People visiting the Jersey Shore this summer may be in for a shock, when they dip their toes in the water.

Right now, ocean temperatures are in the mid-50s. "That's quite a change from what people have been used to," says NBC10 Chief meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz.

Schwartz says for the past few weeks, water temperatures have reached maybe as high as 62, but everytime it goes up, it goes right back down.

For example, in Atlantic City, N.J., the average water temperature is typically 69 degrees, but right now it's 56 degrees.

The reason why has to do with the wind.

"It doesn't seem logical, but when you get a wind from the Southwest-- day after day--instead of bringing in warmer water, what it does is that it takes the warmer water at the surface and pushes it out to sea," says Schwartz.

NBC10 meteorologist Brittney Shipp shows us in this online video, that as the southwestly wind runs parallel to the shore, the warmer water is transported away from the shore. The colder water from underneath the surface then comes towards the shore, in what's known as upwelling.

"Until you can change the wind direction, this process just continues so just as the ocean is trying to warm up, it gets pushed out to sea and the colder water comes right back up," says Schwartz.

We put up a poll on the NBC10 Facebook page to find out if the chilly temperatures are preventing people from swimming at the shore, but the results were split evenly, although some people commented they felt "numb" after testing the waters.

A change in wind direction is expected by Friday and this may make for ocean temperatures to be a little more tolerable by the weekend, according to Schwartz, but he says not to expect anything close to 70 degrees.

Animal lover and trainer Samantha Martin has had a way with small animals since she was 10. 

The Chicago native started training rats to do tricks in 2006 and not long after, developed a show around her rodents.

"I just couldn't make a living with a rat show. So then I had to add other animals," said Martin. "The second most requested animals are cats (behind dogs)."

Martin turned to training her own house cats to get them in on the act. Her 11 year-old white feline named "Tuna" became the inspiration and star of the Amazing Acro-Cats show, which features 13 felines, two chickens, one groundhog and four rats.

Tuna has had star power since she was a kitten. She was once a poster cat, gracing the bag of Nutro Max kitten food. She walks a tight rope with ease and eats up the attention performing in front of a crowd. 

The animal show's maiden voyage to Philadelphia is this weekend. The show takes center stage at the Painted Bride.

Tuna and her mates jump hoops, roll barrels, push shopping carts, repel ropes and play in a cat rock band called "The Rock Cats."

"It's quite a mind blower," said Martin. "The band is not that great but the visual of it all is pretty amazing."

Yeah, picture cats on guitar, drums, piano and tambourine. Martin said it took her three months to teach one of the cats to play the guitar. The show has taken off and people show up in droves to see them.

Martin and her assistant, Christine Radochonski, travel from city to city in a bus with her animals. The show has been on a steady tour for the last four years, heading south each winter. 

Unexpectedly, their bus broke down in Pittsburgh last week resulting in a cancellation of Thursday night's Painted Bride show. An additional Sunday evening show has been added to the Philly stop. The travel snag slowed them down on their first northeastern tour, which includes later stops in Canada.

Cat lovers of all ages, and mostly cat loving adults, flock to the show. In addition to animal tricks, there's an educational component including the history of cats and cat stories. 

"I hope the show will inspire people to go home and train their little fluffy," said Martin. 

Ticket information for the Acro-Cats can be found here.

NJ Transit says it has removed a driver after a rider recorded video of him masturbating behind the wheel of a moving bus.

The driver was transporting passengers through the Lincoln Tunnel on June 24 when he was observed engaging in the lewd behavior.

After the video was turned over to Weehawken Police, investigators arrested the driver, George L. Simpson Jr., 41, of Newark.

The criminal complaint against Simpson says he took his hand off the wheel and began masturbating inside the bus, "risking widespread injury."

John Durso Jr., a spokesman for NJ Transit, called Simpson's conduct "disturbing and grossly irresponsible."

“We offer our sincere apologies to anyone who may have witnessed this disturbing episode,” Durso said.

Simpson was taken off the job without pay.

Attempts to reach Simpson at home were unsuccessful. 

An argument between a man and a woman ended with one of them stabbed in Center City this morning.

The duo got into the argument on the porch of the old Lincoln Hotel near 12th and Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pa., according to numerous witnesses at the scene.

The woman allegedly cut the man. He was treated at nearby Jefferson University Hospital for a stab wound to the arm.

The woman was taken into custody, according to Philadelphia Police.

Neither person was identified.

The mother of a 10-year-old girl whose fight to obtain a lung transplant resulted in a court ruling in her favor says her daughter's out of surgery for a tracheostomy and is resting comfortably.

Sarah Murnaghan's mother, Janet, wrote on Facebook Friday that she was relieved the procedure was over and it was a joy to see her daughter's face sans tubes and tape.

Murnaghan says the procedure created an opening into Sarah's windpipe that she can breathe through.

Officials at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where Sarah is being treated, have declined to comment on her case.

The Newtown Square girl, who has end-stage cystic fibrosis, received a pair of adult-lung transplant after a federal judge ruled in favor of her parents' lawsuit challenging national rules regarding organ donations.

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A wedding crasher accused of swiping thousands of dollars in gifts from a couple on their wedding day turned himself in today ending a week-long manhunt.

Joseph Franzone Jr., 35, said "sorry" to the bride and groom as he turned himself into authorities this morning and was arraigned on various theft charges. Franzone, who lives in Bridgeport, Pa,, was sent to Montgomery County jail after being unable to post $150,000 bail, according to court records.

Gwynedd Township Police say it was Franzone who was caught on camera stealing thousands of dollars worth of wedding gifts from a wedding reception Sunday.

Investigators say a bride was moving wedding gifts from a gift table during her reception at the William Penn Inn in Lower Gwynedd Township. The bride placed the gifts, held inside a wedding cake-shaped box, into the backseat of her car. When the bride returned to her vehicle two minutes later, the box was gone along with the cards containing $3,000 to $5,000 in checks and cash, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Police reviewed surveillance video and thanks to tips from the public and from Franzone's own girlfriend Katie Castadli were able to zero in on Franzone.

Ferman said that the investigation showed that Franzone borrowed his girlfriend's car on the date of the heist.

According to the affidavit, Castaldi told police that on the day of the thefts Franzone, who three weeks earlier was laid off from his cleaning job, borrowed her car saying he was headed to the casino. He had a gambling problem and frequented the Valley Forge Casino, Castaldi told investigators.

A search of that car revealed an envelope from wedding guests, according to investigators.

Castaldi told investigators that Franzone recently relapsed into Percocet usage.

Franzone only said, "sorry," as he turned himself in. After the hearing, Franzone's lawyer Matthew Kline said that his client's $150,000 bail was too high since his client needs treatment for drug addiction.

One of the two lovers accused of stealing police cars during this year's "Bonnie and Clyde" crime spree pleaded guilty to the charges she faced in Philadelphia.

Shayna Sykes admitted guilty Friday to a litany of crimes -- 26 charges, including DUI, receiving stolen property, fleeing officers, reckless endangerment and assault. Two criminal mischief charges were dropped.

As part of the plea agreement, Sykes' bail was revoked and she was ordered to have a mental health evaluation, according to court records.

Sentencing is set for Sept. 16.

Sykes and her boyfriend, Blake Bills, are accused of stealing two police cars and leading police on a dramatic, high-speed chase that started in Camden, N.J. and ended across the Delaware River in Philadelphia, Pa.

The crime spree started when Bills was bold enough, police say, to steal the first police car from right in front of Camden's Police Headquarters, where Officer Sekou Reid-Bey had pulled someone over during a traffic stop.

"As [the office] was interviewing the driver of that car, he heard his car door shut," said Camden Police Chief John S. Thomson, on March 4 when the Sykes-Bills crime spree took place.

Initially, Sykes, 23, and Bills, 24, were pursued by both the Camden and Pennsauken Police Departments. They had the advantage of listening to the police conversations over the radio inside the stolen cruiser. The couple headed down Admiral Wilson Boulevard at speeds reaching 100 mph, weaving through Camden and portions of Pennsauken. They then headed over the Ben Franklin Bridge crossing from South Jersey into Philadelphia, where Philly police picked up the chase.

Bills crashed the cruiser in North Philadelphia. While police were trying to apprehend him, Sykes took off in a Philly police cruiser. Police chased her into Northern Liberties where she was cornered and caught as she tried to run, barefoot, from the scene.

Bills and Sykes face charges in Philadelphia and South Jersey.

Both defendants confessed during the early stages of the investigation. They said they were drug addicts and that when Bills allegedly stole the first police car, he did it because the couple was just trying to stay warm.

Bills was also due in court today but at his lawyer''s request, his hearing was pushed back to July 29, according to court records.

When a local woman had her bicycle stolen late last year she did what most people would do, she filed a report with the Philadelphia Police Department. But while the woman waited for results from the police, she did a little investigating of her own.

According to the Department, after the woman -- whose name they would not release -- reported her bicycle stolen on Dec. 12, she began searchig on craigslist and ebay, and in nearby bike stores to see if her bike had been put up for sale. She found nothing.

She then joined the "Philadelphia stolen bikes" group on Facebook and posted a photo and information about her bike on the group's wall. Months passed with no leads, but then earlier this week, a group member responded to let her know that a bike like hers had been posted for sale on craigslist for $1,000.

From there the woman sprung into action, setting up her own little sting operation. Posing as a buyer, she contacted the seller on craigslist and set up a meeting. She then contacted the Third Police district and they placed an officer in the distance to observe the transaction. When the seller arrived, Police were able to confirm that it was in fact the woman's bike by matching the serial number and the paint colors with the photo the woman had taken. She got her bike back and the thief was arrested.

Lieutenant John Stanford said the PPD helps people in situations like this fairly often.

"We do this with a number of different items, not just bicycles. There have been many times where we've worked with the public to help individuals get their stolen items back," Stanford said.

While in this particular case the victim of the theft took an active role in trying to find the stolen item, Stanford encouraged people not to pursue investigations of thefts without police assistance.

"This woman did a good amount of work on her own. We don’t suggest that people go out and confront anyone or do their own investigations, but if you come across the item online and you've filed a report with us, we encourage people to contact us and we will help to retrieve the stolen items," he said.

PPD advised people to keep photos of their items and to write down serial numbers when applicable, as both could be helpful to finding an item if it's been stolen. Bike owners are also encouraged to register their bicycles with crime prevention officers in their district.

Each police district has a community relations officer or crime prevention officer on staff  Monday through Friday during normal business hours.

Dog owners Cheryl and Steve Gearhart never worried about their two terriers being outside their Upper Township home, until their neighbor spotted a coyote behind his house.

“They don’t go out by themselves at night, “said Cheryl Gearhart. “Just with the threat of the coyote and everybody saying they go after little dogs.”

Local officials say coyote sightings in the area including one recently caught on video have dramatically increased in the past three months along with accounts of dogs and cats disappearing or being attacked.

“There’s been a very strong upsurge in the presence of these animals,” said Dr. Nick Holland of Shore Animal Control Services. "I think there’s a general upsurge over one year to the next.”

About 7 to 10  feral cats used to live outside Bill Seeger’s place.

“I haven’t seen them in probably two weeks, not a single one,” said Seeger. "I think the coyotes got them."

The township is urging pet owners to keep their animals inside, especially at night, along with pet food and water.

“The cats are easy prey for them,” said Seeger.

Coyotes have been seen in all 21 New Jersey counties and the population is at its seasonal peak right now. State Environmental officials do not have an explanation for the spike in sighting in Upper Township. Although neighboring Maurice River Township has historically had one of the region’s highest concentrations of reported coyote activity.

The Gearharts say they aren’t taking any chances with their dogs.

“These are a couple of old pups here and they’re not in fighting trim anymore so they won’t be able to defend themselves too well,” said Steve Gearhart.

Anyone who sees a coyote is being asked to call the state’s hotline right away at 877-WARN-DEP.

 

A former Philadelphia school teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl that he befriended at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

According to investigators with the Montgomery County the criminal complaint, Paul Jefferey Corrigan, 47, was acting as the girl's mentor.

The two met at an AA meeting in March. The teen told police they began texting in May. She said that evolved into a sexual relationship after Corrigan said he loved her and she "fell for it." First, the victim would sneak out of her house and meet Corrigan at a neighborhood parking lot in King of Prussia, where they would "chill, cuddle and kiss," according to the criminal complaint. Sometimes Corrigan bought her cigarettes and alcohol, according to court records.

In early June, Corrigan picked the victim up early from school and took her to a hotel in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, where they had sex.

The very next day, police say Corrigan took the girl to buy her some clothes, lingerie from Victoria's Secret and a vibrator. He took her to another hotel where he asked her to model the lingerie. The teen told police she felt uncomfortable because Corrigan was watching porn in the hotel. When she told him her mother was texting and police were looking for her, Corrigan allegedly told her to turn the phone off.

The victim's parents had called police, who caught up with Corrigan after finding the teenager in the parking lot of the Crown Plaza Hotel in Upper Merion Township. When she led them back to the hotel, they found Corrigan, in his underwear, brushing his teeth in the bathroom.

Corrigan is charged with Corruption of Minors, Indecent Assault, Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor, Concealment of the Whereabouts of a Child and Interfering with the Custody of Children.

Heavy rain caused major damage and wide spread flooding around the region Friday.

Delaware, hit hardest by the storm, got up to 7 inches of rain in Kent and Sussex counties making driving conditions dangerous.

The area got pounded so hard that the parking lot of Kent General Hospital in Dover flooded.  Hospital officials say no patients were affected but some visitors did have to take an alternate route into the hospital for a short period of time.

“It’s all part of a stalled front with an area of low pressure that developed along it, initiating heavy rain,” said NBC10 meteorologist Sheena Parveen. “The rain has now moved out, but it caused a lot of flash flooding, making many roads in Delaware dangerous to drive through.”

Further north, a large tree fell on top of a monkey house at the Brandywine Zoo around 2 p.m., crushing the roof and displacing two dozen monkeys. Volunteers went in despite dangerous condition and rounded up the animals. There were no reports of injuries. Officials tell NBC10 that the zoo will be closed tomorrow due to the incident.

DelDOT asked motorists to avoid driving on roads in Kent and Sussex Counties until the rainstorm subsided. DART Bus Services in both counties operated on major delays due to heavy rains and flooding.

Reports of flooding came in from the Philadelphia suburbs in extreme southern Chester County and in Delaware County, where there was a water rescue Friday morning. Route 54, in Sussex County, near Sand Cove Road, was also damaged by flooding. Two people were pulled from the roof of their car as the water rose quickly around them in Upper Providence.

Graham Wicas and his passenger got stuck in the water at Sandy Bank and Rose Tree Roads. The water was rising so quickly, Wicas and his passenger climbed onto the roof of his Ford Focus.
"Water had come up almost to the door handles of the car," Wicas said. "We started to panic, rolled down the windows and got on top of the car."

Wicas said at one point his car was floating in the water. "It became like a raft," he said. "Thankfully some gentleman threw us a rope and we were able to tie the car to this signpost," Wicas said.

Flash Flood Watches are out for Philadelphia and several surrounding suburban counties until either late tonight or early Saturday morning. You can view the details county-by-county on the NBC10 Severe Weather Alerts page.

A Flash Flood Watch means that "flash flooding is going to be possible and we get a lot of rain in a short amount of time and it's just too much for the streets to drain all that water," said NBC10 Meteorologist Brittney Shipp.

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Take a look at this video posted on Vine of a group of people "kayaking" on Ashwood Street in Bethany Beach Friday afternoon.

Hundreds of vacant homes in Philadelphia are going to be auctioned off next week – and they could go for rock bottom prices.

The Philadelphia Housing Authority and Max Spann Real Estate and Auction Company will team up next Tuesday 10 a.m. at 3801 Market Street in University City for the big one-day event. About 200 homes and empty lots are up for sale.

Some experienced bidders like Larry McKnight purchased his Fishtown property during last year’s auction. He repaired it and then put it up for sale.

“We put about $90,000 to $95, 000 into it and sold it for $285, 000,” said McKnight. 

Houses can go for anywhere between $2,000 and $200,000. The auctioneer and housing officials believe they may raise around $2 million for the struggling housing Philadelphia Housing Authority.

"The idea of an auction makes sense for the housing authority for a number of reasons," said PHA President and CEO Kelvin Jeremiah. "First, these properties have been vacant for many years and unfortunately due to budgets cuts PHA does not have the resources to rehab or maintain these properties. Therefore, by selling the properties we will generate badly needed revenue to use on other capital projects while allowing the private market to put these houses back into service."

Bidders must be prepared to write a check for 10 percent of their winning bid. Many of the houses are located in rough neighborhoods where residents hope someone will invest. McKnight believes the empty lots can be a good deal.

“Now that's great for residents because they could fence it off and turn it into a side yard. You know living in the city you really don't have that much outdoor space so for residents that's really where the home run is at,” said McKnight.

During the Philadelphia Housing Authority’s first auction in the fall of 2011, auctioneers say they sold 341 properties, netting the housing authority $6.4 million.

For the list of homes up for sale click here.


 

A day of celebration turned to a night of chaos for a teenage girl and her friends and family. Police say a teenage boy is dead and four others are injured after a gunman walked into a home and opened fire during a birthday party for a 15-year-old girl in Hamilton Township, Mercer County.

A party with up to 100 people was taking place inside a home on the 1100 block of Deutz Avenue around 11:20 p.m. Friday when the shooter opened fire inside the living room area of the house.

Shakir Williams, 17, of Trenton, was shot multiple times and pronounced dead at the scene. Police say a 16-year-old boy, 18-year-old boy and two 17-year-old boys were all hit and injured in the shooting.

Eyewitnesses describe the scene as chaotic after the gunman, who said nothing, began opening fire at dozens of partygoers.

“It was crazy. Like, we were all having fun and just that one person wanted to start something and it just happened,” said an eyewitness who did not want to be identified.

The teens say they did not recognize the gunman.

“I was sitting on the couch and I just saw him walking and he just started shooting into the crowd. Everybody started running he was walking back to the door and was still shooting,” said another teen.

More than 100 partygoers went scrambling for safety, say neighbors.

“Kids all around, cops all around and screaming and yelling…just total chaos,” said Hector Jordan.

Police say one of the survivors suffered a gunshot wound to the calf and was treated and released from the hospital. Another victim was struck in the torso, arm, leg and groin and is currently undergoing surgery. The other two victims were struck in the legs and are both currently in stable condition.

Police are searching for the gunman and are investigating what sparked the incident.

Family members of the teen killed in the shooting say he was a good kid and was not known to get into fights.

This story is developing. Stay with NBC10.com for more updates.

 

A woman is dead and six other people injured after a car crash involving multiple vehicles on Lincoln Drive.

Police say a 21-year-old man was driving a 2001 Subaru Outback south on Lincoln Drive around 2:40 a.m. The man turned at a right bend on the road and crossed the intersection at Morris Street when he lost control of his vehicle and crossed into the northbound lane, according to investigators. Police say he struck a 2000 Nissan Maxima driven by a 41-year-old woman, head on.

The crash sent the Nissan backwards and it was struck again in the rear by a 2000 Honda Civic driven by a 40-year-old woman who was traveling north on Lincoln. The initial impact also sent the Subaru across the southbound lanes and crashing into a guardrail, ejecting the front seat passenger in the process.

Police say the rear passenger in the Outback, a 27-year-old woman, suffered severe head injuries. She was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at 7:02 a.m. The 21-year-old driver of the Outback complained of pain but refused to be taken to the hospital. The front seat passenger was taken to Temple University Hospital after suffering from a depressed skull fracture and bleeding on the brain. She is currently in critical condition. Another rear passenger was taken to the hospital after complaining of pain.

Both the driver and passenger of the Nissan Maxima were taken to the hospital and underwent surgery after suffering broken bones. They are both currently in stable condition.

The driver of the Honda Civic was taken to Temple University Hospital where she was treated and released.

No charges have been filed as of now. Police continue to investigate.