Giraffe spotted in a truck • Detroit officer charged for inappropriate texts to 6th grader • I-696 closure
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A giraffe was spotted in the back of a pickup truck driving in Macomb County, a Detroit police officer is charged for sending inappropriate texts to 6th grader stepdaughter, and what to know about the I-696 closure: here are the top stories from FOX 2's Week in Review.
1. Giraffe in Detroit: Animal spotted in bed of pickup is 100% real A giraffe in the back of a truck turns out to be precisely what it looked like for a Metro Detroit driver. A driver spotted the exotic creature in the bed of a Ford pickup truck in Macomb County. Turns out it was owned by Darren Wehner who works at St. Clair Flats Taxidermy.
Giraffe spotted in bed of pickup truck in Metro Detroit
Yes, that was a giraffe that was spotted in the bed of a pickup truck in Macomb County.
2. ‘Delete these messages’: Detroit cop accused of illicit texts to 6th grade stepdaughter A Detroit Police Officer and stepdad to a 6th grade girl is suspended from the force and facing prison time after Warren police said he sent inappropriate texts to his stepdaughter. Earl Raynard Anderson Jr. is charged with accosting a child for immoral purposes, after Warren Police said he sent his 12-year-old stepdaughter inappropriate texts and encouraged her to delete them.
Detroit police officer caught allegedly sending explicit texts to stepdaughter
His daughter, a 12-year-old girl, a sixth grader, nearly falls prey to a predator, her own stepdad! The girl’s biological dad, Brandyn Harris, outed the Detroit police officer on social media this week, sharing the messages that 37-year-old Earl Anderson allegedly sent at 2 in the morning last month.
3. Cause of death for two Detroit children who died in casino parking garage The two children who police said froze to death at Greektown Casino in their family vehicle died from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office. On Monday, Feb. 10, Tateona Williams and her family, who were experiencing homelessness, were inside their van at Detroit's Greektown Casino. Inside were her five children.
Carbon Monoxide the cause in Detroit parking garage deaths
On Monday, Feb. 10, Tateona Williams and her family, who were experiencing homelessness, were inside their van at Detroit's Greektown Casino. Inside were her five children. Williams first discovered one of her kids was not breathing that morning. The van had run out of gas and turned off sometime in the night, leading to lethal temperatures inside the vehicle and the mom's tragic discovery. As a family member transported the child to the hospital, they got a phone call that another kid was also not breathing.
4. Pontiac mother in court, attorney believes social media may lead to unfair trial The Pontiac mother accused of abandoning three of her kids returned to court on Tuesday. Kelli Bryant's attorney told the judge she’s concerned Bryant may not get a fair trial because of information shared in media reports and on social media.
Accused Pontiac mom's attorney worried shared information won't lead to a fair trial
Kelli Bryant's attorney told the judge she’s concerned Bryant may not get a fair trial because of information shared in media reports and on social media. There was a lot of talk in this case about the growing public interest, especially on social media, about the mom and three kids who were abandoned. Kelli Bryant’s attorney brought this up to the judge in an effort to try and keep some of the details private until the trial starts.
5. I-696 closure: Three things to know The second phase of the Restore the Reuther project begins on Monday with all eastbound lanes of I-696 closing on Monday – sending Oakland County drivers searching for alternate routes. It's the final phase in the massive multi-year project and will take roughly two years before traffic is back open in both directions.
Detours begin: I-696 to be closed for 2 year
Starting at 9 a.m. March 3, motorists will be faced with detours on I-696 for two years according to MDOT.
6. Madison Heights resident display vulgar anti-Trump signs, sparking controversy It was part of a collection of anti-Trump lawn signage with some language we can't show you on television. So neighbors along Osmun Street don’t want their kids to see it either.
"Everybody’s like shocked and disgusted about it," said one neighbor. "Not obviously everybody feels the same way that she does. But why is she allowed to portray this horrible opinion in view of children?"
Vulgar anti-Trump signs in Madison Heights spark controversy
This neighbor does not want to be identified for safety reasons. And police can not do anything due to freedom of speech concerns.
7. Utica mother demands answers after teacher allegedly forces child to clean bathroom An angry mother is asking for answers after she says her special-needs son was forced to clean up another child's urine by a teacher.
"His principal made him clean up another child’s urine off of the bathroom floor because he was the last one in the bathroom, so that made him responsible," she said.
Mother outraged her son was ordered to clean bathroom
9-year-old Reese Davis attends Ebeling Elementary School, which is part of Utica Community Schools, and now his mom, Kaitlynn McCarthy, is struggling with a recent incident at his school.
8. Five transported to hospital from chemical leak at Frankenmuth's Splash Village Five people were hospitalized after a chemical leak at Zehnder's Splash Village in Frankenmuth Tuesday, according to the fire department. The chlorine leak happened on the Tantrum Twist Family Raft Ride at about 11:21 a.m. and five guests were treated at the scene, then transported to an area hospital for chemical inhalation.
Image source: Splash Village Facebook Page.
9. Pleasant Ridge estate sale at the home of Royal Oak's ‘Noir Leather’ founder It is definitely not your mom's sleepy estate sale, and you’ll soon see why: the odd, the bizarre, the kinky—and a lot of them are one of a kind. The FOX 2 blurring tools got their workout with this story, carefully crafting our angles to showcase this one-of-a-kind estate sale, where Aaron Siepierski works.
Michigan estate sale at the home of Royal Oak kink shop founder
The FOX 2 blurring tool got its workout with this story, carefully crafting our angles to showcase this one-of-a-kind estate sale, where Aaron Siepierski works.
10. 'This is not normal': Watch Democrat's sign ripped away as Trump enters During President Donald Trump's first major speech to Congress since returning to the White House for a second term, he was greeted by protesting Democrats, many of whom held signs against the administration. While not officially a State of the Union address, the event carries all the hallmarks of one, with lawmakers from both chambers filling the House chamber as Trump lays out his administration’s priorities.
'This is Not Normal' sign ripped away ahead of Trump speech
As President Donald Trump entered the chamber for his joint address to Congress, a Democrat was holding a sign that read 'This Is Not Normal' -- but it was ripped away right behind the President.