Hundreds searched. Thousands of hours were spent. Still, the ending came painfully close to home.

Nearly two weeks after 80-year-old Carolyn Taylor disappeared in Virginia, she was found dead by a neighbor on Sunday, Sept. 6, in a densely wooded area not far from her Lincoln-area home, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.

Now, investigators are detailing just how extensive the search for Taylor became before she was found.

Approximately 315 people spent more than 2,400 hours combing over 6,000 acres of rural terrain after Taylor, who had dementia, was reported missing at 1:51 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23.

Deputies said she had gone for a walk and never returned.

Taylor was known to walk through the woods, fields and trails around her home, sometimes stopping to lie down and rest, according to the sheriff's office.

The terrain surrounding the area complicated the search.

Thick brush. Trees. Ponds. Ravines.

Deputies and detectives were joined by search-and-rescue crews, drones, ATVs and a Fairfax County Police helicopter as authorities began looking for Taylor.

The operation continued to grow.

Virginia Conservation Police, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Western Maryland Search and Rescue, Purcellville and Prince William County police, multiple K-9 teams, underwater search crews and Loudoun emergency management personnel all joined the effort.

Meanwhile, investigators turned to the community.

Sheriff Mike Chapman made a televised appeal for help on Monday, Aug. 24, and command staff met with nearly 60 residents two days later.

Neighbors were asked to search their own properties, check barns, sheds and vehicles, and review game, wildlife and other camera footage for anything that could help.

Authorities said they considered the possibility of foul play during the investigation but quickly ruled it out.

Despite the sprawling search, Taylor remained missing until Sept. 6, when a neighbor found her body in the woods near her home.

"This was not the outcome any of us hoped for and our hearts go out to the Taylor family and friends," the sheriff's office said.

Officials acknowledged the frustration of not reaching Taylor sooner.

"We are disappointed that our exhaustive efforts and those of our many partners did not locate her sooner, but are still grateful for everyone who helped and the eagerness of the community at large to share information and help in any way."

Following Taylor's death, the sheriff's office is also drawing attention to Project Lifesaver, an electronic tracking program designed to help authorities locate people with Alzheimer's disease, dementia and other cognitive conditions who may wander from home.

Officials said Taylor was not the first older Loudoun resident reported missing this year and that the agency intends to expand efforts aimed at reducing that risk.

A Connecticut family is asking for help to lay a mother of four to rest after she was found dead in a home last week with her boyfriend. 

Amber Tetreault, 42, was discovered with Michael Tellier, 47, at about 9:10 a.m. in a Fox Hill Lane home in Enfield earlier this month. Both were on the floor of a living room that had been turned into a bedroom, police said. Neither had signs of physical injury.

Investigators reported evidence of heavy alcohol use. They also found many prescription medications in the room.

Police found no clear evidence of suicide. They said alcohol or other substances in the home may have contributed to the deaths.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will decide how they died.

Police knew Tetreault and Tellier. The pair had been in a long-term relationship.

Tetreault leaves behind four children. Her family has now launched a GoFundMe to pay for funeral services, transportation, and cleanup.

“Amber leaves behind four children who will forever carry her memory in their hearts,” the fundraiser reads.

The unexpected costs have placed more pressure on the family as they grieve.

“Any amount you can contribute will help,” organizers wrote. “If you aren't able to donate, sharing this fundraiser is just as meaningful and can help us reach people who may be able to support Amber's family and children.”

The family hopes to give Tetreault “the peaceful and respectful goodbye she deserves.”

The campaign has raised more than $6,000 as of Wednesday, Sept. 16. 

Click here for more information on the GoFundMe

A Virginia man who terrorized a woman he shares a home with during a harrowing early-morning ordeal has been apprehended, police say.

Officers were called to Ivanhoe Court at approximately 6:24 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16, where a woman had suffered serious injuries during an assault, according to the Fredericksburg Police Department.

She was rushed to a local hospital, where she remained in serious condition.

Police say the woman and 38-year-old Jose Caal Choc are in a relationship and share a home on Roffman Road, though she was at a separate residence on Ivanhoe Court when he came looking for her.

Investigators say Caal Choc walked from their shared home to Ivanhoe Court, smashed a glass door to get inside and found the woman in an upstairs room.

He then forcibly removed her from the room and struck her in the face with a blunt object, police said.

Caal Choc ran from the home after the assault and disappeared into nearby woods, prompting officers to establish a perimeter and launch a K9 track.

He didn't get far.

Officers tracked down Caal Choc and took him into custody without further incident. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries, police say he suffered while breaking into the home.

Caal Choc was charged with:

• Entering a dwelling at night to commit assault;
• Destruction of property;
• Aggravated malicious wounding;
• Abduction;
• Domestic assault and battery;
• Violating an emergency protective order.

He is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail without bond.

A Capital Region man was arrested for having child porn in his home on Tuesday, Sept. 15, police said.

Kevin M. Furlong, 43, of Clifton Park, was released following his arraignment, New York State Police said.

Law enforcement searched Furlong’s home Tuesday following a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and found “images consistent with child sexual exploitation,” state police said. The search led directly to his arrest, according to authorities.

Furlong was charged with promoting and possessing child porn, then taken to a state police station for processing and arraigned in Clifton Park Town Court, police said. He will be under supervision of the Saratoga County Probation Department during his release, according to officials.

Six men have been charged in a gunpoint robbery and sexual assault at a Bergen County business that investigators say involved at least one member of Anti-Tren, a splinter faction of Tren de Aragua, authorities announced.

Multiple victims were robbed at gunpoint and knifepoint inside a business on Old River Road in Edgewater around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

The suspects brandished at least two firearms and grabbed two knives from the business's kitchen before ordering the victims into the kitchen, according to Musella. The victims' arms and legs were bound with tape and electronic charging cables, authorities said.

One victim was repeatedly struck in the head with a handgun, while another was repeatedly assaulted by multiple suspects, Musella said. Two victims were sexually assaulted at gunpoint and knifepoint, according to the prosecutor. The victims were robbed of cash, cellphones, identification and credit cards, authorities said.

A weeks-long nationwide investigation identified six suspects: Yorwin Jesus Dudamel Gil, 24, of Elmhurst, IL; Jeider Jose Gonzalez Luchon, 25, of Chicago; Carlos Osorio Rondon, 22, of Aurora, CO; Lisandro Ramirez Acosta, 26, of Richmond Hill, NY; Jhon Dervis Simancas Melean, 30, of Chicago; and Jose A. Uzcategui Pacheco, 24, of Chicago, Musella said.

Investigators determined the incident involved at least one member of Anti-Tren, according to the prosecutor. All six men were charged with six counts of first-degree armed robbery along with weapons offenses and other charges.

Gonzalez Luchon and Simancas Melean were also accused of committing the sexual assaults during the robbery, authorities said. Both face multiple counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault.

Gonzalez Luchon and Uzcategui Pacheco were arrested in Chicago on Friday, July 24, with help from the Chicago Police Department, Musella said. Investigators later searched Gonzalez Luchon's home and recovered an unserialized handgun, according to the prosecutor.

Dudamel Gil was arrested the same day in Chanhassen, MN, by the Carver County Sheriff's Office, authorities said.

Osorio Rondon was already jailed in Missouri on an unrelated matter when he was charged, while Simancas Melean was already incarcerated in Illinois on an unrelated matter, according to Musella.

Dudamel Gil, Gonzalez Luchon, Osorio Rondon and Uzcategui Pacheco were extradited to New Jersey in August and detained in the Bergen County Jail pending trial, authorities said.

Simancas Melean was extradited to New Jersey in September and ordered detained following a hearing in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack on Wednesday, Sept. 16, Musella said.

Ramirez Acosta was identified through additional investigation and charged Wednesday, Sept. 2, authorities said. He was arrested the following day in East Elmhurst, NY, with help from the FBI and was being held at the Eric M. Taylor Center on Rikers Island awaiting extradition to Bergen County.

A conniving NYC escort schemed nearly $6 million from the grieving and vulnerable widow of a Roblox inventor, according to a lawsuit filed in Manhattan on Monday, Sept. 14.

Gregg Starr, an employee of high-end escort service Cowboys 4 Angels, targeted Marianne Flippo beginning in December 2024, according to the suit.

Flippo, 49, had lost her husband, Chad Flippo, to depression in August 2024 after 28 years of marriage, the suit says. Chad Flippo had been an early part of the company that became Roblox, which meant his death left Marianne and their three kids with a substantial amount of money, according to the suit.

When Flippo planned a December 2024 trip to Italy and was looking for someone who knew Italian, a friend told her about Cowboys 4 Angels — but did not tell her it was an escort service, the suit claims. When Starr was assigned to Flippo and “made advances” toward her during the trip, she turned him down, according to the lawsuit.

In a plot straight out “The White Lotus,” Starr eventually convinced Flippo that he loved her, but that he needed $10 million to get out of his escort deal with Cowboys 4 Angels, the suit claims. Flippo says she provided $5.95 million toward that sum before realizing she’d been scammed.

Flippo also suffers from vascular Ehler-Danlos syndrome, a severe disease that makes her tissues and organs extremely fragile, according to the suit. Flippo’s treatment also left her vulnerable to Starr’s scheme, the suit claims.

Starr denied the allegations in statements to the New York Post, which first reported on the lawsuit. He told the paper their relationship was a “wild f—ing ride” and claimed Flippo was emotionally, physically, and sexually abusive toward him.

Cowboys 4 Angels is not listed as a defendant in the case. The company was in headlines last year after federal authorities claimed Sean “Diddy” Combs used it to hire male performers for his notorious “freak-offs.” It was also featured on the Showtime show “Gigolos.”

To view the lawsuit, click here.

A Connecticut hiker pushed through serious injuries for seven hours before reaching the summit of Mount Washington under his own power, New Hampshire wildlife officials said.

Kurt Siuzdak, 61, fell Tuesday, Sept. 14, while climbing New Hampshire’s tallest mountain. He dislocated a shoulder and hurt his back after slipping on wet granite slabs near the Lakes of the Clouds, according to New Hampshire Fish and Game.

Siuzdak began his hike on the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail at 4 a.m. He fell around 10 a.m. Yet he kept moving toward the summit.

Another hiker called 911 around 3:15 p.m. after spotting Siuzdak on Crawford Path between the Lakes of the Clouds and the summit. The caller handed Siuzdak the phone.

Siuzdak told officials about his injuries and said he planned to finish the climb. Conservation officers told him to stay with that plan. They also said they would respond and make sure he got out safely.

Two officers reached the summit around 5 p.m. They hiked about one-third of a mile down Crawford Path and found Siuzdak. The officers walked with him as he slowly climbed. He arrived at the summit around 5:30 p.m.

An officer then drove him down the Mount Washington Auto Road. Emergency medical workers examined him at the base.

Fish and Game said Siuzdak had put his shoulder back into place. He told medics he wanted to return to his car and drive himself to urgent care. Officials gave him a ride to his vehicle near the Cog Railway.

Before the hike, Siuzdak reviewed Fish and Game’s safety recommendations and followed them. He brought extra gear, including warm clothes and a first aid kit

“These items turned out to be much needed after his accident, and he was thankful that he had heeded the recommendations,” the agency wrote.

A tropical fast-casual restaurant chain is getting a fresh new look as it prepares for thousands more locations.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe announced "a full-scale brand transformation" in a news release on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The makeover includes a redesigned logo, brighter colors, new packaging, and an updated digital experience.

The new logo uses brighter colors and a more uniform font. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is also introducing a "Palm T" icon shaped like a palm frond that can be used as a shorthand version of the brand.

The chain said the refresh is meant to create a consistent look and bring its "Eat Some Good!" philosophy to life.

"What makes Tropical Smoothie Cafe special is our ability to bring together great-tasting smoothies, freshly prepared food and an uplifting experience that helps guests fuel their day," CEO Max Wetzel said in a statement. "This evolution reflects the brand we've become, sharpens how we communicate our distinct position in the market and creates an even stronger foundation for future growth."

The updated colors feature shades of green and orange inspired by the chain's ingredients.

"The color palette is entirely created by the ingredients that you can find in our cafe," Wetzel told CNBC. "All these ingredients are very different than a category that's really dominated by browns and beiges and fried food."

The makeover comes as Tropical Smoothie Cafe expands across the US. The chain opened its 1,700th cafe in April and expects to have more than 1,800 locations by the end of 2026.

Here's how many Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations are in the Northeast:

• Connecticut - 7
• Delaware - 5
• Maine - 2
• Maryland - 63
• Massachusetts - 35
• New Hampshire - 7
• New Jersey - 30
• New York - 59
• Pennsylvania - 46
• Rhode Island - 6
• Virginia - 60
• Washington, DC - 1

Tropical Smoothie Cafe has a development pipeline across 44 states and is planning to expand internationally. The chain is also pursuing nontraditional locations like airports and military bases.

The growth comes as Tropical Smoothie Cafe has surpassed $1.6 billion in system sales and expanded its loyalty program to 13 million members, a 25% increase in one year.

"We are a company and a brand that has evolved significantly over the last few years and really over the last 10 years," said Wetzel. "We're thinking about what our next 3,000 cafes look like, and so it's a perfect time for us to roll this out."

The new look will appear at Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations and across its digital platforms "in the coming weeks."

A Tesla Cybertruck crashed into a tree after its driver lost control on a Rockland County road, according to a report. 

The crash happened on Wilder Road in the Forshay area of Ramapo on Wednesday, Sept. 16, The Monsey Scoop reported. 

Photos shared by the outlet show the Cybertruck off the roadway with heavy damage to its front end after striking a tree. 

Hatzoloh EMS and Ramapo Police responded to the scene, according to The Monsey Scoop. Minor injuries were reported. 

Information about what caused the driver to lose control was immediately available.

Click here for more from The Monsey Scoop. 

A garden hose may have kept an incendiary fire in Maryland from becoming something much worse.

Shortly before midnight on Friday, Sept. 11, an occupant of a home on the 4900 block of Morraine Street in Waldorf spotted flames on the rear deck and extinguished the fire with a garden hose, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Seven people were inside at the time.

The fire wasn't reported until the following morning, when Deputy State Fire Marshals were called to investigate and determined it had been intentionally set.

Damage was limited to approximately $1,500, and no injuries were reported.

Investigators soon turned their attention to 29-year-old Demartez Trequan Thomas, a St. Mary's County resident who they say was at the Waldorf home around the time the fire was set.

According to the State Fire Marshal, Thomas had an ongoing domestic-related dispute with one of the people inside the home.

Thomas was arrested without incident at his California home on Tuesday, Sept. 15, with assistance from Maryland State Police troopers out of the Leonardtown Barrack.

He was taken to the Charles County Detention Center and charged with:

• First-degree arson;
• First-degree malicious burning;
• Malicious destruction of property;
• Eight counts of reckless endangerment.

Thomas was being held without bond as of Wednesday, Sept. 16.