I-96 reopening • Stolen 600-pound statue recovered in Detroit • Bad fence builder has no defense

FRIDAY NEWS HIT - If your commute includes I-96, it will hopefully get a bit easier after this weekend.

All lanes of both directions of the freeway from Kent Lake to I-275 are scheduled to reopen on Sunday night, though that plan is weather-dependent.

The freeway has had ongoing lane closures since the $270 million project to add a flex lane began in 2022. A flex lane is an extra lane that opens during peak travel hours to alleviate traffic backups. Michigan has another one of these lanes on US-23.

"We are all driving the same roads, including our families who constantly complain to us about backups and delays. So we get it, really," said Diane Cross, with the Michigan Department of Transportation. "We are all thrilled that we're going to be back to having three lanes open eastbound and westbound."

The entire project is expected to be completed early next year.

Stolen 600-pound statue recovered 

A 600-pound military tribute statue is back in the city's possession after it was stolen from a Detroit park on Thursday.

Police found the statue of Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson early Friday in Southwest Detroit.

The statue of Jefferson, who was a Tuskegee Airman, has stood in Rouge Park since June until someone took it, leaving behind just the feet.

"It's so disappointing, it's dedicated to a Lieutenant Colonel who used to fly over here. A World War II veteran hero," Detroit Police Chief James White said after the statue was taken.

It is believed that the statue ws stolen to be scrapped.

A $5,000 reward was offered for information leading to the statue. It isn't clear how police located it.

Bad fence builder has no defense for Wolchek

A bad fence builder recently became the focus of Rob Wolchek and the FOX 2 Hall of Shame.

His name is James Goin - and he's 'goin' to let FOX 2 know he can't believe Rob Wolchek is so rude as to bust him in front of his kid.

"You don't approach people when they're with their kid," he said. "Get out of here. Call me."

Wolchek: "Listen. You've been taking money from a bunch of people and not completing the jobs - so don't give me some moral ethics bs."

What's James Goin getting mad at Wolchek for? He's supposed to be building fences for his customers.

Wolchek: "Has he ever done anything?"

"No," said Kathy, one of his victims. "The only time he's stepped foot on this property was to come and get his deposit."

This fence contractor has more unfinished jobs than a picket fence has pickets.

Watch the full confrontation here.

3 Michigan schools targeted by swatting

Oxford High School and two other schools in Saginaw and Midland were victims of a terrifying swatting prank Thursday, and investigators are tracing it to the Netherlands.

"It re-traumatizes them and the community," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.

A shockwave of fear was sent through the halls at Oxford as the principal, over the loudspeaker, announced "This is not a drill."

Immediately, students and staff  barricaded the doors with chairs and tables, grabbing school supplies, to use as weapons if needed.

The fake threat reported inside the school was an AK-47 and a pipe bomb, called in as a so-called swatting prank.

"We determined that it had come from a server in the Netherlands," Bouchard said.

From 4,000 miles away, panic struck. Kids rushed to the same Meijer parking lot that they did three years ago, in November when a shooter killed four students and wounded 11 others.

"It's scary for any school to have that, but to a school that's actually been the victim of this kind of tragedy. It just is on steroids," Bouchard said.

Judge claims immunity after having teen handcuffed

Detroit Judge Kenneth King claims he was acting in his official capacity when he hosted a mock trial as a sort of scared straight program following multiple instances of the teenager sleeping in the officer's courtroom in the 36th District Court in August.

The girl's mother has since claimed the family's housing instability had led to many sleepless nights for her daughter, which is why she was tired. During an August press conference with the Feiger law firm, Latoreya Till said her daughter had suffered immensely since the incident.

According to Gary Felty, the case comes down to "did the judge wrongfully arrest and detain this girl."

The 15-year-old was detained for two hours and forced to change into jail clothes. She was also handcuffed. Her mom said it left her daughter devastated.

The judge has since gone through a training program and has been reassigned to traffic court. But the daughter and her mom are suing King, arguing unlawful arrest and invasion of privacy.

But the defense argues the case should be dismissed because King was acting within his official capacity as a judicial officer and therefore has immunity.

"He’s in his courtroom. He took action. Regardless of what people think about the action he took, he took action under the color and authority of being a judge." said Todd Perkins. "So if that’s the case, we believe that he should be covered with immunity and this matter should not go forward as is plead by the plaintiff in this case."

A federal judge will decide if judicial immunity applies.

The Pulse: Revs. Al Sharpton & Charles Williams II discuss the Black vote

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

Some rain moves through the area this morning before a dry weekend.

What else we're watching

1. Former President Donald Trump plans to hold a rally in Traverse City on Friday before heading to Metro Detroit on Saturday for a rally at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
2. The football field at Eastpointe High School will be quiet tonight, despite the originally scheduled final game of the 2024 season after the varsity team's roster dwindled down to barely enough to run an offense.
3. Registration is now open for the Ruck 22 March in Royal Oak, a ruck march to collection donations for Metro Detroit veterans. 
4. Early voting begins statewide on Saturday. Find your early voting site here.
5. It's the weekend before Halloween, and that means tons of spooky fun! Find our weekend event guide here.

Menendez Brothers: Resentencing recommended by LA DA 

After serving more than three decades in prison, the Menendez brothers could be getting a second chance. 

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced Thursday he recommends Erik and Lyle Menendez, who have been serving life sentences without parole for the killings of their parents Jose and Kitty Menendez in 1989, be resentenced.

"I have to tell you unequivocally that we don't have a universal agreement. There are people in the office, they strongly believe that the man and his brothers should stay in prison for the rest of their life, and they do not believe that they were molested," the DA said. "And there are people in the office, who strongly believe that they should be released immediately and that they were, in fact, molested. I have to tell you that after very careful review of all the arguments that were made for people on both sides of this equation, I came to a place where I believe that under the law, resentencing is appropriate."

"And I am going to recommend that to a court tomorrow," Gascón continued. "What that means in this particular case is that we are going to recommend to the court that the life without the possibility of parole be removed, and that there will be sentence for murder, which because there are two murders involved, there will be 50 years to life. However, because of their age under the law, since they were under 26 years of age at the time that these crimes occurred, they will be eligible for parole immediately."

"There is no excuse for murder. And I will never imply that what we're doing here is to excuse our behavior," the DA said. "Because even if you get abuse, the right path is to call the police, seek help. But I understand also, how sometimes people get desperate."

This comes after an investigation spurred by new evidence presented to the DA's office—recently revealed allegations that their father also molested Roy Rossello, a former member of the boy band Menudo, in the 1980s, and a letter Erik Menendez wrote to his cousin, Andy Cano, which surfaced in 2015, years after Cano's death.