The Morning News Brief on Monday, December 22, 2025.
From the latest on the controversy over a nude neighbor in a far East Valley town to a pastor accused of cyberstalking his estranged wife, here's a look at some of your top headlines for the morning of December 22.
1. Update on San Tan Valley naked neighbor
The backstory:
A man in the Johnson Ranch community of San Tan Valley has reportedly been spotted by neighbors sitting in his driveway wearing nothing from the waist down.
Dig deeper:
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office has declined to arrest the 76-year-old man, citing deputy discretion and the man’s age.
2. Rest in peace
What we know:
Actor James Ransone, best known for playing Ziggy Sobotka in season 2 of "The Wire," has died at the age of 46.
Dig deeper:
Ransone died of suicide, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner records obtained by The New York Post.
3. ‘We’re all going to die'
What we know:
An Alaska Airlines passenger, who is now banned from flying the airline, has been federally charged, accused of trying to repeatedly open the cabin door in the middle of the flight, causing other passengers to restrain him.
Dig deeper:
According to a criminal complaint, Kassian William Fredericks was on Alaska Airlines flight 87 from Deadhorse to Anchorage. A passenger told authorities that Fredericks was seen repeatedly trying to open the door of the airplane. Other passengers then jumped up to restrain him.
4. Pastor charged for alleged cyberstalking
What we know:
A federal grand jury has indicted a South Carolina pastor on charges of cyberstalking his estranged wife and lying to federal investigators.
Dig deeper:
According to the indictment, John Miller posted a nude photograph of the victim online without her consent, caused tracking devices to be placed on her vehicle, and on one occasion contacted her more than 50 times in a single day.
5. Caught on camera
What we know:
A suspected shoplifter was charged with attempted murder after body cam footage shows him allegedly shooting at a police officer inside a Walmart in Canton, Ohio.
Dig deeper:
In the bodycam footage, the officer told responding police the suspect "pulled the gun out, pointed it at my head and pulled the trigger," but the weapon did not fire.
A look at today's weather
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Morning Weather Forecast - 12/22/25
We should break another record today as we kick off Christmas week in the Valley.