Cops & Robbers + Cobra Escape Charges + Blood Donations Needed

Happy National Sugar Cookie Day,

Apparently some people took the whole "be a kid again day," a little too seriously and tried to stir up a game of Cops & Robbers. Details on that as well as a girl groped at the splash pad, safety at five points intersection, and we finally get word on the charges headed towards the owner of the escaped zebra cobra.

First, today's weather: Possible light rain in the evening. High: 90 Low: 74.

Here are the top stories in Raleigh today:

1. More than a week after the venomous zebra cobra escaped, police have finally announced that charges will be pressed on owner, Christopher Glifford. The list of charges includes 40 misdemeanors, dating back to last November when Glifford allowed the same snake to escape without notifying law enforcement. (WCNC)
2. Thursday, just before 11:30 am, police were called to State Employees Credit Union in response to a robbery. No one was injured during the incident, but the robber implied he had a weapon and took off after receiving the money. (WRAL)
3. Following the car wreck on Sunday that took out a telephone pole and crashed into the front of businesses, the city is taking a renewed look at the five points intersection. This wreck is one on a list of many incidents that residents can speak to totaling more than $1 million in property damage over the last 4 years. With complicated jurisdiction over the intersecting roads, the Raleigh city council has approved a $325,000 corridor study in hopes of finding a permanent solution. (CBS17)
4. A harrowing warning comes to Raleigh parents after a young girl was groped at Moore Square Park while playing at the splash pad. Josue Jonathon Bonilla has been taken into custody and charged with indecent liberties with a child, and is wanted in Virginia for sexual battery charges. Bonilla is not currently on the sex offender registry, and declined expedition to Virginia. (Fox8)
5. North Carolina's Public Safety Chief has announced that he will be retiring on August 1. Erik Hooks spent 4 1/2 years as head of the Department of Public Safety after 27 years with the State Bureau of Investigation. Hooks reflects positively on his experience working with the Department of Public Safety before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, and looks forward to his retirement. (WRAL)

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Today in Raleigh

• Live Music: Wild Wing Cafe, PourWorks, Saints & Scholars, Wakefield Tavern, Tin Roof Raleigh, and Barrel Culture Brewing & Blending.
• Checkpoint Challenges at Fred Fletcher Park: Test your navigational skills in a sport designed to test you mentally and physically. (9:00 am-5:00 pm)
• Kids Escape Room at The Little Gym Cary: Two hours of skill drills and gymnastics + one hour of escape room and scavenger hunt. Ages 6-12 (5:00 pm-8:00 pm)
• Songstories Live: Enjoy 4 singer/songwriters sharing the stories behind their music. Seats are very limited, but there were a handful left when I found this event. (7:00 pm-9:00 pm)

Raleigh Patch Notebook

• For National Sugar Cookie Day, you can catch the grand opening of Crumbl Cookie's at Brier Creek! (8:00 am-11:59 pm)
• The American Red Cross is once again pleading for community support in the midst of a national blood shortage. (abc11)
• The new Target on Six Forks Rd. is set to open on August 15, 2021 in the 114,000 shell that used to house Kmart, (WRAL)

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Gigs & services:

• Paid Jury Focus Group July 19-20 by Zoom (Details)

I hope you all have an amazing start to your weekend. Catch some live music, or grab food from one of Raleigh's amazing local restaurants and eat in. Whatever you decide to do, take two seconds to reflect on the incredible city we live in, and find joy however you feel it the best.

— CJ Fullford

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Raleigh Daily? Reach out anytime to raleigh@patch.com.