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Tag:
Foster Care
Centereach-Selden, NY
News
Mother Who Tried To Smother Newborn Son In Centereach Deported To Honduras After Prison Term
A woman who attempted to smother her newborn son while living on Long Island has been deported back to her native Honduras, federal authorities announced Tuesday, May 5. Soili Xiomara Aparicio Santos, 41, served more than eight years of a 10-year prison term for second-degree attempted murder, according to state prison records. When she was set for release on Tuesday, April 7, local cops alerted ICE, as the federal agency had requested. Aparicio Santos was living in Centereach in September 2017 when she delivered a baby boy, then attempted to kill him the same day by smothering him with a p…
Fair Lawn-Glen Rock, NJ
News
Once Too Heavy To Walk, Sweetie The Pittie Is Ready To Spend Her Golden Years Loved
A pit bull named Sweetie arrived at the Bergen County Animal Shelter in November 2024. She weighed 97 pounds and was unable to walk on her own due to her weight. Two women brought Sweetie to the shelter in the back of a car and told staff they had found her in Glen Rock, according to shelter manager Meg Tedeschi. Because she was so heavy, shelter officials said they used a towel as a sling behind her hind legs just to help her walk and get inside. After about a year with a foster family, a structured diet, and thyroid medication, Sweetie now weighs 68 pounds, officials said. While she is an…
Mercersburg, PA
News
2-Month-Old Infant Thrown Six Feet By PA Man Suffers Severe Brain Bleed, Spine Injuries: DA
A New Kensington man is accused of throwing a two-month-old child onto a couch, leaving the infant with severe brain and spine injuries, the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Jacob Alexander Piontek, 25, was arrested after investigators said he admitted to tossing the child from five to six feet away while “playing,” according to the release. Emergency responders were called to a Stewart Street home in New Kensington at 2:24 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 22, for a report of a baby in cardiac arrest, authorities said. Later that day, a social worker at UPMC…
Peekskill, NY
News
$1M To Go Towards Housing For Young Adults Aging Out of Foster Care In Peekskill
A landmark downtown building in a Westchester County city will soon take on new life as affordable housing and community space, thanks to $1 million in funding secured by elected officials. The funds will support a Children’s Village-led redevelopment of the historic New York State Workers’ Compensation building at 41 N. Division St. in Peekskill, New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and State Senator Pete Harckham announced on Friday, Sept. 19. Plans call for 22 apartments—10 of which will be reserved for young adults between 18 and 25 who have aged…
Abington, PA
Lifestyle
Genealogist Reunites Abington Woman With Childhood Best Friend Separated By Foster Care
A New England genealogist has helped reunite two women who were separated by foster care while attending elementary school in Abington in the late 1980s. Elizabeth Crompton, who grew up in Abington, shared on Facebook that she had been searching for her childhood best friend for decades. The two attended Glenside Weldon Elementary School just outside of Philadelphia, where Crompton, then known as Liz, spent nearly every day with her best friend. “She was the sweetest girl ever, red curly hair and the warmest smile,” Crompton wrote, recalling how her friend’s social worker once gave her litt…
Windham-Willimantic, CT
Police & Fire
Willimantic Sex Offender Gets 50-Year Sentence For Brutal Murder Of Beloved Nurse
A 40-year-old Willimantic man was sentenced to 50 years in prison for the 2023 murder of Joyce Grayson, a well-loved visiting nurse from Brooklyn, Connecticut, authorities said. Michael Reese pleaded guilty to the charge of murder on Friday, Aug. 8, after he killed Grayson, 63, while she was providing care to him at a halfway house for sexual offenders on October 28, 2023, the Office of State's Attorney said. Grayson, a dedicated mental health nurse for over two decades, had gone to Reese’s residence to provide her usual nursing care when she was tragically attacked, investigators said…
Lexington Park, MD
News
Maryland Teen With Displaced Heart Faces Major Surgery Weeks After 18th Birthday
Gavin Schulte turns 18 today. While most teens mark the milestone with graduation parties and trips to the beach, Schulte is preparing for major chest surgery just inches from his heart, scheduled for next month. His condition is real. His recovery will be long. And his story — thanks to a devoted Maryland community — is now anything but quiet. Do you know what's awesome? Our community! Gavin Schulte is 18 today. In a few short weeks he will be having MAJOR... Posted by Marlo Coppage on Tuesday, June 24, 2025 Schulte has Pectus Excavatum — also known as funnel chest —…
Lansdale, PA
News
NJ Native Killed In Crosswalk; Driver Cited, But Not Charged In Lansdale Crash: Police
A Pennsylvania woman was fatally struck while crossing the street in Lansdale, but the driver behind the wheel won’t face criminal charges, police announced on Friday, June 13, 2025. Diane Kopena, 71, died days after being hit by a vehicle at Columbia Avenue and Richardson Avenue on April 24, according to the Lansdale Police Department. She succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, May 1. The driver remained on scene, rendered aid, and called for help, the police explained. Following a joint investigation with the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, investigators found no signs of re…
Fairfax, VA
News
Virginia Tops Nation For Foster Care Support, New Study Says: Here's Why
Northeast and mid-Atlantic states showed wide disparities in foster care quality, with some ranking among the nation's best and others falling behind, according to a new study. SmileHub released its 2025 list of States With the Best Foster Care Systems on Tuesday, April 29. The study analyzed every state using 19 key foster care metrics, from adoption timelines and high school graduation rates to monthly stipends. The ranking used a weighted scoring system across three categories: foster youth baselines, community environment and support systems, and legal support. …
Fallston, MD
Lifestyle
Virus Outbreak Halts Dog Adoptions, Intakes At Harford Humane Society
A small outbreak of canine parvovirus has forced the Humane Society of Harford County (HSHC) to temporarily halt all dog adoptions and intakes, officials announced. Four dogs at the Fallston shelter have tested positive for the highly contagious virus in recent weeks, prompting the precautionary measure to protect the current dog population, conduct testing, and contain the illness, according to HSHC. The shelter hopes to resume normal operations in about a week. "We are asking for the public’s understanding as we take these necessary precautions and focus on containing the illness," HSHC …
Whitehall-Coplay, PA
News
PA Foster Mom Admits To Strangling Infant: DA
A North Whitehall Township foster mother has been sentenced to state prison for asphyxiating and strangling a 1-year-old girl in her care, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan announced on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. Brenda Broadwater, 49, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a victim under 13 and endangering the welfare of children during a hearing before Judge Robert L. Steinberg on Dec. 3, 2024. Both charges are felonies. She was sentenced to serve 18 to 48 months in state prison. The charges stem from a call to Pennsylvania State Police on Jan. 26, 2024, reporting a child i…
Blairstown, NJ
Police & Fire
Loose Dog Killed By Car, Owner Cited — Again — For Animal Cruelty In Blairstown: Police
A New Jersey man is facing animal cruelty charges after one of his dogs was killed in a car accident and another was found loose in Blairstown, authorities said. David Black, 46, of Hardwick, was charged after officers responded to a crash involving a dog and a vehicle around 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, Blairstown Police Chief Scott Johnsen said in a release. When officers arrived at the scene, they found two dogs — one severely injured and another uninjured. The injured dog died at the scene, police said. Animal Control Officer Robert Lagonera responded and transported the uninjured dog …
Doylestown, PA
News
Nine Puppies Abandoned In Box At Montgomery County Park Rescued By SPCA
Nine four-week-old puppies were found abandoned in a box at Merion Gateway Park in Montgomery County earlier this week, Pennsylvania SPCA officials announced. The puppies, left out in the cold and unable to fend for themselves, were reportedly caked in feces, suffering from urine scalding, and in desperate need of care, according to a release from the organization. “These puppies were given a heartbreaking start, but they now have a chance at a better life,” the SPCA wrote in a social media post. Upon their arrival at the shelter, the puppies were gently bathed, medically examined, and…
Rivertowns, NY
News
New Lawsuits Allege Sexual Abuse At Dobbs Ferry Juvenile Facility
Five former residents of a well-known juvenile center in Westchester have filed lawsuits against the facility alleging that they suffered sexual abuse while living there, according to attorneys representing the plaintiffs. The lawsuits, filed in Westchester County Supreme Court on Wednesday, Dec. 18 by law firm Levy Konigsberg, name the Dobbs Ferry Children's Village campus, which operates residential foster care programs. The plaintiffs, who were not named but were described as "brave survivors" by the attorneys, allege a pattern of sexual abuse enabled and perpetrated by …
Reading, PA
News
Foster Homes Needed For 30 Animals Seized From Berks County Home
Rescue officials are desperate for help after 30 animals were seized from a home in Berks County. The Department of Animal Protection from the Animal Rescue League of Berks County was performing a wellness check when they removed 22 dogs, three cats, five snakes, and two geckos were removed from a home in Womelsdorf on Wednesday, Oct. 9. All appear to be in good condition, and will soon need fosters or adopters, as the ARL said its facility was at capacity for cats and dogs. “While the ARL is fully equipped with the skilled personnel, facilities, and industry expertise to respond to c…
Middletown, NJ
News
Expectant Mom With Six Flags Great Adventure Love Story Shamika Bodino Dies At 32
Shamika Bodino, a 32-year-old mom from Monmouth County, died at home on Wednesday, July 3, according to her obituary on the Clayton Funeral Home site. Shamika, of Freehold and formerly Toms River and Manchester, earned her master's degree in social work and went on to work as a foster care support clinician at the YMCA of Greater Monmouth County, according to her obituary. She met her husband, Zac, in the summer of 2016 while working at Six Flags Great Adventure, her obituary says. The two fell in love and welcomed their first daughter, Faith. They were expecting the other in Dece…
Briarcliff, NY
News
Litter Of Days-Old Kittens Found Abandoned In Milk Crate In Westchester
A litter of kittens has a new surrogate mom after being found abandoned in a milk carton crate in Westchester. The kittens, all only a few days old, were discovered in a milk crate by Briarcliff Manor-based SPCA Westchester on Monday evening, May 6. Luckily, the organization was able to keep the kittens alive and worked to bottle-feed them every few hours after their rescue to keep them healthy. The kittens are now in the care of a surrogate mother cat, the organization announced. Anyone looking to foster animals in the future can contact the SPCA by clicking here.
Elizabeth, NJ
Police & Fire
'Horror House:' $6.75M Pre-Trial Settlement Reached For NJ Woman Sexually Abused In Foster Care
They called it a horror house. The Salmon household in Egg Harbor Township, that is. The foster home where a woman named only as J.T. was sexually abused by a man named Joseph Salmon during a five-week stay in 1972. And now, the State of New Jersey has agreed to pay J.T. $6.75 million in a settlement expected to be reached, with a $25 million trial verdict for a similar case was obtained last month. "The Salmon home was a horror house of abuse," said Vincent Nappo of the law firm Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC, who represented J.T. alongside Matthew Bonanno, of Rebenack Ar…
Gettysburg, PA
Police & Fire
Foster Parents Charged With Felonies For Years Of Child Abuse: PSP Gettysburg
Two foster parents have been charged with felonies for abusing a young boy in their care for years, the Pennsylvania State Police announced on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Steven Francis Selby, 64, and Kelly Marie Selby, 50, both of Lake Meade Road, East Berlin, Latimore Township were arrested on Feb. 16, Trooper Loder detailed in the release. They are accused of physically assaulting a 13-year-old "over a period of years," as stated in the release. They have both been charged with the following according to their court dockets: Felony endangers the welfare of children whe…
Windham-Willimantic, CT
Obituaries
Beloved Nurse Remembered After Being Found Dead In CT Basement: 'Always Went Extra Step'
A beloved mother, grandmother, and wife who dedicated her life to doing everything she could for her patients as a visiting nurse is being remembered following her murder in a Connecticut residence. Joyce Grayson, age 63, died on Saturday, Oct. 28 after going missing while she was performing her duties as a visiting nurse at a residence in the Windham County municipality of Willimantic. Grayson was reported missing by her family around 2 p.m. on Saturday, prompting Willimantic Police to search the area of Chapman Street. After finding her vehicle, officers tracked her to a nearby resi…
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Police & Fire
Feds Finally Get Justice In Re-Sentencings Of NJ Army Major, Wife Who Abused 5 Kids
UPDATE: It took federal authorities three tries over more than eight years, but they finally got to see the punishment fit the crimes when a judge sentenced a Morris County couple who severely abused their children to extended prison terms. The sentences imposed in federal court in Newark on Monday, Oct. 30, "hold Carolyn Jackson and John Jackson accountable for their horrific crimes, and bring a measure of justice for their victims,” said U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger (photo above, left). Carolyn Jackson, 46, was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison. John E.…
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Missing Nutley Teen May Be Getting Help Hiding From Family: Cops
Police are seeking a Nutley teen and two family members who they say are helping him hide. Derek Estrella left Nutley High School at lunch on Friday, Oct. 27 and never returned, police said in a release. "It appears he may be evading a change of foster care with the assistance of two family members," Nutley police spokesman Anthony Monatanari said. The family members were identified as Michelle and Nicole Durkin. Anyone who sees the trio is urged to call 973-284-4940.
Cambridge, MA
News
Man Convicted Of Killing Teen In 1991 On Malden Fire Escape: DA
The family of a 17-year-old girl who was executed on her third-story fire escape in Malden 32 years ago finally knows who killed her. Rodney Daniels was convicted of first-degree murder on Wednesday, Aug. 16, in the fatal shooting of Patricia Moreno on July 20, 1991, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office said. The prosecutor's office and police re-examined her killing as part of a cold case unit investigation in 2020. That meant re-interviewing witnesses, re-examining the evidence with new technology, and recreating the crime scene at 21 Henry St. Daniels was a su…
Springfield, MA
Obituaries
Friends Want To Give Western Mass's 'Favorite Red Head' Fitting Sendoff
Friends of a former foster child who was shot and killed last week in Springfield say he was a kind and loving person, and they want to provide him with the funeral he deserves. Daniel Romero, 21, of Springfield, was found shot at Marengo Park at 10:45 p.m. on Monday, July 17, Springfield police said. He was sitting in a car when officers arrived, and they gave him first aid until paramedics could rush him to the hospital. He died of his wounds soon after at Baystate Medical Center, authorities said. Related: Springfield Police ID 21-Year-Old Fatal Shooting Victim Police ar…
Albany, NY
News
'No More Bruises': NY Foster Mom Abused 4-Year-Old Before Boy's Beating Death, Jury Finds
The wife of a New York man convicted of murdering their 4-year-old foster son not only knew the boy was being abused in the months before his death, but played an active role in it, a jury found. Schenectady County resident Latrisha Greene, age 27, of Rotterdam, was found guilty on multiple charges of perjury and endangering the welfare of a child in Schenectady County Court on Friday, June 23. It came months after her husband, 29-year-old Dequan Greene, was sentenced to the maximum of 25 years to life in prison for second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in the death of the…
Lakewood, NJ
Police & Fire
Women Convicted Of Locking Boy, 8, In Room In 'Abhorrent' Conditions: Ocean Prosecutor
Two women were found guilty of child endangerment charges stemming from an incident in which an 8-year-old boy was found locked in a room in "abhorrent" conditions, authorities in Ocean County said. After a week-long jury trial before the Superior Court Judge Lisa A. Puglisi, the jury concluded beyond a reasonable doubt that Donna Jung, 57, of Lehigh Acres, Florida and Helecia Morris, 41, of Brick Township, abused and neglected a minor in their care, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. An investigation found that the boy, who was Morris' biological son, was loc…
Worcester, MA
Police & Fire
Central Mass Foster Mom Under Investigation Over Incident Involving Baby Boy
Authorities are investigating an incident at a home in Templeton, where a 6-month-old baby nearly died last week, officials and news sources said. According to Boston25, the child stopped breathing for 15 minutes after choking on his vomit Friday, May 19. The foster mother allegedly did not attempt CPR while the child struggled the breath, the report said. The condition of the child is unknown. The Department of Children and Families and Worcester County District Attorney's Office are not releasing much information about the investigation. The DCF said th…
Albany, NY
News
'No More Bruises': NY Woman Took Part In Foster Boy’s Abuse Before His Murder, DA Says
The wife of a New York foster dad convicted of murdering their 4-year-old foster son not only knew the boy was being abused in the months before his death, but actively took part in it, prosecutors said. Schenectady County resident Latrisha Greene, age 27, of Rotterdam, was arraigned on multiple charges of perjury and endangering the welfare of a child in Schenectady County Court on Monday, Dec. 19. Earlier Report: 'Absolute Sociopath': Rotterdam Foster Dad Sentenced In Beating Death Of 4-Year-Old It came weeks after her husband, 29-year-old Dequan Greene, was sentenced to the maximum…
Dorchester, MA
Neighbors
Boston Entrepreneur Launches 'Project F' To Offer Foster Kids Family Through Fitness
Jesse Setaro has built big, broad shoulders from his years as a personal trainer and gym owner, and now he wants to use them to lift up a forgotten group of children. Setaro, who owns North End Fitness in Boston, grew up in the foster care system and wants to provide the next generation of foster children a place to build a community and find a passion. He calls it calls Project F. "As a kid, I didn't have a sense of direction, and I didn't think anyone cared whether I made it in life or wound up in jail," he wrote in a GoFundMe campaign. "That changed when a great mentor came into my li…
Towson, MD
Police & Fire
Man Active In Foster Care Programs In Maryland Charged With Rape, Sexual Abuse: Police
Police say a man that was active in several foster care programs in Maryland is facing charges for alleged sexual abuse and child pornography charges. Keith Savage was arrested in Baltimore, a spokesperson for the county announced on Monday, Oct. 17 on rape and other charges and is currently being held in home detention. Specifically, Savage was charged with: Second-degree rape; Sexual abuse of a minor; Child pornography; Other sexual offense charges. According to investigators, for several years, Savage was active in numerous foster care programs and police are searching for any additi…
Lower Merion-Narberth, PA
Police & Fire
Philadelphia Social Worker Charged in 3-Year-Old's Death: DA
A Philadelphia social worker faces murder charges after authorities said she failed to report the abuse of a foster child. District Attorney Larry Krasner charged 25-year-old Jendayi Mawusi with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and child endangerment related to the July death of three-year-old Hope Jones, In a statement released Tuesday, Oct. 11. According to prosecutors, Mawusi had been assigned Jones' caseworker by the city Department of Human Services in November 2020. From then until the child's death on July 12, Mawusi was tasked with monitoring Jones' pla…
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