Gov. Dannel Malloy proposed Connecticut become the first state to raise the age limit of a youthful offender in order to reform the state's criminal justice system

“What I’m trying to do, because I can give you the statistics that show that this will make us safer is to prevent people from becoming permanent criminals because of basically how they are treated on minor offenses" said Malloy during a press conference at a church in Hartford.

At the heart of the proposals is a plan to raise the age of a youthful offender in Connecticut from 17 to 20 by July 2019. Under the governor's proposal, the age would increase each year up to 2019.

Connecticut would become the first state in the nation to take such a step.

Malloy said there's data that backing the idea of a higher age limit.

“We know that the human mind has not reached its full point of maturation until age 25,” the governor said.

Malloy added that other areas of society and law accept that some behaviors and products should only be participated in by people of certain ages like the smoking age of 18 and the drinking age of 21.

"Let’s extend that to youthful offenders or young offenders with the hope that that’s the springboard to avoiding a life of crime,” Malloy said.

The other significant part of the governor's announcement was to eliminate bail for misdemeanors.

Judges would maintain discretion on a case-by-case basis but for such cases, bail would no longer exist under the governor's proposal.

The motivation behind the idea is that bail, for many people in Connecticut, is a burdensome requirement that could cripple someone's home and professional lives.

“People make $20,000 bail with as little as $250 dollars and generally not more than $2,000, so in essence, we’ll have 550 people in jail for a lack of 2,000," he said.

In a statement, Drew Bloom with the Bail Association of Connecticut wrote:

"The proposals announced today should be made part of the review process that the Governor recently requested the State Sentencing Commission to conduct. Bail reform will have broad ranging impact on many segments of society and comprehensive changes in this area should be carefully vetted so as to avoid serious unintended consequences."

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's 300-foot luxury yacht destroyed 14,000 swaure feet of protected coral reef in the Cayman Islands, according to reports, and Allen is working with authorities investigating the situation. 

According to the Cayman News Service, the anchor chain of the MV Tatoosh caused "extensive damage" to the reef earlier this month on Jan. 14.

Allen is worth $18.1 billion, according to Forbes, and lists coral-reef research among his philanthropic projects.

His Seattle-based company, Vulcan, said in a statement Wednesday the boat's mooring position was "explicitly directed" by the local port authority. The firm told Reuters that Allen was not on board at the time. 

A San Francisco home with sweeping ocean views that sold about two months ago for $2 million was demolished Thursday after a crack was found in the retaining wall.

City workers worried the crack could cause the house in the city’s Sherwood Forest neighborhood to slide, so the Department of Building granted an emergency demolition permit before it slid into another home. The house moved 14 inches in a one-week span, according to inspectors.

Inspectors said five other homes could also be in danger.

The home’s owner told NBC Bay Area he bought the property in Oct, but he had not moved in yet.

It's "game on" in the San Diego mayoral race.

Incumbent Kevin Faulconer is now targeted by a former state lawmaker who publicly announced her candidacy on Thursday.

Does Lori Saldana stand a real chance of winning this game?

Veterans political observers say "no way".

But the point is, her challenge gives San Diegans a sharp political dialogue to make judgments from.

Saldana is a Democrat, elected three times to the State Assembly.

She launched her campaign by bringing up Faulconer's expected candidacy for higher office two years from now.

"I keep my eyes on the prize, which is this city, my hometown,” Saldana said at a morning conference near the Old Town Transit Center. “Mr. Faulconer's eyes, I believe, are on another prize. He's becoming the Dean Spanos of San Diego government. He will up and move his franchise to a bigger media market as soon as the opportunity arises."

Saldana took issue with Faulconer's handling of the Chargers stadium situation.

Says she'd rather find a team willing to invest in the city.

And that Faulconer was wrong to veto the minimum wage ordinance, which is now on the June ballot.

Saldana touted her six years of experience in the state legislature in Sacramento fighting for laws benefitting the military, veterans, and environmental causes.

For his part, the incumbent mayor isn't blinking or sweating over the race.

"I'm very proud of what we've been able to do as a city over the last year and a half,” Faulconer told a scrum of reporters at the Torrey Pines golf complex, site of this week’s Farmer’s Insurance Open.

“You know, I've really focused on bringing people together,” he continued. “It's not about partisanship, it's about getting results. I'm very proud of our record. I'm very proud of what we're doing with the City Council, and moving forward."

Faulconer hadn’t been apprised of the “Dean Spanos” quote at the time – and his political strategist, Jason Roe, merely smiled at the reference when asked about it later.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Roe said, obviously not taking the bait to mix it up on that venue.

Meantime, political observers wonder how much voter appeal and major backing Saldana will have.

"Maybe she'll have the Dems and organized labor involved at some point,” says Liam Dillon, assistant editor of NBC 7 media partner Voice of San Diego. “But it's tough for me to see that they're going to throw at a candidate that has not proven that they have any chance of winning."

Saldana isn't much of a "household name” citywide.

But voters interviewed Thursday by NBC 7 seemed intrigued by the prospect of a race involving a politically experienced challenger.

And there was a general consensus along the lines voice by Little Italy resident Caitlyn Forbes: "I think it's nice to have an option, especially when it comes to politics -- it's so important nowadays. I think it's nice to have the consideration."

Saldana is the last of five candidates, so far, to "pull papers" for the mayoral race, last week.

Faulconer filed his papers nearly a year ago.

The other three are more or less political unknowns -- although one did receive 15 votes as a write-in back in the 2012 mayoral primary election.
 

A Crawford High School teacher was arrested on suspicion of engaging in an unlawful sexual act with a student, San Diego police announced.

Just before the last bell Thursday, Toni Sutton, a 37-year-old female Spanish teacher and volleyball coach, was taken from CHS to the police department for questioning.

Police said on Thursday, a parent contacted them about her son's relationship with an adult family friend. The parent had discovered inappropriate communication between the woman and the boy, who is under 18 and a CHS student.

Detectives said evidence led them to suspect Sutton. After questioning, she was taken into custody late Thursday on one count of engaging in an unlawful sexual act with a person under 18.

The district has placed her on paid administrative leave, pending the investigation's outcome. 

"She was surprised when she called me this afternoon and said she was going to the police station," said Ben, the teacher's boyfriend of six years.

The couple has three children in the home they share just five minutes from the school.

"If this is about children, isn't this some kind of abuse? They're taking the mom from the daugther," said Ben.

Witnesses said the teacher was walked out of the building by police officers.

"I did like her. She has a great relationship with all the kids," said Leietta Rabb, a member of the school's volleyball team.

The district said no other teachers are involved in the investigation.

The insect believed to be linked to the fast-spreading, highly-publicized Zika virus has been detected in San Diego, health officials confirm, but there have not been any local cases of the disease reported.

Dr. Wilma Wooten, of the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), said the insect – the Aedes aegypti mosquito – has been seen, in small numbers, throughout San Diego County over the past 18 months. The mosquito species, which experts believe transfer the Zika virus, has also been detected in Los Angeles County.

Dr. Wooten told NBC 7 on Thursday that the Department of Environmental Health is tracking the mosquito locally. So far, health officials have not found any of the mosquitos detected in San Diego County to be carrying the Zika virus.

For now, San Diego County health officials are not testing for Zika. Unless someone contracts the disease locally, Dr. Wooten said officials don’t plan on testing the Aedes aegypti mosquitos for the virus.

Dr. Wooten said the mosquitos don’t travel very far. She said only a small number of the insects have been spotted locally.

Health officials said the mosquito species is not native to California.

The county’s website describes the insect as a dark-colored mosquito with white stripes on its legs and back. The mosquito is an aggressive biter both indoors and outdoors, especially during daytime hours. It prefers to lay eggs in small containers such as plant saucers, buckets and watering cans. Aedes aegypti eggs can survive without water for up to several months.

Because of where the mosquitos like to lay eggs, Dr. Wooten said residents should take the time to remove any standing water they may have inside or outside. It’s also smart to wear insect repellent, as a precaution, and be on alert for the insects.

Currently, health experts believe the Aedes aegypti mosquito is found predominantly in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Zika virus is “spreading explosively,” and will hold an emergency meeting of independent experts Monday to decide if the outbreak should be declared an international health emergency.

The disease has been linked to birth defects and neurological problems. Scientists say the Americas could see up to 4 million cases of Zika in the next year.

For more information on Zika, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website here.
 

The San Diego Chargers released a statement Thursday announcing plans for an interim headquarters and practice facility in Santa Ana in the event they move to Los Angeles.

The NFL has installed a March 23 deadline for the Bolts to make their decision so the league can finalize schedules and all the other business of getting ready for the 2016 season.

Negotiations between the San Diego Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams have halted.  The two teams have been trying to come to an agreement on a move that would allow the Chargers to join the Rams in their new NFL stadium in Inglewood.

Here is the team's full statement:

"This week the Chargers submitted grading and landscape plans for approval by the City of Santa Ana. The plans are for a five-acre parcel in Santa Ana that would be the location of the team’s interim headquarters and training facilities in the event the team exercises its option to relocate to the Los Angeles area. The Chargers were granted the right to relocate to Los Angeles by vote of the NFL’s ownership on January 12, 2016. The franchise is continuing to review all of its options, and no final decision on relocation has been made. It was necessary for the team to submit the grading and landscape plans now because of the long lead time necessary to secure land use approvals and to prepare the natural grass practice fields in time for the team’s offseason workout schedule."

When asked if the team has entered into a lease-purchase agreement for the land, Chargers Special Counsel Mark Fabiani told NBC 7 there would be no details released regarding the transaction. 

A driver who struck a pedestrian and then fled the scene of the collision led police on a pursuit across San Diego’s South Bay area Thursday afternoon.

The chase began just after 2 p.m. when a San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officer witnessed the hit-and-run. Investigators said the driver, in a pickup truck, hit a woman walking at Coronado and Thermal avenues.

When the officer tried to pull over the hit-and-run driver, the suspect sped off.

The suspect wound through South Bay surface streets and then drove onto northbound Interstate 5. The freeway pursuit continued through H Street and onto 39th Street and Ocean View Boulevard.

As cop pursued the suspect on the ground, SDPD Lt. Ernesto Servin said the police department's helicopter followed by air.

At around 2:30 p.m., police said the suspect drove onto the 200 block of South Gregory Street -- the cul-de-sac where he lives. After exiting his pickup truck, the suspect ran into his home on the dead-end street.

Shortly thereafter, the suspect came out of the house and was arrested by police.

Lt. Servin said the hit-and-run is under investigation, and police are trying to determine if it stemmed from a domestic violence incident. Other people inside the suspect's home were also detained by police for questioning and ultimately released.

The condition of the hit-and-run victim is unknown. Lt. Servin said she was taken to a local hospital. Police are investigating whether or not the pedestrian and driver know one another.

At around 3 p.m., at least six SDPD vehicles remained at the scene of the initial hit-and-run, collecting evidence and investigating the incident.

No other injuries were reported.

The investigation is ongoing. Lt. Servin said the suspect faces multiple charges, including evading police, hit-and-run and possibly domestic violence.

A South Bay high school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of distributing child pornography, according to court records.

FBI agents took Roberto Antonio Sandoval into custody on Jan. 21 at his mother’s home, where Sandoval had been living.

Sandoval is a teacher in Chula Vista High’s learning center, an independent study and alternative education program with about 100 high school students, according to Sweetwater Union High School District spokesman Manny Rubio.

Sandoval was placed on paid leave last week, though Rubio said that will probably change after the district’s next board meeting on Feb. 8.

FBI investigators came to suspect Sandoval when they downloaded suspected child pornography files from a peer-to-peer file sharing program on Aug. 9.

According to a federal complaint, an agent downloaded six files from a certain internet protocol (IP) address. Most of the files showed images of prepubescent, naked girls engaging in sexual activity or bestiality, the investigator said.

On Aug. 24, the Department of Justice subpoenaed Cox Communications to find out which subscriber was linked to the IP address. The company said the account belonged to Roberto Sandoval, according to the complaint.

The FBI soon learned Sandoval had moved to his mother’s house on Franklin Avenue with his 7-year-old daughter.

On Jan. 21, FBI agents served a federal search warrant to the home, and the suspect's mother confirmed all the computers in the house belonged to Sandoval alone, the complaint said.

On Sandoval’s desktop computer and external hard drive, the FBI said they found multiple images of young girls in various states of undress.

Sandoval appeared in federal court Tuesday for a detention hearing, during which he waived his right to the setting of bail, according to court documents.

Sandoval’s attorney, Keith Rutman, told NBC 7 he has no comment on this story.

The Sweetwater School District spokesman said Sandoval has been working with the district since 2000. 

District officials have notified staff and parents of students in the learning center about Sandoval’s arrest. Rubio released the following statement:

“As far as we are concerned in terms of safety, the first thing we want to do is make sure our students are OK. We have talked to parents and the community about that’s going on. We have gone through all the appropriate channels, we have resources available if someone needs them. It is our understanding that everything that happened occurred off campus and outside of his scope of work at the district.”

According to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Sandoval cleared his background check for his credentialing program in 1998. The following year, he received his credential in math and instrumental music, which does not expire until September 2018.

Sandoval has never been disciplined by the commission.

America’s efforts to rebuild a stable Afghanistan could be headed for failure, according to a report released on Friday.

According to the quarterly report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the U.S. has spent more than $113 billion on reconstruction and will require troops to stay longer than President Obama expected, NBC News reported. 

The report says the country’s economy is weakening and there are allegations of fraud surrounding the effort to get more girls into the classroom.

The Taliban controls more territory now compared to the time American troops invaded in 2001. Nearly 30 percent of the country is controlled by the Taliban, according to the military's figures.  

A teacher at Central Men's Jail in Orange County, California, had a "significant role" in the planning of a jailbreak that set off a weeklong manhunt for three inmate fugitives, one of whom developed a relationship with the woman, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

The 44-year-old Lake Forest woman was arrested Thursday on suspicion of accessory to a felony in helping the inmates escape from lockup in downtown Santa Ana. She allegedly provided the men with Google Earth maps of the jail complex, according to investigators.

Nooshafarin Ravaghi, who works for the Rancho Santiago Community College District, has been teaching English-as-a-second-language classes at the jail for about 18 months, according to the department. She is also an associate faculty member at Saddleback College, according to the Mission Viejo college's website.

Ravaghi's arraignment is scheduled for Monday. It was not immediately clear whether she obtained an attorney.

One of the escaped inmates, Hossein Nayeri, 37, of Newport Beach, took her class at the Central Men's Jail and developed a relationship with Ravaghi, said Orange County Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Hallock.

"It was initially a student-teacher relationship, and then it developed into a closer relationship," Hallock said. "It is believed Ravaghi directly contributed to the escape of the three inmates and provided critical planning tools that aided in their preparation for the escape."

The exact nature of her alleged assistance was still being investigated, but she is believed to have provided information such as Google Maps to Nayeri, the alleged mastermind of the escape. Hallock said Ravaghi has denied providing Nayeri with any tools used in the escape.

"She played a significant role in the planning," Hallock said.

Hallock said the extent of the relationship Nayeri developed with Ravaghi was still unclear.

Ravaghi's job at the jail required a security clearance and a three-hour class for contracted employees. The class involved rules about inmates and "manipulation techniques" that inmates might use on employees, Hallock said. Contracted employees also are instructed to report whether any inmate requests information, Hallock added.

Tip Hotline: 714-628-7085 | Submit a Tip

Nayeri disappeared from the jail early Friday, along with Jonathan Tieu,  20, of Fountain Valley, and Bac Duong, 43, of Santa Ana. Duong surrendered to authorities Friday morning.

"We are continuing to be frustrated by this, but are continuing to work around the clock," Hallock said Friday.

OC sheriff's SWAT units raided two locations in Westminster Thursday  evening in a fruitless search for the three escapees, a news videographer reported from the scenes.

One of the locations, he said, was a business located at Jackson Street  and Westminster Boulevard and a reported hangout for some of the escapees. Nine people were at least temporarily detained at that location. The second raid, he said, took place in an industrial area at Garden Grove Boulevard and Hoover  Street.

No arrests or detentions were reported there.

Hallock said around 10 people have been arrested since the escape a week  ago Friday. Several other arrests — for unrelated warrants or probation issues — have also taken place during the manhunt. Hallock said investigators believe the escaped inmates stole a white GMC Savana utility van in the South Los Angeles area on Saturday, and the inmates may be living out of it.

Although only Duong was seen on Saturday with the van, "based on other  information we have we feel very strongly that they may still all three be together," Hallock said. The van has paper license plates from Felix Chevrolet, with plate number 8U66466, although the plates may have been removed and replaced.

The three inmates disappeared after a 5 a.m. body count in the jail, but they were not discovered missing until close to 9 p.m., when the second daily body count was conducted. Nayeri had been in custody since September 2014, Tieu  since October 2013 and Duong since December.

Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said Wednesday she suspects Nayeri was the "mastermind" of the breakout based on his military training in the U.S. Armed  Forces.

The search for the escaped inmates has focused heavily on a Vietnamese gang active in Westminster and Garden Grove.

On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors quadrupled the reward  for information that leads to the inmates' recapture, boosting it to $200,000. The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service pledged the initial $50,000.

Nayeri is accused of participating in an attack, including torture, against a Newport Beach resident who ran a licensed marijuana dispensary in Santa Ana. Tieu faces murder and attempted murder charges in connection with a gang hit. Duong faces an attempted murder charge and was being held without  bail on an immigration hold pending a possible federal deportation hearing.

A City Heights teenager getting ready for school Friday morning narrowly missed being injured when a car crashed into her bedroom.

Frida Gonzalez was in the bathroom just before 6:30 a.m. when she heard the sound of a crash in her bedroom.

She ran to her brother’s bedroom to check on him. Once she knew her brother was safe, she ran into her room and saw a hole in the wall.

“All my stuff was in there, on the floor,” Gonzalez said.

By the time she ran outside, the vehicle was gone.

A large hole was on the outside of the house on Van Dyke Avenue.

It appears the car drove into a fence and then hit the side of the house.

The driver initially left the scene but returned and exchanged information with the residents, police said.

No one was injured in the crash.
 

More than 500 volunteers with the County of San Diego are offering free tax preparation services this season to local, low-income residents.

The tax prep program kicked off Friday and will run through April 15. Volunteers will help prepare and file taxes electronically at nearly 100 locations across San Diego County.

To qualify for the service, locals must have made less than $62,000 in 2015.

The tax services program, which started in 2003, is part of the annual Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) campaign – the federal government’s largest assistance program to support low-income families.

The free local tax prep is the collaborative project of multiple organizations, including the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), the IRS, AARP, United Way of San Diego and 211 San Diego, and part of Live Well San Diego. Supervisor Greg Cox helps spearhead the efforts.

To receive the services, locals can call 211 to schedule an appointment at a site near them, or schedule an appointment online. Locals may also visit the 211 website for more details.

According to the County, those who worked in 2015 and earned less than $53,505 could qualify for as much as $6,269 in federal EITC tax credit. The California credit could be as much as $2,653. Residents must file a tax return to be eligible for both credits.
 

It was a busy week in San Diego’s food and drink scene, and Eater San Diego can attest. From the closure of Croce’s Park West to the launch of new hotspots in Kensington, Hillcrest and North Park, here are the delicious details.

Ingrid Croce Closes the Curtain on Croce's Park West
Landmark live music venue Croce's Park West shuttered earlier this week; founder Ingrid Croce moved her iconic restaurant to Bankers Hill in 2013 after 30 years in the Gaslamp. She cited a lack of support for their music shows as one of the main reasons for the closure.

Spitz Brings Street Food and a Beer Garden to Hillcrest
Los Angeles transplant Spitz just opened its first San Diego outpost on 5th Avenue, which features a 2,000-square-foot patio filled with picnic tables and outdoor games. The casual concept's menu revolves around kebabs, from beef and lamb to chicken and vegetables while the beverage program ranges from local craft beer to fresh juice-based cocktails.

North Park's One Door North Reveals Design Details
The owners of The Smoking Goat have released a rendering of their second restaurant project, One Door North, which will open adjacent to their 30th Street bistro by March or April. Inspired by the outdoors, the lantern-lighted space will house communal tables and safari-style tents that will function as private dining areas for larger groups.

Tracy Borkum to Open cucina SORELLA in Kensington
Restaurateur Tracy Borkum (CUCINA urbana, CUCINA enoteca) dished about the concept that slot into her Adams Avenue space that was formerly home to Kensington Grill and Fish Public. Opening this spring is cucina SORELLA, which will focus on handmade pastas, some signature dishes from her popular eateries and other Italian-inspired fare.

The Grill at The Lodge at Torrey Pines to Undergo Revamp
The resort's casual eatery, which looks onto the Torrey Pines Golf Course, is getting an overhaul. It will close in early February and reopen in June after a redesign that includes a new outdoor seating area and fresh menu from acclaimed chef Jeff Jackson that centers around wood-fired seasonal plates.

Ted Cruz's strategy to go after Donald Trump this early in the election may now be backfiring, NBC News reported.

With just days remaining before the Iowa caucuses, Cruz's campaign is facing a potentially consequential shift in momentum — one that could lift Trump to a caucus night victory and give Marco Rubio a significant boost heading into New Hampshire.

An NBC/WSJ/Marist poll released on Thursday showed an 11-point shift in Cruz's support from three weeks ago, moving Donald Trump from a 4-point deficit to a 7-point edge over Cruz. Rubio now has 18 percent of the likely caucus-goers' support — and Cruz's campaign went up on Iowa airwaves this week with an ad attacking Rubio on immigration.

A new Gallup poll shows Cruz's favorability rating among Republicans dropped nine percentage points to 55 percent, and his unfavorable rating rose seven percentage points.

The Port Authority says the surprise strike staged by thousands of longshoremen Friday is over.

The workers had walked off the job at Port Authority terminals in New York and New Jersey Friday afternoon, all but shutting down one of the nation's busiest port networks.

The Port Authority said in a tweet that full operations were being restored Friday evening, "thanks to the expedient efforts" of the unions involved. Gates will open as scheduled on Feb. 1.

Members of the International Longshoremen's Association, one of the primary rank-and-file unions at the ports in New York City and New Jersey, stopped working about 10 a.m., according to the Port Authority. The stoppage affected all of the terminals in the port system, which receives nearly 30 percent of all cargo on the East Coast.

A spokesman for the union said the walkout took many union officials by surprise. Another union official told NBC 4 New York the strike was spurred by a bevy of grievances including concerns about the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor's role in collective bargaining, regulations on time off after injuries and drug testing protocols.

Several workers told NBC 4 New York they didn't know the strike was happening when they went to work on Friday and they were awaiting instruction on what to do next. The walk-off appeared to be organized and peaceful, however. 

In a statement issued after the strike ended, NYSA said the walkout was "extremely disruptive and in violation of the NYSA-ILA Collective Bargaining Agreement." 

An emergency contract board meeting held in the afternoon resulted in a deadlock. An arbitrator found the strike was in violation of the workers' contract and ordered the ILA to inform its members, according to NYSA.

During the discussions, the ILA and NYSA agreed to continue talking about outstanding issues like jurisdiction, hiring and technology. 

Affected terminals include Port Newark, the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal, Port Jersey in Bayonne, Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island, and the Brooklyn Marine Terminal in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood.

Gridlock was reported near port access points, with hundreds of truckers idling at the gates or inside the terminals. One trucker, Kennedy Twaits, said he was losing a day of work from the stoppage.

"Yeah, A lot of money I lost," he said. "Not only me. Everybody loses money here."

It's not clear how the work stoppage has affected cargo ships.

The Port Authority said in a statement earlier Friday afternoon that police were working to keep people safe, and urged ILA members to "

"As the agency that oversees the largest port complex on the East Coast, we strongly urge the ILA members to return to work immediately and resolve their differences after they return. In the meantime, Port Authority Police are actively working to ensure public safety for all of the stakeholders at the port," the authority said.

-- Pei-Sze Cheng contributed to this report.

The discovery of several dead animals at a Lakeside home Thursday led to the seizure of approximately 100 animals, according to officials with the Department of Animal Services.

Animal control officers found dead chickens and a dead rabbit at a home on Westhill Road.

As a result, officials seized 88 chickens, seven Bengal cats, four rabbits, two bearded dragon lizards and a wolf/dog blend with two puppies according to a county news website.

The county's report claims a dog was underweight and several lizards were so cold that investigators initially thought they were dead.

The home has had complaints in the past, according to county officials.

Someone out there must be kicking themselves.

An employee at a grocery store in Falls Church, Virginia, hadn't meant to buy a Cash4Life ticket -- but he won $7 million after a customer didn't want it.

Michael Donnelly of Woodbridge was ringing up Powerball tickets for customers at the Harris Teeter store in Columbia Pike when he accidentally hit a wrong button, Virginia Lottery officials said. Instead of generating a Powerball ticket, he accidentally generated a Cash4Life ticket.

The customer didn't want it, so Donnelly ended up buying the ticket himself.

That mistake made him a big winner.

Donnelly's ticket matched all six numbers in the Cash4Life drawing Jan. 7, lottery officials said. He had the option to accept $1,000 per day for the rest of his life or take a one-time payout of $7 million before taxes. He chose the cash, and on Friday, he posed with his big check.

"It still hasn't hit me yet," he told lottery officials.

Donnelly didn't know right away he had won. He checked the ticket days after the drawing when a store customer said she had heard a winning ticket had been sold at the store. He checked the numbers and called his wife.

“If that’s true, you have to come home because I’m about to have a heart attack!” she replied, lottery officials said.

Donnelly is Virginia's first top-prize winner in the Cash4Life game, which is played in six states. The odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 21.8 million.

Police shot and killed a suspected armed robber as he left an Irving cash advance store with a hostage Friday afternoon, authorities said.

Police said they were called to the Cash Store on Esters Boulevard and State Highway 183 at about 1:15 p.m.

When officers arrived, they said a man exited the store with a female employee he was holding hostage.

Two officers opened fire on the man, killing him. The woman was not injured, police said.

"We obviously couldn't permit the suspect to leave with her. Her life was in grave danger. In fact she expressed that toward us, that she felt her life was in danger," said Officer James McLellan, with the Irving Police Department. "She was grateful we were able to intervene. So that's a good ending as far as that goes. There's no harm to her. Our officers did actually an excellent job in preventing any more loss of life."

Christopher Daniels was a customer in the store with his wife at the time of the alleged robbery.

"I did hear him very clearly say, 'Do you think I'm playing?' You know, 'Make another move and I'll kill her,' and things like that," Daniels said.

Daniels said he thought police did what they had to do.

"Exactly what they needed to do. As far as I'm concerned, they saved all of our lives," he said.

Yousef Hajj owns Comfy Furniture near the cash advance business and recorded video of the officers fatally shooting the suspected robber.

"I just immediately pulled out my phone. I started videotaping. All I see is a man, he's holding a lady hostage, he's pulling her out, he's bringing her outside," Hajj said. "There was two cops over here. They're telling him, you know, 'Please drop down the gun. Put it down. Leave her alone. Don't do nothing stupid,' pretty much."

Hajj said the man appeared to be dangerous, and the woman was scared for her life.

"She was pretty terrified. I mean, she was looking death in the face. The man looked over to his left, and the next thing, he was down. He got shot right there and then," Hajj said. "It was so quick. Things happened so fast. This whole place was stormed with police."

Further details have not yet been released and the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

NBC 5's Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

Editor's note: Initial reports from the Irving Fire Department indicated there were two people involved in the robbery, including an accomplice outside. Police now say there was only one person involved in the incident.