A woman is outraged after she witnessed – and videotaped – volunteers with the San Diego Police Museum engage in what she described as obscene behavior on Halloween night.

Several women were getting their pictures with the men, all wearing police uniform, when one of the volunteers slapped a woman on the buttocks, the witness said.

For a photo opportunity, they did a mock arrest, placing the woman's hands behind her bacl and pulled her hair. 

“They went from taking a picture of a woman to pulling her over a hood, which is obviously a sexual encounter. It’s a sexual gesture,” said the witness, who wished not to be identified.

The woman shared the video with NBC 7. We sought comment from the San Diego Police Museum and the San Diego Police Department.

The police department, noting the incident did not involve any active duty officers, issued this statement:

"We just received these videos. We reviewed them and they do not appear to involve any SDPD officers. We are looking into the matter, and have contacted the Historical Association and ask they do the same."

The San Diego Historical Association, with whom the volunteers were affiliated, issued a lengthy response, saying folks often want their photos taken with the mock officers:

“As with Halloweens past, a number of individuals made specific requests for photos involving mock arrests. Some of those requests included simulated handcuffing, being placed across the hood of a police car and or otherwise restrained,” the statement read.

The statement also noted that none of the actions taken on the women were against their will or physically harmful.

The Historical Association, whom the volunteers are affiliated with, are not associated with the police department, though the two entities do occasionally partner together.

The woman who recorded the video as well her boyfriend who also witnessed the situation felt it was inappropriate.

“We were taken aback,” she said. “And we were like, ‘Oh my gosh. What is happening?’”

Health officials expect the number of people sickened by an E. coli outbreak linked to Chipotle restaurants in Washington state and Oregon to grow while they investigate the cause of the infection, NBC News reported.

As of Friday, three people in the Portland area and 19 people in western Washington had become sick from E. coli. Seventeen of them had eaten at a Chipotle restaurant during the past few weeks. 

Eight people have been hospitalized but no deaths have been reported.

After people started hearing about the outbreak, more people will probably go to the doctor and join the list of potential cases, said Marisa D'Angeli, medical epidemiologist with the Washington State Department of Health.

 The first flu-related death of the season has been reported in San Diego County, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency officials said. 

The 90-year-old man, who had pre-existing medical conditions, died as a result of complications from influenza A. He passed away on Oct. 28. 

 “Influenza activity in San Diego is currently low, but this unfortunate death reminds us that it can be a serious and deadly disease,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer, in a statement. “That is why it is strongly recommended that people get the vaccine.”

 The first flu death of the 2014-2015 flu season was reported in January, when flu activity was higher. Overall, 97 people died from flu-related deaths last season. 

As on Oct. 24, County officials said only 80 total lab-confirmed cases of influenza had been reported. 

 Influenza activity has been minimal across the U.S. so far, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. 

 The flu vaccine this year will offer protection against H1N1 as well as influenza A H3N2 and influenza B strains.The vaccine is recommended for everyone older than six months. 

 Other ways to avoid getting sick are washing your hands often, using hand sanitizers, avoiding touching your face, cleaning surfaces and staying away from sick people, the HHSA says.

 A car and pedestrian in a wheelchair collided, El Cajon Public Information Officer Monica Zech said. 

The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. Monday near Greenfield and Linalda Drive. 

The person in the wheelchair was injured and taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital, El Cajon Police said. The victim was hit by a white Toyota Tundra, and the driver has not been identified. 

Cal Fire and San Diego Sheriff's deputies were on scene. 

No other injuries were reported. 

No further information was immediately available. 

A woman wearing a bunny costume in San Diego had more than a rabbit-sized appetite for candy Halloween night when she was seen taking all of the treats from a local porch.

A Serra Mesa resident was not home Saturday night but decided to leave out full-sized candy bars for hopeful trick-or-treaters. With the candy, the homeowner left a note that said “Help yourself but be considerate.”

But one grown-up candy seeker flagrantly ignored that request, as shown in surveillance video from the home that was posted to Youtube on Saturday night.

A woman clad in a short dress and bunny ears is seen walking onto the porch and diving into the boxes.

Unlike the children before her who took two or three pieces, the woman grabs handfuls of the large bars. She appears to encourage her kids to do the same.

Satisfied when there was nothing left, the two leave. The final shot of surveillance video shows another child eagerly running up to the house, only to be disappointed.

So far, the homeowners have not identified the woman.
 

Casey Anthony's former attorney Todd Macaluso will spend five months in federal prison for fraud.

Macaluso’s defense of the high-profile Florida mother, who was acquitted of her 2-year-old daughter's death in 2011, helped put the attorney in the national spotlight, but he also had a personal injury law practice in Rancho Santa Fe.

On Monday in federal court, Macaluso apologized for defrauding clients by forging their signatures to obtain millions of dollars from investors.

“I accept full responsibility,” Macaluso told U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez.

Macaluso pleaded guilty in March to a single count of wire fraud.

Prosecutors say Macaluso used the future value of his clients’ cases as collateral for payments he received from investors and didn’t tell his clients that he’d essentially “sold” their cases.

Macaluso also forged his clients’ signatures and used forged notary stamps to persuade the investors to lend him millions of dollars, according to prosecutors.

“Macaluso’s clients were stabbed in the back by the lawyer who was supposed to have their back,” U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said in a statement. “Today there is a modicum of justice for them.”

In addition to serving five months in federal prison, Macaluso must pay a $100,000 fine and $150,000 in restitution payments.

Macaluso’s attorney, John Kirby, argued nothing would be accomplished by sending his client to prison. Kirby told Judge Benitez Macaluso “needs to be out of custody to earn money (to support) his family” and pay back his victims and other creditors.

Kirby said a lengthy term of home confinement would be a more suitable punishment for Macaluso, who cannot practice law for at least five years.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Conover said prison time is the appropriate punishment for the 53-year-old and would send a message to other attorneys and professionals that criminal behavior will not be tolerated.

Federal guidelines put Macaluso’s sentence between 10 and 16 months.

Judge Benitez also ordered Macaluso to serve three years on probation after his release from prison. Macaluso will be allowed to spend the holidays with his family. He was ordered to report to federal prison by Jan. 8 at 5 p.m.
 

After a Southern California Uber rider pummeled a driver in an attack caught on camera over the weekend in Newport Beach, Taco Bell confirmed that the rider has been fired.

"Given the behavior of the individual, it is clear he can no longer work for us," a Taco Bell corporate spokesperson said. "We have also offered and encouraged him to seek professional help."

Costa Mesa police arrested Benjamin Golden, 32, on assault charges and public intoxication in connection with the attack.

Golden was Taco Bell’s mobile experience and innovation lead, and worked for Yum Brands for seven years, according to an online bio discovered by CNBC.

He did not respond to phone messages, and took down his Twitter page.

The entire exchange, which involved an Uber driver spraying Golden in the face with Mace after Golden was seen on video smacking the driver in the head and pulling his hair, was captured on dashcam video and posted to YouTube by driver Edward Caban.

"He was grabbing my head and was trying to smash it against the window," Caban told NBC4 in an interview.

It all began when Caban went to pick up an "incredibly intoxicated" man near Baja Sharkeez on the Balboa Peninsula.

Caban said the passenger did not give him an address, and said he would direct him to the destination instead of using GPS.

He said Golden faded in and out of consciousness, and refused to wear a seat belt. Video shows Caban making a turn and the customer falling flat in the back seat.

In the footage, Caban tells the man the ride is over, and grabs a can of Mace concealed near his thigh. After Caban pulls into a well-lit shopping center and tells the man to get out, the customer insists Caban continue driving.

Caban can be heard on video saying he will call the police if the man does not exit the car. The customer then begins beating Caban over the head and pulling his hair while cursing at him.

Caban reacts, spraying Mace in the man's face.

Costa Mesa police responded within minutes to the scene of the fight in the 1800 block of Newport Beach Boulevard.

Golden was still vomiting from the Mace when officers arrived, according to police.

"I wanted to make sure he didn't get away," Caban said. "I have lost so much money on people like him and I'm done dealing with it. They take the food right out of my mouth."

Uber said it has banned the rider from ever using the ride-sharing platform again in addition to Taco Bell firing Golden.

Caban said Uber offered to reimburse him for cleaning the pepper spray from his car. Nonetheless, he said his days as an Uber driver are over.

"I don't feel safe driving for Uber any more," Caban said. "The quality of the passengers has gone down over the last couple of weeks and I know a lot of drivers will agree with me."

What appeared to be a giant meteor blazed over Thailand Sunday, briefly turning the night sky a dramatic green, NBC News reported. 

In Bangkok, dash-cam footage captured the fireball flaring overhead at approximately 9 p.m. local time as drivers punched the brakes.

On Twitter, one observer noted how close the meteor seemed to Earth. "Genuinely speechless," the tweet read. Another described how long it lasted and its "near day brightness."

Ben Sirmons has pet insurance for his small dog, but he gets the insurance through work.

"Well we got it about a year ago and we haven't had to use it yet," said Sirmons.

Pet insurance is actually one of the fastest-growing employee benefits in the country. One third of Fortune 500 companies now offer pet insurance. But if your company doesn't help pay for it, is it worth the money?

Samantha Boege's 4-year-old Newfoundland needed surgery to repair a torn ligament. It ended up costing her more than $5,000.  

"We are going to spend the money on surgery because she's part of our family and we love her," said Boege, "But knowing what we know now, we are probably going to consider pet insurance."

If she had bought a policy when she go the dog it probably would have paid for itself. But Consumer Reports found deciding whether or not to buy pet insurance can be a tough call.

"If you have a young animal that ends up with a serious illness or injury, it can really pay off," said Mandy Walker with Consumer Reports. "But if you pet is older it can cost more and the coverage can be less comprehensive so it may not be worth it."

Insurance premiums vary widely and depend on the coverage you choose, the age of your pet and the breed. The average premiums start at $16 per month for a cat and $22 per month for a dog.

Consumer Reports says if you are considering a policy for your pet, you should start by reviewing plans online. You should be able to get a free quote which allow you to compare costs verses coverage. You also want to check how premiums might increase as your pet ages.

If the idea of paying for pet insurance doesn't appeal to you, Consumer Reports suggest you consider setting up a dedicated savings account and putting aside a fixes amount of money every month so you have a reserve for unanticipated health care costs.

Their home electricity rates may be skyrocketing, but as taxpayers, San Diegans will soon be shelling out less to power certain city buildings around town.

The savings will come by way of a ramped-up program to take more advantage of solar energy.

And why shouldn't the city that may as well be called “Sun Diego” look skyward to cut electricity costs and greenhouse gas emissions?

“The city's been in the solar business for many years, but we've been a bit passive,” says city Environmental Services Director Mario Sierra. “Now we're going to take a much more aggressive approach.”

So after about a decade of generating two megawatts of solar power, the city is looking tripling that output to six megawatts and, as a result, saving taxpayers about 45 percent of what they'd otherwise fork over to San Diego Gas & Electric.

The city’s Maryland-based solar contractor, SunEdison, will install 21st century photovoltaic "arrays" on 25 facilities targeted in the first phase of the expanded program.

Those buildings include downtown's City Administration Complex and the police department's headquarters on Broadway.

Forty more sites are under consideration for solar grids once the first phase really gets up and running.

All that came as welcome news to San Diegans interviewed Monday by NBC 7.

“Any time you can find an alternative source of energy, that’s good for the environment and going to benefit our community,” said downtown resident Lyla Altevers. "Why not?”

Said La Jolla resident Nick Gillaspie: “As long as the city’s not paying exorbitant fees, I think we should go to alternative power sources. This is the perfect place for it.”

The proposal comes before the City Council for approval on Tuesday.

Proposed water rates on Oceanside mailers have residents confused about what they’ll be paying for water next year.

"It's kind of stated in here that they're losing revenue so now we're going to pay more for less,” said Oceanside resident Daniel Carr.

He and others received a four-page letter in the mail from the city, explaining why the rates are increasing. After reading it, most locals understood that there will be a 7.5 percent increase across the board.

But that percentage is just part of the hike, according to Interim Water Utilities Director Jason Daffron. In all, most residents could see a rise of 18.9%.

"Well they have to be straight forward in why they are raising the rates,” said Carr.

Other factors that could go into your bill would be the size of your meter and whether there’s a fire sprinkler connection.

The city is seeking to make up lost revenue due to drought conservation efforts. The less water people buy, the harder it is for the city to meet its operational costs.

Oceanside, as well as other water districts, is also facing an increase in rates from its imported water providers, the San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

In Dafforn's email to NBC 7, he explained the letter isn't meant to mislead residents. It's meant to show the different rate increases that are both in the city's control and those that aren't.

Linda Persing said while she can appreciate the spreadsheet, “The average person, I’m concerned will not really know what that means.”

There will be a public hearing at the Oceanside City Hall on Nov. 18. City councilmembers will read any letters sent to them, and they'll hear from residents who show up to voice their concerns.

But the council could accept the increase at the time, and the new rate would take effect 30 days from the meeting.
 

An Oklahoma mayor told NBC News Monday that her husband "meant no harm" when he and a few friends dressed up as Ku Klux Klan members on Halloween and placed a cross beside a fire, NBC News reported. 

A photo of the men was posted online, where it quickly triggered intense criticism and cries of bigotry. The image, which was taken by someone who called the police, Garfield County Sheriff Jerry Niles told NBC News, shows two men clad in white hoods standing beside a cross.

Lahoma Mayor Theresa Sharp, 47, said the outcry has also included calls for her resignation.

"I have no intention of doing so," she said, adding that her husband, Cary Sharp, 47, had simply made "some very bad choices."

A wounded Marine veteran, who postponed a leg amputation, had a famous companion for part of her ambitious 1,000 mile trek across Great Britain. 

England’s Prince Harry walked several miles over the weekend with U.S. veteran Kirstie Ennis, 24, as she completed a grueling 72-day hike.

During the journey, Ennis placed 25 dog tags, made for Marine brothers she lost in combat or from PTSD, at famous or meaningful sites along the way.

She gave one to Harry, who served in Afghanistan. He reportedly said he couldn't accept it, but Ennis insisted.

“Seeing what she has done in honoring her fallen brothers, and I'm sure it resonated with him,” said Judy Sexton, a San Diego volunteer for the Warrior Foundation Freedom Station.

Sexton met Ennis while the veteran was in San Diego, receiving treatment from wartime wounds.

Ennis suffered severe injuries her face, jaw, arms, spine and leg in a CH-53 helicopter crash in Afghanistan three years ago. Since then, she has received multiple surgeries at Naval Medical Center San Diego, and she put off an amputation surgery on her leg to make the trip to Great Britain.

“For one thing, she's a Marine, and I think that says a lot,” said Sexton, who brought Ennis a handmade quilt while she was recovering. “The other thing is her own personal determination. I will tell you that these injuries do not define these warriors.”

On this walk with fellow veterans, Ennis raised money and awareness for those who have been injured while serving their country. Ennis described the close bond between her fellow Marines in an interview as she prepared for the Warrior Games two years ago, long before this journey.

“We all thrive off each other we empower, we all motivate each other,” she said. “Without the guys on the left and right, females as well, I wouldn’t be where I am in my recovery right now.”

Ennis gave this advice to others living with adversity: “You can handle it; you've come this far and you're still here. Don't stop. Look to the guys, the left and the right, if you need somebody.”
 

She’s looking down, avoiding eye contact and defers to an older man to see how to respond. He’s not dressed for the weather and not in possession of his own travel documents. She’s having trouble at home and finds herself alone at a trolley stop.

These are all red flags of a sex or labor trafficking situation that you can help identify and report, Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan said.

Sex trafficking in San Diego County is a $810 million industry largely run by local gangs, according to a recent report by the University of San Diego and Point Loma Nazarene University. The report details how as many as 11,700 girls, who are on average 15-16 years old, fall victim to the lifestyle every year.

According to local law enforcement officials, if you incorporate labor trafficking to these figures, the numbers would surely skyrocket, although a comprehensive local study on labor trafficking has yet to be published.

Sometimes trafficking is associated with chains and a locked room, but Stephan said it’s more out in the open than many may think. According to a 2012 SDSU study, labor trafficking is most prevalent in San Diego’s construction, restaurant and hospitality sectors.

“A good 71% of victims of labor trafficking come to this country on legal visas,” she said.

The problem is so rampant, the District Attorney’s office is working with the county’s hotel/motel industry to train employees how to identify and report trafficking activity. Several airlines are also training employees.

NBC 7 reached out to every airline at Lindbergh Field. The companies that responded to say they’ve implemented training to specifically combat trafficking include British Airways, Southwest, Alaska Airlines and American Airlines. Many of them partner with the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign.

“With labor, we’re looking for people who are not in control of their identification. They’re not in control of visas and their ID cards. Someone else is speaking for them, “ Stephan said.

She said many labor victims don’t know they’re victims. They’re told they owe debt and have to work to pay it off.

“If a trafficker says you have to pay a debt, in the U.S., that's peonage [debt slavery]. That’s illegal,” she clarified. “You can’t be forced to pay a debt through labor.”

According to the recent USD trafficking report, local gangs are seeing sex slavery as a bigger money maker than drugs. The study estimates pimps make nearly $600,000 a year.

Stephan said common areas for sex trafficking recruitment include malls, high schools, trolley and bus stops. Local experts said this is happening all throughout the county and pimps especially target at-risk children and runaways.

To spot a potential victim, Stephan said you should look to see “if she’s looking down and not making eye contact, and if there’s an older male with her and you say ‘Hello,’ and she doesn’t respond. Tattooing or branding. Anything with a money symbol."

Tiffany Mester was trafficked for two years in San Diego.

“Even when I got out of the lifestyle, I wasn’t fully ready to admit I was a victim until about a year later,” she said.

Mester and Stephan are working to convey, when it comes to trafficking in San Diego, perception is usually not reality. You don’t always see chains and shackles. Often, the chains are psychological.

If you see a potential trafficking situation and you believe it’s an emergency, don’t hesitate to call 911 or local security, according to Stephan. If you have more of a suspicion, you can call the Polaris Project at 1-888-373-7888 to reach experts. Law enforcement will be able to survey, and if warranted, take action. 

If you are a victim of trafficking, you can call that number or text LOST or INFO to the number 233733 or BeFree. You will reach a specialist who will assist you in planning your escape and/or connect you to services in the your area.

Stephan said 60% of cases are solved because a community member reported something.
 

Obama is taking the Republican presidential candidates to task after they announced their frustration over last week’s debate, NBC News reported.

Obama said their comments about the CNBC debate signaled their ineffectiveness on the world stage.

"Every one of these candidates says, 'Obama's weak, Putin's kicking sand in his face. When I talk to Putin, he's going to straighten out,'" Obama said during a democratic fundraiser in New York City.

Obama went further to say if they couldn’t handle the CNBC moderators, he didn’t think “the Chinese and Russians are going to be too worried" about them.

An Arizona man left his 5-year-old granddaughter alone in a desert outside Phoenix with a loaded gun, authorities said Monday.

Paul Rater is charged with two counts of child abuse and one count of child endangerment after the girl’s mother reported her missing, Maricopy County Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

Rater admitted to leaving his granddaughter alone.

Police searched for her by helicopter and found her “all alone, in the desert” with a loaded and cocked .45-caliber handgun, the release said.

Rater was booked, but it was unclear if he had a lawyer, NBC News reported.

Hillary Clinton is increasing her lead among Democrats over Bernie Sanders according to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

In the new poll, 62 percent of Democrats chose Clinton as their top pick to win the party's presidential nomination. That’s compared to 31 percent who chose Sanders. Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley received only three percent support.

But the poll also showed that Clinton still remains unpopular among the general electorate, with less than a third of Americans giving her negative marks for “being honest and straightforward,” NBC News reported.

There is still a reluctance to put the Benghazi controversy to rest, with only 30 percent saying they’re satisfied that Clinton addressed the issue.

President Barack Obama said Monday that he hopes his legacy will include sparking a new discussion on solving issues of racial inequity, including those that warp the criminal justice system — and that his successor will pick up where he left off, NBC News reported. 

"I am very proud that my presidency can help to galvanize and mobilize America on behalf of issues of racial disparity and racial injustice," Obama told NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt during a visit Monday to Newark, New Jersey, to highlight efforts to help former inmates return to society.

Obama has used an increasing amount of his second term to talk candidly about the troubled relationship between law enforcement and minority communities, part of a national debate that was sparked by the killings of young black men by white police officers.

U.S. officials are refuting claims that a missile may have struck a Russian commercial airliner that went down over Egypt’s Sinai peninsula, NBC News reported.

American satellite imagery detected a heat flash at the same time in the same area where the plane crashed, a senior defense official told NBC News late Monday. The satellite surveillance was confirmed by a second senior defense official, NBC News said.

"The speculation that this plane was brought down by a missile is off the table," the official said.

Analysts believe it could have been an explosion from within the plane itself, the official said.

The Metrojet-operated plane crashed Saturday, killing all 224 people on board.

Two activists rappelled from the press box of the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, and unfurled a banner during Monday night’s football game between the Carolina Panthers and the Indianapolis Colts, NBC News reported.

The demonstration highlighted opposition to a natural gas project by Dominion Mainstream Partners in Lusby, Maryland which uses fracking, or hydraulic fracturing. Opponents say the technique is not properly regulated and is environmentally hazardous.

The protesters refused to cooperate with police. Firefighters had to be called in to bring the situation under control.

Kelly Caravan of We Are Cove Point told NBC News on Monday night the protesters were trying to gain widespread national exposure by demonstrating at Monday night’s game.