21-year-old kills man with hammer, leaves note: Florida cops

Hammer on cracked alley concrete at night

A 21-year-old woman used a hammer to kill a 41-year-old man she accused of grooming her as a child, then she left an accusatory note on his chest, Florida authorities said. Journee McGrew is now charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in a killing described by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office as a “domestic dispute.” McGrew’s father started driving to his daughter’s apartment to check on her after she reached out to his wife at 2 a.m. July 2, according to an arrest report filed in Duval County. On his way there, he spoke with her over the phone about what happened, officers said.

She told him the 41-year-old man came to her apartment and “demanded that she have sex with him,” but she turned him down, according to the sheriff’s office. She told her dad the man grabbed her, and she hit him with a hammer, officers said. The dad told investigators his daughter said, “I think he’s dead, Daddy,” according to the report. Her dad told her to hang up and call the police, then he called 911 himself, the sheriff’s office said. When officers arrived at her apartment, they reported finding the victim with blunt force injuries lying in a pool of blood outside McGrew’s unit. On his chest was a note written with a green highlighter that read “PEDO Touches Children,” the sheriff’s office said. Officers saw “copious amounts of blood” on the wall and the ground in front of the door, according to the report.

They interviewed McGrew, who told them the man had been sexually grooming her since she was 8 and had sexually assaulted her in the past, the sheriff’s office said. A few hours before the incident, she told investigators she sent him a sexual text message, saying she regretted how she had treated him, and invited him over to “spend time with him and have sex,” according to the report. She said he came over, and they went out for a while before going back to her apartment at 1 a.m., then they started to drink, officers said. McGrew told investigators the man brought up sex and pressured her when she turned him down, so she asked him to leave, according to officers. As she was walking him out, she grabbed a metal hammer from her closet and hid it behind her back, then he turned toward her at the door and wrapped his arms around her in an “aggressive” way, she told investigators, according to the report.

She pushed him away and there was a physical altercation during which he ended up the ground, and McGrew killed him, according to officers. When law enforcement got the warrant to search her apartment, they said they followed a trail of bloody footprints leading from the front door to the bathroom, where they found a bloody hammer in the sink. Investigators said they collected blood-stained clothes and other evidence from the bathroom. Officers asked McGrew if she invited the man to her apartment to kill him, but her response is redacted from the arrest report. She was arrested without incident. It appears no formal charges were ever brought against the man in Duval County in connection with the sexual grooming McGrew described.

Source: 21-year-old kills man with hammer, leaves note: Florida cops | Miami Herald

Thoughts to Ponder

This heartbreaking case serves as a reminder of the devastating and long-lasting effects that abuse, exploitation, and unresolved trauma can have on individuals and families. While the legal process must determine the facts surrounding the allegations and the killing, Scripture is clear that God condemns those who exploit or harm the vulnerable. Jesus gave strong warnings against causing harm to children (Matthew 18:6), and believers are called to protect the innocent, seek justice, and care for those who have been wounded. At the same time, the Bible teaches that vengeance belongs to the Lord (Romans 12:19) and that justice should be pursued through righteous means rather than personal retaliation whenever possible.

This tragedy also illustrates humanity’s deep need for healing, accountability, and redemption. Sin leaves scars that can affect generations, but the gospel offers hope for both those who have been deeply hurt and those who have committed grievous wrongs. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,” while Micah 6:8 calls God’s people to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly” with Him. Christians should pray for everyone affected by this case, including those grieving the loss of life, anyone who has experienced abuse, and those seeking justice, that truth would come to light, genuine healing would begin, and God’s mercy and righteousness would ultimately prevail.

For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.”
1 Peter 3:10-11

Hope in the dark

Pip: A mountain village, a wandering stranger, a mother weaving a basket by the river — Drink of Jesus has been building a world where ancient scripture lands like it’s happening right…

Keep reading

God as Your Ever-Present Help

You don’t have to carry this alone, He is your safe place and your help in every moment of need.  Bible Verse:God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation],…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

7 more women arrested at southwest Miami-Dade massage parlors, accused of prostitution in undercover sting

Two police officers arresting a person with handcuffs on a wet street at night

Seven more women have been arrested at massage parlors across Miami-Dade, following a wave of arrests in an undercover prostitution sting operation run by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.  All seven women appeared in bond court facing prostitution charges as well as running a massage business without a license. The arrests come a day after seven other women were arrested at massage parlors in southwest Miami-Dade. Those locations were closed after the first round of arrests.  According to arrest reports, the women would offer sexual acts to an undercover detective after a massage. They would also charge, according to the reports, prices ranging from $50 to $150.  The women’s ages ranged from 46 to 67 years old: 

  • Yaoying Lin, 58 
  • Xiufen Lin, 51 
  • Yan Xi, 48
  • Zixuan Wang, 46 
  • Mei Hui Lin, 49
  • Quirong Xu, 67 
  • Hongli Ren, 63

The seven women were arrested in massage parlors across Miami-Dade, accused of providing services without a license and prostitution by offering undercover detectives sexual acts.  Miami-Dade Corrections

Judge Mindy Glazer presided over the bond court appearances. During the proceedings, she referenced charges of “committing a lascivious act and engaging in prostitution,” according to CBS News Miami’s reporting from the courthouse. Yaoying Lin’s attorney, Paul Petruzzi, persuaded the judge to reduce her charge from a felony to a misdemeanor. “She’s resided in Miami for many years. Married. And has never failed to appear,” Petruzzi said. “They had my client held overnight. She was charged with a felony unfairly. To the point where a judge on her own dismissed it. It’s either real bad, bad, bad police work. Or it’s something else. A little bit more nefarious. I’m afraid the latter,” Petruzzi said. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said that they will not be providing any interviews regarding this undercover sting at this time. 

Source: 7 more women arrested at southwest Miami-Dade massage parlors, accused of prostitution in undercover sting – CBS Miami

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 16:25

The Distraction of Fear

Fear has a way of making tomorrow feel more real than today. But you were never meant to live inside a future that hasn’t happened yet, you were called to trust…

Keep reading

Too Busy to Hear God

You can be so busy doing things for God that you never stop long enough to hear from God. Sometimes the biggest distraction in your life isn’t rebellion, it’s simply being…

Keep reading

Who Has Your Attention?

Your attention is one of the most valuable things you own, and everyone wants a piece of it. The question isn’t whether something is getting your attention—the question is whether Jesus…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Lightning strike ignites vehicle over gas leak in Miramar neighborhood, alarming residents: “I could feel the heat at my house”

A lightning strike set a vehicle on fire in a Miramar neighborhood Monday afternoon, creating a dangerous situation after firefighters discovered the car was parked above a natural gas leak. The fire happened around 1 p.m. in the 6600 block of Dahlia Drive. Multiple agencies, including Miramar Fire Rescue, Hollywood Fire Rescue and the Broward Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. Matt Leibowitz, who lives next door, said he was inside his home when he heard an unusually loud clap of thunder and decided to step outside. “I heard a lightning crash, and I decided to go to the store. When I came outside, the car was completely engulfed in flames,” Leibowitz told CBS News Miami.

“I decided to call 911.” A lightning strike set a vehicle on fire in Miramar on Monday afternoon. At the time, Leibowitz said he did not realize what had caused the fire, but he vividly remembered the lightning strike. “It shook the house. The lightning was so loud,” he said. Concerned for his own safety, Leibowitz rushed back inside to move his vehicle away from the burning car. “I could feel the heat at my house right next door,” he said. According to Hollywood Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Chai Kauffman, crews quickly determined the fire was more dangerous than it initially appeared. “When we responded, we realized there was a lightning strike that struck the car and hit a gas leak underneath,” Kauffman said. Firefighters requested assistance from a hazardous materials team, while Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies worked with emergency crews to shut off the leaking gas. “Our Hazmat team, as well as BSO, was able to mitigate that by closing the valve,”

Kauffman said. Neighbor Fernando Rodriguez, who has lived in the area for about 20 years, said he grabbed his bicycle and rode about a block to the scene after hearing the explosion. He began recording the incident with his cellphone to document what had happened. “It was terrifying that something like that just happened out of the random,” Rodriguez said. Crews in Miramar raced to extinguish a fire that broke out after a lightning strike on Monday, July 7. “The way that explosion sounded so loud, I knew that something was so abnormal,” he added. Leibowitz pointed to damage caused by the intense heat, including burn marks on a nearby truck parked close to the burning vehicle. “Look at the side of that truck right there, all burned from the heat just from this car, and it’s sitting right on top of a natural gas line,” he said.

Leibowitz said he contacted the homeowners, who were away when the fire broke out. He said they were relieved neighbors acted quickly by calling 911, believing the outcome could have been far worse if emergency crews had not responded as quickly as they did. No injuries were reported.  Authorities have not released additional information about the source of the gas leak, and the incident remains under investigation.

Source: Lightning strike ignites vehicle over gas leak in Miramar neighborhood, alarming residents: “I could feel the heat at my house” – CBS Miami

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8

Finding Strength in God

You don’t have to carry this alone, He is your safe place and your help in every moment of need.  Bible Verse:God is our Refuge and Strength [mighty and…

Keep reading

Faith Under Pressure

Pip: Drink of Jesus is a site that treats ancient Scripture the way a good contractor treats load-bearing walls — you don’t move them just because the room looks…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Saharan dust to bring drier, hotter conditions to South Florida by midweek

Another heat advisory will be in effect for Broward and Miami-Dade counties as “feels like” temperatures soar to around 105 Tuesday afternoon. The advisory will be in effect from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesday as these areas could experience these elevated heat index values for at least two hours. This graphic shows the heat advisories in effect in Broward and Miami-Dade counties on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. CBS News Miami Scattered showers and storms will move across the area late morning through the early afternoon, but the rain isn’t expected to be as widespread across our metro areas like it was on Monday. The CBS News Miami NEXT Weather team will be monitoring a 40% chance through Tuesday afternoon with drier conditions just around the corner for midweek as the next wave of Saharan dust arrives in South Florida.

This graphic shows the arrival of Saharan dust in South Florida by Wednesday, July 8, 2026. CBS News Miami The dust will bring drier, hazier, and hotter conditions for Wednesday and Thursday as highs climb closer to the mid-90s on the thermometer. “Feels like” temperatures will continue to stay in the triple digits for the rest of the workweek and weekend, bringing major heat risk concerns for Broward and Miami-Dade. This graphic shows the “feels-like” temperatures in South Florida on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. CBS News Miami Some forecast models show the potential for a weak disturbance to bring scattered rain chances to South Florida late Friday into early Saturday. There is a lot of uncertainty around these particular rain chances at this time, so our team will continue to monitor the forecast and provide updates throughout the week. This graphic shows the hour-by-hour forecast in South Florida on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. CBS News Miami The weekend forecast will trend drier and hotter by Sunday with highs in the mid-90s and heat index values climbing closer to 110. Unfortunately, no heat relief is in sight as temperatures will continue to climb heading into the upcoming workweek.

Source: Saharan dust to bring drier, hotter conditions to South Florida by midweek – CBS Miami

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2

The Weight of Leadership

“A church can survive criticism, but it cannot thrive without integrity. When spiritual leaders forget they answer first to God, the flock always bears the…

Keep reading

Heaven is for Real Movie

“Heaven is for Real” is a faith-based family drama inspired by a Nebraska Pastor Tood Burpo’s best-selling book about his 4 years old son (Colton…

Keep reading

God’s Here

After losing his wife and son in a tragic accident, a firefighter wrestles with grief and forgiveness. Starring Kevin Sorbo (God’s Not Dead), Sarah Elizabeth…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Frontier Airlines flight from San Juan to Chicago diverted to Miami after passenger tries to open door mid-flight

photo of airplane wing

A Frontier Airlines flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago O’Hare International Airport Sunday was diverted to Miami when a passenger tried to open the door mid-flight. In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said Frontier Airlines Flight 3345 was in the air en route from San Juan to Chicago when there was a “passenger disturbance” reported by the crew. The FAA said the flight landed safely at Miami International Airport around 11:55 p.m. ET. In a statement, Frontier confirmed a passenger “became disruptive” before the fight was diverted. “Law enforcement boarded the aircraft in Miami and removed the passenger and the flight subsequently continued on to Chicago a few hours later,” the statement concluded.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said flight attendants and other passengers on the plane told them the man tried to open the exit doors while in flight, saying he wanted to get off the plane. Flight attendants tried to stop him and told him to sit down, but he ignored them and instead went to the front of the plane, where police said he tried to get into the pilot’s cabin. Flight attendants tried multiple times to get him back to his seat, police said, then took him to a different seat and an off-duty flight attendant volunteered to sit in his row on the aisle. When the off-duty attendant got up to use the bathroom, police said the man tried to grab his bag. When he was told not to touch the off-duty attendant’s belongings, police said they were told the man then attacked the off-duty flight attendant, trying to choke him, as other passengers restrained him. Eventually, police said flight attendants and passengers were able to restrain the man. The flight was diverted to Miami, where he was arrested. The FBI also interviewed the man after his arrest, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said.

Source: Frontier Airlines flight from San Juan to Chicago diverted to Miami after passenger tries to open door mid-flight – CBS Chicago

Who “will render to each one according to his deeds”
Romans 2:6

Feeling Alone? God Sees You

Even when you feel invisible in your struggle, God sees every tear, every burden, and every silent prayer. Your exhaustion has not escaped His attention. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

“Rare” harpy eagle arrives at National Aviary

close up of majestic harpy eagle in nature
harpy eagle perched on branch in natural habitat
Photo by Itiel Cd on Pexels.com

There’s a new “rare” raptor at the National Aviary, one that can’t be seen anywhere else in the Northeast.  The aviary on Wednesday introduced its new female juvenile harpy eagle named Dariéna, who hails from the Miami Zoo. She’s part of the aviary’s new summer theme, Remarkable Raptors.  Like most eagles, the aviary says the female harpy is significantly larger than the male — sometimes twice the size. And harpy eagles are already massive, weighing 17 to 20 pounds. Their rear talons can reach 4 to 5 inches in length, which the aviary says is comparable to the claws of a grizzly bear.  Dariéna will live in The Charity Randall Foundation Eagle Hall, and visitors will also get to see her during daily educational talks. As she grows up, her eggshell colored plumage will slowly turn shades of harpy gray. 

Source: “Rare” harpy eagle arrives at National Aviary – CBS Pittsburgh

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Jesus Revolution

In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) is searching for all the right things in all the wrong places: until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic…

Keep reading

Letters to God

Tyler Doherty is an extraordinary eight-year-old boy armed with strong faith and courage as he faces his daily battle against cancer. Surrounded by a loving family and community, Tyler’s…

Keep reading

War Room

Pharmaceutical salesman Tony Jordan and his wife, realtor Elizabeth Jordan, appear outwardly successful; they have a large house, plenty of money, and a beautiful daughter named Danielle. Behind the…

Keep reading

Climbing Your Mountain

Pip: A mountain village, a wandering stranger, a mother weaving a basket by the river — Drink of Jesus has been building a world where ancient scripture lands like…

Keep reading

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Florida fire map shows live updates on wildfires burning in Broward and Miami-Dade

vibrant palm leaves in barcelona sunlight

Two wildfires in Broward and Miami-Dade counties are now mostly contained after burning thousands of acres and impacting air quality across parts of South Florida for days, according to the Florida Forest Service and other state and local agencies. The fires are highlighted on Florida’s Active Wildfire Points map, an interactive tool that tracks current wildfires across the state and provides updated information on acreage burned and containment levels. You can check it out here:

Source: Florida fire map shows live updates on wildfires burning in Broward and Miami-Dade – CBS Miami

For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Galatians 5:17

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Man arrested at Trump’s Miami golf club for disorderly conduct, Secret Service says

aerial view of golf course in hilton head

A man was arrested Saturday at President Trump’s Doral National Golf Club just outside of Miami after an alleged disturbance, the U.S. Secret Service said. Mr. Trump was not at the club at the time, Secret Service said. According to Secret Service Miami acting special agent in charge Michael Townsend, a man approached a security area at the golf club at around 4:15 p.m. He then became “disruptive and failed to comply with lawful orders,” Townsend said in a statement. 

The man “made physical contact with a member of the Secret Service and was taken into custody without further incident,” he said. The man, who was not immediately identified, was arrested by the Doral Police Department and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting without violence, Townsend said. “At no point did this situation impact the established security posture for the President’s visit to Trump Doral National Golf Club by Secret Service,” Townsend said. The alleged incident occurred one week after shots were fired during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C., and Mr. Trump was rushed off the dais. A Secret Service agent was hit by a round but was protected by a bulletproof vest. The suspect, Cole Tomas Allen, has been charged with attempting to assassinate the president. 

Source: Man arrested at Trump’s Miami golf club for disorderly conduct, Secret Service says – CBS News

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
Matthew 5:13

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

2 men plea guilty in the 2013 killings of a Miami Gardens pastor and her grandson after over a decade of delays

man in orange jacket standing beside man in black leather jacket

After 13 years, a case involving the July 2013 killings of a Miami Gardens pastor and her grandson has concluded, with the two convicted men accepting plea deals for two counts of second-degree murder. Reginald Jackson and Roderick Martin stood before Judge Ellen Sue Venzer in a Miami-Dade courtroom on Wednesday and were sentenced to a combined 65 years in state prison. “Mr. Jackson, you’re pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree murder with a firearm along with two counts of robbery with a firearm, deadly weapon,” Judge Venzer said. “Yes, ma’am,” Jackson responded.

Jackson and Martin pleaded guilty to the lesser charges in connection with the deaths of 70-year-old Annette Anderson, a pastor, and her 20-year-old grandson, Tyrone Walker Jr. “Are you pleading guilty to these charges because you are guilty of these charges?” the judge asked Martin. “Yes,” Martin replied. Why the plea deal was delayed  The plea deal was delayed last week after Jackson had an outburst in court when his family was misinformed about the hearing time. Jackson said in court, “I’d rather my mom see me at trial so I can see her one last time,” referencing his grandmother, who he said died months after attending a previous hearing.

Source: 2 men plea guilty in the 2013 killings of a Miami Gardens pastor and her grandson after over a decade of delays – CBS Miami

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Psalm 118:6

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.

Asian swamp eels are spreading in South Florida

green colored long shapes

Burmese pythons, lionfish and iguanas are invasive species spreading through South Florida … now Asian swamp eels? Yes, invasive Asian swamp eels are slithering into the canals of South Florida – and the University of Florida wants the public’s help to track them. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) map of nonindigenous aquatic species, Asian swamp eels – or Monopterus alba – have been sighted all around Miami-Dade County, including in Hialeah, Kendall, North Miami, Homestead and Pembroke Pines. “Public participation is critical to detecting this hard-to-find species before it becomes more widespread,” according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Source: Asian swamp eels are spreading in South Florida

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering.
Colossians 3:12