MIDDLETOWN, Ohio —

The anguish being felt in Manati, Puerto Rico, is resonating with people in Middletown, Ohio, where Nitza Valderrama lived and worked.

"When I saw the news, I started to cry, and I just don't believe it," said Zairelishka Huertas.

The 11-year-old said Valderrama was like an aunt to her. She said she was beautiful and kind.

"We were just so close, and I never knew anything like this could happen. I just thought she was going to come back because I've been waiting for her," Zairelishka said.

Valderrama was killed on Friday while visiting family in Puerto Rico.

Her ex-partner, Amnerie Manzano Diaz, was arrested and charged with murder.

Investigators in Puerto Rico said Diaz showed up at a police department with Valderrama's body in her car and admitted to shooting her.

"I'm very teary inside my heart right now. I'm not going to see this wonderful person again," said Lewis Booker, Valderrama's neighbor.

Neighbors and close friends are heartbroken.

They said Valderrama was a Christian who was active in her church.

They said she was also a thrill seeker who went skydiving in April and was already looking forward to jumping again.

Above all, friends said she loved children and was very excited to land a job as a bilingual specialist at Rosa Parks Elementary School in Middletown.

"She worked really hard, and she had everything. She was going to live the American dream, and it was taken way too soon from her," said Mary Moore, a friend of Valderrama's.

Tuesday afternoon, loved ones gathered outside Valderrama's home. They honored her life with a balloon release. There were also whispers of "Happy birthday in heaven," as Tuesday would have been her 32nd birthday.

A woman died and a man was rescued in Utah's Zion National Park, officials said.

Shuttle drivers reported seeing the injured man and a non-responsive woman in the Narrows on Nov. 23.

The Narrows is the narrowest section of Zion Canyon.

"This gorge, with walls a thousand feet tall and the river sometimes just twenty to thirty feet wide, is one of the most popular areas in Zion National Park," the park service states.

Rescue teams responded and found the man. He was taken to the park's emergency operation center for treatment. The non-responsive woman was first located by a group of visitors, officials said. They reportedly performed CPR on her, but she was declared dead once a rescue team arrived.

Authorities will determine the woman's exact cause of death.

The National Parks Service is waiving entry fees at all national parks on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

“The entrance fee-free days encourage people to discover the beauty, history and inspiration awaiting them in more than 400 national parks throughout the country," said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.

National parks are a popular attraction for Americans.

In 2021, nearly 300 million people visiting a national park, according to the NPS.

National Parks are also an economic driver. They support more than 322,000 jobs across the country and add $42 billion to the economy, NPS states.

Entry fees will also be waived on several other days in 2023:

• April 22 – First Day of National Park Week  
• August 4 – Great American Outdoors Day  
• September 23 – National Public Lands Day  
• November 11 – Veterans Day  

One statistic tells the whole story pretty well: 15 feet of snow.

Some parts of Yosemite National Park are buried under that much frozen precipitation. As a result, the entire park is closed.

And the National Park Service (NPS) has yet to announce when it might open back up.

Pictures on a recent tweet from Yosemite's official Twitter account show the pile-up, with some buildings half-buried.

On its website Thursday afternoon, the park said: "Yosemite has experienced significant snowfall in all areas of the park, resulting in snow depths up to 15 feet in some areas.

"Park crews are working to restore critical services so visitors can safely return. There is no estimated date for reopening."

Some other full and partial closures

Yosemite, nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains, is not the only NPS site affected by the recent winter storms. Others are also closed, either fully or partially.

Here's a look at the status of some other popular places in California as of 4 p.m. PT Thursday:

• Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks: To the south of Yosemite, "nearly all park roads remain closed while road crews continue working to recover from winter storms."

• Redwood National and State Parks: In far Northern California on the Pacific Coast, you're still mostly out of luck. "Due to multiple storms causing downed trees and power outages, there are closures throughout the park."

Desert areas haven't necessarily fared better.

• Mojave National Preserve: All roads in the preserve have been closed since Wednesday and will stay closed until further notice, the preserve says on its website. "Please do not drive in the area or go around barricades. Travel in the eastern Mojave region is very unsafe."

Its Twitter account showed a video of near-blizzard conditions there on Wednesday.

• Death Valley National Park: Even California's proverbial oven has been affected, with some roads closed because of winter storm conditions. Other roads and trails are still closed because of "damage and debris from major flooding this summer."

There are bright spots, however.

• Joshua Tree National Park: Not far from Palm Springs, this park reopened Thursday after a brief closure. "All the main roads are now open. Campgrounds, visitor centers and hiking trails are open. Water and ice may be present on the roads; drive cautiously. All dirt roads are closed and will reopen when cleared.

• California state parks: As of Thursday afternoon, 14 state parks were fully closed, and another 34 were partially closed. But with more than 280 park units in the system, plenty of options remain. Click here for the latest updates.

Beyond California

It's not just the Golden State grappling with winter weather.

For instance, Grand Canyon National Park warned would-be visitors on Thursday morning: "Postpone travel today. There are many regional road closures this morning. All trails into Grand Canyon and footpaths along the rim are snow-packed and icy. Foot traction is advised."

The bottom line: Check any park's site before heading out. (Well, Everglades is a pretty safe bet regarding winter weather right now.)

And remember that just because a park remains open, it may not be easy to access. Be sure your vehicle is winter-ready and that you're well-equipped with the proper gear and clothing.

Police agencies across the Tri-State are looking for men who they said have been targeting elderly people in several recent thefts – some of those victims were chosen while visiting loved ones at a local cemetery.

The Montgomery Police Department are telling people across the area to be on alert after a string of thefts at cemeteries and parks across the region.

Multiple thefts happened at Gate of Heaven Cemetery on Montgomery Road in June and July. The suspects targeted elderly victims – one who said more than $10,000 in charges to her credit card appeared after someone stole a purse out of her car.

“I think it’s scary and sad that someone’s going to visit a relative in the cemetery and they would have to worry about that,” Symmes Township resident Alison Moss said.

According to police reports, witnesses saw a man drive around Gate of Heaven Cemetery before getting out of his car, crouching down and tip-toeing toward one of the victims’ cars. After stealing a purse, he made eye contact with cemetery workers, got into his car and sped away.

“That is a little scary to hear that that’s happening, because there are certain times of day when there are not as many people here,” Moss said. “So, yeah, definitely puts me on high alert.”

Montgomery police said the suspects are taking stolen credit cards to grocery stores and buying large amounts of gift cards. So far, they have used the cards at the Kroger on Montgomery Road in Symmes Township and the Meijer in Loveland. Surveillance footage at some of the stores has helped police get photos of the people they said are responsible.

The investigation also includes thefts from cemeteries and parks in West Chester, Evendale, Blue Ash and Fort Thomas, Kentucky.

One of the men has a Bentley tattoo on the back of his neck. The men are thought to drive a black Nissan Pathfinder

Courtesy, Montgomery Police Department

“It’s good, I guess, that the community knows so people can start paying more attention to that and hopefully they’ll catch the people who are doing it,” Moss said.

Anyone with information regarding these crimes should contact the Montgomery Police Department at (513) 985-1600.