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Man punched by bouncer; Father, children killed in Kensington fire, Lehigh County Borough water lawsuit

By FOX 29 Staff
Updated  April 25, 2022 7:16pm EDT
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FOX 29 Philadelphia

THE RUNDOWN: 

1. Charges expected in deadly assault outside Philadelphia bar, sources say

PHILADELPHIA – Law enforcement sources tell FOX 29 that criminal charges are expected in a deadly assault that happened outside a Philadelphia bar earlier this month.

Police say surveillance video shows from Apr. 16 shows 41-year-old Eric Pope being escorted out of Tabu Lounge and Sports bar in Center City around 1 a.m. for being overly intoxicated. While standing along South 12th Street, police say the bouncer punched him, knocking him to the ground unconscious.

The video records Pope lying on the ground for a minute. The bouncers move him to the sidewalk where he stays for several more minutes. A crowd eventually forms around him and the video ends.

Police say Pope died at the hospital one week later, Saturday, April 23.

2. 'He died a hero': Father, 3 children killed in Kensington rowhome fire

PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia father was killed in a rowhome fire when neighbors say he went back into the inferno to search for his three children who also perished. 

The School District of Philadelphia on Monday identified the young victims of the fire as Yamalier, 5, Yadriel, 9, and 12-year-old Alexangel. Authorities say the children, along with their father Alexis, died in a fire that erupted in a rowhome on the 3200 block of Hartville Street around 2 a.m. Sunday.

Neighbors say Alexis told his wife to escape out a window while he went into the home to search for their children. The mother ended up being the only member of the family to escape the blaze. 

"He had a chance to jump out, but he ended up telling his wife to jump out of the window. He’ll get the children, so he died a hero," a neighbor who asked to remain anonymous said.

The Philadelphia Fire Department said it has installed 4200 smoke alarms since December, with 5700 requests for alarms still to be installed. 

The four deaths push the number of people killed in fires in Philadelphia this year to 21, including the nine children and three adults killed in January's tragic Fairmount apartment fire. 

3. Elon Musk buys Twitter in $44 billion deal

SAN FRANCISCO – Elon Musk reached an agreement to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion on Monday, promising a more lenient touch to policing content on the social media platform where he — the world's richest person — promotes his interests, attacks critics and opines on a wide range of issues to more than 83 million followers.

The outspoken Tesla CEO has said he wanted to own and privatize Twitter because he thinks it’s not living up to its potential as a platform for free speech.

Musk said in a joint statement with Twitter that he wants to make the service "better than ever" with new features, such as getting rid of automated "spam'' accounts and making its algorithms open to the public to increase trust.

"Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated," the 50-year-old Musk said, adding hearts, stars and rocket emojis in a tweet that highlighted the statement.

4. A Lehigh Valley Borough is suing several companies after possible water contamination

Borough of Emmaus says two of its water wells have been contaminated by a nearby fire facility. 

EMMAUS, Pa. - A Lehigh Valley Borough is suing nearly 2 dozen companies that make foam used to put out fires because officials in the borough say that the toxic chemicals found in the foam were also found in its water supply. 

The Borough of Emmaus is alleging that two of the borough's wells became contaminated from a nearby fire-fighting facility. They're saying that the foam, which was used at the facility for more than 50 years, seeped into the ground and contaminated the water wells. 

Officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say that when they tested the water wells of Emmaus last year, they found well over the 70 parts per trillion of cancer-causing chemicals that the EPA deems safe. 

In one of the wells, which is 150 feet away from the fire facility, the EPA say they found 456 parts per trillion of the chemicals. When they tested another nearby well, they found 111 parts per trillion of the chemicals. 

The chemicals are referred to as PFAS, and they are a combination of 40 to 80 different chemicals, which are basically different types of acids in the water, according to Manager of Emmaus, Shane Pepe. PFAS are often called "forever chemicals" because they do not dissolve overtime and a common water filter will not get rid of them. 

5. Police investigating apparent murder-suicide at Chester County home

MARLBOROUGH TWP. – Authorities say two adults and a child were killed in an apparent murder-suicide at a home in Chester County. 

Officers from the East Marlborough Township Police Department went to a home on Federal Walk in Kennett Square Monday for a wellness check. 

Police say a 55-year-old man, a 50-year-old woman and a 12-year-old were found shot to death. 

Police found multiple spent shell casings and a semi-automatic handgun at the home. Investigators later learned that there was a history of domestic violence at the home.

"We are doing a thorough investigation into the events that led up to this horrible incident," East Marlborough Township Police Chief Robert Clarke said.

Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan called the apparent murder-suicide an "inconceivable tragedy."

6. Weather Authority: Blustery, mid-week temperatures lead into a pleasant weekend

Meteorologist Kathy Orr has the Monday, 5 p.m. weather update. 

PHILADELPHIA – Winds from the East will keep temperatures in the 50s and low 60s across the Delaware Valley Monday evening.

Clouds will keep temperatures mild overnight, but they will rise tomorrow with an average high of 68.

High of 72 in Philadelphia tomorrow afternoon, with showers and clouds moving in. 

After Tuesday, we have a dry week with blustery temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday. 

Northern parts of Pennsylvania have unexpected snow on the radar Wednesday afternoon.

Mild temperatures will return to the 60s and will lead us into a mostly sunny and pleasant weekend. 

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