Fairfax, VA
Police & Fire
Vandals Break Into Virginia Zoo, Trash Exhibits, Terrify Animals With Joyride (
Video
)
A pack of late-night vandals broke into a Northern Virginia zoo, damaged animal enclosures, and took work vehicles for a joyride — all while terrifying the animals, officials said. The chaos unfolded overnight on Tuesday, April 15, at the NOVA Wild Zoo, a popular family destination in Fairfax County. According to zoo management, several people forced their way into the park, caused damage to multiple exhibits, and even got into the capybara enclosure. The intruders then took work vehicles and rode recklessly through the property. Staff returned to find the aftermath — broken fencing, trash…
Minisink Valley, NY
News
64 Cats Rescued From 'Horrific' Conditions On Broken-Down Bus In Westtown: SPCA Needs Help
More than 60 cats are now safe after being rescued from a squalid hoarding situation that Hudson Valley SPCA officials are calling one of the most heartbreaking and complicated operations they’ve ever conducted. On Monday, April 7, the nonprofit’s Humane Law Enforcement team descended on a rural property in the Orange County hamlet of Westtown, where 100 cats were found packed inside a broken-down school bus that reeked of feces and rotting food, according to the Hudson Valley SPCA. SPCA officials added that the bus was also filled with the decomposing bodies of other cats …
York, PA
News
Officer Otto Cruz, York County's Humane Hero, Dies At 47; SPCA Closes To Mourn
A beloved protector of animals and voice for the voiceless has died. Humane Society Police Officer Otoniel “Otto” Cruz passed away on Saturday, April 12, the York County SPCA announced. The shelter closed to the public on Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16, as staff mourned the loss of their cherished colleague. Otto Cruz, 47, of York, was more than an officer—he was a bridge-builder, an advocate, and a father. Originally from Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Cruz became a police officer at just 18 years old. He served for a decade before relocating to Pennsylvania, where he continued his mission …
Carmel, NY
Police & Fire
2 Neglected Dogs Found Abandoned In Carmel Parking Lots: Woman, 55, Charged, SPCA Says
A 55-year-old woman is facing animal cruelty and abandonment charges after two severely neglected dogs were found separately in Putnam County parking lots earlier this week, authorities said. The investigation began on Tuesday evening, April 8, around 8:54 p.m., when authorities were called to the parking lot of Saint James the Apostle Church in Carmel. There, good Samaritans discovered a severely emaciated male pit bull mix wandering alone, the Putnam SPCA announced on Saturday, April 12. The dog, later identified as “Milo,” was immediately rushed to Guardian Veterinary Specialists f…
Lower Paxton, PA
News
Man Shot Dead, House Set Ablaze In Lower Paxton Murder-Suicide, Fundraiser Launched
A fundraiser has been launched for Gary Gibson, who was fatally shot by his girlfriend Alysse Saucedo in a murder-suicide that ended with their house set on fire in Lower Paxton Township. Officers and firefighters were called to 6524 Fairfax Drive around 10:20 a.m. on Sunday, March 30 for a house fire with possible entrapment, according to a release by the Lower Paxton Township Bureau of Police the following day. Inside the smoke-filled home, first responders found Saucedo, 33, unresponsive in a second-floor hallway. She was pulled from the home but never regained consciousness, authorities…
Pine Bush-Walker Valley, NY
News
Man Beat Racehorse To Death At Pine Bush Training Facility, DA Says
A Canadian man has been found guilty on all charges for the brutal killing of a racehorse at an Orange County training facility, prosecutors announced. Frederick Bourgault, 27, of Canada, was convicted in Orange County Court on Monday, April 7, in connection with the 2023 death of a horse named “Finish Line” at the Pine Bush Training Facility in the Town of Crawford, the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced. Prosecutors said Bourgault struck the horse with a hard object, causing a linear depressed skull fracture. The injury was so severe that the horse had to be eu…
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Obituaries
Attorney Heather Schlemm Of Little Ferry Dies After Valiant Cancer Battle, 36
The Little Ferry community is mourning the loss of Heather Schlemm, a 36-year-old attorney remembered for her strength, kindness, and love of life. Heather died Friday, March 28, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer, according to her obituary on the Vorhees-Ingwersen Funeral Home website. A graduate of law and an attorney with Peter N. Davis & Associates in Lodi, Heather "fought tirelessly for justice, using her sharp mind and compassionate heart to make the world a fairer place," her obituary reads. "Heather was not content to merely exist-she lived. She wandered the world…
Clifton, NJ
Obituaries
Services For 'Dunkin Queen' Daniela Ghafour Finalized
The family of a 31-year-old Passaic County woman fatally stabbed earlier this month is preparing to say their final goodbyes. Memorial visitation for Daniela M. Ghafour will be held Saturday, March 29 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Bizub-Quinlan Funeral Home on Van Houten Avenue in Clifton. Daniela, affectionately remembered by many as the “Dunkin’ Donuts Queen,” died on Sunday, March 16, her obituary on the funeral home site says. As previously reported by Daily Voice, Daniela was identified by loved ones as the victim of a stabbing in Passaic. She grew up in Clifton and worked at various Dunki…
Lexington Park, MD
Police & Fire
Dog Stabbed Seven Times During Argument In Lexington Park, Sheriff Says
A man is behind bars in St. Mary’s County after he allegedly stabbed a dog multiple times outside a home in Lexington Park — an attack that a witness said came moments after a verbal fight with another resident. Corey Allen Barbour McDowney, 48, was arrested on Wednesday, March 25, after deputies responded to a reported disturbance in the 21000 block of Exquisite Court, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office said. When deputies arrived, they found a bleeding dog on the front porch. McDowney claimed the dog had attacked him and that he stabbed it in self-defense — but deputies said they saw…
Farmingdale, NY
News
Bone Voyage: New Dog-Friendly Airline To Offer Flights At Long Island Airport
It'll soon be wheels – and paws – up for a new airline taking off from a Long Island airport. RetrievAir, a pet-centric airline built entirely around traveling with dogs, will begin service out of Republic Airport (FRG) in Farmingdale, the company said in a news release on Wednesday, Mar. 26. Flights will begin on Thursday, May 22. From the executive airport, RetrievAir will offer service to seven US cities with weekly departures. The cheapest flights go to West Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursdays for $749 one way. Other destinations from Farmingdale's airport include Chicago,…
Quincy, MA
Police & Fire
Quincy Man Jailed for Burning Caged Raccoon Alive in Shocking Act of Animal Cruelty: DA
A Quincy man will spend six months in jail and two years on probation after pleading guilty to a disturbing case of animal cruelty that left neighbors horrified and local veterinarians shaken. Andrew Chieu, 64, admitted in Norfolk Superior Court to placing a live, caged raccoon on top of a burning fire in a metal can in January 2024. A neighbor caught part of the act on video before stepping in and calling police, according to Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey. The raccoon suffered severe burns and was taken by Quincy Animal Control to local emergency animal hospitals, where ve…
Island Park, NY
Police & Fire
Fatal Fire: 'Devoted Husband,' Veteran ID'd As Victim In Raging Island Park Blaze
A man who was found dead inside a Long Island home consumed by flames was being remembered as a dedicated family man and proud veteran. George Urich, 83, was the sole victim in a raging fire that tore through his Island Park home on Sunset Avenue early Monday, March 17, Nassau County Police confirmed days later. The massive blaze had engulfed the home in flames by the time Fourth Precinct officers and firefighters arrived, as Daily Voice reported. Fire crews from Island Park and surrounding departments fought to contain the inferno. When the flames were finally extinguished, responders mad…
Next Page
Archive
