ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at Noon - December 15, 2025

Episode Date: December 15, 2025

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Several stories breaking right now at noon, a community on edge, a manhunt underway after authorities released a person of interest in the Brown University mass shooting. Cindy Bay is live with an update on the injured student with ties to Durham. Los Angeles police arresting the son of actor Rob Reiner in connection with the murder of his parents inside their home, what we know about how they were killed. And a court appearance just within the last 90 minutes for the former UNC Rex nurse charged with sexual assault in connection with three patients. it's the news at new. Right now, live coverage from your local news leader, today's top stories you need to know, and your first alert forecast. Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11 eyewitness news. Good Monday afternoon. Thanks for starting your week off with us. I'm Amber Penta. And I'm Barbara Gibbs. A very cold afternoon. After our coldest morning of the year today,

you can see the person here in our video walking their dog, both of them bundled up. The good news is the temperatures will improve get warmer for the rest of the week. Let's get the latest from meteorologist Cruz Medina. Hey, please. Hey there. Yeah, it's nice to know that we have a warm up in the forecast. But today itself, very cold still with temperature is only reaching the mid-30s for highs. Some of you north of Raleigh could even stay in the lower half of the 30s today. But we're going to be closer to 50 tomorrow and in the 50s by the time we get into Wednesday. So we're coming out of the deep freezer. But let's revisit this morning because like we just told you, it was the coldest morning of the year, but also the coldest morning we've had since. it's December 24th of 2022. So that was nearly three years since we've seen a temperature this cold. We got down to 14 at RDU for reference. Our average low this time of the year is about 35 degrees. So this was a significant Arctic blast.

Thankfully it's short-lived. Tipters are still in the 20s at this time. So this is not the feels like temperature. The actual air temperature is in the 20s and it's going to take several more hours for us to reach those 30s for highs. So if you're stepping out to walk the dog, you're stepping out to get lunch soon,

It will be sunny, so we've got that working in your favor, and it's not as windy today, but cold is cold and cold indeed is what we have in the forecast for today. So reaching our highs around 3 p.m. and then tipters come back down into the 20s overnight. So that's where we'll stay. It won't be as cold as last night, but we will still be several degrees below average in those low to mid 20s across Central North Carolina. Now here's how tomorrow shakes out. We're starting out in those 20s in the morning. So just like today, tipters take a while to rise. We've got a lot of sunshine, high tipters top out near 50.

We've got some rain chances in the forecast with that warm up. We'll cover that in your seven-day forecast in just a few minutes. Back to you. Right, Cruz, thank you. Well, it doesn't take long to realize it's dangerously cold as soon as you step outside. Yeah, but imagine if you have to work every day out in these types of elements. Tamara Scott is joining us live. I hope you're staying safe, but I know you spoke to some workers out there, Tamara,

who know the best ways to stay warm. Hey, good afternoon, guys. Well, you know, working in this weather is no joke and the people who are out here doing this all day, they have to be strategic in their work for their health. So the feels like temperatures this afternoon still below freezing in parts of the viewing area, but that doesn't stop the work that has to be done outside. Mostly by construction workers. We stopped by the Elizabeth Street Commerce and Dillard apartments that are under construction. And we saw the workers there are very bundled up. They're wearing several layers with gloves while working. The similar story in Raleigh, where we saw, Street tremors working with their hands, face and necks all bundled up. Now, I'm told that they are working in the very cold varies. They take it working in the cold very seriously because making a mistake can mean if your hands are frozen or shivering, it can be very dangerous. We stopped by Ace Hardware this morning who told us supplies to keep workers warm. Have they been flying off the shelves?

Things like hand warmers, hats and gloves are top sellers. Manager told me that he's glad they stocked up last week. There's a combo most of the time. It's either the warm gloves or they're getting two and three packs of the 10 packs of hand warmers to give out the guys. A lot of landscaper crews and owners have come in this morning just grabbing the shelves to give them to their guys. I've been in this community my whole life and so it's good to have the stuff in stock at the right time to help out. And he also said that the faucet covers and heaters have also been top sellers, all things to help keep your home safe and warm. Back to you. Tamara Scott live in Durham for us. Tamara, thank you.

But as we deal with this Arctic Air, you should take a moment to download the ABC11 app. You can stay up to date on current weather conditions. You can also check the seven-day forecast and our first alert, Doppler net there at any time. And breaking now here at noon, the town of Kerry calling an emergency meeting tonight to appoint and swear in an interim town manager. It comes as the current town manager, Sean Stiegel, is on administrative leave after questions about his use of town money. Reports uncovered by the ABC 11I team showed a nearly $2,500 hotel bill for an 8.00. AI conference in Boston at another conference in Texas. Stiegel opted out of other hotel town leaders were staying at and chose a more expensive

one instead. Eyewitness News working to learn what comes next for Stiegel and the town will be at tonight's meeting at 5 o'clock at Carrie Town Hall. So look for updates this evening on eyewitness news. Also breaking right now at noon the manhunt underway to find the gunmen who killed two students and wounded nine others at Brown University in Rhode Island, a person of interest being released overnight. Police say they do not have enough evidence to keep him detained or to prosecute.

Right now, this is the only video of the possible suspect. We now know one of the injured students, Kendall Turner, is a former student at Durham Academy. Her family says she's in critical but stable condition. Cindy Bay is joining us live with more on this. Cindy, I understand you talk to the president of the Brown alumni group of the triangle. Yes, I did, Amber. And we are continuing to hear reactions from the community across the triangle who either have ties to the injured student. Kendall Turner who is from Durham and Brown University in Rhode Island.

Now Turner was one of the injured students in the mass shooting at Brown University Saturday. Her parents are at the hospital with her and eyewitness news is working to get in touch with them to hear more about her condition. But meanwhile, we're hearing from reactions from Brown alumni here in the Triangle. We were just shocked and heartbroken and horrified. I mean, it happened in a building that I spent time in last year. Actually, I was back for a reunion. So you could just put yourself right in the spot.

And just I'm so very sad for all the students and the whole community. That says in part our thoughts and prayers are with Kendall, her family and all members of the Brown University community. this incredibly difficult time. Our school community is rallying around Kendall, her classmates, and her loved ones, and we will continue to offer our full support in the days ahead. So we are working to learn more about Kendall Turner, plus hearing more reactions from the community, and we'll bring you the latest ahead on eyewitness news this evening in Raleigh, Cindy Bay. ABC 11 eyewitness news.

Cindy, thank you. And more breaking news at this hour. Police have now arrested the son of actor Rob Reiner and his wife in the couple's murder. A couple stabbed to death. 32-year-old Nick Reiner's bail has been set at $4 million. Here's ABC's Melissa Adon with the breaking details. Mourner's laying flowers at the Hollywood Boulevard star of filmmaker Rob Reiner. After the shocking news that he and his wife, Michelle Singer, a photographer, were found stabbed to death in their Los Angeles home Sunday afternoon.

The Los Angeles Police Department is now conducting an investigation at this residence here on Chadbourne. and that investigation will continue over the coming days. According to ABC News sources, Reiner's son, 32-year-old Nick Reiner, is in police custody and booked on suspicion of murder. The son of comedy icon Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner, first rose to fame in the 70s, playing the son-in-law to Archie Bunker on the hit sitcom All in the Family. It looks like we lost the daughter, but we came to meet it. After the iconic show ended, Reiner turned to direct.

acting, making his debut with the 1984 mockumentary. This is Spinal Tap. Appearing just this year on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote the sequel in character as the film's director. I was just lucky enough to be the one chosen to document it. His other hit movies include The Princess Bride, Stand By Me, Misery, When Harry Met Sally. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. And a few good men. You can't handle the truth.

In addition to his work in film, Reiner also was heavily involved in environmental causes and democratic politics. I grew up in a house where, you know, we talked about civil rights, and they were both against the war in Vietnam. And those kind of things were talked about in my house all the time. Melissa Adon, ABC News, Los Angeles. New at noon, a court appearance today for the former UNC. Rex nurse accused of sexually assaulting patients. Today's hearing focused on new charges after a third victim accused Brian Alvarez Ortiz of assault. Authorities say the victims were sedated and recovering from surgery. The judge today ordering Alvarez Ortiz to be held without bond.

His next court appearance is set for December 31st. Raleigh, police are investigating a man and woman after they were found dead at an apartment complex. Police responded to Foxwood apartment shortly after three Sunday afternoon near 540 in Fox Road in North Raleigh. Police found a woman and a man both shot to death inside in her. apartment unit. Police are still working to find out the circumstances surrounding the shooting and if and how the two victims knew each other. Now to the latest in the decades-long debate over public school funding in North Carolina. Educators and parents pushing back today against the state Supreme Court for not taking up the Leandro school funding case before the end of the

year. Sean Coffey is live outside the state Supreme Court with the latest on this. Sean, good afternoon. Currently there is no date scheduled for the courts to act on Leandro, but after the courts opted not to take it up last week, the earliest date at this point they could possibly do so would be at the end of January of 2026. And that marks one of the longest stretches in state history between arguments and a decision for a case. The state courts have not taken up Leandro since February of 2024 when they heard oral arguments from Republican lawyers challenging an earlier ruling that the courts can order money to be spent on public schools.

The case dates all the way back to 1994 when five low wealth school districts attempted to get more state funding. In 2021, a Superior Court Judge ordered the state to transfer more than a billion dollars towards an eight-year plan developed by a consultant to provide public school students with high-quality teachers and principals. That amount since has been reduced, but payments have been challenged along party lines for the last three years without a ruling. This morning, parents and advocates called on the courts to act. only had half the fifth grade teachers it needed. And I know exactly how frightening this is.

My daughter didn't have a teacher for nearly half of this past school year. And before that, she went through most of kindergarten without a teacher. And we are still working to close the gaps in her education because of it. Republican lawyers have argued that only the General Assembly and not the courts under the state constitution

have the authority to order the payout of state dollars. Without a full state budget, however, education advocates have said that it is unlikely that any additional funding would be allocated for public schools here in North Carolina. It's a case, of course, we'll continue to stay on top of. We're live in Raleigh, Sean Coffey, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Sean, thank you. Well, now that the holiday season is underway, the annual Boos It and Luzit campaign kicks off in our state today. Raleigh mayor, Janet Cowell, also taking part in today's event. The state says authorities in all 100 counties will increase patrols and suppresses.

variety checkpoints to try to catch impaired driver. The drivers, the campaign runs through January the 4th to make sure North Carolina roads are safe for the holiday season from Christmas until the new year. A jet blue pilot describes his close call with a US military plane that was flying with its transponder turned off. New at 1230, the pilot describes the near miss.

And breaking right now, a jury has reached a verdict in the trial of a Massachusetts man charged with murdering his wife and disposing of her body. That story, two minutes away. And a woman who ordered a way driverless car discovers a man in the trunk. We'll explain what happened. Now to breaking new developments in the murder trial of Brian Walsh. He is a Massachusetts man accused of killing and dismembering his wife around New Year's Day in 2023. The jury finding Walsh guilty of first-degree

murder just within the last 30 minutes. He now faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors believe that Walsh dismembered. and disposed of his wife's body, which was never found. Well, now to an update on the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. Ukraine's president, Vladimir Zelensky, says that he is willing to drop his country's bid for NATO membership in exchange for Western security guarantees. Zelensky held talks with U.S. envoys in Berlin yesterday, adding that his country will not cede any territory to Russia.

Russia, in the meantime, launching a large-scale attack on Ukraine, causing power outages. Zelensky stressed the need for peace and on fair terms. and highlighted ongoing diplomatic efforts. Well, police in Colorado uncover what they believe is new evidence in the Jean-Bene Ramsey case. That's a six-year-old girl who was found murdered inside her home in 1996. That story in two minutes. And Ticketmaster set to face a class action lawsuit for allegedly overcharging customers. This could impact anyone who bought concert tickets since 2010.

Colorado investigators say they have new evidence in the John Bonnet Ramsey case. The 1996 murder of the Child Beauty Queen and her childhood home has captivated the public for decades now. In their yearly update on the case, Boulder police say they have collected and tested new evidence. However, they did not release information about that evidence. Police say they have conducted several new interviews based on tips. They have also re-interviewed some people tied to the investigation. Investigators say the Ramsey Cold case is still a top priority for the department. Well, Ticketmaster is headed to court.

A judge has ruled that it will have to face a class action lawsuit on behalf of millions of Americans. Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, are accused of charging millions of people unfairly priced tickets to events at major U.S. concert venues. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission and several states are seeking 15 years of alleged damages tied to the sale of more than 400 million tickets since 2010. Happening today, public tickets go on sale for NC states. in Brazil. The Wolfpack will take on Virginia, August 29th of next year in Rio de Janeiro. Sports revenue firm, athlete advantage says that both schools were selected for this international game based on brand reach, competitive profile, and audience interest. Today's tickets will be available on Ticketmaster. All right, it's going to be cold tonight as NC State Soccer plays for a national

championship. The Wolfpack men's team is taking on Washington and the College Cup finals. This is after beating St. Louis in the semifinals on Friday. Tonight's game starts at 7 o'clock. at Wake Med Soccer Park and Carrie and all those state fans saying, go back. Mm-hmm. They're like one over there. A great day to be an NC State alum. Yeah. I was excited for the game Friday because my son goes to St. Louis.

Oh, yeah? Yeah. Okay. Well. But they didn't win. So, oh, call. Well, it's obviously been really cold around here. It was a bit of a struggle to even get out of bed this morning, but just how cold it was.

But we're seeing in improving conditions. So that's what we have to look forward to, not only for today, but really through the middle of the week. as well. So today's tipters are only in the 30s. So yes, it's still going to be cold. It's just not going to be as harsh as what we saw early this morning. And then by the time we get into tomorrow and Wednesday, those days will feature highs around 50 or even in the 50s. 60s by Thursday, but Thursday night rain arrives and that's going to knock us back into the 50s. So if we check on the tipters outside right now, these are the feels like tipter. So this is taking into account the wind. And thankfully, it's not as gusty as it was yesterday evening or last

night, but still seeing those feels like tipters in the 20s for most of Central North Carolina right now. So let's see how that compares to the rest of the country. It is definitely colder to our north, but that's kind of what you expect this time of the year. The Great Lakes region kind of taking the brunt of this Arctic air mass, but improvement for most of the country is expected in the coming days. Now like I mentioned, it's not as gusty out there. We've only seen top gusts in the teens today. Through this afternoon, those wind gusts will come down even more to about 10 miles per hour at peak. So it's going to feel a little better this afternoon with tipters rise against the 30s. You'll obviously want to be bundled up. Tipters do make it into the

mid 30s for highs in the triangle. Lots of sunshine for today. And then as we go forward in time, we will see those tipters warm up a little bit more throughout tomorrow. So here's first alert predictor through this afternoon. Like I said, mid 30s, we're at least going to have sunshine today. So we have that working for us and less breezy conditions. Now into this evening, we cool down quickly. We're going all the way down into the 20s again tonight, so it won't be as cold as last night and definitely not as windy, but still a cold night ahead. We will have a few clouds moving through at times tonight and then by tomorrow afternoon. Once again, warmer, but lots of sunshine in the forecast as we go through your Tuesday. So soak that up because some other days this

week aren't going to be as sunny like Wednesday and Thursday. So tomorrow from start to finish, a pretty chilly day. Temperatures are still below average even for the afternoon highs, but in the triangle and point south, you have a chance of at least hitting 50 degrees tomorrow. Other areas will stay in those middle to upper 40s. Overall, some improvements compared to what we saw yesterday evening and this morning. So today, still bright and cold, sunny and warmer, though, as we go into Tuesday. Wednesday, that features the middle to upper 50s for highs. Then by Thursday, that's the warmest day of the week.

That's going to feel like spring. We have a breezy south wind pushing our highs into the low 60s. but overnight Thursday, we actually see that rain move in, so you'll want to keep that in mind. That'll move out early Friday, so Friday might start off damp. Tipters are in the 50s then, but by the end of next weekend, heading into the winter solstice. Tipters will actually be in the mid-60s. That's the official start of winter, although it feels like it's already here. Cruz, thanks.

The new steps being taken by the state of South Carolina to lower the spread of the measles outbreak. That's where we new at 1230. And tough news for the makers of the Roomba vacuum. cleaner, they're filing for bankruptcy. And terror strikes Australia. Fifteen people are killed when a father-son duo allegedly opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration. One man who wrestled one of the guns away is being called a hero. Well, now to the targeted attack in Australia, at least 15 people are dead and 42 injured when officials say two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at a popular beach. The suspects now being identified as a father and son.

Faith Aboube has more. A horror and heartbreak here in Australia as the entire nation tries to make sense of what happened. This is the worst mass shooting in this country in nearly 30 years. And authorities say it was a targeted act of terrorism on the Jewish community. The chaos unfolding here Sunday evening,

beachgoers running for their lives in the middle of the gunfire. Police say a father and son targeted the crowd of Jewish people during a celebration to mark the first day of Hanukkah. At least 15 people were killed and 42 others were injured, including children and the elderly. A bystander now being held as a hero after he rushed one of the gunmen and pried the weapon from his hands. Police say they shot and killed one of the suspects.

The other one is in critical condition. And tributes were pouring in from all over the world. Here in Australia, take a look. A menorah was projected onto the Sydney Opera House to honor the victims. As for the suspects, authorities say one of them was a licensed gun owner with six firearms. They have not yet revealed a motive. Faith Aboube, ABC News, Sydney, Australia. Faith, thank you.

A suspect is still on the loose following that mass shooting at Brown University that left two students dead, nine others injured just ahead. We have an update on the investigation. A jet blue pilot describes the moment. He saw a military plane in its path. We'll explain what caused this close call. Thank you.