WEST PALM BEACH, Fla (CBS12) -- Here are the top stories with the most watched videos from this week.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) -- When a child enters foster care, the goal is for them to be reunited with their biological family. WPEC had the chance to join a family on their adoption day after a loving Florida grandma was determined to get her three granddaughters back home.
"Ready? One, two, three!"
Sisters Kailani, Tina, and Lili spent nearly three years in foster care.
"The day they took them away, I thought it was the end. I was like, oh my God, no," remembers their grandmother Ydaly.
"It was just a lot of different ups and downs in the different homes," Kailani, the oldest sister recalls.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) -- A three-month-long police operation in West Palm Beach has resulted in 16 arrests, with more expected.
The operation, named "Not On Our Block," was spearheaded by the Special Investigation Division in collaboration with the organized crime section of the West Palm Beach Police Department.
Acting Chief of the West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD) Tony Araujo highlighted the crucial role of community engagement in the operation, noting that many citizens reported suspected criminal activity using the department's SaferWatch app. "The app helped us get to where we're at today," Araujo said, emphasizing that it is not for 911 in-progress calls but for reporting neighborhood incidents.
The investigation, which is still ongoing, has so far led to the recovery of marijuana, oxycodone, flakka, cocaine, and crack. Araujo noted the significant criminal history of those arrested, stating, "Out of these 16 individuals, they all have collectively 124 felony convictions."
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) -- With a December 31 deadline looming, hundreds of condo associations in unincorporated Palm Beach County have failed to register with the state and submit required reports to comply with a new milestone inspection law, according to Palm Beach County Building Official Doug Wise.
A law passed after the deadly Surfside condo collapse in 2021 requires all condo associations with three stories or higher to register with the state and complete necessary inspections. The new standard is for buildings to have a milestone inspection 30 years after occupancy, and then every 10 years after that. Buildings on the coastline have to have their initial inspection five years sooner, and 25 years after occupancy.
Milestone inspections are conducted by a licensed engineer or architect, and they look for structural issues that could pose life safety threats.
"Surfside taught everybody a lesson," Wise said.
Residents and building officials are keeping a closer eye on structural concerns. According to lawmakers who track the issue, at least 26 buildings in Broward and Miami Dade have been evacuated due to safety concerns since the Surfside Collapse.
Two people are accused of being involved in a major gift card scam that was found to be linked to several cases in multiple Florida counties.
The couple was booked on counts of being involved in a major gift card scam spanning the nation and costing victims hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to the Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) an employee at a local grocery store notified deputies when they noticed the pair tampering with a gift card display. Upon arrival, MCSO deputies questioned a man and woman where they discovered that both suspects were part of a major theft ring that was operating state and nationwide.
Deputies say the couple, who were identified as Caoyan Liu and Lingham Chen, have been in the Sunshine State since April and were linked to cases in Manatee, Sarasota, and Lee counties. Investigators say they may have also targeted stores in Orlando, Sarasota, Fort Myers, Naples, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (CBS12) -- A crash with injuries, involving a tractor-trailer and a Toyota on I-95 South at the Donald Ross Road interchange, is causing significant traffic delays Thursday morning.
Florida 511 reported the crash at 8:43 a.m., with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) stated that the crash involved injuries.
The crash occurred when a red Toyota, traveling southbound on I-95, lost control for unknown reasons, said the Florida Highway Patrol. The Toyota collided with a concrete barrier wall on the inside shoulder before veering back into the roadway, where it struck a semi-tractor trailer in the outside center lane.
The front left of the Toyota collided with the trailer of the semi-truck said the news release. The Toyota then spun, becoming lodged underneath the trailer, causing the semi to jackknife on the outside lane and shoulder.
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