Dad accused of child abuse gets 1 year in jail • Dearborn's new dust rule • Exclusive Trump interview
FRIDAY NEWS HIT - After about two months in the hospital, recovering from multiple severe injuries allegedly caused by his father, a 10-month-old baby is back home – smiling once again.
FOX 2 first met Drakkari Robinson Jr.'s mother back in early March, when he was still being treated for second and third degree burns, a fractured rib, brain bleeds, and other injuries at Children's Hospital in Detroit.
Once again, Warren resident Dezaree Foster –a mother of six– did not want to show her face on camera, but she said it is good to see her youngest happy again.
"He’s doing a lot better. We are finally home and he’s healing," Foster said. "He’s crawling again. He’s back to his normal smiley self. He’s him again, which is all anybody's asked for."
The baby's father, Drakkari Desean Robinson of Detroit, was arrested on charges of second-degree child abuse on March 2nd. Since then, prosecutors told Foster he has been offered a plea deal, which includes being locked up for a year and then probation.
Foster said that is not enough.
The father, Drakkari Desean Robinson, is expected to return to court in late May.
In the meantime, Foster said she plans on changing her son’s name so that he doesn't share the same name with his accused abuser.
Dad accused of burning, beating infant offered 1 year in jail with probation
A 10-month-old boy is back at home after being in the hospital for about 2 months, recovering from severe burns and other injuries. His father was charged with child abuse but is now being offered a plea deal.
Dearborn's strict fugitive dust rule
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud has been pushing back against fugitive dust since his days in the state House of Representatives. Now, as mayor of Dearborn, he and the city council have recently passed one of the strictest "bulk storage" ordinances in Michigan, which they say will cut down on fugitive dust.
The Dearborn City Council unanimously voted in support of an amendment to the City’s "bulk storage" ordinance brought forward by Hammoud at the end of April.
"The revisions made to our bulk storage ordinance impose substantial standards on our commercial facilities to help us control and monitor substances that have for too long created serious public health risks for families living near industrial facilities, particularly in the Southend and East Dearborn," Hammoud said.
The amended ordinance creates minimum standards for the safe handling and storage of bulk solid materials, which includes any solid substance or material that can be used as a fuel, ingredient, or component in a manufacturing or construction process that may create fugitive dust.
Exclusive interview with Donald Trump
American voters will return to the polls in six months to vote for President. The choices from Republicans and Democrats appear to be the same as it was four years ago: Donald Trump from the GOP or Joe Biden from the Democrats.
Trump continues to focus on the 2024 election – despite two unprecedented legal battles – as he campaigned in Michigan this week. He also answered several questions from FOX 2 that are pressing to Michigan voters – from electric vehicles to abortion to the Israel-Hamas war.
Across a 14-minute interview, Trump touched on issues of abortion, arguing it should be an issue left up to the states, as well as what he would do to remedy the unrest in the Middle East.
In an effort to be transparent, the full interview was transcribed on the FOX 2 website. Tap here for the full story.
No charges in voter intimidation case
No charges will be filed in a voter intimidation case out of Plymouth Township, the Michigan attorney general announced Thursday afternoon.
An election worker/inspector had admitted to placing a non-functioning camera and solar light around a voter ballot box near Risen Christ Lutheran Church. The man was caught on a security camera attaching a camera to a light pole with a plastic tie.
The individual came forward amid the investigation, and said his intent was to deter tampering and promote honest voting. Because there was insufficient evidence of corrupt intent, no criminal charge was filed, Dana Nessel's office announced.
"While this incident did not rise to illegal activity, it serves as an important reminder for all Michigan voters, election workers and volunteers to know what is and what isn’t allowed at polling locations and to comply with the law," she said in a statement.
Recovering from whippets-induced paralysis
A Detroit woman says she was paralyzed after doing whippets. She is now learning to walk again and talking about what happened in hopes of educating others. Latisha Holder just turned 32 — never expected to be celebrating her birthday in the hospital.
"I’m lucky to be here," she said. Last month after doing whippets, Holder says everything changed. "I remember waking up, getting out of bed (and) I just end up collapsing - I couldn’t feel my body, I was numb," she said. "I couldn’t walk at all, couldn’t even move my legs, my hands were stuck in certain places.
"When a person consumes nitrous oxide of course it’s a neurotoxin which can affect the nerves," said Dr. Ahmed Chaudhary with DMC Sinai Grace Hospital. Holder is now undergoing extensive physical therapy and sharing her story to warn others.
"It took me to go through this to realize (it)," Holder said. "And it’s not good, I just want people in the world, they need to stop doing them. It’s not for a human’s body."
Woman who suffered paralysis from whippets shares story to warn others
Latisha Holder just turned 32 — she never expected to be celebrating her birthday in the hospital.
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Daily Forecast
Our beautiful week of weather appears to have come to a close with rain capping off Friday. It'll be spotty throughout the day with more expected on Saturday and Sunday. The temperatures will continue rising into the 70s.
What else we're watching
- Control of the U.S. Senate could come down to the race in Michigan. Elissa Slotkin and Mike Rogers are the front-runners in what's expected to be an expensive contest this November.
- The Superintendent of Detroit schools is sounding the alarm over edibles invading the district. There's been a 600% increase in incidents relating to marijuana within its schools.
- A motion hearing in the murder case of Samantha Woll is scheduled for Friday morning. Michael Jackson-Bolanos has been charged with first-degree murder.
- Volunteers are putting the finishing touches on the Pope Francis Center's Bridge Housing Complex Friday. The first-of-its-kind facility will offer a full continuum of care for homeless people. Members of Ford Land will be cleaning and installing furniture at the center.
- Detroit police are hosting their Interfaith Memorial Service for fallen members of the department on Friday. The event is at 8:20 a.m.
Cinco de Mayo: State-by-state guide to margarita costs
As Cinco de Mayo approaches, margarita enthusiasts across the United States might be contemplating whether to mix their own festive drinks at home.
Today's Homeowner, a prominent home improvement media brand, has researched the cost of making a homemade margarita in each state. The brand regularly updates its data to reflect changing economic trends, with the most recent update on October 2023.