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Diary of Murder Suspect Reveals Possible Motive

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A Marine corporal suspected of murdering an Army lieutenant pleaded not guilty on Monday morning during a preliminary hearing.

Kevin Coset
, 23, is accused of slaying 24-year-old Alvin Bulaoro who was found dead in a grocery store parking lot on Jan. 3. Bulaoro’s body was found zipped up in a sleeping bag inside a 1997 Toyota 4Runner.

Coset allegedly slit the victim's throat almost from ear-to-ear and shot Bulaoro twice in the head. The Medical Examiner said Bulaoro had 44 stab wounds total.

During the preliminary hearing, detectives said Coset and victim exchanged a phone call and 29 text messages between Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, 2012. Bulaoro was reported missing on Dec. 23.

The device Coset was allegedly using to contact Bulaoro was a “pay as you go” phone purchased on Dec. 19, according to detectives. Investigators saw that Coset was one of the last numbers Bulaoro had contacted, which led to his arrest on Feb. 22 at Camp Pendleton.

Evidence in the preliminary hearing revealed Coset had a journal, in which he allegedly wrote about the killing.

In the courtroom Monday, NCIS detective Jason Keller read the following excerpt out load from Coset's diary:

"Tonight I had to kill for the third time. It was a guy named Alvin Bulaoro in Fallbrook. It was definitely a him or me situation. I find no joy in killing but must survive in my fight against the evil Musgrove organization.They have been plotting against me for years now as well as entering my mind and stealing my intelligence."

According to the arrest warrant, Bulaoro and Coset had met up in an Albertson's parking lot in Fallbrook. Detectives said surveillance video shows that the suspect parked his car in the lot, got into the victim's Toyota 4Runner, and the two men drove away to a nearby hotel.

The suspect then supposedly drove the victim's truck back to the grocery store parking lot, leaving the victim's body inside.

The arrest warrant also quoted the victim's brother telling investigators that his brother was gay, and may have been headed for a popular San Diego gay bar when he was first reported missing on Dec. 23.

On Monday afternoon a judge said Coset will be held without bail and will go to trial with special circumstances. If found guilty, Coset could face the death penalty or life in prison.


Two-Headed Shark Found

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Sharktopus and Dinoshark may be the products of Hollywood, but a two-headed bull shark found in the Gulf of Mexico is all too real, according to scientists with Florida Keys Community College and Michigan State Community College.

The scientists have confirmed that the shark, discovered in April 2011, is the first of its kind and is a single shark with two heads and not conjoined twins.

"This is certainly one of those interesting and rarely detected phenomena," MSU assistant professor of fisheries and wildlife Michael Wagner said in a statement from the school Monday. "It’s good that we have this documented as part of the world’s natural history, but we’d certainly have to find many more before we could draw any conclusions about what caused this."

Migrating Sharks Seen Again Off Deerfield Beach

The shark was found by a fisherman when he opened the uterus of an adult shark. It died shortly thereafter and was brought to the marine science department at FKCC, where it was then transported to Michigan State.

Wagner and his team discovered two distinct heads, hearts and stomachs, with the rest of the body joining together in the back to form a single tail.

Man Fired for Wrestling Shark While on 'Sick Leave'

Creatures found with abnormalities like this usually die shortly after birth, and the two-headed bull shark had little, if any, chance to survive in the wild, Wagner said.

Other species, including blue sharks and tope sharks, have been born with two heads, as well as lizards and snakes, Wagner said.



Photo Credit: Michigan State University

Residents Concerned About Large Vehicle Parking

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Complaints about oversized vehicles parked on neighborhood streets for days and nights on end are reaching 'critical mass' at San Diego's city hall.
           
Measures to 'curb' the problem will get a Council hearing this week.
           
The problem is most noticeable west of Interstate 5, especially in the beach communities.

Residents of the affected areas say it poses safety and environmental hazards -- as well as 'quality-of-life' issues.

"The same vehicles are parked on this street every day in the same spot," says Loma Portal resident Marlene Bullock, interviewed Monday while on a walk with her dog along Famosa Boulevard -- a hotbed of curbside parking for big rigs, RVs, campers, motorhomes, commercial trailers, delivery vans and even watercraft.

"They take up a lot of space, so it would be nice if they would move," Bullock added, pointing to a not-atypical offender. "Like that boat, you know?  Why?"

Because it's free parking that's a rarity in a city with attractive communities where paid parking is pricey.
           
So certain streets become dumping grounds for all kinds of oversized vehicles whose owners can avoid $100 tickets and towing fees if they just move the rigs a tenth of a mile every 72 hours.
           
Authorities check out 20,000 cases a year in San Diego, the county's only coastal city besides Imperial Beach that lacks a more restrictive setup.

Said Capt. Bob Stewart, of the San Diego Police Department’s Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol, as he and his partner cited the boat referenced by Bullock: "One of the problems we have is that people over in El Cajon or La Mesa, for example, will bring their vehicle here because they can't park it over there … they’re persistent, and this is just one of those areas where people just drop their vehicles,”
           
And because Famosa Boulevard runs past Correia Middle School and Bill Cleator Park, there are concerns about people who actually live in their vehicles, in violation of state law -- and maybe, parole conditions.

"Certainly if you can't afford to live in a house and you have to live out of your vehicle, something's wrong with that situation altogether,” said Point Loma resident Adam Harrington.  “And we don't want them living in their vehicle here."

City Councilman Kevin Faulconer is suggesting a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. streetside parking ban for oversized vehicles, with exceptions for residents and their guests who get 72-hour city permits.          

"I think it's an important enforcement tool for the police department; they'll be able to go out and do their job,” Faulconer said in an interview Monday.  “And from a neighborhood standpoint, we're going to insure that we're protecting the quality of life here in San Diego -- just like all the other cities have done that surround the city of San Diego with similar ordinances."

Faulconer's proposal goes before the Council's Land Use & Housing Committee  Wednesday afternoon.
           
As examples of other, similar ordinances in Southern California, he's citing Solana Beach's 24-hour limit curbside and public-lot parking for motorhomes and campers.
           
And, Oceanside's requirement of moving vehicles a half mile after each 72-hour period, then leaving them there in the new spot for 24 hours.

National City PD Names New Chief

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A new Chief of Police has been appointed to the National City Police Department, the office of the city of National City announced Monday.

San Diego Police Department veteran Manuel Rodriguez will now serve as Chief of Police for National City, overseeing the department’s budget and staff, which includes 80 sworn officers.

According to the city office, Chief Rodriguez spent 20 years with the SDPD before joining the National City Police Department in 2005.

During his time on the force, he has served as a Sergeant in the Criminal Intellegence Unit, a Service Area Lieutenant and a Special Assistant to the Chief of Police. He was promoted to Assistant Chief of Police for National City in 2007.

Chief Rodriguez is also a founding member and former president of the National Latino Police Officers Association San Diego Metro Chapter. In 2008, he received a “Lifetime Membership Award” from the association.

Chief Rodriguez’s new role is effective immediately.

He released the following statement following his appointment as Chief of Police:

“I am extremely honored and excited to continue to work with a wonderful community and elected leaders who constantly strive to increase the quality of life for the National City community and lead a team of professional law enforcement members who are talented, committed, caring and responsive.”

Meanwhile, National City Mayor Ron Morrison says the city is thrilled to have a National City native take over the important position.

“We have a unique opportunity to hire within our own ranks so that it’s not only a person who is deeply familiar with our Police Department but also one who grew up in our City. This is truly a person who is homegrown.” said Mayor Morrison in a statement released Monday.
 



Photo Credit: City of National City

Local Care Center Fined in Patient's Choking Death

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A local care center has been cited and fined by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) after an investigation determined that inadequate care resulted in the death of a resident.

According to the CDPH, Villa Rancho Bernardo Care Center in San Diego has received a Class “AA” citation, the most severe penalty under state law, and a fine of $100,000 from the State of California.

The investigation report says the care center failed to follow physician’s orders for a 61-year-old patient with dementia who required a special chopped diet.

The patient’s food needed to be cut into small pieces every day, but the report says care center staffers failed to do so one day, serving the patient two pancakes and two uncut sausages.

As a result, the patient put all four food items into his mouth, choked and died at the center, the report states. Read the full report here.

The CDHP says the citation process is part of the Department’s ongoing enforcement efforts to protect the health and safety of patients and improve the quality of care provided to residents in nursing facilities.
 



Photo Credit: Google Maps

Taxpayers Shell Out Nearly $3.7M for Former Presidents

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Former President Bill Clinton's 8,300-square-foot Harlem office near the Apollo Theater costs taxpayers nearly $450,000. George W. Bush spends $85,000 on telephone fees, and another $60,000 on travel. Jimmy Carter sends $15,000 worth of postage — all on the government's dime.

The most exclusive club in the world has a similarly exclusive price tag — nearly $3.7 million, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. That's how much the federal government spent last year on the four living ex-presidents and one presidential widow.

Topping the list in 2012 was George W. Bush, who got just over $1.3 million last year.

Under the Former Presidents Act, previous inhabitants of the Oval Office are given an annual pension equivalent to a Cabinet secretary's salary — about $200,000 last year, plus $96,000 a year for a small office staff. Taxpayers also pick up the tab for other items like staff benefits, travel, office space and postage.

The $3.7 million taxpayers shelled out in 2012 is about $200,000 less than in 2011, and the sum in 2010 was even higher. It's a drop in the bucket compared with the trillions the federal government spends each year.

Still, with ex-presidents able to command eye-popping sums for books, speaking engagements and the like in their post-White House years, the report raises questions about whether the U.S. should provide such generous subsidies at a time when spending cuts and the deficit are forcing lawmakers and federal agencies to seek ways to cut back.

Departing presidents also get extra help in the first years after they leave office, one reason that Bush's costs were higher than other living ex-presidents. The most recent ex-president to leave the White House, Bush was granted almost $400,000 for 8,000 square feet of office space in Dallas, plus $85,000 in telephone costs. Another $60,000 went to travel costs.

Clinton came in second at just under $1 million last year, followed by President George H.W. Bush at nearly $850,000. Clinton spent the most government money on office space: $442,000 for his Harlem digs.

Costs for Carter, the only other living former president, came in at about $500,000.

For full U.S. news coverage, visit NBCNews.com.

Widows of former presidents are entitled to a pension of $20,000, but Nancy Reagan, the wife of former President Ronald Reagan, waived her pension last year. The former first lady did accept $14,000 in postage.

The cost totals for ex-presidents don't include what the Secret Service spends protecting them, their spouses and children. Those costs are part of a separate budget that isn't made public.

Funding for ex-presidents dates back to 1958, when Congress created the Former Presidents Act largely in response to President Harry Truman's post-White House financial woes, the Congressional Research Service said. The goal was to maintain the dignity of the presidency and help with ongoing costs associated with being a former president, such as responding to correspondence and scheduling requests.

These days, a former president's income from speaking and writing can be substantial, and ex-presidents also have robust presidential centers and foundations that accept donations and facilitate many of their post-presidential activities.

Noting that none of the living ex-presidents are poor, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, introduced a bill last year that would limit costs to a $200,000 pension, plus another $200,000 that ex-presidents could use at their discretion. And for every dollar that an ex-president earns in excess of $400,000, his annual allowance would be reduced by the same amount. The bill died in committee.



Photo Credit: AP

Suspected DUI Driver Slams Parked Cars

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A suspected DUI driver hit a parked car in Clairemont early Tuesday morning, according to police.

Around 2 a.m. a woman driving near the intersection of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Diane Drive hit several parked cars.

One witness said he saw the woman hit his girlfriend’s car, so he immediately took a photo of her license plate.

"I heard three loud bangs and then came running out and she was revving the engine trying to make it around the corner," he said.

Officers gave the driver a field sobriety test, which they said she failed. The woman was uninjured and officers took her into custody.

Pedestrian Killed by Freight Train

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A commercial freight train fatally hit a pedestrian on Monday night, according to officials.

The deadly collision happened around 9 p.m. near Carmel Valley Road and North Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla.

Police found the body of the victim just east of the parking lot at the nearby beach.

Officials have launched an investigation of the incident. The victim's name has not been released.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Hells Angels Associate Sentenced for Meth Trafficking

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A man linked to the San Diego Chapter of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang was sentenced to 21 years in prison Monday for locally trafficking methamphetamine.

According to the office of U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy, 43-year-old David Raymond Garcia will serve 262 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute meth.

A U.S. District judge has also sentenced local methamphetamine supplier Jason Scalon, 42, to 15 years in prison.

Officials say the two defendants were prosecuted as part of a FBI Violent Crimes Task Force investigation that included a total of 36 defendants being charged with conspiracy to traffic meth.

According to investigators, Garcia supplied drugs and employed at least 20 co-defendants over the course of a Task Force investigation into methamphetamine trafficking and violent crimes committed by the San Diego Chapter of the Hells Angels and their criminal partners. Scalon employed four co-defendants himself during this time, too.

Court documents show that Garcia – along with another defendant, Michael Ottinger Jr., who’s the Sergeant-at-Arms for the Hells Angels – used violent force and intimidation to control the meth trade in San Diego.

Officials say Ottinger Jr. has also been sentenced to serve 262 months in prison for his role in this conspiracy to traffic drugs. He also faces murder charges in connection with the alleged 2010 killing of rival member of the Mongols motorcycle gang.

A U.S. District judge found both Garcia and Scalon to be career federal offenders.

Officials say this is Garcia’s ninth felony conviction. Eight of the nine felonies on his criminal record are drug felonies. Meanwhile, Scalon has 10 felony convictions, eight of which are drug-related.

“Individuals involved in the drug trade not only proliferate the spread of dangerous narcotics in our society, but they also destabilize our communities with violence and related criminal activities," said U.S. attorney Duffy in a statement Monday. "Our federal, state and local law enforcement partners on the Task Force have done the San Diego community a great service by taking these dangerous offenders off the street.”
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Couple Escapes House Fire

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A couple escaped injury after a fire at their condominium complex on Monday night, according to the fire department.

The incident happened around 11 p.m. in a garage at 4700-block of Argosy Lane in Carlsbad.

The man and woman living in the house got out in time and were not injured. It took 10 minutes for firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

No other homes were affected, according to officials. The estimated damage is about $250,000 to the property.

The Red Cross is assisting the couple.

Officials said the cause is under investigation.

Prop 8 "in Hands of Supreme Court"

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Attorneys for supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage presented arguments Tuesday in an historic U.S. Supreme Court hearing that stems from the long-running legal battle over California's voter-approved Prop 8.

Prop 8 Hearing: Audio | Transcript

The Justices will now consider the legality of Proposition 8 -- California's ban on same-sex marriage -- with a ruling possible later this year. The hearing came after the Supreme Court granted the review of Prop 8 and the Federal Defense of Marriage Act in December.

"It's now in the hands of the Supreme Court," said attorney David Boies, representing opponents of Prop 8, after the hearing. "It's been a long journey here. We're all greatly encouraged."

Charles Cooper, attorney for proponents of Prop 8, said the court asked "measured questions of both sides" during the arguments, which lasted about one hour.

"There's no way to sum up my argument in a couple of sentences," Cooper said. "We believe Proposition 8 is Constitutional. The place for the decision of redefining marriage to be made is with the people, not with the courts."

A ruling on Prop 8 is not expected until July, and several outcomes are possible -- including no ruling at all.

Read: The Supreme Court's Options | Full Coverage: Prop 8

The ban could be upheld, or the Court could strike down Prop 8 -- either on grounds specific to California or a broad ruling that applies to all states. Thirty-eight states prohibit same-sex marriage, either through legislation, ballot measures or state constitutional amendments.

Nine states -- Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Washington -- and Washington D.C. allow same-sex marriages. A ruling that involves a "nine-state solution" is another possible ruling.

The Court also could decide the Prop 8 backers lack standing to appeal a trial court's ruling that struck down the ban, but how that would impact the status of same-sex marriage in California is not immediately clear. 

Several justices expressed doubt that the case should be before the court, according to the Associated Press. Justice Anthony Kennedy said he feared the court would go into "uncharted waters'' if it embraced arguments advanced by same-marriage supporters and suggested the court could dismiss the case with no ruling.

Supporters and defenders of Prop 8, some of whom assembled outside the Supreme Court early this week, were present during Tuesday's hearing. Hundreds waited outside the U.S. Supreme Court early Tuesday amid cold conditions in anticipation of the federal court's first serious look at the issue.

"This case has been about securing the right to marry the person I love and also having the equal access to the most important relationship that I know in life, and that's marriage," plaintiff Paul Katami, of Burbank, said Tuesday outside the high court. "I cannot wait to start my family with Jeff."

Katami and his partner, Jeff Zarrillo, are one of two couples fighting for same-sex marriage rights. They were represented by attorney Theodore Olson, a former Reagan Administration advisor who defended President George W. Bush during the re-count battle before the Supreme Court after the 2000 election.

Olson represented Zarillo and Katami, and Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, of Berkeley, in the Prop 8 case, also known as Hollingsworth v. Perry.

"We're not out to redefine marriage or topple the institution," said Zarrillo. "We're out to be a part of it."

Defenders of Prop 8, represented by Cooper, claim the federal government should leave the definition of marriage up to individual states. Cooper is a former Reagan-era Justice Department lawyer.

"The institution of marriage and marriage laws are designed to attach mothers and fathers to each other and to the children that they may create and raise in the best environment," said Austin Nimocks, of the Center for Marriage and Family.

How Prop 8 Landed in the Supreme Court

The justices will consider a ruling by a San Francisco-based appeals court that struck down the voter-approved ban. The court ruled the state could not take away the same-sex marriage right granted by the state Supreme Court before the 2008 election.

The debate stretches back years through court cases and elections, including the March 2000 approval of Prop 22, which defined marriage in California as between a man and a woman. That law was ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court in May 2008, and an estimated 18,000 same-sex couples were married during a brief window before Prop 8's approval in the November election that year.

California's same-sex marriage ban was left in effect during the lengthy appeals process that followed. The legal battle included a landmark 2010 same-sex marriage trial in which Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the ban unconstitutional. Walker said the law "both unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation."

After appeals by Prop 8 supporters who said voters should not be invalidated "based on just one judge's opinion," a San Francisco court ruled in a 2-1 decision in November 2012 that the Walker's ruling properly interpreted the U.S. Constitution. The court ruled that the ban's "only effect was to take away that important and legally significant designation."

As attorneys argued over the issue in court, public attitudes toward same-sex marriage shifted. In 2001, 57 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. In a poll conducted in March 2013, 49 percent of Americans said they support same-sex marriage.

A second case before the high court challenges the Defense of Marriage Act -- also known as DOMA. The act blocks federal recognition of same-sex couples in states where they are allowed to marry.

President Barack Obama called the law enacted in 1996 unconstitutional. Arguments in the DOMA case are scheduled for Wednesday.



Photo Credit: Getty

Following Sex Scandal, David Petraeus to Speak in Calif.

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David Petraeus, who became one of the most decorated and respected military figures of his generation but who retired after an admitted extramarital affair, is expected to give the keynote address on Tuesday night at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Petraeus is expected to open his speech at USC’s annual dinner for veterans and ROTC students with a mea culpa about his affair, according to the New York Times, which published an advance text of his speech. He is also expected to discuss his personal journey and a new chapter since his resignation working in the private sector in economics, energy and veterans issue.

"Needless to say, I join you keenly aware that I am regarded in a different light now than I was a year ago," Petraeus will say, according to the Times. "I am also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing.

"So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret — and apologize for — the circumstances that led me to resign from the CIA and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters."

Petraeus served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency from Sept. 6, 2011, until his resignation on Nov. 9, 2012, citing an affair.

Petraeus reportedly ended the affair about the time he learned that his biographer Paula Broadwell had been accused of sending harassing emails to a longstanding family friend, Jill Kelley.

It was reportedly an FBI investigation that led authorities to the email account of Broadwell.

Before that, Petraeus was a decorated four-star general, serving over 37 years in the Army, including as commander of the NATO coalition and commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.



Photo Credit: AP

Powerball Winner: $338M Is "Pure Joy"

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The Passaic, N.J., father of five who won the $338 million Powerball jackpot claimed his coveted prize Tuesday, describing the moment he won the jackpot as "pure joy" and "just happiness."

Wearing a bright yellow windbreaker and even brighter grin, Pedro Quezada said he didn't have all the answers just yet, as New Jersey Lottery officials introduced him in a news conference in Lawrenceville. After living in the United States for 26 years, he wasn't sure if he would return to the Dominican Republic or stay in New Jersey.

He said he knew his life would change immediately in some ways: neither he nor his son would return to the bodega his family operated from early morning to late night. 

My life "has to change — because imagine so much money, but it will not change my heart," Quezada said in Spanish.

Quezada said he would get himself a "good car" and his wife "whatever she wants." When a reporter asked what he currently drives, he replied "my feet."

The 44-year-old purchased the lottery ticket at Eagle Liquors in Passaic, N.J., and matched all six numbers in Saturday night's Powerball drawing, winning the the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.

On Monday, the bodega owner walked into the liquor store, packed with reporters waiting to meet the winner, and had his ticket validated, but lottery officials could not confirm his name.  

The family's apartment sits at the end of a short dead end block that abuts a highway. Neighbors stood out in the rain Monday night and spoke with pride that one of their own had struck it rich.

Eladia Vazquez has lived across the street from Quezada's building for the past 25 years. The block has a half-dozen three-story brick apartment buildings on each side, and Vazquez says it's a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, including what car they drive and what parking space they use.

Vazquez described Quezada and his wife as "quiet and not overly talkative" but sensed that they seemed to be working all the time.

"This is super for all of us on this block," she said. "They deserve it because they are hardworking people."

Richard Delgado, who lives down the block from Quezada's building, said the man was "a hard worker, like all of us here. We all get up in the morning and go to work."

The liquor shop owner himself is due $10,000 for selling the lucky ticket.

Thirteen other tickets worth $1 million each matched all but the final Powerball number on Saturday night. Those tickets were sold in New Jersey, Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. Two were sold in both Florida and Pennsylvania.

The numbers drawn were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31. A lump sum payout would be worth $221 million.



Photo Credit: AP

Thrift Stores Thrive in Tough Times

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When Georgia Galon is looking for bargains, she heads straight to the thrift store.

"Don't go to Nordstom's and Neiman's and Saks, I used to but not anymore," said Galon.

Instead the retired county worker spends her time roaming through the racks of clothes, purses and jewelry at Disabled American Veterans in Spring Valley.

RJ Crouse buys clothes for her young children at thirft stores too.

"You find great stuff for the family, especially if you are on a budget," said Crouse.

Teri Sutton with D.A.V. says they are seeing about 200 new customers every week.  Sutton says the new customers are looking for deals.

"I think people can't afford to go to the Macys and the JC Penny and they can find bargains here," said Sutton.

Goodwill Industries of San Diego County has doubled the number of thrift stores in the past five years.  In 2008 there were 12 retail stores in the county, at the end of 2013 they will have 24 locations.

"There is a lot of opportunity in San Diego County and we are just scratching the surface," said Mike Rowan the CEO of Goodwill Industries of San Diego County.

Rowan says thrift store shoppers are predominately women between the ages of 27 and 54 and they have children.

But younger shoppers also make up a growing category.

Right now there is a popular rap song named "Thrift Store" by the artist Macklemore. Part of that video was made in a well-known Seattle-based Goodwill store.

The biggest challenge facing thrift stores is getting enough donations.

Mike Rowan says donations are not growing as rapidly as sales but enough to keep stores well supplied.



Photo Credit: Bob Hansen

Filner Loses Vote Over Tourism Funds

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Mayor Bob Filner and San Diego's hotel industry butted heads Tuesday afternoon, in a raucous City Council hearing over millions of dollars in disputed tourism marketing funds.

Filner was outvoted, but vowed to carry on his fight against what he claims are illegal taxes.

It was as though Filner marched into a lion's den with a whip and a chair -- lecturing council members and a chamber packed with tourism industry interests about questionable ethics and political influence.

His 15-minute diatribe ended when a tourism marketing official confronted him at the microphone, before both were cut off.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to proceed with the Council deliberations now!” Council President Todd Gloria interjected, struggling to regain control of the hearing. “Mayor, I'd ask you to please take a seat. It is time for the Council to start deliberating!”

Applause, cheers and whistles erupted from the audience.

Filner said he and directors of the hotel industry's Tourism Marketing District had come close to an agreement under which the mayor would release millions of dollars in controversial room surcharges.

He asked the Council for another 48 hours to resolve impasses over certain concessions Filner was insisting on -- including a $160,000 cap on salaries for marketing contractors, indemnification of the city in connection with legal challenges to the TMD, and $5 million for the 2015 centennial celebration of Balboa Park.

The frozen funds, proceeds of a 2 percent surcharge on hotel guests, are needed for promotional campaigns to lure visitors and conventioneers to San Diego.

The mayor called out council members who'd received political donations from hoteliers, along with City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.

“Mr. Gloria, you took tens of thousands of dollars from the same people,” Filner told the council president. “You didn't have a campaign. I suspect that half the Council took campaign contributions from these same people. I would argue that you are not entitled to vote on the contract, by state law. And I will pursue that, whatever the city attorney might say."

But the Council voted 6 to 1 for a resolution mandating that he sign a contract freeing up the money in dispute.

Councilman Scott Sherman referred to Filner as "an arsonist fireman, " explaining: "They come in and start a fire and then say 'Wait a minute, I'll put it out and be a hero.’ It's a different way of thinking about things and it's usually political theater and time to get on-camera. That's not what we're supposed to do in a local government setting."

An unapologetic mayor later told reporters that the hoteliers "have bought the City Council. They have not bought the mayor, as they have in the past. They think they get their way, that they don't have to negotiate, they don't have to give up anything. They believe that they run this city."

Filner warned that he’ll veto the Council's ordinance, and if the veto is overridden, he'd still refuse to sign the contract.

If a judge orders him to do so after yet another lawsuit and court hearing, the mayor said he'd refuse and take the matter to the appellate process.

His warning: the marketing money could be tied up for many months, maybe a year.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Babysitter Sought in Baby's Unsolved Murder

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It’s been 20 years since one-year-old Jose Shaw died from severe injuries linked to Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). Today, local homicide detectives continue to search for the woman suspected of killing the child.

According to the San Diego Police Department, on March 2, 1993, babysitter Maria Elvia Larios called paramedics to report that her charge, little Jose, had fallen from the bed at her home in the 1800 block of South 39th Street in San Diego’s Shelltown community.

Medics transported the injured baby to a local hospital. Physicians later found little Jose had sustained severe injuries consistent with SBS, officials said. He died a few days later.

Investigators say Larios denied any wrongdoing in her caregiving of the child. She initially agreed to cooperate in the investigation, but then suddenly fled to Mexico.

Prior to the death of little Jose, police say his parents had noticed small scratches and bruising on their baby, but the injuries were convincingly explained away by Larios.

Since the baby’s 1993 death, investigators have been searching for Larios in connection with her alleged involvement in the baby’s murder.

On Tuesday, Crime Stoppers and the SDPD released an old photograph of Larios in an effort to track down fresh leads in the cold case.

Detectives describe Larios as a 67-year-old Hispanic woman. She’s 5-foot-2, 160 pounds and has dark brown hair and brown eyes. She’s been known to also use the names Maria Elvia Mendoza and Maria Elvia.

Officials are asking anyone with information on Larios’ current whereabouts to call the homicide unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 



Photo Credit: SDPD

Man Rescued in Sunset Cliffs

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Lifeguards and emergency crews worked to rescue a man who fell down the rocks at Sunset Cliffs Tuesday afternoon, authorities confirmed.

Officials said a 43-year-old man tripped and fell about 30-feet down the cliffs at around 1:30 p.m., landing on the rocks below.

He sustained injuries to his legs and back, and was airlifted from the cliffs and transported to Scripps La Jolla.

Lifeguards at the scene told NBC 7 they had to move fast in order to rescue the victim.

“He never lost consciousness, although he did complain of back pain and loss of sensation to his lower limbs,” explained San Diego Lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum.

The rescue took about 45 minutes. The victim’s current condition is unknown.

Lifeguards say this is yet another reminder that the edges of the local cliffs are unstable, and people should avoid getting too close to the area.
 

Should You Tell Cashiers Your Zip Code?

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In this Friday, Nov. 23, 2012 photo, a cashier hands a customer his change and receipt during a transaction at a Sears store, in Henderson, Nev. Consumers spent and earned more in November, reflecting a rebound from the disruptions caused by Superstorm Sandy. The Commerce Department says, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, consumer spending rose 0.4 percent compared with October. Personal income jumped 0.6 percent, the biggest gain in 11 months. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Suspected Smuggling Boat, Drugs Found in Ocean Beach

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Law enforcement officials investigated an abandoned boat suspected of smuggling drugs in Ocean Beach Tuesday, lifeguard officials confirmed.

The 17-foot jet boat was discovered, unoccupied, around 3:30 p.m. on New Break Beach. Lifeguard officials say three Hispanic males were seen getting off the boat, but the subjects were not immediately located.

Four bundles of suspected drugs were found near the boat on the beach, and three additional bundles of drugs were found inside the vessel, authorities said.

Officials from the U.S. Border Patrol, the San Diego Police Department and San Diego lifeguards are at the scene investigating. At this time, no one is in custody.

Check back for updates on this developing story.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Hotel Sex Assault Suspect to Stand Trial

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A man accused of brutally beating and sexually assaulting a Midway District hotel housekeeper will stand trial on seven felony charges, including three counts of rape by force, a judge ruled on Tuesday.

According to investigators, suspect Christopher Stevens, 44, allegedly beat and sexually assaulted a female housekeeping employee at the Wyndham Garden Hotel on Sports Arena Boulevard on December 21, 2012.

Detectives say Stevens attacked the 54-year-old woman while she was cleaning an empty hotel room, forcing her back inside as she was exiting.

The victim fought back, but Stevens overpowered her, allegedly striking her in the face and raping her inside the room. Stevens fled the scene on foot following the attack. Once he left, the injured woman called police to report the crime.

Three days later, on Dec. 24, Stevens was arrested at his hotel room at the Vagabond Inn in Mission Valley in connection with the assault.

On Dec. 28, he pleaded not guilty in court.

At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, a judge ordered that Stevens must now stand trial in this case. A trial date has been tentatively set for May 15. If convicted on all charges, Stevens faces up to 450 years in prison.

During Tuesday’s preliminary trial the hotel housekeeper took the stand, detailing the alleged violent assault and multiple rapes she endured on Dec. 21.

The victim testified that Stevens came into the empty room, claiming it was his room, and told her to clean the bathroom. He then told her to close the curtains before throwing her on the bed.

The housekeeper said Stevens hit her in the head and face, which rendered her unconscious, before allegedly raping her four times. He covered her face with a pillow during the sexual assaults and may have tried to tie one of her legs to the bed, she testified.

The victim said she thought he was going kill her.

After the attack, SDPD Crime Lab personnel positively identified Stevens as the suspect based on DNA evidence collected at the crime scene.

Police said that evidence was also linked to evidence collected from another reported sexual assault that happened at Hourglass Park near Mira Mesa on Oct. 9. Stevens was arrested earlier for that crime too, but charges were not filed against him and he was eventually released.

When Stevens was charged in the housekeeper's assault on Dec. 24, one of his charges included a misdemeanor for the alleged assault of yet another victim that occurred on Dec. 17 -- just days before the violent sexual assault at the Wyndham Garden Hotel. On Tuesday, that misdemeanor charge was dismissed.

Stevens is scheduled to appear in court again on May 10 for a readiness hearing.



Photo Credit: Google Maps/ SDPD
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