Akron Police are investigating the sudden death of a one year old boy, and are asking for tips to help them determine exactly how it happened.

They say they arrived at a home in the 600 block of Hancock Avenue at about 2PM Thursday afternoon, after a report of a cardiac arrest. There, the first officer on the scene started CPR until EMS arrived.

The child was pronounced dead after being transported to Akron Children's Hospital.

Police say they talked to witnesses and analyzed the scene, but they're still looking for more information. Anyone who can help, is asked to call Akron Detectives at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip.

You can also provide anonymous nformation, by contacting The Summit County Crimestoppers, call 330-434-COPS, or you can Text TIPSCO with your tips to 274637.

In addition, you can download the Akron PD app and submit information by texting Tips411 or accessing the link on the Akron Police website; www.AkronCops.org.

Most consumers know what it's like to feel cheated and manipulated, and no one does it better, or on a bigger scale, than big tech.

Old scams like "bait and switch", false promises, and teeny-tiny fine print, get new life on a much broader scale when millions of people worldwide find out  that without their consent; their private information has been harvested and sold, they've been opted-in to ongoing subscriptions, or they've accidentally signed up for services that no matter how hard they try; they just can't cancel.

But it turns out, there actually are people who are willing to step up and fight giant tech behemoths like Amazon, the makers of Fortnite, Epic Games, and Vonage.

They work at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and we talked to one of them; James Doty, who is a staff attorney in their Financial Practices Division.

Listen now, to find out how the FTC can help consumers get back in the game, even when the cards are ever-increasingly stacked against them.

One piece of advice that Doty passed along during our conversation that you may want to keep in mind, is that even if you think your complaint will never get noticed; just remember that there are potentially millions of other people who have had the same problems, and adding your complaint to the list might just tip the scales in your favor.

He suggests writing just one complaint letter, and then sending copies of it to other consumer protection organizations as well, such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Like the FTC; they have online forms you can fill out to report fraud.

Consumers really do have rights, and though it is often hard to get any attention as an individual; you just never know when your individual complaint will turn out to be what makes the difference between suffering in silence, and getting justice.

Something new at the Akron Zoo, as they announce three new Snowy Owlets hatched there in early July.

Zoo officials are just now releasing the details and pictures of the little owlets, but they're not yet ready for prime time, and living in "private bedrooms" with their parents.

Look for owlet updates on the Zoo's social media pages, but for now; they're just releasing some pictures of their newest occupants.

In a news release, Doug Piekarz, president & CEO at the Akron Zoo, said “We’re really excited to welcome three snowy owlets. He adds that “Cirrus and Frost are doing an incredible job caring for the owlets. These hatchings are a major celebration for the future of snowy owls and increasing their populations. I am proud of my staff for helping to create a welcoming environment for Frost and Cirrus to expand their family.”

You can find more information now, at www.akronzoo.org.

Owlet #1

Owlet #2

Owlet #3

You can find more information now, at www.akronzoo.org.

Akron Police are asking for your help to find the 6-8 teen boys and girls, ranging in age from about 12-15, who beat and robbed a 52 year old woman near a bus stop at the intersection of South Arlington Street and Barbara Avenue, Saturday night, August 5.

The woman, who spoke to News5 this week, said the beating left her with a bruised face, swollen eye, fractured nose, and a concussion. 

Watch surveillance camera footage below, to see if you know anyone involved, and can help police identify the suspects.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330-375-2490 or 330-375-2Tip.

Citizens may also provide anonymous information to any of
the following:
The Summit County Crimestoppers, call 330-434-COPS
Text TIPSCO with your tips to 274637
You can also download the Akron PD app and submit information by texting Tips411 or accessing the link on their website, www.AkronCops.org.

Akron police are looking for tips to help them solve a mysterious crime Friday night.

What they know so far, is that neighbors in the 300 block of Crestwood Avenue in West Akron called to report they heard multiple gunshots at about 9:18 PM.

When police arrived though; they found multiple shell casings, including some from rifles, scattered around the scene–but no shooting victims.

In addition, three blocks away, in the 200 block of Grove Street, they found a house and at least parked car with bullet holes that indicated there had been a gun battle.

At that point, they say, they tried to get the occupants of the home to cooperate with them, and when that didn't happen; nearly a dozen people exited the building and were detained.

Looking around inside; police say they found two handguns, a rifle drum magazine, and "other evidence", but again – no shooting victims.

What they were told, is that a suspect, or suspects, fled the scene in a vehicle right after the incident.

Was anybody shot? If so, who did it, and where did they go?

These are the questions police are trying to answer now, and looking for tips to help them fill in the blanks on what they're calling a "beyond troubling" incident.

When the polls open Tuesday morning at 6:30 in Summit County for the August 8 special election; some voters will need to report to a different location than the one they went to the last time.

Here are the new locations, according to the Summit County Board of Elections:

POLLING PLACE NAME & ENTRANCE CHANGES

For the second time in a little over two months; a driver on an Akron area highway has been shot and killed by someone in another vehicle, who fled the scene.

This week, it was 23 year old Marquise Banks, who was driving an SUV Thursday evening on I-77 Southbound in the City of Green, when witnesses say, a man leaned out of the window of a pickup truck and started shooting.

Banks then lost control of his vehicle, which crossed the median, and slammed into a Mercedes traveling in the Northbound lanes. The driver of that vehicle, though, survived the crash with only minor injuries.

The Summit County Sheriff's Office is investigating now, and asking anyone with information to contact their Detective Bureau, (330) 643-2131.

This incident comes just 11 weeks after 40 year old Akron resident, George Jensen, was shot while he was driving on I-76 in Norton.

The man who allegedly shot him, 30 year old Dacarrei Tovon Kinard, fled the scene, just as the shooter in the pickup truck did  this week.

US Marshals tracked Kinard down and arrested him in Columbus a couple of weeks later. He's now charged with murder.

Last week, we focused on cyber defense of government networks; today, we're looking at what is going on in the private sector, and how business owners and managers can deal with new and emerging threats.

This is a major issue, because the number and severity of cyber attacks and data breaches continues to rise. In fact, they have become so common; many people don't even pay attention to news about them when they occur. Another day, another hack. Wash, rinse, repeat.

But, as you'll hear today from our featured guest, Tyler Hudak, who is with Fairlawn, Ohio-based Information Security provider, TrustedSec; something new really is going on. Cyber criminals have upped their game, and as a result; cyber defenders have to step up as well.

Ransomware, which locks up a targeted victim's computer system until they pay a fee, he says, is no longer the biggest threat that companies face. Instead, hackers are going after third party suppliers that have trusted access to the victim's network, and using that access to steal data, money, plant malware, and hamper the company's ability to keep providing services to its customers.

Some well-known examples include the SolarWinds attack in 2020, which affected hundreds of businesses worldwide and even US government networks in 2020, and the Colonial Pipeline attack in 2021, which resulted in the company shutting down systems which supplied fuel to airports and gas stations along the East Coast.

But now, there is an even more recent example. It happened just a couple of months ago, when a hacker group called cl0p, stole data from the file transfer software company, MOVEit.

That, Hudak tells us, was a really, really big deal.

Find out why, and what, if anything, we can do about it.

Listen now.

Tyler Hudak, Practice lead, Incident Response, TrustedSec

Akron police are investigating two unrelated fatal traffic crashes which occurred Wednesday, August 2.

The first, which happened about 2:40 PM  on Triplett Boulevard, claimed the life of a 36 year old man who police say may have hit an oil slick and lost control of his motorcycle.

Then, a little after 7:00 PM, a 39 year old man was killed on I-76 westbound near Gilchrist Road and Market Street, when his car rolled down an embankment after he changed lanes, lost control, and crashed into another car. He was not wearing a seatbelt, and was ejected, and died on the scene. 

The driver of the SUV he hit, a 52 year old man, was not injured, and police do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash.