Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday for a woman accused of kidnapping a 5-year-old girl and then taking her to a home where she was sexually assaulted.

Christina Regusters, 20, is charged with 15 crimes including two counts of involuntary sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated assault, kidnapping, corruption of a minor and unlawful restraint of a minor.

On January 14, 2013, Regusters allegedly dressed up in Muslim clothing to appear as the child’s mother, and kidnapped the kindergartner from William C. Bryant Elementary School. According to police, Regusters then walked the girl to a home on the 6200 block of Walton Avenue where the sexual assault took place.

The child was found by a passerby a day later. She was sitting alone in the cold at an Upper Darby playground, before sunrise, wearing only an over-sized T-shirt. Investigators say they later found Regusters' DNA on the T-shirt the child was wearing and used that evidence to arrest Regusters on February 14, 2013.

Regusters has been held at the Northampton County Correctional Facility. She was moved to the county prison after she was assaulted in a Philadelphia prison facility.

Shortly after the case broke in January last year, Tahsiyn Ismaa’eel started a Facebook group called Before They Strike Again. The group is dedicated to keeping the community updated about the details of the case, many of which Ismaa'eel felt were confusing.

Ismaa’eel, 58, said she believes that there were other people involved in the crime.

"I know that pretty much from the group and just people that I talk with in my immediate circle, they’ve never believed that there was just only one person involved. Just by the level of the crime, I never believed that one female would go and do such a heinous crime," she said.

"Everybody is painting her as a monster right now but I still view her as a human being. She’s a female and I believe she’s a female that was likely manipulated by a male."

In the weeks following Regusters' arrest, both her attorney W. Fred Harrison, Jr. and the attorney for the family of the victim Thomas Kline were vocal about their belief that more people were involved in the abduction.

"The information I have suggests that there are other individuals probably involved in this case," Harrison told NBC10.com shortly after Regusters was charged.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office convened a grand jury investigation in March of last year. The results of that investigation led to Reguster's indictment in late April. The full findings from the investigation, which may shed some light on the reasoning behind the single arrest, have yet to be released to the public.

Attorney Tom Kline says he and the victim's family remain hopeful that all of the people involved in the crime will eventually be arrested and charged for their involvement in the crimes.

"We’re hopeful that the DA's office will continue to vigilantly hunt down the remaining individuals involved. We have heard Ms. Regusters’ own lawyer, Mr. Harrison, state that there were additional individuals involved and we also believe that there were other individuals involved," Kline said.

"There are some answered and many unanswered questions that remain in this terrible tragedy but there is the pressure of an upcoming criminal trial in the summer and we hope to uncover fully what happened here."

For Ismaa'eel, the single arrest is an eerie reminder that, if others were involved in the crime, they are still out there. Still, she said she remains hopeful that the full truth of what happened will eventually be revealed.

"I don’t know why she’s the only one who got arrested. If Regusters was only a pawn, then that means that you have a monster out there that can still strike again; that means none of our children are safe," she said.

"Eventually the facts come out. At this point we’re just being patient and I anticipate she will talk at some point. I know she has a story to tell."

Last March, the family of the young girl sued the school district, accusing them of “reckless indifference.” The lawsuit also names Reginald, LittleJohn, 64, who was the substitute teacher in the girl’s class the day she was abducted, as one of the defendants.

Jury selection for Regusters’ trial is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Monday.

 

Mayor Michael Nutter is among the many baseball fans across the Delaware Valley buzzing over the Taney Dragons - the Philadelphia little league team who shut out its opponent in its first game of the Little League World Series.

The city's leader will host a pep rally and viewing party for the 2014 Mid-Atlantic Little League champions in the City Hall Courtyard starting at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The ball club faces Pearland East of Pearland, Texas, the Southwest champion, at the Howard J. Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Pa. at 7 p.m. Sunday.

The viewing party is the second hosted by Nutter, who cheered the team on Friday afternoon as they defeated South Nashville 4-0.

Ace pitcher Mo'ne Davis struck out eight batters in her complete-game effort against South Nashville, the Southeast champion.

A blaze ripped through a house in North Philadelphia Saturday afternoon.

Fire fighters responded to reports of smoke and flames at a 3-story twin home on the 3500 block of North 15th Street around 4:30 p.m.

Crews worked for 45 minutes to place the fire under control, according to officials.

Authorities said battling the blaze was difficult as the residents were hoarders.

No word yet on any injuries.

IMAGES: "Angels" Laid to Rest

A silence came over the Divine Mercy Parish Saturday morning as dignitaries paid their respects to four small children, all under the age of 5, who were killed in a three-alarm fire that leveled 8 homes on the 7200 block of Gesner Street five weeks ago. 

About 500 people attended the funeral for the four victims of the Gesner Street fire -- 4-year-old twins Maria and Marialla Bowah and brothers 4-year-old Patrick Sanyeah and 7-week-old Taj Jacque. The service began at 9 a.m. at Divine Mercy Parish at 7200 Grovers Ave. in southwest Philadelphia.

The four tiny white coffins lined the front of the church with pink, purple, red and yellow flowers atop. Large portraits of the children were placed in front of each casket.

Wearing a black and white print dress, Dewen "Marie" Bowah sat in the front pew, barefoot with her sandals off, staring blankly ahead in disbelief. At times she put her face in her hands as speaker after speaker, including council persons Kenyatta Johnson and Jannie Blackwell and a representative from Senator Anthony Williams' office, offered their condolences.

"Even though these young people parted from this life early, their parting has not been in vain," said Reverend John Jallah of the Liberian Ministers Association of Pennsylvania.

Bowah was home with her five children and babysitting the two boys when a fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. on July 5. Bowah was able to help her three oldest children escape through a second floor window, which she also used to get out of the house alive. She was not able to reach the youngest kids who were sleeping in a separate room.

"It's just so painful," said the Bowah twins' uncle Shaffa Wilson, while shaking his head during the homegoing service.

Fire officials released a cause for the fast-moving blaze that leveled more than a dozen homes along Gesner Street Friday. The Chief Fire Marshal declared the cause "undetermined," citing extensive damage to the physical evidence used in the investigation.

There were reports, however, that people were playing with fireworks on a porch before the blaze. The local fire station is just around the corner. Family members and neighbors questioned the city's response time in part due to the close proximity. Distrust ensued days after the tragedy, escalating to a protest and multiple arrests. 

During the service, Comfort Bowah, the older sister of the twin girls, grabbed Marialla's casket and held on tight as the families were called to the altar. Her relatives relieved her grip from the corners of the casket and embraced her to relieve her discomfort.

Maria and Marialla's obituary read that they were "inseparable and loved each other. Although they were not school age, they were eagerly waiting preschool. They told their mother that they wanted to be doctors to help people."

The family also wrote in Patrick's obituary that his "sweet eyes were pools of love and the grace of heaven" and Taj was a "bundle of joy and the center of our universe."

Patrick Jr. learned to write his name before his death.

Sanyeah squatted down in front of his son's casket, leaned in and kissed his son's portrait with a tear in his eye.

After the funeral, 100 cars, a police escort and a donated Greyhound bus traveled to the Saint Peter and Paul cemetery in Springfield, Pa. where the four children were finally laid to rest.

The crowd began to sing "When the Saints Go Marching In" as the first casket was carried toward the graves.

"We were just getting to know you," said Comfort Bowah, as she grabbed Taj's casket.

Numerous in-kind funeral donations poured in to cover the funeral costs. Patricia Quinn of Final Farewell led the effort. Antoine Turay of Turay Memorial Funeral Chapel estimates the discounted cost for funeral services and burials is $10,000.

"It’s very sad, but I’m glad to know that I can at least help out and ease their financial burden so they can get on with their life as best they can. Pretty much all the funeral expenses have been covered," said Quinn of Guckin Funeral Mansion. 

As for why the funeral date took so long to be held, Turay said in West African cultures it is not uncommon for a funeral to take place 30 days after a death. The victims' families are Liberian.

After Jacque's casket was lowered into the grave alongside his brother, Sanyeah said his final goodbye and threw two pink roses atop the caskets right before the grave was sealed. 

"I know you're a man. Take care of your brother," Sanyeah said.

A fundraiser to benefit the victims of the fire will take place Sunday at Christ International Baptist Church on 2210 S. 65th Street starting at 2:30 p.m. 

Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.
 

A SEPTA police officer is recovering after his vehicle was struck by a drunk driver Saturday.

The officer was on 5th and Market Streets in the Old City section of Philadelphia just before 4 a.m. when his vehicle was struck by a white SUV. The impact sent the officer’s vehicle into a light post and up onto a curb.

The unindentified driver was arrested for drunk driving after blowing a blood alcohol level of .149 -- twice the legal limit, according to reports from the Associated Press.

The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the crash. He was taken to Jefferson Hospital where he is currently in stable condition.

The driver of the SUV was not injured.
 

A couple pretended to shop in a Northeast Philly pet store before taking off with a puppy.

Surveillance video from a Pets Plus Natural located on the 9000 block of Roosevelt Boulevard shows a man and a woman walk into the store around 3 p.m. Thursday and then walk out with a Yorkshire terrier puppy.

The pair left holding the yorkie as though it was their own dog, according to witnesses on the scene.

The two suspects even approached the store counter before the man, who was wearing a white t-shirt, black gym shorts and black Addidas sneakers, scooped up the small dog and covered it with his arms as he exited.

Anyone with information on the suspects or the crime is urged to contact the Philadelphia Police Department.

Neighbors watched in fear from inside their South Jersey home as a man carved a swastika into their lawn, according to authorities.

Police arrested 45-year-old Scott F. Cooney, of Lakewood, Ocean County, Wednesday for allegedly using what appeared to be a lead pipe to draw the offensive symbol into the grass around 1:30 p.m. Aug. 10.

The victims were inside their home when the incident occurred. Investigators said they did not want to exit the house because they did not want to provoke a confrontation with the suspect.

The victims said this is not the first time Cooney has harassed them, according to officials.

Cooney was charged with bias intimidation, harassment and criminal mischief.

During processing at the Lakewood Police Department Headquarters, Cooney complained of chest pains, according to reports.

Authorities transported him to Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, where he was treated and released.

Cooney is being held on $25,00 bail at the Ocean County Jail, according to police.

A young electrician is fatally shot just days before his 28th birthday after an argument outside a local Chinese restaurant escalated to violence in the Overbrook section of the city.

Twenty-seven-year-old Paul McKernan, of Northeast Philly, was pronounced dead at 11:59 p.m. Friday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, less than 30 minutes after he was shot in the throat on the 5500 block of Lansdowne Avenue, according to officials.

"It feels like my heart was ripped out of my chest," said the victim's uncle, Tim McKernan, who helped raise him.

Paul had just exited Lucky Garden where he purchased a few snacks, according to the restaurant's manager.

Moments after leaving the restaurant, Paul and another man got into a confrontation, according to officials.

Paul walked away, but the man followed him, pulled a gun and fatally shot him, according to investigators.

"Paul was a sensitive, caring and strong person," Tim said. "I just don't see how this person could just do what he did to my nephew."

Surveillance video from Lucky Garden captured Paul's final moments, but did not show the shooter.

Police said they pulled footage captured by cameras at other nearby shops and they are currently reviewing it.

They have not yet released a description of the suspect.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS.
 

Philadelphia Police are investigating a cell phone video showing a skateboarder kicking a city park ranger in his head and then spitting on the man in Philadelphia's LOVE Park Friday. The 35-year-old park ranger approached three teen skateboarders and advised them they could not skate in the park.

"I ain't (explective) leaving," said one skateboarder before punching the park ranger in the face and wrestling him to the ground.

The violent altercation occurred around 5 p.m. in the iconic Center City park, located at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, according to Mariano Verrico, of Essex Fells, N.J., who caught the fight on camera.

"He got kicked in the head repeatedly and spit on," Verrico said. "When he was down towards the end..., the one kid who did everything leaned down and spit on him. It was really disgraceful."

Verrico stopped at LOVE Park, where police began enforcing a skateboarding ban in 2002, with his friends and cousins, who he was visiting for the day in Philadelphia, he said.

Police provided descriptions of the three skateboarders that day. Offender number one is 19-years-old, 5 feet 10 inches with dred locks. He wore a gray t-shirt and dark pants with red lettering on the front. The second offender is described as 19 to 20-years-old with a black t-shirt and black pants. The third offender is 19-years-old, 5 feet nine inches, and he wore a black-tshirt with a white design on the front. 

Sitting near the fountain, Verrico said he heard the park ranger warn several young men that they had to stop skateboarding in the park because there were too many young children in the area.

"Basically he was just doing his job," Verrico said. "His voice wasn't raised. He wasn't cursing."

One skateboarder punched the ranger -- who was standing next to a staircase -- and he fell backwards onto the ground, said Verrico, who added he was nervous to intervene since he was outsized.

The video shows the park ranger's hands raised in the air, but Verrico said the victim never threw a punch and only kept his arms up to defend himself.

"He never once tried to fight with the kid," he said. "He never threw any type of punch at the kid or said anything negative."

The assailant continues to attack the park ranger, kicking the man in the head as onlookers stood by. The ranger suffered injuries to his head, but is expected to be okay. 

Verrico said he accompanied the park ranger, and the victim's supervisor, to a Philadelphia Police Station and turned his video over to investigators. On Saturday, NBC10 sent the video to Central Detectives who were unaware of the incident at the time. They are currently investigating and seeking the three skateboarders.

NBC10 also reached out to the city's Parks and Recreation Department for comment. We have not yet heard back from them.

The incident is one of many reported between skaterboarders and authorities in LOVE Park in recent years.

Two skateboarders attacked another city park ranger in May 2004 when the official attempted to cite the pair and confiscate their boards. Years later, the dynamic reportedly flipped as police officers allegedly chased skateboarders down, tackled them and deployed Tasers.

While the skateboarding ban at LOVE Park is still in place, authorities often tolerate the young men and woman speeding past tourists and grinding their boards along the planters.

Councilman Jim Kenney suggested Philadelphia City Council alter the regulations to include space for the skateboarders to legally pop ollies in the park earlier this year.

Members of Kenney's staff told Philly.com in June that they are working to include a legal skate spot   in an already-established master plan to redesign LOVE Park. But the recent addition of the skateboard-friendly Paine's Park along the Schuylkill River Trail could lead city officials to curb suggestions from Kenney's office.

Contact Alison Burdo at 610.668.5635, alison.burdo@nbcuni.com or follow @NewsBurd on Twitter.

Three down, nine more to go. Several delays prevented crews from removing all 12 letters from the Philadelphia National Bank building on South Broad Street on Sunday. 

The Center City streets that were closed for the day for the removal work were been reopened as of 6 p.m., according to Philadelphia Police. 

The crews closed several streets to vehicular and pedestrian traffic around 6 a.m. on Sunday as they began taking down the "PNB" letters on top of the building. The high-rise, which was first built in 1932 by John Wanamker for his men’s department store, was purchased by the Philadelphia National Bank in the early 1950’s. It was the Bank which placed the “PNB” letters in lights on top of the tower. The "PNB" initials were placed on all four sides of the building for a total of 12 letters in all.

The Philadelphia National Bank owned the building until the mid-90’s. The 26-story, 464,000-square-foot building was recently purchased for $68 million by Aion Partners in New York. On July 2, the Historical Commission approved the removal of the sign and a permit was issued on July 31.

The roads were originally scheduled to reopen at noon. However, crews experienced problems getting the letters down, which caused a long delay.

After over seven hours, crews were only able to remove three of the 12 letters via helicopter. The removed letters were taken to the north side of City Hall. One worker told NBC10 the crews were having trouble detaching the letters fast enough.

The worker also told NBC10 they would need FAA approval, city permits and another reservation for a chopper in order to continue the removal process. They have not yet determined a day to continue the removal.

Workers with Thacray Crane Rental as well as the Philadelphia Sign Company were spotted during Sunday's construction.

The following roads were closed for drivers as crews continue to remove equipment: 

• North 13th Street from Market Street to Arch Street
• South 13th Street from Chestnut Street to Market Street
• North 15th Street from South 15th Street to Arch Street
• South 15th Street from North 15th Street to Chestnut Street
• North Broad Street from JFK Boulevard to Arch Street
• South Broad Street from South Penn Square to Chestnut Street
• Market Street from South 11th Street to North Juniper Street

According to Mayor's Office Press Secretary Mark McDonald, the roads were scheduled to reopen by 4 p.m. but they remained closed due to further issues moving the equipment.

Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.

Officials are investigating a fire at a vacant auto body shop in South Jersey.

The fire broke out shortly before 2:30 a.m. Sunday at an abandoned shop on the 400 block of Pavilion Avenue in Riverside, New Jersey.

The fire caused the roof of the building to collapse before firefighters brought the flames under control. No one was hurt during the incident.

Investigators have not yet revealed whether the fire was suspicious. However, a resident who lives nearby told NBC10 he spotted someone running from the building moments before it went up in flames.

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

A man was shot and killed Saturday night in Bridgeton, New Jersey.

The unidentified man was on the 300 block of Bank Street when a gunman opened fire. The victim was struck in the chest and pronounced dead shortly after.

No arrests have been made. Police have not yet released information on any suspects.

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

As the Taney Dragons continue their Little League World Series run, another local Little League team is already celebrating a big win. 

The Marlton Reds defeated Southeast Lexington, Kentucky 9-1 on Saturday to take home the Cal Ripken World series championship for 10-year-olds.

The team finished with a 6-0 record during the tournament in Winchester, Virginia.

You can learn more about the Marlton Reds and their road to the championship here.
 

First-time parents Jenna Gassew and Dan Haley of Delaware County are making the most out of Jenna's pregnancy.

Just 2 months after they found out they were expecting, doctors gave the young couple the news that something was wrong with the baby Jenna was carrying.

The diagnosis is anencephaly, a rare and terminal condition where babies typically die shortly after birth.

In a situation that first seemed hopeless, the couple remains thankful they received the heartbreaking news as early as they did.

The couple started a Facebook page on August 2 called “Prayers for Shane,"

Dan and Jenna are asking for prayers and are using the page as a virtual scrapbook to share places they are experiencing during the pregnancy.

Using the hashtag shanesbucketlist, friends can watch the family visit places, such as Wildwood and Linvilla Orchard’s petting zoo. Baby Shane got to meet some of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Phanatic while inside his mother's tummy.

“We know we have this time with him and that’s awesome,” said Jenna.

The first-time mom explains that most parents carrying a baby with anencephaly don’t find out about the diagnosis until the mom's further along.

How the young couple came to find out about the baby's condition was like a movie.

In April, the couple drove to Penn State to see Dan’s brother play baseball when their car slipped on a patch of black ice, leading to a small accident.

“We were both fine. I wasn’t showing yet though and I wanted to make sure the baby was okay,” Jenna said.

The emergency room doctor told them to see a specialist because there was some internal bleeding.

Back at home Jenna and her mom went to Bryn Mawr Hospital where Jenna had an ultrasound done. They learned of the diagnosis just two days before Jenna and Dan’s four year anniversary.

Since anencephaly is a rare condition, not many people know a lot about it, including Jenna and Dan.

The doctors didn’t really encourage them to research the condition. Jenna said the doctors warned them about looking information up on the Internet because some of the images of anencephalic babies can be hard to look at.

Jenna explained that one of the first questions the doctors asked is whether she plans to carry to "full-term."

Raised Catholic, the couple agreed that was never really a question for them.

And they learned more about the condition.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, anencephaly is a serious birth defect in which a baby is born without major parts of the brain, skull and scalp, and happens during the first
month of pregnancy.

Only 1 in every 4,859 babies in the United States is born with it, according to the CDC.

Jenna and Dan became involved in online support groups which also helped them cope with the situation.

Through online research, Jenna found out that anencephalic babies need to wear preemie onesies. Jenna's grandmother made alterations on a few that they picked out together so they would be easy to get over the baby's head.

Since the diagnosis, tremendous support has poured in via Facebook. Family, friends and even strangers have commented and liked the pictures. There are several new wall posts each day from people giving the couple encouragement and prayers.

Dan came up with the idea for the Facebook page. He says the site has allowed him to bond with Shane in a special way as the baby's October 12 due date approaches.

Throughout the summer, Shane attended his dad's baseball games and was dubbed his "#1 fan."

The couple also shared photos showing them setting up Shane's crib which is appropriately sports-themed with a soccer and football mobile.

On August 11, the couple shared news that Shane had the hiccups which is rare for anencephalic babies with polyhydramnios. Jenna believes it's a sign he is strong.

The couple recites the "Angel of God" prayer every night before bed and they say the rosary at St. Lawrence Church every Monday night in Upper Darby.

They say, during this time, Shane is especially active.

"It's nice and it's a blessing that they're with you for the whole thing," Jenna says.

The couple has several more trips planned including Ocean City, Maryland and Lancaster, where Jenna's sister lives.

"It's the hardest thing in the world but you can make it through. We're his parents and we're going to take care of him as long as we can," said Jenna.

Lane closures are set to begin Sunday night on Route 202 in Chester and Montgomery Counties.

Pavement patching will take place on northbound Route 202 as well as on its access ramp to eastbound I-76 in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County and Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County.

The closures are part of a $4.4 million project to improve the pavement on Route 202 and Route 422 where the two expressways connect. The project is financed by Act 89, the state’s new transportation plan.

The lane closures will be in effect Sunday through Friday, August 22, every night from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., on northbound Route 202 between Route 252(Valley Forge Road) and I-76 as well as between the Northbound Route 202 ramp to eastbound I-76. Construction is scheduled to finish in November.

Drivers are advised to proceed with caution and to allow extra time when traveling through the work areas.
You can check the conditions of Route 202, Route 422 and other roadways by visiting the 511PA website. You can also visit the PennDOT website.

If you’ve walked along Walnut and Chestnut Streets or inside the Suburban Street Station recently, you’ve more than likely seen them; talented teen violinists playing classical music.

“I heard the music and I turned around and I saw these young kids,” said Yvette Porter.

The teens make $40 to $60 a day. But the money isn’t for pocket change. Instead it’s being used to save their school’s music program.

“We’re basically out here to put money towards our instruments,” said Valencia Davis.

Davis, along with the other three musicians, Faith Williams, Caryle Cute and Blair Kidd are all Seniors at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative & Performing Arts. Due to cuts to the Philadelphia School District, money for new instruments and repairs is scarce.

“To get your bow re-haired is $60,” Williams said. “You have to get that re-haired every month or two. Bows are $200 to $500. They’re really expensive.”

Instead of beach trips and movies, the students have spent the majority of their summer playing music in the streets for several hours a day.

“Nobody is helping us pay,” Davis said. “We have to go ahead and do it ourselves.”

The students say they want to continue to pursue their dreams in music, even if it means financing it on their own.

“Even though we are young and we are teenagers, we can still do amazing things,” Kidd said. “We want people to see it.”

You can donate to the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts here.