It’s Wednesday, June 15th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - Authorities are still searching for the body of a missing Pompano Beach woman who they believe was murdered by her husband, and said the evidence left behind in the couple's home "paints a very gruesome picture" of her last moments.
Broward Sheriff's Office detectives held a news conference Tuesday morning to ask the public's help in finding the body of 53-year-old Irene Lanning Xeniti, two days after they announced the arrest of her husband, 54-year-old Ian Lanning, on a first-degree murder charge in her death. Investigators said they found evidence in the couple's Pompano Beach townhome that suggested Xeniti had been murdered in the home and that her body had been disposed of in an unknown location.
No. 2 - A Miami man is facing charges in connection with a car theft over the weekend and he may be responsible for at least one other high-tech vehicle theft.
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Jonathan Rios, 23, was arrested Sunday on a third-degree grand theft of a vehicle charge, according to an arrest report. The report said the owner of a Ford Expedition was in his home when he saw his car lights come on, and by the time he got outside the vehicle had been stolen. The owner was able to track the vehicle using a tracking device, and police tracked down Rios who was with the vehicle, the report said. Rios claimed he had been given the keys to the Expedition, the report said. But a Miami-Dade man who had his Cadillac Escalade stolen from his driveway last month told NBC 6 that detectives told him Rios is the same person who stole his SUV.
No. 3 - Free COVID-19 testing for those without insurance could end in Miami-Dade County within a matter of weeks.
The free testing could end around the end of the month as the federal reimbursement program funding dries up. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava explained the situation in a memo to commissioners. "The County would begin incurring unbudgeted expenditures for these services - adversely affecting our ability to provide other essential government services to our community," the memo read. Sites are still expected to remain open seven days a week with free vaccines still available, according to the mayor.
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No. 4 - A new Florida law prohibiting abortion after 15 weeks with some exceptions violates religious freedom rights of Jews in addition to the state constitution's privacy protections, a synagogue claims in a lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed by the Congregation L'Dor Va-Dor of Boynton Beach contends the law that takes effect July 1 violates Jewish teachings, which state abortion “is required if necessary to protect the health, mental or physical well-being of the woman” and for other reasons. “As such, the act prohibits Jewish women from practicing their faith free of government intrusion and this violates their privacy rights and religious freedom,” says the lawsuit, filed Friday in Leon County Circuit Court. The lawsuit adds that people who “do not share the religious views reflected in the act will suffer" and that it “threatens the Jewish people by imposing the laws of other religions upon Jews.”
No. 5 - While cruising used to be as simple as packing a swimsuit and setting sail, new COVID-19 protocols have complicated many travelers' perfect summer vacation.
In the wake of the pandemic, many cruise lines have developed their own individualized requirements for passengers to fulfill before stepping on board. While the differing protocols can quickly become confusing for those looking to pick a sailing best fit for them, click here for a breakdown that allows travelers to get all the information they need without all the hassle.
No. 6 - When you walk down the strip in Wilton Manors, you’ve probably noticed the massive thrift store with a colorful butterfly mural on one of its walls.
What’s inside is much more than just a store selling pre-owned goods. Wilton Collective is a non-profit youth work program giving teens in the LGBTQ+ community their first jobs. Its founder, Julian Cavazos, says it’s meant to be a safe space teens that are ready to enter the workforce but don’t feel safe or comfortable elsewhere because of their identity. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6’s Victor Jorges.
