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Cliff Partially Collapses in Point Loma

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A portion of Sunset Cliffs collapsed Wednesday in an area already cordoned off in preparation for the erosion.

At about 5 p.m., a witness saw dirt falling from the cliffside at 1303 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, according to San Diego Fire-Rescue officials.

No one was in the immediate area when it came down.

About a month ago, a geologist visited the portion of cliff and recommended officials barricade the area because a collapse was imminent.

A piece of yellow caution tape warned people not to walk along the stretch. The barricade is still in place.

In January, SDSD geology professor Pat Abbott told NBC 7 a large crack that had formed in the rock was due to gravity, the cliff's steepness and tides. El Nino rains were the "straw that broke the camel's back," he said.


Roof Partially Collapses in Burbank House Fire

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A roof partially collapsed at a two-story home that erupted in flames in Burbank on Thursday, authorities said.

The two-alarm blaze broke out around 9:40 a.m. in the 1040 block of East Angeleno Avenue, according to the Burbank Fire Department.

Aerial video showed part of the home's roof had collpased, leaving a hole in the structure.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.




Photo Credit: NewsChopper 4

Cleanup Underway After Deadly Twister Leaves Wasteland

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Residents in more than a dozen states began cleaning up Thursday afternoon after a dangerous storm system swept across the Gulf Coast to the Northeast, NBC News reported.

At least eight people were killed, including four in Virginia, as some 60 tornadoes were reported on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the storm system threatened to topple more trees as a brutal line of winds plowed through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

Utility companies reported that more than 138,200 customers in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia and Maine were without power as of noon ET.

Severe thunderstorm watches and warnings were issued for Boston, Cape Cod, Nantucket and Providence, while parts of upstate New York, Vermont and New Hampshire were under flood warnings as the storm was poised to move offshore. 



Photo Credit: Jose de Jesus

Trump May Testify in San Diego Court

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Presidential candidate Donald Trump is listed as a witness in court documents in a long running civil lawsuit over his now-closed Trump University.

According to pretrial disclosures filed with the U.S. District Court in San Diego, the plaintiffs list Trump as one of 23 potential witnesses and Trump’s attorneys list him as one of the 32 witnesses they may call to testify.

Click here to see the complete witness list from the plaintiffs and here to see the complete witness list from the defense.

Two different lawsuits allege Trump’s school engaged in deceptive practices and scammed thousands of students who enrolled in response to claims the school would make them rich in the real estate market. Both cases will be tried in San Diego.

Trump's attorneys have repeatedly defended the school, claiming the lawsuits are politically motivated. NBC 7 Investigates reached out to Trump's attorney here in San Diego and have not heard back.

Cohen v. Trump is a nationwide class action lawsuit; the other lawsuit, Makaeff v. Trump, is a class action in California, Florida and New York. In the Cohen case, a required conference to try to settle the case is set for March 29. In the Makaeff case, a final pretrial conference is set for May 6.

With Trump pursuing the GOP nomination, the May pretrial conference date could force him to take a break from his campaign to testify in the case.

Recently filed court documents also show the consumer for one case, Tarla Makaeff, has asked to be released from the class action lawsuit. According to the documents, another former Trump client now becomes the consumer representing all the other former Trump University clients in the class action lawsuit.

The court documents filed this month by Makaeff show how the case affected Makaeff. The lawsuit has wound its way through the legal system for six years.

Click here to read more about the lawsuit and see the court documents.

Makaeff asked the court to be released from the case because of the stresses involved, according to court documents. The document claims the problems began when Makaeff was countersued by Trump attorneys for $1 million in damages.

According to the court documents, Makaeff said:

"I have been litigating my claims in good faith since filing the lawsuit in April of 2010. Shortly after I filed the lawsuit, Trump University filed a counterclaim, alleging defamation and seeking $1,000,000 in damages. While this Court ultimately struck that counterclaim, it caused me a great deal of stress and anxiety in the 4-year interim because I was very concerned that I could be bankrupted in the process. I have been deposed four times in this case, on January 30, 2012, January 31, 2012, April 13, 2012, and February 10, 2014. I searched for, and produced, relevant documents in response to numerous discovery requests from defendants in this case. I have stayed apprised of the litigation and have traveled to San Diego to participate in the Court’s Early Neutral Evaluation Conference in 2011 and Mandatory Settlement Conference in 2015. I no longer wish to serve as a class representative due to intervening personal circumstances.”

According to the court documents, Makaeff also said, “I have suffered significant health problems since this case was filed, which I can detail with documentation for this Court’s private consideration, if necessary. Finally, due to the anxiety and high stress that this litigation has caused for the past 6 years, particularly during my depositions, I am very concerned about the toll that the trial would take on my emotional and physical health and well-being.”

Sonny Low is now the class representative for California, according to the court documents.



Photo Credit: File – Getty Images

New Results Released in Carlsbad Special Election

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The San Diego County Registrar of Voters released a new batch of results in Measure A or the 85/15 plan at issue in Carlsbad.

Carlsbad residents went to the polls to vote on the controversial "measure A" that would have developed the Agua Hedionda Lagoon area.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, the election came down to a difference of 863 votes, with 51.18 percent voting no and 48.82 percent voting yes.

The San Diego County Registrar of Voters' Office has been counting thosuands of provisional ballots. Approximately 3,500 ballots still need to be counted.

The registrar has 30 days to certify the election results.

The plan, created by developer Rick Caruso, would build an outdoor shopping center that would overlook the Agua Hedionda Lagoon and sit where the strawberry fields once grew. 

The "Yes on Measure A" effort was a well-funded campaign backed by Caruso, while the opposition was supported by a grassroots campaign run by those who did not want a mall on the stretch of fields. 

The Carlsbad City Council approved the project unanimously in August, but after opponents gathered signatures, the council agreed to put it to a city-wide vote and opposition has been fierce.

Through a signature drive, Caruso bypassed the typical extensive environmental review, known as CEQA, and the public input that goes along with it.

Proponents of the Agua Hedionda project, including the owner of the Carlsbad Strawberry Company, say the shops will be built on about 30 acres, leaving 85 percent of the land reserved for things like hiking trails, an outdoor classroom, amphitheaters and natural space.

Opponents say moving forward without an environmental plan could set a precedent for development decisions across the state.

If the measure does not pass, land-use would remain as is today and the development company can resubmit its development plan or end its contract with SDG&E. Another party could purchase the area.



Photo Credit: Courtesy Preserving Carlsbad Open Space the Right Way
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Train Strikes BMW Left on Tracks in Del Mar

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San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies are searching for the driver of a BMW left on the railroad tracks in Del Mar.

A train crashed into that car near Coast Boulevard and 15th Street around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

When the northbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train rounded the curve, the engineer saw the car and immediately applied it emergency brakes but couldn't stop in time, deputies said.

No one was injured in the crash.

Deputies say they believe the car was either left on the tracks or became disabled and could not be moved.

The car has since been towed from the scene here but deputies are still looking for that driver.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Justice Breyer: Scalia's Death Won't Impact Most Votes

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Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said Thursday he doesn't expect the death of Justice Antonin Scalia to drastically change the high court's output, noting that only a small number of cases turn on a tie-breaking vote, NBC News reported.

"We'll miss him, but we'll do our work," Breyer told NBC News justice correspondent Pete Williams in a conversation at the Newseum in Washington D.C.

The court is left with only eight members until President Obama nominates Scalia's successor and the Senate approves that choice. During that time, in 4-4 rulings the lower court ruling remains in effect, with no precedent, legal experts say.

Breyer, speaking at an event to promote his latest book, pointed out that, historically, half of the high court's decisions are unanimous, and maybe 20 percent turn on a 5-4 vote.



Photo Credit: AP

Mom-Daughter Duo Whip Up Sweet Small Business

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For some, rice crispie treats were a childhood staple, but for a San Marcos-based mother-daughter duo, the sticky sweets have evolved into a small business built on gourmet versions of the classic dessert.

Exactly one year ago, Laura Potter and her daughter, Natalie Potter, founded their own small-batch baking company, Bliss and Baker, right in the kitchen of their home – a place where they’ve always spent quality time.

“We’ve always loved to spend time together and kitchen is the place where that happened. We’ve always baked, so we decided to make a business out of it,” Natalie told NBC 7. “Rice crispies were always a fixture on our counter.”

Laura says her own mother was also known to often whip up unforgettable rice crispies, so she happily carried on that tradition at home with Natalie. For years, Laura and Natalie made crispies for their loved ones, sometimes topping them with chocolate, or putting them on sticks for parties.

Every time they shared their homemade goodies, family and friends seemed to be sweet on them.

After much encouragement from their loved ones, the duo realized they might be onto something. They decided to go big and create their own small business, beginning with one experimental but on-trend flavor: salted caramel.

To this day, Laura says Bliss and Baker’s No. 1 seller is the Salty Caramel crispie, topped with hand-harvested sea salt from another local business, La Jolla Salt Co.

Other unique, modern crispie flavors have followed, including the cinnamon-centric El Churro, the colorful, sprinkle-topped Sugar Cookie, a peanut butter-filled crispie and the Coconut Caramel Crispie boasting homemade caramel sauce and topped with toasted coconut.

The treats are available for purchase online and Laura and Natalie also sell them at pop-up markets across San Diego. Their marshmallow masterpieces have landed spots on a couple of menus, too.

Recently, the business was tapped to distribute its treats at two local restaurants: El Pescador Fish Market in La Jolla (634 Pearl St.) and celebrity chef Brian Malarkey’s farm-to-table eatery, greenACRE (10300 Campus Point Dr.), where, for now, some of the crispies are available on a weekly basis.

The mother-daughter team says seeing their work in local restaurants has been very encouraging, and they’re inspired to get their crispies into more spots across San Diego in the future.

“It makes us feel like this is real. We’re not just doing this or playing around anymore,” says Natalie. “This is a real business.”

Bliss and Baker has also featured its treats at wedding registry events with retailers like Crate & Barrel, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma, offering the crispies as party favors for special events like wedding receptions and bridal and baby showers, complete with customized wrapping and labels.

Laura says bite-sized versions of the crispies are also available for parties and Bliss and Baker can cater and deliver those orders directly to customers across San Diego. The crispies, which come individually wrapped, are also available in sets of four ($14) packaged in a small, tidy box, so they can be given as a gift.

Someday, Laura and Natalie hope to see their crispies stocked in cute, local, small coffee shops as well, or at their own brick-and-mortar shop.

With the growth of their company over the past year, Laura and Natalie are now making their products in a commercial kitchen space in the North County. Still, the duo says their home kitchen is the birthplace of their creativity and continues to serve as the testing hub for new flavors and ideas.

Their family members – including Laura’s son and husband – tend to gather there to taste test their latest crispie creations. Natalie says that usually after dinner, her dad and brother will take a walk around the kitchen counter, looking for the sweets. Her brother is a big fan of the El Churro.

Laura says their company is committed to supporting other small, San Diego-based businesses by locally-sourcing some of the ingredients used in the crispies, including cream, butter and salt, when possible.

“We want to focus on San Diego [businesses]. If we can do that, we love that,” she explains.

To that end, Laura says the salt she uses is from La Jolla Salt Co., harvested right in the seaside community. Bliss and Baker products also contain butter from San Diego-based Challenge Dairy and cream from San Marcos-based Hollandia Dairy, keeping the company’s ties local.

The women say they plan to keep their company family-owned and operated as well, as their tie to one another is also extremely important.

“I’ve always just loved to watch her,” Natalie said, referring to working with her mother. “Even to this day, when she’s making dinner, I just like to sit there, talk and watch her.”

Natalie, a 21-year-old finishing her last semester at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), says she feels lucky to be in business with her mom because the partnership “just clicks.”

Laura feels the same.

“I think we complement each other really well. We both have the same vision; we both love it and are passionate about baking and cooking. It’s a good fit. I like the family business,” she added, beaming.

Laura and Natalie say rice crispies will continue to be the Bliss and Baker specialty, since many customers say the treats remind them of childhood and happy memories.

In the future, the duo may expand offerings to include cookies, cupcakes and maybe even a savory-flavored crispie.

No matter the creative direction, however, Bliss and Baker plans to stay rooted in San Diego – and hopefully become a well-known name that lingers on the lips of locals.

“We want San Diego to love us, because we love San Diego so much,” says Natalie.

For more info, visit the Bliss and Baker website.



Photo Credit: Monica Garske

Running for Their Olympic Lives

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Spend just a few minutes on the sidelines of a USA Women’s Rugby practice and you’ll find there’s no room for the traditional perception of what is and what isn’t “lady like."

A group of hard-hitting women based at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center have their eyes set on history and their bodies full of bruises.

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro will be the first to include Women’s Sevens Rugby.

Two San Diego County women hope to see their names on the final roster when final selections get announced later this year.

Jessica Javelet, a graduate of Torrey Pines High School, and Richelle Stephens, a graduate of Fallbrook High School, share more than just local roots and an Olympic dream.

The two women don’t look like typical Rugby players.

“They usually think I’m a soccer player,” said Stephens.

“I’m shifty. I’m on the quicker side, definitely not on the bigger side. I probably run for fear of my life from some of the bigger players,” said Javelet.

But their similarities in size stand in direct contrast to their experience in the sport.

Javelet is a former collegiate field hockey player who turns 31 in June and played several seasons of professional women’s football. She feels like this could be her final chance to make an Olympics.

“It’s kind of like a dream come true actually, to just be in this opportunity,” said Javelet.

Stephens, who picked up the sport playing for a club team in Fallbrook, just graduated high school and, at 18 years old, is the youngest player on the current roster.

“It’s fun. Everyone takes care of me. Everyone jokes with me about being the youngest one,” said Stephens, who put college on hold to pursue the Olympics.

When I asked what other sports Stephens played growing up, a teammate quickly chimed in saying, “She is still growing up."

The current roster will be trimmed to about a one-third of its current size for the final Olympic roster, which will be named in late July, just two weeks before the start of the Summer Olympics.

A third player with local ties, Hannah Lopez of Carlsbad, also hopes to make the team.
 

Pedal Power Plan Touts Downtown SD Mobility

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San Diego's downtown can be a walk on the wild side -- and even scarier for riding a bike.

So right now there's a plan in the works to make it safer to get around on two wheels, because more downtown residents and workers see that as the way to go.

They say they shouldn’t have to be extreme risk-takers to get on a bike in downtown San Diego.

But that's how it is, much more so than the rest of the city.

With this in mind, urban planners at Civic San Diego have some big and bold ideas for changing that.

"If the city implements this plan, it's going to transform downtown San Diego,” says Samantha Ollinger, executive director of Bike San Diego. “It's going to be incredible. I truly believe it. The way they've laid it out, the visionary vision behind the plan is absolutely outstanding. I'm not usually very impressed, but this plan totally impressed me."

Enhancing "downtown mobility" is the objective behind Civic San Diego’s push to give cyclists and pedestrians safe space on urban streets crowded with cars, trucks, buses and trolleys.

The agency is proposing 9 miles of protected bike lanes, 5 miles of widened sidewalks, and numerous shortened street crossings.

The cost: $64 million dollars in federal and state grants.

Officials say motorists won't wind up losing too much of the space they're used to.

To get the lay of the land on this issue, NBC 7 dropped by the San Diego Bike Shop on "C" Street.

It has hundreds of customers who hail from downtown and neighborhoods far beyond, and a busy clientele of renters -- both local and visitors.

"And the advice to them is stay away from downtown city streets because there's no facilities for bike riders,” says the shop’s owner, Mo Karimi. “There's no exclusive lanes until you get to the harbor and go around the harbor and Point Loma and other places.

“But downtown, they have to contend with traffic getting alongside. So I advise them to be very, very careful."

For all the good intentions here, there may be pushback from community groups like the one suing the city over a special bike lane that was opened in2014 on Fifth Avenue from Bankers Hill to Hillcrest.

The objection?

It was installed without an environmental study or public notice.

Given that litigation on top of all they endure on San Diego’s mean streets, a lot of cyclists can't help but feel like second-class travelers in this town.

"You know, we just have to structurally get away from our society built around cars, “ downtown resident and cyclist Dion Markgraaff told NBC 7 during a break from a noontime spin on C Street.

“They've manipulated our society,” he said, “and we need to make it sort of more people-friendly, and I think everyone will benefit."

With downtown's residential and employment populations projected to keep expanding, bike activists point out that more cycling and walking will reduce traffic congestion, gas consumption, vehicle exhaust, parking space demands -- and last but not least, prevent accidents.



Photo Credit: Gene Cubbison

Men Return Apple Watch Box Just Holding Water Bottle

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Two men have allegedly duped at least 11 stores throughout California and Nevada, returning Apple Watch boxes that only contained a water bottle and paper towels.

On Feb. 13, an unknown man brought his Apple Watch box, enclosed in shrink wrap, to a Target in Encinitas, located at 1010 North El Camino Boulevard, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

The man took the box to the customer service desk, the clerk processed his return and the man was given more than $300 for the “watch.”

The box was then restocked on the sales floor. But on Feb. 18, someone opened the box and discovered it held nothing but a water bottle and paper towels.

Since Jan. 28, the same crime, carried out by at least two suspects, has been reported at stores in San Diego, Chula Vista, Glendale, Los Angeles, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Canoga Park, Camarillo and Las Vegas.

Sheriff’s officials believe the suspects have gained more than $5,200 from the scheme.

The first suspect is described as a dark-skinned man with brown hair and brown eyes, standing between 5-feet-10-inches and 6-feet tall and weighing about 175 pounds.

The second suspect is described as a dark-skinned man with brown hair and brown eyes, standing between 5-feet-8-inches and 5-feet-10-inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds.

The sheriff’s department says they may be driving a silver sedan with a sunroof.

If you know anything about this case, call Sgt. Rich Eaton at 760-966-3500 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
 



Photo Credit: San Diego County Sheriff's Department

Mom Fled After Toddler Ejected From Car in Crash: Police

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An Albuquerque woman is accused of driving away after her child was ejected from her vehicle in a freeway crash and has been booked into jail on suspicion of abandonment or abuse of a child.

Albuquerque police say Georgette Vigil, 36, lost control of her SUV, slammed it into a concrete wall on Interstate 40 on Monday evening and then fled the scene of the crash. Vigil's 18-month-old daughter was ejected from the car while strapped in a car seat and left behind on the roadside.

Vigil was arrested and booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center in Albuquerque on Wednesday after being treated for injuries stemming from the crash, police said.

The child sustained cuts but did not suffer any life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive, said Officer Tanner Tixier, a police spokesman.

It was not known Tuesday if Vigil had an attorney, and the public defenders office did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

A retired state police officer who saw the crash tracked Vigil to a Southeast Albuquerque apartment complex, police said. On Thursday, the Albuquerque Police Department released body camera footage of officers interviewing Vigil at the complex on Monday following the crash.

The video shows officers asking the mother of two what happened to her head as she approaches the door with a bloodied face. Another child, who police say was also in the vehicle at the time of the crash, comes to the door crying.

"Where is your baby at?" an officer asks Vigil.

"I think it flew out," Vigil says. "I didn't know what to do."

The officer asks Vigil if the toddler was OK, but the mother says she doesn't know. "I just want to go to sleep," Vigil wails.

Vigil admits to police that she had "a pint" to drink about "an hour, 30 minutes" before the accident, repeatedly telling officers "I did wrong."

In 911 recordings released Tuesday, callers reported the vehicle crossed several lanes of traffic before wrecking, and the driver left the scene.

"There's been an accident, and a baby's injured," one caller said. "The SUV was going really fast on the freeway."

She said a number of people had pulled over at the scene before officers and paramedics arrived.

Another caller who told a 911 operator he saw the wreck and was following the vehicle reported it had a rear flat tire and other signs of damage. Another child remained in the vehicle with no seatbelt, he told the operator.

Police later said that child, age 4, suffered minor injuries.

Police are also seeking a man who was in Vigil's vehicle when it crashed and who allegedly ran from the scene. They identified him Tuesday afternoon as James Moquino, 34.

"Officers are continuing to investigate this complicated and heartbreaking case and are still gathering information," Tixier said.

Police have not said how long the child was on the highway before help arrived.

The Children, Youth and Families Department confirmed to NBC affiliate KOB that the 18-month-old child is currently in state custody. The other child is in the custody of a family member, KOB reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. 



Photo Credit: Albuquerque Police Dept.

Gunman Killed in Deadly Kansas Workplace Shooting

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The shooter whose deadly rampage prompted a lockdown at a Kansas lawn care company Wednesday has been fatally shot, authorities said.

Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said at a news conference that "there are known deaths" at Excel Industries in Hesston, up to 20 injured and that at least one other shooting location had been reported. The lockdown was lifted by 6:30 p.m. CT, less than two hours after the shooting took place.

"There are going to be a lot of sad people before this is over," Walton said.

The shooting occurred shortly after 5 p.m. CT at the facility about 30 miles north of Wichita, NBC News reported. Hesston College, a two-year institution a few blocks away, was also placed in lockdown.



Photo Credit: KSN
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Firefighter Hurt in Malibu Blaze

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A firefighting inmate crew member was injured Thursday morning during a brush fire in a steep and rugged area of Malibu that forced a canyon road closure.

The blaze was reported around 3:30 a.m. near Mulholland Drive and Pacific Coast Highway. The nearly 10-acre fire was 75-percent contained by 11 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

A member of an inmate camp crew helping with the firefight was struck in the head by a rock and hospitalized with "major injuries," according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department  A helicopter rescue team airlifted the crew member out of the canyon.

Mulholland Highway will be closed Thursday morning between Sycamore Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway as fire crews watch for hot spots.

A voluntary evacuation order was in effect for residents in the sparsely populated area. About 80 people, including children and staff members, were at Camp Shalom, where buses were dispatched in case the campers needed to move. Nearby Camp Bloomfield was not affected, according to the sheriff's department.

No structures were damaged.

About 200 firefighters responded to the early morning fire. Firefighting helicopters also attacked the fire.

Fire camp crew members receive special training from the fire department to help with fire suppression and other emergencies. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation selects inmates to join CalFire and local crews across the state, and Los Angeles County operates its own inmate firefighter program for inmates who are non-violent offenders.

NBC4's Jonathan Lloyd and Nyree Arabian contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: KVEA

New Study Finds Nearly All Drivers Distracted

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A new study from the AAA Foundation has found that nearly every driver is distracted at some point.

More than 35,000 Americans died on roadways last year, and even in the last week several children died as a result of San Diego crashes.

The study, which surveyed more than 2,000 drivers found even though a third of drivers have known someone who has been seriously injured or killed in a crash they still drive distracted.

AAA says 87% of drivers engage in at least one risky behavior while behind the wheel.

More than two in three drivers reported using a cell phone while driving.

“I think everybody texts and drives now,” local driver Robert Boettcher told NBC 7.

Nearly half of drivers reported driving over the speed limit.

“We have had a rash of major injury crashes.” Officer Kevin Pearlstein of the California Highway Patrol explained. “Really not a common denominator in them but the speeding is a factor in a few of them and if you drive on any freeway these days and you see people speeding down the road.”

He said the rash of deadly crashes in San Diego all have one thing in coming. People are not following laws on the road.
 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Family Mourns Girl Struck on Sidewalk

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A San Diego girl, struck by a car Saturday while she and her friend walked on a sidewalk, has died from her injuries, county officials reported Thursday.

Raquel Rosete, 10, was declared brain dead following the crash on Santo Road. The news was revealed during Wednesday's court hearing for the driver accused of hitting Rosete and 12-year-old Mekayla Lee.

The sidewalk memorial created where the girls were struck doubled in size within hours.

Neighbors left flowers, stuffed bears and prayers after hearing Rosete, despite her strength and zest for life, will never come home.

The girl was in critical condition since the crash occurred Saturday.

Rosete and Lee were struck as they walked north on Santo Road. A car jumped the curb, investigators said.  Rosete landed on the hood and was carried for 60 feet before being thrown into a bush.

Driver Julianne Little, pleaded not guilty to felony vehicular manslaughter, hit and run.

The Rosete family, and Mekayla, now in a wheel chair recovering from here injuries, wore images of Raquel on their clothing when they attended Wednesday's hearing.

“It's hard for our family but I just want her family to know we are a family of God and we forgive her,” Raquel’s sister Jessica Rosete said.

It was only after the vehicular manslaughter charge was read in court that the rest of this close knit community would realize Rosete did not survive.

“I really thought she was going to pull through I really did,” neighbor Lindsey Emter said.

Murphy Canyon military housing neighbors were compelled to visit the site of the crash.

“Being in the military that really hits home when it is someone that you have that connection with,” Derek Emter said.

The Doris Miller Elementary school fifth grader went into cardiac arrest and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She was declared brain-dead and placed on life support Tuesday.

Classmates and parents were somewhere between anger and sadness.

“The way people drive out here. I am terrified to death to let my kids walk to school because of that,” parent Iris Campanile said.

Campanile’s daughter Jasmine wanted to speak but was overcome after only few words.

San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Marissa Bejarano described how Little was driving along Santo Road late Saturday when she veered into the bike path and onto the sidewalk, striking the girls.

Little, 30, was held on $1 million bail. While she was initially arrested on a DUI charge, prosecutors declined to file the charge until they receive toxicology results. .

After the crash, Little allegedly fled the scene and later returned with her father. She was arrested shortly after. 

"When she did go home, she fled, meaning she went back home, she told her father she didn’t know what she hit, she told her mother that she believed she hit a brick wall and then later she gave statements to officers indicated she did hit two people," Bejarano said.

Little's attorney, Anthony Solare, said his client was devastated with what happened. Solare told media that Little fell asleep at the wheel just before the crash, exhausted from a stalker trying to contact her. 

Solare said Little filed a petition against a man who apparently stalker her last March. He said his client feared for her life, causing her to fall asleep at the wheel as a result of sleep deprivation. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Local Congressional Member Endorses Trump: Report

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A San Diego-area Congressional representative has expressed his intent to support Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, according to a published report.

U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter told POLITICO he will support Trump, according to the news website.

Hunter is one of the first members of Congress to publicly support Trump in the race for the GOP nomination.

Trump won the Republican presidential caucuses in Nevada this week, giving the billionaire businessman three straight wins.

New Details in North County Home Invasions

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New details were released Thursday involving a series of home invasion robberies that left residents of the North County on edge earlier this month.

San Diego Police say they have arrested a group of people who entered homes through a side door at night between Jan. 31 and Feb. 11. In some incidents, no one was home. However, in at least four homes the group tied up residents, stole valuables and in some instances sexually assaulted residents, police said.

Five defendants accused in the crimes appeared in a downtown courtroom to face additional robbery and burglary charges connected to incidents in the Sabre Springs and Carmel Mountain Ranch area on Feb. 11. Judge Jay Bloom ordered NBC 7 to tilize the suspects' faces.

Stephen Gomez, 20; Thomas Smith Jr., 24; Aaron Rico III, 20; and Aaron Rico V, 17, are being held on a $1 million bail each. A judge ordered Robin Shawvner, 20, be held on $550,000.

In addition, a sixth defendant was charged in the crime spree. Prosecutors claim Victor Harvey, 20, may have acted as a getaway driver for the group.

All entered not guilty pleas. The next court hearing was scheduled for March 3. A preliminary hearing date was scheduled for March 9.

The Rico’s are brothers, and though Aaron Rico V is a minor, he is being charged as an adult.

According to the SDUSD spokeswoman, Smith was employed with the school district from July 2012 to September 2013, working as a workability trainee in career and translation services.

Gomez, Smith and the Rico’s were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, sex with a foreign object, assault during a first-degree burglary, robbery and burglary.

Shawvner faces robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime charges.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Payment Apps Mark Generation

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The generation gap used to be measured by long hair and loud music.  Today the generation gap is digital.  Where people used to share payment methods like credit cards and check books, today's millennials prefer to use mobile apps.

"It's just a simpler, smoother transition is what this generation is really looking for," said San Diego State marketing professor Steven Osinski.  He says peer to peer payment apps like Venmo, Square Cash, PayPal and Google Wallet are the popular method to exchange money.

"Literally in the past year Venmo has gone from over $700 million in transactions to over $2 billion in transactions," said Osinski.

In his classroom of about 50 students, a show of hands show at least 90% of the students use some sort of mobile phone payment app.  Jason Melman is one of them.

"Like go to Chipotle and I don't bring my credit card and my friend buys me it, I 'Venmo' him the money," said Melman.

David Lin-Cesena says he uses his phone all the time to make payments to friends and some smaller businesses that accept Venmo.  Holding a phone Lin-Cesena says: "As long as I have power it's like having a bank right there."

Many of these phone apps have been available for many years.  But it's millennial age consumers that seems to be early adopters.  

"It makes things more efficient and faster," said Osinski, "and by tying it all into our phone it makes it simpler for the user."

But when it's easier to spend money, is it easy to get into debt?

Certified Financial Planner and author of Work Your Wealth, Mary Beth Storjohann, says apps like this make it easier to spend.

"When you use an app to keep track of your money, when you are transferring funds to different accounts, it's hard to understand where your money is going," said Storjohann.

Weigh in on the issue at Consumer Bob on Facebook.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Carlsbad Co. Receives $7.8M Worth of Orders

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Palomar Display Products Inc. of Carlsbad said it received six domestic and international orders worth $7.8 million for military thermal sight displays.

The products will eventually be installed on tanks and other military fighting vehicles. The company expects to deliver the orders this year.

Palomar described the thermal sight, optically coupled displays as a combination of legacy vacuum tube displays and next-generation, digital, HD, full-color displays.

The displays will be installed on M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and light armored vehicles.

In addition, the company announced that it has moved from an address on Kellogg Avenue — where it spent the last 18 years — to Newton Drive in Carlsbad. Both locations are near McClellan-Palomar Airport.

“Our new, contemporary facility is large enough to meet the increased demand we are facing for our products,” said Paul Bell, the company’s president, in a statement issued Feb. 22.

Palomar is the primary supplier of thermal sight displays for the U.S. and international armored vehicle market, a company official said. The products are installed on tens of thousands of vehicles.

The business employs about 20 people.


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