Quantcast
Channel: NBC 7 San Diego - Top Stories
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live

Dog With Anxiety Attacks Owner: PD

0
0

A dog anxious over the departure of a family member in its New Jersey home attacked its other owners Thursday night because it didn't want one of them to leave, authorities say.

The pit bull bit the 50-year-old mother and her 31-year-old daughter Thursday evening after they attempted to leave their house in South Brunswick, according to police.

The dog had apparently been exhibiting signs of anxiety over the recent departure of her owner's 19-year-old daughter, who had left for college recently, according to animal control officials.

When South Brunswick police officers responded, a police body microphone captured the mother's explanation of what happened when she and her older daughter tried to leave the house.

"He jumped on her, so she's screaming something and he bit her, and he turned around and jumped me," the mother told police. "He doesn't like someone to leave the house, that's the thing." 

Both women were bitten on their arms and legs. 

In a recording of the family's 911 call to police, the anguished father can be heard telling the dispatcher, "My dog just bit my daughter. She's bleeding out of one of her veins."

The dispatcher assures the man, "We've got 'em on the way," but the panicked father repeats, "Please get here quick. Please, please, she's screaming. Please, please, please, oh God, please." 

The father was eventually able to get the dog under control and placed it in the garage until police and animal control authorities arrived to take it away to an animal hospital.

Neighbor Latha Nair said she frequently saw the 19-year-old daughter taking out the family's two dogs, and "they're pretty OK." 

South Brunswick Police Capt. James Ryan says this is the second time in the last two weeks or so that a pit bull attacked its owners, though he was not sure what provoked the first attack.

Ryan called the attack surprising.

"Who ever heard of a dog having separation anxiety?" he said.

Animal behaviorist veterinarian Dr. Emily Levine said that as attached as people are to their dogs, animals can be to their owners.

"They may use their mouth to try to grab the shirt or pants to pull them in, they may put their mouth on them and bit down," she said. 

But with separation anxiety, the injuries are usually not severe.

"The intent the animal has is not really to hurt, to harm, but it's really 'please, please stay with me,'" she said. 

Levine said drugs and therapy can ease separation anxiety in a dog. Warning signs are pacing, whining, property destruction and even relieving itself in the home. 


Security Guard Stabbed at Private Oceanside Park

0
0

A security guard was stabbed in an altercation at a private community park Friday, according to Oceanside police.

The guard, who works in a senior living facility, told officers she had contacted an man who was hanging out in the community's private park behind a maintenance shed.

A fight began between them, and the suspect stabbed the guard with a knife and took off, officials say.

Ruth Cowie lives nearby and heard the "blood curdling screams." 

"She was screaming, 'Help me! Help me! I've been stabbed!'" Cowie said. "I just kept hearing it. So I opened the garage walked to park, couldn't see her. She was in a hidden area."

When she finally saw the guard, she immediately dialed 911.

"The end of the blade was just stuck right in her belly," said Cowie's husband Gordon. "It was awful. Just awful." 

Officers searched the area around Sundown Lane and Lake Boulevard with a tracking K-9 and the sheriff's department helicopter.

However, they were not able to find the suspect.

The security guard was taken to the hospital for nonlife-threatening injuries, and she is in stable condition, according to Oceanside police.

Lifeguard Station Project Remains on Legal Hold

0
0

A work stoppage order on a new South Mission Beach lifeguard tower was extended Friday by a Superior Court judge.

The project involves replacing a decades-old, temporary lifeguard tower that's falling apart.

The city's building permits expired years ago, but its lawyers told Judge Katherine Bacal that, technically, there’s still a grace period.

"As long as the choo-choo is chooing, and you’re working -- you’re working towards it,” said Deputy City Atty. Jan Will. “You are actively pursuing a permit."

Since it was originally planned in 2006 – when there was no funding for it -- the new tower’s cost has ballooned from just over $1 million to $5 million.

Nearby residents, who took the project to court, object to a 25 percent enlargement which they say will block some of their views.

City officials argued that if Bacal extends a temporary restraining order she recently issued, the lifeguard station won’t be completed until after a three-month summer moratorium takes effect in May next year.

They also warned that if new permits are required, it could push the project into 2017 and add $250,000 to the overall cost.

The residents group, Citizens For Beach Rights, insists a revamped project could be finished much earlier, much cheaper.

“You don’t have to build a 4,000-square-foot tower in the middle of the beach,” Ken Giavara, the group’s president, told NBC 7 in an interview. “They make them sleek. Put the best safety equipment in there, and proceed from there.”

Judge Bacal withheld a decision on an injunction until next week, when there’ll be a hearing on further legal issues in advance of setting an expected November trial date.

One of the issues is a costly $250,000 surety bond the residents must post -- which would protect the city and contractors against losses – in the event they lose the case.

The city, meantime, could appeal the work-stoppage order prior to a trial.

Alarming New Study Reveals Severity of Concussions in the NFL

0
0

The National Football League has made bold proclamations about trying to make the game safer for its players. If they truly mean what they say, they have a lot of work to do.

A recent PBS report reveals research conducted at Boston University and the department of Veterans Affairs found a staggering 96 percent of NFL players that were studied tested positive for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE.

An alarming 87 of 91 deceased former NFL players tested had some form of the degenerative brain disease that’s believed to be caused by repeated blows to the head. Doctors say CTE leads to conditions including memory loss, depression and dementia.

The brain of the late Junior Seau was not part of this study, even though B.U. touts itself as the official brain bank of the NFL due to a $1 million research grant the league awarded it and the fact it has studied more specimens from former professional football players than any other entity in America (Seau’s brain was studied by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, where five separate experts concluded the Chargers' Hall of Fame linebacker did, indeed, suffer from CTE).

Researchers in the Boston University study looked at the brains of people who played football either professionally, semi-professionally, in college or in high school. In all, 165 specimens were examined. An alarming 79 percent of those tested positive for CTE, meaning even if a football player never reaches the National Football League there’s a 58 percent chance he’ll develop CTE.

One of the more surprising and potentially disturbing aspects of the report was information about the brains of offensive and defensive linemen. The findings suggest that those players who are hitting their heads repeatedly, resulting in even minor head trauma were at the greatest risk of problems later. Doctors previously believed the most violent collisions that caused concussions were more dangerous.

Ann McKee, the Boston University doctor who runs the lab, said this latest research is remarkably consistent with past studies that link football and long-term brain disease. A spokesperson for the NFL responded to the PBS report through a statement:

"We are dedicated to making football safer and continue to take steps to protect players, including rule changes, advanced sideline technology, and expanded medical resources."

The league spokesperson also pointed out it is funding a portion of this research. In addition to the $1 million to Boston University, the NFL awarded the N.I.H. $30 million. That money was handed out just four months after Seau's diagnosis.

The league is attempting to gather data about concussions. It assembled a program that collects information using sensors placed in helmets during the 2013 season but suspended that program for the 2015 season. They said the sensors are not accurate enough.

The NFL Players Association also voiced concerns about the data leaking out and being used against players in contract negotiations.

However, the more than 11,000 pieces of data that have been collected will still be studied to try and find a way to improve the technology.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Pedestrian Hit in Clairemont

0
0

A Sig Alert has been issued after a car hit a 21-year-old man in Clairemont according to police.

The accident happened just after 2 p.m. Friday at the corner of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Clairemont Drive.

Police say the victim was illegally crossingthe street when a 21-year-old driver hit him.

The victim has been transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Officials say the driver was not injured.

SDPD is investigating.

Check back on this breaking story for updates.



Photo Credit: NBC7

Extra Police Guard High Schools After Lockdowns

0
0

Students returned to a normal school schedules Friday after after receiving unspecified phone threats the day before prompting lockdowns.

Extra police were present at each school as a precaution according to San Diego Unified Chief Public Information Officer Ursula Kroemer.

Officials locked down eight high schools Thursday morning after several specific threats came in to each school police said.

The schools included:
• Scripps Ranch
• Patrick Henry
• Morse
• SD High
• Clairemont
• Crawford
• Kearny
• Mira Mesa
• Point Loma
• La Jolla

Eight schools received phone threats within fifteen minutes of each other. Point Loma and La Jolla received threats hours later.

Just after 1 pm Thursday all of the lockdowns had been lifted.

 

The investigation is ongoing.



Photo Credit: NBC7

Mom Arrested in 'Baby Doe' Death

0
0

The mother of "Baby Doe," the little girl whose body was found on Deer Island in Massachusetts earlier this year, will be charged as an accessory in the young girl's death, and her boyfriend will be charged with the child's murder.

The victim was identified Friday as Bella Bond. Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley said that 35-year-old Michael Patrick McCarthy, the boyfriend of the girl's mother, murdered her.

Bella's mother, 40-year-old Rachelle Bond of Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, has been arrested and charged as an accessory after the fact. McCarthy is hospitalized for an unrelated medical condition, but Conley said his arrest had been authorized.

"This child, whose very name means 'beauty,' was murdered," Conley said. "We allege that McCarthy caused Bella's death, that he did so intentionally, and that he and Bond took specific steps to keep Bella's death a secret and to avoid prosecution."

Conley went on to say that the cause of Bella's death has "puzzled" investigators since her body was found, but that they have "a very good idea" of what happened to her based on the evidence."

The district attorney would not elaborate on that, saying that more details would be available Monday.

Officials say the death was violent and it happened at the family's apartment on Maxwell Street in Dorchester.

Neighbors said they had noticed Bella wasn't around for the past few months, but say they assumed, like Rachelle Bond's two other children, she had been taken away by the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families.

DCF issued a statement Friday, confirming that the agency hasn't had an open case with the family for over two years.

"Since June, the Department has been working closely with law enforcement on exploring dozens of leads in hopes to identify the little girl found on Deer Island. Now that we know her name, the story is no less tragic. DCF has not had an open case with this family for over two years, but did have brief involvement with Baby Bella as an infant. Our thoughts are with Bella's extended family as the investigation into her death continues."

DCF had contact with Bella Bond in 2012 and 2013 for neglect. In both instances, it provided services and the case was closed.

Between 2001 and 2006, DCF terminated parental rights regarding two of Rachelle Bond's other children. One remains with the maternal grandmother, and the other was adopted by a non-related family.

Court documents show Bond was arrested by an undercover Boston police officer on a prostitution charge in 2010. She pleaded guilty and was placed on probation for one year.

A woman walking her dog along Deer Island found the girl's body on June 25. The child was found wearing a distinctive pair of white leggings with black polka dots and was with a zebra-print fleece blanket.

Friday, many people who felt connected to the case headed to Deer Island for closure, paying their respects to a girl who, for so long, had no name.

"We know her now," said Patricia Bonita. "We know it's baby Bella."

Bonita, who has been coming to the spot where Bella was discarded since the first vigil, says she's happy she can finally call her by her true name. Each time she goes to the makeshift memorial, she arranges rocks. Friday, she was able to write "God bless Bella."

Bella was identified thanks to a tip to the Boston Police Department's Homicide Unit. Throughout the investigation, state police have lauded the persistence of social media users who shared a computer-generated composite image of the girl - one that strongly resembled photos of Bella posted on Rachelle Bond's Facebook page.

Conley echoed those sentiments Friday, thanking everyone who helped keep Bella's face in public view.

"It was a very valuable tip," Conley said. "It's just a very good example of someone who acquired some information and called the Boston Police."

Tips from the public generated more than 100 leads, according to police.

Testing conducted on pollen samples recovered from the trash bag the girl's remains were found in suggested she spent time in the Greater Boston area. The girl's body did not show signs of advanced decomposition, suggesting that she died in the area rather than at a distant location.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the family has no current involvement with the state Department of Children and Families, but was briefly involved with DCF in 2013 regarding Bella.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo said that McCarthy and Rachelle Bond are blaming each other.



Photo Credit: Facebook/Suffolk County District Attorney's Office

Dog Activist's Bike Stolen After 9300-Mile Trip

0
0

The bike of prominent animal activist Mike Minnick of @WheresBixby was stolen Thursday night in Mission Beach.

Minnick and his dog had ridden the bike over 9,300 miles through 31 states adovocating for pet adoption.

They finally made it San Diego when his bike was stolen from 730 Jamaica Street, two blocks from the rollercoaster. His bluetooth speaker, ipod, GoPro, and Bixby's toys were also stolen.

He and 15 pound rescue dog Bixby now say they’re stranded. It is a Yuba Mundo cargo bike with a basket on the back where Bixby would ride.

People have already donated over $7,000 to his GoFundMe page for a new bike.



Photo Credit: @WheresBixby

WATCH: $300,000 Hydroplane Flips at Bayfair

0
0

A hydroplane participating in the annual San Diego Bayfair flipped during a qualifying session Friday on Mission Bay, going from 170 miles per hour to zero in a matter of seconds, event organizers confirmed.

The U-18 Bucket List Racing hydroplane was involved in the accident on the water just before 1 p.m. The driver, 64-year-old Kelly Stocklin, was able to climb out of the overturned boat and was taken to a hospital for evaluation as a precaution, organizers said.

Bayfair organizers said the wind on the racecourse had picked up slightly at the time of the crash, but no other accidents were reported on the water.

John O'Brien, who does radio communications for the U-18 team, said they were doing a timing run and had just made some adjustments to the vessel.

In fact, the boat was going the fastest it had gone in three years, he said.

"Perfect storm. He hit a roller from one side. Boat lifted up on the left side and blew over about one and a half times and did a pirouette," said O'Brien.

He said every portion of the boat has damage to it, and there is no insurance in this sport. If it's a total loss, the team is out $300,000, according to O'Brien. The boat has been pulled from the competition.

Stocklin, the driver from Washington, will be held overnight at the hospital as he is evaluated. "Our concern right now is with Kelly Stocklin and his wife," said O'Brien.

He explained that despite the high-intesity of the races, no one has died in at least 12 years. The last death, O'Brien said, was in San Diego.

"There's been a lot of safety precautions done with these boats," he said, "with the cockpits being made out of Kevlar and carbon graphite like a bulletproof vest. It's an F-16 fighter pilot canopy that is part of the boat."

The U-18 is one of 11 H1 Unlimited hydroplanes racing at the 51st annual high-octane event, which continues through Sunday on East Vacation Island, Crown Point and Fiesta Island.

More than 80 teams are from around the world will race on the bay in front of more than 85,000 spectators throughout the weekend. This includes 10 Grand Prix West hydroplanes as well as dozens of boats in smaller classes.
 



Photo Credit: H1 Unlimited

Firefighters Train With New Tools

0
0

Firefighters with Heartland Fire and Rescue in San Diego’s East County are now using a new device to help raise and lower victims in emergency calls – a technique known as “vertical rescue.”

The CMC multi-purpose device streamlines the system of ropes and pulleys firefighters have been using for the last several years.

"It's a little quicker to get down to the patient,” Heartland firefighter Domenic Provence told NBC 7. “We can put this into play fairly quickly just by making it attach to an anchor point."

Currently, the device is being used during training drills on the five-story tower at the Heartland Fire Training Facility in El Cajon.

"Vertical rescues are definitely a diminishing skill, with the rope and just the technical aspect of rescue. If you don't do it for some time, you can lose those skills," Provence explained.

The monthly training exercises include auto extraction, hazmat, wildland, truck operations, and trench rescue. The drills also give crews from different stations, and various levels of experience, an opportunity to work together.

"Part of the training process is not just putting together a scenario that gives us an opportunity to use our skills, but also being creative and coming up with a scenario that challenges us to utilize those skills in a way that we wouldn't normally," said Battalion Chief Brian Manns.

"So when we see those rare instances where you don't have everything falling into place the way you would like, you'll be able to easily adapt and overcome and modify what you know and what your training is,” he added.

Most of the calls Heartland firefighters respond to are medically-related. That's why they spend so much time in training.

Some of that training takes place in a classroom at the Heartland Fire Training Facility.

Firefighters have just started using the newest version of a fire simulation program called “Digital Combustion.”

Through the program, engineers can work on advancing to a captain's position by learning to take command of an incident.

"From being on an actual fire scene to this, the communication and structure of everything is very realistic," said engineer Ben Jenkins.

The fire scenarios, played out through videos loaded on iPads, also show firefighters the different roles of other crew members.

"It's giving me the chance to kind of make my own choices and get a better understanding of what is going on," said firefighter Nick Pinson.

In 2010, the cities of El Cajon, Lemon Grove and La Mesa combined their fire resources and eight fire stations to form Heartland Fire and Rescue.

Heartland Fire and Rescue Chief Rick Sitta said the joint powers of agreement that consolidated the three departments has made them more effective.

"The efficiencies are created through eliminating redundancies in management positions at the top end," said Chief Sitta. "We combined training and operational efficiencies by being able to intermingle personnel from all three cities and train them all at the same level."

Recently, Heartland Fire and Rescue received a Class 1 rating – a top ranking in the fire department industry – from the Insurance Services Office (ISO).

Chief Sitta said Heartland Fire and Rescue was able to achieve the top rating in large part because of its combined resources, training and documentation program, and fire prevention and community preparedness education.

Of the more than 48,000 fire departments in the United States rated by ISO, only 98 are rated Class 1. The only other agency in San Diego County with the same rating is Poway Fire Department.

"We can always try to gauge our effectiveness by looking in a mirror, but we wanted someone else to tell us where we stood as far as providing the communities with fire suppression capabilities," says Chief Sitta. "We contacted ISO for an evaluation. Through this process, they determined we were doing a pretty darn good job here at Heartland Fire and Rescue."

Heartland firefighters say there's no doubt new technology and better equipment make their jobs easier, but they say that can never take the place of people, who have the training, education and experience to solve problems.



Photo Credit: May Tjoa
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

IAEA Chief Heads to Iran to Push Progress in Parchin Site Probe

0
0

With a key deadline approaching, the head of the U.N. nuclear agency is leaving for Tehran Saturday for high-level meetings as he tries to accelerate his probe of allegations that Iran worked in the past on nuclear weapons.

Yukiya Amano of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency will arrive Sunday for meetings aimed at "clarifications of past and present outstanding issues" linked to the agency's probe, spokesman Fredrik Dahl said.

On Friday, diplomats said Amano plans to push for long-delayed interviews with Iranian scientists linked to alleged experiments as well as to discuss a planned inspection of Parchin. The agency has identified that site, southeast of Tehran, as where some of the suspected work took place.



Photo Credit: AP

Gunman Locks Ex-BF in Closet: Cops

0
0

Police say an armed man locked his ex-boyfriend in a closet leading to a barricade situation in Philadelphia Saturday afternoon.

The ordeal began when a 27-year-old man broke up with his 23-year-old boyfriend, according to investigators.

After the breakup, the 23-year-old man allegedly went to the 27-year-old man’s home on the 3700 block of North 16th Street around 2:45 p.m. armed with a gun. He then locked the 27-year-old man in a closet, officials said.

Police called the 27-year-old man several times but then lost contact with him, officials said. A SWAT team arrived at the scene and set up a staging area. Residents on the second and third floors of the building were evacuated.

Police later entered the home shortly after 4 p.m. but didn't find anyone inside, according to investigators. While the barricade situation is over, police continue to search for the suspect and victim.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.


 



Photo Credit: Drew Smith

2 Bedroom Fixer-Upper For $350,000

0
0

Looking for budget-friendly real estate in San Francisco?

For $350,000, you can be the proud owner of what looks like a shack in the Outer Mission neighborhood.

Located at 16 De Long Street, the 765-square-foot wooden home boasts two bedrooms and one bathroom. The structure was built in 1906 and is advertised as a “distinguished” single-family home.

“This is San Francisco,” said realtor Brian Tran, who listed the property. “You have to take into account that the value is not always in the home, but in the land.”

According to a national rent report released by Zumper in February, the median rent for a two-bedroom house in San Francisco is about $4,650. 

The house, which features wood siding, sits on a roughly 1,600-square-foot lot, meaning each square foot costs more than $450.

Tran added that the house has not been lived in “for about eight years” and both the interior and exterior need a “considerable” amount of work.

If fixer-uppers are your style, you can check out the place during an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.



Photo Credit: Google Maps

Injury Report: Chargers at Bengals

0
0

We're only one game in to 2015,  but it's already safe to say the Chargers have not had good luck with ankles. Three different starters are likely to miss Sunday's first road game in Cincinnati due to ankle injuries.

Offensive guard D.J. Fluker, safety Jahleel Addae and return specialist Jacoby Jones are all doubtful to play against the Bengals. All three injured an ankle against the Lions and did not participate in any practices during the week.

The Bolts had Chris Hairston work at right guard most of the week so it's likely he'll start there. Hairston replaced Fluker in the third quarter of the win against Detroit, then ended up moving to right tackle when Joe Barksdale had to leave after cramping up. Center Chris Watt moved to guard and Trevor Robinson came in to play center. So basically, business as usual for quarterback Philip Rivers, who's used to seeing a revolving door of linemen in front of him.

Addae will be replaced in the starting secondary by Jimmy Wilson, a Point Loma high alum who signed with the Bolts in the off-season from Miami. With Jones likely out the Bolts will likely have running backs Branden Oliver and Danny Woodhead returning kickoffs with either wide receiver Keenan Allen or rookie defensive back Craig Mager handling punts.

Mager will likely see his first regular season game action. He missed the season-opener with a hamstring injury but is listed as probable. So is outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu, who also sat out the Lions game with a hamstring but is probable to go in Cincy. Attaochu was replaced by rookie Kyle Emanuel, who had his first career sack and interception but also suffered a shoulder injury and was limited in practice all week. Emanuel is questionable this Sunday.

Also for the Chargers guard Johnnie Troutman and linebacker Tourek Williams are still out as they recover from broken bones. Everyone else is expected to play.

The Bengals know they won't have reserve defensive tackle Marcus Hardison, who's out with a knee injury. The only question marks are starting safety George Iloka and backup defensive back Josh Shaw.

Driver Crashes Into Car Dealership

0
0

A driver caused a huge mess overnight after he veered off a freeway in east San Diego and crashed into a car dealership.

Just before 2 a.m., a man behind the wheel of a white BMW lost control on State Route 94 in La Mesa and plowed into the Steve Bancroft Motors dealership in the 8700 block of Campo Road.

He crashed into at least one parked car at the dealership that still had its $9,950 price tag sticker on the windshield. It’s unclear if other vehicles were damaged in the accident.

Shattered glass, car parts and other debris was strewn about the dealership.

The man remained at the scene and was later led away in handcuffs by officials. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said he suffered some injuries and was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital for treatment. No one else was hurt.

The crash is under investigation, and no further details were immediately released. Officials have not yet confirmed if DUI is suspected.

Lymen Tran, a witness who was working at a Wendy’s restaurant across the street from the car dealership, said the crash happened quickly, with the driver flying right off the freeway.

“The car was at the pavement right there on the off-ramp. He just flew right over the ledge and then he caught some air,” Tran explained. “He caught a lot of air.”

Tran said he then heard a very loud “boom” as the driver slammed into several cars at the dealership.

“He just smashed right through the gate, hit multiple cars and went through. And I was just like, ‘[That’s] some stuff, man,’” the witness added.

In the light of day Saturday morning, the aftermath of the crash could be seen clearly at the car dealership as the damaged cars remained on the lot.

NBC 7 spoke with Oscar Hernandez, a manager at the Steve Bancroft Motors, who said he learned of the accident after receiving a phone call at 2 a.m. He then had to go to the dealership to open the gate.

“Come to find out, there was an extra car in the lot and lots of dirt and debris,” he told NBC 7.

Hernandez said officials told him the driver had been under the influence at the time of the crash, which he said was very upsetting. He said CHP also reported the driver was traveling at more than 100 mph.

“He should’ve been more responsible,” he lamented. “Luckily, we have insurance. We have to move on.”

Hernandez said it was fortunate the crash happened when the dealership was closed – not when customers and employees were there, walking around the lot and looking at cars.

“That would’ve been the worst,” he added.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Glimmer of Hope in Patient's 15-Year-Old Case?

0
0

Medical professionals in San Diego County are hopeful, yet cautious, about a new glimmer of hope in a case involving an anonymous patient who has been on life support for more than 15 years.

He’s known as “Garage 66” because “garage” and “66” are both details in a high-speed crash that landed the young man first at UCSD Medical Center and then at Villa Coronado Skilled Nursing Facility.

“I’m sure there is a mother or a father, or brother or sister, who are wondering whatever happened to him,” said Ed Kirkpatrick, the Director of Long-term Care at Villa Coronado.

Care for Garage, about $700 a day, is paid for by Medi-Cal, a state program for the sick and poor.

Kirkpatrick said his team is very compassionate with Garage.

“We have a birthday that we use. He has a birthday party every year,” he told NBC 7.

No one knows for sure, but Garage is believed to be from south of the US-Mexico border. Human rights advocacy group Border Angels has teamed up with the medical staff at Villa Coronado to help identify this mystery man.

Enrique Morones is the founder of Border Angels. Together, they’ve formed a team. The team also includes representatives from the Border Patrol Union, Senator Ben Hueso’s office, Congressman’s Juan Vargas’ office, the University of San Diego and the Mexican Consulate.

“There are a lot of people who cross borders around the world, and people don’t know what happened to them,” he said.

Friday, Morones told NBC 7 about a new hope in the case.

He said Border Patrol officials have found a possible connection.

“There was some sort of traffic violation [from 15 years ago] where we think this man, Garage 66, was that man,” he said. “There’s a DNA process that’s taking place right now.”

“The only method [of proof] we are accepting right now is DNA analysis, so the family closest like the mother or father would supply a sample and that would go to a lab in Virginia,” Kirkpatrick explained.

Kirkpatrick said, in the last 15 years, there have been 30 to 40 leads in this mysterious case. None of them have been validated.

“It’s easy to jump the gun on this,” he said.

If you think you have information on the real identity of Garage 66, you are urged not to go to the hospital. Rather, reach out to Border Angels at (619) 269-7865.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

‘Holiday Wonderland’ to Return to Petco Park

0
0

Downtown San Diego’s Petco Park will deck the halls once more this holiday season as the ballpark typically reserved for Padres games transforms into a festive winter wonderland.

Petco Park officials announced this week that “Holiday Wonderland” – the holiday spectacular that debuted last year – will light up the ballpark for 12 nights, beginning Dec. 4, and continue for three consecutive weekends, plus Monday, Dec. 21 through Wednesday, Dec. 23.

Each evening, Holiday Wonderland will open from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

This year, organizers say the event will include more colorful lighting vignettes for visitors to walk through, plus unique holiday activities for visitors of all ages.

Last winter’s 12-night run of Holiday Wonderland at Petco Park drew more than 65,000 visitors.
Organizers said last year’s inaugural event was a huge success, so this time around called for a bigger set-up, including an expanded layout and more activities.

Attendees will have the chance to ride a Polar Express train, visit a "Candyland"-inspired area, feed live reindeer and visit Santa’s workshop and meet his elves. Of course, a visit with Santa Claus himself is also on the agenda, plus a stop at a 40-foot-tall Christmas tree.

Tickets cost $15 per adult and $10 for children, and can be purchased here. Kids under three years old can go for free. The tickets will be date-specific, as an effort to control crowds from getting too big one any one given night, organizers said. Once a certain date has reached capacity, ticket sales for that date will be capped.

There’s also a “Red Bow Package” option for those who would like to buy tickets good for any night of the event. That package costs $40 and includes two tickets and a commemorative SAN Diego Padres holiday ornament. For more info, visit the Holiday Wonderland web page.



Photo Credit: AP

Child Dead After Migrant Boat Sinks Traveling to Greece

0
0

A girl—who may be no older than five years old—died on Saturday and 13 other migrant are lost after their boat sank in choppy waters off the Greek island of Lesbos, officials said.

A second boat of 40 people traveling from Turkey reached the island after paddling six miles through out the night after their engine failed.

Some, like Mohammed Rezawhoe fled from Afghanistan, thought they would die.

He said neither the Greek and Turkish coastguard had assisted the group of men, women and children. "At that moment, we, all of us, thought that we are useless, we are not human."



Photo Credit: AP

Friend, Father of 'Baby Doe' Speak

0
0

The father of “Baby Doe, who was identified as Bella Bond —the 2-year-old whose body washed up on the shore of Massachusetts’ Deer Island in June— is expressing doubt that Bella’s mother, Rachelle Bond, was involved in her death, while friends of Bond knew the mother to have a troubled past. 

Bond was arrested and charged as an accessory after the fact; Bond's boyfriend, 35-year-old Michael McCarthy, was accused of her murder.

"She told me the whole story," Bella's biological father, Joseph Amoroso, told the Boston Herald. She was very emotional, sincere through the whole thing, and I believe her. I believe her - that it was this man who murdered our daughter, murdered a 2-year-old."

But a friend of Bond believed drugs kept the 40-year-old from being the parent she wanted to be.

"She was doing really well," said Junie Dieujuste, who lived with Rachelle Bond in a family shelter.

Dieujuste said Bella was supposed to be a new chance for Bond, who lost custody of her first two children.

"She was a beautiful little girl," Dieujuste said about Bella.

"She had a rough life - wasn't an easy one," said Doug Dutrizac, a former boyfriend of Rachelle Bond. "Inside, she was a good person. Drugs did her in."

Dutrizac says he lived with Bond for two years well before Bella was born. He said she tried to be a good mother to her two older children.

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families terminated her parental rights with one child in 2001 and another in 2006. Years later, she pleaded guilty to a prostitution charge after a 2010 arrest.

The DCF had contact with Bella Bond in 2012 and 2013 for neglect. In both instances, the department provided services and the cases were closed.

Even after millions saw a computer-generated image of "Baby Doe" - one that looked so much like the child - no one identified her until a the Boston Police Department's Homicide Unit received a tip that led investigators to Friday's determination.

"I didn't know - every time I saw the picture, I just kept saying, 'Somebody knows something, someone knows who she is,'" Dieujuste said through tears.

On Facebook, Rachelle Bond portrayed herself as a doting mother, posting several pictures and a video of Bella's second birthday - the last the toddler would ever celebrate.

Friday, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley announced the charges against Bond and McCarthy, whose arrest had been authorized as he remained hospitalized for an unrelated medical condition.

"This child, whose very name means 'beauty,' was murdered," Conley said. "We allege that McCarthy caused Bella's death, that he did so intentionally, and that he and Bond took specific steps to keep Bella's death a secret and to avoid prosecution."

Conley went on to say that the cause of Bella's death has "puzzled" investigators since her body was found, but that they have "a very good idea" of what happened to her based on the evidence."

The district attorney would not elaborate on that, saying that more details would be available Monday.

Officials say the death was violent and it happened at the family's apartment on Maxwell Street.



Photo Credit: Facebook

Number of Suicides Down Last Year

0
0

Suicides have dropped in San Diego in the last year according to the County Suicide Prevention Council.

Their report, released Thursday, said 21 fewer people killed themselves last year down from 441 in 2013. Deaths have been steadily rising since 2010, but made a drop in 2014.

“The decline in the number of suicides is a glimmer of hope,” said Vice Chairman Dave Roberts, County Board of Supervisors. "We hope that the number continues to drop until we have no suicides in San Diego County.”

The findings showed that people with suicidal thoughts are reaching out more for help. According to the report calls to the county’s Crisis Line jumped from 17,635 to 20,267 last year and visits to It’s Up to US, San Diego’s suicide prevention website, went up from 98,960 in 2013 to 134,574 last year.

It’s Up to US, a recently launched campaign, emphasizes that pain in friends and loved ones isn’t always obvious and encourages people to learn the signs of suicidal behavior. Among the many signs are no sense of purpose, anxiety, sudden mood changes, reckless behavior, giving away possessions, and withdrawal.

“People are reaching out and getting help and that is great news,” said Alfredo Aguirre, director of the County Health and Human Services Agency, Behavioral Health Services. “Preventing suicide and helping people get help for a mental illness are part of the County’s Live Well San Diego vision of healthy, safe and thriving residents and communities.”

The county urges anyone who feels in crisis to call the Access & Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240.
 



Photo Credit: larsonga/Instagram
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images