San Diego Food Bank received a “tremendous donation” of 30,000 pounds of ham Thursday.

Vons, Smithfield and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) donated 30,000 pounds of meat Thursday to the Jacobs and Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

“Protein is a tough commodity, it’s very expensive,” said the food bank President and CEO James Floros.

“It is the staple, the main part of the dinner plate. And this gives them a chance to put meat on the table,” said Smithfield representative Dennis Pittman.

The San Diego Food Bank feeds about 350,000 people every month and after the holiday season donations drop more than 80-percent.

President of UFCW Local 135 Mickey Kasparian said those who work are sometimes among those residents using food bank services.

“More and more as the economy get difficult, it’s why we have to step up and help,” he said.

The donation of 30,000 pounds of ham was part of a nationwide effort called Feeding the Hungry, which started in 2009. 

Click here for more information on how to get help from the San Diego Food Bank and click here for ways you can donate to help others through the food bank programs and services.

Deputies responded to a body found in Encinitas on Thursday morning.

A man was found dead on the side lawn of a house on the 2900-block of Lone Jack Road around 9:40 a.m., according to the sheriff's department. Officials determined the victim had been shot.

Authorities arrested Michael Vilkin, 61, who lives in the same block, and charged him with murder. He was questioned over the course of the morning.

Earlier in the day, a car registered to Vilkin was at the scene. A woman got out of the car and asked where her husband was and after talking to deputies she then drove off. 

The area where the man's body was found is known as an upscale neighborhood in the Olivenhain community.

Lt. James Bolwerk said it appears two men were involved in a domestic dispute, but he would not clarify if the men were related or at which exact residence the incident occurred. The victim's identity has not been released.

Investigators believe there are no outstanding suspects.

On Thursday night, homicide detectives said they were still investigating the dispute involving Vilkin and the victim, which ultimately led to the fatal shooting. Detectives said they were vetting information for a variety of sources in order to piece together the events and motive for the shooting.

Officials said detectives are interviewing witnesses. A warrant has been obtained and a search of the Encinitas property is being conducted.

Officials said anything with information about the incident is asked to call the homicide unit at 858-974-2321 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

View Body Found in Encinitas in a larger map

Civilians working for the military in San Diego have been bracing themselves for a major hit to their pocketbook in the form of furloughs due to sequestration cuts.

Now there's a little bit of good news for them: the number of days has been reduced.

The reduction in furlough days is one of the immediate positive outcomes of a Defense Budget Bill for this year finally getting signed in Washington this week.

Now civilian employees of the Defense Department can expect to be furloughed 14 days this fiscal year, down from the originally anticipated 22.

Of the approximately 800,000 Defense Department civilians nationwide, more than 22,000 are here in San Diego.

“These furlough days are reducing their income, for which they have not planned for, so now they're all - everybody’s sort of scrambling, trying to figure out how they’re going to cover costs," said Marney Cox, Chief Economist for San Diego Association of Governments.

When the Pentagon announced civilian furloughs because of sequestration cuts, DoD civilian, Michael Boone says he was frustrated but relieved.

"I was really scared that they might lay off so when they said furloughs instead of laying off to me that was a much better scenario," said Boone.

The decision to decrease the number of furlough days was made possible by a defense appropriations bill being signed this week, reducing a shortfall in the military's operations budget.

Cox says DoD civilians will now keep around $1,800 that they would have lost, but they'll still take a big hit.

“There's still furlough days that they will be hit by so close to $3600 or so is what they will lose", said Cox.

Boone says because he's single, the furloughs won't impact him as much as those with families, but he is adjusting his lifestyle.

“I wanted to go to Europe. I still want to go, now I may have to delay that a little bit," said Boone.

The Pentagon says the furloughs will also be delayed until mid-to- late June, and people will start receiving notices in early May.

Cinderella ran out of fairy dust.

The Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles, who entered the NCAA tournament as an obscure 15th seed and made a historic run to the Sweet Sixteen, lost to their cross-state opponent Florida on Friday, 62-50.

The Eagles, who electrified the tournament with their alley-oops and exuberant style of play, began the game in similar fashion, dunking their way to a 15-4 lead. But the team that coined the term Dunk City began to fall apart about midway through the first half, when third-seeded Florida ended a spate of poor shooting and spun the momentum around. The Gators embarked on a 16-2 run and ended the half with a 30-26 lead.

In the second half, Florida picked up where it left off, extending its lead. At the same time, FGCU went cold. The Eagles, who were only in their second year of Division 1 competition, fumbled possessions, tossed airballs, even missed a dunk or two. The magic that made them the only 15th seed to reach the Sweet Sixteen had expired. For the first time in the tournament, they looked spent.

Florida, meanwhile, won despite shooting only 37.5 percent from the field. They moved on to the Elite Eight for the third straight year. This time they'll play Michigan, who upset Kansas in overtime earlier in the evening.

Trey Burke made up for one of his worst starts with the best shot of his life.

Burke bounced back from a scoreless first half to score 23 points, including a long 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation, and Michigan rallied to beat Kansas 87-85 in the South Regional semifinals Friday night.

The fourth-seeded Wolverines wiped out a 10-point Kansas lead in the last 3 minutes of regulation, and Burke gave them their first lead since early in the game with another long 3 to open Michigan's scoring in overtime.

The Wolverines (29-7) reached the regional finals for the first time since the Fab Five era 19 years ago, the last time they were in the round of 16.

Ben McLemore had 20 points for the Jayhawks (31-6), who looked to be on their way to a third straight regional final before Michigan's improbable rally. Instead, they became the third No. 1 seed to fall in this tournament, joining Gonzaga and Indiana.

The Wolverines will play Florida in the regional final Sunday.

FLORIDA 62, FLORIDA GULF COAST 50

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike Rosario had 15 points to help Florida to an NCAA regional final for the third year in a row and stop the run for Florida Gulf Coast, the No. 15 seed whose improbable tournament journey ended just before midnight Friday.

Florida Gulf Coast, the high-flying team from "Dunk City" few people knew before this NCAA tourney, jumped out to an early 11-point lead against the SEC regular-season champs.

But the No. 3 seed Gators (29-7), with a roster filled with NCAA tourney experience, were just too strong and too good.

Michael Frazier made a pair of 3-pointer to start a 16-0 run late in the first half. That came in a 4½-minute span when the Eagles (26-11) had four turnovers and missed their only shot. They trailed the rest of the game.

The Gators are trying to get to their first Final Four since consecutive national championships in 2006 and 2007.

Sherwood Brown led FGCU with 14 points, and Chase Fieler had 12.

___

MIDWEST REGIONAL

DUKE 71, MICHIGAN STATE 61

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Seth Curry shot Duke right into the regional finals — and put Mike Krzyzewski on the verge of another milestone.

Curry scored 29 points and the Blue Devils beat Michigan State 71-61 to advance to the regional final in the NCAA tournament.

If No. 2 seed Duke (30-5) beats top-seeded Louisville (32-5) in Sunday's regional final, Krzyzewski would tie John Wooden's record with 12 Final Four trips.

Third-seeded Michigan State (27-9) just couldn't keep up with Curry and Duke's shooters. Keith Appling had 16 points for the Spartans, and Adreian Payne finished with 14.

Curry's sixth 3-pointer of the game broke a 38-38 tie early in the second half, sending Duke on a 9-0 run. It also matched the school record for most 3s in an NCAA tourney game, most recently accomplished by Jason Williams on March 22, 2001, against UCLA.

The Blue Devils never trailed again.

Rasheed Sulaimon had 16 points and Mason Plumlee finished with 14 for Duke.

LOUISVILLE 77, OREGON 69

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Louisville survived its first test.

Russ Smith matched his career high with 31 points to lead three Cardinals in double figures, and top-seeded Louisville showed it can win close games, too, posting a narrow victory over Oregon.

Kevin Ware added 11 and Gorgui Dieng had 10 points and nine rebounds for Louisville (32-5), which has won 13 straight. Coach Rick Pitino improved to 11-0 in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament.

The 12th-seeded Ducks (28-9) at least made a game of it late. After Louisville went up 66-48 with 9:01 left, Oregon made six straight field goals to close to 70-64 — the closest anyone's been to the Cardinals in a couple of weeks.

But Kevin Ware scored on a layup and Chane Behanan threw down a monstrous dunk to put the game out of reach. Still, Oregon is only the second team to be within single digits at the buzzer during Louisville's run.

E.J. Singler's 15 points led five Ducks in double figures, and the Ducks had only 12 turnovers — one fewer than the Cardinals.

Two men in Pennsylvania who are former members of the Kutztown University football team have been arrested. Shahaid and Kali Smith, who are half brothers, are facing charges in separate armed robberies that happened on and off campus.

A spokesman for Kutztown University says Shahaid Smith, 19, was arrested Thursday in connection with an armed robbery of an on-campus dorm. Police say in the early morning hours of March 8, students were inside their room at Deatrick Hall when they heard a knock at the door.

When they opened it, police say they were met by three masked men dressed in black. Two of the men were armed, according to investigators. The intruders allegedly struck one of the students, searched the room and then left without taking anything.

Kali Smith was also arrested Thursday and charged in connection with an incident that happened off-campus, according to a Kutztown University spokesman.

The charges were linked to an armed robbery that happened at an off-campus house in March of 2012, according to the Reading Eagle.

Shahaid Smith is a special education major. His brother, Kali, is a business administration major.

Both have been placed on interim suspension from Kutztown University.
 

The Peace Officers Research Association of California became the second entity to reject paying its share of the reward pot issued during the manhunt for a murderous ex-police officer, union president Ron Cottingham said Friday.

The 64,000-member union joins the city of Riverside in California, which on Monday pulled its $100,000 from the $1.2 million reward saying conditions were not met. Payout of the reward was contingent on Christopher Dorner’s arrest and conviction, a spokeswoman for the city told NBC4.

The Peace Officers Research Association had previously offered $50,000 to the reward.

After killing two law enforcement agents and a newly engaged couple in a revenge-fueled shooting spree, Dorner died in an apparent suicide on Feb. 12 during a standoff with authorities and cabin burning near Big Bear.

With little debate or discussion, the Riverside City Council voted unanimously to post the reward during the frenzied manhunt, even after it was told the fugitive's demise was likely to be announced soon.

Riverside city leaders defended their decision to vote after Dorner didn't emerge from the burning cabin following a gunfight with law enforcement.

There were conflicting reports the night of the vote about whether Dorner's body had been found, said Councilman Mike Gardner.

"There was never an intent to authorize a reward knowing it wouldn't be paid," Gardner said.

After Riverside pulled its slice of the reward, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Police Chief Charlie Beck said they want to the see the reward paid.

Cobbled together quickly as the manhunt for Dorner went cold on a snowy mountain where the ex-officer abandoned his truck, the reward was hastily announced over a weekend by multiple police chiefs and mayors.

It was never formally put in writing and was offered before public boards were able to authorize the money or set conditions for payment. Officials are expected to announce the payout by mid-April.

A lawyer for the couple who called police after Dorner tied them up in their Big Bear Lake condominium and fled in their car shortly before his death accused Riverside of reneging on an offer that was never genuinely made.

"The mayor knew full well that he wasn't going to be convicted when he authorized the resolution," attorney Kirk Hallam said.

"It is completely disingenuous for him to stand up there now and say, ‘Oh we weren't legally authorized to issue this.’ Really? That's not what you said when you offered the ordinance to the City Council after the facts were already known."

Hallam, who represents Karen and Jim Reynolds, said his clients deserve the money because they put police on Dorner's trail. Despite being bound and gagged, and told not to alert police, Karen Reynolds managed to call 911 to report that Dorner had fled in their purple SUV.

During the ensuing pursuit, Dorner crashed their SUV and carjacked a pickup truck from Rick Heltebrake, who also called authorities. He, too, filed a claim for the reward.

Hallam said Riverside should consider reviewing a state law that provides for the governor to pay rewards in police officers' killings even if the arrest or conviction is "rendered impossible by an intervening event, including but not limited to, the death of the person during a pursuit by law enforcement."

Frank Zimring, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said the city of Riverside can legally not pay the reward, but it could hurt the city in the future.

"The problem is going to come the next time Riverside wants to get the public's attention by offering a reward, because the issue is really the community's long-term credibility," Zimring said.

While the city of Riverside has pulled its reward, the county specifically changed its reward language to assure it wasn't only symbolic.

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors met the day after Dorner's death to authorize its $100,000 contribution. After some debate, the board voted unanimously to approve the amount and to change the language from "arrest and conviction" to "apprehension."

"The bottom line is if these individuals were helpful to get law enforcement to put this issue to an end ... then it should be offered," Supervisor John Tavaglione said during the meeting.

The NYPD is again planning to beef up patrols in Times Square and Midtown the night of Easter Sunday, a day that in recent years has seen violence as part of a yearly gang initation ritual following the Javits Center car show.

Police say the Easter Day "wilding" started years ago but became especially violent in 2010, when hundreds of gang members attended the annual auto show at the Javits Center, then conducted gang initiations in Times Square. 

Two women were shot during the sprawling brawl, two other people were wounded and several police officers injured. More than 50 people were arrested. 

Since then, police have beefed up Easter patrols and monitored activity at the car show. The Daily News reports the NYPD is also monitoring social media to look for gang members who may be planning a "mobbing" through Times Square. 

There have not been any gang incidents on Easter since 2010, and the NYPD is looking to keep it that way. 

"For me, it's a religious holiday and it should be respected," said Michael Hoard in Times Square Friday night. 

The police "are here to protect us, that's the bottom line," said Al Centrella of Hempstead, who was in the area with his wife to see a show.

The Chargers Community Foundation is offering $250,000 in grants to San Diego schools for physical fitness, nutrition and athletic programs.

The grants will be disbursed to local schools through the Chargers Champions School Grant Program. The deadline for schools to apply for the grants is May 3.

Selected high schools are eligible to receive grants of up to $75,000, while middle schools can qualify to receive up to $40,000 and elementary schools up to $30,000.

Last year, nine local schools received grants to improve physical fitness programs on their campuses.

Helix High School and Mission Bay High School each received a $75,000 grant for their campus weight rooms. Diegueno Middle School received a $22,000 grant for an outdoor fitness center, while Washington Middle School received $22,000 for aquatics equipment.

Christa McAuliffe Elementary School received a $17,000 grant for a running track from the 2012 Chargers Champions program, while Del Rio Elementary School received $15,000 for fitness equipment.

Cajon Park Elementary School used a $13,000 grant for sports equipment and a running track, Ross Elementary School received $4,000 to go toward fitness equipment and Valley Center High School received a $3,000 grant to purchase body composition analyzers.

Over the past 13 years, the Chargers Champions program has provided grants for 95 local schools, helping to fund projects ranging from outdoor fitness trails to weight rooms.

The funds for schools come through the Chargers Community Foundation, a San Diego Chargers charitable foundation established by Dean and Alex Spanos in 1995.

For details and applications for the Chargers Champions School Grant Program, visit this website.

The National Zoo announced Saturday that a team of scientists and veterinarians had artificially inseminated the zoo's female giant panda after natural breeding failed to occur.

The statement said that Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated with a combination of fresh and frozen semen taken from the zoo's male panda, Tian Tian. The fresh semen was taken earlier Saturday morning, while the frozen semen had been held since 2003.

Scientists determined that Mei Xiang was ready to breed earlier this week after observing a rise in her urinary estrogen levels.

"We are hopeful that our breeding efforts will be successful this year, and we’re encouraged by all the behaviors and hormonal data we’ve seen so far,” Dave Wildt, head of the Center for Species Survival at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute said. "We have an extremely small window of opportunity to perform the procedures, which is why we monitor behavior and hormones so closely.”

Panda pregnancies last between 95 and 160 days. Experts say that it is impossible to determine from behaviors and hormones whether a panda is actually pregnant or not because a fetus does not begin to develop until the final weeks of gestation.

Mei Xiang gave birth to a female cub on September 16 of last year, but the cub died one week later due to lung and liver damage. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have produced one surviving offspring, Tai Shan, who was born in 2005 and currently lives in China.

The panda habitat at the National Zoo has been closed since Tuesday, when Mei Xiang was deemed ready to breed. The zoo plans to re-open the habitat to visitors Sunday.

A photo released by the National Zoo of Saturday's insemination of Mei Xiang. For more pictures of the procedure, you can check out the National Zoo's Flickr page here.

A suspect armed with a BB gun fired at a U.S. Postal Service truck in Mission Valley, San Diego Friday afternoon, police confirmed.

The incident happened around 3:15 p.m. in the 1900 block of Camino De La Reina.

A U.S. postal worker was at a mailbox when one of the windows of his vehicle was shot out according to officials.

“He heard what he believed to be gunshots, shattered his window on his vehicle, turned out to be pellet fire from a BB gun,” said U.S. Postal Inspector Ricky Vida.

The worker was not injured and even continued his rounds for the day.

San Diego Police began focusing on an apartment building across the street.

They fanned out and then, something pretty unbelievable happened: more shots were fired. No one was was hit.

"Initially we got that there were four that were fired at the original postal truck that caused the damage. That got police response," said Lt. Duane Voss with San Diego police.

"Subsequent to that, the officers estimate that there were maybe four to six more while they were on scene here."

Officers discovered the shots from a pellet gun were coming from a third-story corner unit.

When they moved in to make an arrest, officials reported yet another surprise.

Officers say they found the pellet gun and also an AK-47, and an illegally modified rifle.

Richard Cook, 34, was arrested on weapons charges and for firing at the postal worker, according to police.

Jonathan Hankla, 30, was arrested on narcotics charges after police say they found Oxycontin in the apartment.

No injuries were reported, but the mail truck did sustain some minor damages.

San Diego Police were working with federal authorities. It was not clear if the suspects will be facing local or federal charges or possibly both.
 

Basketball is a team sport, but the Michigan Wolverines can thank point guard Trey Burke for overcoming top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks Friday night in what was perhaps the most exciting game of the NCAA tournament.

Burke shook off a scoreless first half and led fourth-seeded Michigan to a historic comeback that culminated when Burke launched a 30-foot jump shot from far beyond three-point range with 4.2 seconds left in regulation. The basket tied the game at 76 and sent the game into the tournament's first overtime.

Prior to that improbable surge, Michigan had spent most of the game fighting to avoid a rout. Kansas at one point led by 14 points, and by 10 late in the second half. Then came a 14-4 Michigan run in the final 2:52 of regulation. Burke had eight of those points, including two 3-pointers.

With victory snatched from their hands, the Jayhawks, the South Region's top-seeded team, seemed to lose their nerve in overtime. The lead changed five times, and a botched final play by Kansas gave the Wolverines an 87-85 win.

Burke finished with 23 points, and his freshman teammate Mitch McGary added 25.

The win sent Michigan to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994. They'll play the winners of Friday night's final game between Florida and Florida Gulf Coast.

Earlier Friday, Louisville, the nation's No. 1 team, extended its win streak to 13, defeating Oregon 77-69. The Cardinals will play Duke, who advanced to the Elite Eight by beating Michigan State, 71-61.

San Diego residents have mixed views on a new policy implemented by Mayor Bob Filner earlier this month that required the La Jolla Children’s Pool to be closed at night.

Filner said that a seal camera recently installed has captured video of people harassing the seals.

The grainy video shows two individuals inside the security ropes getting very close to the seals and one person even appears to sit on a seal.

La Jolla resident Dave Norton said he’s witnessed some odd behavior at the Children’s Pool.

“I’ve seen people go close to seals, hug them, get their little children could be bit by seals, I don't like that’s neither favorable for seal or human,” he said.

But some locals are not happy with the mayor’s new policy.

Ken Hunrichs, President of the Friend of the Children's Pool not only believes the mayor overstepped his power in closing the beach. He also suggested the whole thing may have been staged to drum out support for completely shutting off public access to this beach.

“The beach is a public beach, we have right to access beaches in California and to restrict that there has to be good reason justification for it,” said Hunrichs.

The seal camera is run by Western Alliance for Nature (WAN), a nonprofit based out of Malibu, Calif.
 
Founder of Western Alliance, Larry Wan did not address whether the incident was staged or not, but he said they recently released new video showing more harassment of the seals.

“The camera is there for research and provide people enjoyment of the seals,” Wan said.

Filner’s did not respond to an interview request for this story. 

The shooting death of a man in the upscale, quiet community of Olivenhain Thursday may have been motivated by an ongoing feud over trimming trees according to one resident.

John Upton, 56, of Encinitas was shot and killed outside his home on Lone Jack Road around 9:40 a.m., according to homicide investigators with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

According to several accounts, Upton was a nationally-known humanitarian who had worked to rescue Romanian orphans.

Deputies took Upton's neighbor Michael Vilkin, 61, into custody and charged him with murder.

A local television station aired a jailhouse interview with Vilkin Friday in which he claimed the shooting was self defense.

"It was self defense. I did not go to him threatening and he pulled a gun at me," Vilkin told KGTV. "I did not go to him. I stayed away on my property."

Lt. James Bolwerk said it appears two men were involved in a domestic dispute, but he would not clarify if the men were related or at which exact residence the incident occurred.

A man who identified himself as Michael Upton said his brother was the victim in the shooting and he contradicted the theory that the shooting was connected to a fight between neighbors.

Michael Upton believes the suspect hid the gun from sight or his brother would never have gotten near him.

"My brother was a smart guy, why would he get into an argument with a guy with a gun," Upton told NBC 7 San Diego.

Upton’s next door neighbor, who has lived on the property for 10 years, spoke with NBC 7 San Diego but asked not to be identified. He said the suspect and victim in the shooting had argued over tree trimming in the past.

Upton was a tenant at 2916 Lone Jack according to the neighbor.

On the day of the shooting, Vilkin appeared to be trimming trees on property that runs from the end of Upton’s driveway to an empty lot on the other side of Upton’s rental home, the neighbor told NBC 7.

Friday morning, a shovel, gloves, a ladder and a saw were still on the front yard near the scene of the shooting.

Detectives said they were vetting information for a variety of sources in order to piece together the events and motive for the shooting.

Investigators believe there are no outstanding suspects.

John Upton was described by one woman at the crime scene as a wonderful person who rescued thousands of children from Romania. The woman identified herself only as a spiritual adviser.

Michael Upton confirmed his brother's work with the orphans of Romania as reported by ABC's "20/20" and the Los Angeles Times in 1990.

John Upton and his girlfriend had recently bought a ranch and were planning to move Friday, according to the victim's brother.

He also said their mother died early Thursday morning after battling cancer.

Officials said anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the homicide unit at 858-974-2321 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

Friday marked a major milestone for Carlsbad’s highly-anticipated desalination plant project, which aims to bring a massive supply of fresh drinking water daily to San Diego County starting in 2016.

The desalination plant, which was officially approved by the San Diego County Water Authority board on Nov. 29, is being built and operated by the private company, Poseidon Resources.

Once the plant is up and running, it’s expected to turn 50 million gallons of sea water from the Pacific Ocean into fresh drinking water daily for use across the county. It will deliver roughly seven percent of the region’s water supply.

The agreement between the Water Authority and Poseidon Resources for the purchase of 50 million gallons of desalinated seawater is valid for the next 30 years.

Organizers plan to build the desalination plant adjacent to the Encina power station along the Pacific Ocean in Carlsbad and have it fully functioning by 2016. The project has been in the making for more than 12 years.

When completed, the water produced at the plant will be conveyed to the Water Authority’s water system via an underground 10-mile, large-diameter pipeline that will travel through the cities of San Marcos, Vista and Carlsbad.

On Friday, organizers and city leaders gathered to kick off the project with a milestone step: starting construction on the first part of the pipeline in San Marcos that will eventually connect to the desalination plant in Carlsbad.

Peter MacLaggan, vice president of Poseidon Resources, said construction on the San Marcos underground pipeline will move about 100 feet westward each day.

By 2016, MacLaggan says the 10-mile pipeline will interconnect with the Water authority’s regional system and a pipeline in Carlsbad, and construction will be complete.

“We have 21 million pounds of steel for this pipeline, so it’s going to be a lengthy project,” said MacLaggan at the construction kickoff ceremony on Friday. “This pipeline construction is a complex, intricate effort. We want it to last 100 years.”

In the end, MacLaggan says the pipeline and desalination plant will bring a clean, high-quality, drought-proof supply of water to San Diego County.

“The Carlsbad desalination plant is an attempt to develop new water supplies within our boundaries that are locally controlled, drought-proof and not conditioned upon snow, rainfall and other climatic conditions. We have an endless supply of water in the Pacific Ocean and that’s what we’re all about in the desalination project,” MacLaggan explained.

San Marcos Councilmember Chris Orlando says the project is crucial to the county and the City of San Marcos is happy to cooperate with the construction of the pipeline on their side.

“This is one of those projects that has some short-term pain for long-term gain,” said Orlando. “Water is critical to the health and safety of our residents and it’s an important part of growing our economy and keeping our economy stable.”

Carlsbad Mayor Matt Hall said he was thrilled to finally see the 12-year project come to fruition with Friday’s pipeline construction kickoff.

“All of us working together will make this thing an unbelievable project,” said Hall.

San Diego County Water Authority Chairman of Board Tom Wornham said this is the beginning of bringing a reliable, drought-proof source of water to San Diego.

“It’s a big day. We’ve been working on this project for more than a decade,” said Wornham. “This project is the largest in North America; it is innovative. We look forward to turning the tap in 2016.”

After delivering speeches Friday, organizers took a moment to sign their names onto a 20-foot, 72-inch diameter underground steel pipe casing, signifying the official start of the project.

In the end, project organizers say their endeavor will bring the largest, most technologically-advanced and energy efficient desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere to Carlsbad.

Organizers say it will infuse millions of dollars into the local economy and support an estimated 2,500 local jobs in the desalination, engineering, construction and other service industries.

The price tag of the project is close to $1 billion. Water rate payers will see an increase in their bills because the cost of the water is two-and-a-half times more expensive than what the water authority pays now.

The project could add $5 to $7 to the typical household bill starting in 2016, but organizers say cost increases would be different for the 24 different municipal water agencies in our county.

When El Juan Café first opened its doors in 1946, the United Nations had just formed after the end of World War II; Naval Base San Diego was expanding with a post-war mission of repairing ships; and the U.S. had just determined the exact distance between Earth and the moon.

Some 66 years later, El Juan Café in National City will serve its last chile relleno combo plate and shutter its doors on Saturday, March 30, 2013. 

"Very sad day," said patron Joelene Mullins, who drove down from Ventura to eat one last time at the South County landmark eatery on Saturday.

Owner Pat Santos has been operating the restaurant for the last 17 years. She said the restaurant is closing because of the economy. An upswing in business hoped for with recent economic recovery did not come fast enough.

"Since we announced the closing we've been packed every single day," Santos said. "People have been waiting outside like they did 66 years ago."

Mayor Ron Morrison said residents really enjoyed the food and atmosphere over the years, seeing it as a staple in the small South County city, and a gathering place on the morning after big events.

"Gosh, an establishment that dates back to even before my time, that's amazing," he joked Saturday.

"I'm really, really going to miss their chile rellenos, though," he added much more seriously. 

The South Bay restaurant is rich in history, and family-oriented - one of its servers is the great-grandson of former waitress Annie Orndorff, who worked at the restaurant for 57 years until her 80th birthday, according to The Star-News.

"It was the only Mexican food restaurant between Tijuana and San Diego, and now, it's the only one remaining," said Santos, referring to the claim that El Juan is the oldest continuously operating Mexican food restaurant in San Diego County.

"Sometimes good things come to an end," she added.

El Juan Café is located at 2316 Highland Ave. in National City.

Investigators named a 30-year-old parolee as wanted in the case of a missing 10-year-old girl from Northridge in southern California, who turned up barefoot and wounded in Woodland Hills last week.

Tobias Dustin Summers, who has a distinct tattoo on his right arm (pictured below), is wanted in connection with the girl's abduction, LAPD Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese said at a Saturday afternoon news conference.

Summers has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2002, Albanese said. He was released from prison in July 2012 under California’s AB 109, an initiative aimed at easing prison overcrowding, and was on "post-supervised release," Albanese said.

Probation officials believe the 30-year-old is a transient known to frequent the North Hollywood and Devonshire areas. Summers is about 6 feet tall, 160 pounds, with blue eyes and cropped blond hair. He not a registered sex offender.

"We really need the public's help to take this guy into custody. If they see him, we can't emphasize enough, call 911," LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith said.

Investigators said Summers is the only person they are looking for right now, though the victim told detectives that two men took her from her bedroom, police said last week.

Detectives from LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division are petitioning the court for an arrest warrant.

The FBI is assisting in the investigation. Federal authorities said they are prepared to issue a federal warrant for Summers' arrest if he leaves California.

"Should he leave the state, we will have multitude of resources throughout the United States and international, if necessary, to take him into custody," Bill Lewis, of the FBI’s Los Angeles division, said.

The case involves a 10-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her home March 27 between 1 and 3:30 a.m.

She was taken to an abandoned home near a storage facility in Chatsworth before being dropped off at a Kaiser hospital in Woodland Hills.

She walked about a mile to a Starbucks where a passerby recognized her from media reports and alerted police.

She was found barefoot and with bruises and cuts on her face at 3 p.m. the same day she went missing, police said.

Since the girl has been found, NBC4 is no longer identifying the girl by name or in images that had been released by authorities.

The girl told investigators two men she did not know took her from her home and held her for more than 10 hours before dropping her off.

She said she rode in a black pickup truck, which police found during a search of a Bekins A-1 Moving Solutions yard in Chatsworth, police said.

Police were searching for a second vehicle they believe was used in the case.

Police -- working with the FBI -- fanned out across the San Fernando Valley, to conduct interviews and search locations where the girl said she believed she was taken with the hope of finding the men responsible.

As many as 20 detectives were believed to be working on the case. Police established a tipline for people to provide information about the investigation: 213-486-6890.

 Related:

Tipline Set Up in Northridge Kidnapping Case

Aunt of Northridge Kidnapping Victim Saw Own Son Abducted

Missing 10-Year-Old Northridge Girl Found, Two Wanted in Abduction

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife Cynthia were found shot to death inside their Forney home Saturday, nearly two months to the day after his top assistant was gunned down on his way to work earlier this year.

Kaufman County Sheriff's Department investigators confirmed the deaths to NBC 5 Saturday evening, but officials have had little else to say about the investigation since. Sources close to the investigation told NBC 5 Saturday evening that McLelland and his wife were found at about 4 p.m. that day by a concerned relative or friend who had gone to the house after being unable to reach the couple. Other sources told NBC 5 that the McLelland's front door had been forced open and that gunshots had been fired and that an assault rifle was used in the murders.

On Sunday afternoon, Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes spoke with the media, but offered little on the investigation thus far and wouldn't confirm details released by sources. Byrnes also wouldn't speculate on whether the murders are connected to the Jan. 31 slaying of Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse saying, "there is nothing to indicate that, for sure."

While there remains no immediate, confirmed link between Saturday's murders and Hasse's murder, the similarities between the cases prompted county officials to conduct welfare checks on all employees in the district attorney's office Saturday. All were OK, though one former Kaufman County prosecutor was "in hiding" Saturday evening and said others were as well.

Meanwhile, as a connection between the Hasse and McLelland murders is explored, investigators continue to search for possible connections between Hasse's murder, the slaying of Colorado prison official Tom Clements and the shooting of Montague County Sheriff's Deputy James Boyd that sparked a wild car chase that ended with the fatal shooting of Evan Ebel last week in Wise County.

Byrnes also refused to comment on whether security measures have been put in place for the staff of the district attorney's office other than to say they are taking precautions. Byrnes did say that there would be an increased and visible security presence at the Kaufman County Courthouse on Monday.

"It's unnerving to the law enforcement community and the community at large. That's why we're striving to assure the community that we are still providing public safety and will be able to do that," Byrnes said, about the McLelland murders.

A tip line has been set up for the investigation and anyone with information to share with investigators is asked to call 1-877-847-7522.

McLelland Vowed to Catch Hasse's Killer

While police officers are frequently the target of violence while trying to apprehend criminals, attacks on prosecutors are extremely rare, though not unheard of. McLelland said as much in January when speaking about his slain friend when he said Hasse was aware of the dangers associated with being a prosecutor.

At the time, he described Hasse as a really, really good man that was an excellent friend and a spectacular prosecutor who wouldn't be easily replaced. He also vowed to catch Hasse's killers saying, "I hope that the people that did this are watching. Because we're very confident that we're going to find you, pull you out of whatever hole you're in, bring you back and let the people of Kaufman County prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."

FBI agents and Texas Rangers, who were still investigating the unsolved slaying of Hasse, are now leading the investigation into Saturday's murders, according to a federal law enforcement source.

McLelland and his wife, Cynthia Woodward McLelland, have five children including two daughters and three sons. One of the sons is a Dallas police officer.

NBC 5's Ray Villeda and Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

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