A judge has ordered two suspects to stand trial on upgraded charges in the murder of 17-year-old London Thomas, who went missing in April 2025 and was found dead weeks later.

Jalen Pendergrass, 24, and his mother Charla Pendergrass, 49, now face first-degree murder charges after originally being charged with second-degree murder in October. Judge Sabrina Johnson also approved the prosecution's request to add charges of unlawful imprisonment and evidence tampering following more than four hours of testimony during Thursday's preliminary hearing in Inkster.

Watch Brett Kast's video report below: Mother and son will go to trial in murder of Detroit teen London Thomas

Thomas went missing on April 5, 2024, and her body was discovered on April 26. Jalen Pendergrass was Thomas' former boyfriend.

Key testimony reveals alleged confession

During the hearing, Lanyja Wilkerson, another former girlfriend of Jalen Pendergrass, testified that he sent her specific song lyrics from a song by rapper NBA Youngboy after Thomas went missing.

"Put the b**** up in the trunk, her family will never see her again," Wilkerson said, recounting the lyrics she alleges Jalen Pendergrass wanted her to hear.

Wilkerson also testified that Jalen Pendergrass later confessed to her about the night of April 5. She said he told her two different stories, and in the first story he said Thomas and his mother got into a physical fight at his home, after which he beat Thomas and tied her up.

Wilkerson then says that Jalen Pendergrass said he was told by his mother to "get angry."

"Did he tell you she (Charla Pendergrass) told him to do anything else?" the prosecuting attorney asked Wilkerson.

"To kill her," Wilkerson replied, then added "He told me that he pulled her out the bed, he stood her up, grabbed a belt and choked her until she fell."

Watch Randy Wimbley's video report when the suspects were arraigned below: Mom and son arraigned in murder of Detroit teen London Thomas

Wilkerson didn't come forward with the alleged confessions until October, which is when both Charla and Jalen Pendergrass were charged with second-degree murder.

Body found in plastic tote

Another witness, a friend of Charla Pendergrass, testified that Charla gave him a large plastic tote containing Thomas' body and asked him to hold it for him, before later asking him to dispose of it.

He says he never asked what was in the bin and he never opened it.

"She told me to get rid of it, to burn it," the witness said.

Suspecting it may be evidence in the case, he contacted police through a lawyer about the tote's location, which was in the trunk of his SUV that he left parked outside a friend's house in Southfield. When police arrived, they found Thomas' body inside the bin tied up and bruised. It had been several weeks since she was reported missing. Prosecutors said evidence shows Jalen Pendergrass' DNA was likely on the handles.

Defense questions witness credibility

Defense attorney Terry L. Johnson challenged Wilkerson's credibility, noting she testified that both she and Jalen Pendergrass were under the influence during the alleged confession.

Johnson also argued the autopsy did not support her story.

"What he (prosecutor) is asking you to do, your honor, is go off what this young lady said, who again was high when she did this," Johnson argued.

Watch our previous coverage when Jalen and Charla Pendergrass were charged: Mother and son facing murder charges in death of 17-year-old London Thomas

The prosecution defended Wilkerson's testimony, arguing the specific details she alleged Jalen Pendergrass told her could only come from someone present during the incident.

Family seeks justice

Thomas' family members attended the hearing, including her mother Jasma Bennett, who called the upgraded charges "one small step toward justice for London and our family."

For just justice to be served peacefully, and I want that to be noted, peacefully its done, Bennett said.

Thomas' sister Jaila Hatcher also testified that she dropped Thomas off at Jalen Pendergrass' home in the early morning hours on April 5. The last time she heard from Thomas, she was at Jalen Pendergrass' house. Hatcher became concerned when she couldn't reach Thomas on the phone.

This isn't like her, why isn't she answering her phone, she doesn't let her phone go dead, Hatcher said on the stand.

"Everything shocked me how the story unfolded, what they did to her," said Darnell Johnson, Thomas' stepfather. "It's crazy how can you do that to a child when youre a mother yourself... Its sickening to believe somebodys parent can be that evil.

Watch our previous coverage when London Thomas' body was found: Family says body of missing teen London Thomas has been found

Thomas' grandmother Jestina Martin expressed satisfaction with the upgraded charges.

"First-degree murder, that's good enough for me," Martin said.

Previous coverage: Grandmother of London Thomas speaks days after London's body was found Grandmother of London Thomas speaks days after London's body was found

The case now moves forward to trial with the enhanced charges.

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 Detroit Auto Show's charity preview event brought together luxury cars, high fashion, and community support for local youth programs in downtown Detroit.

Watch Brett Kast's video report: Detroit Auto Show Charity Preview showcases kids charities and the work they do

The marquee event officially kicked off the auto show with attendees showcasing their outfits while exploring the latest vehicle displays. For many, it's become an annual tradition that combines entertainment with charitable giving.

"I love to see all the cars. I want to get in them. I want to take a photo," said Katie Conrad, an attendee.

Victoria Borjas, who has attended the charity preview for a decade with her mother, Lori Singleton, said the fashion element is a major draw.

"I will say everyone here is dressed as a ten," Borjas said. "Every year I prepare for this, get my dress ready, what's my style this year?"

Singleton said the event has become a cherished family tradition.

"It's really one of our family traditions. We get together, my husband, her husband, my son when he's in town," Singleton said.

Beyond the glamour, organizers emphasize the event's charitable mission. Six children's charities benefit from the fundraiser, including the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Detroit and Detroit PAL.

"It's really not even about charity. It's about the investment that you're making in our youth," said Shawn Wilson, President and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Detroit.

The Boys and Girls Club showcased their own fashion display at the event, featuring work from students in their fashion design program. Kylin Fordham and Yareli Guzman, both Cass Tech students, displayed garments they created through the program.

"I sewed everything from the jacket to the pants to the vest," Fordham said.

Guzman described how the program has expanded her skills beyond basic sewing.

"We leveled up our skills, and they taught us design software like Adobe, and they taught us how to do designs," Guzman said.

Fordham added that the program teaches both digital and hands-on skills.

"We learned to do designs on Adobe, and I also learned the basic sewing skills, which later challenged me to create a collection or design like this," Fordham said.

Wilson said the charity preview's fundraising makes these programs possible.

"This event raises significant dollars for Boys and Girls Club. It's unrestricted dollars which is really important for us because it allows us to pilot new programs. For example, the fashion industry club didn't exist five years ago. Now it's our number one program," Wilson said.

Fred Hunter, CEO of Detroit PAL, said the collective impact is substantial.

"For all the charities, it was $1.7 million (last year), which is significant," Hunter said. What's significant about this event is that the dollars that come in are unrestricted, so it allows us as an organization to find what is the most important need."

For longtime attendees like Singleton, the charitable aspect is what keeps them coming back.

"I usually always give to the Boys and Girls Club because that's something I participated in when I was younger, and I think it's just so important," Singleton said.

Fordham said the community support means everything to the young people in these programs.

"It just shows that people support the youth and they really want to pour into us, like they believe in us basically," Fordham said.

The auto show opens to the public at 10 a.m. with adult tickets priced at $25.

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.

Metro Detroit cities are cleaning up after Wednesday evening's snowstorm, but whether snowplows will clear residential streets depends on how much snow accumulated on the roads themselves.

Watch Brett Kast's video report below: Some metro Detroit communities aren't plowing residential streets just yet; here's why

In Troy, residents like Kris Picano are scraping ice and clearing snow off their sidewalks and driveways.

"It's been a little bit of a nightmare around here, but we do what we can, still got to get to work," Picano said of metro Detroit road conditions.

While Troy requires residents to clear sidewalks when more than 2 inches of snow falls, the city won't deploy plows to residential streets unless there's at least 4 inches of accumulation on the roadway.

"We are just salting the local roads at this point. We do have a snow policy and part of that policy says it needs to have a 4-inch accumulation or greater to plow local roads," said Kurt Bovensiep, Troy's Public Works director. "I know there's a difference between (sidewalks and) our local road policy, but there is a significant difference between a drivable surface and a pedestrian walkable surface.

Bovensiep explained that crews measure snow accumulation on the actual roadway in the morning, not on porches, driveways or grass. They also consider road passability, noting that in this case, the snow is packed down.

"Even if we were on the local roads plowing, we wouldn't make much impact because our goal is not to get down to bare pavement in local roads, it's just to make it passable. And currently, in my belief, it is passable," Bovensiep said.

Many residents weren't aware of the 4-inch policy, and many Facebook comments questioned the measurement.

"Regardless of how deep the snow is, it's been pretty unsafe conditions. I've seen accidents and things like that," Picano said.

"It seems a bit high. I think more like they would do it after 2 or 3 inches. Four seems a bit high to me," Paul Baeten said.

However, Baeten also noted that road conditions haven't been too problematic.

"Honestly they haven't been bad. I haven't noticed anything too bad," Baeten said. "They were passable. No issues.

Related video: Winter storms are driving up salt prices and creating supply concerns across Metro Detroit High price of salt impacting small businesses

While many other metro Detroit cities declared snow emergencies, nearby communities including Madison Heights and Royal Oak joined Troy in not declaring one. The city of Royal Oak reported in a Facebook post that their roadways measured 2 inches to 2.5 inches of snow, while commenters pointed out the National Weather Service reported 4 inches of snowfall in the city.

"I know theres been some debate whether we actually received 4 inches or greater, Bovensiep said. We measure the road surface, which can be very different than accumulation to someone measuring their deck, their lawn or even their driveway.

Related video: Making the most of a snow day Making the most of a snow day

Bovensiep said they also consider future forecasts when making plowing decisions. With more snow expected Friday, Bovensiep says Troy will likely then surpass the 4-inch threshold, putting plows onto neighborhood streets before the weekend.

"We take it all into consideration. It is a significant expense to go into local roads," Bovensiep said. "I have family (and) friends who live in the city of Troy and their safety is of the utmost importance to me, but also there has to be a balance of being fiduciary responsible and making sure we have the funds to fix the roads in the summertime.

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.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of southwest Detroit Friday night, voicing their anger over the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minnesota woman killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent.

Watch Brett Kast's video report below: Protesters march through southwest Detroit demanding justice for woman killed by ICE agent

What began as a vigil and rally at Clark Park transformed into a march throughout southwest Detroit, with demonstrators taking over West Vernor Highway to demand justice for Good.

"I felt like I needed to get out here. I'm enraged. I'm obviously enraged or else I wouldn't be out here in the cold," protester Bradley Cullinan said.

Many in the crowd shared similar feelings after seeing video of the shooting online.

"I had a visceral reaction. I felt sick to my stomach," Sandra Thake said.

"I watched all day what was happening. As every new angle came out, I watched it. I was horrified to the point I had a stress-induced seizure that night," Amanda Canter said.

Nicole Conaway said she wasn't surprised by the turnout.

"I knew a lot of people are angry and are looking for a way to express that anger, so I'm not surprised by what I see out here," Conaway said.

As protests continue nationwide, Detroit lawmakers are considering action. City Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero said her office has received emails and phone calls from Detroiters about the incident.

"To see whether or not we can limit ICE activity in the city of Detroit in general and if not, if we can do so at least on city-owned properties or sensitive areas like schools, places of worship," Santiago-Romero said. "It's about trying to figure out what we can do in the immediate, what we can do as a city council, if there's an ordinance we need to do, also is there something that the state can do? Can we encourage the state to do more?"

Related video: Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero calls for limits on ICE operations following Minneapolis shooting Detroit councilwoman seeks ICE operation limits after Minneapolis shooting

However, Republicans in Lansing are opposing anti-ICE legislation.

"I'm going to be standing behind our law enforcement officers and making sure they are able to do their job," Sen. Aric Nesbitt said. "We need to stand with law enforcement, we need to ban sanctuary cities, we need to make sure local law enforcement is working with state law enforcement is working with federal law enforcement that's common sense."

Detroit demonstrators expressed both anger and sadness while vowing to honor Good's life.

"The only way to get justice for Renee is to build a movement in the streets. No investigation is going to hold the murderer accountable and even if it did, we know Trump would give him a pardon," Conaway said.

Watch Brett Kast's previous report during a protest in downtown Detroit earlier this week: Protesters march in downtown Detroit following ICE shooting in Minneapolis

"We are standing with you, we feel your pain, we feel your loss, you're not alone and we don't want this to happen again," Thake said.

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.

Protesters gathered outside the ICE field office in Detroit and marched down Michigan Avenue, calling the fatal shooting of a protester by an ICE agent in Minneapolis "unacceptable" and demanding ICE leave Michigan.

Just hours after protests erupted in Minnesota, multiple groups organized a demonstration in downtown Detroit, voicing their anger over the shooting and loudly chanting they want ICE out of Michigan.

Watch Brett Kast's video report below: Protesters march in downtown Detroit following ICE shooting in Minneapolis Watch Ryan Marshall's video report below Protesters march in downtown Detroit following ICE shooting in Minneapolis

Kassandra Rodriguez of the Detroit Community Action Committee planned the protest. Like many marching along, she saw video of the shooting on social media.

"I was disgusted and to be fair, quite angry," Rodriguez said. "This was completely unwarranted and shouldn't have happened.

Steve Conn, a protester, also viewed the video footage.

"I saw the video. It was outrageous, disgusting. It's just murder cold blooded murder," Conn said.

Daanyal Syed, an activist with the Detroit Anti-War Committee, shared similar sentiments.

"I think you can see the video and you can clearly say there's no reason why that ICE officer should've shot that woman at all. It's murder that's what it is," Syed said.

Related video: ICE agent shoots and kills woman during Minneapolis immigration crackdown Woman killed by ICE officer in Minneapolis

Officials on both sides of the isle offered vastly differing responses to the shooting. Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain posted on X: "This is what happens when Democrats continue to DEMONIZE LAW ENFORCEMENT."

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, saying the woman who was shot "was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self defense."

Meanwhile, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan called the shooting horrific and avoidable.

"The Department of Homeland Security's public statements about this incident are not only reckless they appear to be outright falsehoods. If this Administration can label anyone a domestic terrorist to deflect responsibility, then every American is at risk. Video evidence indicates that this was an unacceptable use of deadly force," Peters said.

As protesters in Detroit responded to the shooting, they echoed their calls for ICE to leave Michigan and also called for Detroit to become a sanctuary city.

"It's up to all of us to respond and let people know that this is not something we're going to accept or tolerate or let alone let happen here in Detroit," Rodriguez said.

But Sen. Aric Nesbitt, the Republican Senate leader in Lansing, called for the opposite approach.

"We need to stand with law enforcement, we need to ban sanctuary cities, we need to make sure that local law enforcement is working with state law enforcement is working with federal law enforcement. That's common sense," Nesbitt said. I welcome law enforcement... to do their job, enforce our laws and make sure every criminal illegal alien is deported from this country.

As ICE operations continue, so too do the protests.

"This is a moment in history. You must stand up for yourselves, for your community, the immigrants, all of us together," Conn said.

The group protesting said they plan to show up at a Jan. 13 Detroit City Council meeting, pushing for Detroit to become a sanctuary city.

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.