Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy refused to enter a plea Thursday to charges connected to a 2014 armed standoff with federal agents, NBC News reported.

Bundy, along with 18 others, is charged with a confrontation with federal agents, in which the government backed down in the face of armed protesters. He allegedly sent a “call to arms” encouraging others to travel to his ranch and oppose officials who seized his cattle.

About 100 demonstrators protested Bundy’s arrest and prosecution outside the court, calling it “federal oppression.”

Bundy is being held without bail, and a plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf.  

The husband of a woman killed on her way home from her mother-in-law's deathbed says he forgives the driver who killed his wife, saying he plans to visit the man in prison and talk to him.

Anthony Perez Rodriguez was sentenced Friday to six years in prison; he was traveling on Carmel Valley Road on July 22 when his vehicle collided head-on with a car driven by Chula Vista resident Enid Diane Mayer-Sheaf.

Mayer-Sheaf was driving home from saying goodbye to her mother-in-law when she was killed. Within a few hours, her husband lost his mother and his wife.

Her husband, Danny Sheaf, told NBC 7 he still misses his wife and best friend every day. The couple had been married for 25 years 

"I mounted her picture on the side of a dresser that sides at the head of the bed all I have to do is roll over and say, 'Hi dear'," Danny said.

He said he misses the little things -- like how she would have dinner waiting at home for him -- and wishes she was still here. 

But even as he stared at the driver sentenced for killing his wife in court, he said, he could only forgive him. 

"I had already come to the conclusion that I had forgiven him already, because I’ve got to move on with my own life," he said. "If I spend the rest of my life hating him, then what am I doing? I’m wasting my life."

Enid, he said, would have done the same thing if the roles were reversed. 

"I think she would have also forgiven him," he said. "It wasn't like he did this with intent, which would have changed the whole scope; she was there at the wrong time and it's regrettable he has to lose his livelihood as well."

After undergoing a roadside sobriety test, Rodriguez was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI. His blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.16 percent or twice the legal limit two hours after the crash.

Rodriguez cried in court after hearing the family's statements. It was when he cried that Christopher and Danny began to understand a little better. 

"He felt bad for what he did," Danny said. "But, now he's going to have to carry that for the rest of his life; so am I."

At the sentencing, son Christopher asked for leniency from the judge. 

"The only thing jail time feels like at that point is vengeance and that's not me," Christopher said. "I don't want to extract some kind of vengeance on him."

Rodriguez faced 10 years and was sentenced to six years in prison. The family hopes he changes in prison.

"It's up to him," Danny said. "I can't make that final decision in his mind."

Eight months later, the pain still runs deep for both Danny and Christopher.

"It's pretty rough; mornings are usually the hardest," Danny said. "She's not there anymore, she's not coming back."

For both Danny and his son, Christopher, the sentencing doesn't mark the end of the story. 

"I probably need a little more closure, so I'll probably go see him in prison," said Danny. "I need a little more sense of the man himself." 

 It's official: Mayor Kevin Faulconer now has a second "name" candidate challenging his re-election bid.

Former interim City Councilman Ed Harris filed his nomination papers today, joining Lori Saldana in taking on the incumbent.

Harris and Saldana are both long shots.

But together, they could make the campaign more interesting for voters who haven't tuned into it yet.

Harris heads up the San Diego's lifeguard union, and is steeped in city finances, operations, and civic issues such as keeping the Chargers.

"We're still talking stadiums,” Harris said in an interview Tuesday. “We've got to stabilize public safety. We've got to stabilize infrastructure. We've got to do all the -- basically, 'back to the basics'. We can't continue to play this budgetary shell game."

A lot of eyebrows were raised when Harris quietly pulled papers for the campaign last week and left on a long-planned family ski trip without "doing media" -- as Friday’s filing deadline was looming.

He insists he's serious about the race -- in it to win it.

But he's six weeks behind former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana pointing toward the June primary election.

The two are up against an incumbent whose favorability ratings are in the "mid-to-high 60s", with a million-dollar campaign treasury to draw upon.

Faulconer's political strategist is welcoming debate invitations, saying his client can tout a solid record of accomplishments.

"So I don't think if there's two, five or six people in the race along with the mayor,” Jason Cabel Roe told NBC 7, “that it's really going to have a huge impact on people's recognition of the leadership he's provided the city over the last two years."

Without endorsing Harris, Democratic Party chairwoman Francine Busby called him "highly qualified".

Saldana's consultant Michael Kreizenbeck spoke favorably of Harris' presence in the race, and forwarded this statement from her: “A lively competitive electoral contest is good for everyone and that is what I wanted for the primary election.”

Harris' organized labor connections figure to make him the recipient of funding that could match, if not exceed, Faulconer's.

Six other candidates – none of them well-known -- have filed their nomination papers for the race.

 Thirty five customers will be without water indefintely following a water main break in Santee, officials said. 

The incident happened at 5:48 p.m. Thursday at Prospect Avenue and Our Way, San Diego Sheriff's officials (SDSO) and Santee Fire officials aid. 

A Padre Dam Water District official said water in the area has been shut down, adding that crews would likely be in the area for a majority of the night. 

No homes have been flooded, but many yards are soaked in water. 

No further information was immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.

Filling up your gas tank is like a big game of “The Price is Right.”

You cannot be certain of the current price, but you take a chance and fill up your car anyway.

But why are the gas prices always changing?

For California, the reliance on local refineries means any disruption in oil barrel pricing is almost immediately felt locally.

“Energy makes California run,” explained Nicole Decker, an energy strategist for UBS wealth management. “Right now there isn't a substitute for oil. We need our oil and if we're one barrel short, we are going to see that impacted,”

However, to see stable gas prices, Decker believes more domestic oil production is needed.

“By the end of this decade, North America could be completely energy independent,” Decker predicts.

Although, there is a catch.

Domestic oil could lead to stability, but it would also likely result in higher gas and oil prices.

Nevertheless, higher prices may be necessary to generate domestic production. For the consumer, this means gas at least $1 to $1.50 more than current prices.

Even still, Decker seems optimistic about the outcome of higher but stable pricing.

“What is beautiful about the emerging trends in the United States is that we will not have to import oil,” Decker explains.

A wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a woman found nude, bound and hanging at the Spreckels Mansion in Coronado in 2011, will move forward, a state judge ruled Thursday. 

The court issued a tentative ruling for tomorrow's hearing in the Zahau case, denying the defendants' motions to dismiss the case, and ordering them to answer the complaint within 20 days, said Keith Greer, the Zahau Family Attorney.

On July 13, 2011, Rebecca Zahau, 32, was found nude, hanging from a balcony at the famous home. Her death came two days after boyfriend Jonah Shacknai’s 6-year-old son, Max Shacknai, fatally fell at the home while under Zahau’s watch.

Ultimately, after what they say was a thorough investigation, homicide detectives from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department concluded that Zahau had committed suicide.

For four years, Zahau’s family fought to have the case looked at again because they believe Zahau's death was a murder, not a suicide.

In October 2014, a federal judge allowed the Zahau family to move forward with a $10 million wrongful death lawsuit against Dina Shacknai, her twin sister, Nina Romano, and Zahau's boyfriend's brother, Adam Shacknai, whom they believe were involved in Zahau's death.

The court denied a motion by defendants Dina Shacknai, Adam Shacknai and Nina Romano to dismiss the case. 

The case will likely get a trial date Friday, officials said. 

The San Diego Sheriff's Department told NBC 7 they do not comment on pending litigation. 

NBC 7 has reached out to the defendants but has not yet heard back.

A married couple has been sentenced on Thursday for embezzling federal funds from a film school they founded for wounded veterans, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s office.

Judith Paixao received a six months’ sentence in custody and six months’ in home confinement, said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. Her husband Kevin Lombard received half of her sentence with three month’s custody and three months’ home confinement, according to the release. They were also fined $150,000.

The U.S Attorney’s Office says the married couple started the Wounded Marine Careers Foundation with the apparent intention to provide job training, benefits and equipment for injured Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Paixo and Lombard were directors of the foundation from 2007 to 2009. It was a tax-exempt foundation that aimed to prepare retired soldiers and injured veterans for a film career, according to Duffy. They used the film school to make numerous requests for money from the VA under false circumstances.

While they claimed to donate over $200,000 to launch the foundation, the media report says the couple ended up stealing more than $400,000 from the Foundation’s account in the course of a few years.

“These defendants capitalized on the misfortune of wounded marines in their time of vulnerability and took advantage of the VA’s commitment to serving wounded veterans to defraud the VA and enrich themselves,” said Duffy. “War profiteering which takes advantage of our veterans is not in any way, shape or form acceptable.”

Their offenses include transferring money from the foundation to their own personal bank accounts and credit cards. According to Duffy, the foundation’s funds were then used to pay for a breadth of personal expenses including a family trip to Bermuda, cell phone bills, car insurance, gifts for their family, prescription medications and counseling, a New Year’s sailing trip around the San Diego Bay, and wine and dinners for two.

At the court hearing, Judge Jeffrey T. Miller denied the couple’s request for a new trial or judgment of acquittal. Duffy says he followed this decision by observing, “…whatever commendable vision served to launch the Foundation, that idealism spawned theft, embezzlement and worse.”

He noted several pieces of evidence throughout the case known as “tells.” This included continual misrepresentations of fiscal donations, said the U.S. Attorney’s office. For example, the couple claimed to donate over a hundred thousand dollars to the Foundation from selling their house, when it was actually foreclosed.

Duffy says another tell was shown in how the couple billed Veterans Affairs for camera equipment purchased for the Foundation with an inflated price tag.

According to the media report, one of the witnesses, Lance Corporal Frey, was previously quoted in a positive review from the New York Times. When Frey testified at the trial he said that he was not provided with the level of equipment, training or job placement that he was originally promised.

When explaining why the couple received sentences below the advisory guidelines, Judge Miller noted their community support, low risk of recidivism and the court’s assessment that the couple had originally started the foundation with a well-intentioned vision, said the media report.

In the release, Douglas J. Carver, Special Agent in Charge of the VA OIG Western Region said, “It is our hope that the successful investigative and prosecutive efforts in this case will serve as a deterrent to others from engaging in criminal activity that cheats veterans and the VA programs designed to assist our nation’s heroes.”
 

Police in North Hampton, New Hampshire, are investigating after a town firefighter found a political sign on top of his daughter's grave site.

It's been 15 years since Amanda Francis's father, Lt. Peter Francis, has been able to give her a hug, but at the very least he has a special spot to visit.

"Lt. Francis goes to the cemetery just about everyday to see his daughter," said North Hampton Fire Chief Michael Tully.

When Francis came to Post Road Cemetery to visit his daughter last Friday, he found a sign stuck in the snow almost right on top of her grave.

That sign urged voters to stand against the construction of a new fire and police complex.

"For him and his family, they dealt with this loss years ago, and I think it just dredged it up all over again," Chief Tully said Thursday.

Tully believes a town resident specifically targeted Lt. Francis, a well-respected, 28-year veteran of the department.

"That's what makes it difficult, because he's the typical model employee in the community taking care of your family," Tully said. "He's the type of person who comes into work everyday ready to work, does his job, does his best, and goes home."

When necn showed the photo of the political sign on the grave to residents nearby, reactions were all the same.

"I think that is very disrespectful," said Hampton resident Lucy Boulter.

"It's horrible, despicable," said Elliot Lundquist who was just in town for lunch.

Former selectman Don Gould was appalled, saying, "As far as I am concerned, it's an act of pure evil."

The sign is now being analyzed at the state forensic lab while North Hampton Police follow leads to figure out who did this and why.

The new safety complex was voted down Tuesday night. But the fire chief says right now, that's the least of his concerns.

"We're a community and we may disagree on things within the community, but when it becomes personal, I don't think that's a positive reflection on what North Hampton is and the people that live here," Tully said.

"We're all supposed to be neighbors, and this kind of thing makes me sick to my stomach," Gould said.

Since the report, police have been patrolling the cemetery.

They're hoping the community will come together to help them solve this crime.

You can call the PD at (603) 964-2198 or send an anonymous tip by going to www.tipsubmit.com and clicking on "Hamptons" as the region.

The 13 bald eagles that were found dead last month on Maryland's Eastern Shore didn't die of natural causes, wildlife officials said Thursday, and authorities are offering a $25,000 reward to help find whoever killed them.

The birds showed no signs of trauma when they were found Feb. 20 on a farm and in the woods in the town of Federalsburg in what Maryland Natural Resources police said was the biggest die-off of bald eagles in the state in 30 years.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday that necropsies had also ruled out diseases, such as avian influenza, a major threat in the region because of its many poultry farms and migratory birds.

"Our investigation is now focused on human causes," said Catherine J. Hibbard, a spokeswoman for the agency, who said she couldn't release any more information to protect the investigation.

San Diego’s crime rates have reportedly increased.

According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) crime data, San Diego ranked ninth out of the 25 largest cities in the United States for the largest increase in violent crime.

America's Finest City also ranked ninth for increases in property crimes.

The FBI’s data reflects findings from the first six-months of 2015.

Nonetheless, San Diego was not alone.

California cities dominated the top half of the FBI's data. Six cities in California faced increases in violent and property crime: Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Jose, Sacramento, and San Francisco.

Sacramento ranked first for violent crimes while San Francisco ranked first for increased property crimes.

An attempted bank robbery resulted in three arrests in Solana Beach.

Suspects Brandon Johnson, Johnathan Broughton and Cheri Marinelli were taken into custody and booked in the Vista Detention Facility for attempted bank robbery Thursday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff Department (SDSO).

The bank suffered no loss of funds and no one was injured during the robbery or arrest, SDSO said.

A robber entered the Wells Fargo Bank branch at 245 Santa Helena in Solana Beach sometime around 1:40 p.m.

Sheriff’s dispatchers received a call from the location moments before the bank’s silent alarms alerted authorties, deputies said. A second call to 911 claimed a female suspect approached a bank teller with a demand note, but no weapon was displayed, according to SDSO.

The female suspect reportedly left the bank empty handed on foot after the bank tellers successfully stalled giving the woman money. The second caller also reported the woman crossed over Lomas Santa Fe Drive and got into a black, Chevy Impala with two males who were waiting in the parking lot, said SDSO.

Deputies arrived after the car had left, but soon stopped the suspected vehicle and found the three suspects inside, according to SDSO. It was then discovered the female suspect wore a wig as a disguise. She was later positively identified by witnesses from the bank.

The investigation is still underway as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and detectives from the North Coastal Sheriff’s stations work together.

“Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan is under investigation for possible animal cruelty stemming from an incident filmed for his “Cesar 911” TV show, authorities said.

Sheriff’s deputies and investigators with LA County Animal Control visited his Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita Thursday evening, but Millan was not there at the time. A family member told NBC4 he is out of town on a business trip.

The investigation comes after animal welfare officials were flooded with tips following the airing of an episode when Millan used a live pig as part of a training session with a dog that had previously attacked two pet pigs.

In the segment, the dog bit part of the pig’s ear off before it could be stopped.

According to Animal Control, a 24-hour notice was issued, requiring Millan to make contact with investigators.

The incident has caused a furor, with some animal activists taking to social media decrying the incident and petitions circulating calling for the end to his TV show.

Millan is a self-taught dog behaviorist who has several New York Times best-selling books on the subject to his name in addition to his television shows.

A representative from Nat Geo WILD, which airs Millan's show, issued this statement:

"Cesar Millan has dedicated his life to helping dogs and to showing how even the most difficult “problem dog” can be rescued and rehabilitated. In a recent episode of the Nat Geo WILD series "Cesar 911," Cesar works with an aggressive French bulldog/terrier mix named Simon, who has a history of attacking other animals, including his owner’s pet potbellied pigs. A short clip from the episode was shared online and showed Simon chasing a pig and nipping its ear, causing the ear to bleed. The clip caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter.

"We have included an additional clip from the same episode to provide missing context. Cesar has created a safe and controlled environment at his Dog Psychology Center (DPC) in California in which to rehabilitate some of the most extreme — or “red zone” — cases of dog aggression, such as Simon’s. It is important to clarify that Cesar took precautions, such as putting Simon on a long lead to assess his behavior, before making initial corrections and removing the leash. The pig that was nipped by Simon was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress. As the additional clip reveals, Cesar and his animal pack effectively helped Simon to overcome his aggressive behavior toward other animals; as a result, Simon did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanized."

The Nat Geo WILD footage that the company provided has been included in this article.
 

A Fallbrook home has been almost entirely gutted following a fire that tore through the structure Thursday afternoon, Fallbrook fire officials said.  

Crews could see smoke and flames coming from the single story family home when they arrived, officials said. 

The house fire broke out on the 200 block of N Stagecoach Lane, firefighters said. Stagecoach has been closed between Alvarado and Gum Tree as officials fight the flames. 

Power lines in the area went down, prompting SDG&E to respond. 

There is no word on any injuries or a potential cause for the fire. 

No further information was immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.

A San Diego man who had consumed at least a dozen drinks before hitting and killing a woman near Cowles Mountain has entered a guilty plea to murder, NBC 7 has learned. 

Joshua Daniel Taylor accepted a 15 to life prison term in exchange for a guilty plea during a pretrial hearing Thursday, according to the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office.

Taylor struck Rocio Leamon, 38, while she was crossing Navajo Road on her daily walk to Cowles Mountain. Leamon crossed the road while the pedestrian crossing signal was lighted.

Taylor ran the red light and struck Leamon, throwing her a combined 81 feet down the road.

During testimony, authorities said at the time of the crash, Taylor had a blood alcohol level of .23 percent, nearly four times the legal limit, the equivalent of 12 to 13 drinks.

Authorities testified that after the crash, Taylor ditched a vodka bottle in the bushes as he tried to get rid of incriminating evidence.

Taylor will be formally sentenced on April 19.

Nearly 100,000 people in California have unclaimed tax returns worth millions.

California’s 94,900 people who are owed a total of about $82.7 million of unclaimed money are among thousands across the country who never filed a tax return in 2012, the Internal Revenue Service reported on Thursday.

In total, the unclaimed money is worth nearly $1 billion nationwide.

The three-year window to claim 2012 tax returns is soon approaching, on April 18, so the IRS is encouraging taxpayers to file them promptly.

Any money still unclaimed by that date will be held by U.S. Treasury.

To those who need to file their 2012 taxes, tax forms and instructions are available on the IRS.gov Forms and Publications page, or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

Those missing Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 for the years 2012, 2013 or 2014 should request copies from their employer or bank.
 

The mayor of Carlsbad apologized to residents for a contentious, costly special election over a controversial proposal to develop the iconic Agua Hedionda land. 

"If an apology is what it takes to being us all back together, I will say that a thousand times," said Mayor Matt Hall, who has been in office since 2010. 

Only a few thousand votes separated the 'yes' votes from the 'no' votes on Feb. 29, when Carlsbad voters went to the polls to vote on the 85/15 Agua Hedionda plan, which later became known as Measure A. The registrar has 30 days to certify the election results.

The proposal, created by developer Rick Caruso, divided the community in the weeks leading up to the election, with accusations of signs found ripped from the ground or vandalized. 

After listening to a series of public comments at Tuesday's city council meeting, Hall said he clearly saw every resident's passion on the issue. 

"The point I’m trying to make in this is that obviously this issue was very heartfelt, but there’s been many issues we’ve agreed upon and there’s been many issues that we’ve had differences," he said.

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, said 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.

During two public comment periods, residents expressed anger at the panel's support for the project, saying their elected representatives let them down. 

"This council lead all of the citizens on a perilous path that has divided our city as never before. The entire population of Carlsbad was deliberately deceived by the vague and questionable claims of a developer regarding his project," said one resident, who identified himself as Larry during the public comment portion.

Residents were not only deceived, he said, but pitted against each other by those involved in the process. 

"We all wanted to save the lagoon," said a commentator who identified herself as Vicky. 

She said she spent hours talking to people on both sides of the battle, and the unifying factor for many was that they wanted to see the iconic land preserved. 

"Please [start the healing process]," Vicky said. "And this time, please make it a truly open and truly inclusive process to include all the citizens." 

Hall spoke after hearing from commentators, saying he had already spoken privately with more than 50 people and planned on speaking with more. 

"What I would ask for each and every one of us, if you would like to sit down with me and talk this through one of one or together, I’d be more than happy to do that," Hall said. 

Hall said he valued the unity and passion residents expressed and hoped they could move forward. 

"At the end of the day, we came back together and we were willing to work together. That would be my commitment to you," Hall said.

Land-use now remains as is today and the development company can resubmit its development plan or end its contract with SD&E. Another party could purchase the area.

Gerrity Group of Solana Beach has acquired a grocery-anchored retail center in Fallbrook for $23.6 million, according to real estate services firm Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP (HFF).

The seller of the 70,410-square-foot Fallbrook Mercantile Center, at 813-855 S. Main Ave., was Tourmaline Capital of San Diego, represented by an HFF team led by Gleb Lvovich and CJ Osbrink.

The 6.6-acre property is anchored by a Major Market grocery store and is 97 percent leased, with other tenants including Anytime Fitness, Sherwin Williams, Burger King, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Denny’s and Fantastic Sam’s.
 

Greek officials worked to clear an overcrowded makeshift refugee camp on Friday as European leaders met to discuss the border crisis that has left thousands stranded there in desperate conditions, NBC News reported.

Nikos Toskas, Greece's deputy minister for public order, said the 14,000 migrants camped out at the border near the village of Idomeni were being persuaded to relocate to nearby government-built shelters. Toskas said Greece cannot use tear gas to move them because "half the people there are women and children."

Macedonia closed its borders to all migrants and refugees this week — joining several Balkan countries in adding border restrictions after European Union leaders agreed Monday to close the Balkans route.

A small plane made an emergency landing on a Long Island beach Friday morning, authorities say.

Chopper 4 footage from the scene shows a Cessna 152 on the beach near Sunken Meadow Park in Suffolk County.

Federal Aviation Administration officials said the two people aboard the aircraft were not injured. 

It's not clear why the plane had to make the landing on the beach.

The FAA says it is investigating. 

The landing comes less than a week after a Cirrus SR22 lost engine power near Republic Airport in Farmingdale.

Video of the crash was obtained by NBC 4 New York and showed the plane floating to the ground using a parachute.