Man suspected of kidnapping mom, 80, arrested in California

The Associated Press

August 16, 2019 - 7:57 am

BELLFLOWER, Calif. — Authorities say a man suspected of kidnapping his 80-year-old mother from a nursing home in Reno, Nevada has been arrested after a standoff in a Los Angeles suburb.

The LA County Sheriff’s Department says Roger Hillygus was taken into custody around 2 a.m. Friday at an apartment complex in Bellflower. Officials say his mother, Sue Hillygus, who has dementia, was not hurt.

Reno police say the woman was taken from the home Aug. 9 by her son, although he isn’t her guardian. On Thursday night, deputies went to the Bellflower apartment and a barricade situation ensued.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reports another man was arrested this week on suspicion of helping kidnap the woman. He’s identified as Stewart Handte, a former sheriff of Mineral County, Nevada.

It’s unclear if either man has a lawyer.

In this file photo dated Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, security personnel clear the way for a convoy o ...

New COVID-19 origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market

By Dake Kang and Maria Cheng Associated Press

March 19, 2023 - 10:58 am

Genetic material collected at a Chinese market near where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified show raccoon dog DNA comingled with the virus, international experts say.

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Earthquake damages Ecuador, Peru

By Gonzalo Solano and Regina Garcia Cano Associated Press

March 19, 2023 - 9:55 am

The earthquake with about 6.8 magnitude on Saturday, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey, killed at least 15 people and brought down homes and buildings in vastly different communities, from coastal areas to the highlands.

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Magnitude 5.4 earthquake strikes off southcentral Alaska

Associated Press

March 19, 2023 - 9:29 am

The earthquake occurred just after 7 a.m Sunday.

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Mormon church gives water to boost shrinking Great Salt Lake

By Sam Metz The Associated Press

March 18, 2023 - 9:23 am

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is donating roughly the size of a small reservoir of water to help Utah’s Great Salt Lake maintain elevation.

Southern California cliff collapses, dozens evacuated — PHOTOS

The Associated Press

March 17, 2023 - 5:25 pm

Authorities say about two dozen people forced to flee Southern California apartment buildings that are teetering on the edge of a landslide may be evacuated indefinitely.

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International court issues war crimes warrant for Putin

By Mike Corder and Raf Casert The Associated Press

March 17, 2023 - 10:00 am

The International Criminal Court said on Friday it issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.

This photo shows a flooded Pajaro River area in Pajaro, Calif. on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Cal ...

Seeking strawberries: California floods may limit summer supply

By Amy Taxin The Associated Press

March 17, 2023 - 5:00 am

Another potential casualty of the rainstorms that drenched California: hundreds of acres of fresh strawberries slated for America’s supermarket shelves this summer.

Sticky situation: Train hauling corn syrup derails near Nevada, Arizona border

The Associated Press

March 16, 2023 - 4:13 pm

The cause of the derailment of approximately eight cars is under investigation, railway spokesperson Lena Kent said.

Sunlight peeks into the narrows of Buckskin Gulch in Kane County, Utah, in 2016. (Lennie Mahler ...

Florida hiker, 1 other found dead in southern Utah flooding

By Sam Metz The Associated Press

March 16, 2023 - 5:00 am

Two men were found dead after floodwaters poured into a slot canyon in southern Utah, endangering three groups of hikers who had to be hoisted out via helicopter.