A family movie night in Madison Heights was interrupted Thursday evening when a car traveling on I-75 veered off the interstate and crashed into a family's yard.
Madison Heights police say the vehicle was traveling on I-75 between 12 and 13 Mile when it veered from the interstate into the nearby neighborhood and directly into the Scharf family's parked car directly in front of their home. Michigan State Police are investigating the exact cause of the crash.
The driver most likely flew over the embankment and cleared a fence before hitting the driveway and continuing into the yard. None of the fencing directly in the neighborhood was damaged. The 21-year-old driver was seen walking around on home surveillance video after the crash and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Surveillance video showing the driver walking around moments after the crash: Surveillance video moments after the crash
Gwyn Scharf, who was inside the home when the crash occurred, said the car alarm was going off and the driver's vehicle began to catch fire shortly after.
"It was just kind of like shock at first, it didn't feel real at first," Scharf said.
Scharf says the family does not typically park in front of the home, and that the change in routine may have been the only thing that stopped the car from going straight into the house.
"I guess it's best possible scenario that could've happened, because if that wasn't there he would've been in our house," Scharf added.
The section of Northbound I-75 where the crash occurred has no guardrails and no sound wall. Scharf said there used to be trees separating the neighborhood from the interstate, but that the Michigan Department of Transportation removed them when reworking the interstate. The family is now hoping the incident prompts MDOT to reevaluate safety in the area.
"At least a guard rail of some sort, maybe not a full sound wall, but something there to prevent this from happening again," Scharf said.
Car parts remained scattered across the property following the crash, leaving the family with significant cleanup.
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Seven witnesses testified Wednesday in the preliminary hearing for the man charged in the homicide of 64-year-old Richard Alan Harris at Woodland Hills Nature Center in Farmington Hills.
Gabriel Bercea, 23, is charged with Harris' murder. His body was found on March 3.
Watch 7 Actions News reporter Ruta Ulcinaite's breakdown of what happened in court in the video below:
Witnesses describe potential last moments of Farmington Hills nature park homicide victim in court
Farmington Hills Police Officer Coley Morrison was the first officer to respond to the scene. She described what she found when she arrived.
"I observed a male, with his face into the ground and I observed deep lacerations and the head was almost sunken in," she said.
Officer Morrison also testified that she observed multiple wood logs scattered with blood, the victim's shoe and keys away from his body, and scuff marks at the scene.
Autumn Owens and a friend were hiking the trail that day. Owens testified that just before 4 p.m., she noticed what she thought was someone possibly resting on the ground.
"And I yelled out a couple times, 'Sir, sir are you okay? Sir?' There was no response," Owens said.
Owens called 911, and Harris was later declared dead.
Edward Mattox was also hiking the trail with his son that day. He testified that they spotted Bercea and Harris sitting together on a bench side by side prior to Harris' death.
"It was a younger man and an older man and the younger man had his arm around the back of the older man and I thought maybe they were father and son," Mattox testified.
What exactly transpired after that remains unclear.
Bercea sat silent during the entirety of the hearing as evidence photos were introduced and witnesses described their accounts.
Due to scheduling conflicts, the hearing will resume with the remaining witnesses on Oct. 28 at 47th District Court.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Melvindale residents are pushing back against a long-standing city policy that requires them to pay for a minimum of 10 units of water per billing cycle even if they use far less.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's full report in the video player below: Melvindale residents fight minimum water billing requirement
Rene Marlow, a longtime Melvindale resident, said she uses just three units of water over three months but is still billed for the full 10. She says the policy results in a water bill of nearly $200 every few months.
"Something's gotta change. I don't know what people are supposed to do," Marlow said.
Marlow described the situation as a cycle with few options for residents.
"And then what? Then they turn your water off, then your house is condemned cause you got no water; it's a vicious cycle. Like, what is going on?" Marlow said.
Fellow Melvindale resident Jacqueline Kennedy echoed the frustration.
"I don't like a $200 bill. I didn't use it. I don't want to pay it." Kennedy said. "It's not right."
Regarding the rates, Melvindale Mayor Nicole Shkira said the following in a statement:
"For some time, the City of Melvindale has had a mandated minimum charge of 10 units of water. This means that residents are charged for 10 units whether they actually use that amount of water or not.
My concern is that the City currently has a large sum of money in the Water Fundmoney that has been collected on the backs of our residents through their water bills. I do not agree with maintaining excessive water charges simply to build up cash flow, particularly if those funds are being relied upon for purposes that are not directly related to the operation, maintenance, and improvement of our water system.
Currently, the average minimum water bill is approximately $180.23 for a three-month billing cycle. At a time when families are struggling with the rising cost of living, I believe we need to seriously consider giving our residents some relief.
This issue has been raised during City Council meetings, but unfortunately, the current Council majority has not supported reducing the minimum water requirement or providing residents with a break. I strongly disagree with that decision.
I believe that when we take an oath of office, we take on the responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of our City and, most importantly, the people who live here. In my opinion, when we have the financial ability to provide relief to residents who are paying more than necessary for a basic necessity like water, we should do so.
Our residents deserve to know where their money is going, why they are being required to pay for water they may not actually use, and why the City is not taking action to provide relief when there appears to be an opportunity to do so.
That is why I will continue advocating for Melvindale residents and for a fair review of our water rates and the mandated 10-unit minimum."
Residents say they want to see that change soon.
"I'm frustrated for everybody in the city," Marlow said.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
The Southeast Michigan Urban Deer Coalition and the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments launched a new survey Tuesday for Oakland County residents to share their experiences with the local deer population, as some municipalities consider expanding culling efforts.
Watch Ruta's story in the video player below: Oakland County launches deer survey as culling debate divides communities
Other municipalities, like Beverly Hills and Livonia, are in active talks about joining future culling efforts.
Farmington Mayor Joe LaRussa said the survey is designed to shape how officials plan and carry out deer management going forward.
"We want to know exactly what people are experiencing and use that to inform the way we plan and execute things like this," LaRussa said. "The most important thing that residents can do is take part in the survey and tell us what's going on, we need that information to structure the engagement and the way we're going to take action."
The issue has drawn strong opinions on both sides. Longtime Farmington Hills resident Billy Slobin says deer have damaged his plants and landscaping, costing him thousands of dollars over the years. He said he has tried netting, hot sauce and soap to deter them, with little success.
"Frank's hot sauce and Irish springs soap and everything you could possibly imagine, none of it works," Slobin said.
Slobin said he supports the culling efforts.
Very aggressive, and theres no limit to how close theyll come, and they will attack a dog," Slobin said. "I love animals and stuff, but there's too many of them."
Other residents, like Rohit Seshadri, are opposed to the practice for safety and ethical grounds.
"Safety wise and emotional wise, it's an ethical issue too as far as I'm concerned," Seshadri said. "This is not about the deer. This is about bringing urban hunting into our neighborhoods," Seshadri said.
Farmington Hills residents like Michelle Dimaria say they feel disappointed with the amount of push-back regarding the culling, and the fact that the practice is continuing in her city.
"Nobody wants people hunting or sharp shooting in their yards or by their homes, it's not safe, there's kids playing there, there's pets outside," Dimaria said. Theyve proven that they dont care about what people think."
Farmington Hills officials denied our request for an interview Tuesday.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
After two patients died following their treatment at a Novi DaVita dialysis clinic in June, their families are calling for stronger state and federal oversight of the facility.
On June 19, multiple patients were rushed to the hospital after receiving treatment at the DaVita Novi location. One woman died right after her treatment in her vehicle that was still parked in the parking lot of the clinic. A second patient, Leon Jr. Hinton, was hospitalized that same day after suffering a heart attack at his family home following his dialysis appointment. Hinton died on July 7.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report below: DaVita dialysis clinic in Novi has repeated deficiencies as families demand answers after 2 deaths
A review of a decade of inspection records reveals a history of repeated deficiencies at the facility, including sanitation, maintenance and infection-control issues.
Hinton's stepson, Zachery McIntosh-Young, remembered his stepfather as the heart of their blended family.
"He loved us like his own. He gave us two beautiful sisters, I honestly owe a lot to him," McIntosh-Young said.
Hinton had developed kidney disease a few years before his death and had been receiving regular dialysis treatments.
"At first, I think it started off as twice a week. But in the last two years, it was three days a week," McIntosh-Young said.
On June 19, Hinton went in as scheduled for his dialysis treatment at the DaVita Novi location. Just a few hours later, he suffered a heart attack at his family home. McIntosh-Young raced to the intensive care unit after receiving a call from his mother.
"I left work, It was probably about 15 minutes away, I got there in five," McIntosh-Young said.
Hinton remained in the ICU for weeks.
The Novi Police Department found no evidence of foul play or criminal conduct. The location was temporarily shut down following a recommendation from the Oakland County Health Department and was then investigated by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services in conjunction with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Public health staff did not find significant breaches in protocol, and the location was reopened days later.
McIntosh-Young said the family had hoped the investigation would yield more answers.
"We were hoping that at least something could have given a hint of what happened or what could've gone wrong and they just seemed that they opened up way too fast," McIntosh-Young said.
To examine whether the clinic had a history of deficiencies, we requested inspection records dating back 10 years. Dozens of pages of documents were received, covering incidents from 2016, 2019, 2020, 2023 and 2026.
State records show inspectors repeatedly cited the facility for sanitation, maintenance and infection-control deficiencies. Documents describe dirty treatment areas, improperly labeled medication vials, dirty water-room equipment, leaks and other maintenance issues.
Dialysis centers in Michigan are regulated both federally and at the state level by LARA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS.
Dr. James Sondheimer, a nephrologist, said repeated problems at a facility raise concerns.
"If it's the same problem repeating itself, that would be an issue potentially," Sondheimer said.
Just one day before Hinton's death, MDHHS conducted another survey of the location, triggered by six separate complaints. Inspectors cited multiple federal deficiencies, including additional infection-control problems dirty treatment areas and dirty water-room equipment. Despite those findings, the facility was still rated in compliance overall.
"And obviously, maybe some of those federal regulations need to be updated and changed," McIntosh-Young said.
LARA and MDHHS were contacted to explain what enforcement tools are available when inspectors repeatedly identify infection-control deficiencies, and at what point repeated deficiencies trigger stronger enforcement. The state did not answer the questions directly but provided the following statement:
"In collaboration with LARA and local public health, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services staff conducted site visits at DaVita Novi Dialysis facility in June and July to observe facility patient operations. Public health staff did not find significant breaches in protocol."
Every dialysis clinic in the country is rated on a one to five star scale by CMS based on quality indicators, including how well facilities avoid unnecessary transfusions and hospital admissions.
"Three would be average. Four and five would obviously be progressively great, and one to two would be problematic," Dr. Sondheimer said.
DaVita's Novi location holds a two-star quality rating, according to CMS. Even though the location was allowed to reopen after corrective actions were implemented, families say they want more than the minimum standard.
"I feel like things need to go into deeper investigations, especially sanitation, fluids," McIntosh-Young said.
In a statement, a DaVita spokesperson said:
"People receiving dialysis are among the most medically vulnerable patients in healthcare, often managing multiple serious chronic conditions. Our care teams work every day to provide safe, compassionate, and life-sustaining care in light of these complexities. Our patients remain our highest priority, and caring for their well-being is at the heart of everything we do.
However, for McIntosh-Young, the questions about June 19 remain unanswered.
"I hope there's not another person that meets with you in this chair for the same reason," McIntosh-Young said.
A Warren Consolidated Schools drama teacher is facing nearly 12 felony counts related to child pornography and drugs: five counts of aggravated possession of sexually abusive material, five counts of using computers to commit a crime, one count of possession of methamphetamine and one count of possession of LSD.
School officials say an internal investigation into his conduct was already underway when the charges came down.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report below: Warren teacher was being investigated by district before criminal charges dropped
Mark Sharrow, 37, who taught costumes and drama at the Warren Consolidated Schools of Performing Arts, is being held on a $1 million bond.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said the case began with a criminal sexual conduct investigation out of Houghton Lake. That investigation led to a search warrant of Sharrow's home in Warren and his electronic devices, including his phone, on Tuesday. Inappropriate videos involving minors were allegedly found during that search.
Neighbors said the home drew a consistent and notable crowd.
"It is a house of younger guys. So not a family like every other house," one neighbor said.
Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent John Bernia said the district had already launched its own internal investigation before the charges.
"What we had uncovered in the course of our investigation was accusations that involved former students after they had graduated," Bernia said.
Sharrow was placed on administrative leave and has not been in the building since June. Bernia said the district is now fully cooperating with police and is encouraging any students with information to come forward.
"This is terrible what has happened here," Bernia said. "As their superintendent, I'm upset about this and I have kids and I understand what parents are struggling with right now and I'm struggling with it myself. I want everybody to know we're here to help and that we take these things very seriously," Bernia said.
Former student Tyler Reed said Sharrow's inappropriate behavior had been a longstanding problem.
"You can ask anybody that went to school here. Nobody is surprised," Reed said. "He would talk to us about the most inappropriate things," Reed said.
Reed said those conversations included Sharrow discussing his sexual experiences with students, complimenting the looks of students and proclaiming his wishes to have sexual relations with some of them to the class. Reed said the behavior was reported, but Sharrow remained in the drama department. Bernia said while the district had received previous reports regarding Sharrow, none rose to the level of the current allegations.
Lucido said parents should speak with their children now.
"Moms and dads, you better stay vigilant every day. Know what's going on with your child's phone, with your child's computer. Know what's going on, where they're going and who they're going to be with," Lucido said.
Sharrow has a probable cause conference scheduled for Sept. 1.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Police in Dearborn Heights and Melvindale are investigating and reviewing evidence after fliers and business cards tied to the Ku Klux Klan were found scattered across both cities Tuesday evening.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report: KKK flyers found in Dearborn Heights and Melvindale after anti-Muslim protest
Dearborn Heights police received a call for service Tuesday after KKK fliers were thrown from a vehicle. Residents also found business cards containing KKK contact information thrown around the area.
Residents say the fliers were found in yards, in streets, and at a children's playground on Robert Street, where a racial slur was also written in the wood chips. The fliers were recruiting people into the KKK, promoting their rhetoric and asking for donations. The contents of the fliers have been blurred to avoid amplifying hateful imagery and messaging.
Becky Dorie, a Melvindale resident who has lived in her neighborhood for nearly a decade, spent Wednesday going door to door asking neighbors if they had seen the fliers and collecting them herself.
"I've never seen anything like this," Dorie said.
Dorie said she felt the fliers were an attack on her culturally diverse community and her own family.
"We got family members that are Arab, we got family members that are black and white, my son's Mexican, so this affects us in a big way," Dorie said through tears.
Joe Hernandez, a Dearborn Heights resident, said he and his family have no tolerance for the KKK or hate speech.
"Keep that s*** out. Keep it out," Hernandez said. "Me and my family, we don't tolerate the KKK; I don't tolerate hate speech. I just believe in love your neighbor," Hernandez said.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
A Livonia man is accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl and has been charged with four counts of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report: Livonia man charged with sex crimes after allegedly assaulting 11-year-old girl
Jeremiah Bishop, 33, is the former owner of Movement United Parkour & Acrobatics, a children's and adult parkour and acrobatics gym in Farmington Hills.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard says the investigation began on June 18 after the victim's grandfather reported the allegations. Investigators spoke to the mother of the child, who reported her daughter had made disclosures and provided investigators with text messages allegedly sent by Bishop admitting to the abuse. The mother was cooperative with the investigation.
Bouchard said the alleged abuse spanned more than a year.
"We believe the time frame for these particular charges was between August of '24 to October of '25, so quite an extensive period of time," Bouchard said.
Each of the four counts carries a punishment of up to 15 years in prison.
"Very serious charges but very serious offense," Sheriff Bouchard added. The person was in the house and in a position to do this unfortunately.
Bishop was arrested at his mother's residence last week. 7 News Detroit stopped by to see if she had any comment regarding the allegations, but we were denied an interview.
Lisa Rajtrajt's 18-year-old son has been going to Movement United for over a year. She says she professionally knows Bishop and is horrified by the allegations.
"Obviously we were shocked, I mean there's no other word for it," Rajtrajt said. "If he's guilty, I hope he's punished to the fullest extent possible."
The gym's new owner is clarifying they have completely severed ties with Bishop and that a change in ownership and name occurred before the charges were brought. The development gave Rajtrajt some reassurance.
"If you had asked me were we still gonna go to the gym with Jeremiah in charge I think the answer probably would be no, but knowing that there's new ownership now that gives me a little bit more comfort," Rajtrajt said.
The new company in the same building issued the following statement to 7 News Detroit:
MVMT UNTD is a newly established company that has no connection to Mr. Bishop. The assets of Movement United, LLC were acquired by MVMT UNTD, LLC, a company owned by Nathan Wilmot, prior to the filing of the charges described in recent reporting. Mr. Bishop holds no ownership interest in MVMT UNTD and has no role in its management, operations, staffing, programming, or day-to-day activities. The allegations described in recent reporting are serious. MVMT UNTD treats the safety and wellbeing of its members and the surrounding community with the utmost seriousness particularly where the protection of children and vulnerable individuals is concerned. MVMT UNTD recognizes that reporting of this nature can cause concern, and wants to communicate clearly and directly with its members and the public. Based on the information currently available to the Company, the matters described in the reporting are unrelated to MVMT UNTDs facilities, programs, and operations. The legal proceedings involving Mr. Bishop are a matter for the courts and law enforcement, and MVMT UNTD will cooperate with any lawful request from the appropriate authorities. Under its current ownership, MVMT UNTD is fully committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and professional environment for every member. All business processes and coaching procedures are under review to ensure members and families are confident in its programs and safety practices. MVMT UNTD appreciates the continued trust and support of its members and the community.
Bouchard says while investigators do not believe there are any more victims, they are encouraging anyone to speak up if there is any indication of abuse. The sheriff stresses the importance of having conversations with young children in your family about inappropriate touching and consent.
Bishop was arraigned on Friday, July 24th before Magistrate Langham in the 52-1 District Court on four counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree (victim under 13). Langham set a cash surety bond of $850,000 with GPS tether provision.
His next scheduled court date is a probable cause conference on August 7th.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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