It’s Thursday, June 9th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - A Miami-Dade Police officer is facing stalking and other charges after officials said he used Apple Airtags to track his ex-girlfriend.
Javier Magarin, 27, was arrested June 2 on one count of stalking and two counts of installing tracking devices, according to an arrest report. The arrest report said Magarin's girlfriend ended their relationship on March 20 "at the conclusion of a heated argument and repeated irreconcilable differences" and Magarin moved out of the residence they shared that same day. But starting that day and for the next month, he repeatedly stalked her using Apple Airtag tracking devices without her consent, the report said. Magarin also repeatedly called her, sent her text messages, and contacted her through social media and email, the report said.
No. 2 - A customer got a "Whopper" of a response at a Hallandale Beach fast-food restaurant drive-thru when he said he asked an employee about a missing drink.
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The confrontation, which was caught on video, happened early Tuesday around 12:30 a.m. between customers and an employee at a Burger King on Hallandale Beach Boulevard. In the video, the employee is seen hurling drinks at Melody Gomez and her boyfriend Elier after arguing over missing items from their order. The video, which was posted on social media, shows that even before Melody and Elier get their order, the employee has an earlier confrontation with another customer. Hallandale Beach Police confirmed that they responded to the Burger King, but there's no active investigation and currently, no charges are being pursued.
No. 3 - It’s the prison in Downtown Miami rising from the concrete below and surrounded by beaming luxury condos.
The Federal Detention Center, known as “FDC Miami,” houses 1,300 inmates, including high-profile ones like Alex Saab, who the feds say is a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Staff at FDC Miami told NBC 6 Investigators exclusively that drones have been used more than once in an effort to get around the security at the concrete prison. Eric Spears is a correctional officer at FDC Miami and the officers’ union president. Spears shared an email he says he sent in April, telling management at the facility he received multiple reports of “inmates or cohorts” using drones to “drop off narcotics and, or other illegal contraband (i.e. weapons, cellphones, etc).” Click here for the response in a report from NBC 6 investigator Willard Shepard you’ll see Only on 6.
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No. 4 - After Cutler Bay residents dealt with heavily flooded streets from downpours, town leaders are looking for ways to prevent those issues throughout the rest of the hurricane season.
One resident told NBC 6 on Wednesday that the streets are improving days after they were encouraged to stay home to avoid driving through flood streets in the community of Saga Bay, located near 87th Avenue and Old Cutler Road. Residents say they are very concerned about the flood plan moving forward since they have never experienced heavy flooding in the town. Cutler Bay manager Ralphs Casals says they have committed more than $11 million toward stormwater improvement projects. Casals says they are also offering courtesy flood inspections in this area. He told NBC 6 the stormwater improvement project should be completed in about two years.
No. 5 - When his old refrigerator stopped working, Edward Branch says he thought a Whirlpool fridge would be a good buy.
“That’s what the repairman who came to look at my other refrigerator mentioned,” Edward said. “He said they’re having very few problems with repair work for Whirlpool side-by-side refrigerators.” So in June 2021, Edward paid over $1,800 for the fridge and a three-year extended warranty. But three months later, he said, it stopped cooling and freezing overnight. He said he called Whirlpool and about a week later, someone went to his house to try to fix it but couldn’t. Service records he shared with NBC 6 show an appliance repair company replaced various components of the fridge and sent technicians to Edward's home several times. But Edward said the refrigerator still did not work. Click here for a report from NBC 6 consumer investigator Alina Machado.
No. 6 - Broward County public school students are celebrating Thursday as the final day of the 2021-22 school year takes place.
Meanwhile, the 2021-2022 school year for Miami-Dade County Public Schools is in the books. It was challenging in several ways - as students were coming off the COVID disruptions of the previous year, many had to reacquaint themselves with being back in the classroom, and the year started with the mask mandate controversies. So adjustments had to be made by students, teachers and parents. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6’s Ari Odzer.
