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Once-charming mountain escape now battling homelessness homeowners say turned postcard city into no-go zone
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For years, Asheville, North Carolina, marketed itself as a mountain escape known for breweries, boutique hotels and Blue Ridge views. But residents and critics say a different reality has taken shape in the wake of Hurricane Helene: panhandling at intersections, public intoxication, encampments and an unsafe downtown.
Carl Mumpower, a private practice clinical psychologist, lifelong Asheville resident and former City Council member who served from 2001 until 2009, said the city’s current challenges stem from decisions made over decades.
“Asheville began its efforts to address homelessness at least three decades ago. This effort accelerated in the early part of this century with the first ‘Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness,’” Mumpower told Fox News Digital.
“That plan was ill advised but passed with a super-majority. At the time, I suggested to the council that any plan that removed personal accountability from the helping equation was doomed to fail.”
LEFTIST LAWMAKERS WANT TO MAKE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS A NATIONWIDE CRISIS
Mumpower said the city has continued down the same path ever since.
“That plan and subsequent plans have failed with equal enthusiasm. Homelessness, drug abuse, and related crimes have increased relentlessly under the watch of local homelessness experts and a governing body that is dominated by liberal Democrats and those with an even more extreme view to the left. That lack of balance — the last conservative on the council was in 2009 — has led to a myopic repeat of errors.”
He also argued that city leaders relied on ideas that were not grounded in practical solutions.
“As regards homelessness, Asheville has a persisting history of pursuing fantasized interventions over more realistic, measurable and trackable solutions.”
The Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care, the local, government-supported coalition responsible for coordinating federal homelessness planning and services in Asheville and Buncombe County, said homelessness in the region is at its highest level on record in its latest count.
Data from the group’s 2026 Point-in-Time survey found 824 people experiencing homelessness, a 9.1% increase from 2025. That included 334 people living unsheltered, up 1.8% from the prior year. Nearly 500 others were in shelters or transitional housing, a rise the Continuum of Care attributed partly to expanded emergency shelter and transitional housing capacity.
These “fantasize interventions,” Mumpower said, were accompanied by the city’s pursuit of defunding the police department.
“The council’s political dismantling of the police department — resulting in a 40% reduction due to retirements and resignations — has had a dramatic impact on crime in Asheville,” he said. “Most ‘smaller’ crimes are no longer enforced or realistically tracked, and return on investment costs have skyrocketed. We have officers who earned over $150,000 in overtime last year due to manpower shortages. Enforcement is not possible without adequate, motivated personnel.”
“The direct impact on residents is increased and unenforced crime, direct exposure to intoxication and violent street behaviors, and burdensome taxes and fees to chase the recycled program pretenses.”
Mumpower said many local residents have simply stopped going downtown.
“The single most common phrase uttered by county and surrounding area residents is ‘I don’t go downtown anymore – it’s nasty, crazy, and scary,’” he said.
He said tourism also suffers when disorder becomes more visible in the city center.
“Tourism is impacted, and those we attract are often coming here not as families, but as partiers seeking to join the fray.”
The issue has taken on added urgency in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which devastated parts of western North Carolina in September 2024.
Michael Whatley, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, said the storm worsened hardship in the region and exposed failures in the government response.
“The biggest issue set that we’ve been dealing with, obviously, is the hurricane relief coming on the heels of Hurricane Helene and the fact that the Biden administration and Roy Cooper, when he was governor, failed miserably to help that situation in terms of following the hurricane,” Whatley told Fox News Digital.
Whatley said that the administration’s clearance of relief funds will assist residents to get back on their feet.
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“As part of President Trump’s government response, $1.4B was made available by HUD for housing relief,” Whatley said. “And there also has been over the last month or so a lot of movement with FEMA in terms of the disaster relief that they’re providing to homeowners there.”
“We’re certainly not ready to hang up a mission accomplished sign by any stretch of the imagination. But federal relief that has been put into Western North Carolina is substantially more than has ever been given into North Carolina as a result of any storm by the federal government.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the City of Asheville said that officials continue to focus on public safety.
“This month we launched the Asheville Police Department’s Downtown Plan which will essentially double police patrols downtown – increasing day and overnight patrols and, in some cases, responding along with trained mental health counselors. Our REST Team program is an operational response to mitigate the effects of homelessness,” the city said. “It uses specially trained Asheville Fire Department staff to engage with concerned residents and people experiencing homelessness to problem-solve and connect them to resources.”
A city spokesperson also noted that officials expanded their panhandling ordinance and continue working with community partners like the Asheville Downtown Association and its ADID program.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Cooper’s campaign, the Asheville’s mayor office and the police department for comment.
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Masked burglary crews terrorizing ritzy neighborhoods show ‘they’re doing their homework,’ veteran cop warns
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A fast-moving burglary spree is unfolding across Los Angeles, with thieves targeting some of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods and striking multiple communities over the past week — even as police flood the area with patrols.
The latest incidents unfolded Wednesday night in the San Fernando Valley, where burglars hit homes in Studio City and Toluca Lake and targeted a commercial property in a separate theft that led to a police chase.
The violence escalated Thursday night when a woman in her 70s was strangled during a home invasion in the Hollywood Hills, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The suspects, described as at least two masked men, fled with cash and jewelry and remain on the run.
Those break-ins are the most recent in a pattern that began around April 10, with similar crimes reported across Sherman Oaks, Encino, North Hollywood and surrounding communities, in some cases with homes hit within minutes of each other.
HOMEOWNERS IN LEAFY ENCLAVES HIT BY BURGLARS ZEROING IN ON HIGH-END HOMES FOR SMASH-AND-GRAB SCORES
‘They’re looking at opportunity — not zip codes’
Former LAPD investigator Moses Castillo said the scope and speed of the crimes point to a broader shift in how burglars are operating.
“We used to think high-end neighborhoods were exempt from crime…that’s no longer the case,” Castillo told Fox News Digital. “You’re not safe anywhere anymore, especially in affluent areas.”
“These criminals aren’t looking at zip codes — they’re looking at opportunity.”
Highly organized and doing their homework
Castillo said the pattern suggests many of these burglars are strategic, often researching homes and victims in advance.
“They’re doing their homework — tracking patterns, watching when people are home or away,” he said.
That preparation, Castillo said, can start online.
“If you’re posting your valuables, your lifestyle…you’re making yourself a target,” Castillo warned. “If you can find your information online, so can they.”
He added that some crews use lookouts and real-time communication to move quickly and avoid police detection.
Why the crimes keep spreading
The pattern of burglaries across multiple neighborhoods may reflect how suspects adapt when enforcement intensifies.
TECH-SAVVY THIEVES EXPLOIT OBITS, ONLINE POSTS TO STRIKE HOMES WHILE FAMILIES GRIEVE, EXPERT WARNS
“These crime waves last as long as the suspects are still out there,” Castillo said. “If an area gets too hot, they just move to the next neighborhood.”
That mobility may help explain why communities across the Valley have continued to see break-ins, even as patrols increase.
A violation that goes beyond theft
For victims, the impact goes far beyond stolen property.
“People describe this as a ‘house rape’ — a complete violation of their home,” Castillo said. “It’s not just about what’s taken. It’s that someone invaded your sanctuary.”
He said many victims struggle to feel safe again after a break-in, with some choosing to leave their homes altogether.
Risk of escalation
Castillo warned the danger increases if homeowners encounter suspects during a burglary.
“If you walk in during a burglary, you can become a victim of violence,” Castillo said. “These crimes can escalate — home invasions, assaults, even kidnappings.”
He also described cases in which suspects used a ruse to get victims to open the door.
RESIDENTS IN EXCLUSIVE ENCLAVE DEMAND DEM MAYOR ACT ON CRIME SURGE
“They’ll use a ruse… knock on the door, get you to open it and then it’s over,” he said.
Police response and pressure to stop the spree
The LAPD has increased patrols, deployed air support and license plate readers, and expanded coordination across units in response to the spike.
Mayor Karen Bass said the city is taking a zero-tolerance approach.
“The safety of every Angeleno is my number one priority,” Bass said. “The City has zero tolerance for these recent burglaries.”
But despite the increased presence, the break-ins have continued, leaving residents on edge.
What it will take to stop it
Castillo said enforcement alone will not be enough to stop the spree.
“Police can’t do it alone, it’s going to take the community,” he said. “If you see something, even if you’re not sure, call it in. That could be the break that blows the case wide open.”
What residents can do now
As the spree stretches across multiple communities, Castillo said homeowners should take extra precautions.
“Don’t rely solely on cameras or basic alarm systems,” he cautioned, warning that some burglars may cut power and compromise them. “Be vigilant.”
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He also urged residents to be mindful of what they share publicly.
“Sometimes we are our own worst enemies,” Castillo said. “Whatever you can find about yourself online, they can too.”
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Emails reveal reality TV crew’s behind-the-scenes access to sheriff now leading Nancy Guthrie probe
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FIRST ON FOX: The Pima County Sheriff’s Department worked closely with a reality TV crew to provide footage and access to deputies — including video of arrests and use-of-force incidents that raised internal concerns — according to emails obtained by Fox News Digital.
The emails also reveal that the head of the department’s homicide and cold case units had been rotated out in the year before the suspected abduction of Nancy Guthrie from her home in Tucson’s Catalina Foothills. Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of “Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been kidnapped months after filming for the show ended.
A June 18, 2025 email from show producer Amanda Riley shows she asked for the contacts of the sergeants running several units. In a reply two days later, Capt. Robert Koumal informed her that “the department has experienced some rotational re-assignments since last year,” and revealed that the leader of every team she’d asked about had changed.
DNA TESTING IN NANCY GUTHRIE CASE COULD TAKE MONTHS BUT MAY BE FAST-TRACKED, EXPERT SAYS
More than 220 pages of emails between PCSD officials and the show’s producers show behind-the-scenes exchanges in the creation of a reality show featuring a sheriff’s department that would soon become a household name as the Guthrie case played out. Her whereabouts remained unknown as of Friday.
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Some incidents included use-of-force and other behavioral concerns, including discussions over whether to provide bodycam where deputies were swearing to the show. In one case, authorities appeared concerned about an altercation in which the involved deputy didn’t start recording until after the fight with a suspect had ended.
Read the emails:
The emails were shared between members of the PCSD, its public information office, and producers from Twenty Twenty Productions, who worked on the A&E show, “Desert Law.” The series focuses on law enforcement in Pima County’s Sonoran Desert.
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While the TV crew went on a series of ride-alongs with PCSD patrols, show producers were generally interested in bodycam and other police-obtained video. They asked for a public information officer to be available to drive a marked SUV in order to create background footage, known as “B-roll.” Koumal agreed in a July 1 email, suggesting a deputy “take our new Tahoe.”
The producers also requested information from an infamous local case, the 1996 murder of Gary Triano.
Triano died in an explosion in the Catalina Foothills after his wife, Pamela Phillips, hired a hitman to plant a pipe bomb in his Lincoln Town Car. It exploded while he was driving home from a golf course. Friends and family were waiting to surprise him with a birthday party.
She was convicted in 2014 and is serving a life prison sentence, as is the bomber, Ron Young, who was arrested after a 2005 episode of “America’s Most Wanted.”
LISTEN TO THE NEW ‘CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO’ PODCAST
Koumal, the captain overseeing the sheriff’s community services division and records management, also sent out a note encouraging deputies to proactively reach out to the show producers “if any incidents occur.”
Producer Tom Olney praised the cooperation, writing, “thank you as ever for all your continued support, its amazing and absolutely the best I’ve ever received from any law enforcement department!”
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
He also repeatedly voiced concerns about the wait time for bodycam records and offered to discuss ways to expedite and prioritize the footage to meet show deadlines. In some cases, he asked for his newer requests to be replaced ahead of older ones, a request that officials granted at least once.
It’s unclear from the provided emails whether any of the TV crew’s requests took priority over those from the public.
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It would be unusual for records keepers to allow certain requesters to skip the line. Typically, agencies process public records requests on a first-come, first-served basis.
The emails were sent between July and December 2025, well before the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, whose Feb. 1 disappearance from her home in the Catalina Foothills remains unsolved. PCSD is the lead agency on that case.
UsaLocalNews
US military kills two suspected narco-terrorists in strike on drug-trafficking vessel in the Pacific
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The U.S. military carried out a lethal strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific on Friday, killing two suspected narco-terrorists, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).
“On April 24, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations,” SOUTHCOM said in a post on X.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the post continued. “Two male narco-terrorists were killed during this action.”
No U.S. military forces were harmed.
ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED AS US FORCES STRIKE SUSPECTED DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN
SOUTHCOM did not immediately provide additional details about the identities of those killed or the specific groups involved.
The U.S. military has carried out numerous strikes in recent months on suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations.
The strike comes less than a week after SOUTHCOM said it conducted a similar operation in the Caribbean, killing three suspected narco-terrorists.
US, ECUADOR LAUNCH JOINT OPERATIONS TARGETING NARCO-TERROR GROUPS: SOUTHCOM
Earlier this month, the military struck a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing four alleged narco-terrorists, SOUTHCOM said.
SOUTHCOM is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests.
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The Eastern Pacific remains a key corridor for narcotics trafficking, with cartels often using small, fast-moving vessels to transport drugs toward the U.S. and Central America.
Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
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Grinning suspect cuffed after alleged fiery street takeover, drag race caught on camera
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A driver who allegedly helped wreak havoc during a “reckless” drag-racing street takeover was paraded out of his apartment in handcuffs.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the arrest of 22-year-old Asil Assaidi on Thursday. Assaidi was charged with reckless endangerment and riot following a series of “dangerous, fiery driving stunts” near two New York City gas stations on April 18.
“Too often there are no consequences in the criminal justice system for this type of outrageous behavior,” New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. “Clearly, it’s time for that to change.
“My hope and expectation is that Asil Assaidi will be held fully accountable for his actions,” she said.
NYPD INVESTIGATING ‘RECKLESS’ DRAG RACING STREET TAKEOVER IN QUEENS
Assaidi, who grinned widely as he was led out of an NYPD stationhouse on his way to court for his arraignment, did not have any prior arrests, police said. People believed to be his friends were also pictured as the suspect was captured leaving the station.
WATCH: Drag racing suspects cause chaos in NYC street takeover
The district attorney’s office said that Assaidi participated in a drag-racing street takeover involving more than 100 vehicles in Queens that triggered an NYPD investigation.
The incident was reported shortly before 2 a.m. near Eliot Avenue and 69th Street, according to the NYPD. One of the participants waved a Palestinian flag out the car window while screeching around the intersection.
When officers arrived at the scene, they activated their lights and sirens to disperse the crowd. Dozens of vehicles then fled the area.
Queens Criminal Court Judge Indira Khan ordered Assaidi to return to court May 14. If convicted of the top charge, Assaidi faces up to seven years in prison.
Authorities allege that Assaidi was operating a blue Infiniti G37 with a dark hood panel and missing front bumper during the street racing.
Assaidi, they allege, drove the car in circles around the intersection, nearly colliding with several people standing nearby. Skid marks formed on the road surface and smoke and sparks were produced from the rear end of the car, police said.
An individual poured liquid onto the ground and ignited a ring of flames between Assaidi’s car and the crowd.
The suspect, authorities allege, repeated the reckless driving with a second driver in a silver vehicle that included a second ring of flames in front of the crowd.
During the incident, a few people also allegedly jumped on the hood of an NYPD vehicle, causing damage and cracking the windshield before fleeing the scene in a black car.
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No injuries were reported in connection with the drag-racing incident.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the NYPD for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
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Texas substitute teacher accused of improper relationship with student, alarming parents
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A former substitute teacher in Texas was arrested and charged with an “improper relationship” with a student, authorities said.
According to a Facebook post from the Llano County Sheriff’s Department, Angela Palmares, 27, was arrested after the Llano Independent School District notified authorities Tuesday of an alleged relationship between her and a student. The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Palmares is being held on a $150,000 bond, according to jail records.
The Llano Independent School District notified authorities of the alleged relationship, prompting the investigation.
NEW JERSEY TEACHER WHO SLEPT WITH STUDENTS AT FAMILY BAGEL SHOP LEARNS PRISON SENTENCE
Following the report, the teacher, who last worked for the district on April 2, was removed from the district’s list of available substitutes.
According to a letter the Llano Independent School District superintendent, Mac Edwards, sent to families, the former substitute engaged in “inappropriate communication with students, specifically through a social media platform outside of the school day.”
Edwards said in his letter to families that the district has been in contact with families of students who may have been affected.
“The district takes all allegations of this nature extremely seriously and remains committed to providing a safe and supportive environment to students,” he said. “At this time, we are unable to provide additional details due to personnel and student privacy considerations.”
Further details were not provided by the school district or the sheriff’s office.
The Llano County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division began investigating the allegations Wednesday, and after conducting interviews and reviewing evidence, the investigation led to an arrest warrant.
The Criminal Investigation Division, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Public Safety Fusion Center, located Palmares in Bell County.
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“Palmares has been charged with Improper Relationship between an Educator and a Student, a 2nd Degree Felony,” the Facebook post read.
The investigation remains ongoing as the sheriff’s office asks anyone who may be a victim or who has information related to the case to contact the Llano County Sheriff’s Office and request to speak with an investigator in the Criminal Investigation Division.
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