ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 11pm - January 7, 2026

Episode Date: January 8, 2026

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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. Many homeowners don't have to deal with this once in the lifespan of owning their home, and I've now had to live it twice by the same man terrorizing me. Right now at 11, this Durham woman sharing her story of multiple run-ins with Ryan Camacho, the man charged with breaking into the home of Raleigh teacher, Zoe Welsh, and killing her. Thanks for joining us here for the news at 11. I'm Steve Daniels. And I'm Lauren Johnson. As we continue to stay on top of this heartbreaking story, we keep looking into Ryan Camacho's criminal past, and we've discovered a series of misdemeanor crimes in both Raleigh and Durham.

We have live-team coverage tonight as both the Raleigh and Durham communities continue to reel after the violent murder of Zoe Welsh. Camacho's troubled past in and out of jail has now gained the attention of lawmakers, some asking why he wasn't still in custody when that murder happened. James Price is standing by in the Raleigh neighborhood where Welsh lived near Wade Avenue in St. Mary Street with more from neighbors there, as well as some advice for all of us from a self-defense instructor for people who are feeling a little uneasy following the murder of Zoe Welsh. But we begin in Durham with Tom George, who's talking to a woman who says Camacho terrorized her and her family. Tom.

Yeah, good evening. A lot of the focus has been on Camacho's significant record in Wake County, but he also had a number of cases here in Durham, including a woman who says he broke into her home twice in the span of three years, and she believes the dots were not connected in those cases, and she worries that this was not taken seriously, and it makes her wonder if Zoe Welsh might still be here.

For Michelle Pachick, there are still signs of her sense of peace shattered in her own home. Over here, you can still see the fingerprint dust on that window from when the cops actually. dusted all those years ago. It's still hard for her to talk about the man. She says haunted her for five years now, Ryan Camacho. I couldn't sit still anymore and not say something.

The justice system failed Ms. Welsh. Michelle says she was out of town in 2021 when Camacho broke into her home through a window. Her brother, who stopped by to check on her house, came face to face with him. He said, Brian just walked in through the back door, took one look at him, and darted out the other way. She says Camacho had brought a knife with him and had ransacked her house and believes he was about to pack suitcases of valuables and electronics before taking her car if her brother hadn't stopped his plan. Camacho was able to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges despite a violent history from Raleigh, including West Phillips' story from a few years prior who lived next door to Camacho and had to move after he says his car was vandalized and Camacho terrorized his family. Michelle says she even brought it up to Durham's prosecutors. And I turned him and I said, you do understand this man's guy.

got a significant record, including gun charges. And he said, what? I didn't know about that. But along with other cases, Camacho did end up in jail. She was so terrified, she tracked the victim's information portal, worried when Camacho got out, that he'd be back. I just always had a feeling that he would. In January, 2024, he breaks into my house again.

Another rock, another break in, the same MO. This time, she had security footage. And this time, Michelle, did. did get to face Camacho in court. Oh, that was terrifying. You see me, I'm a 4-11 woman. I'm not exactly imposing. So it was terrifying.

Camacho was also involved in other alleged break-ins in her same neighborhood, including their clubhouse. But Camacho was again allowed to plead to misdemeanors instead of facing felony charges. Even more chilling is what Camacho said about her home. He thought it was his house. That's what he told his lawyer to tell the judge. So I'm standing there in court.

court. I said, look, many homeowners don't have to deal with this once in the lifespan of owning their home, and I've now had to live it twice by the same man terrorizing me. I have no trust that he's not going to try to do it again. More than just broken trust, a broken heart, hearing what happened to Zoe Welsh and wondering if she might still be here. It literally hurt my heart. I just, I couldn't believe that it had escalated to that point. And it almost made me feel that maybe it would have been better for him to break into this home again instead of killing an innocent woman. Yeah, and keep in mind, Michelle's story, just one of several cases here in Durham County. We brought Michelle's concerns as well as those other cases to the Durham District Attorney's Office for comment.

We are still waiting to hear back. We're live in Durham tonight. Tom, Georgia, ABC 11, Howitness News. We know he was arrested at least two dozen times, and the focus of our reporting is here. Why? How was he able to slip through the criminal justice? Tom, thank you. And we are also back in Joey Welsh's, Zoe Welsh's neighborhood in Raleigh, where some people are still feeling uneasy about the break-in and the murder. Jemise Price spoke with neighbors tonight who say they've lost a sense of security there in their community inside the belt line near Wade Avenue and St. Mary Street. James. Steve and Lauren, people in this community still shaken by that brutal crime worried about their own safety.

Now we are starting to see an increased police presence in this area. on scooters and bikes also parked police cruisers next to Zoe Walsh's home. But some folks say they want to take their safety a step further. It's always been a really peaceful place. But that sense of peace was shattered when a Raleigh teacher and mother was killed only a few yards away from the popular Fletcher Park. That's where we met Alec Gilmore. It definitely bothers you. You never want to see anything like that happen.

It's sadly one of those things that feels like it could happen anywhere. but it's just just got to keep yourself safe. Following Welsh's brutal murder, there's been a noticeable police presence in the community near Wade Avenue and St. Mary Street. Neighbors say it's providing

a sense of security, but for some, they want to be able to protect themselves. People just generally want the comfort of being able to know they can defend themselves. Billy Dowie is the head instructor of Hoist's Gracie,

Jujitsu Academy, and Raleigh. He says more people want real world self-defense training. He's providing that and more. Training would always help. But I mean just a situational awareness, always being aware of where you are, maybe not having your head in your phone while you're walking down the street. I think one of the biggest things that get people in trouble is just their desire to be polite to someone. When, hey, could I get a light? Hey, do you have some change? You know, just get away from me. I don't have time for

this. Instead, people will tend to start to engage, which a lot of times could lead to an altercation. And if you're ever in an altercation, he showed me quickly how to get out of that situation, too. He says it's really about building confidence that you can protect yourself. You're going to have the ability to take care of yourself. Someone comes up, grabs you, grabs you from behind, maybe grabs your neck, tries to pick you up, carry you away. You're going to be able to escape the situation, right? Self-defense isn't, oh, you mess with me, I'm going to get you. It's a crazy person. Normal people don't do that. You don't want to fight them. You want to get out. If it does escalate to a fight,

I want to give you the skills to do that. Now we also spoke with a retired police officer who encouraged and really emphasize community awareness. He's really encouraging that community involvement, neighborhood watch program for enhanced safety. We're live in Raleigh, Jimmy's Price, ABC 11, eyewitnesses. Yeah, that's very important.

Keep an eye on each other, but very important takeaways for us all too from that self-defense instructor tonight. Jimis, thank you. New tonight, the federal restaurant in Durham is asking for help now. Identifying a man, they say broke into their building last night on West Main Street. The burglary reportedly happened when no one else was there.

The owners say it's the second time in the past couple of weeks. Someone has broken in and they're looking for any information that could help them figure out who did it. If you recognize this person, you're being asked to message the federal on Facebook. In Fayetteville, firefighters responding to a massive blaze at a home on Droughton Road. The call came in just before 8.30. When our breaking news crew arrived on scene, they saw flames shooting out of the roof of the home. firefighters were able to rescue one dog from inside the house. Family member to the person who lived there said they weren't home at the time,

but one other pet has not yet been found. Tonight protests growing in Minneapolis after a federal agent shot and killed a woman during an immigration and customs enforcement operation. That woman has now been identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident, and we have a warning. The video posted on X showing that deadly incident is disturbing. You can see several officers approaching an SUV. then the driver reverses and pulls the car forward and that's when one officer pulls out a gun and fires the car then accelerating and crashing Homeland Security says the woman was trying to run over law enforcement during an operation and they say agents acted in self-defense claiming they were stuck in the snow when the woman attacked them

the Secretary of Homeland Security Christy Noam addressing that incident in Minneapolis ICE agents repeatedly ordered her to get out of the car but she refused to obey their commands. This appears as an attempt to kill or to cause bodily harm to agents, an act of domestic terrorism. Any loss of life is a tragedy, and I think all of us can agree that in this situation, it was preventable. Minneapolis police say good was not the target of any law enforcement investigation. The city's mayor speaking out passionately against ICE and disputing the federal government's account of exactly what happened.

To ICE, get the fucking out of it. Minneapolis. We do not want you here. The Department of Homeland Security announced they were sending at least 2,000 agents to Minnesota this week to begin what they called their largest immigration operation to date. The FBI is investigating that shooting. New here at 11. North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis is slamming some recent comments made by senior White House advisor Stephen Miller about the U.S. potentially trying to take over Greenland. In an interview with CNN this week, Miller said Greenland rightfully belongs to the U.S.

No one is going to stop the Trump administration from seizing it. Tillis called Miller's remarks amateurish and suggested the White House advisors, any of them pushing a takeover of Greenland, should lose their jobs. You know what makes me cranky? Stupid. What makes me cranky is when people don't do their homework. What makes me cranky is when we tarnish the extraordinary execution of a mission I fully support in Venezuela. by turning around and making insane comments about how it is our right to have territory owned

by the kingdom of Denmark. Folks, amateur hour is over. Senator Tillis said Miller's comments, which have driven a wedge between the U.S. and a NATO ally, undermined an important national security relationship. So to come here on eyewitness News at 11, North Carolina is navigating a change now to routinely recommended vaccines that experts say have protected children from serious illness, hospitalization, and death for decades. We're hearing from parents about their concerns after the CDC changed the guidelines. Plus another set of guidelines being flipped on its head

will explain the Trump administration's new upside down food pyramid, which prioritizes meat and dairy. Don, after a day in the 70s around here, how are the temps looking outside tonight? Well, it's actually going to be a little cooler tonight through the overnight. That's because a dry cold front's working through. We'll talk about that. Next chance for rain and a first alert to your seven day forecast coming up. We are back now with your health check tonight and North Carolina health officials are talking about vaccines and the CDC's recent changes to the childhood vaccine recommendations. The CDC is no longer universally recommending certain vaccines like rotavirus, flu and COVID.

It comes at a time when North Carolina is seeing an uptick in respiratory viruses. State health officials say at this time they don't anticipate any changes to their clinical guidance regarding childhood immunizations. Some parents in the Triangle tell eyewitness news. They're concerned about changes at the federal level. A lot of these illnesses can be preventable, so we want to make sure we stay on top of those vaccinations. We have her in preschool, so, you know, hopefully she doesn't get sick,

but we definitely get all the vaccines that we can. And I really trust our doctors. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says in part in a statement, this decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health. The changes by the CDC are recommendations and have never been mandatory. The vaccines that are no longer universally recommended can still be given if a doctor recommends them.

The Trump administration today releasing new dietary guidelines for us with this upside down food pyramid. And you can see there at the top there's a lot of protein and vegetables and fruit as well. The suggestions say we should eat more beans, peas and lentils and cut back on red meat and processed meat and starchy vegetables and ultra-processed food in general. and they say we should limit added sugar and sodium and saturated fat, too. The American Heart Association says it welcomes federal nutritional guidance, and it pledges to continue working with the Trump administration to fight chronic disease. And if you want to use a delivery app to order some of that healthy food, one option may save you a little more money than others.

According to a recent study by net credit, Grubhub is the cheapest delivery app option for people living in North Carolina and 23 other states. DoorDash and Uber Eats are cheaper in 13 states. just a little food for thought and to help you save a little cash should you decide I don't want to cook tonight I want to order in that's not a bad option I know just pick that good stuff from the food pyramid right that's right it's flipped upside down that's right all right does with us right now we hit a really nice high in the 70s around here today it's going to be a little cooler tomorrow but still we got a nice stretch on the way very nice for January and we're not done with the 70s you know it's a little cooler tomorrow they return on Friday we'll show you that seven day forecast right now we'll be in the the 60s tomorrow 72 on Friday 74 on Saturday could see some scattered showers it's going to be a lot of cloud cover not like those beautiful blue skies we saw today when the blue skies do return Sunday into Monday it's significantly cooler around here let's start things off as we always do with the first alert Doppler net scanning the skies not seeing any rainfall out there tonight live

look on our pendo sky cam looking into downtown raleigh 48 degrees right now mainly clear skies and winds are calm. Manny Ota Murphy tonight, 51 out at the coast. 15 degrees cooler. Boone checks in at 36 degrees tonight. 48 out in the triad. Charlotte's at 53 this hour.

47 down at ECU, 46 up in Chase City in Lumberton here at 46 degrees tonight. As we hit through the overnight, those numbers will go down a little bit more. You'll drop to 44 in Lumberton. 30s in Sanford Smithfield, 41 in Raleigh, 39 tonight in Durham.

normal is 32. That's our seasonal average. So we will still be above average cooler than it was last night. Sunrise doesn't happen until 726 tomorrow morning. Satellite radar composite clear and dry around here for now. We do see some high clouds starting to work through from the west. But they're not rainmakers. As a matter of fact, we have to go clear out into Oklahoma tonight to find any rainfall activity. It is dry for the eastern half now of the United States.

We stay dry tonight into tomorrow by 7 a.m. A few clouds mixing with the sunshine. Now, as we go through the day, the sun and clouds will battle. Temperatures will make it into the 60s in the afternoon instead of the 70s like we saw today. Friday morning, 9 o'clock, we're in the 50s. The wind starting to swing more out of the south. That will really usher in that warmer air. There is a chance at a sprinkler or two on Friday night, but the best chance for rain is actually going to be west of us.

And they could see some heavier amounts out west of us as we head into Saturday. By Saturday morning, a few scattered showers, northwestern part of our area. And if we do see any rain on Saturday, and I do think we'll see a little, it's going to be very light, less than a quarter inch across the region. So it could be very similar to last week. Remember Saturday we had all that drizzle and it was kind of cloudy and icky? The difference is it will be a little bit warmer this Saturday. Now, if we look at the first alert predictor, this is the American model. We're going to run this ahead.

So I just wanted to show you by Saturday, there's that bulk of the heavier rain out through the mountains. As we go into Sunday, skies do start to clear, and we have to take this model all the way out until Thursday. Notice Monday there's the clear skies, and not until Thursday do we see a chance at some showers here. Could see some snow out in the mountains. That's our next chance, and even that chance. It's not that high. Tomorrow, we don't see any chances at showers. 65 in Raleigh, 64 in Durham, 69 down in Fayetteville with a mix of clouds and sunshine.

Temperatures across the region tomorrow. Bahama, you'll be at 61, 64 in Carborough, 65, Garner, Clayton, Holly Springs, 67 down at Fort Bragg, 66 in Lillington, 68 in Clinton, 62 for you in South Hill, and 65 in Wilson. Seven-day forecast showing those temperatures, mid-70s on Saturday. They could see some thunder for the Panthers game, so if you're headed to Charlotte for that, just know, take some rain gear, you may have a thunder break. Sunday cooler 56 and 50s as we go into next week. not seeing any of that bitter cold air really in the long-range forecast guys we love to hear it because we know winter can stay until about march you can we're not done you don thank you still had fans who showed up to see a billy joel tribute band in florida were shocked when they wind up getting the real thing we'll show you the moment the piano man took the stage for the first time since announcing his diagnosis of a rare brain disorder back in may all right we're back now with a look at what's trending tonight night in real news. First, the piano man himself dropping in unannounced to join a Billy Joel tribute band at a special performance in Florida. That happened near West Palm Beach.

Yeah, the appearance at the Wellington amphitheater marked the 76-year-old's first performance after revealing he'd been diagnosed with a brain disorder in May of 2025. Footage recorded by Kathy Natalie shows Joel joining the band Turnstiles on stage to sing We Didn't Start the Fire and Big Shot. Turnstiles described the experience as incredible. and said it will forever live in their hearts. They got their money's worth. They showed up for a tribute band and they got Billy Joel. That's pretty cool.

They love that, I'm sure. All right, a very clever dog in West Virginia. Surprise shelter staff after pulling off an impressive escape. Yeah, the video captured at the Huntington Cabell Wayne Animal Shelter. Shows this big brain pup. His name is Dawson unlocking his kennel. And then look, he goes over there and opens the shelter's front door right there. He says, I'm out of here.

The shelter staff is now asking for the public's help in tracking. him down so they can hopefully find someone to adopt that doggy genius goes right for the front door he's out he knows to kind of put his mouth up there that's right yeah stay persistent uh-huh get out of there that's right that's right he might flip that uh that sign too and say we're no longer closed we are open we're open for business in here got some smart dog oh that is great We're going to be able to be. We're going to be.

We're going to be able to be. We're going to be. Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to be the mrs. I'm going to get

to We're going to be able to be. Don't know I'm going to be the I'm going to be. I'm going to be. I'm going to be. We're going to be.

We're going to be. Thank you. first one from the queen city in a couple of days and i am personally excited you know i love doing this never done an NFL playoff game excited to see what that atmosphere will be like and we have confirmed that the panthers are inviting cam newton to be on the ground so i can only imagine what Charlotte is going to be like Uptown come Saturday. Yeah, I think you'll find a lot of Raleigh fans over there. That's right.

Yeah, that's right. A lot of people traveling. Yeah, we're looking forward to your coverage over there. Thank you. Trey, thank you. Thank you at home for watching. That's going to do it for us here tonight. Jimmy Kimmel's on the way next, and the news is always on at ABC11.com.

Lauren and I are hoping to see you back here tomorrow night at 11 o'clock. Together, let's drive. Shop capital Chevrolet.com.