It’s Wednesday, May 4th - and NBC 6 has the top stories for the day.
No. 1 - A Broward County cheerleading coach and gym owner has been arrested after he was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a young girl.
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WATCH HERERaul Albites, 38, was recently arrested on an enticement of a minor charge by the U.S. Marshals Service, Broward jail records showed. Court records said Albites is the owner, operator and head coach at Broward Elite Gym in Davie. The gym is no longer in business. Albites met the victim when she was 11 when she began cheerleading training at the gym, including afterschool and private coaching sessions, the court papers said. Authorities said Albites' conduct led the girl to believe the two were in a romantic relationship, and said he tried to persuade her to engage in sex acts with him.
No. 2 - An alleged car thief used a phony test drive to steal a Mercedes in Coral Gables, and police say it's not the first time he's pulled off the scheme.
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Pablo Rodriguez, 65, was arrested last Wednesday on grand theft and other charges in connection with the Mercedes theft, Coral Gables Police officials said. Officials said Rodriguez, using a different name, contacted the victim through Facebook Marketplace and arranged to meet in Coral Gables for a test drive of the victim's 2009 Mercedes C300. Rodriguez drove the Mercedes as the owner rode with him, and Rodriguez told the victim he wanted to buy the car for his daughter and wanted to stop by her place of work to surprise her, police said. Police later recovered the Mercedes, and said Rodriguez pulled the exact same scheme last March and stole another car last year.
No. 3 - The potential overturning by the U.S. Supreme Court of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide could quickly impact Florida abortion rights.
A draft opinion suggesting the high court could overturn the ruling was published Monday, and if becomes the official ruling could alter abortion access in Florida and other states. Florida is already set to ban most abortions after 15 weeks under a law passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month. Under current law, abortions are allowed in Florida up to 24 weeks. Those on the anti-abortion side of the issue see the potential Supreme Court ruling as a huge victory. Click here for both sides in a report from NBC 6’s Steve Litz.
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No. 4 - Miami-Dade commissioners on Tuesday approved a list of policies known as the "Tenant’s Bill of Rights" that will not lower rents or prevent rent increases, but does add more legal protections for tenants in an effort to "level the playing field."
The vote was unanimous – a show of how serious the affordability crisis is in South Florida. Real estate and development groups usually have major sway at county hall, being one of the driving forces of the South Florida economy. The vote formalizes the creation of a new Office of Housing Advocacy under the administration of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. Real estate groups opposed the measure, believing it could be used by tenants to cheat out on paying rent. They also opposed an item in the law banning landlords from asking about a tenant’s prior evictions. Landlord groups worry that could jeopardize the safety of other residents.
No. 5 - Amy Dunn has been living with Tourette syndrome for most of her life.
She says it started at age 6 with tics like throat-clearing and sniffling. However, she says her symptoms have progressed over the years and have become more disruptive to her daily life. She says she’s also developed blurting things out, especially in stores. Since the pandemic began, doctors around the world have seen a dramatic rise in teen girls who are experiencing a sudden onset of tic-like behaviors and symptoms. The doctors have noticed many of them have something in common. Many of the teens have reported watching people on TikTok with tics. Click here for more in a report from NBC 6’s Alyssa Hyman.
No. 6 - T.J. Oshie didn't see his go-ahead goal get into the net. The Florida Panthers didn't see this coming, either. And right away, the top overall seed in the Stanley Cup playoffs finds itself in some trouble.
Oshie scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period, Vitek Vanecek stopped 30 shots and the Washington Capitals rallied past the top-seeded Panthers 4-2 in the opener of their Eastern Conference first-round series Tuesday night. Game 2 is Thursday, back in Florida. Meanwhile, Game 2 between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers is Wednesday night at the FTX Arena in Miami. The game comes one day after Heat guard Tyler Herro was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.
