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
Years after pandemic, Bay Area families receiving bills for 'free' school COVID tests
As COVID raged during the early pandemic, children received free testing at schools covered by the CARES Act. But now three years later, some families say they're receiving bills from the lab that conducted them.
SFO employee still without car after it was crushed by tire that fell off United flight
United said in a statement at the time it would work with the owners of damaged vehicles at SFO to ensure their needs were addressed, but Lauren Inthavong says she didn't know how to reach out directly to the airline to report damage to her car.
San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf booming with return of SkyStar Wheel
If it seems to you like there's more foot traffic at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco recently, you wouldn't be wrong. The wharf welcomed back the SkyStar Wheel, just in time for the long holiday weekend.
How NASA Ames Research Center is helping fire management agencies predict wildfires
Research and data being developed at NASA Ames Research Center are helping improve how communities respond to wildfires, especially during this active fire season.
Recalled Takata airbags remain in 700K California vehicles, data shows
Carfax says these "time bombs" can pose a dangerous threat to drivers in California due to high heat and humidity. Here's everything you need to know.
SF Mayor London Breed says racist, sexist graffiti outside city hall aimed at her
San Francisco Mayor London Breed says she was the target of racist and sexist graffiti painted on city hall overnight. "I deal with this everyday whether it's things that are said on social media as well as emails that I receive that describe me as exactly what was on this wall."
Former First Republic Bank customers say they can't access Chase accounts online after migration
Former First Republic Bank business customers are having issues getting their money in a timely matter after JPMorgan Chase took over for the failed bank. Here's what we uncovered.
Husband of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi takes stand in state case against David DePape
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, took the stand in the state case against David DePape.
New claim filed against Richmond police by professional cowboy arrested while filming incident
The Richmond Police Department is facing a new claim, following the arrest of a man who was filming police making a different arrest.
Man sentenced to 30 years for attacking Nancy Pelosi's husband with hammer in San Francisco
David DePape, the man convicted of attempting to kidnap then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacking her husband with a hammer, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.