WPEC-TV (West Palm Beach, FL)

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (CBS12) — A Fort Pierce woman is accused of using her bookkeeping job to help carry out a seven-year scheme that cost a local business nearly $7 million, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. Three people were arrested simultaneously on July 16, 2026, following what the sheriff’s office described as a lengthy and complex investigation into the alleged fraud scheme.

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A woman is accused of stealing more than $2,700 worth of merchandise from Target stores in Palm Beach County through a self-checkout "skip-scan" scheme. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said that Polanco Balladares, a 23-year-old Nicaraguan citizen who lives in Boynton Beach, was arrested July 16 and charged with multiple thefts within a specified time period and organized fraud involving property valued at less than $20,000.

by TAYLOR FISHMAN | The National News Desk Fri, July 17, 2026 at 10:44 AM Updated Fri, July 17, 2026 at 11:17 AM WASHINGTON, D.C. - JULY 16: U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump is expected to speak on election security.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A Boca Raton man was arrested after Boynton Beach police said he tried to meet an undercover officer he believed was a 14-year-old child, after first making contact through an online babysitting post. Maximiliano Buitrago, 51, was arrested July 16 at Harvey Oyer Park in Boynton Beach on charges of solicitation to do human trafficking and unlawful use of a two-way device, according to a Boynton Beach Police Department probable cause affidavit.

Fri, July 17, 2026 at 10:36 AM A Florida woman who was held captive overnight by her ex managed to escape, but later, authorities say he ambushed deputies, shooting two before he was killed. (HCSO) The investigation began after a woman reported her ex-boyfriend, 34-year-old Christopher Dmuchowski, held her captive at gunpoint overnight, according to previous reports. Authorities said deputies responded to Dmuchowski’s home around 9:52 a.m. after learning he was armed and alone.

by The National News Desk Fri, July 17, 2026 at 10:24 AM LOUISVILLE, KY - JANUARY 11: A teacher interacts with students virtually while sitting in an empty classroom during a period of Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) at Hazelwood Elementary School on January 11, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky.

As the race to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure accelerates across the country, a growing number of states and local communities are raising concerns about the impact of massive data centers on energy, water supplies, and nearby neighborhoods. New York has become the first state to approve a one-year moratorium on new hyperscale AI data centers, a move supporters say will give lawmakers time to study their environmental and community impacts.

by CHARLOTTE HAZARD | The National News Desk Fri, July 17, 2026 at 10:08 AM NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 01: U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin speaks during a press conference at the Javits Center on July 01, 2026 in New York City.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A second man has been arrested in connection with a March overdose death after investigators said he helped move the victim's body inside a trash can and alter the scene before police arrived. Christopher Philip Marrazzo, 44, was arrested on July 16 and charged with disturbing a dead body or clothing/articles nearby, according to a West Palm Beach Police Department probable cause affidavit.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Tropical Storm Elida is forecast to strengthen into the eastern Pacific's next hurricane later today as it continues moving away from land, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tropical Storm Elida expected to become a hurricane over the Eastern Pacific. (WPEC) As of the latest advisory, Elida was located about 750 miles southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.