CBS3 announces Jessica Dean replacement on Eyewitness News

CBS 3 is swapping one Jessica for another following former Eyewitness News co-anchor Jessica Dean's departure from the station last month.

Starting Oct. 29, CBS3's news team will feature new co-anchor Jessica Kartalija alongside usual presenters Ukee Washington, Kate Bilo, and Don Bell. She will appear on Eyewitness News' 5, 6, 10, and 11 p.m. broadcasts on both CBS 3 and CW Philly.

A Penn State alumnus, Kartalija comes to CBS3 from Baltimore's CBS affiliate, WJZ-TV, where she began working as a reporter and anchor in 2006. Prior to her run at that station, Kartalija got her start at Yuma, Arizona's KYMA-TV, an NBC affiliate, as well as the Telemundo-affiliated KASA-TV in New Mexico.

With her start at the end of the month, Kartalija will replace former CBS3 co-anchor Jessica Dean, who left Philly last month for a gig as a correspondent at CNN. Dean announced her departure in late September, writing on social media that she would be leaving CBS 3 "for a new opportunity."

Though Kartalija is a San Diego native, her family has familial roots in the Philadelphia area. Her mother hails from Montgomery County, and her husband, Brian, attended St. Joseph's University. The couple said they hope to share the Philly area with their son, Drew, 7, and lab mix, Luna.

"I'm delighted to call Philly home," Kartalija said. "From skiing the Pocono Mountains to soaking up the sun down the shore, and showing our 7-year-old all the museums and culture the city has to offer, we can't wait to dive in."