Sears Sold File Cabinets Containing Confidential Records

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Personal information of hundreds of former Sears employees, including their Social Security numbers, was found in file cabinets a South Side Chicago man bought at a liquidation sale last weekend.

Hersey Mallory said his surprise turned to frustration when he tried to alert the retailer of the problem and couldn't get anyone to care enough to take the files back.

At $23 apiece, Mallory said he thought the file cabinets he bought Saturday were a good deal. But almost immediately he noticed how heavy the cabinets were. He understood why when he opened a drawer.

Inside were documents with personal information for former Sears employees. The files ranged from photos to records with marital status information, as well as birth certificates, termination papers and forms detailing accusations of theft.

Mallory said those employees have a right to privacy.

"The company should have had a little bit more due diligence in order to protect these people," he said.

Mallory said he'd tried calling Sears eight or nine times this week to alert them of the security problem.

"Take them off my hands and put them in the proper place before someone who's unscrupulous gets them," he said.

But instead of getting the attention he expected, Mallory said got the run-around from company representatives. He said one of his calls found him transferred to a representative in India. In another attempt, a representative gave him some creative advice: leave the files on a loading dock at the Sears store on State Street in Chicago.

Frustrated, Mallory contacted NBC Chicago. After an inquiry, Sears' Director of Corporate Communications, Howard Riefs, promised to look into it.

"We greatly appreciate the customer bringing the issue to our attention," Riefs said in a statement. "Ensuring the integrity of our associates' personal information is of the utmost importance."

By Wednesday afternoon, Mallory said he'd been contacted by a Sears representative and an appointment was made to have the files collected.

Mallory said he was offered a $100 gift certificate as a thank you for his integrity. He said he doesn't want anything at all and said the entire matter was just one of character and doing the right thing.

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National Beef Packing Company Recalls 50,000 Pounds of Beef

VIPDesignUSA, Shutterstock

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A Kansas-based company is recalling more than 50,000 pounds of beef that could be contaminated with E. Coli.

The National Beef Packing Company issued the voluntary recall on Wednesday after a sample of its product tested positive for the bacteria.

The products were produced on July 18th and were shipped to retailers, wholesalers, and food service distributors nationwide.

The recalled beef products all have the establishment number "EST. 208-A" inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Consumers can call 866-761-9472 or go to www.nationalbeef.com for details about the recall and for the company's return and reimbursement policy.

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Lawsuit Blames Man's Death on Dallas 911

Ken Kalthoff, NBC 5 News

A lawsuit blames the November death of a North Dallas man on the city's 911 emergency call system.

Lawsuit Blames Man's Death on Dallas 911

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A lawsuit blames the November death of a North Dallas man on the city's 911 emergency call system.

Matthew Sanchez was found dead of an overdose by his parents in his apartment hours after a call to 911, according to the lawsuit.

At the time, Dallas Fire -Rescue spokesman Lt. Joel Lavender said two calls came from the same complex within about 10 minutes, both for overdoses.

Lavender said the call-taker asked the second caller if it was for the first incident, and the caller said yes.

"So, in our minds, we put both calls together and then moved forward," he said. "It wasn't until later that we learned some type of confusion had occurred."

The lawsuit blames the death on the "dispatcher's negligent use of the computer and phone system property and/or the malfunction of the phone system and/or subsequent failures in appropriate procedure."

The lawsuit also names Dallas-based AT&T Inc. and iPhone maker Apple Inc., a California-based company.

Sanchez family attorney Brett Anthony said existing cellphone GPS technology can differentiate between nearby calls, even from the same apartment complex.

"That technology needs to be shared with 911 call centers," he said.

The city of Dallas and both companies decline to comment on pending lawsuits.

People connected with the Dallas 911 system said some of the technology the lawsuit seeks is already available to emergency responders when it works as intended.

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Vigils Remember Teens Killed in N.M. Crash

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Tributes Held for Three Euless Teens Killed in Car Crash

The first of three vigils planned for Wednesday focused primarily on the youngest of the three teens killed - Lolo Uhatafe, 13, who would have been a 9th grader at Euless Junior High School this fall.

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Tributes to three teenagers killed in a car crash in New Mexico this week continued in Euless on Wednesday.

The first of three vigils planned for Wednesday focused primarily on the youngest victim, Lolo Uhatafe, 13. He would have been a ninth-grader at Euless Junior High School this fall.

Uhatafe, his older brother, Polo Manukainiu, 19; and his brother's friend, Gaius Vaenuku, 18; died Monday evening when the car they were in rolled over along U.S. 550, according to New Mexico State Police.

They were not wearing seat belts, state police said.

Hundreds of Uhatafe's friends, family members, classmates and teachers packed the junior high's gymnasium Wednesday morning for a memorial service that featured singing, tears and laughter as speakers reminisced about him.

David Eteaki, Uhatafe and Manukainiu's said the turnout was "amazing."

"It kind of tells you the support that the kid had at the school here," he said. "It's just really nice to see."

The medical examiner handling the investigation released the teens' bodies to family members Wednesday, Eteaki said. They should arrive back in the Dallas-Fort Worth area Wednesday night.

The Euless teens were returning to North Texas after visiting the University of Utah, which Vaenuku was to attend in the fall. A standout All-State football player at Euless' Trinity High School, Vaenuku would have continued his football career with the Utes.

Manukainiu was a redshirt freshman on Texas A&M's football team, and Uhatafe had dreams of following in his brother's footsteps.

"While you're walking, he's running," Eteaki said. "You know, he's always a step ahead of everybody. That's what I'm going to miss about him."

Moa Garcia, Uhatafe's aunt, told NBC 5 that the teen was just as quick with a joke or a story to entertain friends and family.

"That's how he is -- he's a very funny, very funny kid," she said. "People said, 'Short kid, but a big heart.' We're surely going to miss him."

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Funerals for Four Victims of Hialeah Shooting Thursday

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Family members and friends will say their final goodbyes Thursday to four of the victims of last week's horrific Hialeah shooting.

The funerals of Italo and Samira Pisciotti, Merly Niebles and Pricilla Perez will take place Thursday. The Pisciottis will be laid to rest at 9:30 a.m. at Vista Memorial Gardens at 14200 Northwest 57th Avenue in Miami Lakes. Niebles and Perez will be laid to rest at 2 p.m. at Dade South Memorial Park at 14200 Southwest 117th Avenue in Miami.

On Wednesday, family members paid their final respects to victim Carlos Gavilanes at a funeral at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Hialeah. His uncle, Nivardo Diaz, remembered Gavilanes as "totally devoted" to his family.

Gov. Scott Honors Hialeah Police For Shooting Response

Florida Gov. Rick Scott thanked members of the Hialeah Police Department and SWAT team Wednesday for their efforts in rescuing the hostages of a gunman who killed six people before he was shot and killed by officers last week. SWAT team member Fernando Montalvo spoke about the night of the shootings.

Police Chief Discusses Rescue of Hostages

Knowing Pedro Vargas had hostages, police tried to talk him out of a fifth-floor apartment, Hialeah Police Chief Sergio Velazquez said. But the SWAT team was ultimately forced to go in and rescue the hostages, he said.

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Family, Friends of Teen Shooting Victim Speak

"He was unbelievable," said Diaz, who recalled weekend and holiday barbecues together. "He loved being with his family. He was always the life of the party and obviously we're going to miss that about him."

Police say Pedro Vargas, 42, shot and killed six people and held two others hostages, and opened fire on police officers before he was killed by SWAT team members during a violent standoff Friday at an apartment building in the 1400 block of West 46th Street.

Vargas had set $10,000 in cash on fire before the shooting spree and standoff that lasted until early Saturday, police said.

Hialeah Gunman Downloaded Files on Hacking, Explosives: Documents

Italo Pisciotti, 79, and Samira Pisciotti, 69, the husband and wife who managed the building where Vargas lived with his 83-year-old mother for the last 12 years, were killed, as were neighbor Perez, 17, her mother, Niebles and stepfather Patricio Simono, and Gavilanes, who was killed across the street.

Police haven't determined a motive in the shootings. On Wednesday, police released a 911 call from Vargas placed just hours before the shooting, in which the gunman said he was being harassed by someone using witchcraft against him.

Vargas, who police say had no criminal record, can be heard telling the dispatcher in Spanish that someone was following him and using witchcraft against him. He told the dispatcher he was suspicious of a car parked outside the apartment building that he knew did not belong to anyone living there.

Earlier Wednesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott thanked members of the Hialeah Police Department and SWAT team for their work rescuing the hostages.

"Your heart goes out to families, the individuals that were impacted, but also I just wanted to thank you for what you did, it can't be easy to put your lives at risk," Scott told the officers. "If it wasn't for individuals like you, we wouldn't have the safety we have."

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"No Danger" From Radioactive Material in Fire

Arlington fire crews and hazardous material personnel are working at the scene of a fire at a facility that contains radioactive materials.

Arlington fire says the radioactive materials come from x-ray machines sold by MPM Products, which owns the facility at 415 Lillard Road.

According to the company's website, the facility "houses a calibration facility for radiation detection equipment, a service and repair facility for [non-destructive testing] NDT Equipment, a stocking distribution facility for
NDT supplies"

Non-destructive testing equipment listed on the company's website includes x-ray machines, radiation detectors, and other items that may contain radioactive materials.

As a precaution, the area around the fire, primarily Lillard St. just off Division, will be shut down for a few hours.

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Cowboys' Josh Brent Released From Jail

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NBC DFW has learned that Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent was released from Dallas' Lew Sterrett Justice Center on Sunday.

He was jailed after a positive drug test for marijuana on June 19. This is the second time Brent tested positive for the drug since his arrest on an intoxication manslaughter charge.

In December of 2012, police said Brent was driving drunk when he crashed his car in Irving. The wreck killed his passenger, fellow Cowboys player Jerry Brown.  Brown was on the Cowboys practice squad.

Brent's next scheduled hearing was set for July 19.

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Funeral Set For Slain Saginaw Girl

The Bryant Family

The body of Alanna Gallagher, 6, was found on the 1000 block of Round Rock Drive on Monday evening.

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The funeral for a slain 6-year-old Saginaw girl has been set.

Alanna Gallagher will be laid to rest Thursday, July 11 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Richland Hills at 11 a.m. A burial will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery in Fort Worth.

This weekend, people in Saginaw wore purple ribbons in memory of Alanna. 

Neighbors of the girl say they hope the ribbons will help keep the girl's murder on the minds of anyone who may have any information about the crime. 

Saginaw Police say they've received good information from tips and have leads on the case.

The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and prosecution of anyone responsible.

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Five Children Ejected, Injured in Dallas Crash

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Dallas police say five children were ejected when a pickup truck ran a red light hitting the SUV they were riding in.

It happened just before 1 a.m. at Garland Road and Buckner Boulevard Monday.

Police say the pickup was eastbound on Garland Road and ran a red light hitting a Lincoln Navigator broadside, spinning it.

A 13-year-old girl has severe head injuries. All of the injured were taken to Children's Hospital. The other children have bumps, bruises and road rash from being thrown into the intersection.

The Navigator was loaded with three adults and six children, police say the vehicle is designed to carry seven passengers so it's obvious some of the passengers were not properly restrained.

Police say the driver of the pickup tried to flee the scene after the crash but witnesses surrounded him and started taking pictures of him and his truck and kept him from leaving the scene.

Police say the driver of the pickup truck complained of neck and back pain, he was taken to Baylor Hospital. Police say they have him under guard and will be taking a blood sample to determine if he'll face intoxication assault charges.

Police say the pickup driver does not have a license.

Vehicle records show the owner of the Navigator was just nine minutes from home at the time of the crash.

Police say the intersection had red light cameras and witnesses said they saw a flash so officers say it's likely there is a photograph proving the pickup ran the red light.

NBC 5's Kendra Lyn contributed to this report.

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Woman Falsely Reported Home Invasion: Police

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A Suffield, Conn., woman is facing charges for falsely reporting a home invasion and brutal assault.

Kelly Wilson, 29, of Thrall Avenue, was arrested on Wednesday after a nearly three-month investigation by Suffield Police.

Police said she admitted to causing injuries to herself and trashing her home to make it look like an intruder.

On April 13, police forced their way into Wilson's home shortly after midnight when she reported that a man with a handgun broke in through a back door, beat her and sexually assaulted her.

At the time, police said it was one of the most disturbing crime scenes and violent stories they have ever come upon.

Wilson told police that the masked man knocked twice on her door earlier in the evening and asked for help with his broken down car, police said.

Wilson, who was alone at the time, gave police a detailed description of the alleged intruder.

Property records show she and her fiancé purchased the house just weeks before the incident. At the time, police said her fiancé was away on military leave.

For days, police asked town residents to remain vigilant and report anyone suspicious matching the description of the alleged intruder.

Checkpoints were set up in the area of the Thrall Avenue address, with police asking drivers if they noticed a broken down car or a man matching the description given around the time of the alleged incident.

Suffield Police Chief Michael Manzi said investigators shortly after found discrepancies in Wilson's story.

"The investigation soon turned from finding a suspect to determining whether the story was fabricated," Manzi said.

An FBI profiler from Quantico, Va., was brought in to aide in the investigation, Manzi said.

On May 22, Wilson gave a written statement admitting she contrived the whole story, Manzi said.

Wilson admitted to causing the injuries to herself and trashing her home to make it look like an intruder, Manzi said.

As for the reason, Manzi would only say it was "emotional in nature."

Soon after the written confession, Suffield police turned the case over to the Office of the States' Attorney.

Manzi said an arrest warrant was signed and issued on July 2 and Wilson was arrested the following day.

She is charged with falsely reporting an incident, making false statements and misuse of the emergency 911 system.

All charges are misdemeanors.

Wilson posted $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Enfield Superior Court on July 16.
 

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