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Video Captures Solo Reaction as She Learns of Suspension

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The cameras were rolling when Hope Solo first heard of her six-month suspension from USA soccer... and it wasn't pretty.

"Seventeen f------ years and it's over," Solo screamed upon hearing the news.

The soccer star was being filmed by a documentary crew when she learned of the decision to suspend her for comments she made following the U.S. team's loss in the Olympics to Sweden, calling the team "a bunch of cowards."

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"Six months suspension," Solo said, hugging her husband, former NFL player Jeremy Stevens. "No pay. Terminated contract. Effective immediately."

Solo was being recorded for the Fullscreen documentary, "Keeping Score," which has chronicled her journey, along with teammates Crystal Dunne and Megan Rapino as they journeyed to and from the Rio for the Olympics games.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
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Pennsylvania Flood Leaves House Teetering, Family Stuck on Roof

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Homeowners spend hours on roof waiting for rescue after floodwaters wash away home's foundation in Bullskin Township, Pennsylvania.

Gourmet Cookie Shop Expands to Carlsbad

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Local gourmet cookie shop, The Cravory, is on the rise, whipping up a brand-new location that opens Thursday in San Diego’s North County. The shop is located in the Bressi Ranch Village Center (2629 Gateway Rd.) in Carlsbad, and is the second location for The Cravory. The company’s original outpost is in Point Loma.

Photo Credit: The Cravory

Crews Jump on Fire Burning in Orange County

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A 155-acre brush fire burned Wednesday near Rancho Santa Margarita in Orange County.

The smoke from the so-called "Holy Fire" can be seen from San Diego's North County.

The fire sparked at 4 a.m. in the Trabuco Canyon, according to U.S. Forest Service offiicals.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

According to the last update at 12:30 p.m., the fire was holding at the top of the ridge just above Bell Canyon.

Cal Fire crews are helping to battle the fire.

Community questions can be directed to (951) 736-1811.

Check back for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: U.S. Forest Service

'Today Is the Day': New Details in Rancho Santa Fe Murder-Suicide

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An investigator’s report on a murder-suicide inside a Rancho Santa Fe home states the killer was suicidal and told her husband “Today is the day” before attacking and killing two people and then herself.

The bodies of Ihnwon Mia Shin, 56; Sayeh Amini, 52, and Hannah Arya, 15 were found June 27 inside the home on Via De La Valle near Las Colinas.

According to the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s report, Shin and Arya were killed by Amini who died of 21 self-inflicted stab wounds to her head, arms and torso.

As part of the investigation, officials interviewed Amini’s husband who described erratic behavior from his wife in the days following her brother’s death. Michael Arya battled cancer and passed away in April 2016.

According to the ME report, Amini’s husband said his wife talked with him by phone on the day of the incident, said she was going to kill herself. She used the words, “Today is the day” - something she had said to him before.

Except on this day, Amini tragically followed through with her threat.

Amini had been staying in her brother’s home with his daughter, her 15-year-old niece Hannah Arya.

The morning of the incident, Hannah left to grab coffee with friends. When she returned, the group could not enter the home's front door. As they approached a side door, officials said Amini opened the door and pulled Hannah inside, telling the teenager “I have something to show you.”

Soon after Hannah’s friends heard screams. They immediately called 911.

When homicide investigators arrived, they found three females dead of multiple stab wounds.

Hannah Arya and Amini were in the dining room area of the home. The report reflects that Shin’s body was found in a storage area under the stairs.

According to the ME’s report, homicide detectives determined Amini killed Shin and then stowed the body and attempted to clean up the area. They say that when Hannah Arya returned home, she was attacked and killed before Amini killed herself.

No suicide notes were found in the home.

The toxicology performed as part of Amini’s autopsy detected no drugs or alcohol in her system.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) confirmed the manner of death for both Shin and Hannah Arya was homicide.

SDSO Lt. Kenn Nelson told NBC 7 the victims were stabbed to death, likely with a knife. He said multiple knives were found inside the home.

An attorney representing Amini’s family told NBC 7 Amini had been appointed to manage her brother's estate, which included the home on Villa De La Valle valued at more than $1 million. He said the task became overwhelming for Amini.

A relative of Shin talked with the La Jolla Light and said the Los Angeles-based real estate agent was a friend and former business associate of Michael Arya who watched over Hannah.

“Mia was an innocent bystander. She came to help Hannah,” the sister told the newspaper.

Read more of her interview here.

Supreme Court Won't Reinstate Strict NC Voting Law

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The U.S. Supreme Court declined Wednesday to reinstate North Carolina's voting restrictions for the November election, NBC News reported.

The high court deadlocked 4-4 on whether to let the state reimpose key provisions of the 2013 Republican-backed voting law, seen by many experts as the strictest in the country.

The state could be pivotal in the presidential race, and also hosts tight Senate and governor's races.

Last month, a federal appeals court blocked the law's voter ID provision, its reduction of the early voting period from 17 days to ten, and its elimination of a popular pre-registration program for high-school students. The appeals court found that those provisions targeted African-Americans "with surgical precision," and violated the Voting Rights Act.



Photo Credit: AP, File

Diamond of California Recalls Macadamia Nuts for Salmonella

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Two macadamia nut products sold nationwide under the Diamond of California brand are being recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. 

Snyder's-Lance, Inc. said it was voluntarily recalling 4-ounce packages of Diamond of California Chopped Macadamia Nuts and 2.25-ounce packages of Diamond of California Macadamia Halves and Pieces. 

A laboratory contracted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration detected salmonella in a package of the 4-ounce chopped nuts during testing. 

There have been no reported illnesses so far. 

To locate the production code on the package, consumers should look on the front of the package. A list of the affected lots can be found here or seen below.

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Consumers can apply for a full refund online here or by calling (503) 364-0399 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT, Monday to Friday.

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Photo Credit: FDA

Lincoln HS Parents to School Police: 'We'll Move Forward'

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Parents of students attending Lincoln High School sent a message to San Diego Unified School District officials and police officers Wednesday: “We’ll move forward.”

Members of the Lincoln High School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) spoke outside the campus on Imperial Avenue. They wanted to respond to comments made by the leadership of the San Diego Schools Police Officers Association just before the first day of school.

Cindy Barros, President, Lincoln PTO, said it was “unacceptable” to shed a negative light on the students at the start of a new school year.

On February 26, two students got into a fight during a lunch break that ended up in a parking garage. No weapons were involved.

SDUSD Police Officer Bashir Abdi followed one of the students into the garage where an altercation occurred.

Video from a student’s phone showed one of the students, a 16 year old, on the ground in the parking garage after being stunned with a Taser. Five students were exposed to pepper spray.

The officer was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

An investigation was launched into the school police officer’s actions.

Two students faced criminal charges ranging from assault on a police officer to theft and vandalism. Prosecutor would not reveal charges filed against a third juvenile.

In March, the district announced that none of the students involved would be expelled.

Over the weekend, Jesus Montana, President of the San Diego Schools Police Officers Association, expressed frustration with how the incident was handled by the district.

“The student should have been recommended for expulsion," said Montana.

Montana said there was an agreement with the district for both the student and the officer to be transferred to different schools, but only the officer will be involuntarily transferred after he recovers from his injuries.

“For the officers it’s a sense of betrayal, mistrust and not knowing if the district will have their back in the future if politics will lead the decision," said Montana.

Barros said the union leader’s statement would set back the PTO’s efforts to bridge the gap between students, school police and the community.

“Let’s keep our eyes on the prize and not be distracted by the past,” she said.

Barros said parents and school leaders should be focused on the class schedule to ensure students’ success.

Montana offered this response to NBC 7:

“Our intent was not to disrupt Lincoln. We met with the District last week. We insist on having equity disciplinary process on all students.”

He also if the Lincoln PTO wishes to meet with him, he is more than happy to speak with them.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Uptick in Local Crime Stats: SANDAG Report

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Property crime – including car thefts and burglaries – has increased across San Diego this year, and the same goes for violent crimes, including homicides, according to a newly-released report.

The San Diego Association of Government’s (SANDAG) Criminal Justice Division released its 2016 mid-year report Wednesday on local crime stats. The report said property crime is up by 4 percent countywide, while violent crime has increased by 1 percent.

According to SANDAG, there were 49 homicides reported in the first half of 2016 – an increase of 14 percent from this same time period last year, when there were 43 homicides.

In the category of property crime, SANDAG said the biggest jumps are from auto thefts and burglaries. The report said motor vehicle thefts have increased by 16 percent in the first half of 2016 compared to this same time period last year. A total of 5,551 vehicles have been stolen in San Diego so far this year – or an average of four more per day than last year’s statistic.

SANDAG’s report said the rise of residential and commercial burglaries have also added to the overall increase in property crime in San Diego. In the first half of 2016, SANDAG said 5,291 burglaries were reported in the county – a 6 percent increase from mid-year 2015.

In all, 31,799 property crimes were reported from January to June 2016. Of that figure, 66 percent were larcenies, 17 percent burglaries and 17 percent motor vehicle thefts, SANDAG said. Property crimes make up 85 percent of crimes reported in the region so far this year.

The number of robberies in San Diego also increased by 4 percent – to 1,396 – according to the mid-year report.

In the category of violent crime, the report said aggravated assaults have decreased by 1 percent, possibly because in 2015, California law enforcement agencies began using the FBI’s broader Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) definition of rape, leading to the reclassification of some assaults as rape. SANDAG said the change means the total number of violent crimes now includes incidents that would’ve previously been categorized differently.

There were 558 rapes reported in first six months of this year under the new UCR definition, compared to 511 in the first half of 2015.

A total of 5,409 violent crimes were reported to local law enforcement between January and June of this year, or an average of 30 per day, according to the report. That’s about one more per day than reported in mid-year 2015.

SANDAG said it is not possible, at this point, to confirm exactly what is causing the uptick in crime in San Diego.

“Other West Coast cities also are seeing increases in crime, and we are watching the data closely,” Dr. Cynthia Burke, Director of the SANDAG Criminal Justice Research Division, said in a press release Wednesday.

The report discusses some factors that may have played a role in the spike, including Assembly Bill 109 and Proposition 47.

According to SANDAG, this crime report includes statistics from the 18 cities and unincorporated communities that make up San Diego County. To read SANDAG’s full mid-year crime report, click here.



Photo Credit: AP

Appellate Court Overturns City College Murder Conviction

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An appellate court has overturned the conviction of a man who allegedly stalked his 19-year-old estranged wife before stabbing her to death in a City College bathroom in 2010.

The fourth appellate district court ruled 45-year-old Armando Perez needed legal counsel to plead guilty to the murder of Diana Gonzalez, even though he insisted on representing himself during the trial.

“The judgment must be reversed and the matter remanded with directions to strike Perez’s guilty plea,” the court ruling says.

In late 2010, Gonzalez was taking classes at San Diego City College to become a nurse. The 19-year-old had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl.

In October 2010, another City College student found Gonzalez’ body on the bathroom floor on campus.

The young mother and nursing student had been viciously stabbed to death; her injuries so severe that it was difficult to identify her, a homicide captain said in 2010.

The appellate court records reveal her attacker also sexually mutilated her body, stabbing her in her genital area and carving a derogatory word into her back.

Violent History

Less than a month prior, Gonzalez obtained a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband and father to their 10-month old child.

Gonzalez, who lived in National City, alleged in the court papers that Perez had kidnapped her from City College in September 2010.

She reported he beat her, and held her captive in motel rooms for three days.

A Sept. 23 police report says Perez showed up at City College, grabbed Gonzalez and choked her until she lost consciousness.

When she woke, she was in a moving vehicle and her face was bloody and swollen, according to the report.

Perez told her: “Just close your eyes and pray. That’s all you can do now,” as he drove to a nearby motel, according to the report.

“I felt there was no way to escape,” Gonzalez told San Diego police, according to the report.

When Perez went to a store the next day to purchase items to reduce swelling in Gonzalez’s face, she tried to escape by running down the street, but Perez caught her, beat her, and shoved her back in the car, according to the report.

Gonzalez reported Perez raped her twice during the three-day ordeal.

Officers with the San Diego Police Department arrested Perez on suspicion of kidnapping, rape and assault, but he was released due to “insufficient evidence.”

A homicide captain said in 2010 that police obtained physical evidence from the kidnapping and rape, but did not give further details about why Perez wasn’t prosecuted.

“The District Attorney’s office reviewed the case. However, they did not issue the case and he was released from custody,” then Homicide Capt. Jim Collins said.

Perez On the Run

After Perez held Gonzalez captive in motel rooms for three days, her family members said they were so concerned for her safety that they escorted her almost everywhere she went.

That included her classes at City College where her parents waited for her in the campus parking lot watching the door where she was supposed to come out of class at 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, the night of her murder.

A student discovered Gonzalez’s body around 10 p.m. that night, but Gonzalez’ parents had already been making frantic phone calls to police, after their daughter did not answer her cell phone.

Three hours later, homicide detectives officially told Gonzalez’ parents what they said they already knew.

Police say Perez stole a vehicle and escaped to Tijuana, where a sibling lived.

A year went by with little progress in the case.

Police reached out to Latino communities, distributing flyers in Spanish with the words “Accusado De Homicidio” in an effort to find Perez.

A provisional arrest warrant was issued by the Mexican government, permitting Perez’ arrest by Mexican law enforcement.

Months passed and family and friends held vigils in Gonzalez’ memory.

In February 2012, a team of San Diego police officers and Mexican authorities took Perez, then-38, into custody on Avenida Revolucion in Tijuana.

“As required by Mexico for the extradition of a Mexican national, the district attorney promised to not seek the death penalty,” according to the appellate court ruling.

The Trial

“Why did you tell me to plead not guilty? I’m guilty!” Perez shouted at his court appointed attorney during his arraignment. “I’m guilty alright.”

Multiple other times during the trial, Perez admitted guilt.

In February 2013, Perez complained his court-appointed attorney Michael Garcia wasn’t providing adequate representation.

In September 2013, Perez insisted on representing himself in the case.

In an exclusive interview with NBC 7, Perez said he killed his estranged wife because he could no longer control her. 

“When you know that you lost control, you love somebody and now it’s too late,” Perez said. “I’m sorry. I always will be sorry, even if I die tomorrow.”

A judge suspended court proceedings in November 2013 as Perez underwent a competency evaluation.

In November 2014, Perez admitted guilt again saying: “I plead guilty to all charges because that’s exactly what happened.”

A judge asked Perez if he understood he would be sentenced to life in prison without parole, and Perez acknowledged he understood.

But then in January 2015, Perez tried to withdraw his guilty plea and enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

A judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

What Now

Now, an appellate court has overturned Perez’ guilty plea and his conviction.

“Perez contends that under section 1018 the trial court had no authority to accept his guilty plea to an LWOP (life without possibility of parole) offense because he was not represented by counsel at the time of the plea. We agree,” the appellate court wrote.

Gonzalez’ mother could not be reached Wednesday for comment, but told Perez at a prior court hearing that his life sentence was not punishment enough.

“I hope and I ask God every day that you die in jail and that you rot because you don’t have a heart or a soul,” said Gonzalez’ mother in Spanish.

The District Attorney’s office will prosecute the case again and Perez will remain in custody, a DA spokesman said.

Defense Attorney Marc Carlos is not involved in the case, but provided his legal perspective on the retrial.

He said the case may be harder to convict now, given how much time has passed since the 2010 murder.

“Just because the prosecution says they have a piece of evidence, until it’s presented in court in front of the jury, who knows what they have,” Carlos said. “What we have here is someone who has entered a plea without the presence of counsel to the highest possible charge he could.”

“I think the appellate court overturned it because lay people, particularly criminal defendants, are severely compromised in their ability to understand the facts and law and nuance of this particular type of charge,” Carlos said.

In National City, Gonzalez’ family said they are once again left waiting for justice.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Car Goes off SR-125, Slams Into a Tree in El Cajon

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Two female students from Grossmont College were taken to the hospital after their SUV went off the State Route 125 in El Cajon and slammed into a tree Wednesday night, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed.

The crash happened at approximately 8:40 p.m. on the SR 125 at Grossmont College onramp.

According to the CHP, the SUV crashed into a tree in the backyard of a home on the 2600 block of Kildware Way.

The driver, a 17-year old girl and the passenger were taken to the hospital.

CHP says one of the girls helped pull the other out of the SUV. Both of them are okay.

It appears that speed may have been a factor in the crash.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Atlanta's Wisler Silences Padres Offense

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For the second night in a row, one player provided all the offense for the Padres and that was just not enough to produce a road win in Atlanta.

Padres outfielder Oswaldo Arcia went yard for the second straight day but that was the only offense the Friars could muster during Wednesday's 8-1 loss.

The main reason for that was Braves starting pitcher Matt Wisler, who struck out a career-high 10 batters and held the Padres to just one run over the first six innings.

Ryan Schimpf and Derek Norris each struck out three times, and Atlanta’s bullpen held firm during the final three frames to prevent San Diego from getting back into the contest.

Arcia knocked in all three runs for San Diego during Tuesday’s loss, and didn't get much help in this one. The Padres collected only five total hits and fell to 2-3 on their current 9-game road trip.

As of Wednesday night, the Padres sit in last place in the National League West with a 55-77 record.

Rosters expand to 40 in September, so it will be interesting to see which players get promoted to the big league club from the minors.

San Diego will try to get back on track in Thursday’s matinee when Jarred Cosart opposes Atlanta’s Mike Foltynewicz.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

New Information of Man Who Followed Girl Into Bathroom

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The man accused of taking cell phone video of a 10-year old girl in a Walmart bathroom in El Cajon also made sexually explicit comments to the victim, according to court documents.

Robert Becker, 21, a registered sex offender, is facing attempted lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, annoying or molesting a child with a prior conviction and disorderly lewd contact charges.

On Aug. 17, deputies responded to a Walmart at 13487 Camino Canada in unincorporated El Cajon where a man, now identified as Becker, had followed the little girl into the women's restroom at the store.

Becker went inside a stall next to her and allegedly used his cell phone camera to record her while making lewd comments.

Officials said the girl ran out of the restroom and out of the store. Becker fled before deputies were able to identify him as a suspect through the surveillance video recorded at the store.

San Diego Sheriff’s Department (SDSO) later served an arrest warrant for Becker’s home in Alpine, along with the vehicles and storage areas on the property.

According to the affidavit in support of the search warrant, surveillance video shows the suspect, who was wearing a red old spice t-shirt, making a purchase using a credit card. Surveillance video from the day before showed the suspect entering the woman’s restroom inside the Walmart for approximately 15 minutes.

The affidavit said during that time, several women entered the bathroom.

A search of Becker’s home turned up a large red old spice t-shirt. Investigators also found a pink and white infant onesie and a pair of girls’ underwear.

But according to the Deputy District Attorney says the items found at Becker’s house may not have any question to this case.

However, the case is still under investigation.

Locals React To Donald Trump's Speech at Arizona Rally

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Hours after meeting with Mexico's president, Donald Trump returned to the U.S. for a rally in Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday to detail his immigration and border security plan.

During the rally, the Republican presidential candidate vowed to his supporters to build a wall and deport millions of people illegally living in the country if he is elected president.

Prior to the rally, Trump met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto behind closed doors.

Following the meeting, President Nieto tweeted, “At the start of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made it clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall.”

But during his speech in Arizona, Trump said that the discussion regarding funding for his proposed border wall never happened.

Instead, he announced that Mexico will funding the wall.

"We will build a great wall along the southern border,” Trump told his supporters at the rally. "And Mexico will pay for the wall. One hundred percent. They don’t know it yet, but they’re going to pay for the wall.”

NBC 7 spoke to some San Diegans about Trump’s approach to immigration and received mixed reactions.

“I know he's a business man but I don’t know how it’s going to turn out in terms of low income communities. It’s a huge concern,” said National City resident Joseph Robinson.

Robinson told NBC 7 that he is concerned Trump's approach to immigration will encourage racial profiling.

“It wouldn’t be a normal conversation,” he said. “lt would be for the safety and well-being of the people, racial profiling, because that’s definitely what’s going to happen.”

But Kimbelrin Brown, of Fallbrook, said she is excited about Trump’s strong stance and initiative to work with the Mexican government.

“The fact that he took the step to actually go and speak to the president was huge,” she told NBC 7.

Robinson said she believes that if Donald Trump is elected as president, it will bring communities together.

“I think those who don’t agree with the message paint everything with a broad brush and put everything under a microscope,” she said.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

First Identical Twin Puppies Born

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A veteran veterinarian delivered the first known biologically identical puppy twins in South Africa, researchers who tested the pups' DNA over several weeks confirm. 

Kurt de Cramer, who works in South Africa's Rant en Dal ANimal Hospital in Mogale City, was performing a C-section on an Irish wolfhound when he encountered something unprecedented in 26 years of veterinary practice: two puppies with umbilical cords attached to the same placenta, according to BBC. 

The puppies were the same sex and had similar markings; the other five puppies in the litter also looked similar, but each had his or her own placenta, the website reported. 

A team of researchers took DNA samples when the pups were 2 weeks old, and again at 6 weeks old, and the results confirmed de Cramer's initial hypothesis that they were monozygotic twins. 

It's not clear if this is the first case of monozygotic twin puppies, because pups born in the same litter often look alike and DNA testing is usually not performed -- but it's the first documented case in scientific literature. 

Non-identical twins are more common because they each have their own placenta. Identical twin fetuses have been reported in horses, for example, but the placenta doesn't have enough oxygen to sustain both. 

De Cramer told BBC he saw only one other case of puppies sharing a placenta, but both, oxygen- and nutrient-deprived, were dead before he performed a C-section on the mother.



Photo Credit: AP

Wheelmobile Is Coming to San Diego

Mother of Autistic Boy Gets Surprise Note in Restaurant

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After an autistic boy had a meltdown in a Missouri restaurant, the boy's family was surprised by an anonymous act of kindness.

Doc Accused of Prescribing Painkillers in Exchange for Sex

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A doctor was arrested at a medical office in San Diego’s East County Wednesday, accused of trying to hook patients onto painkillers and prescribing the pills in exchange for sex once those patients were addicted.

United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) spokesperson Amy Roderick told NBC 7 that Dr. Naga Raja Thota, M.D., was arrested at the Pain Management Center located at 2732 Navajo Rd. in El Cajon during a raid by federal authorities.

Thota was arraigned in federal court Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernie Skomal.

Roderick said Thota, 62, allegedly prescribed opiate painkiller medication to patients with the intent of getting them addicted. Roderick told NBC 7 that once patients were addicted, Thota would ask patients to engage in sexual relations with him in exchange for more prescriptions.

The female patients involved in this case received prescriptions for the opioids without legitimate medical purpose, on numerous occasions, in exchange for sex acts, the office of United States Attorney Laura E. Duffy confirmed.

NBC 7 spoke with Tom Lenox of the DEA Wednesday who said the federal investigation on Thota dates back several years.

Lenox said it involves three patients in their early to mid-20s who were prescribed painkillers by the doctor in return for sexual favors. 

Lenox said the doctor would, in some cases, order a prescription under the name of a family member of a patient to avoid a "red flag" from prescribing too many medications over a short period of time for one patient.

Two of Thota’s patients later became addicted to heroin due to the over-prescribing of painkillers, Lenox said.

The U.S. Attorney's office the main patient outlined in the federal complaint, referred to as "J.S.," met Thota when she was 20 years old and felt that if she did not submit to sex acts with the doctor, Thota would not provide her with additional prescriptions for opioids.

She started using heroin after "being exposed to greater dosage levels of opioids by Thota," the U.S. Attorney's office said in a document outlining the charges against Thota.

The doctor is charged with seven counts of dispensing controlled subtances without a legitimate medical purpose. If convicted on all charges, Thota faces a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars, plus a $1 million fine and life-term of supervised release.

A federal complaint filed against Thota on Tuesday states he prescribed Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Methadone and Alprazolam to J.S. at least 33 times between March 2013 and February 2014. In one instance, Thota prescribed 300 Oxycodone pills for the woman.

The complaint shows the doctor engaged in a pattern of sending "sexually-explicit texts" with J.S., followed by writing prescriptions for the highly-addictive painkillers. He often called the patient "babe" and "love" in the text messages.

The complaint says J.S. told investigators that her romantic relationship with Thota began three days after her first consultation with him, when he called her cell phone to ask if she had a date for Valentine's Day. After that, they began communicating regularly via phone calls and text messages.

Later on in their relationship, according to the complaint, J.S. asked Thota to write a prescription for painkillers for her brother and Thota sent the woman a text message saying no because he was "scared" to lose his license to practice medicine.

However, without ever establishing a patient-doctor relationship with J.S.'s brother, Thota wound up writing prescriptions for the woman's brother three times in 2013, the complaint states.

During a six-week period between March 2013 and April 2013, Thota also allegedly prescribed painkillers in the name of J.S.'s father and one of her friends. The complaint says that during that time period 1,460 Oxycodone pills and 660 tablets of Hydrocodone were prescribed by Thota.

Federal investigators reviewed Thota's cell phone records and found set of text messages between the doctor and another patient, referred to as "D.H." between May 2014 and September 2014, the complaint says.

D.H. told investigators Thota had texted her on numerous occasions to ask her for sex, allegedly offering to pay her $100 to have sex with him.

Another patient included in the complaint, referred to as "M.R.," communicated with Thota via cell phone between February 2013 and February 2014.

During that time period, the complaint says Thota wrote 59 prescriptions for painkillers for M.R. and even met her in the parking lot of a CVS once to give her a prescription and $50 to fill it.

The woman also told investigators that Thota would sometimes drive her "from pharmacy to pharmacy to see which one we could get to do it [fill the prescription]."

M.R. told agents she also engaged in sexual acts with Thota in exchange for the prescriptions. She said Thota would also buy her expensive gifts, including diamond earrings, a smartphone, shopping sprees and a weekly $50 gift card to Starbucks. He also helped her pay off her car.

After becoming addicted to methadone, M.R. also became hooked on heroin, the documents state.

Federal agents served the first search warrants in this investigation on Thota's medical practice on Navajo Road on May 27, 2015. The doctor was first interviewed by investigators at the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego on June 4, 2015, mainly about prescriptions he wrote for patients mentioned in the complaint. He met again with the feds on Dec. 15, 2015, while in the presence of his defense attorney, the complaint says.

Search warrants were served on Thota's medical practice on Navajo Road on March 16, 2016. During that search, federal agents discovered more text messages between Thota and one of the patients in the complaint, plus nude photos of another patient in the complaint.

Read the full complaint filed on Aug. 30 here.

Past Complaints Against Thota
According to Superior Court of California records obtained by NBC 7, Thota has been involved in two medical malpractice cases and one professional negligence case in San Diego County.

One malpractice case was filed in May 2013 by the family of an elderly patient who was treated by Thota.

According to that complaint, in late October 2012 Thota allegedly performed a kyphoplasty procedure on that elderly patient "without obtaining proper informed consent from her son." The complaint said the patient suffered from Dementia and "lacked the capacity to understand and make decisions."

The document said Thota "recklessly" performed the procedure at an office rather than a surgical center and punctured one of the victim's veins. The family said the doctor failed to properly repair the vein.

The elderly woman was returned to her nursing home, where she experienced complications stemming from the kyphoplasty the following day. She was hospitalized and died on Nov. 5, 2013, according to the complaint.

A second malpractice complaint was filed against Thota in August 2013. The document said he worked for Sharp Healthcare at that time.

The complaint said Thota “surgically removed a nonfunctioning dorsal column stimulator, internal pulse generator and leads from the lower back of plaintiff” during a procedure at Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.

The doctor also allegedly left some tubing inside the patient’s lower back during the procedure that served “no therapeutic purpose.”

The complaint said that, as a result of Thota’s work, that patient suffered “severe shock and injury to her nervous system and person.”

A professional negligence complaint against the doctor was filed in April 2016.

Those documents show Thota was working at the Pain Management Center on Navajo Road – the same place that was raided Wednesday – at the time when that case was filed.

Thota's Medical License
According to the Medical Board of California, Thota has a current "Physician and Surgeon A" license to practice that expires on Aug. 31, 2018. His license was issued on Sept. 14, 1994. It states Thota graduated from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences in Vijayawada in India on Jan. 1, 1979.

The Medical Board of California license information shows one "administrative disciplinary action" on Thota's record and lists his status as "probation" as a result of disciplinary action. The license also says "limitations have been placed on the physician's practice."

Thota was placed on probation effective March 2, 2016, according to the Medical Board of California. He was suspended from practicing for one month, from March 18 to April 16. Per the Board, Thota's probation term is seven years.

The probation terms state he is "prohibited from engaging in the solo practice of medicine and supervising physician assistants and shall not order, prescribe, dispense, administer, furnish of possess any controlled subtances, except for those drugs listed in schedules IV and V. Dr. Thota shall be subject to this restriction until he completes a prescribing course."

Meanwhile, the Pain Management Center on Navajo Road continued to operate following Thota’s arrest on Wednesday.

NBC 7 spoke with several patients at the facility who said they like the doctor and never had any issues with Thota. Patient reviews for Thota on this website show he has a 3.5 rating out of 5.

The patients involved in this federal case against Thota are all still alive, Lenox confirmed.

But former patients not involved in this case told NBC 7 that Thota had made sexual approaches to her.

“He said 'I'm going to help you' and he threw his arms around me and grabbed me up against him and he kissed the side of my face,” Anne Lutz said.

Another former patient who wished not to be identified, said she followed Thota's advice and in no time, she became addicted to Oxycodone.

"My body was becoming dependent on it. I needed it. When I woke up and I didn't have it, I felt awful."

During Wednesday's hearing, Judge Bernie Skomal set Thota's bail at $100,000. Thota is also not allowed to be in contact with any of the people who were mentioned in the complaint.

But Thota is back in business at his clinic, with some restrictions. He is still able to prescribe pain medicine to female patients, but only under the supervision of another physician while this case is pending.

The decision is leaving some former patients outraged. 

The investigation is ongoing. Lenox said there may be more victims out there. Roderick said anyone who believes they are victims of Thota in this case can call federal law enforcement at (858) 616-4100.

Thota is scheduled to appear in court again on September 13.



Photo Credit: Google Maps/Vitals.com

Car, Clothes of Missing LA Man Found in Carlsbad

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Police are searching for a Los Angeles man who disappeared under suspicious circumstances and whose car and clothes were found in Carlsbad.

Ebrahim Pouldar, 56, vanished from west Los Angeles on July 28, LA police investigators said. He was reported missing to police on Aug. 6.

Five days later, his car was found in a cul de sac near Hosp Grove Park in Carlsbad. On Aug. 17, his pants wallet and keys were found nearby in some brush in the 2200 block of Jefferson Street near the Buena Vista Lagoon.

Investigators said Pouldar disappeared under suspicious circumstances. He did not have any known illnesses.

Police on Wednesday were bringing in tracking dogs to search the Carlsbad area and were handing out fliers.

"In this particular case, because it's been so long, it's really not necessary the items they'll be sniffing for," said San Diego County Sheriff's Sgt. Fred Duey. "It's more of human remains that they'll be sniffing for."

Pouldar has black hair and brown hair and is 5 feet 5 inches tall. He weighs 160 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call LAPD’s Missing Persons Unit at 213-996-1800-527-3247.



Photo Credit: LAPD

UCSD Professor and Nobel Prize Winner Roger Tsien Dies at 64

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A University of California, San Diego professor who won a Nobel Prize for helping create colorful markers that can help tag cancer tumors or track the development of Alzheimer's disease, has died.

Roger Tsien (Chen) was 64. The university says he died Aug. 24 in Eugene, Oregon.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, UC San Diego's chancellor says Tsien apparently died while on a bike trail. The cause of death hasn't been determined.

Tsien shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry for helping turn a green fluorescent protein found in jellyfish into a research tool that could be used to track cellular processes in real time. He helped create a number of markers in many colors that researchers use to literally illuminate everything from human nerves to bacteria.



Photo Credit: University of California, San Diego
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