A mother is in custody after she allegedly stole over a thousand dollars’ worth of clothes from Philadelphia's Center City Macy’s store and then abandoned her young daughter after escaping from custody. 

Police say 27-year-old Mahogany Terry of Philadelphia stole 17 items of clothing from the Men’s Department inside the Macy’s on 13th and Market streets back on February 11 around 6 p.m. The woman’s 4-year-old daughter was with her at the time, according to investigators.

As Terry went into a dressing room to conceal the stolen items she was apprehended by security guards inside the store, police said. Investigators determined she had stolen $1400 in merchandise.

Terry and her daughter were detained by Macy’s Loss Prevention officers and taken to a room for further processing, according to officials. They then handcuffed Terry’s hand to a bench, police said. Terry then allegedly freed herself from the handcuff, escaped from the room and fled, leaving her daughter behind.

Terry’s daughter was taken to the Department of Human Services and was later reunited with her relatives. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Terry who lives on the 2900 block of North 29th Street. She was picked up by police from her home around 11 p.m. Monday and taken into custody. She is expected to be charged with retail theft and endangering the welfare of a child.

Prior to the latest incident, Terry was arrested twice before on similar charges, according to court records.

A New Jersey high school baseball coach accused by former players and parents of creating a culture of bullying will get to keep his job, the school board decided in a vote of 6-3. 

An emotional crowd packed into the South Orange Maplewood School Board meeting Monday night to speak before the vote on whether Joe Fischetti will be allowed to continue coaching baseball. 

Parent Randy Nathan told the board at the meeting: "What if your child was in a hostile environment? Tonight, you have a chance to do something about it." 

Nathan told NBC 4 New York last week his son was kicked off the Columbia High School baseball team his senior year after raising bullying concerns about the behavior of Fischetti, who in one video shown to NBC 4 is seen speaking aggressively to his team last year: "Don't question about why I do what I do, that's horse----."

Another former player, David DeFranco, filed a lawsuit earlier this month, complaining he too was cut from the baseball team his senior season because he complained about a bullying problem the previous year. He was only allowed back after he suggested to officials that was the reason he was let go from the team. 

The lawsuit also claims that Fischetti and other coaches made sexist, racist and demeaning comments to the baseball team players. School and district officials didn't step in, despite his and other players' complaints, the lawsuit adds. 

But at Monday's meeting, Fischetti overwhelmingly had supporters in his corner. 

"Joe has had a great career in baseball," said parent Jerry Oriama. "He's had thousands of kids go through his team." 

Player Reid Evans said Fischetti and the other coaches "supported me and wanted the best for us as people." 

Many other members of the baseball team, which recently won a championship, were also in the crowd to defend their coach. 

The school board said it has been looking into the allegations by parents and students for more than a year and revised the district's conduct and athletic codes after the investigation. The new guidelines were approved at the meeting.

The board also voted 6-3 to keep Fischetti employed as a coach while the investigation into the bullying accusations continue. 

Fischetti was not seen at the meeting on Monday and has repeatedly declined interviews in the past.

Parent Nathan told NBC 4 New York last week that when the administration investigated Fischett, it found six instances when his son Alex was bullied or harassed. It's not clear what, if any, consqeuences Fischetti faced after the probe, as officials cited a private personnel matter.

"They don't care about respect, they don't care about character," Nathan said last week. "What they care about is winning, and becacuse they think they know how to win, they're going to do whatever they can to destroy kids." 

The allegations of bullying came to a head at a similar school board meeting last year. But back then, too, he had defenders and was allowed to keep his job.

A New Jersey construction company was cited for illegally dumping muck into the Atlantic Ocean on the Jersey Shore.

Agate Construction was cited for dumping near Deal, in Monmouth County, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. They've also been ordered to clean up the mess.

The activity was first spotted last week near a beach popular with surfers. The DEP said it had put a stop to the activity by Monday.

The muck came from a drainage project on a creek in nearby Poplar Brook that empties into the ocean.

One surfer, Bill Rosenblatt of the Surfrider Foundation, said they weren't happy with seeing the muck in the water.

"We've been the canaries in the coal mine for decades," said Bill Rosenblatt of the Surfrider Foundation. "If anything goes on in the ocean we tend to see it."

He says the potential for pesticides, motor oils and even prescription medications that have been flushed down toilets is an ever present risk for surfers.

The Army Corps late Monday said the dumping action was unacceptable and in violation of its contract, and ordered Agate Construction, which did not return our phone calls, to get all remaining dredge material off the beach.

The New Jersey DEP is investigating to see if any laws have been violated.

Two people were killed in a crash that slowed traffic on a busy New Jersey highway Monday afternoon, authorities say. 

One person was pronounced dead after a collision involving three vehicles just near the toll booths of the westbound lanes of the New Jersey Turnpike Extension at exit 14C in Jersey City, state police said.

Three other people were taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where one of them also died, police said.

The other two injured were listed in serious condition. 

Chopper 4 footage from the scene shows a van that appears to belong to a health care company and a badly mangled car. 

Officials with Care Point, the company that owns the van, said that the car was carrying the person who died. The driver of the van had minor injuries. No patients were in the van at the time. 

There was about a mile-long backup on the westbound side of the turnpike extension during the evening rush. The roadway was cleared by Monday night. 

An asteroid traveling about 34,000 miles per hour is expected to whiz past Earth on March 7. Astronomers are confident the warehouse-sized space rock will not impact the planet, but at the same time are not sure exactly how close it will come.

“It could be as close as 20,000 miles or as far as 10 million miles, so it’s a pretty big window,” astronomer Gerald McKeegan said.

McKeegan confirmed the existence of asteroid “2013 TX68” at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, after scientists in Arizona spotted it in October 2013. He says it likely came from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, and has been passing Earth about every couple of years.

This time, however, it’s coming much closer.

He estimates the asteroid to be 80 to 170 feet in length, and will pass by the planet sometime between 5:30 a.m. and 4:06 p.m. PST on March 7.

“The asteroid is not going to hit us. There’s no concern about that. It will miss us. It’s just a matter of by how much,” McKeegan.

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory agree the asteroid will not impact Earth, but say they have a new, straight-forward technique in case an asteroid veers course in the future.

“And that’s just slamming a spacecraft into an asteroid traveling at high speeds,” post-doctoral researcher Megan Bruck Syal said of Kinetic Impact. Syal is the lead author of a recent paper on the diversion technique, published in January.

Syal says researchers are on track to test the powerful method on an asteroid in 2022; however, scientists say they need years of notice to implement the technique.

McKeegan says at the moment, notice consists of days, not years.

Scientists estimate there are 14,000 near-earth objects and believe there are a million more out there, according to McKeegan. More than 40 tons of pebby-to-fist sized rock falls on the earth daily, but burns up in the atmosphere.

However, he says the worry is if a larger asteroid such as 2013 TX68 does make impact, it could create damage like a meteor did in Russia in 2013.

“Because it exploded in the sky, the shock wave from the explosion did a lot of damage, injured quite a few people. That asteroid is smaller than the one we’re talking about now,” McKeegan said.

Researchers at Chabot say the best chance to see the asteroid will be the weekend before March 7; however, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to observe.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is throwing his support behind Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

Kenney endorsed Clinton for April's Pennsylvania presidential primary Tuesday morning.

"Hillary Clinton has the heart, strength and depth of knowledge and experience to unite our nation and lead us during these troubled times," said Kenney in a news release. "She will build on the accomplishments of President Obama and continue the economic growth and expansion he successfully initiated."

Clinton, a former U.S. senator and secretary of state, is in a heated battle for her party’s nomination with Vermont U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders.

Kenney, a first-term Democrat, says he shares philosophies with Clinton.

"I share Secretary Clinton's progressive vision for America and her quest to tear down barriers that deny opportunity and exclude so many Americans from access to the American Dream. I trust Hillary Clinton with our nation's future."

If Clinton defeats Sanders, she will accept her party's nomination at the Democratic National Convention this summer in Philly.

Center City Philadelphia saw the 'LOVE' Tuesday morning as Robert Indiana's iconic LOVE sculpture made its move from LOVE Park to its temporary home.

The colorful LOVE sculpture -- that weighs in at 750 pounds and sits on a 1,750-pound base -- didn't go far. The city Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy’s Public Art Program organized the move of the sculpture from JFK Plaza, a.k.a. LOVE Park across the intersection to the northwest corner of Dilworth Park, which sits next to City Hall.

Crews loaded the sculpture onto a lift and slowly moved it across the intersection before placing it in Dilworth Park.

The city broke ground earlier this month on a $16.5-million renovation of the city's LOVE Park in Center City.

The long-anticipated project will bring more green space to the park, at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Plans show a variety of trees, flowers and new crisscrossing fountains in the park.

The park, long a destination for tourists and locals who visit to snap photos in front of the iconic LOVE sculpture, is expected to be closed for a period of time as the renovation is completed. The revamp is expected to take more than a year.

A South Jersey elementary school teacher is facing charges of possession and distribution of child pornography.

Thomas Guzzi Jr., 36, has been suspended from his job teaching fifth grade at Winslow Elementary School, in Vineland. Officials said he was arrested after an investigation by state authorities and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement found child porn on his computer. He was arrested at his home in Pitman.

Guzzi’s bail was set at $50,000, and he was being held at Salem County Jail. Investigators seized four computers, three iPads and two phones from him.

Police did not specify whether any of Guzzi’s students were harmed, but school officials informed parents of Guzzi’s arrest via a letter last week and said they are cooperating with the investigation.
 

It’s hard to believe but Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the start of the Center City skyscraper fire that claimed the lives of three firefighters, changed how firefighters battle high-rise blazes and changed the Philly skyline forever.

Philadelphians remember seeing the thick smoke pour from One Meridian Plaza -- the 38-floor sky-rise that was catty-corner to Philadelphia’s City Hall.

On Feb. 23, 1991 around 8:30 p.m. fire broke out when oil-soaked rags left by a contractor on the vacant 22nd floor caught fire. Throughout the night, thick smoke could be seen for miles around as firefighters battled the office building throughout the night.

What followed was a series of missteps that led to a U.S. Fire Administration report that called for drastic changes in fire monitoring, firefighting and building to prevent fires.

The government report found that water supply issues, heavy smoke and other factors hampered the firefighting efforts. It wasn’t until 3 p.m. on Feb. 24 that the fire was finally brought under control.

In the end, the fire claimed the lives of fire Captain David Holcombe Sr., firefighter Phyllis McAllister and firefighter James Chappell; gutted eight stories of the building; and caused $100 million in direct property loss, according to Fire Administration report.

The fire could have been worse if it wasn't for firefighters' bravery.

"Analysis of the situation reveals, however, that the toll could have been much worse, had it not been for the courage, skills, and experience of this department," said the report. "Several extremely difficult decisions were made under the most severe conditions."

As the Meridian sat boarded up and vacant for years, battles raged over what to do with the destroyed building as litigation resulted in an estimated $4 billion in civil damage claims.

The building was finally torn down in 1999. Today the 48-story luxury condos, The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, stand where the Meridian once did.

NFL star LeSean McCoy denied any fault in a nightclub brawl that left two off-duty Philadelphia Police officers injured, sources told NBC10.

McCoy met with prosecutors from the District Attorney's Office Tuesday. The meeting was initially supposed to take place at the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office but the location was changed to the office of McCoy's defense attorney Dennis Cogan on 20th and Market streets, according to sources. After meeting for two and a half hours, Cogan escorted McCoy out of the building and spoke briefly to reporters.

"He did nothing wrong," Cogan said. "But I'm not going to say anything more about it and thank you." 

The former Philadelphia Eagle and three friends allegedly got into an early-morning brawl with two off-duty Philadelphia police officers inside Recess nightclub along S. 2nd Street on February 7. The incident apparently stemmed from a dispute over Champagne and was caught on video.

Former NFL running back Curtis Brinkley was also involved in the fight, sources said.

Both officers suffered serious injuries including broken bones and bruises. NBC10 obtained photos Tuesday of the officers, Darnell Jessie and Roland Butler. The pictures show Jessie with blood on his shirt and stitches above his eye. Another photo shows Butler with a swollen left eye.

The police union has been vocal about prosecutors making a decision on charges in the case. John McNesby, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 president, said Friday the video showed a clear aggravated assault and demanded justice.

Seth Williams, the Philadelphia DA, responded later in the day saying he doesn't "succumb to pressure" while investigating cases.

During Tuesday's meeting, McCoy had a chance to share his side of the story. It was his first face to face meeting with authorities involved in investigating and prosecuting the case. Sources told NBC10 Williams was not at the meeting. Sources also said McCoy denied having any fault in the incident and instead shifted blame on the officers.

Jessie's attorney Fortunato Perri Jr. told NBC10 the meeting between McCoy and prosecutors was not unusual and he wasn't surprised by McCoy's comments regarding what happened.

"It certainly doesn't surprise me that someone would distance themselves from criminal conduct when they're the target of a criminal investigation," he said.

While Perri told NBC10 he's confident someone will be charged, the District Attorney's Office hasn't given any indication if or when that will happen.

McCoy, a running back, played six seasons in Philadelphia before being traded to the Buffalo Bills.

Michael Meeney was close to death when he hit the floor of the Route 111 SEPTA bus last Thursday afternoon.

Moments before, the 25-year-old Middletown, Delaware County man had injected heroin into his right arm. The drug was too much for his body, causing him to slip into an overdose.

Passengers yelled for help and called 9-1-1 as the driver stopped the packed bus along State Road near Lansdowne Avenue.

Upper Darby police officer Matt Rugh was first to arrive.

He opened a little red box attached to his keychain and grabbed a vial containing Narcan, the brand name of the opiate overdose reversal spray naloxone.

Rugh put the vial to Meeney's nostrils and sprayed. Within minutes, Meeney was awake, talking and able to walk to a waiting ambulance.

Meeney was Upper Darby police's 54th overdose save over the past year.

"It's unbelievable," Michael Chitwood, Upper Darby's police superintendent, said Tuesday as he shared surveillance video of Meeney's heroin use, overdose and rescue. The superintendent chose to share the video, he said, so the community could see how pervasive the heroin and opioid epidemic is in our region.

Chitwood said he and his officers are thrilled to prevent a death with naloxone, but are frustrated because they feel it's just a stopgap. The naloxone will force the victim's body into painful withdrawal leaving them virtually no choice except to go out and use again that day.

"OK, we saved a life, for what? So they can continue to feed the path of addiction?" Chitwood asks rhetorically. "They need help. We as a society need to help them."

A Generation Addicted, an NBC10 Digital Exclusive investigation exploring the tragic world of heroin and opioid addiction in the Philadelphia area and beyond, will premiere March 21.

Treatment offerings for drug addiction, particularly opiates like heroin, are overwhelmed by the sheer number of people who need the services. Facilities are regularly full, and there are many barriers to getting care for those with and without insurance, especially the latter.

In nearby Philadelphia, which is considered "treatment rich" by advocates and officials because of the number of options for people seeking help, a person has a one in 10 chance of getting the treatment they need. That's on par with other cities around the country.

In 2014, more than 1,700 people died from drug overdoses in Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and Delaware, an NBC10 examination of medical-examiner reports show.

It's an epidemic that has municipalities all around the region and across the country scrambling for solutions.

Fred Harran, Bensalem Township's public safety director, sends certified letters to a person's doctor when they overdose in his town on prescription painkillers, the major gateway to heroin. The goal is to alert doctors that the patients are dealing with an addiction problem.

Philadelphia is working to develop a diversion court to keep people suffering from drug addiction out of jail and get them into treatment.

Chitwood is in discussions to offer drug addicted people seeking treatment a safe harbor at the police station. A resident who voluntarily comes in asking for help would be transferred to a local treatment center. It's modeled on an innovative and praised program in Gloucester, Mass.

There's no date for when the Upper Darby and Philadelphia programs would launch.

In the meantime, Chitwood uses the only tool at his disposal: arrest.

Meeney was charged with possession after officers found four bags of heroin stuffed in his wallet. He was arrested at his home Monday after testing confirmed the bags contained the drug, Chitwood said. Attorney information for Meeney wasn't immediately available.

Chitwood doesn't think it's a solution, but he feels it's his only option to try and get the man some treatment.

Maybe he'll be mandated to enroll in a drug program. Maybe he won't.

"My hope is that he gets the help for the addiction. He’s one of thousands of people out there in our community that are addicted to heroin. It is the biggest problem we deal with," Chitwood said.

Officials are searching for a Dunkin’ Donuts patron who allegedly threw a mug at the manager because she was unhappy with her service.

The woman entered a Philly Dunkin' Donuts on 1551 Washington Avenue at 6:50 a.m. back on February 12.

After placing an order, the woman quickly lost her temper and began yelling and pointing at employees, police said. She then flung several items off of the counter and threw a mug at the manager, according to officials.

The woman then fled the scene and entered what looked like a dark colored Ford Taurus.

According to police, the 31-year-old manager was treated at the hospital for a wrist injury.

The suspect is wanted for aggravated assault. She is described as a thin woman in her early 20s with a light brown complexion, standing 5-foot-4. She wore a black hat and tan jacket at the time of the incident.

If you see this suspect, contact 911 immediately. To submit a tip via telephone, dial 215.686.TIPS (8477) or text a tip to PPD TIP.