A spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey said a man was taken into custody around 7 p.m. at a Wal-Mart in Glendale, a suburb west of Phoenix.

PHOENIX -- A suspect was arrested Friday in a string of shootings that have kept drivers on edge for weeks as vehicles were struck with seemingly random gunfire as they drove down Phoenix freeways.

The 21-year-old man was arrested at a Wal-Mart in Glendale, a suburb west of Phoenix at about 7 p.m., said Daniel Scarpinato, a spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey.

ABC15 Arizona identified the suspect as Leslie Allen Merritt Jr.

Milstead: The suspect in custody is connected to the first four shootings on I-10. #FreewayShootings pic.twitter.com/qMG6qL3Vlz

-- ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) September 19, 2015

Department of Public Safety Director Frank Milstead announced the arrest at a news conference two hours later, saying a suspect was arrested in the first four of the 11 shootings. He said the investigation continues.

"Are there others out there? Are there copycats? That is possible," Milstead said.

Milstead said the suspect was arrested in the first four shootings, which took place on Aug. 29 and 30. The agency says the man faces a range of charges that include criminal endangerment, assault and unlawful discharge of a firearm. Milstead has previously called the incidents "domestic terrorism crimes."

"We got him!" Ducey tweeted. "Great work by Arizona DPS investigators and SWAT team."

Since Aug. 29, there have been 11 confirmed shootings of vehicles in the Phoenix area involving bullets or other projectiles. Most occurred along Interstate 10, a major route through the city. The Wal-Mart where the suspect was arrested is 6 miles north of where some of the shootings on I-10 occurred.

There have been no serious injuries, though a 13-year-old girl's ear was cut by glass after a bullet shattered a window of a vehicle she was riding in.

There has not been a confirmed shooting in the case since Sept. 10.

The shootings have prompted several school districts to keep their buses off freeways, and some motorists have altered their commutes to avoid driving I-10.

Authorities offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. They distributed thousands of fliers in neighborhoods along the freeway this week to raise awareness about the shootings and the reward, but they have been tight-lipped about any details in the case.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety said state troopers have stepped up patrols, while other agencies assisting in the investigation have included Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa police as well as the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"I think it's fair to say since a week ago, we've made headway in this case," Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves said earlier Friday.

Meanwhile Friday, a judge ordered the release of a 19-year-old man who was detained at a convenience store on Sept. 11 and questioned regarding the shootings. Authorities have declined to explain why the man was questioned about the shootings, but they have said he was not a prime suspect.

He was arrested on an alleged probation violation stemming from marijuana found in the man's house during a Sept. 11 search based on a tip that he was violating probation by possessing a gun. The man had been sentenced to probation on an endangerment conviction for excessive speeding and fleeing from police.

Three young men were arrested and accused of hurling rocks at cars with slingshots in a case that authorities called a copycat to the shootings, but one of the young men denied in jail interviews that was the case.

Her name was Bella, according to police reports from The Daily Beast. Her mother, according to the publication, is Rachelle Bond of Boston. Police are searching for Bond, 40, and Michael McCarthy, 35. Both are persons of interest in the investigation.

Update: Rachelle Bond, Bella Bond's mother, has been arrested.

The body of the 4-year-old found in a bag on Deer Island, known to many as "Baby Doe," has been identified.

Her name was Bella and her mother is Rachelle Bond of Boston, according to a source familiar with the Dorchester home the mother was living in. Police are searching for Bond, 40, and Michael McCarthy, 35. Both are persons of interest in the investigation.

The 30-pound girl was found dead on the island near Boston this summer. Police say her remains were found in a trash bag near the water.

Someone close to the child's family reached out to police Thursday, The Daily Beast said. The informant had repeatedly asked Bella's parents where she had gone, and they said she had been taken by the Department of Children and Families.

The agency has confirmed it has no child with Bella's name in custody.

Police also matched Bella's identity with the clothes she drowned in: black-and-white polka-dot leggings and a zebra fleece blanket.

Press and police father outside an apartment building on 115 Maxwell Street in Dorchester Friday, where officials believe Bella's mom, Rachelle Bond, may be staying.Gintautas Dumcius | gdumcius@masslive.com

A recent listed address of Bond's is the Kingston Houses of the Boston Rescue Mission, an emergency shelter and transitional housing for recovering addicts, the Daily Beast said.

Court records show Rachelle Bond was arrested in Aug. 2010 for "sexual conduct with a fee," or prostitution, according to MyFoxBoston.com.

Press and police gathered outside an apartment building on 115 Maxwell Street in Dorchester Friday, where officials believe Bond is living.

Here is a link to Bond's Facebook page, which contains public photos of her and a toddler she identifies as Bella.

Gintautas Dumcius contributed to this report.

After a mother and her boyfriend were charged in the murder of the woman's 2-year-old daughter, investigators are not ready to speculate on a motive or even a cause of death.

BOSTON -- After a mother and her boyfriend were charged in the murder of the woman's 2-year-old daughter, investigators are not ready to speculate on a motive or even a cause of death.

The toddler was identified as Bella Bond on Friday, almost three months after her remains were found in a trash bag that washed up on a Boston Harbor beach.

At a news conference Friday, Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said he authorized a murder charge for Michael McCarthy, 35, and the girl's mother, Rachelle Bond, 40, for accessory to murder after the fact.

But Conley would not comment on how the young girl, who had no obvious signs of trauma to her body, died. He also declined to comment on a possible motive, asking "Why does anyone kill a 2-year-old child? What could she have done?"

A composite picture of the chubby-cheeked, brown-eyed girl, known before Friday as only Baby Doe, had tugged at heartstrings across the country after authorities asked for the public's help. Her image was seen by millions of Facebook users.

More 'Baby Doe' news >> 

"At just shy of three years old, Bella Bond was a true innocent," Conley said at a news conference announcing the charges. "This child, whose very name means beauty, was murdered."

The girl was named Baby Doe by investigators who launched a massive social media campaign to find out who she was and how she died.

Using photos of her remains, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children created a composite image of what the girl might have looked like when she was alive. Within two weeks, the image of the girl had reached an estimated 47 million people on Facebook.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, said Bond and McCarthy are blaming each other for the girl's death.

"It appears as though it was a situation of the boyfriend who was involved and apparently, I think, mother and boyfriend sort of blaming each other in terms of who harmed the child."

Conley said McCarthy was being treated at a Boston hospital for a medical condition unrelated to the case.

Both Bond and McCarthy are due to be arraigned on the charges Monday. Neither could be reached for comment.

Officials from the state's child protection agency said they had contact with Bella twice, for four months in 2012 and three months in 2013. In both cases, officials described the involvement as "support for neglect," and the cases were later closed.

Between 2001 and 2006, the Department of Children and Families terminated parental rights for two of her mother's older children. One of the children was later adopted by her maternal grandmother; the other was adopted by someone outside the family, DCF officials said.

The girl's body was found June 25 by a woman walking a dog.

Despite the widespread publicity, a text tip line and billboards with the girl's image, investigators were frustrated for months as they tried to learn her identity. They got their big break after Boston police received a tip and a search warrant was executed Thursday at Rachelle Bond's apartment.

Bond had a history of drug and prostitution arrests.

On her Facebook page, she appears to be a doting mother, posting numerous photos of her daughter, who she calls "Bell" and "monkey."

On Sept. 15, 2014, a photo shows Bella wearing a tight-fitting, one-piece romper. "Look at my Bell," Bond wrote. "The outfit isn't supposed to be a catsuit ...Love her to death. I am on top of the world because of her. My life is complete again and worth living. I give her the world and more if I can..."

Conley said he received at least 10 offers from people who wanted to take care of the little girl's burial, including Cardinal Sean O'Malley.

Howard Dean, a surrogate for Hillary Clinton's White House campaign, said he believes the former secretary state is the most qualified candidate and "gets what has to happen in the country to preserve democracy," in an interview at the Massachusetts Democratic Party's convention in Springfield.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean urged support for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential bid during the Massachusetts Democratic Party convention at the MassMutual Center Saturday.

Hillary Clinton

Dean, a surrogate for Clinton's White House campaign, said he believes the former secretary state is the most qualified candidate and "gets what has to happen in the country to preserve democracy." He was among three Democratic presidential campaign representatives slated to address convention delegates and party leaders at the daylong event.

Boston City Councilor Matt O'Malley and Karen Higgins, co-president of National Nurses United, will stump for the campaigns of former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT.

Dean praised Clinton's support for human rights issues, as well as her understanding of the economic divide, student loan problems and foreign relations.

"Another reason I support Hillary Clinton is because she's competent," he told The Republican. "We do not want to have (someone) incompetent in the White House."

Dean, who said he endorsed Clinton over a year ago, added that despite his support for the former first lady, he believes Sanders' campaign is great and that the independent senator is "raising important issues that are critical to the country."

The 2016 election, he added, cannot be about division and that Democrats must stand together regardless of who becomes the party's nominee.

"This campaign is not about Hillary and its not about Bernie and its not about Martin, it is about us," he said in a speech to delegates. "And it's about our country and it's about our country as a democracy and being a place where everyone can succeed."

Dean added that regardless of who represents the Democratic party in 2016 he'll "be on that team."

The former governor said he sees the 2015 state party convention as an opportunity for Democratic presidential candidates to build support for their campaigns in the Bay State.

"I do think people are paying attention in Massachusetts and this convention is part of the groundwork," he said.

 

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren energized the crowd at the 2015 Massachusetts Democratic Convention in Springfield with a speech talking about progressive values and the need for the party to retain the White House in 2016.

SPRINGFIELD — Taking aim at several 2016 Republican presidential candidates, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called on delegates attending the Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention to fight for party values heading into the upcoming election cycle.

The senator, in a fiery speech at the MassMutual Center, urged Democrats attending the daylong event to continue distinguishing themselves from Republicans.

"Now here we are, we're in the presidential season and we're all about to approach this presidential race. The differences between Democrats and Republicans are becoming clearer every day," she said. "If we keep making these differences clear, that's how we're going to win."

Warren blasted Republican presidential candidates for supporting efforts to dismantle unions, cut social security and Medicare and deport undocumented immigrants, among other things. She also took issue with proposals to defund Planned Parenthood and repeal federal financial regulation overhaul legislation.

Referencing the focus race has garnered in the wake of highly publicized police-involved shootings, the senator stressed that "black lives matter," and pledged to fight until there's real change in the country.

"And no matter how many dog whistles the Republicans blow and no matter how much red meat they throw around, Democrats believe that racism, sexism and homophobia, that hatred, injustice and bigotry have no place in our country," she said.

Warren urged Democratic voters to turn out in 2016 to take back the U.S. Senate and help elect a Democrat to the White House.

"If we fight for Massachusetts values, if we fight for Democratic values, if we fight for America's values we will win here in the commonwealth and all across the country," she said.

The senator delivered one of the opening speeches as she was scheduled to cross the Connecticut River before noon to attend The Big E, which kicked off its 99th year on Friday. She was expected to spend time touring New England's fair along with State Sen. Jim Welch and state Rep. Mike Finn, both West Springfield Democrats.

Aside from being popular among progressives around the country, Warren is a bankruptcy law expert who has taught at several colleges and universities, including Harvard in Cambridge before defeating Republican Sen. Scott Brown in 2012. She is currently a member of the Senate Banking Committee where she frequently pushes regulators to provide more accountability than was the norm in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

On the political trail, Warren traveled coast-to-coast in 2014 to help boost the campaigns of several Democratic colleagues running for re-election to Congress. In Massachusetts, she threw her star power behind Democrats including Eric Lesser, a former Obama aide who will represent the 1st Hampden-Hampshire District in the state Senate.

And although Warren was pushed repeatedly to run for president in 2016, she declined. But it remains to be seen just which of the Democrats she will throw her star power behind for the upcoming presidential race as her endorsement, unlike the dozens that get thrown around in an election year, carries weight considering her progressive following.

The Black Lives Matter network will skip a presidential endorsement but keep up its political activism by confronting candidates about the treatment of African-Americans in the United States, one of the group's founders says.

By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Black Lives Matter network will skip a presidential endorsement but keep up its political activism by confronting candidates about the treatment of African-Americans in the United States, one of the group's founders says.

In an Associated Press interview, Alicia Garza discussed the organization's refusal to settle on a preferred candidate in the 2016 race to succeed President Barack Obama and pledged to press ahead with protests and interruptions during the campaign.

"Sometimes you have to put a wrench in the gears to get people to listen," said Garza, who spoke at the 7th Annual Black Women's Roundtable Policy Forum last week.

The Black Lives Matter movement traces its roots to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012, and gained national ground after 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, last summer. Since then, deaths of other unarmed black males at the hands of law enforcement officers have inspired protests under the "Black Lives Matter" moniker.

Some are affiliated with the original network founded by Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors, Garza and their allies. Some are not, although they use the slogan.

Black Lives Matter activists grabbed headlines when they disrupted a Seattle rally last month right before Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Democratic presidential candidate, was about to speak. Others claiming to represent Black Lives Matter have met with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush.

The Congressional Black Caucus, a group of African-American lawmakers in the House and Senate, also was focusing on criminal justice and police reforms during its annual legislative conference this weekend.

The Democratic National Committee acknowledged the Black Lives Matter movement at its Aug. 1 meeting in Minneapolis with a resolution saying it "joins with Americans across the country in affirming 'Black lives matter' and the 'say her name' efforts to make visible the pain of our fellow and sister Americans as they condemn extrajudicial killings of unarmed African-American men, women and children."

The network said the resolution would not get its endorsement, and Garza reaffirmed that the official Black Lives Matter organization will not endorse any political party or candidate this election cycle.

"Black Lives Matter as a network will not, does not, has not, ain't going to endorse any candidates," Garza said. "Now if there are activists within the movement that want to do that independently, they should feel free and if that's what makes sense for their local conditions, that's fantastic. But as a network, that's not work we're engaged in yet."

In the future, the organization may become more involved with candidates and parties, and even run candidates, she said, but added that "we're not there yet."

"It's too early in the development of the network and it's too early in the genesis of the movement to rally around anyone in particular who hasn't demonstrated that they feel accountable to the Black Lives Matter movement or network," said Garza, who also works with the National Domestic Worker Alliance.

"What we've seen is an attempt by mainstream politics and politicians to co-opt movements that galvanize people in order for them to move closer to their own goals and objectives," she said. "We don't think that playing a corrupt game is going to bring change and make black lives matter."

A portion of Route 2 in Erving, Massachusetts was closed temporarily on Saturday morning following what has been reported as the fall of a person who was rock climbing.

EVRING — A portion of Route 2 in Erving was closed temporarily on Saturday following what has been reported as the fall of a person who was rock climbing.

According to 22News, a medical helicopter was called to transport the victim, who was described as a rock climber, to an area hospital although it's unclear just how bad the person was injured.

A state trooper told WesternMassNews, the television partner of The Republican, that the incident took place around 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

National Nurses United Co-President Karen Higgins called on delegates attending Saturday's Democratic Party Convention in Springfield to support U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders', I-VT, 2016 presidential campaign.

SPRINGFIELD ‒ National Nurses United Co-President Karen Higgins called on delegates attending Saturday's Democratic Party Convention in Springfield to support U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders', I-VT, 2016 presidential campaign.

Higgins, a surrogate for the Vermont senator's White House bid, praised Sanders' focus on issues that she said "resonate across America," like income inequality and college affordability.

"A campaign that is about people standing up, fighting back and saying loudly and clearly that this great country and our government belong to all of us and not just a handful of billionaires. If we stand together and we get people out to vote and we take on these issues, that yes we can accomplish this, we can change the direction of this country - that's what Bernie Sanders' campaign is about," she said.

Higgins, a nurse, told delegates that it's exciting to see a candidate speaking out on progressive issues, adding that Sanders is not afraid to challenge corporate interests or stand by his support for issues like same-sex marriage and so-called women's rights.

Calling the Vermont senator's campaign "a political revolution and a grassroots movement that can transform the direction of this country," she expressed pride at her union's endorsement of the senator's presidential bid.

Higgins joined surrogates from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's respective presidential campaigns in addressing convention attendees.

The Pentagon lists 83,000 MIAs as unaccounted-for from WWII and the Korean and Vietnam wars. More than 73,000 are from WWII, with many of those deemed not recoverable because they were lost at sea.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Justin Taylan has been to the remote Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea dozens of times over the past two decades, spending countless hours slogging through crocodile-infested swamps in his quest to document as many World War II airplane wreck sites as possible.

Since 2013, he has conducted those missions for the newly reorganized Pentagon agency whose predecessor he and others had criticized for years for failing to recover and identify more remains of U.S. service members.

Taylan's hiring is part of the military's plans to reach out to private groups and others to help with the search for thousands of American war remains scattered from Pacific jungles to the European countryside. 

Though he said he cannot comment on the details of the cases he's worked on under his contract, Taylan said he has documented more than 80 wreck and war-related sites, including eight aircraft crashes associated with American MIA cases.

"So many organizations have something to give and share," Taylan, 37, told The Associated Press recently in between trips to Papua New Guinea. "It's an incredible turn of events to support the mission and get more MIA cases resolved."

This 2014 photo provided by Pacific Wrecks shows the number 92 from a World War II airplane at the crash site where it went down in Papua New Guinea (PNG). (Sam Bruce/Pacific Wrecks via AP) 

In 2009, Congress set a requirement that the Pentagon identify at least 200 sets of remains a year by 2015. But less than half that number has been identified over each of the past two years.

Earlier this year, the Department of Defense unveiled its revamped Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, a move that came a year and a half after the AP obtained an internal Pentagon study that criticized previous efforts as being in danger of spiraling from "dysfunction to total failure."

In a shift many critics say is long overdue, the new agency is working with nonprofit organizations such as Taylan's Pacific Wrecks, Inc. and private firms to help with research and actual searches.

Other examples:

-- An Ohio archaeology firm was hired this summer to search for the remains of 1st Lt. Ewart Sconiers, a bombardier who died in a German POW camp in Poland in 1944.

-- History Flight, a Marathon, Florida-based organization, recovered the remains of 36 Marines killed on the Pacific atoll of Tarawa, one of the war's bloodiest battles. The remains were brought to Hawaii for identification in late July.

-- Leaders of the University of Wisconsin's Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project plan to meet with military officials in Washington this month to discuss collaborations utilizing the college's DNA and genetics expertise. Last year, UW-Madison helped identify the remains of Pfc. Lawrence S. Gordon, a Canadian-born U.S. soldier killed in France in 1944. The university's MIA project leaders recently met with members of Kuentai-USA, a Japanese group that has found Japanese and U.S. MIAs on Saipan, scene of a major battle in 1944.

Hundreds of Americans are still listed as MIA in Papua New Guinea. Most were air crews who disappeared when their planes crashed in forbidding terrain that includes dense jungles and cloud-shrouded mountain peaks topping 13,000 feet.

In this 2014 photo provided by Pacific Wrecks shows the wreckage of a Martin B-26 Marauder where it made a forced landing in Papua New Guinea (PNG) during World War II. (Justin Taylan/Pacific Wrecks via AP) 

Taylan, who lives in Hyde Park, New York, began visiting the southwest Pacific after taking a trip to the Philippines in 1993 with his grandfather, a former WWII Army photographer who served there. Taylan became fascinated by the numerous wartime plane wrecks and battle artifacts still visible and started a website, pacificwrecks.com, to document wreck sites, battlefields and MIA cases across the Pacific.

Taylan has visited hundreds of wreck sites and passed along any new information he gathered to the Pentagon. He eventually joined veterans organizations and others who criticized the government for taking in some cases decades to provide families with details about their loved one's loss during WWII.

Mark Shoemaker can attest to that frustration. His uncle, 2nd Lt. Edward F. Barker, disappeared in Papua New Guinea during a training flight in 1944. A U.S. military team visited the wreck site in 1962 but found no remains. The site was revisited 40 years later, and again in 2012, when human remains were finally recovered. Barker's remains weren't identified until July, when they were returned to his hometown in New York's Mohawk Valley for burial.

Although Taylan wasn't involved in the discovery of Barker's remains, the Pacific Wrecks website had numerous details about the case, right down to the serial numbers on the fighter plane's machine guns. Taylan attended the funeral and met Shoemaker, who said he's encouraged people outside the Pentagon are being brought in to help with MIA missions.

"The government has to be involved in some way, but there's certainly a place for these guys," Shoemaker said. "There's obviously a lot of room for improvement."

Boston City Councilor Matt O'Malley painted 2016 presidential candidate Martin O'Malley as person who would bring "new leadership" to the White House in a speech at the Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention in Springfield Saturday

SPRINGFIELD ‒ Boston City Councilor Matt O'Malley painted 2016 presidential candidate Martin O'Malley as person who would bring new leadership to the White House in a speech at the Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention in Springfield Saturday.

Speaking on behalf of the former Maryland governor's presidential campaign, the city councilor said he's supporting O'Malley 's presidential bid due to his record, vision and unique ability to offer what he called "new leadership."

"Our nation faces big challenges from an economy that has created a massive inequality to the ever-changing threats of our national security from ISIS," he told delegates. "Martin O'Malley brings new leadership, progressive values and a record of getting things done - precisely what we need to address these challenges and rebuild the American Dream for all."

Highlighting the Democrat's past record and current policy proposals, the councilor praised the candidate's support for bringing enforcement and overhauls to Wall Street, restoring collective bargaining power and raising the federal minimum wage.

The surrogate further called for more debates between the Democratic presidential candidates, saying Republicans have been dominating the national conversation and could influence independent and undecided voters.

"These debates are crucial to the success of our party in explaining our plans, our hopes and our aspirations," he said.

O'Malley was one of three presidential campaign surrogates to speak at the daylong convention at the MassMutual Center.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and National Nurses United Co-President Karen Higgins spoke on behalf of Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT.

 

Gov. Charlie Baker visited The Big E in West Springfield on Saturday, sampling fair food, vendors and meeting and greeting fairgoers.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - These days, it seems Gov. Charlie Baker is more adept at decorating cupcakes than playing Space Invaders.

Baker gamely volunteered for both during a Saturday tour of the Big E - not his first, but his first as governor. After kicking off the day with a "Craz-E Burger," a 1,500-calorie concoction of a bacon cheeseburger and a buttered Krispy Kreme donut, Baker meandered through the grounds with a small entourage of aides, fair officials and press.

Flanked by Eastern States Exposition President Eugene Cassidy and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Donald R. Chase, Baker ponied up at several food and merchandise vendors, making special stops at Dingle Linens and to stop to take a selfie with a Clydesdale horse before landing at the Young Building to take in "99 Years of Fun."

The special exhibit features vintage video games, sports and a bar promoting a fried martini, a close cousin of the Jell-O shot. Baker passed on the fried martini but made a beeline to the row of old-school video games and played a round of Space Invaders. Within inches of him was a fairgoer who appeared totally oblivious to the fact that he was playing Centipede next to the governor, so intent were the two on their games.

"Ugh!" Baker exclaimed after ending up with a score of just 4,940 - a far cry from his high school days, he said.

The game was followed by a lengthy conversation with V-One Vodka founder Paul Kozub, a local resident who said he began making vodka in his basement at 27.

"My father passed away and left me $6,000. That was ten years ago," Kozub said of the seed money he used to grow a local company that now employs 12.

The 6-foot-6-inch governor was hardly inconspicuous at the fair, and drew accolades and many requests for photos from patrons, vendors and 4-H members, all of which he obliged.

"I'm a big fan," said Mike Sanders, of Boston, by way of introduction, adding that he had only just sent a letter to Baker's office yesterday on behalf of the National Telecommuting Institute, which advocates for home-based jobs for the physically disabled.

Baker's visit overlapped with that of U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren,D-Mass., in Springfield for the Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention, which Cassidy said was sheer coincidence.

In the Massachusetts Building, Baker bought beeswax-based moisturizer and inquired about the plight of the state's beekeepers, then snapped photos at the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce booth. He bought bread at Pittsfield Rye and made a special stop at Springfield's Koffee Kup Bakery booth.

Baker has made no secret that he is enamored with the shop's products since hitting the campaign trail in 2014. Fittingly, shop owner Dino Facente created the "Governor Cupcake," and invited Baker to top a set with chocolate frosting and a maraschino cherry.

"Not as easy as it looks, huh?" Facente said as he guided Baker through the process, though the governor didn't do a half-bad job.

Baker wrapped up his two-hour visit answering questions from reporters and lauded the economic impact of the fair on the region and its selling power for vendors.

"It creates tremendous visibility for small businesses," in an age where consumers can buy virtually everything on-line, Baker said.

A landscaper who is the suspect in a series of Phoenix freeway shootings told a judge Saturday that authorities have "the wrong guy" and he hasn't even been in possession of a gun for two months.

PHOENIX -- A landscaper who is the suspect in a series of Phoenix freeway shootings told a judge Saturday that authorities have "the wrong guy" and he hasn't even been in possession of a gun for two months.

Leslie Allen Merritt Jr., 21, was charged with counts including aggravated assault, criminal damage, disorderly conduct, carrying out a drive-by shooting and intentional acts of terrorism. In a brief court appearance, the prosecutor said he presents a danger to the community after drivers spent the last three weeks on edge.

"The suspect presents a dramatic and profound threat to the community," the prosecutor said.

Judge Lisa Roberts set bail at $1 million, and Merritt asked to speak to the court.

"All I have to say is I'm the wrong guy. I tried telling the detectives that. My gun's been in the pawn shop the last two months. I haven't even had access to a weapon," he said. 

This photo provided by Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shows Leslie Allen Merritt. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP) 

Merritt was arrested at about 7 p.m. Friday after a SWAT team swarmed him at a Wal-Mart in the suburb of Glendale. Minutes later, Gov. Doug Ducey took to Twitter to proclaim "We got him!" and the head of the Arizona Department of Public Safety held a news conference to outline the four shootings detectives linked to Merritt.

Merritt was behind the shootings of a tour bus, an SUV and two cars on Interstate 10 on Aug. 29 and 30, said DPS director Frank Milstead. No one was injured. Eleven cars in all were hit while driving along Phoenix freeways starting Aug. 29.

"Are there others out there? Are there copycats? That is possible," said Milstead. He said the investigation continues.

In an interview with The Associated Press, the suspect's father was adamant that his son had nothing to do with the shootings and anyone who says he was involved is a "moron."

Leslie Merritt Sr. said he believes his son is being made a scapegoat by police who were desperate to make an arrest under immense public pressure.

"He has way too much value for human life to even take the slightest or remotest risk of actually injuring someone," the elder Merritt said of his son.

He said his son worked as a landscaper and likes guns but is not a criminal.

Merritt Jr.'s Facebook page, confirmed by his father, has two video clips on his Facebook page that show him firing guns into the desert toward a palm tree, exclaiming "whoo" after squeezing off a round.

Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who received updates about the arrest from police, said the suspect tried to pawn the gun used in the shootings.

Brandon Copeland said he witnessed the arrest of the suspect as he did some Friday night shopping at the Wal-Mart. He was struck at the military-style response as officers stormed the crowded store and came out with the man in handcuffs.

"My girl goes, 'maybe we should leave,' and I'm thinking we should leave. And as soon as she says that, like five, six unmarked units just rolled up with blue and reds flashing everywhere," he said.

Since Aug. 29, there have been 11 confirmed shootings of vehicles in the Phoenix area involving bullets or other projectiles, such as BBs or pellets. Most occurred along I-10, a major route through the city. The Wal-Mart where the suspect was arrested is 6 miles north of some of the shootings.

There have been no serious injuries, although a 13-year-old girl's ear was cut by glass after a bullet shattered a car window.

There has not been a confirmed shooting in the case since Sept. 10.

The shootings prompted several school districts to keep their buses off freeways, and some motorists altered their commutes to avoid driving I-10.

Authorities offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. They recently distributed thousands of fliers in neighborhoods along the freeway to raise awareness about the shootings and the reward, and electronic signs along the highways have urged drivers to phone in tips.

DPS said state troopers stepped up patrols, while other agencies assisting in the investigation have included Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa police as well as the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Meanwhile Friday, a judge ordered the release of a 19-year-old man who was detained Sept. 11 and questioned regarding the shootings. Authorities have declined to explain why the man was questioned about the shootings, but they have said he was not a prime suspect.

He was arrested on an alleged probation violation stemming from marijuana found in the man's house after a tip that he was violating probation by possessing a gun. The man had been sentenced to probation for excessive speeding and fleeing from police.

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was swarmed by fans and peppered with questions about her political future during a tour of The Big E in West Springfield.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is apparently a hugger.

During a tour of The Big E on Saturday, she doled out plenty of warms ones to vendors, organizers and fairgoers. In addition, she conceded to about 100 selfies in under an hour at the Massachusetts Building at the end of her tour with a bubbly "You bet!" in response to each ask.

In between quick, exuberant exchanges with what seemed like legions of fans, Warren, D-Mass., fit in quick snippets of policy talk here and there.

"This is what really galls me about this trade deal they have going," she lamented to jewelry vendor Sadie Green's of Sturbridge, referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal. "It's all about the big boys."

Warren's visit came on the heels of a tour by Gov. Charlie Baker on the second day of the 17-day fair, and on the heels of her speech at the Massachusetts Democratic Party Convention in Springfield.

There was plenty of banter and commentary about her political future and aspirations as she made her way through the throngs of fairgoers.

"There's going to be about 150,000 people on the fairgrounds today. This would be a great place to announce," for president, Eastern States Exposition President Eugene Cassidy quipped.

"You like to get people in trouble," she responded with a grin.

Other comments floated above the din.

"That's who Joe Biden is going to run with that they talked about, right?" one woman asked her companion.

"I think she'll be our future president someday," another chimed in in a separate conversation.

"Sen. Warren, please run with Bernie Sanders!" one man gushed.

The first-term Senator has said repeatedly that she does not intend to make a bid for president in the upcoming election, despite a "Run Warren Run" campaign by several progressive organizations.

Warren came to The Big E with state Sen. James Welch, D-West Springfield and state Rep. Michael Finn, D-West Springfield, who is also running for mayor of that city.

Warren left the building after purchasing a gallon of apple cider, and of course, taking about a dozen more photos as she tried to make her way out. Several fairgoers were bold enough to address her familiarly, i.e. "Elizabeth, can I get a photo?"

"Dude, I just got the bombiest selfie!" one young patron told a friend.

The Big E will conclude on Oct. 4.

The father of a 2-year-old girl identified almost three months after her remains were found in a trash bag that washed up on a Boston-area beach says he doesn't believe the toddler's mother caused her death.

BOSTON -- The father of a 2-year-old girl identified almost three months after her remains were found in a trash bag that washed up on a Boston-area beach says he doesn't believe the toddler's mother caused her death.

Joseph Amoroso said in interviews with WHDH-TV and the Boston Herald that Rachelle Bond told him her boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, fatally injured Bella Bond. Amoroso said he believes Rachelle Bond.

McCarthy, 35, is charged with murder and Bond, 40, as an accessory after the fact. Neither could be reached for comment. They are to be arraigned Monday.

"I know with all my heart that Rachelle Bond would never, ever do anything to hurt anybody," Amoroso told the station. "I was with the woman. This is the mother of my child."

This undated identification photo released Friday, Sept. 18, 2015 by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office shows Michael McCarthy, boyfriend of Rachel Bond the mother of Bella Bond, the toddler whose body was found in a trash bag on a Boston Harbor beach in June and who was known for months as only Baby Doe. (Suffolk County District Attorney's Office via AP) 

Amoroso said he has been in Florida and returned to Massachusetts in August. He said Bond stayed with him in Lynn on Thursday night and he was questioned Friday.

Amoroso told the Boston Herald that he and Bond connected in a tent at Occupy Boston and broke up after he discovered she had been arrested for prostitution. He said she that when she told him the circumstances of their daughter's death, "She was very emotional, sincere through the whole things, and I believe her."

"Somewhere in my heart I'm going to have to find forgiveness," Amoroso told WHDH, "and that time will come."

The Associated Press could not locate a phone listing for Amoroso.

A composite image of the unidentified girl, whose was found June 25 by a woman walking a dog, was viewed by millions before authorities released her name Friday. They got their big break after Boston police received a tip and a search warrant was executed Thursday at Rachelle Bond's apartment.

"At just shy of three years old, Bella Bond was a true innocent," Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said at a news conference announcing the charges. "This child, whose very name means beauty, was murdered."

Rachelle Bond's sister, Tamera Bond of Gardner, Massachusetts, told WBZ-TV that she had been following the case but had no idea the child was Bella. She said she last saw Bella and Rachelle Bond in January.

"I saw the picture but she looked like any brown-eyed baby, cute little girl," Tamera Bond said. "The cheeks of Bella were much chubbier." 

This undated identification photo released Friday, Sept. 18, 2015 by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office shows Rachel Bond, mother of Bella Bond, the toddler whose body was found in a trash bag on a Boston Harbor beach in June and who was known for months as only Baby Doe. (Suffolk County District Attorney's Office via AP) 

Tamara Bond said her sister has had a troubled life, and she wishes Rachelle had reached out to her for help.

Court records show Rachelle Bond had a history of drug and prostitution arrests.

Officials from the state's child protection agency said they had contact with Bella twice, for four months in 2012 and three months in 2013. In both cases, officials described the involvement as "support for neglect," and the cases were later closed.

Between 2001 and 2006, the Department of Children and Families terminated parental rights for two of her mother's older children. One of the children was later adopted by her maternal grandmother; the other was adopted by someone outside the family, DCF officials said.

Investigators have not publicly speculated on a motive or a cause of death in Bella's case, saying more will be disclosed at the arraignments on Monday.

Alabama will perform Sunday night and it will be the last day of the hunter horse show.

WEST SPRINGFIELD - People who want to spend Saturday night at the Big E should have few issues with traffic.

Currently Google maps is showing traffic is flowing smoothly everywhere but on Memorial Avenue where the fair is located. Police and Eastern States officials said they have heard few complaints about traffic.

The highlight for tonight is a concert pop star Jacob Whitesides with special guest Laura Marano. The free concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Xfinity Arena.

"It was definitely a healthy crowd," said Noreen Tassinari, marketing director. "It was a wonderful day at the fair."

Warm temperatures and sunny skies brought a good crowd for the first weekend day of the fair. Gov. Charlie Baker and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren were among the guests who visited the many exhibits and met those running booths for the 17-day fair.

Sunday will be Storrowton Village day. One of the highlights will be an evening concert with Alabama and Southside Johnny will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday will also be the last day of the hunter horse show, Tassinari said.

 

State park police officers told the television station the person reportedly went over the falls at Prospect Point on the American side of the falls.

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. -- Authorities have launched a search after a woman in her 40s was swept over Niagara Falls in an apparent suicide, police said.

Park Police spokesman Randy Simons said it appeared the woman intentionally entered the water to "harm herself."

The incident happened around 6 p.m. Saturday evening, WIVB-TV reports.

State park police officers told the television station that the woman reportedly went over the falls at Prospect Point on the American side in what they called an "intentional entry."

The woman, whose name has not been released, had not been found by late evening. The Buffalo News said a dispatcher reported that crews from the Niagara Falls Fire Department and Maid of the Mist were searching below the falls

Authorities have in custody a video of the incident shot by a bystander, WIVB said.

Four police officers were awarded with the Medal of Valor after the standoff.

CHICOPEE - The Heroes and Horses program will return to the city next week to name a third horse after a police officer involved in the April 13, 2012 shooting that injured a Massachusetts State Police trooper and left the shooter dead.

The new horse will be named after Trooper John Vasquez, who recovered after being shot in the hand and the lower left leg in the shooting on West Street. The horse will be used by the Philadelphia Police Department mounted unit, said Michael Wilk, Chicopee Police public information officer.

Vasquez, a 20-year police veteran assigned to the Springfield barracks, was the first to respond to the 7:45 a.m. call for assistance three years ago. Police later said the shooter was targeting police officers.

When the trooper arrived, the shooter opened fire from a West Street apartment, police said.

The shooter, Carlos A. Gonzalez-Laguer, shot himself in the head after an about two-hour standoff with police that terrorized downtown Chicopee. Autopsy results show he had also been shot at least twice by police.

Skyllar Mullvaneey, of Heroes and Horses, has already named two horses after Chicopee Police Officers David Benoit and Johnny Jusino. She came to Chicopee in 2014 to introduce the horses to their police namesakes.

Benoit, Jusino, Vasquez and State Trooper Kellar Williams were all later awarded the Medal of Valor several months after the shooting.

The unidentified driver had 42 years of experience racing cars.

Photo courtesy of Vermont State Police 

FAIR HAVEN, Vt. — A longtime race car driver was killed Saturday night after winning the evening race at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Fair Haven.

The Vermont State Police and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are jointly investigating the death of the man, 63, of New York. While police have not identified the driver, Devil's Bowl Speedway has identified him as Leon Gonyo, a "longtime stock car racing competitor from Chazy, NY."

According to witnesses, Gonyo appeared to have a medical event while conducting the ceremonial victory lap causing his vehicle to accelerate and strike the wall injuring a staff member, police said in a press release.

He was transported to Rutland Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 10:54 p.m. The injured staff member was treated for a minor injury to his leg and was later released from the hospital.

Police said Gonyo had over 42 years racing experience and worked with a veteran pit crew. He was wearing a seat belt and helmet at the time of the incident.

On its website the Devil's Bowl Speedway staff called Gonyo a "well- respected and highly-regarded member of the local stock car racing community."

The site goes on to read, "He was a true gentleman of the sport and enjoyed a racing career with more than 40 years of success at many race tracks in the northeastern United States and Canada. His talents seemed to only improve with age, proven by his final victory on Saturday night - his fifth win of the season at Devil's Bowl Speedway and his seventh overall in 2015."

An autopsy has been scheduled by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. State Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident and who hasn't already spoken with police, to please contact Detective Trooper Michael Notte at the Rutland Barracks (802) 773-9101.

Boston Police had released a video of a man wanted in an alleged sexual assault in the Fenway section of the city. Authorities said the suspect, Michael Purpura, is now under arrest.

BOSTON - A Westwood man is facing an aggravated rape charge in connection to the alleged sexual assault of a woman last week on Queensberry Street in the Fenway section of the city.

Boston Police said 36-year-old Michael Purpura was arrested Sunday. Police were searching for a suspect in an alleged Sept. 15 sexual assault of a woman around 12:30 a.m. and released video in the hopes of tracking him down.

The victim told police that a man forced her in her apartment and inside, sexually assaulted her.

Boston Police said their Sexual Assault Unit, Special Investigations Unit and law enforcement from Westwood, Medford and the MBTA police departments were all part of the investigation.

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson says Islam is antithetical to the Constitution, and he doesn't believe that a Muslim should be elected president.

WASHINGTON  -- Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson says Islam is antithetical to the Constitution, and he doesn't believe that a Muslim should be elected president.

Carson, a devout Christian, says a president's faith should matter to voters if it runs counter to the values and principles of America.

Responding to a question during an interview broadcast Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," he described the Islamic faith as inconsistent with the Constitution.

"I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation," Carson said. "I absolutely would not agree with that."

He did not specify in what way Islam ran counter to constitutional principles.

Carson's comments drew strong criticism from the country's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"To me this really means he is not qualified to be president of the United States," said the group's spokesman, Ibrahim Hooper. "You cannot hold these kinds of views and at the same time say you will represent all Americans, of all faiths and backgrounds."

Hooper said the Constitution expressly forbids religious tests for those seeking public office and called for the repudiation of "these un-American comments."

In a separate appearance on NBC, one of Carson's rivals for the GOP nomination, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, was asked whether he would have a problem with a Muslim in the White House. "The answer is, at the end of the day, you've got to go through the rigors, and people will look at everything. But, for me, the most important thing about being president is you have leadership skills, you know what you're doing and you can help fix this country and raise this country. Those are the qualifications that matter to me."

Carson's comments came amid lingering fallout over Republican Donald Trump's refusal last week to take issue with a man during a campaign event who wrongly called President Barack Obama a Muslim and said Muslims are "a problem in this country."

Also speaking on NBC on Sunday, Trump said that a Muslim in the White House is "something that could happen... Some people have said it already happened, frankly."

In multiple interviews Sunday, Trump tried to draw a distinction between all American Muslims and extremist Muslims in the U.S. and elsewhere.

"I have friends that are Muslims they're great people, amazing people," Trump said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"You have extremists Muslims that are in a class by themselves," Trump added. "It's a problem in this country it's a problem throughout this world....You do have a problem with radical Muslims."

GOP candidates have since been split over whether to criticize Trump, who has been a vocal skeptic of Obama's birthplace and faith. Obama is Christian.

In the NBC interview, Carson said he believes that Obama was born in the U.S. and is Christian, saying he has "no reason to doubt" what the president says.

Carson also made a distinction when it came to electing Muslims to Congress, calling it a "different story" from the presidency that "depends on who that Muslim is and what their policies are, just as it depends on what anybody else says."

Congress has two Muslim members, Democratic Reps. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Andre Carson of Indiana.

"If there's somebody who's of any faith, but they say things, and their life has been consistent with things that will elevate this nation and make it possible for everybody to succeed, and bring peace and harmony, then I'm with them," Carson said.