORE: Oakland Unions Threaten General Strike
"We have been waiting since 11 a.m. We have not met with the district and we are still waiting," said Antonette Brown, president of ATU Local 1555.
But BART said the unions did not give a response to the agency's latest proposal Thursday night, and as of 6 p.m. Friday, still had not heard back. Rick Rice, a BART spokesman, said the agency finished responding to every part of the unions' requests, agreeing to half a dozen of them and changing others in hopes of moving the talks forward. Rice would not get into specifics.
"They're currently paying nothing for their pensions we feel they should pay a small part of that," said Rice. "We've got debt interest to pay, millions of dollars committed to new train cars already ordered. The benefits part of the package for all BART workers is $50,000 - it's one of the fastest rising costs in the system. It's something we can no longer ask taxpayers and riders to pay for."
But union leaders are calling BART's offer an "insult." Brown said union members gave back more than 100 million dollars in concessions in 2009 and deserve to get paid back. Union members also don't believe BART's statement that the agency has no surplus.
"In '09 they said they had a deficit. It ended up being 300 million dollars in the plus," said Leo Ruiz, a member of ATU Local 1555. "Now, they're telling us there's no surplus. There's 125 million dollars a year for next ten years. Who do you trust? They lied to us in '09. They're lying to us now."
If talks don't smooth out and a settlement cannot be reached by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, when the unions' contracts expire, the strike is on.
And that isn't just stranding the estimated 400,000 people who ride BART every day. AC Transit workers may also go on strike Monday morning. It has an average of 175,000 riders every day. Other transit agencies are set to try and help, including Caltrain and SamTrans, but it won't be nearly enough to prevent what could be gridlock on the roads.
If there's a strike, BART is set to offer a courtesy shuttle during peak commute hours, but that will only serve an estimated 2,000-4,000 people each direction each day. Riders are encouraged to plan ahead: telecommute and carpool. If people choose the latter, they can park in any of BART's 33 station parking lots for free.
The Dream Hotel is on West 19th Street in Chelsea.
A 36-year-old woman says she was drugged and then raped in a Manhattan hotel Thursday night, according to police.
The woman says she was drinking at the bar of the Dream Hotel on West 19th Street in Chelsea when a man started flirting with her. Police say that after she refused the suspect's advances he drugged her and then followed her to the room she was staying in, where he raped her.
Officials are reviewing surveillance video from the night of the attack.
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San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr said new estimates for the Gay Pride Parade on Sunday have 1.5 million people making their way to Market Street.
He said it will rival and possibly top the San Francisco Giants World Series parade.
"Even though the World Series was huge, this could quite possibly be larger in light of the decision that just came down from the Supreme Court - but it will be just as happy as the World Series," Suhr said.
He said his officers will be out in force, just in case to ensure a peaceful event.
The increased crowd follows this week's historic court decision to strike down Prop 8. The normal estimate for the parade is a million people.
Police said safety at the event will be a top priority.
Police said they are urging Pride participants to be cautious with strangers and to report suspicious situations.
Pride celebrations got an early start with Wednesday's Castro District rally that drew thousands of people to Castro Street.
Many San Francisco hotels are sold out for the weekend.
The Pride Festival happens on Saturday and Sunday and includes more than 20 stages throughout the Mid-Market area with musical acts, performances and countless dancing opportunities.
The 18th display of the Pink Triangle will go up on Twin Peaks on 7 a.m. Saturday morning before a 10:30 a.m. ceremony with city and Pride officials.
Saturday night the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will host an alcohol free party in the Castro.
Sunday's parade is the main event and starts at 10:30 a.m. and winds down Market Street ending at the Civic Center.
Merchants have been given a "heads up," Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District executive director Andrea Aiello said, and extra staff has been called in. Aiello said she expects crowds to "stream into the Castro after the parade" but the effect of the Supreme Court rulings will be felt throughout. "All of San Francisco is buzzing," she said.
Motorists are advised to expect delays and crowded streets along Market Street, downtown and Civic Center areas and the Castro District.
Details about service changes and other transit plans are available at www.sfmta.com/calendar/san-francisco-pride. More information about Pride events is available at www.sfpride.org.
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Elizabeth Evans
The dog pictured is named "Autumn." The animal was featured in local productions of the play "Annie." She and another golden retreiver went missing from a home in Lowry Crossing on Friday.
A therapy dog that also stars on stage went missing Friday.
Update: The dog was found safe on Sunday morning.
"Autumn" has played the part of Sandy the dog for productions of "Annie" in Southlake and Frisco.
She also travels to Veterans hospitals, assisted living facitlies and nursing homes to cheer up patients.
"Autumn" and another golden retreiver dog went missing Friday from her owners backyard in Lowry Crossing near McKinney.
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