COLLEGE PARK, Md., Jan. 18 (ZFJ) — Four suspects have been charged with the murder of Jefferson Amaya-Ayala, 14, of Washington, D.C., at a park in College Park, Md. The suspects are Jose Merlos-Majano, 18; Alan Josai Garcia-Padilla, 21; and William Cuellar Gutierrez, 19, all of Washington, D.C., and a 17-year-old juvenile from Hyattsville, Md. Amaya-Ayala’s remains were discovered by the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) on Nov. 3, 2025, while searching Indian Creek Stream Valley Park as part of a missing persons investigation with D.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Jan. 17 (ZFJ) — Police are investigating an incident in which a Rutgers student has been hospitalized after sustaining serious injuries at a residence in New Brunswick on Oct. 15, 2025. The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) said in a statement that Rutgers police responded to a disconnected 911 call at about 12:26 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Responding officers found an injured and unresponsive 19-year-old Rutgers student.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 (ZFJ) — The Supreme Court denied President Donald Trump’s emergency appeal to allow him federalize the Illinois National Guard (ILNG) and deploy soldiers to Chicago on Dec. 23, 2025. Trump has sought to deploy the National Guard to Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Chicago; Memphis, Tennessee; and Portland, Oregon. In the cases of D.C. and Memphis, he said such a deployment was necessary to stop rampant crime. In the cases of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, he said it was needed to protect federal immigration operations, which have encountered significant public backlash due to federal officers’ violent tactics.

EDISON, N.J., Jan. 11 (ZFJ) — A 17-year-old juvenile male has been arrested for the murder of a 17-year-old female in Edison, N.J., on Saturday, Jan. 10. On Saturday, at 1:19 a.m., the Edison Police Department (EPD) received a 911 call reporting a shooting at a residence on Grove Avenue. Responding officers found the female with a gunshot wound at the location, and she was pronounced deceased at the scene.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (ZFJ) — President Donald Trump’s attempt to deploy National Guard soldiers to Portland, Oregon, has been blocked by the federal courts. Trump has had longstanding grievances with Portland, labeling it a “sanctuary jurisdiction” due to Oregon state law prohibiting local and state law enforcement assistance in federal immigration operations. From June through September 2025, demonstrations took place outside of a facility belonging to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Southwest Portland following increased federal immigration enforcement activity in the city.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 (ZFJ) — President Donald Trump’s attempt to deploy National Guard soldiers to Chicago has been blocked by the federal courts. Trump has had longstanding grievances with Chicago, labeling it a “sanctuary jurisdiction” due to Illinois state law prohibiting local and state law enforcement assistance in federal immigration operations. Following the deployment of National Guard soldiers to patrol Washington, D.C., Trump posted on Truth Social throughout August and September to criticize the handling of crime by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, an outspoken critic of the D.

NEW YORK, Jan. 5 (ZFJ) — New York subway, local bus, and Access-a-Ride fares increased 10 cents from $2.90 to $3 ($1.45 to $1.50 reduced) on Sunday, Jan. 4. Per the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the automatic rolling 7-day fare cap for unlimited rides is now permanent. After paying for 12 rides in a 7-day period, all additional rides are free, meaning no rider will pay more than $35 ($17.50 reduced) in a week.

METUCHEN, Jan. 7 (ZFJ) — Peter Fragoso, 29, of New Brunswick, N.J., has been charged with the attempted murder of a 23-year-old man from Long Branch, N.J., on Dec. 3, 2025. On Dec. 3, at about 7:34 p.m., the Metuchen Police Department received a 911 call reporting an altercation between two men involving a knife at a residence on Durham Avenue. Responding police officers found the victim with stab wounds. He was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.

EDISON, N.J., Jan. 7 (ZFJ) — Jordan D. Jackson-Small, 35, of Edison, N.J., has been charged with the murder of Imani Smith, 26, of Edison on Dec. 21, 2025. On Dec. 21, at 9:18 a.m., the Edison Police Department received multiple 911 calls, including one by Jackson-Small, reporting a stabbing that occurred in the Robert E. Holmes Gardens public housing complex on Grove Avenue. Responding police officers found Smith with a stab wound to her neck, Jackson-Small, and a three-year-old child.

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Jan. 2 (ZFJ) — Raising Cane’s opened a location in College Park on Dec. 9, 2025. Cane’s is a fast food chain that was founded in Louisiana and specializes in chicken fingers. Its combo boxes also include fries, signature Cane’s sauce, Texas toast, and coleslaw. Raising Cane’s in College Park midnight on opening day, Dec. 9, 2025. ZFJ/Alvin Wu The store address is 7400 Baltimore Avenue. It is located on the corner of Baltimore Avenue and Knox Road, placing it across from city hall and adjacent to Terrapin’s Turf and the College Park Shopping Center.