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

Woman on Leave After Hate Crime

0
0

A California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation employee has been placed on leave after she was caught on cellphone video yelling slurs and throwing coffee and an umbrella at Muslim men praying in a park.

Denis Slader was charged last Thursday with two misdemeanors: battery and violation of civil rights, a hate crime. She has worked at the Department of Corrections for 10 years as a program technician in parole.

Slader is accused of approaching Rasheed Albeshari and several friends Dec. 6 while the men were praying at Lake Chabot Regional Park in Castry Valley. Cellphone video Albeshari recorded shows a woman, identified as Slader, making anti-Muslim remarks and calling Islam evil.

A park ranger is seen trying to diffuse the situation, telling the woman her comments are "inappropriate." The woman lunges toward Albeshari and appears to throw coffee at him. Prosecutors said she also threw an umbrella.

Department of Corrections spokesman Luis Patino said Friday that Slader was placed on "administrative time off effective immediately" after her arrest. He would not comment further or specify how long the time off would be.

Patino would only say "discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated" and that the agency expects all "employees to treat everyone with dignity and respect both on and off the job."

Slader, who was released from custody, did not return phone calls seeking comment. She is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 7.

The San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Santa Clara issued a statement welcoming the hate crime charges brought against Slader — something that Northern California Civil Rights Coordinator Brice Hamack had formally urged. 




Photo Credit: Rasheed Albeshari/Facebook

Indictment Over 'Kung Fu Panda'

0
0

A Randolph, Massachusetts, man who falsely claimed he created the DreamWorks character "Kung Fu Panda" has been indicted on wire fraud and perjury charges, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Jayme Gordon, 51, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of perjury in an indictment unsealed Monday in U.S. District Court in Boston. He was scheduled to appear in court Monday afternoon.

According to the indictment, Gordon filed a lawsuit as part of a fraud scheme designed to obtain a multimillion-dollar settlement from DreamWorks. He allegedly fabricated and backdated drawings of characters similar to those in "Kung Fu Panda," lied repeatedly during his deposition and destroyed computer evidence that he was required to produce in civil discovery.

In early 2008, several months before the release of "Kung Fu Panda," Gordon saw a trailer for the movie and revised his own "Panda Power" drawings and story from the 1990s, renaming them "Kung Fu Panda Power," prosecutors said. The revisions were allegedly part of a scheme to make his work appear more like the DreamWorks pandas he had seen in the trailer.

Gordon filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against DreamWorks in U.S. district court in Massachusetts in 2011. Later that year, he proposed that the movie studio settle the suit by paying him $12 million. DreamWorks turned down that proposal, and the case went on for two years.

The full nature of Gordon's scheme allegedly came to light when DreamWorks discovered Gordon had traced some of his panda drawings from a Disney "Lion King" coloring book. After DreamWorks discovered the tracings, Gordon agreed to dismiss his suit. But DreamWorks had already spent about $3 million defending the suit by that time.

"Our intellectual property laws are designed to protect creative artists, not defraud them," U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said in a prepared statement. "The misuse of civil litigation as part of a fraud scheme, and lying under oath, as alleged in this case, warp our federal judicial system and must be addressed with appropriate criminal sanctions."

Wire fraud carries a sentence of no more than 20 years in prison, plus a $250,000 fine. Perjury carries a sentence of no more than five years in prison, plus a $250,000 fine.

The law firms that filed the complaint on Gordon's behalf in 2011 had no information on the attorneys currently representing him.



Photo Credit: U.S. Attorney's Office

Family Escapes Skyline Hills House Fire

0
0

Six people escaped a house fire early Monday and family members believe a space heater placed too close to furniture may be to blame.

Flames spread quickly through the one-story home on Billow Drive west of State Route 125 and south of State Route 94.

A woman who lives inside the home told NBC 7 they recently purchased a space heater for her niece’s bedroom. The space heater caught the bed on fire about 2:40 a.m.

She said she tried to extinguish the fire with water but the smoke became too thick.

Fire destroyed the niece’s room and damaged all of her Christmas presents, the woman told NBC 7.

An SDFD fire captain suggested homeowners keep space heaters a few feet away from any bed, furniture or clothing. Some space heaters can ignite clothing on fire quickly, he said.

Five residents inside the home and a visiting child were able to make it out of the home safely. No one was injured. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

WWII Vet, Purple Heart Recipient Awarded Bronze Star

0
0

 A San Diego veteran received a Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Army during World War II, decades after his service. 

La Jolla resident Donald Breitenberg, 90, served in the U.S. Army during World War II as an infantryman in Europe. Breitenberg was wounded in France during his service, which went from 1943 to 1946. He previously earned a Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge. 

Three months after Pearl Harbor, when he was 17, he said every young man he knew, himself included, wanted to enlist in the war. 

"Our mission was to go to the coast, go to the channel, and destroy a lot of the defense there the germans had," he said of his first action. 

They lost many lives, but were ultimately successful, he said. 

"It's probably, not a day that goes by that I dont think of it," Breitenberg said. 

U.S. Congressman Scott Peters, who represents parts of San Diego County, pinned the award during a ceremony Monday. Breitenberg initially reached out to Peters' office after he realizing he was eligible. 

Breitenberg said the award meant a lot. 

"It just opens up doors of memories," he said.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Robber Strikes at Babies 'R' Us

0
0

Police are searching for a serial offender who bound and robbed two employees at a Babies 'R' Us on Long Island early Monday, his 14th store robbery in four months.

A 40-year-old woman who works at the store on Corporate Drive in Westbury was letting her 60-year-old co-worker through the front door at 5 a.m. when a man forced his way into the store. Police said he brandished a black handgun and ordered the two women into the back office.

The man allegedly bound the 60-year-old woman with costume handcuffs and had her get on the ground. He then forced her co-worker to open the safe and put an unknown amount of cash into a canvas bag, according to police.

Before leaving the store, the suspect bound the 40-year-old woman’s hands with the same type of costume handcuffs and had her get on top of the other woman, police said.

No one was reported injured in the robbery.

Authorities say the suspect is wanted in 13 other robberies at stores across Long Island, including at a Petco, Dollar Tree, Dress Barn, Mandee, Joyce Leslie and Destination Maternity. He restrained his victims in each of those cases as well. 

Police say the suspect targets locations with female employees. In each case, he restrains them before stealing cash from the store's safe. He also wears a black ski mask. 

Police are encouraging businesses to make sure their surrounding area is well lit. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 1-800-244-TIPS.



Photo Credit: AP/Handout

Search for Suspect(s) After Teen Shot, Left to Die

0
0

Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding an unknown suspect or suspects in the case of a 14-year-old boy left mortally wounded on a sidewalk in San Marcos. 

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) said the victim – identified as 14-year-old Brandon Gonzalez – was discovered unconscious, lying on a sidewalk in the 3500 block of De Leone Road around 10:50 p.m. on November 21 when deputies rushed to the area to investigate reports of multiple gunshots heard near the intersection of De Leone and Hollencrest roads.

Gonzalez, suffering from traumatic injuries, was taken to a local hospital, where he died. The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the teen's cause of death a gunshot wound to his upper torso, and his manner of death ruled a homicide.

Gonzalez’s death is being investigated as a homicide, and San Diego County Crime Stoppers and investigators are asking for the public's help in finding a suspect or suspect(s). Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in the case.

Deputies said the shooting may be gang-related, but the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact the SDSO Homicide Detail at (858) 974-2321 or (858) 565-5200, or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.



Photo Credit: NBC7/San Diego County Sheriff's Department

10 Times Animals Made Us Laugh, Cry, Cringe in 2015

0
0

Animals made big headlines this year in San Diego.

6 Americans Killed in Afghanistan Suicide Attack

0
0

A suicide bomber drove a motorcycle into a convoy of U.S., NATO and Afghan forces on Monday, blowing himself up and killing six Americans, NBC News reported. 

Two other Americans and an interpreter were wounded, U.S. officials said.

The service members were on a routine security patrol around outside Bagram Airfield north of Kabul around 1:30 p.m. local time when they were attacked, the official said.

U.S. officials did not specify the total number of Americans involved in the incident. The Taliban posted a message on Twitter claiming responsibility for the attack.



Photo Credit: AP

Analysis: Fans Showed San Diego is Sports Town

0
0

NBC 7 SportsWrap reporter Derek Togerson offers commentary on the Chargers' final home game on Sunday

Chargers fans … raise your hand if you cried on Sunday.

Go ahead, it’s OK. My hand is up, too. You deserve to let it all out.

Heading in to what could be the final NFL game the Chargers ever play in San Diego nobody had any idea what to expect. Was it going to be full? Empty? Angry? Sad? Nostalgic? Any one of those reactions would have been understandable. I was expecting a little bit of it all. What I saw blew me away.

That was an outright celebration, a cathartic three and a half hours where Chargers fans were able to forget about what they’ve endured this year and just be happy again.

The 2015 season has been arguably the worst in the 54-year history of the San Diego Chargers. The fan base has been ignored, neglected and borderline insulted by the team’s ownership group. The product on the field has been one of the worst in the NFL.

But on Sunday Qualcomm Stadium felt like it did in 2006, when the team went 14-2. It was rocking. Instead of allowing all the disappointment and bitterness of this year keep them down, resigned to a subdued procession through what turned out to be a 30-14 win over the Dolphins, the Chargers fan base emerged from its season-long cocoon and made up for lost time.

“It was a special day,” said quarterback Philip Rivers, who proceeded to choke up as he spoke. “If it is the last one … that was kind of what I told the guys before the game. They’ve been playing football in the town before any of us were born. There are people that are going to be at that game today that were coming to games before we were born. We get to close it out. If it is the end, we get to finish it off. Hopefully, the fans that have seen it over the years and the players that have played in there can be proud today that we at least ended it the right way.”

What was truly striking was the way the fan base conducted itself. With a few exceptions it was a fun, positive day. The vibe was one of, “If this is our last ride then we’re going out with guns a-blazing!” The fans were respectful and, given the situation, that’s not how every city would have handled it.

I walked through the seats for a while and cannot count how many people said they aren’t concerned about the future. For that day, for the next 60 minutes of football, all they wanted to do it beat the tar out of the Dolphins. That stadium was, against all odds, filled with hope, and that is downright inspiring.

More than 66,000 people attended the game. Afterwards thousands … literally thousands of them stuck around to soak in as much of it as they could. Rivers and Eric Weddle and Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd and Mike Scifres and Mike McCoy all went back to the field, circling it and signing autographs for hours after the final seconds ticked off the clock.

This city and the people in it mean something to the players and the players mean something to the people in this city.

I hate it when people say San Diego is not a good sports town. This is a tremendous sports town. I used to work in Philadelphia, a place known for its over-the-top fanaticism. Those people are around more consistently, sure. There are a lot more people in the 4th-largest media market in America to pull from than San Diego has.

I followed the Sixers to the NBA Finals and the Eagles and Flyers to the playoffs and I will tell you right now, none of those environments can hold a candle to what happens when teams win in San Diego. But it even goes beyond winning. All we need is for the teams to show they’re making the same investment in us that we are making in them. Don’t just take our money and in return put out a sub-par product. All it takes is a little effort.

Just look at what happened with the Padres last year. General Manager A.J. Preller came in and tried to build a winner. The new ownership group poured money in to the roster. Lo and behold, the fans showed up. The Friars averaged more than 30,000 fans a game for the first time since 2007, even though they finished 14 games under .500.

The Padres tried and San Diego responded. I know a lot of NFL owners think Chargers owner Dean Spanos deserves to get out of San Diego. They hear him cry foul over not getting a stadium deal done in 14 years and I understand his frustration, I really do. But he needs to understand the frustration of his fan base, too.

How many times, realistically, has he really tried to put a winner on the field? If he makes the investment in us, we’ll make the investment in him. That doesn’t seem too much to ask, now does it?

I have no idea if that’s going to happen or not. What I do know is Sunday in San Diego was, as Philip said, special. It’s the people, the fans of America’s Finest City that made it that way. Those are the people who deserve better than they’re getting.

San Diego sports fans, I am proud as hell of you.



Photo Credit: Derek Togerson

Slain Oceanside Police Officer Honored

0
0

Friends, family members and co-workers gathered Sunday to remember an Oceanside police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty.

On December 20, 2006, 25-year-old police Officer Dan Bessant was killed while responding to help another officer on a traffic stop at Arthur Avenue and Gold Drive in Oceanside.

It's the same intersection where on Sunday night, dozens gathered to start the Dan Bessant Memorial Run.

Bessant's former police partner, Sergeant Richard Schickel remembers him well.

"Even if we didn't have the run we wouldn't forget him," Schickel said. "It's Dan. We won't forget him."

The group of runners took off from the area where Bessant was shot and ran for about three and a half miles to the Oceanside police department.

There sits a small memorial for all of the department's fallen officers, including Bessant.

"We miss Dan everyday. Some days a lot more than others," the fallen officer's father Steve Bessant said to the group of runners.

Steve and his family couldn't be more grateful for the unending support and love they receive at this annual memorial run.

Before the night is over, Steve lighted a blue candle near the fallen officer memorial and placed his hand on his son's name printed in the memorial.

Then at 6:33 p.m. a voice came over all North County police radios, "Please join us in a minute of silence for police officer Dan Bessant."

It's the same minute nine years ago today that Dan lost his life in the line of duty.

Two teenagers were arrested for the crime. Authorities concluded the killing was done for no other reason than it presented a chance for the documented gang members to gain respect, however warped, for shooting at police.

Meki Gaono and Penifoti Teaotui were both sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Elite Hotels' Housekeepers Victims in Couple's Scheme: DA

0
0

Workers at some of the most elite hotels in Southern California were victimized by a couple accused of failing to pay overtime and defrauding the state out of millions in taxes, prosecutors allege.

A Southern California couple are accused of using a dozen shell companies to hide at least 800 hotel cleaning employees for nearly a decade in a $7 million insurance fraud and tax evasion scheme, state officials announced Monday.

A grand jury indicted Hyok "Steven" and Woo "Stephanie" Kwon Monday for allegedly misrepresenting the size of their payroll to avoid paying state fees and taxes. Steven pleaded not guilty Monday and is being held on a $1 million bail. 

The Kwons owned and ran a number of companies including Good Neighbor Services. Their clients included Loews Coronado, Hotel del Coronado, La Costa Resort and Spa, Four Seasons, Grand Del Marin La Jolla, L'Auberge Del Mar, Los Angeles Airport Hilton and the Ritz Carlton properties in Orange County and Los Angeles, among others.

The 12 shell companies had offices in the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Irvine, as well as Lake Tahoe, prosecutors allege.

"The Kwons treated hundreds of their hotel workers like chattel," said insurance commissioner Dave Jones, adding that employees told investigators they were not paid for overtime and were not paid when hurt on the job.

The husband and wife team is accused of workers compensation premium fraud, payroll tax evasion and extortion.

Officials estimate the company avoided paying more than $3.6 million in insurance premiums and more than $3.3 million in payroll taxes.

"This is the one of the largest ever in San Diego County of insurance fraud and tax evasion fraud,"said District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis. "It’s not a victimless crime."

If convicted of all charges, the Kwons each face up to 31 years in prison.

Six co-defendants face charges as part of the investigation. They are Melquiades Brizuela Jr, Manuel Rodriguez, Veronica Lucas Cuin, Aimee Sunmyung Kwon, Daniel Kwon and Hyun Bung Chae. It wasn't immediately clear if the accused have hired attorneys who could comment on the charges.

Anyone with information about the abuse of employee rights or the Kwons' use of shell companies can call: 800-315-7672 or 800-927-4357.
 



Photo Credit: California Department of Insurance/NBC 7

Firefighters Bring Holiday Cheer to Families

0
0

Santa Claus, joined by a team of San Diego firefighters, rolled up on a Valencia Park neighborhood to surprise the family of an 8-year-old boy on Monday.

And surprised the third grader was.

“I was shocked when I saw those two,” Noah Moses said, gesturing to the fire engines parked in front of his house.

The young San Diegan was among nine students nominated by San Diego Public Schools to receive the special surprise from Santa and his elves (firefighters).

As part of an annual tradition the past 26 years, firefighters bring gifts to needy families with students who are excelling in school. For Noah, that meant a new bike among other goodies.

“This is what happens when you get good grades,” Noah’s mom, Shardae Shelton, was overheard telling her son.

Noah gushed over the royal treatment and wanted to give his classmates some encouragement.

“All you need is hope and a little hard work,” he said.

The firefighters canvassed other neighborhoods across San Diego all day Monday to bring gifts to families.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

CHP: Spike Strip Not Possible in Wrong-Way I-5 Crash

0
0

A Mercedes traveling in the wrong direction on Interstate 5 could not be stopped by a spike strip before it crashed head-on into an oncoming car Sunday, California Highway Patrol officers said. NBC 7's Rory Devine has the latest on the investigation.

Photo Credit: NBC 7

Good Samaritan Looking to Return Lost Wedding Band

0
0

 A Good Samaritan is looking for a little help returning a valuable possession to its rightful owner.

On Monday morning, Carlsbad resident Cindy Michaels was picking up trash along the beach between Lifeguard Station #25 to the north Jetty when she happened upon something shiny.

As she climbed down off a rock, she looked down and spotted a gold wedding band. The ring is a men’s band with an inscription and date on it.

Cindy said she wanted to keep the inscription private, as only the person who lost it would know what the inscription is.

If you believe the ring may be yours, please contact Cindy at SharkOperations@gmail.com. 



Photo Credit: Cindy Michaels

4 Die in SR-78 Crash

0
0

Tragedy struck a Loma Linda family when their car careened out of control along a San Diego highway, killing four of them and leaving three hospitalized just days before Christmas.

The group of seven was driving home from a relative's house in Carlsbad around 10:45 p.m. Sunday when their Toyota Sequoia collided with a Chevy Sonic in the eastbound lanes of SR-78.

The family's SUV traveled down an embankment near Nordahl Road in Escondido, flipped and crashed into a tree.

[[363128471,C]]

A 25-year-old Fallbrook man was questioned in the crash investigation, according to the California Highway Patrol. He was driving the Sonic and attempted to change lanes when he noticed the other vehicle.

CHP officers said the driver of the Sequoia tried to avoid the collision also but the two vehicles crashed into each other and traveled down the right shoulder of the highway.

Four people were pronounced dead at the scene. The victims have been identified by the Medical Examiner's office as a 65-year-old woman, a 75-year-old woman, a 40-year-old woman and a 9-year-old boy named Timothy Silalahi.

[[363163671, C]]

Two surviving passengers of the Sequoia, two adult women, were taken to Palomar Hospital. A 19-year-old woman was taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital. CHP investigators earlier identified the teenage survivor as the driver but now say that is under investigation.

The driver of the Sonic was uninjured. He was handcuffed by CHP officers at the scene and taken to a nearby station for questioning. CHP officers initially said he was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter. However, now officers say he was released pending further investigation. The CHP will turn over their investigation to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office to decide if charges are necessary.

Alcohol and drug use was not a factor in the crash, CHP officials told NBC 7.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Ex-Cancer Charity CEO Sentenced to Year in Jail

0
0

In an emotional courtroom Monday, the former CEO of WishWarriors was sentenced to a year behind bars, five years of probation and continued restitution payments for stealing money raised to help San Diego families with children battling cancer.

Brianna King, the former president and CEO of the San Diego cancer charity, pleaded guilty to grand theft in September for stealing thousands of dollars in connection to her time at the helm of the nonprofit WishWarriors.

The district attorney’s office opened a criminal investigation into King after an NBC 7 investigation revealed children profiled by the charity never received the donations they were promised.

New details emerged in court Monday about how King spent the money raised to help the families. The prosecutor said King would solicit items and gift cards from stores as donations to auction off at fundraisers, but she would instead use them herself. One example discussed in court involved King changing her name to “Brie Cummings” and using spa gift cards for a facial and other services.

The prosecutor said other things King spent the donation money on included spa treatments, hair salons, Nordstrom, Target, Walmart, Legoland tickets, restaurants, car payments and other personal bills. He said she used the charity's bank account as if it were her own. 

During the sentencing a pregnant King apologized to the families and her former colleagues at WishWarriors.

King told NBC 7 Investigates she did not wish to discuss the sentencing and has refused to answer any questions about the charges and investigation.

Her attorney asked for leniency in her sentencing because King is attending counseling, is enrolled in money management and theft prevention classes and, according to her doctor, her pregnancy is considered high-risk.

In court, prosecutors read a letter from one of the families WishWarriors promised to help. Three other people also spoke before the judge Monday: the attorney for WishWarriors, Angelica Simmons; the father of one of the children battling cancer; Rodney Harvey; and his daughter who was battling cancer, Kasey. She is now in remission.

Kasey was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer late last year. Rodney and his family helped promote WishWarriors’ “Kick Cancer” Golf Tournament in hopes the cancer nonprofit would financially assist them as they tried to save their 13-year-old daughter’s life.

Rodney described how he was “sick” to find out King was using the money raised for Kasey at the spa on the same days his daughter was being transported to the hospital for chemotherapy treatments.

The judge sentenced King to a year behind bars with one day already served for when she was arrested in July. Her term in custody will begin April 11, 2016 and is being delayed until after her baby is born in March.

King was also ordered to continue making restitution payments for what she stole from the charity. She has already paid $10,000 but still owes more than $8,000, according to prosecutors. The judge ordered King to make payments of at least $100 a month.

In court Simmons said King’s actions have impacted the charity more than just financially. The negative publicity has given WishWarriors a black eye in the charity community. According to her, local businesses do not want to work with them. She said right now, the charity is not able to function as it was set up to and will have to find another way to help children battling cancer.

In addition to paying the money back and serving time behind bars, King was sentenced to five years of probation and is not allowed to participate in any charity work where she may have financial responsibilities.

During the sentencing, King was wiping tears from her face as she apologized to the father of her children for the embarrassment it has caused him at work. He is an officer with the San Diego Police Department.

King’s parents attended the sentencing Monday. King’s father told NBC 7 Investigates he’s “appalled” at his daughter’s actions and they haven’t talked to King since July, when she was arrested.

Prosecutors also highlighted King’s previous criminal record as a reason for why she should be sentenced to time behind bars. A 2005 misdemeanor complaint in Riverside County alleges King wrote bad checks, totaling $377, to two stores. After not appearing in court, an arrest warrant was issued for her.

NBC 7 Investigates first reported on King’s criminal history in July. In San Diego County, King was sentenced to probation after pleading guilty in 2004 to four misdemeanor counts for using fraudulent checks and burglary. Though she was ordered to pay $2,905, probation documents show she never paid the full amount. In 2007, King pleaded guilty in Orange County to felony charges for burglary and writing bad checks.
 

'Hell No' Clinton Won't Apologize to Trump: Spokesman

0
0

Donald Trump has been calling for fellow presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to apologize for calling him "ISIS' best recruiter" in Saturday night's debate.

So, will she?

"Hell, no," her spokesman said Monday, NBC News reported.

"Hillary Clinton will not be apologizing to Donald Trump for correctly pointing out how his hateful rhetoric only helps ISIS recruit more terrorists," said spokesman Brian Fallon in a statement.

Trump, who was campaigning in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Monday night, said on the "TODAY Show" earlier in the day that he would demand an apology from Clinton for suggesting ISIS is "showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists."



Photo Credit: File -- Getty Images

Driving Lesson Ends in Carjacking

0
0

What started as a mother's driving lesson for her son ended in a carjacking, kidnapping and shooting near Alligator Alley in Broward County, Florida, Monday, authorities said.

Broward Sheriff's Office officials said the woman told investigators she was teaching her college-aged son how to drive a stick shift in the parking lot of Gator Run Elementary School in Weston when they were approached by an armed man.

The man forced them at gunpoint to drive to U.S. 27 where they stopped at a rest area near Mile Marker 39, officials said. After they got out of the Jeep, the man began inquiring about the woman's finances, authorities said

While there, the son got into a struggle with the suspect and the suspect shot him in the leg, officials said.

A witness who was at the rest stop stepped in and helped detain the suspect until deputies arrived shortly before 4:30 p.m. The son was taken to Cleveland Clinic with non-life threatening injuries.

The suspect, whose name wasn't released, is expected to face attempted murder, armed carjacking and armed kidnapping charges, officials said. The identities of the mother and son weren't released.

The incident remains under investigation.



Photo Credit: NBC6.com

Case Laid Out Against Man Allegedly Assaulted by Detective

0
0

In court Monday, prosecutors explained why they say a San Diego County Sheriff’s detective got into a controversial altercation with a suspect, who is now suing the department for excessive force.

During his preliminary hearing, Robert Branch, 25, heard the prosecution describe why he should go to trial on felony charges of resisting an executive officer and attempting to use tear gas on an officer.

Branch started recording cellphone video of the May 4 incident after pulling over on a residential street in the Del Cerro area. He claims that the detective, who was not in uniform and was driving an unmarked car, did not identify himself and began to choke him for no reason.

But Deputy District Attorney (DDA) Michael Runyon said the altercation started well before Branch began recording, “when the defendant almost struck his vehicle due to his speeding and erratic driving.” At that point, the detective began to follow him.

When Branch pulled over, the detective identified himself, showed his badge and asked for Branch’s license and registration, according to Runyon. The DDA said Branch refused and began to use his hands to keep the officer away.

“The detective parked behind him and saw the defendant exit his vehicle wearing a tactical vest with the word ‘security’ across it,” said Runyon, “and it had numerous pockets that could potentially conceal a variety of weapons."

The detective asked to search Branch for weapons, but the defendant responded by allegedly pulling out a can of pepper spray, the DDA said. In the video, Branch is heard repeatedly telling the detective that he has no right to touch him.

The official then puts his arm around Branch’s neck, and the phone drops, fading to black. The defendant was soon arrested and later released.

Branch has since filed an excessive force lawsuit against the county, which is on hold until the allegations against him are resolved.

“Certainly what's said in court is not evidence at this point,” said Branch’s attorney Marc Kohnen. “Evidence is sworn testimony by witnesses, so there's been representations made at this point. However I still believe it's a strong trial case."

An officer in an unmarked car pulling someone over is not against the law. But there's nothing that says you can't call 911 to ask for a marked patrol car to come to you before you stop.

Branch will be back in court in the coming weeks, but the judge will not determine if the case goes to trial until later in the spring.
 

Fla. Man's Toxic 9/11 Shirt Stolen

0
0

A toxic shirt that a Miami-Dade man wore while helping with the rescue efforts during the 9/11 attacks was stolen out of his car.

Yehuda Kaploun's shirt has made front page news because it's dirty, toxic and dangerous. It was about to be in the news again before it was stolen out of the backseat of his SUV.

"If that person who had that shirt, or touched that shirt, he'd be very smart in seeking immediate medical attention," Kaploun said.

It was Wednesday night when Kaploun put the shirt in a box and placed it in his SUV parked outside his house in northeast Miami-Dade. On Thursday morning when he came out, the box was gone.

Kaploun lived in Manhattan on 9/11 and volunteered at Ground Zero for hours, helping rescue efforts while wearing the shirt. He threw it in a closet, never washed it, then kept it as a memento, hermetically sealed in a plastic bag.

"The shirt is covered in toxins, the asbestos, the lead, the zinc, whatever was in the air at that time when the buildings came down, the construction material," he said.

In 2006 the New York Post included the shirt in a report about medical benefits for 9/11 first responders.

Last week the debate reignited in Congress, and Kaploun was about to mail it to a reporter who again was going to use it in a story. But then somebody stole it.

"I would have to call it the world's stupidest criminal because he really is putting his life in danger and if he's opened up the bag he definitely exposed himself to tremendous toxins," Kaploun said.

Kaploun contacted the police but doubts he'll ever see the shirt again. His plan was to give it to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum.

"Thanks to a stupid criminal the American public does not get a chance to be able to have that piece of history," he said.

Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images