Police: Woman dies after getting stuck upside down while climbing US-Mexico border wall

Tucson, Ariz.

Police in Arizona said a Mexican woman died after illegally attempting to cross into the U.S. earlier this week.

Cochise County Sheriff Mark J. Dannels reports deputies responded to a call from Mexican authorities at about 11 p.m. on Monday concerning a woman stuck on a border fence near Douglas, Ariz.

According to the sheriff’s office, the woman was climbing over the border wall when she got stuck in the ropes of a harness and trapped upside down for a significant amount of time.

The 32-year-old was transported to a local hospital, but she was pronounced deceased. Authorities in Arizona said they notified the Mexican Consulate about the incident.

An autopsy will be completed to determine the woman’s cause of death and the sheriff’s office said its investigation continues.

“These incidents are not political; they are humanitarian realities that someone has lost a loved one in a senseless tragedy,” Sheriff Dannels said. “We have to do better in finding solutions to the challenges facing our border, and we have to do it for the right reasons. Regardless of opinions, the facts should direct our progress, and we will keep working towards a shared goal of border safety and security.”

Woman wins $10M lottery prize after being ‘pushed’ into buying scratch-off ticket

Los Angeles

A woman in Southern California is ‘accidentally’ $10 million richer thanks to some help pushing a button at a California Lottery Scratchers vending machine.

According to lottery officials, California resident LaQuedra Edwards was at a Los Angeles-area Vons grocery store in November 2021 when she put $40 into the Scratchers machine.

Edwards said when she was deciding which games to play, “some rude person” bumped into her. The impact then pushed her into choosing the wrong selection on the machine, a $30 200X Scratchers ticket.

“He just bumped into me, didn’t say a thing, and just walked out the door,” Edwards said.

Edwards told lottery officials that she wasn’t planning on playing that game and was initially irritated because the ticket took most of her lottery budget.

However, Edwards said she was not upset for long as she started scratching the $30 ticket once back in her car and discovered she’d just won the game’s top prize of $10 million.

“I didn’t really believe it at first, but I got on the freeway and kept looking down at [the ticket], and I almost crashed my car,” Edwards said. “I pulled over, looked at it again, scanned it with my [California Lottery mobile] app, and I kept thinking this can’t be right.”

According to lottery officials, Edwards plans to use the prize money to purchase a home and start a nonprofit organization.

“I’m still in shock. All I remember saying once I found out how much I just won was, ‘I’m rich!” Edwards said.

Lottery officials said the Vons store where Edwards bought the Scratcher received $50,000 for selling the winning ticket.

Higher risk of heart issues found after COVID compared to 2nd vaccine dose, CDC reports

Washington

Researchers continue to look into life after COVID when it comes to heart issues following infection and recovery.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report on the increased risk for cardiac complications after SARS-CoV-2 infection and mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.

The report focuses on the ongoing risks and adverse health outcomes after a patient has gotten COVID. Findings also touched on the potential risk of heart issues after receiving an mRNA vaccine for the virus from Pfizer and Moderna.

According to the report, cardiac complications, “particularly myocarditis and pericarditis,” have been tied to the coronavirus and mRNA COVID vaccination.

However, findings from 40 health care systems that participated in the report from January 2021 to January 2022 showed that the risk for cardiac complications was significantly higher after the SARS-CoV-2 infection than after an mRNA COVID vaccination.

The report also states that male patients 12-17 years old had the highest risk of developing cardiac conditions after vaccination and infection:

“The incidence of cardiac outcomes after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination was highest for males aged 12–17 years after the second vaccine dose. However, within this demographic group, the risk for cardiac outcomes was 1.8–5.6 times as high after SARS-CoV-2 infection than after the second vaccine dose.”

According to the report, studies from Israel and the United Kingdom have found a higher risk for myocarditis after SARS-CoV-2 infection than after an mRNA COVID-19 vaccination.

Therefore, the CDC noted that the findings support the continued use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines among all eligible persons.

‘Stealth omicron’ now dominant variant in US, CDC reports

Washington

The contagious omicron subvariant BA.2 or “stealth omicron” is currently the dominant version of COVID-19 in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC released its latest numbers on Tuesday and reports the subvariant accounts for nearly 55% of COVID infection samples that have undergone genetic sequencing.

BA.2 prevalence remains the highest in the Northeast, according to the CDC. And its infection rate has increased significantly since the start of this year -- going from about 1% in January to the current 54.9% reported on March 26.

White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said earlier this month that BA.2 could cause an uptick in cases, but he didn’t expect another surge in the U.S.

BA.2 has been dubbed “stealth” because it lacks a genetic quirk of the original omicron that allowed health officials to rapidly differentiate it from delta using a certain PCR test. So while the test can detect a BA.2 infection, it looks like a delta infection, as reported by the AP.

The subvariant has been found in more than 80 countries and all 50 U.S. states, but scientists in the United Kingdom found that vaccines provide the same level of protection from both types of omicron, according to the AP.

Search warrant leads to man’s arrest on child porn, weapons and animal cruelty charges

FREDERICK, Md.

Authorities in Maryland have a man under arrest after detectives made several disturbing discoveries during a five-month investigation.

Jason Havelt, 42, is facing a total of 16 charges that include child porn, weapons and animal cruelty from an investigation dating back to November 2021, according to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives said they received animal abuse and cruelty tips with Havelt as the suspect in late 2021. A USB drive provided to the FCSO and Frederick County Animal Control showed photos of Havelt performing sexual acts on his dogs.

Forensic examinations also showed more images and videos of animal abuse on three cell phones belonging to Havelt, according to detectives.

Additionally, the sheriff’s office said detectives found videos of child pornography, including acts with animals on Havelt’s electronic devices through their continued research. Images of Havelt in his home with multiple weapons were also found that included rifles, shotguns and handguns.

Havelt is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning firearms, according to the FCSO.

On March 17, deputies said they successfully executed a search warrant at a home in Ijamsville, Maryland, and detained Havelt without incident.

The sheriff’s office said Havelt is facing the following charges:

• Child porn with the intent to promote/distribute

• Possession of child pornography

• Firearm possession with a felony conviction

• Illegal possession of ammunition

• Illegal possession of a regulated firearm

• Two counts of rifle/shotgun in possession with a felony conviction

• Two counts of possessing a rifle/shotgun being convicted of a disqualifying crime

• Seven counts of aggravated cruelty to an animal

Havelt was booked into the Frederick County Adult Detention Center.