Zion Foster's family reacts to verdict • Alligator reported at Kensington • Huge car theft ring busted
FRIDAY NEWS HIT - "Good riddance," the mother of Zion Foster said Thursday after a man was found guilty of murdering her.
After only 30 minutes, a jury returned a guilty verdict against 25-year-old Jaylin Brazier.
Brazier said he was with Foster, his cousin, in January 2022 when she suddenly died, so he threw her in a dumpster. Prosecutors say he killed her, and the jury agreed.
"We had been so nervous. Personally, I don't know. You know, you get nauseous and everything else. My body was trembling, but, man, when it was read, and it was just so matter of fact. I'm so happy they saw," Foster's mother Cera Milton said. "You thought she was just a run-of-the-mill, and you thought that she didn't matter to us. And you -- you were mistaken entirely. And unfortunately, because of your deeds, because of your actions, because of your desires, you set yourself up."
Milton said this trial was about Foster getting justice.
"You thought you were slick," Foster's father James Royster said of Brazier after the conviction.
Possible alligator reported at Kensington Metropark
Warning signs are up around Kent Lake in Kensington Metropark to alert visitors of a possible alligator spotting.
The sighting hasn't been confirmed, but officials are being cautious because it's a possibility that someone did release a pet alligator into the park or the lake. Park officials are using this report as a reminder that animals, both pets and wild, should not be released into the metroparks or relocated.
"We ask visitors to use caution and not approach the animal if it is spotted, and to instead call the Metroparks Police at the number posted on signs right away," said Danielle Mauter, with Huron-Clinton Metroparks.
If you spot the gator, call 810-227-8910.
Suspects behind 400+ car thefts busted
A massive crime ring bust led to the arrest of six people after more than 400 vehicles were stolen from more than 40 Michigan cities.
"It's like a Grand Theft Auto video game," said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Since August 2023, hundreds of vehicles have been taken out of car dealership parking lots. An investigation that started in Troy soon spread across Southeast Michigan, culminating in a FORCE Team-led series of search warrants being executed at eight locations on Wednesday.
Beyond just the size of the operation, other novel aspects of the crime ring was the age of the suspects and how they managed to steal so many brand-new cars and trucks. Ranging in age from 18 to 25, the ring worked by using something called a stolen pro pad. It would help them decode a vehicle's key fob, allowing access to the car.
"It's not like the old days when you're taking wires and putting them together," Rod Alberts, who heads the Detroit Auto Dealers Association.
Woman accused of causing fatal crash while watching movie
Authorities say a 27-year-old woman was watching a movie on her phone when she blew through a red light and caused a fatal crash earlier this year in Macomb County.
A press release from the Macomb County Sheriff's Office said the Riley woman admitted to using her phone GPS when she ran the light at M-53 and 32 Mile on Feb. 12. She crashed into a vehicle that had a green light, killing a 63-year-old passenger in that vehicle.
Though she said she was using her GPS, Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said more was going on.
"And information that was uncovered through our investigation confirmed she was on the phone texting, appeared to have been listening or watching a movie," he said.
After months of digging into phone records, prosecutors authorized a reckless driving causing death charge against the at-fault driver, but she hasn't been arraigned yet.
Shooting footage shown at Hutch's murder trial
Video played in court Thursday shows the shooting that killed popular Oak Park jeweler Dan ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson.
Two men, Marco Bisbikis and Roy Larry, are currently on trial for the murder of the owner of Hutch's Jewelry in June 2022. Bisbikis, Hutchinson's attorney, is accused of writing himself into the jeweler's will and then plotting his murder, while Larry is accused of committing the fatal shooting.
"So many shots - that's all I know. So many, so loud, it was frightening," said Clarence Lewis, a witness who testified during trial.
The jury was shown the e-bike that Larry was allegedly riding when he shot and killed Hutchinson. They were also shown security footage from a nearby business where a man on a bike open fires into a black-colored SUV.
The footage also shows a Mercedes take off after the gunman. The driver was a friend of the Hutchinson family named Alex Sakellaris.
"My man was riding down - he was chasing after him and then when he got to a certain point ‘bam’ and my man fell on the ground," Lewis said.
Trial continues Friday.
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What else we're watching
Detroit City Football Club is getting its own soccer-specific stadium in Corktown, the team announced Thursday. Currently, the team plays at Hamtramck's Keyworth Stadium.
Two suspects wanted in connection with a human trafficking case led Southfield police on a chase that ended in a violent crash in Detroit. Both were arrested and are now facing charges.
A suspect is in custody after a shooting in the parking lot of Dearborn's Fairlane Town Center on Tuesday night.
According to Census estimates, Detroit's population has grown for the first time in decades.
It's finally the weekend! Need plans? We've got you covered.
Scottie Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship
Scottie Scheffler was detained by police on Friday morning ahead of the start of the second round of the PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, for not following police traffic instructions near a fatal accident scene, according to reports.
The world’s top-ranked player was put in handcuffs after a "misunderstanding with traffic flow led to his attempt to drive past a police officer into Valhalla Golf Club," ESPN’s Jeff Darlington wrote on X.
"The police officer attempted to attach himself to Scheffler’s car, and Scheffler then stopped his vehicle at the entrance to Valhalla," Darlington reported. "The police officer then began to scream at Scheffler to get out of the car."
When Scheffler exited the vehicle, the officer shoved Scheffler against the car and immediately placed him in handcuffs, according to Darlington.
