🌱 Teen Charged With Robbery + 8th Grader Given Laced Candy In School

Hello again, friends. It's Saturday in Birmingham and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

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But first, today's weather:

Cooler with rain beginning. High: 52 Low: 36.

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Here are the top four stories in Birmingham today:

1. Taylor Montijo, 18, was charged with two accounts of first-degree robbery that happened mid-December in connection to a spate of robberies targeting Hispanics. East Precinct officers learned of the warrants and searched for Montijo until he was taken into custody early Friday morning around 1 a.m. in the 800 block of Park Brook Trail. He was booked without bond in the Jefferson County jail. It is believed Hispanic individuals are being targeted because they often carry large amounts of cash and are reluctant to notify the police; police have investigated more than 40 robberies of Hispanic victims since October. Police are still searching for Jakobie Deontay Smith, who has been charged with 32 counts of first-degree robbery and is believed to be connected to the group. (AL.com)
2. West Elementary School has considered children's mental health concerns, adopting Merlin, a 4-year-old lab trained to help with mental stress. Merlin was adopted last year by Service Dogs of Alabama and spent years receiving the necessary training to be a stress-relief dog. According to Dawn Norris, when other methods of de-stressing a child seem hopeless, Merlin comes in with 100 percent efficiency and helps the situation. Whether it is trouble in school, at home, or just going through the events of growing, Merlin is there to support students and bring the best out of them. Studies show that based on information gathered from parents, teachers, and medical professionals, over 80 percent are concerned with mental health for Alabama kids between the age of 6 and 13. (WBHM)
3. A Jefferson County mother is outraged due to her child in 8th grade being given laced candy in school. Jasmaine Deloach received a call from Rudd Middle School that her son had fallen asleep, and no one was able to wake him up; when she arrived at the school, her son was unconscious. Ms. Deloach was more angered that the school nurse or anyone in the classroom called the ambulance while all of this was happening, as something was wrong with her child; she felt the school failed her son. They are still awaiting the full toxicity report, but initial reports showed that her son had THC in his system, an active ingredient in marijuana. (WVTM13 Birmingham)

Today in Birmingham:

• Thunderstruck Dance At Alabama Theatre (8:30 AM)
• Library Love Tiny Art Show At Avondale Regional Branch Library (9:00 AM)
• Black History Storywalk At Springville Road Regional Branch Library (9:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Birmingham wouldn't be what it is today without the efforts of its youth. Join Mayor Woodfin and friends this morning to learn more about the next youth movement in Birmingham. (City of Birmingham Government via Instagram)
• The Birmingham Public Library offers over 70 Black History Month programs this month! Find the booklet of events on the library's website and join in celebrating Black history! (Birmingham Public Library via Facebook)
• Here’s some Super Bowl weekend trivia for you: Birmingham ranks 15th in the nation for top NFL athlete hometowns, with 123 NFL players and 24 Super Bowl players hailing from our city since the 1966-67 season. Check out more Alabama Super Bowl stats in this new BeenVerified study. (BeenVerified)

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Featured events:

• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (February 16)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. I'll see you soon!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.