 Carlo Allegri / REUTERS A girl looks at a makeshift memorial left outside the Krim family apartment in New York on Oct. 28. By Jonathan Dienst, NBCNewYork.com NEW YORK -- Police say they've charged an Upper West Side nanny with murder in the stabbing deaths of two young children under her care last month. Yoselyn Ortega, 50, was arrested and charged with two counts each of murder in the first and second degrees in the stabbing deaths of two children in her care, Lucia Krim, age 6, and her 1-year-old brother, Leo, on Oct. 25. Also at NBCNewYork.com: Murder down, burglaries up in NYC after Sandy Leo's second birthday would have been Oct. 30. Ortega was recuperating from knife wounds to her neck at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where she had been under police guard since the alleged stabbing deaths. She agreed to speak with NYPD detectives Saturday afternoon from her bedside, and was formerly arrested and charged after 6 p.m. A third sibling was with their mother when the killings happened. The mother returned home to discover her children dead and Ortega bleeding. Ortega remains hospitalized under police guard. She worked for the Krim family for two years. Jonathan Dienst is WNBC's chief investigative correspondent. This article includes reporting from The Associated Press. The New York nanny who police say fatally stabbed two children in her care was reportedly enduring financial problems and seeking professional help. NBC's Mara Schiavocampo reports.  |
11/03/2012
NYC nanny charged in children's stabbing deaths
Red Cross: Sandy concert raises nearly $23 million
| Artists and celebrities such as Bruce Springsteen, many of whom come from the areas devastated by the storm, came together Friday for a heartfelt benefit concert. "Saying, 'Hey man, we need help there,' is not an easy thing to do," said New Jersey native Jon Stewart. TODAY's Sara Haines reports. By NBC News staff and wire services A live televised concert to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy brought in nearly $23 million, the American Red Cross and NBCUniversal said Saturday. The Red Cross said website and phone traffic exceeded that of telethons support the charity over the previous five years. "We are incredibly grateful and humbled by this outpouring of support for those who are suffering as a result of Superstorm Sandy," American Red Cross Chief Marketing Officer Peggy Dyer said in a statement. The one-hour, commercial-free telecast organized by NBCUniversal, "Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together," included appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jimmy Fallon, Steven Tyler, Mary J. Blige, Tina Fey, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Danny DeVito and NBC News' Brian Williams. TODAY show co-anchor Matt Lauer was host. "We haven't seen a storm like this in 100 years," said Lauer. The show also featured Bon Jovi surveying the devastation in New Jersey. He then performed an unplugged version of "Living on a Prayer." Images of the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy were also interspersed throughout the show, along with victims pleading for aid, reminding viewers just how immense the damage was. "New Jersey was hit really hard. Some beaches were destroyed. Boardwalks were torn apart. But they will be rebuilt," said late-night host Fallon. "This song is dedicated to all the good times ahead." He then joined Tyler, Joel and Springsteen for an upbeat cover of "Under the Boardwalk." The stars reminded those affected by the storm that people care.  NBC "My prayers go out to everyone who was affected by the hurricane," Mary J. Blige said. "Things are gonna get better, so please hang in there, be strong and have faith. And please, everybody watching tonight, give something, anything. Every penny counts." She performed "The Living Proof," a song she wrote about surviving difficult times and the brighter days ahead. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band closed the show on a message of hope with a rousing rendition of their tune "Land of Hope and Dreams." Money collected during the concert will be donated to the American Red Cross relief efforts. The Red Cross is providing shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those impacted by disasters such as Hurricane Sandy. To donate, visit RedCross.org, call 1-800-HELPNOW This article includes reporting by Reuters. Related content: |
Navy ship's command out after boozy Russia visit
| U.S. Navy, Cmdr. Joseph R. Darlak, right foreground, commanding officer of the guided missile frigate USS Vandegrift, is shown Sept. 20 taking a bite of a traditional offering of bread and salt after arriving in Vladivostok, Russia, for a port visit during operations in the Western Pacific. SAN DIEGO — Cmdr. Joseph E. Darlak and top officers of the San Diego-based Navy frigate USS Vandegrift have been relieved of duty after a rowdy, booze-fueled port visit to Vladivostok, Russia. Darlak, the Vandegrift's skipper, was removed Friday by Capt. John L. Schultz after an investigation "due to loss of confidence after demonstrating poor leadership and failure to ensure the proper conduct of his wardroom officers" during the three-day September stop, the Navy said in a statement. Executive officer Lt. Cmdr. Ivan A. Jimenez and the ship's chief engineer and operations officer were also relieved "for personal conduct involving use of alcohol and not adhering to established liberty policies," the statement said. The names of the two lower-ranked officers were not released because their positions are not considered public under Navy policy, and Navy officials did not give specifics on the misbehavior of any of the officers.
Watch US News videos on NBCNews.com In a post on the official Facebook page of the Navy's 7th Fleet, the commander celebrated the visit as it began on Sept. 20. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to visit Vladivostok and experience all the city has to offer," Darlak said in the post. "Our sailors are especially looking forward to making new friends." The officers were relieved during a port visit in Guam, and they'll be temporarily reassigned in San Diego pending more possible administrative actions, the Navy Times reported. Darlak's ouster comes just over three months after he assumed command of the Vandegrift. He previously served as executive officer of the destroyer Stethem. Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter Capt. H. Thomas Workman, a deputy commander from the ship's squadron, has taken over the Vandegrift until it returns to San Diego at the end of its seven-month deployment later this month, the statement said, and the Navy emphasizes that the ship remains fully ready for any mission. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
FBI to question Benghazi attack suspect
(CNN) -- The FBI is expected to question a suspect in the deadly attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, "in the coming days," according to a U.S. government official with direct knowledge of the investigation. The United States first became aware of Ali Ani al Harzi when he apparently posted details of the attack on social media while it was happening. At the request of the United States, Turkish officials detained al Harzi when he entered that country after leaving Libya. Turkey then transferred him to Tunisia, where he is being held. "We are very pleased the Tunisian government is working with American investigators to allow in person access to Ali Ani al Harzi. Under this arrangement the interviews will be under Tunisian supervision and consistent with their sovereignty and meets the needs of our investigative team," U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss said in a statement Saturday. "Allowing American investigators in person access will make the interview more meaningful and is a welcome breakthrough in our efforts to find the perpetrators of the Benghazi Consulate attacks," they added. U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were killed during the September 11 assault. According to the government official, al Harzi is not the only suspect federal agents are looking at. "We're continuing to look at any and all leads," the official said, declining to say how many others are under investigation.  |
NJ voters hit by Sandy get to vote by email
| It's going to be a long road ahead for millions of families in New York and New Jersey. Morning Joe takes a look back at the week that was Hurricance Sandy. By NBC News staff New Jersey election officials said Saturday that registered voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy will be able to vote by email -- an electronic process used by state residents who are overseas and service members, but a first for voters living in the state, NBCNewYork.com reported. The directive is intended to help first responders kept away from home and their local polling place as well as those displaced by the storm. More post-storm coverage at NBCNewYork.com Election officials said they will also accept paper ballots through Monday, Nov. 19, as long as they're postmarked by Nov. 6, NBCNewYork.com reported. "To help alleviate pressure on polling places, we encourage voters to either use electronic voting or the extended hours at county offices to cast their vote," said Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. Gov. Christie said Friday that his administration is making sure residents can vote, even if their polling station is without power or no longer exists. The state is also allowing residents to drop by their county clerk's office to vote, and created a special text number for voters to see if their polling place is still open. NBCNewYork.com described the email voting system:
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'Free gas' offer in NY causes rush; public then told to wait
| Lines are long and open gas stations are few and far between in New York and New Jersey, as drivers wait to fill up their tanks. NBC's Katy Tur reports. By Miguel Llanos, NBC News New Jersey began rationing gasoline on Saturday, while New York had to back off its promise of free gasoline, courtesy of the Department of Defense, and told the public to stay away until first responders could fuel up. "Fuel is on the way," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference Saturday. Five mobile fuel stations operated by the military brought gasoline to New York City and Long Island, albeit with a 10 gallon limit. "The good news," Cuomo said of the promised 12 million gallons, "is it's going to be free." At least 1,000 drivers queued up at one site -- the Freeport Armory in Long Island -- only to be told the gasoline would not arrive for at least eight hours more, one driver said. "There's just so many people getting very frustrated. People don't know what to do,'' said Lauren Popkoff, a teacher who had been in line for four hours. The mobile station that opened in Queens was also swamped, NBCNewYork.com reported, with a line of cars stretching 20 blocks. But the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs later issued an advisory asking the public to stay away from the mobile stations until more fuel is released. Cuomo added that the reopening of New York Harbor has provided 8 million gallons of fuel and another 28 million will be delivered over the next two days. Tempers flared as people camped out all night, waiting for their turn at the pump in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. NBC's Tom Costello reports. Less than half of the stations in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey were operating on Friday due to power outages or lack of fuel. Lines of cars and people on foot carrying bright red cans have been waiting for hours for precious fuel. Others have given up after finding only closed stations or dry pumps marked with yellow tape or "No Gas" signs. In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie on Friday ordered gas rationing in 12 counties to begin on Saturday under an "odd-even" system in which motorists with license plates ending in odd numbers would be able to buy gas on odd-numbered days. Christie said Saturday that he hoped the restrictions would only last "a few days." Reuters contributed to this report.  / Superstorm Sandy made landfall Monday evening on a destructive and deadly path across the Northeast. More content from NBCNews.com:
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Frigid cold in NY, NJ; snow next with nor'easter?
 Andrew Burton / Getty Images The lights of New York's Lower East Side and East Village neighborhoods are seen next to the Williamsburg Bridge Friday night from the Brooklyn borough of New York City. By NBC News staff and wire reports Power was restored to lower Manhattan and some other areas overnight and Saturday, but it was still lights out for 2.5 million homes and businesses as temperatures were dipping into the 20s in communities like hard-hit Rockaway and the entire region braced itself for a potential nor'easter next week that could even bring snow. Overnight lows will be around 28 degrees F in Rockaway, 38 in New York City and 33 on parts of Long Island, NBCNewYork.com reported. Even in areas with temps above 30, 15-20 mph winds will make it feel like it's in the 20s. Temperatures Sunday and Monday were expected to be even colder before rising again on Tuesday. Chances for a slow-moving nor'easter, meanwhile, are "increasing," the National Weather Service's prediction center said in a Saturday morning update. "If the storm tracks close enough to the coast," it added," it appears the airmass may be sufficiently cold for snow to fall, even in the lower elevations." Expected to be felt in the Northeast on Wednesday and Thursday, the storm would not be anywhere as destructive as Superstorm Sandy, but could cause some new erosion and hinder recovery efforts. "The general impacts will include another round of brisk winds, rainfall and chilly temperatures for the recovery areas along the coast," weather.com winter weather expert Tom Niziol posted in a Saturday update. View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com. He expected 1-2 inches of rain in coastal areas and 25-30 mph gusts on Wednesday, adding that the forecast could change. "We do not expect the impacts to 'break anything that is not already broken'," he added. "However the combination of weather impacts will add insult to injury for the recovery process along the East Coast." The U.S. death toll reached 109 on Friday, after Sandy killed 69 people as a hurricane in the Caribbean. It struck the New Jersey coast on Monday as a rare hybrid after the hurricane merged with a powerful storm system in the north Atlantic. Consolidated Edison, a utility battling what it called the worst natural disaster in its history, restored electricity to New York City neighborhoods such as Wall Street, Chinatown and Greenwich Village in the pre-dawn hours. The Home Depot has sent 5,000 truckloads of supplies into the East Coast since last Tuesday. Getting essentials to stores in ravaged communities takes a team of people working in what they call a "War Room." NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports. But some 11,000 customers in Manhattan were still without power. "There's enough light and activity to get a lot of people on the street and get rid of that movie-set look as if we're in some kind of ghost town or horror movie," Con Ed spokesman Bob McGee told NY1 television. In New Jersey, the utility PSE&G said 612,000 customers were still without lights after power to 1 million had been restored. Con Ed said it had restored power to 70 percent of the 916,000 customers in the New York City area who were cut off. The company was still busy assisting tens of thousands more without power in New York City's outer boroughs, where some people complained of being ignored. With collapsed roads and destroyed homes along the New York area shore, the changes have altered the coastline and accelerated beach erosion. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports. Read more Sandy coverage on NBCNews.com "We have nobody down here with video coverage," said Grace Lane, a grandmother who defied evacuation orders and rode out the storm in her second-story bedroom as water rushed through the first floor of her house in Broad Channel, a community in Queens. Eight people -- Lane, her husband, their two daughters, their husbands and her two grandchildren -- were sleeping on air mattresses on the floor of the upstairs bedroom, the last usable room in the house. "At least my children are OK," she said. In a city devastated by Sandy, holding a race through five battered boroughs just seemed like the wrong idea, according to officials. "I think there's a thin line between demonstrating resilience and being insensitive," one runner said. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports. Many houses were gutted by 5 feet of floodwater that raced through Broad Channel, where residents hauled broken furniture and soggy belongings out of their homes on Friday. In a sign of security worries in the neighborhood, one garage full of debris stood open with a sign next to it reading: "LOOTERS WILL BE CRUCIFIED - GOD HELP YOU." Moving to ease fuel shortages, the Obama administration directed the purchase of up to 12 million gallons of unleaded fuel and 10 million gallons of diesel, to be trucked to New York and New Jersey for distribution. With hundreds displaced by the storm, crucial necessities are being supplied to those hit hardest by Sandy by FEMA, the Red Cross and the National Guard. NBC's Michelle Franzen reports. The government announced it would tap strategic reserves for diesel for emergency responders and waived rules that barred foreign-flagged ships from taking gas, diesel and other products from the Gulf of Mexico to Northeast ports. The moves could help to quell anger triggered by growing lines -- some of them miles long -- at gas stations. Less than half of the stations in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey were operating on Friday. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie ordered gas rationing in 12 counties to begin on Saturday under an "odd-even" system in which motorists with license plates ending in odd numbers would be able to buy gas on odd-numbered days. Experts say flooding in the Big Apple can be prevented in the future by building seawalls, levees or gigantic surge barriers. NBC's Richard Engel reports. Disaster modeling company Eqecat estimated Sandy caused up to $20 billion in insured losses and $50 billion in economic losses. At the high end of the range, it would rank as the fourth costliest U.S. catastrophe, behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the September 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Andrew in 1992, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Superstorm Sandy made landfall Monday evening on a destructive and deadly path across the Northeast. More content from NBCNews.com:
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