Melissa Espana is a Digital Content Producer at WGN-TV.
Before joining WGN in June 2017, she worked as a web producer at ABC7 Chicago. She also produced at KTIV News in Sioux City, Iowa.
Melissa graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s in broadcast journalism.
CHICAGO — Thirteen people were hospitalized after a crash involving a CTA bus Thursday afternoon, according to officials. The Chicago Fire Department said 13 people were taken to the hospital after a CTA bus was rear-ended by a transit van on the 7100 block of South Jeffrey Street. Seven people were in serious condition and six were in good condition. Officials said the driver of the bus and the driver of the transit van were both transported. No further information […]
HUNTLEY, Ill. – An 18-year-old in Huntley is facing felony charges after police said he used Snapchat to arrange a sexual meet-up with a 13-year-old girl. Kyle Morgan, 18, was charged with traveling to meet a minor and grooming. On July 7, Huntley police received a report around 8:30 p.m. of an 18-year-old attempting to meet with a 13-year-old girl for a sex act. Officials said the two were communicating via Snapchat. Police said the report was made by the […]
CHICAGO — A cracked windshield on an American Airlines flight caused a Tokyo-bound plane to return to O’Hare International Airport Monday afternoon. Flight 153, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, was carrying 164 passengers and 13 crew members on Monday. An American Airlines spokesperson said the maintenance team will evaluate the aircraft and will work to get the customers to their destination as quickly and safely as they can. No further information was available.
CHICAGO — A three-year-old boy died after a fire swept through his South Side home Sunday, police said. Firefighters arrived at the three-story building on the 6700 block of South Dorchester Avenue two minutes after receiving calls of a fire, officials said. Three-year-old Maqkwone Jones was pulled from a second floor apartment and rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital after suffering from cardiac arrest. He later died in the hospital. The three-story building was mostly unoccupied at the time of the fire, […]
CHICAGO — A medical helicopter’s three-person crew is in good condition and a patient remains in critical condition after they crash landed on the South Side Saturday night. The helicopter was transporting an unnamed patient to Christ Hospital when the pilot radioed there was an emergency around 9:15 p.m. Saturday. Shortly after the crew made its mayday call, the pilot made an emergency landing on a grassy area beside the Bishop Ford near 103rd Street. All three crew members walked away from […]
CHICAGO — Four people were transported to area hospitals after a medical helicopter crashed in the city’s South Side Saturday night. The crash happened on the Bishop Ford near 103rd Street around 9:15 p.m. The crash happened due to “unknown circumstances,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Chicago fire officials said three patients were in stable condition and one was in critical. The person in critical condition was in critical prior to the crash. The helicopter was on its way […]
CHICAGO — Demonstrators who felt as though their right to bear arms is in danger have organized protests in at least 10 major cities as part of “March for Our Rights.” The rally in Chicago started at 11 a.m. at Millennium Park. On the event’s Facebook page, fewer than 60 people committed to attending, and about 250 were interested in attending. The event’s list of speakers included former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh.
Protesters planning to shut down the Dan Ryan Expressway on Saturday say they’re trying to increase pressure on public officials to address the gun violence that’s claimed hundreds of lives in some of the city’s poorest neighborhoods. WGN will be posting updates on this page throughout the day. Great piece of community police work today by ISP and CPD. Despite the disruption and traffic chaos, they made sure marchers and drivers were safe. Thanks to officers from both forces. — […]
SOUTH ELGIN, Ill. — A South Elgin man is asking the public for help to find his daughter who was abducted one year ago. Ryan Iserka is asking the public to help find 10-year-old Kayla Unbehaun who was kidnapped by her mother last year on July 5. Heather Unbehaun took the girl camping then dropped out of sight. A felony warrant for kidnapping was issued for Heather Unbehaun on July 29, 2017. Police said she has ties to Athens, Ga., […]
CHICAGO — A man was fatally shot by Chicago police, and two officers were hospitalized, Tuesday evening in the West Garfield Park neighborhood. Area North Deputy Police Chief Al Nagode said police responded to a call of a man with a gun on the 4700 block of West Fulton Street around 8 p.m. Police said upon arrival, officers saw the man and as they got out to investigate, he took off running, placing the gun in his hand. He then fled […]
