Double homicide in Oakland County, person arrested scaling Renaissance Center, Detroit Zoo's missing wallaby

MONDAY NEWS HIT - A 22-year-old woman is wanted for a double fatal shooting in Oakland County after police say she shot and killed her brother and boyfriend early Sunday morning.

Ruby Taverner, of Independence Township, is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached, the sheriff's office announced in a release Sunday afternoon.

Detectives said Taverner left her apartment on foot after she allegedly shot her live-in boyfriend Ray Muscat, 26, and her brother Bishop Taverner, 25, of Oxford.

"Honestly we still don’t know a whole lot. I woke up this morning to a message that my baby sister was murdered," said Alyssa and Cory Muscat, sisters of one of the victims. "Everybody who knew her knew she was the sweetest thing… so kind to people."

Police received a 911 call around 3:20 a.m. from a resident in the same unit the victims were murdered in at the Independence Square Apartments. The caller said she was awakened by what she believed to be gunshots. 

Officers who arrived at the complex, located at 5901 Dixie Highway, found Bishop's body in the living room with a single gunshot wound. Muscat's body was found in the rear bedroom.  

A motive behind the shooting had not been determined as of Sunday afternoon.

Taverner is described as a white female who is approximately 5-foot-2-inches with a thin build, and weighs about 115 pounds. Police say she has purple hair.

Taverner also has three weapons registered to her: two 9 mm and one .38 caliber handguns. One of the weapons was purchased within the past week. 

"Our Fugitive Apprehension Team, other Detectives and assets are actively looking for this homicide suspect who we believe is armed and dangerous," said Sheriff Michael Bouchard. "Please contact 911 if you see her or know of her whereabouts."

Police say Taverner was formerly known as Martin Taverner.

Michigan's $400 auto insurance refund check deadline is Monday

The deadline for Michigan's auto insurance refund checks to arrive to drivers is May 9. The state announced some $800 million had yet to be distributed in the final week of Michigan's three-month period that insurance companies have to pass along $400 checks owed to drivers. 

The state advises anyone that hasn't gotten their refund should reach out to their insurance company before contacting the Department of Insurance and Financial Services.

"If you are eligible for a refund and do not receive it by May 9, be sure to contact your insurance company to ensure it has been issued," said Director Anita Fox. "If you cannot reach a resolution with your insurance company, or if your insurer offers your refund through something other than a paper check or ACH deposit, call DIFS at 833-ASK-DIFS."

The state announced that insurance companies had handed out $2.2 billion in refunds as of last week, including $1.2 billion being sent out in just two weeks. The auto refund check totals was based on the Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association's $5 billion surplus it reported in 2021.

5-month-old wallaby missing from Detroit Zoo

The Detroit Zoo announced on Sunday that a 5-month-old wallaby joey is missing from its enclosure. On Friday, the zoo posted on their Facebook page that a wallaby had given birth to her first joey and that it had started to leave mom's pouch for second's at a time.

The joey was last seen by animal care staff at around 5p.m. on Saturday, according to the zoo. It was discovered missing from its habitat early Sunday morning.

"Immediately, animal care staff began a detailed search in and around the Australian Outback Adventure habitat and reviewed trail camera images in the area," said the Detroit Zoological Society. "Security staff reviewed surveillance video from all over the Zoo.

The zoo says because of the joey's age, it's unlikely that it can survive an extended amount of time away from its mother. "The search continues, because at his or her age, the joey is just beginning the process of independence by spending time outside the pouch, and is still nursing and spending time in the pouch," said the Detroit Zoological Society. "We are reviewing every potential scenario and remain hopeful the little joey will be found unharmed."

Person arrested after climbing Detroit's Renaissance Center

The Detroit Police Department has one person in custody after they scaled the outside of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. "What is he doing?" was one of the many questions people watching the climb were asking themselves.

"What was his motive? Like why did he get up there? What was he trying to achieve." On this sunny Mother's Day afternoon, a person seemingly on their own was spotted climbing one floor at a time on the outside of the Renaissance Center.

FOX 2 got permission to use cellphone video captured by an onlooker. The video captured a 30-minute endeavor up the tower. "It’s really windy. This guy is the next Spider-Man. Bystanders weren't the only ones watching and waiting to see what happens. Detroit police positioned themselves to take the person into custody.

The video ends with the climber reaching the top floor and moving horizontal out of view. Police say they are questioning the climber to determine a motive and will release more information as it becomes available. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Gas prices surge to new Michigan record high

Michigan's gas prices surged again last week, spiking to a new all-time high after soaring 28 cents. Drivers are now paying $4.32 a gallon for regular unleaded gas, which comes out to about $64 for a full-15 gallon tank of gasoline. AAA says a slight jump in demand for gas is behind the push.

Among the driving reasons for higher demand is the European Union's announcement they planned to ban all Russian oil imports within six months, a major policy decision for the collective of nations that seeks to punish the country for its invasion of Ukraine. 

However, the appetite for ending gas purchases may not be uniform across some of the union's more eastern nations that have a larger reliance on gas coming from Russia. Metro Detroit's new average daily gas price reached $4.30, its highest ever and 24 cents more than last week. It's almost $1.34 more than last year. 

Outside of Southeast Michigan, gas prices were even higher in Marquette at $4:30 a gallon, Lansing and Saginaw at $4.35, while prices were lowest on average in Traverse City - at $4.26 a gallon.

What else we're watching

1. Maintenance work on the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron is expected to wrap up Monday. The new improvements include installation of tolling software for better toll booth operations for eastbound traffic entering Canada. 
2. Officials from the Metro Detroit business community as well as advocacy groups will be in attendance for a Lansing-based rally supporting a ballot proposal pushing for more transparency for voters and term limits.
3. The Holland tulip festival is this week, which tens of thousands of flowers greeting west Michigan visitors and residents this week. The festival will also have a parade and other events this week. It'll stick around until May 15.
4. A Flint councilwoman is apologizing after using the term "ghetto" when responding to a colleague's comment during a six-hour long series of meetings last week. Councilwoman Eva Worthing was called out by Tonya Burns after a disagreement with Chairwoman Jerri WInfrey-Carter, who are both Black. 
5. The Detroit grandmother charged in the non-fatal shooting of her grandson after his 8-year-old brother got ahold of an unsecured firearm in the house and shot him is expected to be arraigned Monday. 

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

It could be this week's best round of weather yet in 2022 in Southeast Michigan. Conditions will be in the 70s and 80s during the afternoons this week. Sun will also dominate the skies amid a system of high pressure in the eastern U.S.

20 internet providers to discount fee for low-income Americans, White House says

The Biden administration announced on Monday that 20 internet companies have agreed to provide discounted service to low-income Americans, a program that could effectively make tens of millions of households eligible for free service through an already existing federal subsidy.

The $1 trillion infrastructure package passed by Congress last year included $14.2 billion in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides $30 monthly subsidies ($75 in tribal areas) on internet service for millions of lower-income households.

With the new commitment from the internet providers, some 48 million households will be eligible for $30 monthly plans for 100 megabits per second, or higher speed, service — making internet service fully paid for with the government subsidy if they sign up with one of the providers participating in the program.