ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at Noon - April 20, 2026

Episode Date: April 20, 2026

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Right now in eyewitness news at noon, we are first alerting you too much cooler temperatures overnight. The frost advisory being issued for tomorrow morning. And the city of Raleigh now cracking down on water usage as drought conditions worsened in the triangle, we will explain the changes. And a ceasefire on the brink. U.S. talks with Iran have been touch and go over the last 24 hours. It's the news at noon. See what's happening this instant. ABC 11 eyewitness news starts right now.

And good Monday afternoon. Thanks for starting your week off with us. I'm Amber Ripenta. And I'm Barbara Gibbs. We begin with eyewitness news. Team coverage. Water restrictions are now in effect today in Raleigh. We're also experiencing weather whiplash. We're first alerting you to a frost advisory in effect tomorrow morning. But we begin with Peter Algeus Cruz Medina with the temperature roller coaster. Hey, Cruz. Hey there. Yeah, temperatures are going to take a big dip throughout tonight. And also this afternoon is going to be colder than it was at any point throughout the first half of the weekend when we were seeing those 90s. So back to tonight, we have frost advisories in effect for most of central. North Carolina. This does include the triangle all the way down to parts of the sand hills, so Lee and Chatham counties and then over toward I-95. Now, if you're watching from Mecklenburg County, Virginia, you actually have a freeze warning in effect tonight, and that's where temperatures up there

could be closer to 32, 33 degrees. So this is more precautionary than anything, but if you've planted things in the ground already would be nice to cover them up throughout tonight. Otherwise, if you have potted plants, bring those inside just so that you can avoid any damage from the frost. But you could see from the triangle north, we're expecting those 30s through tonight. And also keep in mind that you don't have to see temperatures at 32 degrees to get frosty condition. So you can see frost under 40 degrees, most likely in the 37 and below range. As we go into Wednesday, we will see things starting to warm up again. So the rest of the week, frost will not be a problem. But for tonight, once again, make sure that you're taking those precautions. I'll take you outside for this afternoon.

This is Boxyard RTP. You can see some people eating outside. It's a nice day, 65, mostly sunny right now in RTP. And for this afternoon, getting outside is not going to be a problem. It's going to feel great today, especially if you're not a fan of the 90s that we had on Saturday. Today, kind of a refreshing change. Tipters will be a few degrees below average in the middle to upper 60s for most areas. And then tomorrow we start out, obviously very chilly. Tomorrow's another below average day with lots of sunshine.

But we will see the 80s return. We'll talk about that coming up in your seven-day forecast. Back to you. All right. See you soon with more Cruz. Thank you. And new and new restrictions on water usage in Raleigh. Yeah, city leaders hoping the rules will help conserve water as we deal with a drought situation. Elena Athens joins us live with more on that. Elena, good afternoon. Good afternoon to you, Barbara. Yeah, we've been driving around the Brentwood neighborhood.

Haven't seen anybody breaking the rules or watering their yards outside of that designated window. However, I did speak with one homeowner off camera who says he would like to water his front yard and is worried that the grass there might die. restrictions did kick in today here in the city of Raleigh. Automatic and manual sprinklers may only be used between midnight and 10 in the morning. Homeowners with odd numbered addresses are supposed to water on Tuesdays and those with even numbered addresses on Wednesdays handheld hoses and drip irrigation systems they can be used at any time. City officials say the severe drought has impacted the watershed that supplies Falls Lake

and Swift Creek. That being said, Raleigh says the city's overall drink. water supply remains unaffected. Live in Raleigh, Elena Athens, ABC 11, eyewitness news. All right, Elena, everyone is on warning about the restrictions. Thank you. Meantime, the city of Durham has decided to not enact water restrictions at this time. However, they are encouraging customers to use water wisely and to follow the year-round watering schedule. Officials warn that restrictions could be implemented if the dry conditions continue. And with the frost advisory and the ongoing drought now is a great time to download the ABC 11 mobile.

app. You can check the latest weather headlines there and your seven day forecast right on your device. A man charged with murder after a deadly weekend shooting in Raleigh is due in court today. Raleigh police arresting 42-year-old Dante Young. Police found him with a gun. Investigators believe that gun was used to shoot 36-year-old Tyrone Van Dyke. It happened Saturday night in the Walnut Trace neighborhood. Police say the two knew each other and got into a fight before the gunfire Young is due in court at 1.30 this afternoon. And new at noon, an update on a murder suspect who was extradited back to North Carolina. Carlos Robles is now being held in the Durham County Detention Center on No Bond.

Federal agents found and arrested Robles. He was 1,700 miles away in North Dakota, not far from the border with Canada. He is charged in the murder of 28-year-old Luis Flores. Flores was found shot to death last November on Guest Road in Durham. Authorities have not said when Robles will be extradited back to North Carolina. In Durham, a 17-year-old boy is dead after being hit and killed over the weekend. Police say it happens Saturday at the intersection of Cold Mill Road in West Windham Lane. Investigators say the team was riding a bike when he was hit by a car on Coal Mill Road.

Police have not released any details about the teen or the driver involved. We're also still working to learn if any charges will be filed. A man charged in a Chapel Hill shooting from earlier this month is expected to face a judge today. 22-year-old Jose Flores was arrested in Chatham County over the weekend. He is facing over 20 charges, including attempted murder in connection with a shooting at an apartment complex on Westminster Drive on April 5th. The victim in that case is still recovering. Tensions in the Middle East are escalating. A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry says that there are no plans for a second round of talks as of right now.

And that is after the U.S. Navy seized an Iranian ship reportedly attempting to break the blockade. ABC's Christian Cordero with more now on how it could impact the fragile ceasefire. Today, as the war on Iran enters its eighth week, President Trump appears willing to escalate the tension if Iran doesn't agree to a deal. Writing on social media this weekend, quote, the United States is going to knock out every single power plants, every single bridge in Iran. No more Mr. Nice Guy. The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire on Wednesday. A White House official tells ABC News Vice President Vance will travel back to Pakistan for another round of talks, though no plans have been sent. as Iran has not yet agreed to the talks themselves. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson says today transferring the country's enriched uranium stockpiles to the U.S. or anywhere else is not on their agenda.

Experts have warned the Trump administration attacking Iran's infrastructure could violate international law. Still, U.N. ambassador Mike Walts is defending the president's threats. Go all the way back to World War II. Of course, we bombed and took down bridges, other infrastructure, power plants. Yes, could be used for civilian, but also are used to manufacture drones and missiles. This weekend, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center reported Iran fired on two Indian-registered ships in the Strait of Hormuz. A day later, Motor Vesotoska, vacate your engine room.

This video shows the U.S. Navy warning an Iranian cargo ship trying to move past the American blockade before Marines boarded the ship and seized control. Iran calls it American aggression and promises. to respond. Both the U.S. and Iran are now trying to assert more control over the street. Gas is up from $2.30 to $4.4. You have now Iran having a more hardline regime, as we just heard, and all our allies like UAE being hit. Stocks fell off in the opening bell today, and oil prices jumped reacting to the street of Hormuz being closed again. Christiane-Cradero, ABC News, Washington.

Christiane on thanks to New at noon. Now newly released figures from Visit Raleigh showing hotel occupancy is down. According to Wake County Hotel Weekly Performance Report for the week of April the 5th through the 11th shows that occupancy was down 68.6%. That is down 10.1% from the same week last year. And some of the drop off though may likely be attributed to Jay Cole's Dreamville Festival. The multi-day music festival ended last year after five years. Happening today, a new indoor smoking and vaping ban goes into effect in Raleigh. The new rules In previous exceptions that allowed smoking in specific areas like designated smoking areas within bowling alleys, businesses that do not enforce the policy may get a written notice for the first two violations, followed by fines of up to $200 a day for more infractions.

Well, tomorrow Durham Mayor Leo Williams will lay out his version of vision for the Bull City during his state of the city address. He is expected to talk about a variety of topics, including some of his big initiatives. The speech is happening at the Durham Performing Arts Center. the doors open at 5 p.m. And the program starts at 6 o'clock. State lawmakers are returning to Raleigh tomorrow for a short session. The looming issue is the lack of a state budget. Negotiations broke down last year over tax policy and funding for a new children's hospital, among other things. Without the budget, state employees are going without promised raises, and the Medicaid program could run out of money next month. Businesses raised to apply for tariff refunds. The Trump administration begins the process of returning $166 billion.

but U.S. consumers may be left out. We'll have that story in two minutes. And a horrific tragedy in Louisiana. Police believe a man shot and killed eight children. Seven of them were his own. That story new at 1230. Eye witness news. We are Local News weeknights four to six 30 and 11.

Happening today, businesses can start claiming refunds from President Trump's illegal tariffs. Customs and Border Patrol say an online system began accepting refund claims this morning. It is the first step in the conference. complicated process that might eventually lead to refunds for consumers. Back in February, the Supreme Court struck down the president's tariff saying they usurped the taxation authority of Congress. Experts say it's unlikely American consumers will recover any money, but companies like FedEx have promised to refund customers. Meantime, today marks five years since Derek Chauvin was found guilty for the murder of Fayetteville native George Floyd. The trial lasted three

weeks and jurors deliberated for more than 10 hours before returning the verdict. The former Minneapolis police officer was sentenced to spend more than 22 years in prison. Federal investigators are heading to the scene of a plane crash in a residential neighborhood in Florida. Doorbell cameras capture the moment after a plane slammed into a yard of a home in Tampa yesterday killing the pilot. The aircraft missing homes in the neighborhood, which could have resulted in more tragedy. Happening today, Southwest Airlines is going to start living. limiting portable chargers on its flights. The company says the chargers pose a risk for fires

during flights, including more than a dozen incidents already this year. So now passengers are allowed only one lithium-powered portable charger in their carry-on bags. The charger must be stored under seats or on the passenger. They cannot be in the overhead bins or recharged using in-seat outlets.

Well, a powerful earthquake rattles Japan. This morning, we'll have details on the impact just ahead. And a potential medical breakthrough in the fight against pancreatic cancer. New here at 1230, the new vaccine that is showing promise. Amazon presents Jeff versus Taco Truck Salsa, whether it's Verde, Roja, or the orange one. For Jeff, trying any salsa is like playing Russian roulette with a flamethrower. Luckily, Jeff saved with Amazon and stocked up on antacids, ginger tea, and milk.

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The All-Electric ID4, you deserve more fun. Visit vw.ca to learn more. SUVW, German engineered for all. We're following breaking news right now from the triad. A planned fight between two young people at a park in Winston-Salem has left two dead and others hurt. The FBI is on the scene near Jefferson Middle School. They say the shooting is not at the school, but at a nearby park. The school is on lockdown right now until the scene is secure.

Police say the fight escalated and multiple people began shooting at each other. The search is on right now for the suspects involved, and people in the area there are being asked to avoid the area. We're also following more breaking news. This time overseas, a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake strikes off the coast of Japan. And you can see on this map the location, the quake happened about six miles below the sea surface, triggering a tsunami alert in the region. So far, there are no reports of any damage or entries. We will bring you any updates. Also new at noon, another sign of Helene Recovery in western North Carolina.

Norfolk Southern's rail line is now reopened at return to service in McDowell County this weekend. The Old Fork community came out to welcome the first freight train. Some 16 miles of track were severely damaged during the storm 18 months ago. Now to the Sand Hills and we are looking ahead to Fayetteville's annual Dogwood Festival. It's happening this weekend. The festival is celebrating its 44th year. It's a free community event at Festival Park right in downtown featuring classic carnival rides, live performances, and arts and crafts vendors for all ages. The festival runs April 24th through the 26th and ABC 11 is a proud sponsor.

All right, so let's get to meet your all of this Cruz Medina. We got a lot of things. People are starting to get out and about. And the weather's kind of going back and forth and changing. What's going on? Whiplash. That is a great way to describe it. So today, you know, where most areas are only going to be in the 60s, that's a huge change from Saturday.

Saturday when we hit 93. Pool weather. Yeah, it felt like summer, right? Yes. Well, we're going to get back to some warm tipters a little later this week. But for today and tomorrow, it's going to be slightly cooler. So tipters are actually going a little bit below average, which I'll show you in just a moment. But for tonight, we're going all the way down into the 30s and low 40s.

So there will be a frost potential overnight. Keep in mind tonight is a first alert day for that frost potential. And then as we go into the middle of the week, that's where we'll see the tipters rebounding again. We should be back into 80s by Wednesday, and that'll carry into next weekend as well. For today, afternoon highs will be about five degrees below average. By the time we get into tomorrow, six degrees below average, so we could see tipters drop another degree or two tomorrow. And then as we go into Wednesday, we're nearing 10 degrees above average. It'll keep getting warmer as we progress throughout the week.

For this afternoon, though, with these 60s in the forecast, it's nice outside. We have some sunshine right now. We will see the clouds increase as a dry front moves in throughout this afternoon. but still no rain expected. So if you want to get lunch outside today, it's going to feel pretty nice to do so. First, the predictor is showing those clouds in place through the rest of this afternoon.

Now, once those push east and winds are still out of the north overnight with a clear sky, that's what's going to drive our tipters down into the 30s. We'll at least wake up sunny tomorrow and then by the afternoon. Tipter should rebound nicely into the middle and upper 60s with a mostly sunny sky. So all in all, it's a nice break for some of you from the big time heat that we had starting the weekend, but of course feels like a bit of a shock to the system as well.

Back to this evening, if you're heading out to the Canes game tonight as they take on the senators as the playoffs continue. Tipters will be in the mid-60s before the game, 50s as the game is wrapping up. And then tomorrow morning, we should start out, obviously very chilly. You'll probably want a light jacket for the morning hours. And then in the afternoon, middle to upper 60s are expected. Once again, that is below average, but at least we get some sunshine out of it. So overall, a nice day. and then through the middle of the week, Wednesday, as high pressure slides off to our east,

our winds turn back out of the south, and that pushes us back into the 80s, where we'll stay all the way through next weekend. I'll take you outside. This is RDU International. We've got a mostly cloudy sky. Once again, the clouds are going to increase as that front moves in. Tipters are at 66 degrees in the city of Oaks right now. And for tonight, we'll recap this. Tipters are going all the way down into the 30s. So that first alert day is in effect for that frost potential into tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, tipters range from the 60s up north to low 70s down in the sand hills. Your first alert seven-day forecast. This shows that tipters will continue to rise as we go toward the weekend.

So 88 on Friday, thankfully it's a dry heat once again. Saturday also very warm for the ALS walk. And then into Sunday, that's our next best chance of rain. That'll likely be during the second half of the day. So as you plan ahead, there will be plenty of time to get outside. even as we go into next weekend. Back to you. All right. Thank you, Cruz. About seven months after a teen was found dead in a Tesla prosecutors could announce charges in that case today against an R&B singer, we have the details ahead.

And comedian Eddie Murphy receives a special honor. That story new at 1230. And Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram today announcing a first wave of layoffs. That story, two minutes away. There's more to life than finding the perfect car. But finding the perfect car can help you get the most out of life. Like the SUV that handles everything from drop off to off road, and the car that hulls groceries and hockey teams, or the van that's gone from just practical to practically family.

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So you're ready for whatever's next. Learn more about their customizable plans at squareup.com. Happening today, the singer known as David is expected to be arraigned in a Los Angeles courtroom. David Burke will make a court appearance today in connection with the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, her body was found in the trunk of David's Tesla last September, more than a year after she was reported missing in 2024. The girl's family plans to make their first public statement today. Well, today, Mark, the 27th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado.

In 1999, students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold opened fire inside the school, killing 12 students and a teacher before taking their own lives. Investigators later revealed that the pair had planned the assault in advance, recording videos about what they were going to do and apologizing to their parents for it. A memorial now stands beside the school honoring those lost and the lasting impact of that day. The company behind Facebook and Instagram is reportedly planning a new round of layoffs in a month. Reuters says about 10% of META's workforce could be let go May 20th. That is about 8,000 employees who will lose their jobs.

According to Reuters, the layoffs a month from today will be just the first of several rounds of cuts this year. Florida is starting to apparently feel a crunch. The Wall Street Journal says higher costs of living, driven up by partly by ultra wealthy people moving in and out of states with higher taxes, is now forcing middle class workers out of Florida to other states. Population growth is also slowed with fewer people moving to Florida and deaths outnumbering births in that state. The city of Raleigh's water restrictions are now in effect. And brand new here at 1230, DeWong Hogar will explain how local businesses will be impacted. And a family devastated after a deadly shooting left eight children dead, what police are saying about the incident in Louisiana.

And police are forced to respond after some animal activists attempt to break into a dog breeding farm.