Melanie Woodrow
I have a passion for digging into stories and following them all the way through, sometimes for years. While at ABC7, I've covered the kidnapping of Denise Huskins that Vallejo police mistakenly called a hoax. I broke several stories around the case including the lead detective being named Officer of the Year. In Vallejo, I also extensively covered the police shooting of Sean Monterrosa by an officer who fired from the backseat through the windshield of an unmarked police vehicle. I exposed that the Vallejo Police Department waited 38.5 hours to announce Monterrosa's death, even though he was pronounced dead one hour after the shooting.
More recently, I've investigated the Fire Victim Trust, which was created to pay PG&E victims of the 2015 Butte Fire, 2017 North Bay Wildfires and deadliest 2018 Camp Fire. At the time the report aired, the Trust had spent more than $51 million, including hefty salaries for those in charge of the Trust while only 334 fire victims, less than half of 1% of fire victims had received a 30% partial payment of their total claim.
Prior to joining ABC7 News, I worked as an investigative reporter for KTVU. I moved to the Bay Area from Los Angeles where I was an investigative reporter and producer for the nationally syndicated daytime medical talk show "The Doctors." I've also worked at CBS Newspath in Los Angeles. Before making the move west, I was a reporter/weekend anchor at Wavy News 10 in Norfolk, Virginia and a morning anchor/reporter at WHAG in Hagerstown, MD. I got my start in the business as a production assistant at MSNBC. Previously I worked at an investment bank in NYC. Sept. 11, 2001 was my first day of work at the bank. Shortly thereafter I realized I wanted to be a reporter and after finishing a 2-year analyst program at the bank I made the career switch. I graduated from Cornell University where I was Valedictorian of Cornell's College of Human Ecology.
When I'm not reporting, you can usually find me practicing or teaching yoga. I'm thrilled to be a member of the ABC7 News I-Team. My best story tips come from you! You can reach me on Facebook, Twitter or over email at melanie.woodrow@abc.com.
Melanie's Stories
Despite restraining order, Bay Area man says urgent care billed him for 'free' COVID tests
Despite a restraining order being in place to prevent a Newark urgent care from charging patients for COVID-19 tests, which it advertised as free, one patient says he recently received a call threatening to take him to collections.
Convicted Vallejo kidnapper Matthew Muller sentenced to life for additional crimes
Matthew Muller, already serving a 40-year federal prison sentence for the 2015 kidnapping and sexual assault of Denise Huskins, will now also serve two consecutive life sentences -- added on for two home invasion sexual assaults that occurred in the South Bay in 2009.
23andMe says issue with customers being unable to delete their data has been resolved
DNA genetic testing company 23andMe admits its website experienced issues in the wake of its bankruptcy announcement, preventing some customers from being able to delete their data. However, the company says the issue has now been resolved.
California DMV gets trans man's gender wrong 3 times on ID
An Oakland man says it took him approximately five years, multiple tries and help from 7 On Your Side to get the correct ID from the DMV after changing his gender.
Bay Area residents scammed by site impersonating Box Appliance repair company
Bay Area's Box Appliance repair company says someone is impersonating them, swindling their customers out of thousands of dollars and not actually fixing anything.
North Bay woman out $300,000 after being wooed by man on popular dating app
The 57-year-old thought she was doing all the right things, even asking to see the online lover's identification but despite her efforts, she still got scammed. Here's the expensive lesson she learned:
Bay Area urgent care patients billed up to $900 each after receiving free COVID tests
The owner of AFC Urgent Care in Newark says the company filed for bankruptcy after more than $30 million in unpaid claims were denied. More than four years after the COVID tests were given, the company started billing patients and threatening to take them to small claims court if they didn't pay.
Chase Bank refused East Bay woman refund for fraudulent transactions. Then 7 On Your Side stepped in
It was a local Chase branch that alerted the East Bay woman when $1,500 was fraudulently withdrawn from her account, but then corporate denied her request for reimbursement. That is until 7 On Your Side got involved.
Bay Area victim duped by AI-generated Trump gold investment scam: Here's what to know
The cost for one of the Trump golden eagles is $59 and the trade-in value supposedly more than $100,000. One Pittsburg man thought he'd be a millionaire. Turns out, the golden eagle is worth less than it's weight.
Another East Bay woman falls victim to 'grandson scam,' loses $12,500
For the second time in four months, a senior at Rossmoor in Walnut Creek was targeted in the "grandson" scam. A caller pretending to be the victim's grandson said he's in jail and needs bail money, taking a total of $12,500 from the victim.