EXCLUSIVE Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton's family issue deeply worrying update after her humiliating arrest

US gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton has sparked fears for her safety after 'vanishing' following her DWI charge in West Virginia last month, the Daily Mail has learned.
Concerned family members in the small town of Fairmont revealed they have not seen or heard from the Olympic gold medalist, 57 - who is based in Texas - since her arrest in her hometown on May 17.

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Daily Mail​

an hour ago

• Daily Mail​

'Heartbroken' family pays tribute to 'beautiful soul' of man, 20, who was found dead in village river

A 'heartbroken' family have paid tribute to their 20-year-old son who was found dead in their village river. Jacob Rutkowski, who has been described as a 'beautiful soul' by his grieving family died after getting into difficulty in the river Tees in County Durham. It is understood that Jacob from Darlington, County Durham, entered the water in Gainford on Friday and began to struggle, sparking a huge emergency response. The air ambulance, mountain rescue crews, police helicopter, paramedics and fire crews all rushed to the rural village at about 2.30pm in a bid to rescue him. Drones and rescue dogs were also used in the search. Tragically, Durham Police later confirmed that they had found a body in the river. Jacob's family have paid tribute to his life and have launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise funds for his funeral. The page reads: 'As many of you have already heard, our family experienced the unimaginable. It is understood that Jacob from Darlington, County Durham, entered the water in Gainford on Friday and began to struggle, sparking a huge emergency response 'This devastating loss has left our entire family heartbroken beyond words. He was a son, a brother, a loving boyfriend — and above all, a beautiful soul taken far too soon. 'We are raising funds to help with funeral and memorial costs, and to support the family during this painful time. 'Anything you can give will help ease the burden and allow us to focus on grieving and honouring his memory. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.' Tributes and messages for Jacob have also been posted online and have described him as having a 'heart of gold'. One friend wrote: 'Such a caring young lad honestly, sending my love and thoughts to the family. 'I just can't get over it, he was so lovely. Breaks my heart, forever 20.' Another said: 'Absolutely heartbroken for my friend and her family. Life is just so precious.'

The Independent

3 hours ago

• The Independent

New insight into Texas family detention reveals adults fighting kids for clean water

Adults fighting kids for clean water, despondent toddlers and a child with swollen feet denied a medical exam — these first-hand accounts from immigrant families at detention centers included in a motion filed by advocates Friday night are offering a glimpse of conditions at Texas facilities. Families shared their testimonies with immigrant advocates filing a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from terminating the Flores Settlement Agreement, a '90s-era policy that requires immigrant children detained in federal custody be held in safe and sanitary conditions. The agreement could challenge President Donald Trump's family detention provisions in his 'big, beautiful' bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, which also seeks to made the detention time indefinite and comes as the administration ramps up arrests. 'At a time when Congress is considering funding the indefinite detention of children and families, defending the Flores Settlement is more urgent than ever,' Mishan Wroe, a senior immigration attorney at the National Center for Youth Law, said in a statement Friday. Advocates with the center, as well as the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, RAICES and Children 's Rights contacted or visited children and their families held in two Texas family detention centers in Dilley and Karnes, which reopened earlier this year. The conditions of the family detention facilities were undisclosed until immigration attorneys filed an opposing motion Friday night before a California federal court. The oversight of the detention facilities was possible because of the settlement, and the visits help ensure standards compliance and transparency, said Sergio Perez, the executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. Without the settlement, those overseeing the facilities would lose access to them and could not document what is happening inside. Out of 90 families who spoke to RAICES since March, 40 expressed medical concerns, according to the court documents. Several testimonies expressed concern over water quantity and quality. Emails seeking comment were sent to the Office of Attorney General Pam Bondi and to CoreCivic and Geo Group, which operate the detention facilities in Dilley and Karnes, Texas, respectively. There was no response from either Bondi's office or the operators of the facilities by midday Saturday. One mother was told she would have to use tap water for formula for her 9-month-old, who had diarrhea for three days after, and a 16-year-old girl described people scrambling over each other for water. 'We don't get enough water. They put out a little case of water, and everyone has to run for it," said the declaration from the girl held with her mother and two younger siblings at the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center. 'An adult here even pushed my little sister out of the way to get to the water first.' Faisal Al-Juburi, chief external affairs officer for RAICES, said Friday in a statement that the conditions 'only serve to reinforce the vital need for transparent and enforceable standards and accountability measures," citing an 'unconscionable obstruction of medical care for those with acute, chronic, and terminal illnesses.' One family with a young boy with cancer said he missed his doctor's appointment after the family was arrested following their attendance to an immigration court hearing. He is now experiencing relapse symptoms, according to the motion. Another family said their 9-month old lost over 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) while in detention for a month. Children spoke openly about their trauma during visits with legal monitors, including a 12-year-old boy with a blood condition. He reported his feet became too inflamed to walk, and even though he saw a doctor, he was denied further testing. Now, he stays mostly off his feet. 'It hurts when I walk,' he said in a court declaration. Arrests have left psychological trauma. A mother of a 3-year-old boy who saw agents go inside his babysitter's home with guns started acting differently after detention. She said he now throws himself on the ground, bruises himself and refuses to eat most days. Growing concerns as ICE ramps up operations Many of the the families in detention were already living in the U.S. which reflects the recent shift from immigration arrests at the border to internal operations. Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump's immigration policies, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump's second term. Leecia Welch, the deputy legal director at Children's Rights said that as bad as facility conditions are, they will only get worse as more immigrants are brought in. 'As of early June, the census at Dilley was around 300 and only two of its five areas were open," Welch said of her visits. "With a capacity of around 2,400 – it's hard to imagine what it would be like with 2,000 more people.' Pediatricians like Dr. Marsha Griffin with the American Academy of Pediatrics Council said they are concerned and are advocating across the country to allow pediatric monitors with child welfare experts inside the facilities. Future of detention without Flores agreement The Flores agreement is poised to become more relevant if Trump's legislation called the ' One Big Beautiful Bill Act ' passes with the current language allowing the indefinite detention of immigrant families, which is not allowed under the Flores agreement. Trump's legislation approved by the House also proposes setting aside $45 billion in funding, a threefold spending increase, over the next four years to expand ICE detention of adults and families. The Senate is now considering that legislation. Under these increased efforts to add more detention space, GeoGroup, the same corporation operating the detention facility in Karnes, will soon be opening an infamous prison — which housed gangsters Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly — for migrant detention in Leavenworth, Kansas. Immigration advocates argue that if the settlement were terminated, the government would need to create regulations that conform to the agreement's terms. 'Plaintiffs did not settle for policy making— they settled for rulemaking," the motion read. The federal government will have a chance to submit a reply brief. A court hearing is later scheduled for mid-July.

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Speed boat driver is arrested after glamorous Miami woman, 28, was killed after he crashed

A speedboat driver was arrested months after a glamorous woman was ejected from his boat and died in Florida. Reinaldo Aquit, 48, of Miami Beach, was arrested on Friday for the death of Stephanie Rodriguez, 28, of Hialeah, who died in November after being ejected from his 39-foot boat following a sharp turn. Aquit was operating the boat recklessly and took a sharp turn, causing the boat to roll over, ejecting six of the passengers on his voyage between Miami and Key West. Rodriguez was the only passenger to die in the incident. The others were collected by a Good Samaritan who stopped to help. They were taken to the hospital. 'The tragic death of this young woman was completely avoidable,' Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Major Alberto Maza told NBC Miami in a statement. 'We continue to think of Ms. Rodriguez's friends and family as they grieve her loss.' Aquit was booked into the Monroe County Sheriff's Office jail and was charged with felony vessel homicide, and eight misdemeanors. He is being held on a $500,000 bond. Rodriguez was the youngest of four and had three older brothers. Her brothers remember her as being a giving person, who loved to travel and was full of life. 'She lit up any room she went into,' her brother, Ricky Rodriguez, emotionally told NBC Miami. 'My sister was special, she was special.' Her relative Jorge Perez said she often 'gave me a lot of advice,' despite being 'a lot younger than me,' he told the outlet. 'We're just relying on God to get us through this,' he said in November. The family started a GoFundMe for her funeral and other expenses. It has garnered more than $40,000. Rodriguez was the youngest of four and had three older brothers. Her brothers remember her as being a giving person, who loved to travel and was full of life 'Stephanie was a kind, loving, and playful person whose warmth touched everyone she met. To know her was to love her,' the fundraiser said. 'Her sudden departure has left her family and friends heartbroken and struggling to comprehend this immense loss.'