News You Should Know

6 Things to Know: Suspect Sought in Elderly Woman Attack, Parkland Dads Speak After Latest Mass Shooting

It’s Wednesday, March 24th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

It’s Wednesday, March 24th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.

No. 1 - Miami Beach detectives are looking for a man involved in a sexual attack on an elderly woman Saturday.

The attack took place in her residential building near 38th Street and Collins Avenue. According to an incident report, the woman was taking the Miami-Dade transit bus J to her home, when the bus stopped for a 10-minute break. The victim then decided to get off the bus and walk the rest of the way home, but did not notice anyone following her. A neighboring witness said she heard a scream in the hallway like someone was having a medical emergency. When she saw what was happening, she confronted the suspect and he fled the scene using the stairs. Anyone with information is urged to contact Miami Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

No. 2 - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis anticipates every Florida adult having access to the COVID-19 vaccine before May 1.

DeSantis made the statement during a Tuesday morning news conference, one day after the state lowered the age eligibility to 50 and older. The Governor said Florida is ahead of schedule when it comes to vaccinating current residents, saying 40 states rank higher in COVID deaths among the elderly. DeSantis said Florida was able to receive 42,000 of the Johnson & Johnson one dose vaccines this week for distribution after initially saying the state would not receive any additional doses.

No. 3 - A confrontation about masks turned into a racially charged encounter on a public bus. 

Lai, who preferred to only use her first name, was riding a Miami-Dade County bus on March 9, when she politely told a man and a woman to put on their masks. She says she told the bus driver to ask them to comply, but that’s when the man and the woman refused to comply. Then the man started spewing out racial slurs at her. To see the disturbing video from the incident, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Amanda Plasencia.

No. 4 - Many of the Parkland victims’ families have become activists for school safety, gun control, or both issues. 

Manuel Oliver favors sweeping gun reform measures, Tony Montalto takes a middle-ground approach, and Ryan Petty thinks most gun control ideas infringe on Second Amendment rights while accomplishing nothing.  All three fathers lost children in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre, and they are united in their horror about what happened in Boulder. Every time a mass shooting happens, the Parkland victims’ families are transported back to 2018. To hear their reaction to the latest mass shooting, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Ari Odzer.

No. 5 - Miami-Dade County has worked out a deal to rename the AmericanAirlines Arena.

Under the 19-year, $135 million-dollar deal, the home to the Miami Heat will be renamed FTX Arena, after a cryptocurrency exchange. County commissioners are expected to vote on the deal Friday. The arena, which opened on New Year's Eve 1999, has always been named after the airline giant and has hosted games in five of the Heat's six NBA Finals appearances. American Airlines announced in 2019 it would not renew naming rights to the arena, but the name has remained past the expiration of the last contract while another sponsor was found.

No. 6 - Weatherwise, South Florida will go from beautiful temperatures to start the work week to feeling the heat Wednesday and staying warm through the weekend. Keep your NBC 6 app handy for push alerts on any severe weather as well as First Alert Doppler 6000.

Contact Us