NORTH TEXAS — A couple from North Texas, currently in the process of becoming parents, is among hundreds of families worldwide affected by a scandal involving a surrogacy escrow management company. The CEO of the Houston-based Surrogacy Escrow Account Management LLC (SEAM), Dominique Side, is accused of embezzling millions from the company’s escrow accounts. According to a lawsuit, Side misappropriated nearly $10 million intended for surrogacy, medical costs, and other fees. Instead, the funds were allegedly used to support Side’s lavish lifestyle and rap career. The FBI’s Houston division is investigating the case and has established a website for those…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — On Thursday, family, friends, and fellow politicians gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of longtime Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee at a memorial service. The service, titled “Remembering Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,” began at 11 a.m. Central Time. Vice President Kamala Harris delivered the eulogy, praising Jackson Lee as a “true champion” who dedicated herself wholeheartedly to her work. “The congresswoman was a leader for Houston and for the nation, impacting lives across the country,” Harris said. “She was a force,” Harris continued. “She never settled for mediocrity and always expected us to strive for excellence,…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Harris campaign is expected to announce Kamala Harris’s running mate by next week, a process that usually takes months but is being expedited due to time constraints. Nathaniel Rakich, a senior elections analyst with FiveThirtyEight Politics, spoke with Eyewitness News about the significance of the decision. “Choosing a running mate is perhaps the biggest decision that a presidential candidate has to make,” he said. The vetting process generally involves a thorough background check and personal interviews to ensure there are no issues in a candidate’s past that could cause embarrassment. A rushed process increases the…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Charges have been filed against a man after a person was found shot to death inside an SUV in southeast Houston near I-45 early Sunday morning, according to the Houston Police Department. Court records indicate that 24-year-old Julian Vazquez has been charged with murder. The incident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. in the parking lot of a Fiesta Market located at 1175 Edgebrook Drive. Officers responded to assist a firefighter and found a 38-year-old victim shot in the passenger seat of a Kia SUV. Medical personnel pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Police detained Vazquez…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A damaged section of road in the Museum District is finally being repaired after a Houston resident contacted for assistance. The issue, located in the 1600 block of Wheeler, had been causing flat tires and car damage for “about a week,” according to resident Daniel Walter. Walter described the problem as a stretch of broken concrete spanning the entire street, which he could hear from his balcony as vehicles hit the rough patch. “You hear tires popping throughout the day, unfortunately,” he said. Another local, Toyin Adewole, mentioned that the uneven street had damaged one of…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — After more than six years of work, a major freeway construction project has finally been completed, but some drivers feel more could have been done. The conclusion of the project, aimed at improving the heavily congested U.S. 59 and IH-610 interchange, was marked by a grand celebration complete with a band, speeches, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This is what I call the high-five moment,” said Texas Transportation Commission chairman J. Bruce Bugg. However, not all motorists shared the celebratory mood. “It’s opened up a little bit, but not very much,” commented driver Carolyn Moreno. “I think…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Charges have been filed against an individual suspected of kidnapping a 12-year-old girl in Houston earlier this week. On Tuesday, an Amber Alert was issued, notifying residents that a 12-year-old girl had gone missing from the Crystal Inn Hotel on Little York Road. Later that day, the Houston Police Department announced that the girl, Chloie, had been found safe and was reunited with her family. “We continue to work with our law enforcement partners in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area, as this investigation remains ongoing at this time,” the department stated on the social media platform…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Professional Firefighters Association has received $650 million in settlement funds from the City of Houston. Union President Marty Lancton confirmed the delivery of the checks, noting that auditors are currently verifying the amounts. According to Controller Chris Hollins, the median lump sum payment for individual firefighters is $165,000, with some receiving up to double that amount. The payments are backpay for seven years without a contract, resulting from a prolonged stalemate between the union and the city. During this period, Houston firefighters were paid less compared to their counterparts in similarly sized cities. Hollins…
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Mayor John Whitmire has announced the appointment of J. Noe Diaz, a former Texas Ranger and Katy Police Chief, as the new chief of the Houston Police Department. Diaz is set to take over the position on August 14, pending confirmation by the City Council. He will be formally introduced at a ceremony on Friday at 11 a.m. Diaz’s law enforcement career began in 1987 as a correctional officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He graduated from the University of Houston-Downtown Police Academy in 1994 and joined the Harris County Constable Precinct Five Office.…
JERSEY VILLAGE, Texas (KTRK) — A quick response from Jersey Village police led to the recovery of stolen tailgates and the arrest of two suspects on July 24. The incident began when police received two separate calls in the morning reporting tailgates stolen from trucks parked in a neighborhood. The incidents occurred less than a mile apart. Lt. Daniel Rodriguez explained that one of the victims decided to check Facebook Marketplace, hoping to find their stolen tailgate. They found a listing that matched the description of their missing tailgate, being sold under the name “Darren Cassidy,” which police later identified…
