ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - December 12, 2025

Episode Date: December 13, 2025

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Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, preparing you for tomorrow starting tonight and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. First tonight, it's a clear but cold night across the region and we have your first alert to dangerous temperature setting in by Monday morning. It'll be feeling like single digits as temperatures dip to cold levels. seen in about three years now. Thanks so much for joining us here for eyewitness news at 11. I'm Lauren Johnson. Steve has the night off. Saturday will be a warm day, all things considered, before the single-digit temperature set in.

Elena, Athens will join us live with how people are bundling up as we experience this stretch of cold weather. But first, we start with Chief Bureologist Don Schwinnaker with the word on what is coming our way. And it's going to be chilly. As a matter of fact, we do have a cold weather watch. We don't have this very often. An extreme cold watch for the southern counties, a Bladen-Robson counties. This is Sunday night into Monday morning. The entire region could experience feels like temperatures from 5 to 10 degrees.

Now, the reason we're not under our watch is because we have a different National Weather Service Office. They have some different levels of doing things. But in the end, I would not be surprised to see at least a cold advisory issued for most of the viewing area sometime tomorrow. Let's walk you through it. So here's where we are by tomorrow evening. The cold air is starting to settle in after seeing 50s tomorrow. By 8 a.m. on Sunday, these are the field. feels like temperatures, teens in Roxborough, 20s in Raleigh.

As we continue through the day on Sunday, by the afternoon, now we're seeing 12 up in Roxborough, 20 Raleigh, even 20s as far south as Fayetteville, and it gets even colder. Sunday night, three in Roxborough, eight in Raleigh, and 11 in Fayetteville. It is going to be bitter cold, and look at these morning lows over the next couple of days. Not too bad forecast feels 28 tomorrow, 34 on Sunday, but Monday, two. It could be two in spots. We'll talk more about that really big cool down and the climb back up the hill in your first alert seven-day forecast.

Could be talking 60s by Thursday. We'll tell you about that coming up in just a bit. Lauren. All right. Thought of those single digits makes me cold to think about. Let's continue our team coverage with Elena Athens now. Elena outbraving those elements and finding out that people are rushing to clothing stores to buy some really warm clothes.

Hi, Elena. Yeah, big weather scared me talking about two degrees. Oh my gosh. All right. So people are gearing up now for the bitter, cold temperatures that we do have in our forecast in the near future. So I would just do stop by a clothing store and Seaboard Station tonight. The owner there says as these temperatures are dropping foot traffic in her store is rising. Since we've had a little nip in the air, we've been selling most of our hats, honestly.

If you look around, we don't have too many. I just did a reorder. I'm hoping they come tomorrow. and we've been selling a lot of the gloves. So Duke Energy is also offering tips to get your home prepared. The power company says one of the easiest ways to increase heating efficiency is to change air filters. Also check windows, doors, and vans for air leaks to help lower your energy bill. Duke says to reduce the thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting and swap out those standard bulbs for ones that are LEDs.

That's the very latest live from downtown Raleigh, Elena, Athens, ABC 11, eyewitness news. We're all trying to find ways to stay warm, Elena, thank you, and make sure you have that free ABC 11 weather app close by as we track this dangerous weather. You can get the latest weather forecast right in your hands. New charges were filed today against the former UNC rec nurse accused of sexually assaulting patients. So far, three male victims say Brian Alvarez Ortiz assaulted them while they were in the hospital's recovery room after the victims had undergone surgery. Alvarez Ortiz is being held without bond and is due back in court on Monday. Raleigh police asking anyone who thinks they may have been victimized to call their investigators. The number 919-996, 2000.

A deadly shooting in Wake County now being ruled a case of self-defense. It happened last month on Knightdale Boulevard. 39-year-old Corey Hansen was shot and killed during a fight with another man. Witnesses say it started with a car crash and a fight broke out between those two men. The sheriff's office says no charges will be filed in that case. We're getting new insight into the upcoming trial for the teenager charged in the Heddingham mass shooting. New court documents show the prosecution is blaming several aggravating factors, including suspect Austin Thompson knowingly created great risk of death.

And Thompson took advantage of position of trust with family members during the crime. We've reached out to Thompson's defense team for comment on these new filings. We know back in October, Thompson's legal team filed a motion suggesting they were planning to argue impaired judgment due to prescribed medication. Thompson is charged with killing five people, including his own brother and a Raleigh police officer back in 2022. The trial is set to begin on February 2nd. New tonight, a man has been charged in the death of a Charlotte mother who had been reported missing more than a week. 38-year-old Lorenza Inman Jr. is now facing murder, assault, and domestic violence charges in the death of 31-year-old Fraja Baker. Her body was found yesterday in her car behind a church in Charlotte.

Prosecutors say she and Lorenza were in a relationship. UNC Health has reached an agreement with Cigna Healthcare. The deadlock forced thousands of patients to lose in-network coverage. Elena Athens spoke with a pregnant patient who had to delay critical care. The last few weeks have been, I would say, the most stressed I've been throughout my whole pregnancy. Yassandello has spent the last stretch of her pregnancy worried. She's in her third trimester and excited to welcome a baby girl. She shared these pictures with us from her shower early last month. It would only be a few weeks later, she was told by UNC staff, her Cigna insurance would no longer be covered.

Sondello had her last scan at UNC just before Thanksgiving and tells me she has a high-risk pregnancy. Knowing that not being able to receive care, knowing I'm supposed to receive weekly ultrasounds and seeing how well she's monitored and growing, that's also been a concern for me too. UNC Health and Cigna had been in a stalemate. Today, after lengthy negotiations, the parties reached a deal. UNC Health says the agreement will be retroactive to December 1st and patients who paid upfront costs while out of network will be refunded.

The chief clinical officer at UNC Health says in a statement, our patients will not face increased costs and the stress of going out of network or seeking new providers for their care. I'm excited. I'm very, very excited. ABC 11 was the one who broke the news to me. Sandello says she was recently able to transfer her charts and insurance to Duke Health. Yesterday, she saw a doctor and today finally had another scan. She's due at the end of January. With a deal, Sandello does plan to switch back so she can deliver her baby at UNC Chapel Hill. It's closer to her home.

And she says she has immense gratitude for Duke's staff who helped her through a scary time. I feel like they moved mountains for me in a very stressful time period. But I would like to continue my care at New York City. In Raleigh, Elena Athens, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Elena, thank you. Now to new documents obtained by eyewitness news regarding the WakeMed officer who was shot and killed on the job last month. The document showed he had previously been fired by the Nightdale Police Department. 59-year-old Roger Smith was fired in 2013 after joining the police department in 1996.

The firing was over multiple policy violations, including investigations and performance. He had also been the subject of several suspensions and demotions. Officer Smith died in the emergency department of the WakeMed Garner Healthplex. after being shot during an alleged struggle with Benji Martin Jr. WakeMed declined to tell our news gathering partners at the news and observer whether they were aware of his previous firing. New tonight, the Durham Public School Board has added another year to the contract of Superintendent Anthony Lewis. Lewis's contract now runs till June of 2029. The school board voted unanimously expressing confidence in Lewis's performance. Lewis took over Durham Public Schools last August at a time when the district was navigating issues with teachers pay as well as a short. shortage of bus drivers.

Turning to Chantal recovery after terrible flooding hit Chapel Hills, Eastgate Plaza. Now businesses are reopening just in time for the holidays. 82-year-old Cinderella Rigsby runs the shoe repair shop and just reopened three weeks ago after being closed for four months. She said Tropical Storm Chantal brought so much flooding and setbacks to her business. Her supplies and machines were destroyed by the storm. But now that she's open, she's busy fulfilling some Christmas request. Business is going good.

It's good, phone ringing all the time. And as you can see, you're sitting there, you've seen all of them coming in the door there now. And that's the way it's been here since I've been back. There are still several businesses in Eastgate Plaza that have not yet been able to reopen. New tonight, what we know about the TSA sharing passenger information with ICE.

And we're seeing new photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, the pictures with presidents, including Trump and Bill Clinton. Plus, how scammers are using technology to go after those holiday packages, and Don warning us about some really cold temperatures outside. Yeah, I mean, it's cold out there tonight when numbers down around 30, 32, but by Monday, highs won't get out of the 30s. We'll talk more about that, plus when we could see a few snowflakes on the first alert Doppler and your complete forecasts coming up next.

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New tonight, the New York Times is reporting TSA is now giving airline pass. data to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both agencies are under the homeland security umbrella. ICE is reported to be matching passenger data with their database to possibly arrest anyone with deportation orders. The Department of Justice is fighting a contempt inquiry into why the government defied a judge's order and deported migrants to El Salvador back in March. The government is asking an appeals court to remove the judge overseeing the contempt investigation. That judge, James Bosberg, is trying to figure out if Trump officials should be. be prosecuted for willfully defying an order blocking those deportations.

The Trump administration is asking the appeals court to block that investigation by Monday. Tonight, a Maryland man who was wrongly deported back in March and has become the face of Trump's immigration battle is back home. Kilmar Abrago Garcia was released from an ICE detention center yesterday and a judge today ordered the government not to detain him as he checked in with ICE officials in Baltimore. and always recallen me so with the

head in alto. I stand before you as a free man and I want you to remember me this way

with my head held up high. The government is accusing Abrago of human smuggling from a 22 traffic stop

he denies those accusations. House Democrats today released 19 new pictures from what they say are from the Jeffrey Epstein

estate. They include a rare image of former president Bill Clinton standing alongside Epstein and his associate, Gleine Maxwell, another image shows President Trump with six women whose faces were redacted

and former Prince Andrew with Bill Gates. The context, time frame, and location of the pictures are not known, and the appearance of these men in the photos is not evidence of wrongdoing. I think people should be able to make judgments on their own as to what they see in these photos. For us, this is about transparency. The Department of Justice now has one week left

to release any Epstein records they may have. A warning about scammers using technology to steal your holiday packages tonight. Law enforcement saying this technology is being used more and more by thieves and it allows them to not even just get caught in the act. Porch pirates are always a big problem right now. And while some are being caught by homeowner security cameras, those ring cameras are helpful for law enforcement. They're issuing a new warning that some of these thieves have found a way to disable the cameras using Wi-Fi jammers. What these people do is they get a device. They can build them or find them online and then they get in close proximity to your camera and they push a button on it and it floods the wireless network with packets and it and basically shuts the camera off.

And when there's no camera on, that means there's no proof of video or the theft. One way to stop Wi-Fi jammers is to use a wired camera. If that's not possible to protect your deliveries from porch pirates, track your packages carefully. If you know you are not going to be home, consider alternative delivery options like to work. or even to another drop-off station, such as in Amazon locker. Carrie Academy, working to make private school more accessible by the covering the cost of tuition for some families. The school announced its initiative called the Charger Promise. That would cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, dining, transportation, before care, and extended day programs for families earning $100,000 or less.

Applications are currently open for the program. The financial aid will be offered for the 2026-27 school year. All right, you see that. It's a train rolling, smoke even coming out for the first time. In its history, Fayetteville State University's band took part in the ESPN Red Lobster band competition. HBCUs from across the country competed for the title of Band of the Year. Winston-Salem State University and NC-A-N-T also took part. Judges score bands on precision, creativity, and overall performance.

Lots of great music playing down in Atlanta tonight. Tomorrow will be a big day for several communities across Central Carolina that are holding holiday parades. And our ABC 11 team members will be making appearances at all of them. Steve Daniels will be at the Durham holiday parade that begins at 10 a.m. Don's pulling double duty for us tomorrow. First he'll be at Holly Springs. Happy holidays parade at 10. Maybe he'll go home and take a nap.

And then you'll see him at Carrie's Christmas parade at 2 p.m. Look for Ambera Pinta, Penelope Lopez, and the ABC 11 storm chase. at Fayetteville's Christmas parade, which has a 10 a.m. start. Clayton, Clinton, and Roxborough are also holding parades tomorrow. And then on Sunday, bundle up for Zebulin and Pittsburgh's parades. Both of those have a 3 p.m. start time. We know it will be freezing cold at that time. Don, why didn't we send you home early tonight? It's just one of those things, I guess. Hey, you know what? We've got some very cold air moving in. But tomorrow, if you're not going to a parade in the morning, Friday night's the only night we do the this your flapjack forecast and it's going to be a good day to get up and make some breakfast with the kids. Temperatures right around 30 degrees when you wake up by 9 o'clock 35 by 11 o'clock we're in the 40s and almost 50 degrees by lunchtime. We're taking a look at your seven day forecasts powered by ACU weather won't make you wait for it 57 tomorrow Sunday 43 that happens

that 43 degrees happens about 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning on Sunday and then the numbers just fall. Monday, dangerous cold. 37, 49 on Tuesday, Wednesday, 57, back into the 60s on Thursday. Live look on First Alert, Doppler net tonight, scanning the skies. We're dry across our part of the Carolinas. Let's look at our temperatures. Maniota Murphy tonight, 34 at the coast. 29 now in Greenville done at ECU. 29 up in Chase City. Lumberton, you're still above freezing at 37. 30 out in the triad and just 28 in Boone. By the way, Boone's wind chills this weekend. could go 10 to 20 below zero satellite radar composite shows a few clouds working through that's it we zoom it out some snow in the Midwest tonight but that's all but this is a sign of that cold

air that's really going to shove south over the next couple of days so let's walk you through your weekend first of a little predictor forecast model 10 o'clock tomorrow morning as those parades start around the region temperatures in the 40s 42 degrees I'll be emceeing the parade I won't be actually in the parade in holly springs at 10 a.m but then by 2 o'clock 3 o'clock I haven't been out in that one. As a matter of fact, last time I rode in the carry parade, I think it was me and John Clark. So happy to be back in carry tomorrow afternoon, especially on a day where it's sunny and temperatures are in the 50s. As we go toward Sunday, here's the cold air starting to roar in by 7 o'clock in the morning, 34 degrees. Watch these numbers tumble. Three o'clock we're down into the 20s. And by Sunday night into Monday morning, those are air temperatures in the teens. Feels like temperatures could be 2, 3, 4, 5 degrees. That's about a. it. So just be ready for it. I look at your forecast for tomorrow. Boy, the proverbial calm before the storm. 57 mostly sunny in a warmer day on tap. Your first alert, seven-day forecast powered by ACUweather. 43, first night of Hanukkah is going to be a chilly one on Sunday. Monday

37, Tuesday, 49, and 60s by next week. And Lauren, the good news is for those who like it warmer, the long-range forecast showing some warmer temperatures possibly all the way through Christmas. Not good news if you were hoping for a white Christmas. I know. That makes it feel festive and, you know, cozy. So get your festivities in this weekend because it's going to warm back up. All right, Don, get some rest and have fun tomorrow. All right. All right. In entertainment news, the brand new Taylor Swift docu series now streaming,

the six episode series includes behind the scenes footage of the eras tour, the first two episodes of the end of an era premiered on Disney Plus today, along with the final show concert film. Two episodes will air weekly until the finale on December 26th. Disney is the parent company of ABC 11. Still ahead, the North Carolina, TikTok. Talk Star ordered to pay nearly $2 million after a judge found she broke up a marriage. She's speaking out on national TV what she said about paying that fine.

Canada's Wonderland is bringing the holiday magic this season with Winterfest on select nights now through January 3rd. Step into a winter wonderland filled with millions of dazzling lights, festive shows, rides, and holiday treats. Plus, Coca-Cola is back with Canada's kindness community, celebrating acts of kindness nationwide, with a chance at $100,000 donation for the winning community and a 2026 holiday caravan stop. Learn more at canadaswunderland.com. The North Carolina TikTok star found responsible for breaking up a marriage

in order to pay nearly $2 million. It's finally speaking out. Brnene Monegue appeared exclusively on the Tameran Hall show this afternoon right here on ABC 11. She was alongside her. her now husband, Tim. The two revealed they dated for a year back in high school when they were about 15 years old and their romantic relationship actually started last July after Brne, who was going through

her own marriage problem, stayed at the home of Tim and his former wife Akira for about a week. How did you feel when you heard those words? She lost her husband and the father of her children because of you. It's easy to paint out a villain in someone's story. and I was that villain sadly but I know that I didn't cause a happy home to break. I know I didn't

take the children from their dad I know I didn't do those things. I can take accountability for the things that I've done especially you know I made that clear in court I wasn't the best husband I know that however the things that are being said you know things

it's kind of hard to really get into without saying too much because this is still ongoing right correct this was an unprecedented amount of money um that you are now responsible to pay you've said you're not paying it yes you're not paying it i can say it's hard to it's hard to i don't have that i don't have that kind of money the two said they've been navigating a rocky time with negative reaction to their case but it's brought them closer together the 1.75 million judgment is the third highest ordered in north carolina akira and her attorney said this case

was never about money, but confronting betrayal. You can watch our full interview with her from last month right now on ABC11.com. When we come back, our local schools making a push during the state. Get to know yourself and your roots better with Ancestry DNA. Want to know where your family comes from in northern France? Maybe you'd like to see how your genes influence certain traits like diet, fitness, and allergies. There's so much of you and your heritage to discover.

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Thank you. That is going to do it for us here tonight. Thanks so much for watching. Jimmy Kimmel Live is up next. Have a great night. Stay safe. Stay warm this weekend. And we'll see you back here on Monday.

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