FIRST ON FOX: Four U.S. cities will share almost $300 million in federal funding after competing to show how they would reduce violent crime and strengthen local law enforcement.

Jacksonville, Florida; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis, Missouri, were selected for the Justice Department's new Model Cities Initiative, according to details obtained by Fox News Digital.

The four winners represent markedly different policing environments, from Jacksonville, where murders have fallen sharply in recent years, to Baton Rouge, where officials have struggled with a significant officer shortage, and Jackson, where DOJ says officials proposed a technology-driven strategy to combat persistent violent crime.

Attorney General Todd Blanche and other DOJ leaders will visit each city over the next 10 days to present the awards, when the department plans to reveal the individual funding amounts.

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The DOJ launched the competition in June as part of President Donald Trump's focus on reducing crime in U.S. cities. It invited cities nationwide to submit comprehensive plans for reducing violent crime and improving public safety.

The awards could represent a sizable addition to the cities' existing law enforcement budgets.

Jacksonville budgets about $674 million annually for its sheriff's office, while St. Louis budgeted about $147 million for its police department in fiscal 2026. With nearly $300 million to be divided among just four jurisdictions, each award could amount to tens of millions of dollars, though DOJ has not yet disclosed how the funding will be split.

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"The Model Cities Initiative reflects the Trump Administration’s commitment to reducing crime across the country and ensuring the safety of every American," Blanche said.

"These cities are setting an example of proactive law enforcement that will strengthen the rule of law and improve public safety in their jurisdictions. As violent crime rates continue to fall to historic lows, the Department of Justice is redoubling our efforts to invest in local communities and keep American families safe."

Rather than funding a single policing program, the initiative takes what DOJ describes as a "whole-of-city" approach, bringing together law enforcement, local government officials and community partners to develop strategies tailored to each jurisdiction's public safety challenges.

The money can be used to hire sworn and non-sworn law enforcement personnel and other public safety workers, purchase technology and equipment, expand forensic capabilities and fund programs addressing mental health, substance abuse and recidivism.

Jacksonville's selection comes after a sharp drop in killings. The city recorded 59 murders in 2024, its lowest total since at least 1995 and less than half the number recorded a year earlier, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. DOJ said murders fell 38% between 2023 and 2025, while robberies declined 25% and aggravated assaults fell 21%.

DOJ pointed to Jacksonville's use of advanced training and technology and efforts to strengthen investigative capabilities in selecting the city. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which has more than 3,600 police, corrections and civilian employees, has an annual budget of roughly $674 million.

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St. Louis' selection is particularly notable given the city's long struggle with violent crime. The city recorded 263 homicides in 2020, but that figure fell to 150 in 2024, its lowest total since 2013, as overall crime declined 15% year over year.

The decline continued into 2025, when homicides during the first three months of the year fell another 45% compared with the same period a year earlier.

DOJ said St. Louis' proposal calls for expanding law enforcement personnel by more than 300, modernizing policing technology and strengthening public safety operations.

Baton Rouge is confronting a different challenge: manpower. The Baton Rouge Police Department was roughly 150 officers short earlier this year, prompting officials to approve what they described as the largest police pay raise in department history. Starting salaries increased from $40,000 to $58,000 as part of an effort to recruit and retain officers.

The department also operates a Real Time Crime Center that uses data analytics and other technology to support officers and investigators.

DOJ said East Baton Rouge Parish stood out for its partnerships among law enforcement, local government and community organizations and its broader approach to combating violent crime.

Jackson, Mississippi, meanwhile, was selected for what DOJ described as an ambitious, technology-driven strategy to address persistent violent crime.

The Jackson Police Department already operates a Real Time Command Center and specialized units focused on gun crime, vice and narcotics and other investigations, while assigning officers to outside task forces. Its proposal calls for greater coordination among law enforcement agencies, expanded investigative capabilities and targeted enforcement, according to DOJ.

"President Trump and this Department of Justice have demonstrated that Americans need not accept unsafe streets as a fact of life," Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said. "We have made tremendous strides in restoring public safety, and the Model Cities Initiative offers an opportunity to build on that progress. These cities have the potential to set a new standard for safer communities across America."

The four winning jurisdictions will now work with DOJ to finalize and implement their public safety plans.

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Blanche and other Justice Department officials will travel to all four jurisdictions over the next 10 days to present the awards in person and reveal how the nearly $300 million will be divided among them.

A 21-year-old college hockey captain who dreamed of becoming a police officer was killed in a wrong-way crash involving a Mexican national who repeatedly entered the United States illegally after previously being removed, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Ryan O'Shea, a senior at the University of New Haven, was driving south on Interstate 91 in North Haven late Oct. 16 when a Chevrolet Silverado traveling the wrong way slammed head-on into his Honda Accord, Connecticut State Police said.

According to the State Police accident summary, 31-year-old Guillermo Carmona-Lopez of Bridgeport was driving the Silverado.

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The crash sent O'Shea's car into another lane, where it was struck by a Jeep before moving onto the right shoulder and being hit by a third vehicle.

O'Shea suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Carmona-Lopez was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries, while three other people suffered minor injuries.

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DHS told Fox News Digital that Carmona-Lopez entered the U.S. illegally multiple times despite previously being removed and receiving a final order of removal.

"In May 2013, Border Patrol arrested Guillermo Carmona-Lopez, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, after he illegally entered the country," a DHS spokesperson said. "Carmona-Lopez was issued an expedited removal and was removed from the country."

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Carmona-Lopez then illegally reentered the country near the Rio Grande Valley and was arrested again by Border Patrol that same month, DHS said.

"Carmona-Lopez was issued a final order of removal on May 30, 2013," the spokesperson said. "He then reentered the country at an unknown time and place."

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O'Shea, of Stony Point, New York, was studying criminal justice with a concentration in police science at the University of New Haven and served as senior captain of the men's club hockey team.

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He interned with the New York City Police Department over the summer and hoped to join the NYPD after graduation before eventually pursuing a career with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the university said.

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"Ryan wanted to go into public service in order to help others," his academic advisor, Lorenzo Boyd, said in a university tribute. "He was engaging in the classroom and will be missed greatly."

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Devin Bertrand, general manager of the men's ice hockey club, remembered O'Shea as someone whose "infectious personality lit up our locker room the moment he walked in."

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O'Shea also served as president of his Kappa Sigma fraternity chapter, which said he was returning from a hockey game when the crash occurred.

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"Ryan was not only a great leader, but he was a caring friend to anyone around him," the fraternity said in a social media tribute. "He always knew how to light up a room and make people laugh, no matter the time."

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The State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad responded to the scene and is assisting with the investigation, which remains ongoing.

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"Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences," the DHS spokesperson said. "Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."

A true crime influencer has been charged with wiretapping after police say she posted a secret recording of a call with Patrick Clancy's father, who told investigators he accidentally answered the call.

Shawna Gramkow, who operates several true crime accounts on social media and boasts a following of more than 50,000, was charged with felony unlawful wiretapping on Oct. 20 in relation to an incident that happened on Sept. 4 involving Patrick Clancy's father, Christopher Clancy, police said in an incident report obtained by Fox News Digital.

Police said Gramkow posted a video to Instagram on Aug. 30 of an unknown individual calling a phone number she claimed belonged to Patrick Clancy after Lindsay Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, read the number aloud during the murder trial.

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"So, you guys voted and Patrick said yes. So, at the trial Kevin Reddington released Patrick's phone number and one of y'all decided to give him a call. Now on this particular call, Patrick's dad was still on the line, he was kind of mumbling still on the phone, I guess he didn't know that the phone was still going," she said in the video, police wrote in the incident report.

In the video, the detective said, an adult male can be heard speaking, though he was unable to make out what was being said. When Christopher Clancy reported the incident to law enforcement on Sept. 4, he told police he believed the voice was his and came from a phone call he received on Aug. 6.

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Christopher Clancy said he accidentally answered the call, which came from an unfamiliar number, instead of declining it. Police allege someone recorded the conversation without his consent, saying he was talking about his oldest son Brian. That conversation was then posted to her Instagram, according to the incident report.

"Mr. Clancy recalls while driving in the Town of Scituate sometime around August 6th, 2026 he received a phone call from a telephone number he did not recognize. Instead of declining the incoming call; he believes he accidently answered, creating an open line of communication for the unknown calling party who proceeded to record Mr. Clancy's comments without his knowledge or consent. Mr. Clancy recognized some of his comments as being in regard to his eldest son Brian," police wrote.

Read the complaint here:

While Massachusetts officials have charged Gramkow with wiretapping, officials in Florida confirmed she hasn't been arrested.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gramkow for comment. In a Facebook video that did not specifically address the charges, Gramkow said the "allegations are false. And easy to prove."

"And yes I got all the 'Dirty Deets,'" she wrote.

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The charges come amid an apparent split in legal strategy between Patrick and Lindsay Clancy in their separate lawsuits against her medical providers.

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During a hearing Wednesday in Norfolk County Superior Court, attorney Howard Cooper said he expects Lindsay Clancy to testify in a lawsuit filed by her ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, against her healthcare providers.

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"We believe that Lindsay Clancy, once her Fifth Amendment issues are resolved one way or the other, will testify that she told these defendants explicitly that she had homicidal ideation, that she was worried about something awful happening to her kids," Cooper said in court.

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In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Reddington said his client has never said she'll testify, adding that she never told her healthcare providers that she had homicidal thoughts toward her children.

"It has come to my attention that counsel for Patrick Clancy represented to the court in his civil case that my client, Lindsay Clancy, will testify about statements she made to her healthcare providers," Reddington said. "Lindsay Clancy never told any of her healthcare providers that she harbored homicidal ideation toward her children. She never indicated that she intended to testify in Mr. Clancy's lawsuit, and no one acting for her ever represented that she would."

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"Mr. Clancy's counsel does not speak for Lindsay Clancy," he added.

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Lindsay Clancy faced three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, who were found strangled at the family's home in January 2023.

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Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial on Friday, Sept. 4, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, ending in an 11-1 divide.

Death row inmate Christa Pike is speaking out one month after surviving Tennessee's attempt to execute her, saying she remains in constant pain and had never contemplated a life beyond the night she expected to die.

Pike, 50, described her condition in a statement dictated to her legal team and released Friday.

"One month ago on September 30, I walked into the execution chamber at Riverbend men’s prison prepared to die," Pike said. "I had made my peace."

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Pike said she thanked those who had supported her through the years and told those who were there to witness her execution that she was "leaving them in loving kindness."

"Several days later I woke up alone in a hospital confused and in pain," Pike said. "There hasn't been a moment since that night when I haven't been in pain. My body hurts. My arms hurt. My hands hurt. My throat hurts. I still struggle to speak. And the pain isn't just physical. There is pain in my mind and in my soul."

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Pike said she had never considered what her life would look like if she survived the execution.

"I had not contemplated life beyond that night, and I’m deeply hurt by the incompetence that has put so many people in this terrible position," she said. "I continue to think about my victim’s family and the terrible pain and loss they have endured."

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Pike was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a fellow participant in a federal Job Corps program in Knoxville.

Her statement comes two days after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Pike remains incarcerated under state law and signaled that her death sentence is unlikely to change.

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Pike's attorneys have called on Lee to commute her death sentence to life without parole after the failed execution.

Pike said Friday that she is recovering but remains in the infirmary at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center, where she has been largely isolated from other people.

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"I am recovering, and I know that I am getting stronger," Pike said. "But healing is not the same as being okay."

"Since that night, I have been largely isolated in the prison’s medical ward, away from other people and the human connections that mean so much to me," she continued. "That isolation brings its own kind of pain. I spent 28 years in solitary confinement and much of what I am experiencing today is a repeat of that condition."

CHRISTA PIKE'S ATTORNEY SAYS SHE'S 'UP AND WALKING' MORE THAN A WEEK AFTER BOTCHED EXECUTION

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Pike survived Tennessee's attempt to execute her by lethal injection on Sept. 30 after receiving two doses of pentobarbital and was rushed to a hospital.

She remained unconscious for days, and her attorneys at one point believed she was brain-dead and expected her to be taken off life support. Pike later regained consciousness and was discharged from the hospital before being returned to prison.

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Her attorneys subsequently said she was able to walk and speak in full sentences.

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Pike's survival renewed a decades-long fight over her death sentence and whether Tennessee could attempt to execute her again.

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She was 18 when she, her 17-year-old boyfriend, Tadaryl Shipp, and 19-year-old Shadolla Peterson were charged in Slemmer's killing. All four were participating in Job Corps at the time.

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The three took Slemmer to a secluded area on the University of Tennessee's Knoxville campus, where her throat was cut multiple times, she was struck in the head with a large piece of asphalt and a pentagram was carved into her chest.

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Pike later confessed to her role in the killing. She was convicted and sentenced to death in 1996, and the Tennessee Supreme Court later affirmed her convictions and sentence.

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Following the failed execution, Lee halted Tennessee's remaining executions for the year and ordered an independent review of what went wrong.

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Pike said Friday that she is still trying to understand why she survived.

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"I don't know why I survived that night. I don't know what comes next," she said. "Some days, finding hope is harder than others. For now, I am trying to heal, one day at a time. And I am holding on to the love and kindness of so many people who have reminded me that I am not alone."

A prominent Minnesota Democrat who served in the state's House of Representatives revealed on Thursday he believes the federal probe into Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has legitimacy.

It's the latest signal that the political dam may be breaking as scandals and investigations into the congresswoman continue to pile up.

"Democrats should understand that the allegation is almost certainly true—whatever conclusion they draw from that point could vary—and her denials calling it a right-wing, Islamophobic or racist conspiracy are almost certainly not," Joe Radinovich posted on X in reference to the claims that Omar married her brother as part of an alleged fraudulent immigration scheme.

Radinovich, who served as a Minnesota state representative from 2013 to 2015 as a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), added to his post that, in addition to the probe into her immigration status, the investigation into her finances could also be problematic.

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"And then I’d be very, very careful about how I qualified on allegations around her finances—where her defense looks similar and where no meaningful questions have been answered publicly, and where any objective look at the evidence doesn’t look…great," the former state representative said.

Radinovich, a well-connected DFL operative with ties to the party’s state, federal and Minneapolis political establishments, managed Democrat Rick Nolan’s 2016 congressional campaign, ran Jacob Frey’s successful 2017 campaign for Minneapolis mayor and later served as Frey’s chief of staff. He also won the DFL nomination for Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District in 2018 before losing to Republican Pete Stauber.

Briana Rose Lee, a Minneapolis DFL activist who served as an operations director for Omar’s campaign operation, responded to the post calling it a "witch hunt."

"Joe. You aren’t stupid," she wrote. "You know this is a baseless and manufactured witch hunt. I’m actually surprised to see this from you. It’s a new low."

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Radinovich stood by his comments.

"You’re right," Radinovich wrote. "I’m not stupid. I believe the Trump DOJ has next to no credibility and that it’s unclear to me the timing of the raid was appropriate—though it’s notable a DC judge signed off on it—but I’m pretty confident this specific allegation is true."

Notably, Radinovich had a hand in two Democratic primary challenges against Omar, working with candidate Don Samuels in 2022 and 2024. Samuels lost both bids. 

Radinovich’s post is the latest example of the scrutiny surrounding Omar’s legal issues not being confined to conservative media or the MAGA base.

Outlets including the New York Times, MSNBC, NBC News and The Associated Press have reported on evidence suggesting Omar’s marriage and citizenship may have been fraudulent, although no criminal charges have been filed against the Minnesota congresswoman.

Omar's Washington, D.C., home was raided by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on Oct. 12, 2026. HSI is the chief investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Her passport, phone and computer were seized during the early-morning operation.

Fox News later reported that investigators are in possession of Omar's DNA. Omar's sister, Sahra Noor, voluntarily submitted to questioning shortly after the raid, skipping out on her book tour for a "family emergency."

Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital that the raid stemmed from an investigation into whether Omar or her late father, Nur Mohamed, fraudulently filled out her citizenship paperwork decades ago. The investigation, the sources noted, could lead to the congresswoman's denaturalization.

But questions about whether Omar allegedly married her brother, Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, in a fraudulent immigration scheme have also arisen. Omar has been plagued by the accusation for a decade, since she first ran for Minnesota state representative in 2016.

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Court filings from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia referred to Omar as "Ilhan Omar Nur Said Elmi, a/k/a Ilhan Omar," suggesting that she shares a surname with the man she married in 2009. Ahmed Nur Said Elmi is a British citizen. Sources later told Fox News Digital that Ilhan Omar is not the Somali-born congresswoman's "real name."

Omar's office has consistently denied the immigration fraud allegation, characterizing it as a right-wing smear. Most recently, she has said that the renewed scrutiny is the product of a political "vendetta" by President Donald Trump.

But Thursday, Fox News Digital confirmed that former President Barack Obama's administration opened a probe into the allegedly fraudulent marriage in 2016. One source told Fox News Digital that the investigation remained open until 2021, when it was closed by the Biden administration. The Times reported that investigators believed the statute of limitations on a potential crime had passed.

Omar's campaign attacked Radinovich in a Friday morning comment to Fox News Digital. 

"Joe is a deeply troubled individual whose demons have sadly manifested as an irrational obsession with Congresswoman Omar after managing two losing campaigns against her," the campaign said. "His claims are false, biased, and without any evidence. While he was once seen as a rising star within the party, Joe is now widely recognized as a shill for Republican and Corporate money."

"There is a panoply of drugs out there that will destroy your kids," says retired NYPD inspector and Fox News contributor Paul Mauro.

Following recent college deaths and allegations around a campus cocaine trafficking ring, Mauro said America's students are now the primary prey for a relentless and deadly drug trade.

"If you're sending a kid off to college these days, you better sit that child down and give that child a hard primer on what could possibly happen," he said.

FIT fentanyl poisoning death

A recently unsealed indictment shows Moises Freire, 19, and Brian Peralta, 18, both from Queens, New York, are facing charges after a young woman was killed and another seriously injured after they were allegedly poisoned by fentanyl.

Reports indicate Annabel Richter, 20, was killed after she ingested the drug supplied by the men, who allegedly told her it was simply "cocaine."

She had moved from Brazil to live in the U.S. to pursue her studies at Manhattan's Fashion Institute of Technology, the New York Post reported. She was found unresponsive with another female victim in a dorm room.

According to the federal indictment, Freire allegedly raped the victim and "waited approximately 45 minutes to contact campus security" about the woman being unconscious.

Mauro questioned why there wasn't more media attention on the case.

"It happened on a campus and the only thing I can conjure is that it happened in New York City, and so the powers that be as we come into an election season would rather these rape stories or these campus crime stories occur someplace far from New York where they could have any impact on the elections here," he said.

The indictment also alleges Freire texted photos to his friends of one unconscious victim, who was "naked below the waist."

Read the indictment here:

The second victim sustained "serious bodily injury" and regained consciousness after receiving life-saving care in the hospital.

Court records indicate both men pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to federal charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance resulting in death. Freire is additionally charged with distributing a controlled substance with the intent to commit rape.

In a statement, FIT President Jason Schupbach said in part, "We are thankful to our teams from Public Safety and Residential Life for their immediate response in March, and also to the Department of Justice and the NYPD for their actions in March and their continued focus on this case. As a community, we continue to support each other through difficult times."

Ole Miss deaths

Campus drug deaths extend beyond New York City, including at the University of Mississippi, where federal prosecutors and local authorities launched intensive investigations following the deaths of two students.

Ole Miss students Aidan Hamilton, 18, and Robert Strang, 20, were found dead of suspected drug overdoses in September.

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Investigators recovered packages of kratom-related products or "gas station heroin" at both scenes where the victims were discovered.

The discovery prompted federal charges against a vape shop clerk and his son for illicitly selling dangerous, banned compounds disguised in retail packaging.

The deaths sent shock waves through the campus community, intensifying urgent warnings from law enforcement about unregulated substances flooding college towns.

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"It really is a minefield out there these days, and it's not an accident. Our enemies know what they're doing, and your kids are the target," Mauro said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Ole Miss for comment.

Penn State cocaine ring

Adding to the mounting national crisis on campuses, Pennsylvania's top prosecutor, Attorney General Dave Sunday, announced sweeping charges against 14 men — including current and former students — following an investigation into an alleged cocaine trafficking organized crime ring.

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Investigators revealed that the network operated out of off-campus fraternity houses, including Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon.

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At the center of the enterprise, authorities identified former student Agostino Abbatiello, 24, as the primary ringleader and kingpin, aka "Pablo Pledgescabar."

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According to a criminal complaint, fraternity pledges were forced to cut, package and bag large quantities of cocaine for the operation.

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The drugs were then distributed widely among Penn State students across the University Park campus.

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The drugs were coming from larger networks like Philadelphia and New York City.

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Mauro said the networks rely on supply from foreign countries.

"You got the Chinese making this stuff. It goes to the cartels in Mexico and South America. It gets brought up here into the country, and it's [distributed onto campuses now]," he said.

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"They keep coming. Why? Chinese make this stuff in labs. They just change the formula all the time, and one of the reasons for that is they want to stay ahead of the charging here in America, the charges that get captured by the drug laws," he said.

Penn State said in a statement, in part: "While the problem of illicit narcotics is a global issue, the recent allegations of drug trafficking taking place so close to the University Park campus is very concerning."

"In prevention efforts, Vice President for Student Affairs Andrea Dowhower shared a message with the Penn State community last month, and additional messaging has been sent directly to students and parents related to health and safety, including on alcohol, drugs and hazing," the school added.

A man dressed as a zombie allegedly stabbed two people at an Austin, Texas coffee shop Wednesday night before speeding away in a pickup truck and crashing into an unoccupied vehicle.

The Austin Police Department (APD) identified the suspect as Shankar Temple Grace, 20, who was arrested after a search.

The incident unfolded shortly before a local comedy show was scheduled to begin at The Buzz Mill, a coffee shop and bar.

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Officials said police responded to reports of a "disturbance hot shot" inside the business, a classification for a rapidly escalating altercation involving an immediate threat to life or serious physical harm.

First responders found one victim with life-threatening injuries and another with non-life-threatening injuries, APD said.

Both victims were rushed to a hospital. They were last reported in stable condition, according to authorities.

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After the stabbing, the suspect fled in a pickup truck, speeding away before striking an unoccupied autonomous vehicle, KEYE reported.

Officers launched a search and eventually located him on a walking trail roughly 3 miles from the scene, police said.

The suspect was wearing a Halloween costume at the time of the attack, APD said.

A witness told police the man was dressed as a zombie with his face covered in makeup, according to KEYE.

People at the establishment also told police the man had caused a disturbance at the bar before Wednesday night's stabbing, the outlet reported.

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Grace was booked into the Travis County Jail and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.

A dual U.S.-Salvadoran citizen from California accused of murdering a woman in front of their toddler son before abandoning the child near her remains has been extradited to El Salvador to face charges, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Thursday.

Michael Alejandro Castillo Murga, 27, of Beaumont, California, was handed over to Salvadoran authorities Wednesday to face charges of aggravated femicide and imperfect homicide in the 2019 killing.

The extradition marks the first time the U.S. has surrendered an American citizen to face prosecution for crimes committed in El Salvador, according to the DOJ. 

Castillo Murga holds dual U.S. and Salvadoran citizenship.

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Salvadoran authorities allege Castillo Murga picked up Melvi Fernanda Nájera Quezada, 23, and their son from her mother's home Jan. 31, 2019, supposedly to begin living together as a family.

Investigators allege he instead killed Nájera Quezada and abandoned their child near her body, which was discovered near a highway the next day. 

An autopsy determined she died from severe bleeding caused by cuts to her neck and other wounds inflicted with a plastic knife, according to the DOJ.

Farmworkers discovered the boy, who was younger than 2, several days later in a rugged area near where his mother's body was found. He was severely dehydrated and starving with cuts on his face, insect bites and signs of abuse, authorities said.

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Investigators linked Castillo Murga to the killing through cellphone location data and witness accounts. Authorities also said he sent his girlfriend a photograph showing bloodstains on his face and neck.

Prosecutors also accused Castillo Murga's grandmother and a lawyer of helping conceal evidence. According to the DOJ, the pair arranged for two people to clean blood from the interior and exterior of Castillo Murga's vehicle using water, car shampoo and vinegar, but they were unable to remove all the blood.

Castillo Murga escaped to Guatemala around Feb. 2, 2019, with assistance from his grandmother and lawyer before eventually entering the U.S., according to prosecutors.

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U.S. Marshals arrested him in October 2024 in response to an extradition request from El Salvador.

Castillo Murga challenged his extradition in federal court, but a judge rejected his petition in November 2025 and denied a subsequent request to halt the transfer in September 2026.

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The secretary of state ultimately authorized his surrender, and U.S. Marshals transported him into Salvadoran custody Wednesday to face prosecution.

Three of New York’s top elected officials appeared surprised Thursday when pressed about a House Judiciary Committee report alleging local prosecutors intentionally downgraded charges against noncitizens to protect them from deportation.

During a Manhattan press conference, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez faced questions regarding claims that city prosecutors altered or reduced charges to help noncitizens avoid convictions that would trigger removal.

"Did any of you order prosecutors to downgrade gun charges to keep illegal immigrants in the U. S., per the Judiciary Committee report?" a reporter asked.

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Katz threw her hands up and shrugged in response, the New York Post reported.

"Our answer couldn’t help it," Katz said, before a speaker redirected the room, asking for "any other on-topic questions" and moving the news conference along.

"We charge any defendant with an illegal firearm with the highest possible charge under the law," a spokesperson for Katz's office told Fox News Digital. 

The news conference exchange followed the release of a 22-page congressional report detailing widespread practices across New York City prosecutors' offices.

According to the document, Katz's office employs an "Immigration Specialist" to help negotiate "immigration-safe" plea deals and reduce past convictions.

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The report also cited a 2022 memorandum from Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg allegedly instructing prosecutors to seek dispositions that avoid deportation consequences for all misdemeanors and non-carceral felonies.

In addition, the report states that the office of Bronx DA Darcel Clark trains prosecutors in "Immigration-Conscious Plea Bargaining." That includes offering non-deportable offenses, avoiding aggravated felony charges and using hypothetical or "legally impossible" charges, such as "attempted reckless assault," which lack legal intent requirements.

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Prosecutors were also allegedly instructed to omit critical details from official conviction records, such as gun involvement, domestic relationships or the age of minor victims, to prevent federal immigration authorities from using them as grounds for removal.

After the news conference, a spokesperson for Katz reached out to the Post to deny that leniency is ever shown in weapons cases.

"We charge any defendant with an illegal firearm with the highest possible charge under the law," the spokesperson said.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the other four New York city district attorneys' offices for comment.

A Sullivan County judge heard oral arguments Thursday to determine whether New York Attorney General Letitia James should be removed as special prosecutor in the reopened criminal investigation into an alleged gang rape at Cornell University.

The proceeding ended without an immediate ruling from Judge James Farrell.

The hearing stems from a challenge filed by defense attorney Andrew Miltenberg, who represents Gillio Lopes, one of the men accused in the case.

Lopes is one of seven former Chi Phi fraternity brothers who are accused in a lawsuit of drugging and raping a female Cornell student at their fraternity house in October 2024.

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Defense counsel argued that social media comments posted by James prior to her official appointment as "special prosecutor" demonstrate a pre-existing bias and a presumption of guilt that undermines the prosecution's neutrality.

"What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable," James had posted on social media. "I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you."

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Arguing before the court, Miltenberg pointed to those public declarations of support as proof of a pre-determined bias.

"Whether it affects all or just one, either the court determines the statements made by AG James take her out of contention to be neutral party reviewing case or not," Miltenberg argued, calling the initial public statements an "original sin" for the case.

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In a statement sent to Fox News on Thursday, a spokesperson for James' office said, "As indicated in our motion before the court, these claims are without merit. The Office of the Attorney General remains committed to conducting an investigation guided only by the facts, the evidence, and the law."

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Representing the state, Assistant Attorney General Kaitlin Vigars defended Gov. Kathy Hochul's appointment of James and pushed back against the disqualification effort, emphasizing that public statements alone do not meet the legal threshold for removal.

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Vigars argued that to warrant disqualification, there needs to be a showing of actual prejudice rather than speculative claims of bias.

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CORNELL SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE REVIVES SCRUTINY OF A LITTLE-KNOWN NEW YORK LAW ON INTOXICATED VICTIMS

Farrell peppered Vigars with questions about the circumstances leading up to James’ appointment, including if Hochul was aware of James’ social media comment, if James and Hochul were standing together when the governor made remarks about the "brave young woman," if that runs afoul of professional conduct, and if the purpose of appointing the AG was to avoid bias.

Farrell also raised broader procedural concerns during the arguments, noting the potential for conflicting legal rulings if challenges proceed piecemeal across jurisdictions.

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"If multiple judges come down with decisions that’s chaos," Farrell said from the bench, "and the court should not fashion chaos."

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Hochul appointed James as special prosecutor on Oct. 1 after stepping in to bypass the local Tompkins County district attorney, who had previously declined to bring charges.

CORNELL RAPE ACCUSER CAN REMAIN 'JANE DOE'; JUDGE WARNS THREATS COULD LEAD TO FEDERAL CHARGES

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With no decision rendered at the conclusion of Thursday's arguments, the judge is expected to issue a formal written ruling in the coming days on whether James will remain as special prosecutor or if the investigation must be reassigned.

Hochul later said on Thursday that all sexual offense complaints at Cornell University are now being referred to New York State Police, rather than Cornell University Police, unless otherwise requested by that individual.

"Every student deserves to feel safe on their campus," she said in a statement, in part. "And when someone reports sexual assault, they deserve to be heard, treated with compassion, and know their allegations will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated by law enforcement trained to support survivors.

"What Jane Doe described is horrifying. Survivors should be able to trust the institutions responsible for protecting them. We cannot afford to let them down."