It’s Friday, April 2nd - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - Authorities say they’ve finally caught up to a woman who used a dating app to attract a Broward man into what turned out to be a violent home invasion.
The man’s roomate ended up being shot twice, and authorities have been searching for nearly a year for 25-year-old Barbara Reyes and now they have her in custody. Reyes somehow was able to avoid being captured since last May, but the Broward Sheriff's Office caught up with her Wednesday, arresting her on charges of armed invasion robbery and two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. In May 2020, police rushed to the Miramar home of a man who told them he had been in touch with Reyes over a dating app, and thinking she was coming for romance, at 3 a.m. gave her access past the security gate and into his development.
No. 2 - Police released a sketch of a man and surveillance footage in connection with an armed sexual battery in Miami.
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The incident occurred Wednesday, Jan. 27, in the area of SW 48th Avenue and 7th Street, City of Miami police said. The subject is described as a Black male in his 30s, 6 feet tall with a medium build, black wavy hair and a low beard. He was last wearing greenish-blue shorts, grayish-brown shorts, and was armed with a black firearm. Anyone who encounters this vehicle and/or subject is asked to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (305) 471-TIPS (8477) or contact the City of Miami Police Special Victims Unit at (305) 603-6300.
No. 3 - $40 million dollars or else - that was the opening ransom demand from the cyber attackers who hacked into the Broward County Public Schools computer system in early March. $40 million, or the personal information of teachers, students, and staff would be released.
Broward School Board member Sarah Leonardi says there’s no evidence that the hackers have accessed personal information, but they certainly act like they have. The cybersecurity website, Databreaches.net, obtained messages exchanged between the hackers and someone representing the school district. Broward Public Schools released a statement saying in part, “Efforts to restore all systems are underway and progressing well. We have no intention of paying a ransom. At this point in the investigation, we are not aware of any student or employee personal data that has been compromised as a result of this incident.”
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No. 4 - Nova Southeastern University is mandating that all students and employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of the fall semester.
The university made the announcement Thursday that it intends to resume full, in-person classroom instruction for on-ground courses for the fall 2021 semester. Students and employees must be fully vaccinated by Aug. 1. According to the CDC, people are considered "fully vaccinated" two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series, or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.
No. 5 - The Miami-Dade mother who faces the death penalty in the murder of her 9-year-old son was questioned for hours by police after she reported the child as missing to authorities.
NBC 6 obtained Patricia Ripley's interrogation tapes, which reveal the alleged lies she told police as a desperate search for Alejandro Ripley was underway. Detectives brought Ripley in for questioning after she reported the child missing back in May. An AMBER Alert was issued after the mom told police two men who had cut her off, robbed her and abducted her son. After police said she gave conflicting statements, Ripley sat in an interrogation room for hours. To see the interrogation tapes, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Stephanie Bertini.
No. 6 - With the help of groundbreaking technology, you can now virtually speak with a Holocaust survivor.
The digital experience is called "Dimensions in Testimony," an educational initiative to honor and preserve the testimonies of Holocaust and genocide survivors. Criag and Barbara Weiner’s added the unique exhibit to their Holocaust Reflection and Resource Center at the Alvin Sherman Library at Nova Southeastern University. It’s a collaboration with USC Shoah Foundation and it’s the only spot in Florida with this interactive technology. The immersive experience allows participants to ask up to 2,000 questions to hear what survivors and their families went through. For an in-depth look, click here for the story from NBC 6 reporter Amanda Plasencia.
