If you have kids, you know just how popular battery-powered play cars are. For most children, it's just for fun. But for Logan Sharples, a young boy dealing with health issues, it's one of the few ways he can get from Point A to Point B.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's office will ask the state's Judicial Conduct Board to investigate a judge who allowed a Manayunk father to visit his daughter weeks before he beat her to death and killed himself.

The family of 7-year-old Kayden Mancuso reached out to Wolf's office and requested they review the decisions made by Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey G. Trauger prior to the girl's death.

"Governor Wolf empathizes with the family regarding their tragic loss," a spokesperson for the governor wrote to NBC10. "A member of Governor Wolf's staff did reach out to them and relayed that we would ask the Judicial Conduct Board to look into their concerns and offered for them to meet with Governor Wolf’s Secretary of Policy and Planning."

Kayden and her father, Jeffrey Mancuso, 41, were found dead the morning of Aug. 6 in his Manayunk home, police said. The two were discovered by the girl’s stepfather after she failed to return to her mother’s house the night before.

Investigators determined Mancuso killed Kayden before taking his own life.
Relatives suspected that Kayden Mancuso fell victim to her father’s violent impulses. On their GoFundMe page, the family blamed Philadelphia police and the Bucks County family court system for failing to protect the girl.

“Kayden's mother trusted that the law and the court system would work for her daughter's best interests. However, the system failed and she was taken too soon,” the page read. "Kayden's mother was told to trust the process, but the door was slammed in her face time after time."

According to a custody order provided by the girl's family, Kayden Mancuso witnessed her father’s violent urges on several occasions. Mancuso yelled at his daughter, verbally fought with her grandmother and harassed her teachers and other school officials. Mancuso’s aggressive behavior prompted Pennsbury School District in Bucks County to issue a certified letter asking the erratic father to "cease and desist all communication with the school."

Kayden Mancuso also witnessed her father punch himself in the face while angry and attack the family dog, according to family court documents.

In May, Judge Trauger granted full custody of the girl to her mother, Kathryn Giglio. Jeffrey Mancuso received visitation rights and a word of warning from the judge.

"The court cautions [Mancuso] to be aware at all times of potential risks that his behavior may have on child’s future emotional and psychological wellbeing," Trauger wrote in his court order.

Philadelphia criminal court records showed that Jeffrey Mancuso’s violent tendencies dated several years back to September 2009 when he threw a beer bottle at a man and the man's wife near 15th and Sansom streets in Center City. Part of the bottle broke off and cut the woman’s face.

Mancuso was charged with a total of eight counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and possessing an instrument of crime. He pleaded guilty to simple assault in exchange for dropping the other charges. Mancuso was fined and sentenced to a maximum of two years probation.

Then, in 2012, Mancuso was arrested again for punching a man in the face and biting the top of his victim’s ear off during a fight near 2nd and Reed streets. He, again, faced some familiar charges, including recklessly endangering another person, aggravated assault and simple assault. He was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to house arrest with electronic monitoring.

During this time, Mancuso was allowed to drive to work, but had to submit to random alcohol and drug testing and attend anger management counseling.

Five years later, Mancuso received a DUI near the Vine Street Expressway.
The father also violated his probation several times, though court records did not specify the violations.

Neighbors told NBC10 they saw the man and his daughter around but did not think she was in danger.

"I never saw signs of him being violent, nothing like that," Noah Cook said. "That's why this is so shocking."

Even her godfather didn’t think Jeffrey Mancuso could kill his own daughter.

“We never thought the father would go this far,” Matthew Moffett said. “When your child is taken from you in a manner that Kayden was, there is no justice. There is no peace.”

Kayden Mancuso was set to begin the second grade at Edgewood Elementary School in Yardley this fall, school officials said.

Pumpkin Spice Latte lovers are in luck – customers can get the seasonal item early this year at the place that helped it reach nationwide fame.

Although temperatures aren't dropping, leaves aren't falling and fall does not officially start until September 22, Starbucks has announced it is allowing customers to get the “PSL” on August 28. Marking its 15th consecutive year on the menu, The Pumpkin Spice Latte is Starbucks’ most popular seasonal beverage of all time.

This year, Starbucks also announced two new pumpkin-spiced products can be purchased exclusively in grocery stores -- Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws and Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Flavored Ground Coffee K-Cup Pods.

Starbucks has gained so many followers since releasing the pumpkin spice latte, that they have actually created a “Leaf Rakers Society” Facebook group that celebrates “Fall. Year. Long.” In the group’s description, members are encouraged to love Halloween costumes, leaf piles and everything else fall-themed.

Even their competitor, Dunkin Donuts, has caught on to the fall craze, and will be offering their Pumpkin Spice Lattes beginning August 27. "It seems our fans are demanding pumpkin earlier and earlier each year," a Dunkin' Donuts spokesperson said.

A 30-year-old Roman Catholic priest has been charged with indecently assaulting a teen girl last year in Allentown, Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin announced Tuesday afternoon.

It’s the latest in a wave of sexual abuse allegations tainting the Catholic Church and casting a shadow over the religious institution.

Father Kevin Lonergan, who most recently served as assistant pastor at the Cathedral of St. Catherine Siena, is charged with one count of indecent assault and one count of corrupting a minor, the DA’s office said. He will be arraigned Tuesday.

Lonergan allegedly met the 17-year-old victim before mass in August 2017 at Allentown’s St. Francis Assisi Church. Shortly after meeting her, Lonergan got the teen’s number from another church member, Martin said.

The two communicated via SnapChat several times between December 2017 and January 2018, according to the DA’s investigation. Some of those messages included nude photos of the priest, Martin said.

Then, in February 2018, Lonergan hugged the victim and grabbed her buttocks when she tried to pull away, according to the DA’s office.

The victim remained silent for several months after the assault, but she eventually came forward to officials at her high school. They reported the incident to the Archdiocese of Allentown, which banned Lonergan from ministry in June.

“Bishop [Alfred] Schlert wanted to act very quickly and transparently to report this and to inform the public of Lonergan’s removal from active ministry, but he held off doing so at my request in order not to compromise the investigation,” Martin said.

The arrest of Lonergan, who lives with his parents in Pottstown, adds to an already lengthy list of priests who have been accused of sexually assaulting minors. Last week, a Pennsylvania grand jury released a sweeping report that documented decades of abuse and subsequent cover-ups by clergy members across six dioceses in the state.

Pope Francis condemned those so-called “predator priests” and apologized for the Catholic Church’s sluggish response to the allegations.

Officials have captured all of the suspects accused of ambushing and shooting two detectives in Camden, New Jersey, earlier this month.

Ammar Hall, 26, and Alexander DeJesus, 19, were both captured in Philadelphia, the U.S. Marshals confirmed with NBC10.

Juan Figueroa, 20, was also arrested without incident in Gloucester City, New Jersey over the weekend.

All three are charged with first-degree criminal attempted murder in the attack that happened on Aug. 7 at Mt. Vernon Street and Broadway.

Police said the officers, who were operating undercover, were sitting at a red light when two of the men walked up and fired at least 10 rounds. One officer was hit in the hand and the other twice in the shoulder.

The men were last seen fleeing the area in a white work van, police said. Authorities initially released surveillance photos of persons of interest, but Friday announced charges against the men.

The officers were released from the hospital on Thursday. They remain on leave.

Figueroa was remanded to the Camden County Jail without bail.

The push to get voters to register kicks into high gear this week as college students head back to school. We take a look at young voters and the power they have.

With college students back on campus, there's a big push to get them registered to vote ahead of the November midterm elections in Pennsylvania.

A Chester County mother of four says her husband, who was in the states trying to help his family deal with medical emergencies, was deported without notice.

Just minutes apart, in two courtrooms, both President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, and his campaign chair, Paul Manafort, were found guilty of fraud. Both men face years in federal prison.

At least two men in Chester County, Pennsylvania, recently died after taking a legal herbal supplement often used to treat opioid addiction and other medical issues, the coroner’s office said.

Caleb Jonathan Sturgis of West Bradford Township died in June from acute mitragynine intoxication after ingesting the botanical supplement kratom. Ryan Jones of Caln Township died in April also after taking kratom. Both overdoses appeared to be accidental, according to the Chester County Coroner’s Office.

Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, is a plant that grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, according to the FDA.

Kratom affects the same opioid brain receptors as morphine and appears to have properties that expose users to the risks of addiction, abuse and dependence. There are no FDA-approved uses for kratom, and the agency has received concerning reports about its safety.

“Given the opioid addiction crisis, it would seem preposterous that an opioid is legal for use in the United States and can be purchased at tea stores, convenience stores, over the internet and, yes, even from vending machines,” FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., wrote in a statement. “However, kratom is not your average opioid.”

Gottlieb said the Drug Enforcement Agency tried to ban the herb in 2016 but dropped its attempt after public outcry from users as well as 51 congressmen around the country and across the political aisle. Some of its supporters argued it could be an alternative to drugs like OxyContin.

Jon Wilt sells kratom at his West Chester, Pennsylvania, smoke shop Planet Ryo. Wilt told NBC10 he constantly hears success stories about kratom from customers who take it for various reasons, including pain relief, migraines and issues with focusing.

“I’ll take it for pain relief but it doesn’t get me high,” one customer, who did not want to be identified, told NBC10.

According to Wilt however, the biggest reason his customers normally give him is because they believe kratom is safer than the opiates a doctor might prescribe for their pain.

“Big time for getting off opiates or they don’t want to go on them,” Wilt said. “That is the biggest thing with kratom.”

In a February memo, the FDA insisted there’s no evidence that those advantages exist for kratom and they warn it can be dangerous. FDA officials say it’s addictive, isn’t a better alternative to prescription opiates, shouldn’t be used and definitely shouldn’t be mixed with other drugs.

Dr. Jason Wallach, who teaches pharmaceutical science at the University of the Sciences, believes there should be more clinical trials conducted on kratom before a decision is made about its legality.

“It’s safer than many alternatives,” Dr. Wallach said.

Wallach also said there needs to be better oversight of the kratom products coming into the country unregulated.

“You don’t always know what you’re getting,” he said. “There have been incidents where kratom has been adulterated with synthetic opioids.”

Kratom is available without a prescription in many parts of the country. Its use is banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin and Louisiana however.

Kratom is legal in Pennsylvania and Delaware while there is pending legislation on it in New Jersey.

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that people can use some expired EpiPens for a few months longer to help cover spot shortages that have put some parents into a panic at the beginning of a new school year, NBC News reported.

Some batches of the devices, which inject lifesaving medication to stop severe allergic reactions, can be used for four months beyond their expiration, the FDA said. The affected devices hold the 0.3-milligram dose. The FDA said it reviewed data from Mylan, which sells EpiPen, showing that the product is still effective beyond the expiration date.

"We are doing everything we can to help mitigate shortages of these products, especially ahead of the back-to-school season," the FDA’s Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.

A hit-and-run driver struck and killed a man crossing the street after getting ice cream in Bucks County.

Emmanuel Weintraub, a man in his 70s who used a cane, was crossing New Falls Road near Amelia Drive in the crosswalk as heavy rain fell in Levittown, Pennsylvania, just after 9 p.m. Tuesday when a dark blue or black four-door sedan that went around a stopped car slammed into him, Falls Township police said.

The driver kept going, leaving Weintraub for dead, police said. The victim’s cane and shoes were left behind.

Weintraub was a regular customer at JoJo’s Ice Cream & Water Ice, the ice cream shop said on Facebook. A fundraising event had just wrapped up at ice cream shop before the man was struck but he wasn't part of that event.

Investigators hoped that surveillance video could help lead them to the driver, LevittownNow.com reported.

Grainy surveillance images show the striking vehicle that police said is missing its right front hubcap and has windshield/front end damage.

Anyone with information should contact Falls Township police Officer Stephanie Metterle at 215-949-9100 x 440 or call police dispatch at 215-945-3100 if you think you spotted the car.

Students will return to Cedarbrook Middle School in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, after it was closed in 2013 due a mold problem. The new building has a few surprises for students.

A teen was arrested Wednesday in the brutal killing of a Philadelphia high school track star who died the same day he was set to begin his freshman year of college, investigators said. 

Philadelphia police arrested 15-year-old Byron Vinson more than a week after 18-year-old Kristian Marche was gunned down outside his home in the West Oak Lane neighborhood. 

Vinson and one other teen, 16-year-old Tabron Small, are being charged with murder, conspiracy and weapons-related charges, Philadelphia Police Lt. Norman Davenport said.

Vinson is in police custody, however Small remains at large as of Wednesday afternoon, Davenport said. 

Marche, a rising track star at Imhotep Institute Charter High School, was shot once in the head on Aug. 13 and died the following day.

Police said the ordeal unfolded while Marche was at home with his mother. He heard a noise in the back of the house and went outside to investigate. Marche saw at least one of the teens jump down from the second floor of the home, Davenport said. Police suspect Small and Vincent, who both live near Marche, were attempting to break into the home. 

Surveillance video showed the three teens walking together in a neighbor's driveway. Marche was walking between Vincent and Small when Small allegedly shot the older teen once in the back of the head. 

"This was not a struggle. This was not a fight," Davenport said. "This was a clear case of murder."

Police sources described the killing as one of the worst to be captured on video, calling it "brutal" and "horrible." Several detectives teared up during the course of the investigation, Davenport said.

Those who knew Marche were heartbroken over the loss of a talented athlete with big dreams and potential, loved ones said. Marche excelled in both football and track and field.

Marche was so good, in fact, that he was set to attend Penn State University on a track and field scholarship. Last Tuesday would have been Marche’s first day of college.

“It’s a real tragedy that the world won’t get to see him grow and develop as a person,” Bernard Miller, Marche’s teacher, told NBC10. “Really an outstanding young man. Just full of life.”

Marche was also described as a friendly and funny teen who got along with everyone.

“This hit us with a heavy heart to lose one of our brothers,” Nick Lincoln, Marche’s high school coach, wrote in a statement. “Kristian always had a smile on his face and our team will dedicate this season to him.”

Imhotep Institute Charter High School's football team is dedicating their upcoming season to Marche. A scholarship in his honor is also being planned.

A Philadelphia woman who had a role in kidnapping, torturing and enslaving disabled adults discovered chained up in a basement has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.

Jean McIntosh was sentenced Tuesday as several of the victims testified about the lasting effect of the abuse they had endured.

Law enforcement officials say McIntosh helped prosecutors build a case against her mother, Linda Weston, the ringleader of the group that held victims captive for years in a cramped, Philadelphia basement.

Weston previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison plus 80 years to avoid the death penalty.

In all, five people were charged with 196 counts, after police rescued four people from the basement in October 2011.

A local Boy Scout troop is stuck with a big mess after vandals destroyed their meeting room. Now, the community is trying to get the Scouts back on their feet.

Philadelphia is a city that takes pride in its roots. In East Falls, a historical society wants to stop a charter school from bringing down a historic house that's more than a century old.

It's been a long wait, but teachers will return to a Montgomery County School after four years of being shut down because of mold.

Investing in a home is a big commitment. One man says he tooks a friend's recommendation, when hiring a plumber-- now he's stuck with thousands of dollars in additional repairs. So he reached out to Ines Ferre and NBC10 Responds.

Master floral designer Jeff Leatham will bring his signature style to a new landmark hotel set to open in Center City next year.

Leatham will serve as the Artistic Director overseeing floral concepts and displays throughout the new Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at the Comcast Center. It will be the first Four Seasons property on the east coast to showcase Leatham’s florals.

“We are very excited to welcome Jeff to our team as we elevate the guest experience to an entirely new – and beautiful – level with his artistic floral creations,” Ben Shank, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, said.  “As we look ahead to our opening next year, we have been very focused on innovation and establishing the ultimate experience for our guests, two principles to which Jeff is also deeply committed.”

Leatham’s vision will come to life in artistic installations throughout the hotel’s public spaces, spa, restaurants and lounges. Event planners and wedding couples at the hotel will also have the chance to work with Leatham’s team.

“I’m very excited by this opportunity to work with a hotel that promises to be cutting edge in its service and technology, and to be able to provide the important element of nature and beauty found in floral art,” Leatham said.  “I can’t wait to share my passion for floral design with both visitors to the city, and the people of Philadelphia.”

For more details on Leatham and the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, click here.