TOP STORIES: $150M wrongful death suit, local mall's new policy, ICE agent shoots man in leg
A Virginia Beach mother has filed a $150 million lawsuit alleging that a "makeshift prison" in a classroom contributed to the death of her 11-year-old son, who had special needs, in Nov. 2024, according to a complaint obtained by News 3 on Wednesday.
Virginia Beach mom files $150M suit over 2024 death of special needs son kept in 'makeshift prison' at schoolThis lawsuit ties the death of Julie Xirau's son, Joshua Sikes, on Nov. 3 to an incident at his classroom on Oct. 31. Sikes was enrolled at Pembroke Elementary School where he received services from Southeastern Cooperative Educational Program (SECEP). SECEP and four of its employees were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Sikes spent hours in the "makeshift prison," which was constructed by some of the defendants, on Oct. 31, 2024, according to the complaint. The complaint goes on to say there is no padding on the walls or floor within the constricted space; the corresponding photos — which were submitted as evidence — seem to corroborate this claim.
He would repeatedly strike his head on the floor during this time. The defendants later told Sikes' mother that he was misbehaving and needed to be picked up; she was never told about the injuries his head suffered while in the space.
Sikes was taken to the emergency room on Nov. 2 due to him being "increasingly lethargic and withdrawn" the day prior, the complaint states. The complaint states that the mother remained unaware of her child's head trauma, and Sikes was discharged from the emergency room after being told to make an appointment with a pediatric neurologist; however, the appointment couldn't be made because Sikes died in his sleep on Nov. 3.
A new parental supervision policy at Patrick Henry Mall will require visitors under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian 21 years or older.
The policy, going into effect on Thursday, Jan. 15, will be enforced starting at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and after 3 p.m. on Sundays. It will be enforced throughout the entire mall, including parking lots, garages and walkways. Mall security is responsible for enforcing the policy and will monitor anyone entering the mall starting at the times above.
Parents over 21 can escort all of their children. Visitors over 21 can escort up to four people under 18, but at least one must be the child of the parent or guardian. Anyone whose age is not easily determined will be asked to provide identification, acceptable in the form of a photo ID from a state agency, school or employer that shows date of birth. Employees under 18 are allowed mall access without a guardian, but proof of work status is required.
A federal officer shot a person in the leg in Minneapolis after being attacked with a shovel during an arrest Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The person cautioned the information was still preliminary, and the investigation was in its early stages. The person could not discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity. The shooting took place about 4.5 miles north of where an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good in the head on Jan. 7 as she drove away.
A large group of federal agents and Minneapolis Police wearing gas masks fired tear gas into a crowd gathered at a north Minneapolis intersection near where Wednesday's shooting took place.
Earlier Wednesday, a judge gave the Trump administration time to respond to a request to suspend its immigration crackdown in Minnesota, while the Pentagon looked for military lawyers to join what has become a chaotic law enforcement effort in the state. The judge is also handling a separate lawsuit challenging the tactics used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal officers when they encounter protesters and observers. A decision could be released this week.
This morning's weather: Back to sunshine, colder, and windy today, snow chance this weekend
Meteorologist Myles Henderson says to look for clearing skies this morning with sunshine through the afternoon. Temperatures will linger in the low 40s to upper 30s today. It will be windy today with gusts of 20 to 30 mph. Wind chill values will drop into the teens overnight.
Expect sunshine on Friday, but still chilly with highs in the low 40s. It will still be breezy but not as gusty as today.
We could see rain/snow showers on Sunday as an area of low pressure tracks up the East Coast. The exact path of the low will determine what type of precipitation and how much accumulation we see.
For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.
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