Local
Modern Bonnie and Clyde
Runaway Kentucky teens Dalton Hayes, 18, and Cheyenne Phillips, 13, were last seen in Henry County, Georgia, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC). Police suspect the teens abandoned their stolen pickup truck for a new vehicle allegedly carrying several firearms on Jan. 14. Hayes is wanted on charges of custodial interference and luring a minor. The stolen truck in Henry County is the most recent event in the crime spree which has lead the teens through Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina. The teens are suspects in multiple home burglaries and have reportedly forged checks.
National
An alligator for a pet
The Mattson family of Los Angeles kept Jaxson, an alligator, as a pet for 37 years before Animal Control officers seized her Jan. 14, according to CNN. Two dead cats were found in a box in the backyard where the family kept the animal. Officials are asking members of the community to report if they had any small pets that may have disappeared in the last several decades. The Mattson family denies having ever fed any animals to Jaxson and claim they had been searching for a new home for the reptile. Jaxson is currently being held in the Los Angeles Zoo.
International
Niger targeted
Churches and Christian-owned business were targeted for looting and fires in Niger on Jan. 17. The actions followed as part of Muslim protests against the latest edition of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, according to BBC. In response to the attack that left 12 members of their staff dead, Charlie Hebdo published images of Muhammad on this week’s cover, triggering the riots in the former French colony. The French embassy asked that nationals living in the country stay indoors. Before the attack at Charlie Hebdo, the magazine had a circulation of 60,000 copies. To meet the demand for this week’s edition, 7 million copies are being printed.
