Missing 2-year-old found, Oceanfront businesses ready for summer, DHS funding: Sunrise Brief

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Top stories: Missing 2-year-old found, Oceanfront businesses ready for summer, DHS funding

1. The mother of 2-year-old Ziyon Dagner has been charged with child abuse and neglect after he was found safe.

   Mother of 2-year-old in AMBER Alert charged with neglect, abuse; man not charged

   An AMBER Alert was issued for Ziyon after he was reported missing early Thursday morning. A few hours after the alert, Ziyon was found safe in Norfolk, police said. The man he was with at the time was detained by police and later released without being charged. NPD detectives charged 35-year-old Ashley Dagner with one count of domestic assault and two counts of felony child neglect, according to police. She is being held without bond in Norfolk City Jail.

   TFC Recycling driver Darwin Montgomery told News 3 that he heard the AMBER Alert and spotted a man and child matching the description issued in that notice, prompting him to call 911. "What went through my mind was if it was my child: 'What would I do?'" Montgomery recalled. "So I had to go into Superman mode. Basically. So if I would have had to get out and subdue him myself, I might have tried that. But my mind said to call the authorities and do it the right way." Police responded quickly and safely resolved the situation.

   Montgomery says he hopes his actions encourage others to stay alert and speak up. "You know you don't have to put hands to the situation but call the proper people to do the right thing," Montgomery said. "I'm hoping it inspires more people to get out and do more like that, step into the community and notice things like that and help people when it's needed. Now I think it's time for people to speak up—see something, say something," Montgomery said.

2. With the all-ages curfew lifted at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and a 7 p.m. curfew for minors over, businesses say they are hopeful they can capitalize on upcoming summer events.

   Businesses hope summer events draw crowds to Oceanfront after curfew

   “Bring on summer,” said Rachel Cook, manager of Jungle Golf on 23rd Street. Cook said business was strong over the weekend following the lifting of the curfew and during the Stars, Stripes and Spurs event. “We were busy this weekend. We did get visitors for the USO Experience, and Saturday and Sunday were both pretty busy,” Cook said.

   City officials reported strong turnout for the event, with the rodeo selling out both days. More than 1,000 people attended each concert, and roughly 2,500 people visited the USO Experience. More events are scheduled in the coming weeks, including the Virginia Beach 10 Miler, Jackalope Fest, Point Break Festival and the North American Sand Soccer Championships. Each event is expected to draw more than 10,000 people to the Oceanfront.

   While the all-ages curfew has ended, some business owners say they remain concerned about lingering effects. George Kotarides of Dough Boy’s said business still felt slow over the weekend. As one of the first summer events — the Virginia Beach 10 Miler — approaches, he said businesses are working together to attract visitors with special promotions. “On May 9, we’re doing an ‘Own the Beach’ campaign to follow up on the ‘Take Back Our Beach’ campaign,” Kotarides said. “A bunch of businesses and parking lots will be offering $10 deals for all-day parking.”

3. President Donald Trump signed a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, which had been passed by the House on Thursday.

   Trump signs bill to end DHS shutdown; ICE, CBP fight continues

   The measure funds the agency but excludes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Democrats have refused to support funding for those agencies without reforms. They have called for agents to operate without masks, display identification and avoid enforcement actions near “sensitive locations” such as hospitals and schools. The dispute has led to a partial shutdown that has gone on since mid-February. Republicans are expected to pursue separate legislation to fund ICE and CBP without Democratic support.

   During the shutdown, employees across multiple agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, went without pay for weeks until President Donald Trump ordered funds from his domestic policy bill be used to compensate them. However, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin warned those funds were running short, saying TSA employees could again go without paychecks if Congress did not act by early May.

   That warning appeared to add urgency as the summer travel season approaches. During the shutdown, travelers faced long wait times as employees called out or quit because they were unpaid, with some saying they could not afford things like childcare. TSA AFGE union representative Johnny Jones said more than 1,000 of his colleagues left their jobs in recent months because of funding disputes in Washington.

This morning's weather: A split weekend with rain Saturday and sunny Sunday

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says a cooling trend to end the week with highs dropping to the 60s again. Watching a 50/50 weekend with rain on Saturday and sunshine on Sunday.
Expect partly cloudy skies today with highs in the upper 60s, cooler than yesterday and below normal for this time of year.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

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