Latest news with #graduationparty
CBS News
01-07-2025
- CBS News
Suburban Chicago woman says she paid $390 deposit for food truck that never came to party
Family says they were scammed after taco truck was a no-show at graduation party Family says they were scammed after taco truck was a no-show at graduation party Family says they were scammed after taco truck was a no-show at graduation party The arrival of a food truck was supposed to be a highlight of one Lake County, Illinois, family's graduation party — but when the food truck they booked didn't show, it turned into a heartbreaking lesson. The family said they wanted to share their story so others don't make the same mistake. "When I woke up the next day, I thought, I can't let this happen to another family," said scam victim Kim Koukal of Antioch. Koukal had a warning to other would-be taco truck customers that the man who recruited her business never showed up to the family's Saturday graduation party. Days later, her daughter's graduation gown was still hanging in their home — in room shared by some paper plates that never got used because the taco truck never came. "Because other families are going to have parties, and I didn't want any other child to be disappointed like my daughter was," Koukal said. Koukal said she was contacted by a man using the name Arnold Vallejo and Arnold's Taco Truck when she looked for vendors on a food truck Facebook group. She said she signed the contract Vallejo sent, and sent him $390 via Zelle as a deposit — a figure amounting to half the total estimate for his services. But communication slowed as the party approached, and a last call to confirm the event was never returned. "Nothing. And then the afternoon, nothing, and the evening, nothing," said Koukal, "and then I started to get sick to my stomach. I could not sleep." CBS News Chicago got a hold of that food truck vendor by phone. He said he didn't make the appointment because he is currently hospitalized, and will be refunding her money. But CBS News Chicago also found evidence of similar situations with other customers of Arnold's Taco Truck going back years. In September 2022, the Better Business Bureau investigated another complaint alleging the truck never showed to an appointment. Vallejo said that was not his business on the complaint, but the phone number and web address matched photos posted on Facebook. Koukal found more Facebook users who claimed Vallejo never showed. He did not respond to CBS News Chicago's questions about those. "I thought she did really amazing despite the last-minute changes," Koukal's daughter, recent graduate Madison Koukal, said of her mom's efforts. "I thought she made the most of it, and it was really good." Koukal's daughters and friends said they still had fun. "It goes down in the history, a little story now," said recent graduate Lily Loos. "But I honestly think like, if you showed up, and you didn't know there was supposed to be a taco truck, like, you probably wouldn't have known." But Kim Koukal wants to make sure nobody else spends hundreds of dollars with no food to show for it. "Well, at least I had all those appetizers," she said. The food truck owner said he was going to refund Kim Koukal immediately. But as of Monday night, he still had not done so.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
4 shot at Portsmouth graduation party, police say
On Sunday at about 11:44 p.m., Portsmouth Police Department responded to a shooting at a graduation party in the 400 block of Viking Street, according to a release. Officers located four people with gunshot wounds at the scene: two adults and two juveniles. They were transported to a hospital and are expected to recover. There are no further details at this time.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police: 2 adults, 2 kids shot during graduation party
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Portsmouth police are working to learn who shot two adults and two children at a graduation party on Saturday night. Law enforcement officials said they responded to the 400 block of Viking Street at 11:44 p.m. on Saturday after someone reported a shooting at the party. When police arrived, they said they found four people, two adults and two kids, who'd been hurt. All four were rushed to a local hospital and are expected to recover. No information on a possible suspect has been released by police as of Sunday morning. If you have any information about this case, you can submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, downloading the P3 tips app to a mobile device, or visiting and submitting a tip. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Yahoo
Teenager dead, 3 injured in partial structural collapse at Portsmouth Portuguese club
PORTSMOUTH – Authorities say a 15-year-old girl died and three other people suffered significant injury after a partial structural collapse at the Portuguese American Citizens Club during a graduation party on Saturday, June 7. Officials said multiple people were trapped when a concrete stairwell leading into the Power Street building collapsed. Police and fire crews from multiple communities responded to the scene where about 75 people had gathered for the evening celebration. The injured included two 17-year-old girls and a 49-year-old woman. All were taken to Rhode Island Hospital. No identities were immediately released. Gov. Dan McKee said on social media his office was closely monitoring the situation: 'Our hearts are with the Portuguese community and all those impacted. I'm deeply grateful to the first responders and praying for everyone's safety.' Said U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo in a similar post: 'My thoughts are with the family of the young victim killed and those injured in the tragic accident at the Portuguese American Citizens Club in Portsmouth this evening. Thank you to the first responders and local officials leading the response. My team stands ready to help in any way possible.' The incident is under investigation. This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Teenager dies, 3 injured in partial collapse at Portsmouth RI club
CBS News
08-06-2025
- CBS News
15-year-old girl dead, and 3 injured after partial building collapse in Rhode Island
A 15-year-old girl has died, and three others are injured after a building partially collapsed during a graduation party in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, on Saturday. It happened just after 5:30 p.m. at the Portuguese American Citizens Club located on Power Street. Police said that 75 people were in the building at the time of the collapse and that they received reports of people trapped underneath the front stairwell. "It appears that they were on the landing and then the landing collapsed," Portsmouth assistant fire chief Howie Tighe said. Two 17-year-old girls and a 49-year-old woman were injured in the incident, according to fire officials. All three were taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence with significant injuries. There is no update on their condition. "So the immediate rescue of two of the injured parties was pretty quick. They weren't necessarily trapped in a real complicated manner," Tighe said. "Then there were the two that were significantly trapped, and obviously one of them took upwards of 45 to 50 minutes because of the amount of cribbing we had to do, trying to lift the concrete wall up because she was trapped underneath it." Several towns' fire departments and first responders assisted with the incident. Governor responds to partial building collapse "Our hearts are with the Portuguese community and all those impacted. I'm deeply grateful to the first responders and praying for everyone's safety," Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee said on social media. Police are investigating what led to the collapse, but said they had ruled out rumors of a car crash. None of the victims have been identified. Portsmouth, Rhode Island, is approximately 20 minutes from Newport and 30 minutes from Providence.
