Talking with Ted

Here's a really cool twist to that devastating earthquake in Haiti.  Had that quake not happened, 12 year old Davidon Jean would probably have died.  He was in the hospital there, waiting for surgery for a life threatening heart condition he's had since  birth.  Just as time was running out, the quake hit.  Miraculously, he was airlifted to South Florida with in hours of the quake.  He went to Joe Dimaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood.  There, he captured the hearts of everyone.

He had the surgery and survived.  I'm simplifiying here, but doctors say he had a "hole in his heart" since he was a child.  That makes it difficult to get  blood to his lungs, therefore making it hard for him to breath. Now, he should do fine.  He's a great kid.  He loves soccer and can't wait to play again.  His doctor said he should be able to in the next few months.  He really misses his family.  What really stood out when I visited him is that he drew a picture of himself, his mom, dad, brother and sister and kept it on his nightstand the whole time.  Also, when ever anyone gave him a toy, he would set some of them aside for his brother and sister.

And you know, many times we think of the health care system as so cold and callus.  This will change your mind, at least about the health care providers.  Davidson completely stole their hearts at Joe Dimaggio.  In fact, all his doctors and nurses are pooling their money to make sure his tutiion, along with his brother's and sister's, is taken care of.  Some of them even have been coming in on their days off to keep him company.

It does my heart good to do a story like this one, especially after spending so much time in Haiti around all that misery.  If you want to check out the story...click here http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46 it should be posted about 6pm.

So how do you like this one?  Someone is targeting ducks in a Davie lake with blow darts!  They're in Wolf Lake Park off SW 76 Ave and Griffin Road.  A woman who goes out there every day to feed the ducks (NOTE:  you're not supposed to feed the ducks!!!) noticed it Tuesday and was stunned. 

While we were out there, we saw at least three ducks with these very sharp blow darts in them.  One had darts in the chest and rear, another in the neck and another in the lower stomach.  You have to wonder why someone would do this and what it says about them. 

This isn't the first time Moscovy Ducks have been targeted.  I've covered several stories where ducks were run over, speared from a bow and arrow and shot.  LEAVE THE DARN DUCKS ALONE!

The SPCA Wildlife Care Center has been out there for two days trying to catch them for treatment.  So far, no luck.  As you can imagine, the ducks are skiddish around people, being they were speared with blow darts and all.

Check out the story -- it's sad to see them swimming around with blow darts in their bodies: http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46

(((((should be posted around 6:30pm)))

Here's some innovative police work.  Most of us have heard of the tragic Thanksgiving Family Massacre in Jupiter.  Dead are twin sisters, a 6 year old girl and an elderly woman.  All of them were related to Paul Merhige from Miami.  Police say there was bad blood in the family and suspect he opened fire after Thanksgiving dinner at a relative's home in Jupiter.

He is still on the run right now.  Police just released "OLD" video of Merhige from high school.  He looks completely different.  In high school, he was a fit football player, now he's overweight and certainly doesn't look like a star athlete. Police don't want you to concentrate on his looks, they want to listen to his VOICE.  They're betting that he's disguised himself for his life on the run, so even if you don't recognize what you see, perhaps you'll tune in to what you hear.  I haven't really heard of police using this method before -- it's innovative.  Hopefully it works.

Listen to Paul Merhige:  http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46

Well Merry Christmas from Sunview Park near Fort Lauderdale.  This story has parents scared and furious.  A 9 year old boy told police he was was raped at gunpoint while walking through Sunview Park on Davie Blvd just west of US 441.  According to the boy, he and his 7 year old sister were walking when the gunman grabbed the boy, pulled him into a port-o-let and raped him.  The 7 year old sister was told to wait outside for the attack to finish.  The child told his parents, was taken to the hospital and then the rape treatment center. 

There have been instances in the past where children have made up stories of being sexually assaulted.  I asked investigators if that could be possible in this case and they said no.  It was confirmed at the rape treatment center.

Bottom line, an armed child rapist is running around right now.  One mother put it best, "I think he needs his ass kicked...He's a sick puppy."

Here's the story:  http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46

This is one of those stories that you just have to see.  A well known man in Northwest Fort Lauderdale was rundown by a car and it was all captured on surveillance video.  But then, we see what adrenaline can do...a cop and a few guys in the neighborhood lifted up with car with their bare hands to free the victim.

Here's the background.  The victim and the suspect have a history.  Police say the suspect would park his car on the property the victim owned and the victim kept telling him to move it.  That is the basic info...it all started over something so simple.  Also, in the video, after the victim was rundown, we see the suspect jump out of the car swinging, until people nearby took him down.

Check it out for yourself http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46

You may remember last month that fiery crash that closed down I-95 in Hollywood last month.  Witnesses said an SUV driven by Jacob Payne was speeding on 95 southbound, hit several cars, before plowing into another SUV with Ainsworth and Keisha Pryce inside.  The Pryce's SUV burst into flames.  Keisha, the mother of two, was killed.  Ainsworth has extensive burns and lost a leg.

Today I spoke to Autum Lutz.  She is the former girlfriend of Payne.  She said Payne was with a friend all day and then picked her up.  They were heading back to their apartment in Hallandale beach when it happened.  Lutz told me she remembers very little about that day and has a lot of memory loss for the following two weeks.  What she does remember....She told me Lutz was "being mean" to her, so she got into the back seat when he picked her up and went to sleep.  She said the next thing she remembers is hearing the front seat passenger yelling, "Slow down! Slow down!"

When I asked her if Payne had been drinking or taking drugs that day, she said she did not know, because she was not with him most of the day.  Right now, investigators are waiting for toxicology results.  So far no charges  have been filed. 

By the way, to see Ainsworth Pryce's story, check out http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46 the story should be posted around 6pm.  I spoke to him today and followed him through some rehab.  Poor guy.  He lost a leg and his wife.  He describes his wife as his best friend and says that pain is far greater than any physical pain.

He also tells me his reason for pressing forward - they have two young children. 

33.4 million people world wide live with HIV, that includes more than 2 million children under 15.  In 2008, 2.7 million people were nearly infected and 2 million people died, that includes 280,000 children.  (Thanks Terry DeCarlo from Broward House for the stats!) 

According to the CDC the leading cause of death, I said, "THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH" for black WOMEN (including African American women) aged 25-34 is HIV/AIDS.  If you've been living under a rock and still believe this is just "a gay disease" I hope these statistics have opened your eyes.   This could affect any of us, especially here in Broward and Miami-Dade where we are always in the top 5 nationwide from the number of HIV infections.

These are some of the sobering, sad, alarming statistics.  Now the encouraging news...more people are living happy, healthy lives thanks to medical advances. 

I met a woman named Yolonda today.  (see video story:  http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46) When she was 15, she dated an older man and became infected with HIV.  At 17, she found out when she took a physical to get into the Air Force. She said she was ignorant at the time and knew very little about HIV.  20 years later, Yolonda is a healthy mother of two who works with Broward House to help educate others, as well as connect them with services so they too can lead a healthy, full life.

Maybe on a day like today we can do more to learn about HIV/AIDS and how we can protect ourselves.  Today's also a good time to help educate others and destroy the stigma that still surrounds HIV/AIDS.  Think of how demoralizing it would be for someone who is fighting the good fight every day, only to face discrimination and ignorance, sometimes in their own families.

I admire those who fight the fight and those who are there to hold the hand of someone who is scared and needs support.   If all of us could just extend our hand to someone, that's a good place to start.

Learn more:  http://browardchd.org/services/AIDS/mainaids.htm

http://www.dadehealth.org/hiv/HIVservices.asp

It was last year around this time when Amanda Collette was gunned down in the hallway at Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale.  Today, the girl charged with second degree murder, Teah Wimberly, was in court as jury selection began.

I spoke to her attorney, Larry Davis, who said Wimberly admits shooting Collette, but he said she was insane at the time.  Wimberly had romantic feels for Collette, but it was one sided.  He told me Wimberly has numerous mental health issues.  To name a few, he said she was physically and sexually abused as a child, was abandonded by her parents and was trying to deal with the fact that she was gay.  Davis also said she would cut herself, that she slashed her arms 90 times the night before the shooting.

Davis is trying to get Wimberly's statement to police thrown out.  In that statement, the detective asks her, "What made you bring the gun today?"  Wimberly said, "I wanted her to feel what she made me feel, the pain, it's like I've been so depressed.  And it's like, I don't know, I think I need help."

While talking to police, Wimberly said she was upset that Collette "broke up with her."  But in her statement, she said the two were never romantic.  It was as though in her mind, they were dating, but Collette never knew.

What also stands out in my mind, it was so difficult to see Collette's mother sitting in court listening to all of this, with a rosary hanging around her neck.  I was just feet away from her.  It was hard for her to look at Wimberly and several times, she wiped tears from her eyes as she listened to Wimberly explain to police, in that taped statement, what happened and what was going through her head.

Collette was a popular, well liked girl who's passion was dancing. 

It will be very interesting to watch as this trial begins.  In most cases, insanity defenses are very difficult to prove, but one insider told me just wait until you hear what comes out in court.  All very sad....

Jury selection is expected to be complete Tuesday afternoon and opening statements could begin then.  We'll stay on top of it.

Video Story:  http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46

What a tragic death, when three Coral Springs teens, ages 15 and 16 died after their car plunged into a canal.  Investigators say the three had been at a party, it was homecoming weekend.  According to investigators, they got into a minor fender-bender, then for some reason, the driver threw it in reverse, ran over a sign, drove up onto a guard rail and flipped into a canal.  One boy survived, three were trapped inside.

Here's what warms my heart...Students are Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have really shown their true colors are compassion and responsibility.  Their goal is to help pay for the burial of the boys who died.  We know of at least one parent who needs help.  As tragic as this all is, the reaction and action by fellow students is refreshing.  They are holding daily car washes to raise money, they're selling t-shirts and those small plastic bracelets.  They are proving that by working together you can make a difference. 

I can not comprehend the pain a parent would feel losing a child, but it has to at least help, knowing that classmates, friends and strangers care enough to do what they can to help.  So many times we hear abou how irresponsible and "bone-headed" teens can be, I'd like to send out a hearty 'THANK YOU" to the kids at Marjory Stoneman Douglas for making me and many other stand back and admire your wonderful spirit.  Here's hoping more can learn from you.

fundraising info:  http://cbs4.com/local/coral.springs.sean.2.1318399.html

the story: (after about 6:30pm) http://cbs4.com/video/?cid=46

This is crazy!!  Can you believe we have another case of a teen attacking a teen, this time, the victim and suspect were brothers.

Here are the basics.  15 year old William Gorzynski is accused of fatally stabbing his 14 year old brother Matthew.  Investigators say the two were arguing over the volume of the computer speakers. 

What's going on?  In court it was so sad to watch the father and older brother.  The two sat there, at times they had stunned looks on their faces, other times they were on the verge of tears and other times they just had blank stares.  I can't even imagine what they're feeling.  That father is dealing with the murder of one son allegedly at the hands of another.

The attorney tells us this is very out of character for William.  William is a student at Taravella High School in Coral Springs, he's never been in trouble and is described as the stable one in the family.  He's the guy everyone went to for problem solving.  We're told he wanted to be a chef, and cooked and cleaned at home.  It was just he, his two brothers and his father at home.  His mother lives out of town.  

His attorney also told us that William and Matthew would fight like normal brothers, throw a few punches, but nothing too violent. "This is so much more emtional and difficult," said attorney Glenn Roderman.  "You're dealing with two brothers, one of which killed the other brother, who've lived together their whole lives and were best friends."

Thoughts anyone?