Quantcast
Channel: Top Stories
Viewing all 12140 articles
Browse latest View live

All Aboard Florida unveils new train service renderings

$
0
0

Construction was well underway in downtown Miami Monday morning as All Aboard Florida unveiled renderings for its new train service.

The passenger-rail service will connect riders from Miami to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. As indicated by the vibrant renderings, the line will be called Brightline and was inspired by the South Florida landscape.

"I think it will give a sense of, 'This was really designed for me and of how we live in the 21st century,'" David Rockwell, founder of the Rockwell Group, said.

The downtown Miami station, or Miami Central, spans 9 acres, which is about six city blocks. The design is aimed at providing a great experience rather than just transportation.

"(It will be) much more convenient, much more comfortable and taking you away from what you normally associate with the commute process down here," All Aboard Florida President Michael Reininger said. 

Miami-Dade County commissioners and community leaders were in attendance as Mayor Carlos Gimenez received the first Brightline boarding pass. He also said the new rail will improve the commuter experience.

"We'll be able to shift some of the public transportation. Some of the local transportation options that we have, like Tri-Rail, will be able to shift to that new corridor," Gimenez said. "There's about a million people that live over there in about half a mile of that corridor up and down here, Broward and West Palm Beach, so it gives more options."

All Aboard Florida has not released its prices, but said boarding passes will be comparable to what it costs to drive a car to a final destination.

Train service is expected to open by the middle of 2017.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10


Gator dines on python at Fla. golf course

$
0
0

It's doubtful that Disney would include this moment in an upcoming "Lion King" sequel, but one golfer recently caught an up-close look at the Circle of Life during a round on the links.

The Classics Country Club at the Lely Resort in Naples posted on its Facebook site an incredible nature picture of an alligator dining on a large python.

In the post, the club credits member Pat Aydellot for the photo, although Aydellot was playing on a different course at the time.

The club gives Aydellot a good ribbing in the caption, asking whether he could get a little closer to the feast next time so that the picture isn't so grainy.

WFTX in Naples spoke to Kathy Worley of the Conservatory of Southwest Florida who said the alligator was doing a good service by ridding the state of the invasive python species.

"Anything that removes one python from the equation - especially if it was a female, for example - is a good thing," Worley told the station.

BSO says passenger jumped off cruise ship after fight with partner

$
0
0

Investigators have determined that a man who went overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship Friday jumped off after a fight with his partner.

Broward Sheriff's Office homicide detectives are reinforcing what Royal Caribbean has maintained all along -- that a passenger on the Oasis of the Seas jumped off the seventh deck of the ship early Friday morning.

An attorney for the husband of Bernardo Elbaz, whom BSO spokeswoman Gina Carter identified as Bernardo Garcia Teixeira, 31, claimed that he fell off the ship after a heated altercation with the ship's security staff.

"Royal Caribbean is saying this was a domestic dispute and a suicide," attorney Michael Winkleman said at a news conference Saturday. "It was anything but that."

Winkleman said Royal Caribbean security guards got into an altercation with Garcia Teixeira in his cabin in the moments before he fell off the balcony. Winkleman said Garcia Teixeira was taunted by Royal Caribbean crew members at a bar on the ship late Thursday night because he was gay.

"I can see how from the media perspective Royal Caribbean would rather (take a position that) this is the scenario where someone jumped overboard rather than something directly implicating their security staff," Winkleman said.

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said in a statement that the security staff was called to the passenger's room after a neighboring guest complained about a domestic dispute on the balcony. Martinez said the domestic dispute was loud enough to be heard from several staterooms away.

"The room was in a state of disarray, and both lamps in the room had been broken," she said. "Our officers interviewed the guests separately about their dispute, as is standard procedure. The officers were not in the room when the guest chose to jump off his balcony."

Family of man who fell overboard blames cruise line

Carter said detectives reviewed video evidence of the couple's interactions with the ship's security in which Garcia Teixeira can be heard saying that he was planning to jump overboard. In the recording, Garcia Teixeira can be seen running to the balcony alone. It also shows his partner, Erik Elbaz, 34, run after him, followed by the ship's security.

However, Elbaz told reporters Monday that there was never a dispute between the men.

"The cruise line has blood on their hands, and those workers have blood on their hands," Elbaz said.

Elbaz said the taunts from Royal Caribbean employees infuriated his husband.

"He was completely inconsolable," Elbaz said.

Carter said Garcia Teixeira jumped from the seventh-floor balcony and struck a metal support for a lifeboat on the fifth deck. He clung to the ship as staff members tried to rescue him, but he fell into the water moments later.

"Our officers responded professionally and appropriately to the incident in the stateroom," Martinez said. "In addition, other security officers and crew risked their own lives in an attempt to rescue the guest from the lifeboat rigging where he had fallen."

Cellphone video from another passenger on the cruise ship captured Elbaz screaming for help.

"Bernardo was holding on for his life," Elbaz said. "He was reaching out for assistance."

Elbaz said he and his husband recorded cellphone video moments before Garcia Teixeira went overboard, proving that they were upset about their treatment by the crew.

"Bernardo did not need to die," Elbaz said.

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for Garcia Teixeira on Saturday, the same day that the ship returned to Port Everglades.

Follow Amy Viteri on Twitter @TVAmyViteri

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

2 killed in crash involving car, bicycle in Miami

$
0
0

Miami police say two people were killed Monday in a crash involving a car and a bicycle on NW 12th Avenue at 53rd Street.

Investigation showed that a black Nissan Infiniti was speeding southbound on NW 12th Avenue when it hit a bicyclist in the intersection of 54th Street. The Infinity dragged the bicyclist to NW 53rd Street and slammed into a tree, bursting into flames.

The driver of the car and the bicyclist were both pronounced dead at the scene. Police said several people tried to help the driver of the Infiniti, but the flames were too intense.

Miami police say the car was stolen out of Sunny Isles Beach. Speed was a factor in the crash, according to officials.

The investigation into this crash is ongoing.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Jury selected in Derek Medina murder trial

$
0
0

The jury has been selected for the Derek Medina murder trial, and proceedings are set to resume Tuesday morning.

Medina, 33, is accused of killing his wife in August 2013 and posting a picture of her corpse on Facebook. His attorney claims he shot the woman in self-defense.

[RELATED: Many looks of Derek Medina]

Defense attorney Saam Zangeneh said he will introduce evidence that Alfonso, 27, abused drugs, battered her husband and was involved in Satan worship. Prosecutors said testimony about the victim must be limited.

Other evidence shows that Medina was an accomplished boxer with little to fear from his wife.

Medina faces life in prison if convicted.

Police said that after the shooting, Medina uploaded a photo of Alfonso's body to Facebook.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Many looks of Derek Medina slideshow embed

Brush fire reported at C.B. Smith Park

$
0
0

Firefighters extinguished a brush fire at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines.

Sky 10 was above the park at 900 N. Flamingo Road shortly before 4:30 p.m. Monday as heavy smoke filled the air.

The fire did not appear to be threatening any structures.

A Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue representative said the fire started in a pile of yard rubbish, but it's unclear what caused the fire.

Authorities said they would be monitoring the area for about an hour to make sure there are no lingering hot spots.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Cuban entrepreneurs find opportunity in Trinidad

$
0
0

At certain corners of Trinidad, the most authentic colonial city in Cuba, time appears to have stopped. The shadows of the Spanish conquistadors of the early 16th century and the wealthy sugar plantation owners of the 19th century attract tourists from all over the world.

Before dying on 1864, Jose Mariano Borrell built the Brunet palace in 1812. It is now the Museo Romantico.  About a year later, Franciscan monks built a Roman Catholic convent. It now houses the Museo de Lucha Contra Bandidos, which leans in favor of Fidel Castro.

Despite the "anti-imperialism" spirit of the tourist site, Raul Castro's economic reforms have prompted Cuban entrepreneurs to give the foreigners a warm welcome. Apo Buran said he can feel their hospitality. He traveled to Trinidad all the way from Turkey.

"They are from the heart," Buran said. "They're very gentle. They're very lovely."

INTERACTIVE: Meet the most photographed man in Trinidad

Jesus Calunga and Yoelsy Ramirez are some of the hundreds of Cubans living in Trinidad, who are doing their best to get a cut out of the thriving tourism industry.

Calunga lives in one of the 1,216 authentic colonial homes with terracotta clay-tiled roofs. He is at one of the ancient cobbled streets that meet at the plaza Mayor de Trinidad. Two years ago, he started to rent a room on the second floor for $30 to $40 a night. There are at least 800 homes that have opened their doors to foreigners.

"It's a good business, and it's a beautiful business," Calunga said.

He added that "private homes are of great importance to the hospitality industry, which is the most important in the country."

Calunga sells breakfast to foreigners who stay at his home, but tourists also have access to about 100 "paladares," which are licensed family-owned restaurants. There are also art galleries and hundreds of street vendors.

PRIVATE BUSINESS: 'El Paladar del Gordo' faces challenges

Ramirez is one of the many women who sell handmade jewelry made out of seeds and seashells. She is a "cuentapropista," a licensed freelance worker, and like Calunga, her income depends on the seasonal tourism industry. She pays the government a monthly registration fee.

"For me, it would be impossible  to say that this year I'm going to work and I am going to buy a motorcycle," said Ramirez, a mother of two.

Ramirez added that although she wishes that her income would increase, she has no aspirations of "becoming a millionaire."

UNESCO: Trinidad

Local 10 News producer Michelle Lacamoire and photojournalist Mario Alonso contributed to this report.

Follow Local 10 News reporter Hatzel Vela on Twitter @HatzelVela

Suspicious item found at Miami International Airport deemed safe, FBI says

$
0
0

Officials investigated reports of a suspicious item found at Miami International Airport on Monday evening.

The FBI said just before 5 p.m. a passenger went through security, where a suspicious item was found in his carry-on bag.

MIA spokesman Greg Chin said people were evacuated from Checkpoint 2 and 3 at Terminal D on Monday afternoon as authorities investigated.

He said passengers were still able to access the far west and east ends of Concourse D via Checkpoint 1 and the Concourse E checkpoint during the evacuation.

The passenger, who was scheduled to be on American Airlines flight 2393, was questioned and his bag was searched. The FBI said the item in his bag initially thought to be suspicious was deemed safe.

All checkpoints were reopened Monday night.

Airport officials said traffic was also closed on the upper drive for departures, and all vehicles were diverted to the lower drive. All airport roadways that was closed during the investigation were reopened and operations at the airport returned to normal.

MIA officials said a total of 22 arriving flights and 28 departing flights were delayed by the investigation.

The FBI said the passenger investigated was cooperative. He does not face any charges.

Watch Local 10 News and refresh Local10.com for updates.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10


Preview: Mount St. Mary's at Maryland

$
0
0

Maryland coach Mark Turgeon was on the hot seat after a 17-15 season in 2013-14 followed by five player transfers, but along came freshman Melo Trimble, a school-record tying 28 wins and a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. With the addition of 6-11 freshman center Diamond Stone, like Trimble another likely future lottery pick, the expectations are even higher this season for the third-ranked team in the country as the Terrapins host Mount St. Mary's in the season opener for both teams.Trimble, the Big Ten's preseason Player of the Year, led Maryland in scoring (16.2), assists (106), steals (44) and 3-pointers (61) last season and decided to return for his sophomore season instead of going to the NBA. Stone, who led his Wisconsin high school to four consecutive state titles and averaged 24.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and three blocks as a senior, now has the pundits talking national title with ESPN even placing the Terrapins at No. 1 in its preseason power rankings. "(Stone's) got a great feel, right, left hand hooks," Turgeon told reporters. "He can shoot to 15 feet, tremendous passer. Defensively, he's going to have to really improve, but he's a talent and he's going to help us win a lot of games." Mount St. Mary's is hoping to win a lot of games as well under fourth-year coach Jamion Christian, as the media made the Mountaineers the preseason favorite in the Northeast Conference.TV: 7 p.m. ET, Big Ten NetworkABOUT MOUNT ST. MARY'S (2014-15: 15-15): Senior forward Gregory Graves averaged 10.1 points and 7.4 rebounds last year while junior guard BK Ashe averaged a team-high 11.9 points off the bench, hitting on 36 percent of his 150 attempts beyond the arc. Taylor Danaher, a 7-0 senior center (4.5 points) and the only starter over 6-7, will likely get the chore of matching up with Stone on the inside. The Mountaineers like a slower pace, holding opponents to 64.8 points last year, but they shot just 40 percent from the floor - tied for 303rd in the nation.ABOUT MARYLAND (2014-15: 28-7): The Terrapins must replace Dez Wells' 15.1 points per game and his leadership, but they are adding quality transfers in Robert Carter, a 6-9 bruiser, and shooting guard Rasheed Sulaimon. Carter, who averaged 10.5 points and 7.4 rebounds in two years at Georgia Tech, will allow 6-9 stretch-four Jake Layman (12.5 points, 5.8 rebounds) to move to small forward, while Sulaimon will try to fit in with his new teammates after being dismissed from Duke last season. Maryland is also gritty on defense, allowing opponents to shoot only 39.5 percent overall last season and just 31.9 percent beyond the arc.TIP-INS1. Stone had 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting in 17 minutes while Carter added 12 points and 10 rebounds in a 91-55 exhibition victory over Southern New Hampshire last week.2. Trimble finished third in the nation in free throws made last season (207) and his 568 points rank second behind Joe Smith on Maryland's freshman single-season scoring list.3. Maryland sophomore G Dion Wiley (4.1 points), who hoped to challenge Sulaimon for playing time on the wing, underwent knee surgery in preseason and is expected to miss four months.PREDICTION: Maryland 80, Mount St. Mary's 56

Sex offenders in your neighborhood

$
0
0

Find registered sex offenders in your neighborhood.

Republican presidential candidates tackle foreign, domestic issues

$
0
0

GOP presidential candidates tackled foreign and domestic issues in Milwaukee Tuesday.

Woman surprised to find huge snake in her backyard

$
0
0

Imagine walking outside to find a huge snake in your backyard. Judy Tortoriello said that, like most, it freaked her out.

"Why my house?" she asked.

A neighbor gave her the heads up that there was a pretty big slithery surprise waiting for her out there. So, naturally, she called for help, worried for her cats more than anything.

"It's scary that they can hurt a cat," Tortoriello said.

Miami fire rescue responded to her home and reached out to Miami-Dade fire's venom one unit. Together they worked to get the big snake out. And they'll be the first to tell you that it wasn't easy to do.

Crews were able to bag the big snake. It'll be transported to fish and wildlife. Tortoriello said she's relieved, but worries there are more out there.

Learn the importance of heart health at all ages

$
0
0

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America for both men and women, but in many cases those deaths could be prevented.

Santander family continues to run 'Casa Chichi' pottery house in Cuba

$
0
0

The Spanish colonialists' unglazed bricks, and roof and floor tiles are still visible in Cuba, and the influence of the Muslim Spain's pottery techniques, which continued under Christian rule, live at the Santander family workshop in the Cuban town of Trinidad.

A Spanish family ran the Taller Santander, which their Cuban descendants later renamed El Taller del Alfarero. In 1962, the Cuban government took over the business. But the Santader family didn't leave.

The workshop remains at Calle Andres Berro, between Streets Abel Santa Maria and Ruben Batista, but it is now known as "Casa Chichi." It's named after Daniel "Chichi" Santander, whose great-grandfather Rogelio Santander founded the workshop.

TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUE - The raw clay is allowed to dry under the sun.  - It's then broken down into a powder that when mixed with water is easier to clean. The mix is strained thorough a mesh to get rid of stones and roots. - The clay is beat into submission and rolled into pellets that are easier to mold. - The use of coils is rare due to the centrifugal force of the mechanical potter's wheel, which sped up the artisan production. - After the piece is dried and polished, the pottery is enameled with metallic oxides.

Chichi Santander is a member of a national association of potters. Cuban officials respect his expertise. They have invited him to travel abroad, as a cultural representative. If the U.S. embargo is lifted, he said he hopes to be able to visit his granddaughter who lives in Miami.

"I think now we are going to go," he said. "I think they (Cuban President Raul Castro and U.S. President Obama) are moving forward with the negotiations."

They are celebrities in Trinidad and their work is known nationwide. There are vases that his grandfather made that are still on display in Trinidad's Plaza Mayor. He said there are some at the Teatro Marti, a historic theater under renovation next to the Capitol in Havana.

Some members of the family have earned a national award that recognizes the talent of artisan masters. While tourists from all over the world buy their pottery pieces, some of their artistic tiles have also ended up framed at restaurants and hotels.

Santander said that although every generation has made improvements, they remain faithful to tradition. They still use clay that is taken from caves and their kiln is not electric. It still requires wood.

Although they have new items and new colors and textures, there are items that have sold for generations. Many members of the Santander family have made the workshop's most popular terracotta cups, which are used to serve the traditional "Canchanchara" -- a honey, lime and white rum cocktail that was invented in Trinidad.

Trinidad cocktail

Local 10 News producer Michelle Lacamoire and photojournalist Mario Alonso also contributed to this story.

Follow Local 10 News reporter Hatzel Vela on Twitter @HatzelVela

Casilda's fishing community continues to feed Cuban seafood exports

$
0
0

For many generations on the island's southern Caribbean region, Cuban divers have been after the high-valued spiny lobster -- the economic backbone of the town's fishing industry.

Juan Manuel Jimenez lives in the province of Sancti Spiritus in the seaside town of Casilda. He used to dive for lobster, which is sold whole, in frozen form and in frozen meat/tails. But his health no longer allows it. He suffers from high-blood pressure, he said.

"I am the son of a fisherman," Jimenez said. "I'm a fisherman, I was a fisherman and I will always be a fisherman."

Although he no longer dives, Jimenez continues to go out fishing off of the port of Casilda. In the near-shore waters, there is also shrimp, reef fish, sponges, mackerels, billfish and tunas.

Casilda

A fleet of colorful unsophisticated small boats feeds the domestic market and the tourism industry. They are part of a network that feeds the demand for Cuban fishery products, which according to Cuba's Caribex recent report was expected to reach $70 million.

Jimenez and others sell the tropical seafood to the government, which runs one of the country's  14 large processing plants for lobster, shrimp, canned tuna and fish in Casilda. Some of Cuba's regular clients, according to Caribex, are Pescafina and Pescanova from Europe and Maruha Michiru, from Japan.

According to a University of Florida overview of the industry, the other large plants were in La Coloma, Isla de la Juventud, Batabano, La Habana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Caribarien, Santa Cruz del Sur, Niquero, Manzanillo, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo and Nuevitas. There are 20 smaller processing facilities.

AGRICULTURE: Tobacco growers in Pinar del Rio hope U.S. embargo is lifted

Casilda is part of the Ministry of the Fishing Industry's shrimp zone. The high-quality seafood is exported to Asia, Europe and North America. The major markets for spiny-lobster are Japan, France, Spain, Italy and Canada.  But the production appeared to have been declining.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the lack of fuel was fatal for large fleet operations, but small boats continued to come in and out of the port. Casilda is a resilient town. Since its founding in 1808, the town has been the target of pirates, economic crisis, wars, flooding and hurricanes.

Hurricanes destroyed it in 1825 and 1837. But U.S. businessmen Federico Freeman and James Fate didn't give up on the town and built a railroad from the port to Trinidad. It was completed in 1856.

The village was part of the original province of Santa Clara, which was divided July 3, 1976 into the current provinces of Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus. Records show the first effort to regulate fishery in Cuba was in March 3, 1900. From 1992 to 1994, Cuban seafood exports declined, but that didn't keep Casilda's population from growing.

Jimenez is one of about 6,200 who reside in the town. About 36,000 live on what is known today as the Consejo Popular de Casilda, a municipality. Diving for lobster used to keep him out at sea for a week or 10 days. Now he goes out for a day or two.

"What is difficult about being a fisherman is the time that you spend away from home," Jimenez said.

Humberto Arriola, 41, agrees. He said he has been fishing since he was a child and has no intention of changing his ways.

"It gives us enough to eat. It gives us to live and to maintain the boat," Arriola said. "As always, we can fend for ourselves."

Casilda

Local 10 News producer Michelle Lacamoire and photojournalist Mario Alonso contributed to this story.

Follow Local 10 News reporter Hatzel Vela on Twitter @HatzelVela


Weston child seriously burned by candles at his home

$
0
0

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue said a child in Weston was seriously burned Tuesday evening at his home.

Officials responded to a call at the child's home and found about 15 candles burning on the front porch. The boy was inside being cooled off in the shower.

Family members said the child's clothes caught fire because of the candles, causing second-degree burns on 30 percent of his body.

The child was airlifted to Broward Health Medical Center in serious condition.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Truck split in half after crashing into Davie apartment building

$
0
0

Police are working to remove a white pickup truck that slammed into an apartment in Davie Tuesday afternoon.

The crash was reported about 5:30 p.m. at 8512 Old Country Manor.

Sky 10 was above the scene, showing the truck partially split in half by a support beam. It's appears that the driver crashed into the lower part of the beam, causing it to break.

A neighbor told Local 10 News that the driver hit the pillar, backed up striking another car and then struck the pillar again.

A Davie Fire Rescue representative said the driver of the truck was taken to a hospital as a trauma alert. They said he had low blood sugar, which may have caused him to crash.

Six residents have been displaced as a result of the crash.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Device believed to be pipe bomb at JM Lexus in Coconut Creek a toy, officials say

$
0
0

The Broward Sheriff's Office bomb squad gave the all clear Tuesday night after inspecting what was reported as a suspicious device at JM Lexus at 5401 W. Sample Road.

Officials were called after reports were made of a device located inside a recently traded in vehicle. As a mechanic was conducting a routine inspection of the car he saw what he described to be a pipe bomb in the trunk.

Coconut police evacuated the area and blocked off adjoining roads as the bomb squad investigated

Officials made contact with the owner of the car, John Gosney, of Deerfield Beach, who said the device was a "prop-toy."

The BSO bomb squad cleared the device and confirmed the device was in fact not real.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Woman barricades herself, child in West Park home

$
0
0

The Broward Sheriff's Office said a West Park woman who was barricaded inside a home with a child on Miami Gardens Road has been taken into custody.

Deputies were called to the home after the father reported his wife was going to hurt their 3-year-old child.

BSO officials said the woman, who has not been identified, shot at deputies, but none were hurt.

Authorities said the woman was initially barricaded inside and making threats to hurt herself and her young child, but eventually released the child unharmed.

SWAT was called to the scene. They broke down the front door and used tear gas, according to officials.

Six neighboring homes were evacuated during the standoff.

No other details were immediately released.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Video shows cruise ship jumper speaking to security

$
0
0

An attorney for the husband of a man who went overboard on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship is showing cellphone video that he claims proves the ship's security staff was taunting them because of their sexuality.

The video shows Bernardo Garcia Teixeira, 31, speaking to a security guard inside his room.

"I'm not a pedophile," Garcia Teixeira is heard telling a security guard in the video. "I have a husband, OK? I record everywhere I go except the casino because it's against international law…there's no law that you can’t shoot."

Garcia Teixeira's partner Erik Elbaz said the filmmaker was recording the incident because employees were harassing them and calling them "lipstick." He said employees also called Garcia Teixeira a pedophile for filming his experiences on the ship.

Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Gina Carter said Teixeira jumped off the seventh deck of the Oasis of the Seas early Friday morning after a domestic dispute with his partner.

Carter said detectives reviewed video evidence of the couple's interactions with the ship's security in which Garcia Teixeira can be heard saying that he was planning to jump overboard. In the recording, Garcia Teixeira can be seen running to the balcony alone. It also shows Erik Elbaz, 34, run after him, followed by the ship's security.

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said in a statement that the security staff was called to the passenger's room after a neighboring guest complained about a domestic dispute on the balcony. Martinez said the domestic dispute was loud enough to be heard from several staterooms away.

"The room was in a state of disarray, and both lamps in the room had been broken," she said. "Our officers interviewed the guests separately about their dispute, as is standard procedure. The officers were not in the room when the guest chose to jump off his balcony."

Michael Winkleman, who represents Elbaz, said it was not a suicide attempt because Garcia Teixeira was trying to hold on. Winkleman claims Garcia Teixeira went over the balcony as an act of protest to get away from security.

Carter said Garcia Teixeira jumped from the seventh-floor balcony and struck a metal support for a lifeboat on the fifth deck. He clung to the ship as staff members tried to rescue him, but he fell into the water moments later.

"Our officers responded professionally and appropriately to the incident in the stateroom," Martinez said. "In addition, other security officers and crew risked their own lives in an attempt to rescue the guest from the lifeboat rigging where he had fallen."

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for Garcia Teixeira on Saturday.

Follow Local 10 News on Twitter @WPLGLocal10

Viewing all 12140 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images