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Officer Describes 'Unspeakable' Devastation at Shooting

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The smell of fresh gunpowder hung in the air in San Bernardino as four police officers braved the devastation and confusion of one the worst mass shootings in recent American memory.

In pursuit of active shooters who might have been around any corner, they had to tune out the wails and moans of the injured and a blaring fire alarm. These officers in Southern California were the first in the "surreal," bullet-riddled building on Wednesday, according to one of the officers who was there.

"It was unspeakable, the carnage that we were seeing," said Lt. Mike Madden, a 24-year veteran and the first on the scene after two people laid waste to a county health department holiday party on Wednesday.

Madden was on his way to lunch when he got the call from dispatch, he said Thursday, describing at a news conference what it was like to be the first police officer at the scene. Fourteen people were killed and 21 wounded, and the violent tableau was like nothing he'd ever seen in his career.

"As we entered into the conference room, the situation was surreal. It was something that I don't think we were prepared for," Madden said. "An active shooter, we talk about a sensory overload – they try to throw everything at you to prepare … it was all of that and more."

The massacre, allegedly at the hands of a husband and wife — Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27 — has drawn the eyes of the world to the United States once again, days after another deadly shootout in Colorado. President Barack Obama called for gun control and other reforms after this shooting, as he's done after other shootings during his tenure. 

But the images inside the hall were fresh for Madden, who said he followed training instilled in officers since the Columbine school shooting in 1999 to clear the immediate danger, no matter what they saw or who needed help.

"This was tragedy that I've never experienced in my career and that I don't think most officers do," Madden said. 

Madden's comments were the first detailed description from San Bernardino. Madden spoke for several minutes, alongside his police chief, Jarrod Burguan, and California Gov. Jerry Brown.

Stern faced, Madden explained at the press conference what he saw as he and three other officers formed a tactical team to go inside the halls of the Inland Regional Center, the social services facility whose conference room was hosting the party. He said the large meeting room looked festive and had a Christmas tree and tables decorated for a party. 

Madden saw bodies outside the room and about 50 panicked survivors too afraid at first to follow officers' orders to flee to safety: "We had to tell them several times, 'Come to us, come to us.' Ultimately they did."

A widely circulated video from the scene of the massacre shows tense minutes as a group of people was being directed by a law enforcement officer on how to leave the building.

The people, some whispering quietly to each other, are told to show their hands as they follow the officer down a hallway. A small child is seen walking between two women and holding their hands. 

"Relax, everyone, relax," the officer is heard saying. "I take a bullet before you do, that's for damn sure. Just be cool, OK?"

The officer is later seen holding a long gun and standing by the door to the elevator. 

Gabi Flores shared the video with NBC Los Angeles' media partner, KPCC. A reporter asked Madden about the video, and if that was him assuring survivors.

“No,” Madden said. “I would like to think I was that cool, but no, unfortunately, that wasn’t.”

Madden said he didn't know if that officer was officially identified.

At the news conference where Madden spoke, Gov. Brown vowed that the people of California wouldn't have to face more scenes like this. 

"We're going to go just as far as we have to to make sure that public safety is being protected," he said.

Cathy Rainone contributed to this report. 



Photo Credit: AP
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Truck Fire Spreads to Detatched Garage

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A pickup truck fire quickly spread to a detached garage nearby in Lakeside on Friday, according to Heartland Fire officials.

Firefighters were called to the 11500 block of Rocoso Road at 4:35 p.m. when someone reported hearing an explosion.

Crews discovered a pickup truck had caught fire, igniting the carport under which it was parked. The fire then jumped to the garage.

Firefighters got a handle on the blaze just before 5 p.m. No injuries were reported.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the truck to catch fire.

Men Kidnapped Women, Ordered Them to Withdraw Cash: PD

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San Diego police and sheriff’s detectives arrested two men for allegedly stealing women's purses or kidnapping victims and forcing them to with withdraw cash from multiple ATMs.

On Wednesday, SDPD Robbery Unit detectives took Kha Sok, 33, into custody on suspicion of two counts of kidnapping, two armed robberies and two robberies without a weapon. Later that day, the San Diego County Sheriff’s department also arrested David Tonn, 28, for one count of robbery, kidnapping and kidnapping for robbery.

A number of past crimes have been linked with the two suspects.

At about 5 p.m. on Nov. 23, one of the suspects approached a woman who was pushing a shopping cart in the parking lot by the World’s Food Supermarket located at 5245 El Cajon Boulevard. According to police reports, suspect grabbed the woman’s purse off her shoulder and threw her onto the ground. The man then drove off in a black SUV.

A few days later on Nov. 27 at about 6:15 p.m., a woman was walking to her car in the 4200 block of Chamoune Avenue when she noticed a man pointing a silver handgun at her. The man quickly stole her purse and ran away, police say.

Just a couple hours later on the same day, there was a woman leaving CVS on the same block. After she got into her vehicle, a man knocked on the car window and pointed a silver handgun at her, she told officials. He got into her car and commanded her to drive to two different banks, where she was forced to withdraw cash from the ATMs.

After this, she was ordered to drive to a liquor store in the 5500 block of University Avenue. There she had to buy several bottles of alcohol, officials say. The man had the woman drop him off by the 4300 block of Highland Avenue where he took off.

On Nov. 30 at about 6:25 p.m., another woman was walking to her car when two men grabbed her and physically forced her into their vehicle, according to police. She was at the CVS located on 7100 Broadway in Lemon Grove before the abduction took place. The men drove her to multiple bank ATMs where she was forced to withdraw cash. After taking her money, the men left the woman near the intersection of 54th Street and El Cajon Boulevard.

Investigators say evidence from each of these cases suggests these crimes were related. Both the San Diego Police Department’s Robbery Unit and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department have information that ties these cases together. The agencies worked together to determine and locate the suspects responsible for these crimes.

Both Sok and Tonn were booked into the San Diego County Jail. Sok is being held on a $1 million bail, and Tonn’s bail was set at $700,000.

If you have additional information about these suspects, please contact the San Diego Police Department at (619) 531-2000 or the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200.
 

Man Admits to Killing Father-in-Law at Party

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The man who stabbed his father-in-law at least 36 times at a 4th of July party pleaded guilty Friday to voluntary manslaughter.

Joseph Henry Garcia, 23, admitted to killing Hermeneglido Parra, 54, during a family party in Logan Heights. Parra was found fatally wounded in the 3100 block of National Avenue near Memorial Park.

After the stabbing, Garcia fled with his wife to Mexico, according to prosecutors, but the next day, he crossed back into the U.S. and turned himself in.

At his preliminary hearing, Garcia's brother, James Corella, told the court he was there the night of the stabbing. He said Parra seemed intoxicated and told everyone that all the women who lived in the home "are mine," City News Service reported.

Later that night, Parra said his daughter's unborn child would be a girl and told her he would "give her what I gave her mother," Corella testified, according to CNS.

Soon after that, Garcia stabbed Parra. Garcia later told his brother that Parra had raped his daughter, Garcia's wife, a San Diego police detective said in court.

Garcia faces up to 12 years in prison at his Jan. 22 sentencing, but he could also be sentenced to probation.



Photo Credit: San Diego Police Department

Pet Predictions: Chargers vs. Broncos

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The Chargers are back at Qualcomm Stadium to face AFC West rivals the Denver Broncos this Sunday. As always our friends at the Helen Woodward Animal Center (AnimalCenter.org) helped us try to predict who is going to win.

What better way to predict the winner of the Chargers versus Broncos match up than with a miniature horse race? Snacks represented the Chargers while the Broncos had Fable on the run.

Who won? Click on the video to find out!

Next week the Chargers head to Kansas City to face the Chiefs. Come back to NBC 7 SportsWrap Friday for our next prediction.

Regional Housing Forecasts Raise Reality-Check Questions

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The idea of San Diego County's population growing by one-third within three decades is something regional planners are trying to get their heads around.

Will there be enough housing for everybody? And where?

The county's housing stock is in short supply and costly.

Meeting the demands of a booming population figures to be a real challenge -- especially when demands may not fit certain formulas.

"The oldest Millennials are now bearing children, and we have national studies that show their inclination is to own a single family home --and we're not building enough of them,” said Gary London, a leading land use consultant who’s co-authored a stud of local housing trends and needs for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce.

He questions San Diego Association of Government forecasts based on strategies that steer new growth to urbanized areas, to reduce sprawl and climate-change downsides.

Those areas are seeing more builder investments in apartments and condominiums.

“If we're projecting that 82 percent of housing is going to be multi-family in the San Diego region, there's a disconnect there,” London said in a Friday recording session for Sunday’s edition of NBC 7’s “Politically Speaking” public affairs program.

Marney Cox, SANDAG’s chief economist, offered this counterpoint: “We’re getting direction through legislation that says ‘You need to do things differently than you have in the past.’ And Gary’s saying ‘Look, there’s conflict here -- we think the past is more reflective of the future’s going to be.’ We’re saying no, we don’t believe that’s true.”

Cox said general plans in cities of the region put a priority on preserving open space, to protect species that could be endangered by more suburbanization of unincorporated areas.

“We show the growth being channeled into the incorporated communities,” Cox said.

Replied London: “The problem here is that even though in theory we can accommodate the projected growth, on the ground we’re really not doing that.”

The upshot here?

Look for more tension between political forces backing growth by way of "urban infill" and those advocating further "green field" development.

The bedrock legislative issue, going forward, would appear to be whether environmental values and "economic stability" can live under the same roof.

String of Protesters Interrupt Donald Trump Rally

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Protesters interrupted Donald Trump 10 separate times at a rally Friday night in Raleigh, North Carolina, NBC News reported.

Security ejected the protesters, who carried signs that said, "Stop the Hate, We Make America Great" and "Dump Trump." Others chanted "Black Lives Matter."

Trump supporters in the crowd of 8,000 shoved some of the protesters.

Trump initially ignored the interruptions, but eventually told his supporters that the events of the evening highlighted divisions in America. "There's hatred between people. We want to bring it together," Trump said.



Photo Credit: AP

Watch Small Plane Make Belly Landing

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A small plane made a successful "belly landing" at the Palm Springs International Airport in California after its landing gear failed.



Photo Credit: NBC News
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French Military Enrollment Triples in Wake of Paris Attacks

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The number of French military applicants has tripled since the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks that left 130 civilians dead in the country's capital, according to official figures.
Recruiters are now fielding an average of 1,500 applications a day compared to 500 a day before the attacks, Reuters reported. According to figures on the military's website, visits to air force recruitment offices have also tripled, while applications to join the navy have doubled this year.
The country has been on its highest alert since last month's massacre, which came less than a year after 17 people were gunned down in attacks on a satirical magazine and other locations in Paris.


Photo Credit: Getty Images

Massacre Victim's Girlfriend Is Crisis Responder

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A member of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's Crisis Response Team, trained to comfort families of victims in times of tragedy, was never trained to handle a tragedy herself.

But Mandy Pifer's boyfriend, health inspector Shannon Johnson, was one of the 14 killed in San Bernardino on Tuesday.

"My name is Mandy Pifer, and Shannon Johnson was my best friend," Pifer told NBC Los Angeles, before breaking into tears.

Pifer has volunteered on the Crisis Response Team for 10 years. After tragedies, it's her job to console victims. And even in her moment of mourning, Pifer is still doing her job, sending prayers to the other 13 families sharing in her grief.

"It's important work," Pifer said. "I'm glad I do it, and it happened to me so ..."

Pifer spoke about Johnson, saying he would often finish work early, sticking around the office to make small talk with his co-workers, including suspected shooter Syed Rizwan Farook.

According to another colleague, Johnson acted like a hero during the shooting. Denise Peraza said he used a chair to shield her from a hail of bullets.

"I will always remember his left arm wrapped around me, holding me as close as possible next to him behind that chair," she wrote on Facebook, having survived a gunshot wound to her stomach. "And amidst all the chaos, I'll always remember him saying these three words, 'I got you.'"

Johnson had a similarly upbeat attitude about religion as well, according to Pifer. She said Johnson was a fan of saying that whatever religion you have, be the best at it.

"Shannon said it was like a little United Nations in their department," Pifer commented. "People of all religions and races worked with him." 

Eater San Diego: Breakfast Republic Expands

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Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene, including expansion news from a popular breakfast haunt and restaurant closures in Hillcrest and Bay Ho.

Breakfast Republic Announces Second Location in Liberty Station
Owner Johan Engman, who also runs the popular Fig Tree Cafe, opened another morning-centric concept, Breakfast Republic, in North Park earlier this year. This coming spring, he'll open another outpost in Liberty Station, which will serve cocktails and extend its hours of operation to include dinner service.

D Bar Will Close in Hillcrest This Month
After three-and-a-half years in Hillcrest, D Bar plans to shut its doors by Dec. 20. Owner Keegan Gerhard, a well-known chef who gained acclaim on the Food Network, is closing up shop in San Diego to focus on his flagship D Bar location in Denver. 

Asian Sandwich Shops Opens on Convoy
Baguette Bros launched in Kearny Mesa this week, featuring fusion versions of banh mi, or Vietnamese sandwiches, stuffed with everything from house-roasted pork belly to Korean bulgogi. The eatery also serves chicken wings and meat-topped French fries, as well as beer and Asian coffee and tea drinks.

The Best Places to Find Holiday Baked Goods
‘Tis the season for gingerbread, fruitcake, yule logs and more. Treat the family to a festive holiday dessert from a baker’s dozen of local spots featuring seasonal specials this month.

Kitchen 4140 Shutters on Morena Boulevard
First opened in 2013, the Bay Ho farm-to-table eatery closed just before Thanksgiving. Owner and executive chef Kurt Metzger is focusing on finding a location for a fresh concept and hoping to open a new restaurant close to downtown San Diego next year.
 



Photo Credit: Bradley Schweit Photography
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Young Fire Victims Require Costly Surgery

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The two children who survived a fire in the Mount Hope area suffered extensive burns and are in need of costly surgeries, a family member says.

Three-year-old Esmeralda and 5-year-old Luis were so badly burned in the fire on Monday that they have been placed in medically induced comas. Their 12-year-old brother, Fernando Castro, was killed in the blaze.

The fire started inside a home in the Mount Hope community just after midnight, trapping the three children inside.

Esmeralda suffered burns over 40 to 50 percent of her body and was in surgery on Friday. Luis “Junior” suffered burns over 70 to 80 percent of his body, his cousin Ramon Vasquez told NBC 7.

Vasquez said the two will undergo surgeries over the next few days and the doctors will evaluate when to bring them out of the comas next week.

The kids’ cosmetic surgeries are expected to be well over $30,000, the amount raised so far by donors through a GoFundMe page.

The family does not yet know what the surgery costs.

There are several online fundraising accounts set up to help the family handle memorial and medical costs as well as replace their belongings:

Help Raise Money for Juanitas Kids

Mt Hope house fire - Please support

Support the memory of 12 year old Fernando Castro
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Most Mass Shooting Guns Obtained Legally: Analysis

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The weapons used in this week's massacre in San Bernardino, California, were purchased legally, raising questions about how preventable gun violence is under current U.S. firearm laws, NBC News reported.

Four out of five of all weapons involved in mass shootings since 1982 have been bought legally, according to a database compiled by Mother Jones magazine that looked at the 73 shootings U.S. shooting where at least four people in a public place were killed. 

Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people and injured 21 others this week in San Bernardino using legally purchased .223 caliber assault-style rifles and 9 mm semi-automatic handguns, authorities said. 

For gun control advocates like Mike McLively, a staff attorney at the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence based in San Francisco, the shooting resurfaced long-time concerns: "The way our laws are structured unfortunately often times allow people to legally buy guns who shouldn't."



Photo Credit: San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

School District Supe Files Restraining Order

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The superintendent of the Escondido Union School District has filed a temporary restraining order against a school board member for alleged violent threats against administrators in a case that has left some parents feeling uneasy.

According to the complaint, school board vice president Jose Fragozo will have to fulfill his duties off school property for now, staying at least 100 yards away from Superintendent Luis Ibarra.

Fragozo is accused of allegedly bullying and making intimidating statements toward Ibarra and other administration in the district.

Some parents, including Ramon Pedraza, say the dispute between the adults is disconcerting.

“If they can't agree amongst themselves how am I going to trust them to properly educate my family?” Pedraza told NBC 7.

“It's surprising and it shows there is a big conflict of interest among the staff here,” he added.

Parent Kim Whitfield agrees.

“I don't think they should be acting this way they are acting like the kids," she said.

In an email, Ibarra notified district parents about the restraining order on Friday. His note did not go into detail over what led to the filing of the restraining order against Fragozo.

In a phone call with NBC 7, Ibarra said the complaint “is not about an argument,” but rather “about safety and security.”

In part of a statement released by Fragozo, the board vice president wrote: “Administrators should be encouraging robust discussion at the school board level, not repressing it.”

Fragozo calls the restraining order a power play.

“District Administrators are desperately attacking me because I have been demanding accountability,” he added in his statement.

At a time when school districts nationwide report threats daily, however, some Escondido parents can understand why it may be best to err on the side of caution.

“Maybe a restraining order should come in play when it comes in threats because with schools nowadays you never know what the outcome is going to be,” said Whitfield.

The temporary restraining order will remain in effect until the week before Christmas. Then, a Superior Court Judge will decide whether to make it permanent. No further details were immediately released.
 

Women Pose as Uber Drivers, Rob Man

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Several suspects were arrested early Saturday in San Diego’s College Area after they allegedly plotted to rob a victim by pretending to be Uber drivers, police said.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said the robbery happened in the 5500 block of Baja Road and involved a group of four suspects – two women and two men – setting their sights on one victim.

The two women approached the victim and said they were Uber drivers, luring him to a car. Then, the two male suspects approached the area and robbed the victim, police said. The group stole the victim’s phone and cash, pushed him down and drove away.

He was not injured. No weapons were involved in the alleged robbery scheme, police confirmed.

A short time later, police said an officer spotted the four suspects loitering a few blocks away from the scene of the robbery. When the officer tried to make contact with the group, they took off in opposite directions.

The SDPD said the women – 19 and 24 years old – were arrested without incident about a block away. One of the male suspects, a 21-year-old, was taken into custody around 2:20 a.m. in the 5700 block of Dorothy Drive. They are all facing charges of robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Police with San Diego State University helped SDPD officers catch the suspected robbers.

As of 6:30 a.m. Saturday, police said the fourth suspect was still outstanding. No description was given.
 



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

47 Pounds of Meth Found Hidden Throughout Car

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Images of smuggling attempts at their finest.

Photo Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Suspected DUI Driver Slams Into Police Vehicle

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A woman suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol slammed into the back of an Escondido police patrol vehicle Thursday evening, investigators said.

The officer in a marked police SUV was making a right turn onto Juniper Street from 2nd Avenue when he was rear-ended by a 2012 Toyota Yaris.

Police say the driver, 59-year-old Escondido resident Denise Ann Delacruz, was at fault in the collision.

She was arrested on suspicion of DUI. No one was injured in the crash.

Escondido police said during the holidays, they have increased their DUI enforcement.

To report any suspicious activity, call the anonymous tip line at 760-743-8477.



Photo Credit: Escondido Police

San Bernardino UPS Evacuated

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The area surrounding a UPS facility in San Bernardino was evacuated and placed on lockdown Friday night after a delivery driver discovered a package slated for delivery to the home of the suspected attackers in this week’s mass shooting.

The area around the facility was blocked off out of “an abundance of caution,” San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan said in a tweet.

“Driver realized it was the same address and returned to facility with the package,” Burguan tweeted.

The bomb squad was called in and was investigating just before 9 p.m.

Burguan also tweeted that the item was from a reputable vendor, and there was no known immediate threat.

Authorities determined around 10 p.m. that the package was safe.

A UPS driver, who asked to not be identified, said there was a package delivered at the home of the suspected shooter every day for the last three months.

The driver also told NBC4 that the FBI halted deliveries to the suspected shooters' address and possibly other addresses after the mass shooting occurred.

Local residents were on edge and still in a state of shock days after the shooting.

"It feels like nervous and like sad to see all this, what's going on in your community," said local resident Rosa Aduyo.

Many members of the community visited a growing memorial at the scene of the shooting massacre.

"I feel like they have taken a part of our city, our county, our nation," said local resident Illeana Massingill.

The UPS facility was reopened before midnight on Friday.



Photo Credit: KNBC-TV

FBI Searches Home of Farook Friend Who Bought Guns

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NBC News has learned that early Saturday the FBI searched the Riverside, California home of the man authorities believe originally bought the assault rifles used in the San Bernardino shooting rampage that killed 14.

During the search, neighbors say, agents cut open the garage door with blow torches, used bomb-sniffing dogs, and temporarily detained the man's father and younger brother. The man's father told NBC News Saturday afternoon that he does not know where his son is and declined further comment.

Federal officials say the two assault weapons were originally bought in 2011 and 2012 by the man, said to be a friend of Farook's, but investigators don't yet know whether Farook gave him the money upfront, or bought the guns from him later, NBC News reported.



Photo Credit: Facebook/LA Times via Getty Images

Officers Rescue Girl, 13, From Sex Trafficking Operation

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A 13-year-old human trafficking victim forced into prostitution was rescued from an Escondido motel this week, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

The Fresno Police Department's Vice Unit discovered suspects involved in the Fresno-based operation were in San Diego, prostituting the 13-year-old girl.

Fresno investigators found adds featuring the girl posted to a social media website that caters to prostitution and escort-related services, officials said in a release Friday. They alerted the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force members, who began their search for the girl.

They deployed an undercover investigation to rescue her.

"We were able to pose as being a potential john through a course of different tactics we have [that] I won't divulge," said San Diego County Sheriff's Sgt. Matt Blumenthal. "We were able to get her to give us a location she was at. It allowed us to rescue her." 

Task force officers in plain clothes rescued the girl on Dec. 1 from the Mt. Vernon Inn at 501 W. Mission Avenue in Escondido, where she had been for several days, they said. Officers also found an 18-year-old woman there and learned she was another victim of human trafficking.

Timothy Wiggans, a 24-year-old Fresno resident, and a 17-year-old male minor were arrested suspicion of being human trafficking facilitators.

The 13-year-old girl has been reunited with her family in Fresno, police there said.

Blumenthal explained how some victims become involved in human trafficking.

"They're not kidnapped. It's like a brainwashing of sorts," he said. "They overwhelm girls mentally and physically in some cases -- not sure in this case -- and have an overwhelming hold. Girls don't feel there's a way out." 

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