Two men have been hospitalized with serious injuries after a Tesla fell from an overpass in Los Angeles and burst into flames.
Authorities said the two victims, ages 60 and 65, were inside the Tesla when the vehicle plowed through a barrier on the Riverside Drive overpass in Griffith Park around 11 p.m. local time, according to CW affiliate KTLA and ABC affiliate KABC-TV.
The car then plunged over the edge, landing onto a concrete divider on the 134 Freeway below and catching fire afterward, KABC-TV and CBS affiliate KCBS-TV reported
The two men inside the Tesla were able to escape before the vehicle burst into flames.
Footage of the scene shared by local news outlets showed the vehicle completely burnt out as the fire continued to burn what was left of the back of the car.
The footage also showed firefighters standing on the overpass where a large portion of a metal fence had been knocked down.
Both victims were hospitalized in serious but stable condition, according to KTLA and KCBS-TV.
Three westbound lanes of the 134 Freeway were temporarily closed following the crash, according to KABC-TV.
Police believe the driver simply lost control of the vehicle before the crash, and do not suspect the driver was operating under the influence
The freeway was closed for hours following the crash, per the reports. An investigation into the crash is ongoing.
The L.A. Police Department, L.A. Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Walt Disney World has put 2025 tickets on sale, and prices for many tickets have gone up from 2024 pricing. Some of the lowest single-day, single-park ticket prices have gone up by $10 for 2025.
For example, some late-August weekday tickets at Disney’s Animal Kingdom have gone from $109 for 2024 tickets to $119 for 2025. Other single-day tickets for different parks during different periods are also showing increases over many 2024 prices. For example, on a Saturday in late April when demand is high, Animal Kingdom is $169 in 2025, up from $164 in 2024. Magic Kingdom also rose by $5, from $184 to $189, on that same weekend day in late April. The maximum single-day, single-park ticket published price for 2025 is $189 as of February 27. That’s the same as the peak price in 2024.
Ticket prices for November and December 2025 were not yet available as of February 27. Prices on the Park Hopper options that allow guests to visit multiple parks on the same day have also gone up by about $5 to $10 for many dates in 2025. This isn’t the first price hike at Disney parks in recent years. Two increases were implemented in 2022 at Walt Disney World. Disneyland has also increased prices more than once recently. This video illustrates a variety of Walt Disney World park in California.
police in Florida announced on Friday that they had found the body of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, less than a week after she failed to show up for school in Kissimmee, Florida.
After a four-day search, the local sheriff’s office said it was “confident” that she was dead. The grim discovery was made several hours later
Her mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, is lead suspect and in police custody on sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material charges.
Here is everything we know about the Madeline Soto case so far.
When did Madeline Soto go missing?
Madeline Soto, 13, was reported missing on Monday 26 February at around 8.30am.
Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) said that she was last seen off Village Park Drive in Kissimmee, near Orlando, heading to school.
Madeline was described as white, 5’1” tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a green sweatshirt, black shorts and white Crocs.
Her mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, claimed that he had dropped her off close to Hunter’s Creek Middle School but not outside.
However, the girl never showed up for class. Her mother only discovered that Madeline was missing when she went to pick her up from school later that day.
More than 50 law enforcement officers spent the days following Madeline’s disappearance searching for her in nearby woodland. Officers had found messages on her phone that she said she wanted to live in the woods when she turned 13.
Madeline Soto’s body discovered
On Friday 1 March, OCSO said they now believe that Madeline was never dropped off near school on Monday morning and that she was already dead at that time.
Sheriff John Mina said he had met with Madeline’s mother on Thursday night to tell her he was “confident” that her daughter was dead and that his deputies were now looking for her body.
Florida police arrest boyfriend of missing teen’s mom on unrelated charges
The sheriff explained that OCSO has video evidence which shows Mr Sterns throwing items into a dumpster behind their apartment building at around 7.35am. Those items included the teen’s backpack and her school-issued laptop.
”At 8.19am, we have evidence that shows Stephan Sterns returning to the complex and Madeline was visible in that vehicle. We believe she was already dead at that time,” the sheriff said.
On Friday afternoon the sheriff’s office confirmed that her body had been found in a wooded area in Osceola County.
“At about 4:30 p.m. today, off of Hickory Tree Road, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams located the body of Madeline Soto in a wooded area. Madeline’s family has been notified,” the office said in a statement.
“We have no additional information to release at this time. Kissimmee PD is the lead agency in this homicide investigation. That work continues.”
Mother’s boyfriend is main suspect
On Wednesday 28 February, OCSO announced that it had arrested Mr Sterns, following the discovery of “disturbing images” on his phone, which he had tried to delete. These photos and videos were “criminal and sexual in nature”, the office said.
The office shared a video of the suspect in handcuffs.
At Friday’s briefing, Sheriff Mina said that investigators believe Mr Sterns dumped Madeline’s belongings before moving her body, rather than taking her to school as he had originally claimed.
Kissimmee Police Department has Mr Sterns in custody. He is being held on sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material charges.
Kissimmee PD shared photos of Mr Stern’s car, which he was seen driving between 1pm and 2.30pm on 26 February in the area of State Road 192 and Old Hickory Tree Road. It is believed he had a flat tyre at the time.
Madeline’s mother is not considered a suspect at this time.
Tributes paid to Madeline
In a statement released on Friday afternoon, Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr Maria Vazquez paid tribute to their “precious student”.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to Maddie’s family and her school community,” Dr Vazquez said. “To lose a child so suddenly and tragically is extremely difficult especially for family and friends.
“Counsellors continue to be available for any student or staff member dealing with the news. I ask that you keep the entire Hunter’s Creek Middle School community in your prayers as they grieve the loss of one of their own.”
A prayer vigil was held on Friday evening.
The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.
On March 1, 2024, at about 4:30 pm, the body of 13-year-old Madeline Soto was found in the woods off Hickory Tree Road in Osceola County. The teenager was reported missing on February 26, 2024, after allegedly being dropped off at school by her mother, Jenn Soto’s boyfriend. However, she reportedly did not attend school that day.
FOX 35 Orlando reported that on the night of February 28, 2024, Jenn Soto’s 37-year-old boyfriend Stephan Sterns was taken into custody and named the prime suspect in Madeline’s disappearance. He was charged with sexual battery and child abuse material possession charges and was transferred from the Orange County Jail to Osceola County on the morning of March 1, 2024.
FOX 35 Orlando reported that in an interview on February 27, 2024, with Madeline Soto’s mother, Jenn Soto, her boyfriend Stephan Sterns was observed being restless with his hands and cracking his knuckles in the background.
Body language expert Susan Constantine, who is the president of The Human Behavior Academy, shared her perspective on Stephan’s behavior exhibited during the interview, although she is not involved in the case
According to the report by FOX 35 Orlando, human behavior investigator Susan Constantine assessed Stephan’s demeanor and said:
A press release by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office stated that during the investigation into Madeline’s disappearance, detectives with the sheriff’s office found upsetting pictures on Stephan’s phone while forensically examining the device. The examination of the phone’s data also revealed that there have been attempts to erase evidence.
According to The Independent, the press release read:
“During the investigation into Madeline’s disappearance, Orange County Sheriff’s Office detectives discovered disturbing images when they forensically examined Sterns’ phone. A review of the phone’s data revealed attempts to delete evidence.”
The report by FOX 35 Orlando stated that, as per an arrest affidavit, Stephan willingly handed over his phone to authorities, mentioning that he had unintentionally performed a factory reset on the device the day Madeline Soto was reported missing
According to the press release by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, their Digital Forensics Unit recovered images and videos from Stephan’s phone that were “criminal and sexual” in nature. Authorities also determined that those crimes were committed at the family home in Kissimmee.
Stephan Sterns’ Facebook profile states that he is originally from Lake Forest, California, but resided in Kissimmee, Florida.
NBC News reported that Stephan Sterns is suspected of moving Madeline Soto’s body. It was initially reported that on February 26, 2024, the teenager was dropped off near Hunter’s Creek Middle School in Orlando by her mother’s boyfriend.
However, in a press conference on March 1, 2024, Orange County Sheriff John Mina stated that new evidence indicates that she was never dropped off near her school on the day of her disappearance
According to the report by NBC News, authorities believe that the 13-year-old was killed in Kissimmee, where her family resided in an apartment, and that Stephan moved her body in the early morning hours of February 26, 2024. Orange County Sheriff Mina said:
“We have evidence that shows Stephen Stern’s returning to the complex and Madeline was visible in that vehicle. We believe she was already dead at that time.”
The report by NBC News stated that video evidence retrieved by authorities revealed that on February 26, 2024, at 7:35 am, Stephen tossed items in a dumpster at the Kissimmee apartment complex. Later, authorities found Madeline Soto’s backpack and her school-issued laptop in the trash.
Just days after the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl in Central Florida, her body was reportedly found in a wooded area of Osceola County.
Madeline Soto was reported missing on Monday after she did not show up to Hunter’s Creek Middle School in Orlando.
Soto’s mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, was the last known person with the teen. He claimed to drop her off near her school on Monday morning, but an investigation revealed that she was never dropped off, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina believes that Stephan Sterns moved Madeline’s body in the early morning hours of Feb. 26.
“We have video evidence that shows Stephan Sterns discarding items in a dumpster in that apartment complex in Kissimmee at 7:35,” Mina said. “Detectives later recovered Madeline’s backpack and her school-issued laptop from that dumpster.”
Mina said a video showed Sterns returning to the complex with Madeline in his car about 45 minutes later, but the sheriff believes she was already dead by that point.
Sterns was arrested by Kissimmee police on Wednesday, after “disturbing images” were found on his phone.
He faces charges including sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Sterns made a court appearance on Saturday. Kissimmee police have taken over the investigation and said he could face more charges after a thorough investigation is conducted.
Soto’s mother is reportedly not a suspect in the case.
In Pittsburgh, a collective plea echoes through the city as authorities seek assistance in locating Marcele “Marcy” Rauterkus, a 66-year-old woman who has gone missing from her residence in Crafton Heights since Friday.
Described as standing at 5’9″ and weighing 160 pounds, with a mane of brown hair and eyes to match, Rauterkus’s absence has sparked concern among law enforcement and community members alike. The last known whereabouts place her in the vicinity of Homewood/Regent Square, with speculation suggesting she may be navigating with a discernible limp.
As Pittsburgh Police intensify their search efforts, they urge anyone possessing information pertinent to Rauterkus’s whereabouts to promptly contact emergency services at 911. The communal effort to bring Marcy Rauterkus home safely stands as a testament to the unity and solidarity within the city’s populace during challenging times.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood has clarified the timeline in the recently closed cold case involving a girl missing out of Ormond Beach.
This comes a day after detectives uncovered the remains of a person believed to be Autumn McClure, who was 16 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Investigators have been on the case since McClure went missing in 2004. Her boyfriend then claimed to have dropped her off at the Volusia Mall. He later changed his story and instead said he dropped her off at the Seabreeze Bridge, where she got into a car with a woman named Jessica Freeman.
When she first disappeared, Autumn’s grandmother reported receiving letters from her connected to a Melbourne address. It’s unclear if the letters were legitimately from her or a potential smokescreen by her killer. Sheriff Chitwood said the case went cold for years after being unable to catch a lead through those letters.
That was until 2021 when they received a phone call that would change the outlook of the investigation. A man named Chris Miller said an associate of his confessed to killing Autumn and burying her somewhere in Volusia County.
“He basically tells the detective, I’ve got to get this off my chest,” Chitwood said.
The associate’s name was Brian Donley, and the tip from Miller would put detectives on Donley’s trail. All while this is happening, investigators are in contact with Jessica Freeman, who, on a monitored phone call, told Miller she witnessed Donley kill Autumn and get rid of the body.
Approximately a year after said phone call, Donley died following a medical procedure.
“Karma is a [expletive],” the Sheriff said. “The sad part is he’ll never face [consequences] in this world for the evil that he perpetrated.”
According to investigators, Donley’s death gave Jessica Freeman the peace of mind to step forward and give more information. She told deputies she withheld information out of fear of retaliation from Donley.
After securing a deal for her immunity, she said Autumn lived with herself and Donley when she disappeared.
“They were involved in a sexual relationship with Autumn. Now, keep in mind, Brian was 31 at the time. Autumn was 16.” Chitwood said. After further conversations, she would give investigators a location where the body was buried in the 1300 block of Hand Avenue in Ormond Beach.
She claims Donley visited the property in late 2021 or early 2022 and was delighted to see a new home was being built there. In 2023, the department identified the location and began working with the homeowner on a deal to excavate the site. After coming to terms with them, the next stage of the investigation commenced.
The department recruited the assistance of Dr. Lerah Sutton, a forensic scientist. She said that with the help of radar technology, the group was able to identify an abnormal object in the ground.
The object turned out to be human remains. Those remains are believed to be those of Autumn McClure.
“This was really an extremely intense and resource-heavy operation, but all of the factors came together to help us achieve our successful outcome,” Dr. Sutton said.
Though the cause of death will be difficult to confirm, detectives found Freeman’s testimony to be credible.
“She came home one afternoon and saw Brian choking Autumn in the bathroom. By the time she intervened, she saw that Autumn was lifeless, and she left the [trailer],” The Sheriff said. The department said they have no reason to believe Freeman had anything to do with the teen’s death.
Freeman said Donley killed Autumn out of fear she would return home and he would face legal trouble if she told her family about their inappropriate sexual relationship.
The remains have been sent off to a medical examiner to confirm their identity.
Residents in St. Cloud set up a memorial along the road near where Madeline Soto was found.
People dropped off flowers, rosaries, and stuffed animals near the location where 13-year-old Madeline Soto’s body was found. Many who live nearby were heartbroken to hear of her death.
“I don’t even know the girl and I’m getting choked up. It’s just sad that it happened and she didn’t deserve that,” said Jimmy Carpenter whose family lives nearby.
“I felt devastated,” added Vanessa Concepcion who also lives close to the area. “I felt like it was something so messed up that no one should ever go through that.”
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said a tip led law enforcement to her body near Hickory Tree Road in St. Cloud Friday afternoon. Jason Garcia used to ride past near where her body was found on the way to school.
“It’s definitely heartbreaking because it’s close to home and when I saw where she was basically found, I was like wow I used to take the bus every day so it was something that just broke my heart,” said Garcia.
Madeline’s body was found in a rural part of Osceola County. Deputies believe Madeline’s mother’s boyfriend Stephan Sterns moved her body and is the prime suspect in her death.
“Nobody should be killed and thrown in the middle of nowhere,” said Concepcion.
Stephan Sterns, the man named by Central Florida authorities as the prime suspect in the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, waived his first appearance in Osceola County court.
Sterns, 37, described as the boyfriend of Soto’s mother, was instead represented solely by his attorney, who said that they knew what he was being charged with. The judge granted Sterns no bond amount. News 6 is working to learn what new charges Sterns may be facing.
Madeline’s body was found on Friday in Osceola County by authorities searching the woods off Hickory Tree Road, some four days after her mother reported the 13-year-old was missing.
Sterns — who law enforcement noted ahead of his arrest on Wednesday was the last person to have seen Soto — was named the prime suspect in her disappearance after interviews with investigators led detectives to disturbing pictures and videos on his cellphone, prompting charges against Sterns of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material. Sterns initially told investigators he “accidentally” performed a factory reset on his phone the same day Soto was reported missing.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office, which worked in conjunction with Kissimmee police to make Sterns’ arrest ahead of his transfer to Osceola County, said the crimes depicted in the images and videos were committed at the family home in Kissimmee. The Kissimmee Police Department was promptly notified, going on to take the lead on the sexual battery case.
At a news conference Friday, held before the discovery of Soto’s body was announced, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said investigators already believed that the 13-year-old was dead.
“Last night, detectives from the Kissimmee Police Department met with Madeline’s mother and they had to tell her the very devastating news that although we have not found Madeline, we are now confident that she is dead,” Mina said on Friday.
The girl’s mother had told Orange County deputies that Sterns dropped Soto off near Hunter’s Creek Middle School on Monday morning, yet Mina said Friday that his detectives had since determined the 13-year-old was never dropped off.
“Instead, we believe she was already dead at the time and that Stephan Sterns moved her body in the early morning hours on that day,” Mina said. “We have video evidence that shows Stephan Sterns discarding items in a dumpster in that apartment complex in Kissimmee at 7:35 a.m.”
The sheriff said around 8:19 a.m., detectives found the girl’s backpack and her school-issued laptop in the dumpster.
“We have evidence that shows Stephan Sterns returning to the complex and Madeline was visible in that vehicle. We believe she was already dead at that time,” he said. “As a result of that, although the initial missing persons investigation started in Orange County, the Kissimmee Police Department will now be taking over the investigation and will become the lead agency.”
Kissimmee police Chief Betty Holland provided the following statement
The search for 13-year-old Madeline Soto came to a grim conclusion. The once hopeful pursuit turned into a somber recovery effort, shattering the hopes of finding the missing teen alive. Orange County Sheriff John Mina confirmed that Madeline’s disappearance led investigators to a horrifying discovery – a body found in the dense woods of Osceola County.
The ominous turn of events points fingers at Stephan Sterns, the boyfriend of Madeline’s mother, who now stands as the primary suspect in this devastating case. Sterns, 37, was the last person seen with Madeline before her disappearance. Surveillance footage captured Sterns disposing of items in a trash bin at their Kissimmee apartment complex, with Madeline’s backpack later unearthed from the same location.
Authorities revealed chilling details from their investigation, indicating Sterns’ involvement in appalling crimes. He stands accused of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, casting a dark shadow over the family’s home. Forensic examination of Sterns’ phone uncovered disturbing evidence, painting a grim picture of the events leading to Madeline’s disappearance.
Despite the absence of an official confirmation from the medical examiner, the clothing found on the body strongly resembles what Madeline was last seen wearing, leaving little room for optimism. Sheriff Mina expressed a solemn certainty of Madeline’s demise, shifting the focus of their efforts towards recovering her remains.
As the community grapples with the heartbreaking reality of Madeline’s fate, Kissimmee police take charge of the criminal investigation while the sheriff’s office continues its relentless pursuit of answers.
Amidst the sorrow and shock, one truth remains undeniable – a promising young life has been tragically cut short, leaving behind a grieving family and a community in mourning.
