A La Mesa woman who claims she was raped by a man she met on a Christian dating website testified she feared for her life at the time of the attack.

Sean Banks, 37, faces four charges including rape and rape by intoxication stemming from a 2009 incident and one reported in November 2012.

The former U.S. Navy lieutenant was arrested on Feb. 11 after the woman, identified in court as K.K., told police she had been raped.

The two had met through ChristianMingle.com with Banks using a different name officials said. She had never met the defendant in person but had been texting him almost every day.

She said she felt safe inviting Banks to her apartment on Nov. 21 to watch a movie because “All we had talked about was God.”

K.K. claimed the defendant pulled her into the bedroom, removed his pants, straddled her and allegedly raped her.

She testified that she repeatedly asked Banks to stop and told him they were moving too fast.

She didn’t scream because “at that point I realized that it was probably not going to go as I wanted it to and I got scared,” she said.

“I didn’t know if he would kill me. I didn’t know."

Defense attorney Jan Ronis argued in a previous pretrial hearing that the victim told police she willingly went to the bedroom.

She testified that about 10 minutes after Banks left her home, K.K. said she received a text message from the defendant stating, "Sorry I got lost. Maybe we'll meet another time."

In Thursday's preliminary hearing, prosecutors entered the text messages into evidence. 

At one point, the victim told Banks "I told you no and you kept pushing."

Officials say cellular evidence placed Banks there at the time of the rape.

"He was pretending that he did not come to my apartment," K.K. testified saying she felt livid, hurt and frustrated by the defendant's alleged reaction.

"He had just come over and done that and then told me that he never came over, it didn't seem fair that he would text me that," she said. 

She also testified that the bottle of alcohol Banks had brought to the apartment was also gone. 

Banks served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy and was enrolled at Pepperdine University as a graduate student.

Prosecutors said Banks used a number of aliases when posting to dating websites like ChristianMingle.com , POF.com and Match.com. They include Rarity, Rylan, Rylan Butterwood and Rylan Harbough.

A brush fire was sparked along State Route 67 in Lakeside Thursday afternoon – on a day when firefighters all over Southern California were on alert.

Heartland firefighters responded to SR-67 and Channel Road for a small brush fire just after 4 p.m.

Because of the proximity to the highway, California Highway Patrol officers and San Diego County sheriff’s deputies shut down traffic at Winter Gardens Boulevard.

A viewer submitted the image below with the caption: "The smoke as seen from Woodside Ave near Winter Gardens Blvd of the fire burning on Hwy 67."

No word on the cause.
 

A white pick-up truck led police on a chase through the streets of El Cajon Thursday.

Several police cars were chasing the truck, but the driver refused to stop. At one point, two cruisers cornered the truck. The truck drove onto the sidewalk, shattering one of its windows, and kept going.

Minutes later, a cruiser ran into the side of the truck, trying to slow it down.

The pursuit ended just before 6 p.m. on the ramp to westbound Interstate 8 from El Cajon Boulevard. The driver came out of the truck with his hands in the air. Officers handcuffed the man and took him into custody.

It’s unclear why police were pursuing the man in the first place.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Fueled by fierce winds, the Springs Fire consumed more than 12 square miles Thursday, threatening homes, stretching from the 101 Freeway to Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County, and prompting warnings as firefighters battled a difficult blaze into night.

The fire had grown to 8,000 acres by just before 8 p.m., when fire officials said the blaze had threatened some 2,000 homes. Pacific Coast Highway had been shut down for a nine-mile stretch.

By 9 p.m. the still-growing wildfire has reached PCH at Sycamore Canyon Road, according to a Ventura County Sheriff's Department spokesman.

Sycamore Canyon is in Point Mugu State Park, home to some of Southern California's only remaining native grasslands.

At least one home -- in an isolated, wooded area -- burned on the southern flank of the fire, as seen below. More than 800 people were affected by evacuation orders, according to fire officials.

The blaze quickly consumed brush and vegetation in the steep terrain of southern Ventura County, prompting panic among evacuated homeowners amid record-high temperatures and low humidity.

The fire was expected to increase in size significantly, and was 10 percent contained as of about 6:30 p.m. Officials said they expected that figure to be revised in the morning as the fire continued to spread late into the night.

Strong Santa Ana winds had died down at that time, but fire officials warned they could pick up and again fan flames.

"We have conditions that are very dramatic, very dangerous for firefighters. This fire is growing," said Tom Kruschke, an information officer with the Ventura County Fire Department.

"We are asking members of the public to be very aware -- this is very dangerous. This is still a moving fire. If you were asked to evacuate, it will be a while before you are allowed in. And if at one point you are uncomfortable, please leave the area. It's not safe to stay,“ Kruschke said.

The fire department had issued a map of the fire's footprint and the evacuation zone, as shown below.

The fire, which broke out at 6:34 a.m. Thursday, had jumped over of Potrero Road and was making its way south toward Pacific Coast Highway and coastal Point Mugu State Park in the late afternoon.

At a news conference at 6:30 p.m., Capt. Mike Lindberry of the Ventura County Fire Department said fire officials were trying to prevent the fire from reaching PCH after it stalled in canyons as Santa Ana winds died down. But the wind could pick up and push the blaze farther south, he said.

"We are not going to call this thing caught till we have a good line around it and that line can hold the conditions that are presenting at the time," he said.

He predicted the region is in for a serious fire season.

"We're having Santa Ana events in May," Lindberry noted, referring to dry Southern California winds that come from inland toward the coast, usually in fall and winter. "An event like this ...  it hasn't happened in my career."

The fire initially grew within six hours to more than 6,500 acres, or more than 10 square miles. It began in rugged terrain of the Conejo Grade, just south of the 101 Freeway (map) before spreading rapidly to the southwest, prompting road closures -- including PCH -- and evacuations.

Send NBC4 Your Fire Photos: Send us pictures at isee@nbcla.com or through the NBC4 LA mobile app.

Mandatory evacuation orders were in place as of 6:30 p.m. in Sycamore Canyon, La Jolla Canyon and Broome Ranch.

Residents were being allowed back into homes that had been evacuated in the Camarillo Springs area and the Dos Vientos area of Newbury Park. Residents need identification to return to their homes, Sheriff's Department officials said.

Sheriff's officials initially said an evacuation order was lifted for California State University, Channel Islands, but that was corrected at 7:45 p.m. and the university remained closed.

Burning agricultural buildings near the university had prompted a smoke advisory from the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, which warned residents to avoid smoke.

Lindberry said firefighters were letting the potentially hazardous material burn because it was not safe to attack with firefighting resources.

For those in the university area, Lindberry advised: "Be mindful, watch out for fire equipement and stay out of the smoke."

Just before 1 p.m., the California Highway Patrol had closed a nine-mile stretch of PCH between Las Posas Road and Yerba Buena Road, which is essentially the Los Angeles County line (map). The crucial coastal highway was reopened just before 3 p.m., with the CHP recommending drivers stay alert while in the area.

The roadway was again closed on the same stretch at about 8 p.m. Yerba Buena Road and Deer Creek Road were also closed.

Firefighters were facing difficult conditions: high winds, hot temperatures and low humidity amid a mountain landscape. The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning -- indicating high fire danger -- through 5 p.m. Friday.

Conditions were expected to be similarly hot and dry on Friday, Lindberry said.

"We’re chasing it, but we can’t stay ahead of this -- it’s moving so fast," said Lindberry at midday Thursday. “We haven’t seen anything like this in a while. We’ve had a couple of really slow summers. This one’s waking us up really quickly.”

Camarillo resident Zeke Jaquez was among the first to call 911, reporting what would become the Springs Fire.

He was driving from his home to Los Angeles when he saw what he thought was a car on fire off the side of the 101 Freeway.

“We all called 911,” Jaquez said. “It’s unbelievable. It’s this huge monster.”

Others in the surrounding residential areas watched the rapidly spreading flames with concern, as seen in the AP Photo/Ventura County Star image below.

Cal State Channel Islands issued an advisory Thursday afternoon stating the campus would remain closed Friday.

A chemical fire in the area was extinguished with foam. Authorities said it was not immediately known how the blaze started.

About 100 campers and a resident were evacuated from Point Mugu State Park as a precaution, the Associated Press reported.

A group of 120 children and 30 adults who were at a Camp Hess Kramer near Sycamore Canyon and PCH were escorted from the park shortly before midnight, Ventura County Fire's Capt. Dave Wareham said.

Schools in the area of the fire were also evacuated.

The Red Cross has established evacuation centers at Calvary Community Chapel located at 380 Mobil Ave. in Camarillo and at Thousand Oaks Community Center at 2525 N. Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks.

Public and private animal shelters in Camarillo, Simi Valley and Augora Hills have offered to house evacuated pets.

The statewide California Emergency Management Agency said Thursday that it had activated two operations centers in response to the Springs Fire and the Summit Fire in Riverside County, which began Wednesday. Cal EMA had deployed 10 of its fire engines to the Springs Fire.

The state agency also announced that Gov. Jerry Brown's request had been approved for two Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance grants to pay for fire response.

More than 925 firefighters and law enforcement personnel, along with 96 fire engines, six helicopters, dozens of hand crews and three fixed-wing aircraft were called into service.

Meanwhile, a 98-degree reading recorded in Camarillo -- next to the raging fire -- set a high temperature record for the date. The previous record of 94 degrees was set in 2004. A record was also set nearby in Oxnard at 92 degrees.

Wind gusts reached 70 mph in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.

Fixed-wing air tankers at one point were grounded due to weather conditions.

In addition to the large Springs Fire and the Summit Fire, a 12-acre blaze in Jurupa Valley burned Thursday, destroying multiple structures.

A small fire was reported at about 3:15 p.m. in Calabasas, not far to the east of the Spring Fire, in a wash at Meadow Creek Lane and Lost Hills Road (map). Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said quickly had the blaze contained at a half-acre.

In Northern California, a Tehama County fire spread to 2,000 acres Thursday, and at least three other fires of fewer than 150 acres burned elsewhere in the northern part of the state.

The San Diego Police Department maintained media silence Thursday about the details of a serious traffic accident during Wednesday’s pursuit of a robbery suspect.

The incident raises legal issues that echo those surrounding a fatal collision under similar circumstances more than 14 years ago.

Wednesday’s drama started during the noon hour in Tierrasanta, where police say a woman claiming to have a gun held up a teller at a Navy Federal Credit Union branch.

She eventually was arrested in an El Cerritos neighborhood-- but not before a pursuing police cruiser slammed broadside into a van in City Heights and knocked it over.

In the aftermath, several people rushed to the scene, along with officers who broke of their chase, and righted the vehicle.

Firefighters had to use a power saw to rescue the woman behind the wheel.

She was hospitalized and is listed in fair but stable condition. There are no details on her injuries.

One of the officers sustained a wrist injury in the crash.

Meantime, the fugitive from the robbery, 27-year-old Elizabeth Marie Price, was captured a short while later a few miles away.

The accident stirred memories of a fatal burglary chase in Mira Mesa in February 1999, when a police officer ran a red light and crashed into a car driven by June Meng Hong, who died of her injuries.

Later, after a six-day trial and a day of jury deliberations, the city settled a lawsuit filed by her husband for $1.95 million. The police department also reinforced its pursuit and training protocols.

Yesterday, SDPD Lt. Darryl Hoover said Price is subject to charges for injuries stemming from the accident: "When you're committing a felony crime and some other injuries take place, you get charged with the injuries that occurred as a result of that crime."

The veteran plaintiffs' attorney, who handled the June Meng Hong case, says police and the city of San Diego may face civil liability, depending on the facts.

"You have a certain amount of immunity,” Vincent Bartolotta explained in an interview Thursday. “But you have to comply with taking care of safety and have due regard for the rest of the public."

Bartolotta acknowledges that high-speed chases involving presumably armed suspects tend to get officers' adrenaline rushing.

However, he adds: "You are trained to be above that. Yes, you do your best . Yes, you have to go after the bad guy. But you have to do it with training in mind, a clear-headedness that says, 'Okay, this is getting too dangerous...I need to back off. The radio calls are out. We don't want to hurt someone else'."

Officials in the police department and city attorney's office have not responded to NBC 7’s requests for interviews and information about the accident.

The city's outside lawyers in the June Meng Hong case laid blame for the fatal crash on the fleeing suspects.

Their view regarding the decedent: She should have heard the sirens.
 

New in the fallout from a controversial “twerking” video shot on the campus of Scripps Ranch High School: a school trustee is asking for answers and a parent feels the school should be held accountable.

NBC 7 Report: Dozens of Students Suspended for Twerking

More than 30 students were suspended Tuesday for sexual harassment after a music video was published on YouTube. In the video, shot with school equipment and on school property, SRHS students are shown “twerking” to music by the artist YG.

The students involved range from freshmen to seniors. Because of the school’s special rules regarding senior activities, some of those suspended are also banned from attending prom or walking at graduation.

One Scripps Ranch mother whose daughter was pulled out of class to help a classmate produce his final project for media class said she was very disturbed by the clip.

“The fact that it happened on school campus, during class time, is even worse,” she said.

“This took place over the course of three to four weeks so what I want to know is, none of the teachers saw this? Where was security? Where was the video teacher?” she asked.

Other parents and students have told NBC 7 that the suspended dancers thought the classmate was making the video as a school project.

The teenagers did not know the video was going to be published to YouTube, they say, nor did they know the music with offensive language would be added.

San Diego Unified Board Member Kevin Beiser said the A-V teacher gave students an assignment to make a music video so it would not be so unusual for students to be videotaping on campus.

Beiser said that “twerking” – especially while doing a handstand – is inappropriate at school and the kids know what they are doing when they are doing that.

The mother said her call to the superintendent has not been returned. She said she’s unsure if her daughter can still go to prom.

“You get one shot at these things in life. You don’t get do-overs with proms and graduations and things like that. I think that is excessive. Yes there should be punishment. They should’ve known better… but they’re teenagers,” she said.

Beiser said seniors who submit a letter admitting the mistake as part of the appeal process will most likely be able to go to prom or commencement.

San Diego Unified School District refused to comment on the suspension or on the teacher's role in the video production saying the district will not discuss student discipline.

SDUSD trustee Scott Barnett issued the following statement Thursday:

“As a father of two teen-aged daughters (in a different high school in San Diego Unified) I take issues of proper conduct and discipline very seriously; at the same time I need to be satisfied that the consequences of these actions are reasonable and proportionate. I have asked that the board discuss this at our next, regular closed session meeting scheduled on Tuesday, May 14.”

The Scripps Ranch HS student handbook specifically outlines its sexual harassment policy prohibiting “verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made by someone from or in the educational setting.”

The task force responsible for deciding where the future home of Sandy Hook Elementary School will be has narrowed it down to two locations.

One is to build a new facility at 28 Riverside Road, just down the street from the now-vacant elementary school where 20 first graders and six staff members were killed in December.

The second option is to renovate or rebuild at the existing site, which has some of the victims' families upset.

“I will chain my body to it and to protest if they try to reopen it,” Erica Lafferty, the daughter of the late Sandy Hook Principal Dawn Hochsprung, said. “It should be knocked down. There should be some type of long-lasting memorial.“

The task force narrowed the options down from 40 different locations and will hold a public meeting on Friday night to discuss the options and ultimately make a decision.

Veronique Pozner, who lost her son Noah in the Dec. 14 shooting, said she and her husband walked the halls at Sandy Hook Elementary School in February.

“It’s not for everybody, but just like I needed to see my son’s body, I needed to see where he died. That’s me, but I could totally understand why a parent would say I can’t do this," Pozner said.

For Pozner, the school is now 'tainted ground'. 

“Then again, I also know life has to go on. If that’s the best site logically, economically for the other children, the ones that are alive … Ya know, who am I to say you shouldn’t build there, you shouldn’t rebuild?,” she said.

A Florida triathlon athlete who is a double-arm amputee says someone stole his custom bike early Thursday morning.

“It’s only fitted, it’s modified for me. You can’t sell it. You can’t ride it. You can’t do anything with it,” Hector Picard said. “So by stealing it, they are doing a lot more damage than they really know.”

Picard, 46, who has completed 73 triathlons in the past four years, said his special bike is worth $12,000 – but it’s worthless to anyone besides him. It’s a Seven Axiom titanium road bike, he said.

“It’s definitely obvious. The handlebars are different, the brakes are different,” he said. “The body of the bike, the frame, is completely modified. I mean, a regular person won’t be able to use it.”

Picard was involved in a work-related electrical accident in 1992.

“I received an electrical shock 21 years ago,” he said. “Thirteen thousands volts of electricity went through my body and caused the amputations and the burns.”

The accident left him in a coma for four weeks. His entire right arm and half of his left one were amputated.

Cristián de la Fuente Takes on Triathlon To Help St. Jude's Hospital

But Picard didn’t quit – and now his mission in life is to inspire. Last August he became the first double-arm amputee to start and finish an Ironman race, and he has completed two more Ironman competitions since then.

On June 8 he will set off on a 3,200-mile bike journey to Spokane, Washington to raise money for a little boy with no arms.

But with his bike stolen, Picard has to turn to his old bike. Picard said it is a lot more difficult for him to use – not to mention the hours he will have to spend repairing it.

“I struggle a little more. I’m still going to do it,” he said. “I’m not going to let anything like this stop me.”

NBC 6 Videos

Picard isn’t looking for donations, just his bike. Anyone with information is asked to call Fort Lauderdale Police.

He said he won’t let his latest challenge slow him down.

“I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it,” Picard said. “God willing, as long as I’m healthy, bike or no bike, I’m going to do this, and it would just be nice to have that bike back.”

For more information on Picard and his cross-country ride, see his website, dontstopliving.org.

A case of "possible human trafficking" at a Saudi diplomatic compound in Virginia is under investigation, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to News4.

Homeland Security Special-Agent-in-Charge John Torres, who is leading the probe, said Fairfax County Police responded to a tip Tuesday night citing a possible case of modern slavery.

U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations were called to a home in the 6000 block of Orris Street in McLean and -- in the words of a source familiar with the investigation -- "rescued" two women. One woman reportedly tried to flee by squeezing through a gap in the front gate as it was closing.

"In this particular case, what we ended up doing is setting up an arranged time to meet some people. They met us at that time and we took them out of that situation," Torres said.

It's not clear if the women, whom sources say are from the Philippines, called investigators to the home themselves or if someone else did.

The women are now in protective custody.

“We ultimately took those potential victims out of that situation,” Torres said. “They’re safe now, being interviewed by our agents and victim witness coordinators.”

The investigation is in its very early stages and complicated by the possibility that some of those involved may have diplomatic immunity, said a State Department spokesperson. 

A 2008 U.S. Government Accountability Office report notes that in previous cases, "...The accused foreign diplomats held full diplomatic immunity and this could not be prosecuted in U.S. courts."

Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) said Saudi Arabia has been faulted in the past for abuse of a special visa program that allows foreign diplomats to bring household workers into the United States.

"They bring them in; they work them seven days a week; they take their passports away," Wolf said.

The compound -- with three security gates, a guard shack and security staff on foot patrol -- is owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to Fairfax County real estate records.

A man outside the gates who said he works for the embassy told News4 the homeowner was at the embassy Wednesday, and vehicles driven in and out of the gates had diplomatic license plates.

“The U.S. State Department is aware of this matter,” said spokesperson Patrick Ventrell. “Diplomatic security is aware of the matter, and we’re working with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, specifically Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

Follow Jackie Bensen on Twitter at @jackiebensen

A solar-powered plane - energized by the power of the sun - took off just as dawn broke Friday morning from Mountain View's Moffett Field on its first cross-country tour, bound for New York as its final destination.

Considered the world's most advanced sun-powered plane, which only travels about 30 or 40 mph, the Solar Impulse has already taken successful test runs over California's Bay Area.

The point of the powering a plane with 12,000 photovoltaic cells, all powered by the sun, is to show the world that it can be done, and to inspire engineers to look for advances in clean tech.

"We're here to inspire," Swiss creator André Borschberg told NBC Bay Area before an earlier flight, adding that that he hoped this science and technology - and imagination - would trickle down to the "younger generation."

Pilot Bertrand Piccard posted a photo on his Twitter page during the flight.

Last picture of the Pacific Ocean before the deserts of the Midwest #solarimpulse twitter.com/bertrandpiccar…

— Bertrand PICCARD (@bertrandpiccard) May 3, 2013

The plane has the wing span of a 747, but the weight of the mid-sized car. It can only carry one passenger who has to stay awake through the entire flight. On the longer flights, the pilot is allowed to take naps eight minutes at a time. There is no auto-pilot. 

The cockpit seat is the only seat in the plane, but it has a dual purpose and it equipped with a toilet.

The Solar Impulse was designed to show the potential of solar power. Its creators say it will never replace commercial flights.  The plane reaches a top speed of 43 mph and holds the record for  altitude for solar-powered planes at 30,300 feet, according to the company's  website. 

The Solar Impulse will first stop in Phoenix, and then head to Dallas, St. Louis, Washington, D.C.,  and New York. Each flight leg will take 20 to 25 hours, with 10-day stops planned in each city.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A 17-year-old boy will celebrate his high school graduation month thanks to a 5.5-months pregnant, off-duty Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy who rescued him from the bottom of a lake.

Deputy Jenna Underwood-Nunez was having dinner with her family in the Silverwood Lake campground in San Bernardino County when she heard screaming coming from the lake. A glance toward the water revealed frantic splashing about 200 yards away from the shore.

Authorities revealed the details of their colleague’s harrowing April 27 rescue on Thursday.

“Placing herself and her unborn child at potential risk, Deputy Underwood sprang into action and immediately ran toward the drowning victim,” Underwood’s department said a statement.

Fully dressed, Underwood swam about 200 yards into the water to find the teen had already become fully submerged 15 feet below the surface. He was laying on lake bed.

Underwood dove to the bottom, pulled the victim up and then to shore, where she performed four cycles of CPR before the teen regained consciousness.

The boy was airlifted to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

A six-year veteran of the force, Underwood works at the Century Regional Detention Facility.

A Philadelphia mother wants her son’s high school teacher fired after he bought the teen the erotic novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" for in-class reading.

Maya Ladson says she was shocked to find a copy of the racy read in her 14-year-old’s book bag back on March 9. That shock turned to outrage when she found out how he got the book.

“The minute I found out about it, it raised concern,” the mother told NBC10.com Thursday. “This is not OK to me. This is major.”

Ladson's son, who is a 9th grade student at Eastern University Academy Charter School in Philadelphia, asked for and was given the book by his teacher and adviser Philip Aidoo.

According to the school, Aidoo asked students for a list of books they would like to read during an independent reading period. Ladson’s son’s requested "Fifty Shades of Grey." Aidoo then went online and ordered the book.

Ladson acknowledges that her son asked for the book.

“It clearly states on the cover, that the book is for mature audiences and has high sexual content,” Ladson said. “This was a 100-percent act of negligence. There should never be pornographic material purchased and distributed to a student by a school teacher.”

Eastern University Academy Charter School Chief Operating Officer Yvonne Turner calls the teacher’s actions a mistake.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Aidoo did not have an awareness of this popular book and ordered it with his own money,” she said. Turner says Aidoo also ordered books for other students, all of which were G-rated.

“I find it highly unlikely that a teacher who teaches reading and has a classroom for sustained silent reading period is unaware of contents of material that he’s giving to the students, let alone the material being pornographic material,” Ladson told NBC10.com.

Once Aidoo’s purchase was brought to the school’s attention by Ladson, officials immediately launched an investigation, according to Turner.

Officials met with Ladson and Aidoo and made a recommendation of action against the teacher, which the school didn't disclose. Ladson said she was not satisfied with the recommendation and filed a grievance with the school’s board of trustees. They heard the case and decided Wednesday to suspend the teacher for one week without pay.

Ladson says a suspension is not enough and wants Aidoo removed from the school.

“We all agree that it was a very serious mistake, however, it does not warrant a termination,” Turner said.

After Ladson told officials about the Grey incident, the school held a meeting with the parents of all the teacher’s students to notify them about the situation, according to Turner. Aidoo has taught math and advised at the 7th-12th grade school for several years.

“We heard nothing but high praises and support for Mr. Aidoo,” Turner said. “We have to deal with these things in a fair and impartial way which the school has attempted to do.”

Ladson says her son’s education has been compromised. Turner says the school is putting together a plan to move the 14-year-old to another class for the next trimester. The school has also enacted a policy that officials must now approve any purchase intended for students, she says.

The school has been on break for the past month. Ladson says when classes resume on Monday, she plans to protest outside the school with other parents.

A brush fire burned in Bayview Heights, according to officials.

The fire started shortly before 10 a.m. between Federal and Kelton Streets near state Route 94.

Heavy smoke and flames could be seen from the road, according to California Highway Patrol.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze shortly after it began.

A small grass fire burned in Lemon Grove, according to officials.

The fire started around 9:30 a.m. near Massachusetts Avenue Trolley Station. Firefighters arrived to the scene and were able to extinguish the blaze.

No structures were threatened and no injuries were reported. 

One jockey hopes to be the first African-American since 1902 to ride to victory at the Kentucky Derby.

Another wants to be the first female to win it.

A favorite colt could break a century-old "curse."

And an acclaimed trainer has stacked the lineup with five thoroughbreds, making it possible for a first-ever sweep of America's most prestigious horse race.

Any of those outcomes would make this year's Derby, to be run Saturday evening, a historic one. But the Derby can just as quickly give birth to new legends. It is the first leg of the Triple Crown, so the winner, no matter who it is, will automatically become a contender for horse racing's biggest prize, which hasn't been captured in 35 years.

"It's a career maker," retired jockey and television analyst Richard Migliore said. "The Triple Crown's other two races, the Preakness and the Belmont, are extremely important in their own right, but the Derby blazes the path. After the Derby, there's always the hope for a Triple Crown."

The competition at this year's Derby is so tight that the official oddsmaker at Churchill Downs, Mike Battaglia, waited until the last minute to decide which of the 3-year-olds to name as the morning-line favorite.

In the end, Battaglia chose Orb, a colt on a four-race winning streak, including the Florida Derby, as the favorite before the race was opened to betting Friday morning. He'll be ridden by Joel Rosario.

Orb's trainer, Shug McGaughey, said he was happy to be the early favorite, but said there was a possibility that betting activity could change that image.

Battaglia's close second was Verrazano, who for many weeks was considered the Derby's top contender. Verrazano is one of trainer Todd Pletcher's five horses in the Derby and will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who won the 2011 Derby atop Animal Kingdom. Verrazano's handlers have taken an unorthodox approach, running him only as a 3-year-old. No horse since Apollo in 1882 has won the Derby without racing first as a 2-year-old. Since then, "Apollo's curse" has been blamed for other horses' inability to duplicate the feat. Moreover, only two horses have won the Derby with as few races as Verrazano has run. That may be part of the reason why the buzz over him has faded in recent days.

Behind Verrazano in the early odds-making was Goldencents. The bay colt is part-owned by Rick Pitino, coach of the national-champion Louisville men's basketball team, and is trained by Doug O'Neill, who handled last years Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another. He'll be ridden by Kevin Krigger, 27, who has a good shot at becoming the first African-American in more than a century to win the Derby.

Another jockey who will be closely watched is 25-year-old Rosie Napravnik, who'll be aboard Mylute in her quest to become the first female jockey to win the Derby. Napravnik is the winningest female jockey in racing's history, and was the top jockey this year at Fair Grounds Race Court in New Orleans.

Other horses considered top contenders include Revolutionary, Normandy Invasion, Overanalyze, Itsmyluckyday, Java's War and Vyjack.

The total purse for the Derby, assuming all 20 horses start, will be more than $2.1 million, with $1.4 million for the winner.

The 6:24 p.m. race will be broadcast on NBC, with coverage starting at 4 p.m. ET. A livestream will be available on nbcsports.com (Note: You must log in with your cable company's username and password to access the live video).

Local May events in North County San Diego cover all the bases! From food and festivals, to fashion and local brews, Yelp’s event page explains all the need to know details. Read on for sneak peak of exciting activities featured in the next couple of weeks.    

Carlsbad Village Street Faire
May 5, Carlsbad Village
The highly anticipated, largest single day street fair in the nation is this Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jump on the convenient coaster and ride into the midst of the fest featuring over 900 booths, including the international food court, entertainment, unique shopping, arts and crafts. Don’t forget to browse the local businesses, who throw open their doors to the expected 100,000 visitors each year. Rad C-bad residents know the people watching place to be is the Coyote Bar & Grill patio with a margarita in hand!    

Hwy 78 Craftbrew & Foodtruck Festiv(ale)
May 11, San Marcos
Take your mom out for a beer on the Saturday before Mother’s Day at 4 p.m., because after all, any mom from North County has gotta love craft breweries! Throw in gourmet food trucks and you’ve got yourself a party. Only $20 gets you eight 4-oz. tastes and access to the decadence on wheels that will be present at the event. Although breweries and trucks could change, we’ve heard that Yelper favorites like The Lost Abbey, Chop Soo-ey, and Devilicious won’t disappoint.    

5th Annual Encinitas Lifestyles Fashion Show
May 18, Escondido
Make sure you hit the scene to see some strutting for a good cause! Start this fashion forward evening off with the reception that begins at 6:30 p.m. You’ll enjoy a selection of beverages and tasty treats from local restaurateurs. The models take the runway wearing ensembles from over a dozen Encinitas retailers at 8 p.m. to the beats of entertainment by DJ Vega. Head to the event page for ticket details, benefiting Carol’s House and other Community Resource Center Programs.    

4th Annual Taste Of Cardiff
May 16, Cardiff
Consider yourself booked on that Thursday from 5-8 p.m.! Get tickets and walk or grab your beach cruiser to taste over 20 kooky kitchens in cliff-side Cardiff.  All those local eats are combined with live music stations and your chance to vote for your favorite to win the coveted “Golden Fork Award.” Participating business can be found along restaurant row and downtown Cardiff-By-The-Sea village and include 2012’s winner The Beach House and the well-known Bull Taco.    

Cruisin’ On Grand
Friday nights, Escondido
Hot Rods heat up the inland empire! Every Friday night from May through September from 5-9 p.m. you’ll find some sweet rides cruisin’ down Grand Ave in Esco. They're bringing back down home vibes from the 1950’s. It’s a free event so grab the family or your sweetie and check out over 500 fabulous vehicles: They'll line the street sides for the evening. Local pubs for libations and restaurants in the area stay open late. Enter a contest, hula-hoop, or just admire the American muscle!    

Trish Sanderson is the community manager and marketing director for Yelp North County San Diego. She leads the local community of Yelp reviewers both online and off.