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Chula Vistan Named Playboy Playmate of the Year

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A Chula Vista native is celebrating her title as Playboy's Playmate of the Year for 2013.

Raquel Pomplun, who appeared as Miss April alongside Grammy-award winning musician Bruno Mars, was named 2013 Playmate of the Year at the iconic Playboy Mansion Thursday.

The magazine describes her as its first "Mexican-American" Playmate of the Year.

“Playboy has taught me a side of myself I didn’t know before," Pomplun said in the official announcement.

Her work with Playboy was the first big modeling gig for the Chula Vista native, who visited NBC 7 to discuss the April cover.

Pomplun went to Bonita Vista High School before attending Southwestern College and University of Phoenix. The cover girl also plays soccer and has trained in classical ballet.

She said in a statement that she hopes to finish her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and help stabilize the decaying environment, while continuing to live life to the fullest.

 

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Toddler in Critical Condition Following Near-Drowning

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Police and medics responded to reports of a near-drowning at a home in El Cajon on Thursday.

According to officials, the incident was reported at around 12:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Nila Avenue.

Medics transported one victim from the scene to Grossmont Hospital.

El Cajon Police Sgt. John Hayes said the near-drowning happened in the swimming pool of the home and involved a 20 to 21-month-old toddler. The child has been transferred to Rady Children's Hospital, Sgt. Hayes said.

Sgt. Hayes says the incident is not being investigated as a crime. Police officials told NBC 7 the child's grandmother was home at the time of the near-drowning.

As of 2:30 p.m., Rady Children's Hospital spokesperson Carlos Delgado confirmed the toddler is in critical condition.

The victim's family told NBC 7 the victim is a little boy, but they did not disclose his exact age.

Family friend and neighbor Angela Botros told NBC 7 the little boy is active and friendly, and often plays with her little brother.

"He's just an ordinary little baby. He likes to play around with the balls and pull the petals off flowers and he's a sweet little kid," said Botros. "He's like my little brother, because he's like my little brother's best friend."

Botros said she had never seen the toddler around the swimming pool.

"He's a good boy. He knows that if something is dangerous around him, he knows not to do it," she added.

Check back for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Brandi Powell

Mother, 3 Children Struck by Car in Rolando

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A car struck four people in Rolando Thursday afternoon – a mother and her three children, according to officials.

The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. at the intersection of 62nd Street and Acorn Street when an unlicensed, 18-year-old female driver of a green BMW lost control of her vehicle.

Police say the driver had reached for a drink that fell from her console and lost control of her car, driving onto the opposite side of the street.

Fire officials say the driver jumped the curb and took out a fire hydrant before striking a mother and her three daughters, who were walking on the sidewalk in the area.

Officials say one of the children became trapped underneath the car following the collision.

Five to six Good Samaritans at the scene rushed to the child’s aid and were able to pull the girl out from underneath the car.

The mother and all three children – ages 4, 5, and 6 -- were transported to the hospital. Officials say the driver of the BMW was also taken to the hospital.

A child’s stroller was left behind at the scene, as well as other remnants of the accident.

Police say the mother and her 4 and 5-year-old daughters all sustained abrasions from the accident. The 6-year-old suffered a fractured femur.

The collision is still under investigation. At this time, no charges have been filed.

Check back for updates on this story.



Photo Credit: Danya Bacchus

Exclusive: Teacher Arrested for Sexual Misconduct

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Police have arrested a Chula Vista teacher on multiple charges of sexual misconduct involving a minor, according to a letter issued by the Sweetwater Union High School District on Thursday and obtained by NBC 7 San Diego.

The letter states that a teacher from Olympian High School was arrested at the campus on Magdalena Avenue on Monday afternoon by officers from the San Diego Police Department.

The teacher is facing eight felony charges, including several counts of misconduct involving a minor, the letter obtained by NBC 7 says. The sexual misconduct charges do not directly involve any Sweetwater District students, though further details were not immediately released.

The teacher was arraigned on the charges this week and bail was set at $2 million, according to the letter from the district. One district source told NBC 7 the suspect is special education teacher Loren McDonald, 37.

The San Diego County Sheriff's inmate log confirms McDonald is in custody at San Diego Central Jail on bail set at $2 million. His charges include a sex crime with a child 10 years old or younger and lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14. His booking information says he's scheduled to appear in court again on May 16.

The investigation is ongoing.

At this point, the letter says the Sweetwater Union High School District will not comment on the case or the specific charges linked to the teacher because it’s a personnel issue.

On Thursday, a district spokesperson confirmed the teacher's arrest to NBC 7 and said the district would not be commenting any further at this time.

The district's letter obtained by NBC 7 did say the accused teacher was immediately placed on leave. The school board will be given information on this case during a meeting on Monday, the letter says.

NBC 7 reached out to police for further details on this developing story. On Thursday afternoon, SDPD Lt. Chuck Kaye confirmed McDonald's arrest and the charges to NBC 7.

Lt. Kaye says McDonald's crimes had no connection to his place of employment.

McDonald's neighbors told NBC 7 that McDonald, a woman and some children recently moved into the neighborhood. One resident said he's concerned over the allegations.

Check back for updates.



Photo Credit: Google Maps

Christian Metal Singer "Wanted Her Gone": DA

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A shocking allegation was made Thursday as the frontman of a Grammy-nominated Christian metal band faced a judge in an alleged murder-for-hire plot.

Not only did the prosecutor charge San Diego-based musician Tim Lambesis with trying to arrange the murder of his estranged wife, she also claimed the man known by fans around the world for his faith recently said he no longer believes in God.

NBC 7: Local Musician Arrested in Murder-for-Hire Plot

Local musician Tim Lambesis appeared tired and expressionless in the Vista courtroom Thursday. 

Lambesis, in custody since his arrest Tuesday, was ordered to be held on $3 million bail after a quick arraignment in a Vista courtroom. 

The frontman for the Christian metal group As I Lay Dying, entered a not guilty plea to one charge of solicitation of murder.  

Lambesis, an alum of Santa Fe Christian High School,  was just about to join a summer tour with the band when he was arrested in Oceanside by San Diego County sheriff's deputies.

Prosecutors claim Lambesis approached someone from his gym on April 23 and allegedly asked if the person knew anyone who could kill his wife. The metal rocker was motivated because he felt it would be better for the children to have a healthy relationship with one parent prosecutors allege.

Then on May 7, he met with an undercover agent named “Red.”

Lambesis allegedly told the agent that he wanted his wife "gone" and to "never see her again" prosecutors said. Watch video

When asked if he wanted her dead, the defendant replied, “Yes, that is exactly what I want,” Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso said in court.

Prosecutors claim Lambesis provided the undercover agent with an envelope containing $1,000 cash for expenses, his wife’s address and gate codes,  pictures of her and specific dates when he would have the children and thus, an alibi.

“He has provided the means, the money, the pictures, the address, the gate codes, the times,” Grasso said.

His estranged wife, Meggan Lambesis, lives in Del Mar with the couple's three children ages 4, 8 and 10.  She had filed for divorce in September to end the couple's 8-year marriage according to court documents. 

Grasso said Meggan Lambesis is in seclusion and terrified there may be other hits still outstanding.

In the divorce records obtained by the Associated Press, Meggan Lambesis claims the rocker had become "obsessed with bodybuilding" and was distracted with the children, even falling asleep once while watching them.

She also claimed he has spent thousands of dollars on tattoos.

In an email sent in August, Lambesis told his wife he had been having an affair and no longer loved her the prosecutor said in court.

“He also told her he no longer believes in God,” Grasso said.

The divorce and custody issues are still pending.

Members of the band, family members, friends and a number of supporters filled the gallery in court. Among them were Lambesis' high school basketball coach and religion teacher his defense attorney said.

In arguing for reasonable bail, high-profile criminal attorney Anthony Salerno told the judge Lambesis has no criminal history whatsoever.

“Even assuming the allegations are true, the dangers are very particular to one person and not to the community at large,” Salerno added requesting a bail of $250,000.

Images: Tim Lambesis Appears in Court

Judge Martin Staven ordered GPS monitoring for the defendant and that he stay away from his wife and children.

The musician must surrender his passport and remain in San Diego County except for meetings with his legal team in Los Angeles.

If convicted, Lambesis faces a maximum sentence of 9 years behind bars.

Fans around the world discussed the arrest on social media displaying shock and sadness. The band reached out to their fans, releasing an official statement Wednesday night:

"As we post this, the legal process is taking its course and we have no more information than you do. There are many unanswered questions."

Woman Killed in El Cajon Crash

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A woman was killed in a two-vehicle accident at a busy El Cajon intersection early Friday.

Officials responded to E. Washington Avenue and S. Mollison Avenue just before 6:30 a.m. to find one vehicle turned on its side.

A woman driving a black Acura Integra was traveling west on Washington Avenue when she ran a red light into the intersection. The driver hit a 36-year-old female driving a Chevy Sonic, killing her at the scene.

The second driver was seriously injured and taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital.

El Cajon police are investigating the cause of the crash and said the woman who died may not have been wearing a seatbelt.

Both women are El Cajon residents.

A preliminary investigation stated that alcohol or speed was not a factor.

Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact the El Cajon Police Department Traffic Division at 619-441-1632.

Sailing Official: "He Was the Heart and Soul of the Team"

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Training was canceled on Friday and Team Artemis was in mourning after an Olympic sailor from their crew died when an America's Cup sailboat capsized during a training run in the San Francisco Bay.

A news conference on Friday at Pier 27 in San Francisco did not shed much light on what happened just before the death of British-born Andrew "Bart" Simpson.

Regatta Director and America's Cup Management CEO Iain Murray said that officials have not yet talked to the team about why the catamaran, "Big Red," took a "nosedive" Thursday about 1 p.m., catching Simpson underneath for about 10 minutes, because they are grieving.

Murray vowed they would find out what happened, and said that sailors are taught to "respect the ocean at all times."

Simpson, the 36-year-old Olympic gold medalist, was the team's strategist. He had won gold in China in 2008 and silver in 2012.

"He was the heart and soul of the team," said Tim Jeffery, Oracle Team USA spokesman said Thursday. "He was perpetually happy. It was like he had a little box inside that gave him a sunny outlook on life."

Simpson joined the team in February, providing his crew with weather and tactics support, according to the America's Cup website. Jeffery said Simpson's worth to the team was his ability was to "spot the breeze, read the breeze."

Magnus Auguston, the team's "grinder," said Simpson was was of the "finest guys I ever met," and a wonderful sailor, as well as husband and father.

And the British Olympic Association described him as a "treasured and accomplished member" of its teams.

On Friday, the same website showed dark gray clouds hovering over the Golden Gate Bridge, near where Simpson died on Thursday, with a quote from the Swedish team's CEO, Paul Cayard, simply stating, "Our prayers are with Andrew Simpson's family."

“As our friend and teammate, Andrew “Bart” Simpson was central to Artemis Racing, both in the course of racing and our lives," said Torbjörn Törnqvist, Chairman of Artemis Racing. "His presence and personality was a binding force and he will be missed. Right now, the primary focus of Artemis Racing is on the well-being of our team members and their families, and the America’s Cup competition will remain second to that.”

He added that Artemis Racing will conduct a thorough analysis and review of this accident and will be looking at how the risks inherent to such competitive sailing can be limited in the future for the safety of the team and all competitors in the sailing community.

MORE: Other Sailing Fatalities in History

Crews performed CPR on Simpson for about 20 minutes, after the accident in the San Francisco Bay just north of Treasure Island, according to San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White. But just before 2 p.m., fire paramedics stopped life-saving efforts. He had been in the water for about 10 minutes, probably trapped under the AC 72 vessel, Hayes-White said.

It's unknown why the boat capsized. San Francisco police will lead the investigation into what happened. This is the same major accident investigations team that investigated an accident during a yacht race off the Farrallon Islands last April that killed several people. In that race, unrelated to the America's Cup, the crews were racing a 37-foot Aegean off the coast of California and Mexico, when it collided with a larger vessel.

Winds at the time of Thursday's accident show the average gusts to have been between 25 mph and 35 mph, waves between four to six feet high, and water temperatures about 55 degrees -- nothing out of the ordinary.

Eleven other sailors were aboard the 72-foot long craft, and the other 10 were taken to a support boat operated by Oracle Racing, which is defending the America's Cup title from 2010 in San Francisco this summer.  Another team member, identified on Friday as Craig Monk, a "grinder," suffered some cuts and was bandaged and released, according to America's Cup officials.

Artemis Racing is the "challenger of record" for the 24th America's Cup.

Sailing in the San Francisco Bay is both exhilerating and dangerous — mostly because of the winds.

"It has ideal winds," said Rich Jepsen, of OCSC Sailing in Berkeley. "But at that speed, there is no room for error." Seventy-two-foot catamarans like the Artemis can travel between 40 to 50 mph.

This it is the third America's Cup training accident — though the first fatal one — in the last two years in the San Francisco Bay.

And in 1999, there was one other America's Cup fatality:  Martin Wizner of the Spanish Challenge died almost instantly in Valencia, Spain when he was hit in the head by a broken piece of equipment.

 

Back in October, a nearly $8-million, 72-foot catamaran used by Oracle Team USA capsized near the Golden Gate Bridge. No one was injured when that happened. But there was at least $2 million in damage to the wing of the AC 72 boat, a massive vessel with a 13,000-pound hull and a 131-foot mast.

To see some video of the Team Oracle boat capsizing in October 2012, click here:

 

There was another accident in June 2011, with the same Oracle team.

Artemis has had technical problems, as well. Last fall, Artemis said the front beam of its AC72 catamaran was damaged during structural tests, delaying the boat's christening. A year ago, Artemis' AC72 wing sail sustained serious damage while it was being tested on a modified trimaran in Valencia, Spain.

The America's Cup race is scheduled to run from July through September, and the teams are training on the bay in specially made 72-foot catamarans.

Photos and updates were also available on the  America's Cup website.To see the members of the Artemis Racing team, click here.

5 Things to Know about the America's Cup (Courtesy AP)

       WHAT IS THE AMERICA'S CUP?
 
       The America's Cup is considered sailing's most prestigious event and, along with the Olympics and World Cup soccer, among the world's largest global sporting events in terms of its economic impact. It began in 1851 when the New York Yacht Club's schooner, `America,' bested the British off the coast of England.
 
       WHO OVERSEES IT?
 
       The winner is responsible for choosing the site of the next race and making arrangements for it. Software billionaire Larry Ellison's Oracle Racing won the cup in 2010 off the coast of Spain. Ellison, who won the cup representing the San Francisco-based Golden Gate Yacht Club, chose the San Francisco Bay.
 
       WHO IS COMPETING?
 
       After organizers predicted about a dozen entries, only three competitors signed up to challenge Ellison for the America's Cup. They are: Artemis, which is representing the Royal Swedish Yacht Club; Luna Rossa Challenge, representing the Italian yacht club Circolo della Vela Sicilia and Emirates Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Competing teams can spend more than $100 million to construct and race the space-age 72-foot dual-hull boats. 
 
       WHAT ARE THE RULES?
 
       The three challengers will compete in a series of match races beginning July 7. The top two finishers will compete in a best of seven semi-final starting Aug. 6. The first to four victories will take on Oracle Racing starting Aug. 17. The finalists will race twice-a-day in a best-of-13 series. The first to seven wins is champion.
 
       WHAT DOES THE COURSE LOOK LIKE?
 
       Organizers boast the 34th America's Cup will be the most accessible to on-shore spectators in the event's history. The compact course stretches from inside the Golden Gate Bridge, past Alcatraz Island to Piers 27 and 29 along San Francisco's busy waterfront district, circling in front of the city's iconic Fisherman's Wharf area. 

 

NBC Bay Area's Stephanie Chuang, Cheryl Hurd, Kyle Bonagura, Tim Bollinger, Gonzalo Rojas, Jean Elle and Jeff Ranieri contributed to this report, as well as the Associated Press.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

Hotel Flooded When Facade Collapses

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Guests at a Midway hotel were displaced after a large section of the building collapsed overnight.

Fire officials say the decorative facade on the Hampton Inn collapsed on the 3rd floor, tearing through several sprinkler lines and causing significant water damage to all three floors.

Crews say there was 3 to 6 inches of water on each of the floors.

At this point they don't know what caused collapse -- it could have been an underlying water leak.

A city engineer was called in to inspect the building.

Hotel staff found alternative rooms for those guests who were displaced.


WATCH: Obama Delivers Remarks on Health Care

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President Obama is delivering remarks on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on Americans from the White House on Friday. This livestream has concluded. Visit NBCNews.com for more coverage.



Photo Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS

West Volunteer Possessed Bomb-Making Material: ATF

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An emergency volunteer in West was arrested Thursday afternoon by ATF agents on a charge of possession of a destructive device, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Friday.

Bryce A. Reed, 31, a paramedic who became a spokesperson for the town of West after last month's deadly explosion at a fertilizer facility, which is now the subject of a criminal investigation, appeared before a federal judge in Waco at 10:15 a.m. Friday.

The hearing was closed to the public, but a criminal complaint released Friday afternoon by the Department of Justice said Reed gave an assortment of bomb-making components to a friend on April 26.

KPRC-TV reported the friend eventually looked in the box, saw what he believed to be a pipe bomb, and notified the authorities.

On May 7, members of the McLennan County Sheriff's Department bomb squad investigated and rendered safe the device in the box. In the criminal complaint, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives listed the contents, which had not been assembled into a working bomb, as follows: 

"The components included a galvanized metal pipe that was 3.5 inches in length by 1.5 inches in diameter. Attached to the pipe were two galvanized end caps, one of which contained a drilled hole approximately 1/8 inch in diameter. Additionally, the canisters contained an unknown amount of hobby fuse, a lighter, a digital scale, plastic spoon, six coils of metal ribbon, and several pounds of chemical powders in individual bags.  The powders included Potassium Nitrate, Aluminum powder, Red Iron Oxide, Ammonium Perchlorate, Potassium Perchlorate, Sulfur powder, Air Float Charcoal and Eckart 10890 German Dark Aluminum."

 

According to the complaint, Reed admitted to possessing the components of the pipe bomb.

A short time after his arrest was announced Friday morning, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced that the Texas Rangers and McLennan County Sheriff's Department were opening a criminal investigation into the explosion. Officials have made no connection between Reed's arrest and the investigation into the deadly blast.

"It is important to emphasize that at this point, no evidence has been uncovered to indicate any connection to the events surrounding the fire and subsequent explosion at the West Fertilizer Plant and the arrest of Bryce Reed by the A.T.F.," the McLennan County Sheriff's Department said in a news release Friday afternoon.

Reed remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing on May 15. If convicted, Reed faces up to 10 years in federal prison and faces a fine of up to $250,000.

Reed's Background

Bryce Ashley Reed is married with one child, according to his posts on Facebook. He posted on May 7 that his wife left him sometime after the explosion in West. Photographs on the page show him working as a firefighter and flight paramedic for Children's Medical Center in Dallas. Children's told NBC 5 that Reed began his employment with them on Jan. 7, but that he went on leave April 3. Per policy, they were not able to say why he went on leave.

On Wednesday, about a day before his arrest, Reed posted the following message on Facebook:

I just wanted to tell everyone thank you for all the prayers and support. I'm going to take a break from Facebook to reflect. I assure you that I'm ok. God bless you all, and please if you heed nothing else I have said, love one another. God bless. Bryce.

 According to statements posted on his Linkedin page, Reed said he worked in a variety of jobs including flight paramedic, SWAT paramedic and as a systems analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Reed listed the U.S. Biological and Chemical Weapons Depot at Fort McClellan and Advanced Field Critical Care at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center among his educational accomplishments. Among his specialties, he included music marketing, Christian ministry and critical care medicine.

Reed spoke at the funeral for West volunteer firefighter and close friend Cyrus Reed, no relation, who was killed in the blast. Video of Reed's memorial can be seen in the video below:

NBC 5's Eric King and Scott Gordon contributed to this report.

Parents React to Special Ed Teacher's Arrest

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Charges against special education teacher Loren McDonald were shocking to parents and grandparents of students that attend Olympian High School.

Chula Vista teacher Loren McDonald was arrested Monday at the Magdalena Avenue campus on multiple charges of sexual misconduct involving a minor.

McDonald was ordered held on $2 million bail.

The charges do not involve students at the school. Still parents at Olympian High were shocked to hear the news.

“It sure is a big concern,” parent Javier Wong said. “You got to watch out for our children.”

“You hear more and more of that coming out. I think what are people coming to,” grandparent Louis Martinez said.

Sweetwater School District said McDonald was never alone with students in his class.

“In a set class room of ten or twelve you sometimes have 4, 5 or six staff members in the class at the same time,” spokesperson Manny Rubio said.

Rubio said the parents of his students were notified and encouraged to report any complaints. So far no parent has come forward officials said.

Other district parents were not alerted.

NBC 7 San Diego obtained a letter from the district superintendent addressed to the board that explained the charges.

The letter said the accused teacher was immediately placed on administrative leave. The school board will be given information on this case during a meeting on Monday.

Court records obtained by NBC 7 San Diego indicate McDonald was sued for domestic violence two weeks before his arrest.

We spoke with the complainant, late Thursday night. She lives with her children in the same home as McDonald. She would not discuss either case.

The school district was not aware of the domestic violence complaint.

McDonald is scheduled to appear in court again on May 16.



Photo Credit: Google Maps

Officials ID Surfer Found Near Tourmaline Beach

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Officials identified the surfer reported missing and then found dead near Pacific Beach but did not have details on what may have killed him.

Brandon Beaver, 42, of San Diego died after disappearing from view far from the beach Wednesday night near the popular surfing spot Tourmaline Beach north of San Diego.

NBC 7: Shark Wounds Found on Surfer's Body

Lifeguards said Beaver’s fiancé filed a police report late Wednesday when she was concerned that Beaver hadn’t returned home.

Someone walking near the water line early Thursday spotted the surfer's body in the kelp and called 911.

Lifeguards initially said Beaver’s body showed signs of a shark attack but said the bites were believed to have occurred after death. 

An autopsy was scheduled for Friday.

On Friday night, an updated report released by the county medical examiner's office stated that Beaver's cause of death was drowning.

Witnesses told lifeguards that Beaver took off his wet suit and tied it around his surfboard – an act several surfers said was highly unusual.

Lifeguards Lt. John Everhart said he had never seen anything like it in his 29 years in the department.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

Panga Prompts Search in La Jolla

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Seven people were taken into custody after a panga washed ashore near the Children's Pool in La Jolla.

A security guard patrolling the area called police around 2:30 a.m. reporting that 15 people got out of the boat and walked away together.

Those people detained were stopped by officials near the post office.

A U.S. Border Patrol helicopter and ground units patrolled the area and ultimately arrested 14 people.

One woman and 13 men, all Mexican nationals, were detained at the scene. Their ages are unknown.

Check back for details on this developing story. 

Ice-Age Bison Fossil to be Unveiled

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Officials from the San Diego Natural History Museum and Caltrans will soon unveil the rare fossil of an Ice-Age bison that were recently discovered in San Diego’s North County.

According to the San Diego Natural History Museum, the fossil were found at a highway construction site on the State Route 76 East Project near Pala Mesa in the North County.

Museum experts say it’s the first-ever fossilized bison found in Southern California. The bison is estimated to be roughly 200,000 years old.

On Monday, officials will unveil the Ice-Age fossil at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park. The event will feature paleontologists at work, cleaning sediment from the fossil, as well as speakers from both Caltrans and the museum talking about their discovery.

Hallie Johnson, marketing and public relations manager for the San Diego Natural History Museum, says further details about the bison fossil will be released at that time.

NBC 7 asked Johnson about potential fossil findings in other parts of San Diego, such as the very active construction site at Horton Plaza mall in downtown San Diego clearing the way for the new Horton Plaza Park in 2014.

Johnson said the paleontology team at the San Diego Natural History Museum has not been contracted at the Horton Plaza Park project site to do a paleontological mitigation.

"I’d be surprised if there weren’t fossils under Horton Plaza, it’s just a matter of if they’ve ever been discovered," said Johnson.

Back in February 2009, construction crews in downtown’s East Village stumbled upon the tusk and skull of a mammoth believed to be 500,000 years old.

Those fossils were discovered at 11th and Island Avenues, at the construction site for the Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Days later, that same construction site gave up another prehistoric find when excavators discovered the skeleton of a whale beneath the mammoth fossils.

At that time, San Diego Natural History Museum Paleo Services Department Director Tom Demere called it an "unprecedented find" because it was the only marine mammal dating from the Pleistocene era ever found in San Diego County. Several ribs, a piece of skull and part of the animal’s lower jaw were unearthed, found 12 feet directly below the mammoth fossils.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Bandit Hits 2 Banks Within 15 Minutes

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On May 10 at around 12:40 p.m., an unknown man attempted to rob a Bank of America located at 450 B Street in downtown San Diego. According to the FBI, about 15 minutes later, the same suspect robbed the North Island Federal Credit Union located at 225 Broadway. In both cases, the suspect presented a demand note.

1,600 Pounds of Pot Found in Cucumber Shipment

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On May 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa cargo facility discovered more than 1,600 pounds of marijuana comingled with a shipment of cucumbers being carried in a trailer. CBP officers found 288 packages of pot mixed in with the cucumber shipment.

Man Stabs 2 Victims While Riding Bus: Police

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A 31-year-old man was arrested Friday morning in Logan Heights after he allegedly stabbed two people while riding the bus.

According to police, the stabbings happened just before 10 a.m. aboard a MTS bus traveling near 31st Street and Imperial Avenue.

The suspect – identified by police as Juan Ferrera – allegedly attacked another man while riding the bus, stabbing the victim several times in the stomach, neck and back with a large knife.

Police say an innocent female bystander who was also on the bus at the time was stabbed in the leg. The bus stopped at 31st Street and Imperial Avenue following the attack. No other injuries were reported.

Ferrera hopped off the bus and fled the scene on foot, but police captured him a short time later near 30th Street and Imperial Avenue. He was positively identified by witnesses and arrested.

The first stabbing victim was taken to a local hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries, police said. The female stabbing victim was also taken to a hospital with a minor stab wound to her leg. The names of the victims were not released.

The bus assault is under investigation. It is unclear if Ferrera knows the first victim. Police say the motive for the stabbing remains unknown.
 



Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Construction Needed for Convention Center

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The San Diego Convention Center building will need construction soon. It's routine maintenance for the 20 year old building, but it will be very expensive.

San Diego has a heavy financial interest in the 22-year-old building, as it brings hundreds of millions in tourism money, and jobs, to the county.

Time and weather have taken a toll on huge fabric sails that cover the pavilion floor, which are stained and torn. The fabric sails are scheduled for replacement in four years.

"We need to recognize that its useful life is over and that we have to have a plan to transition,” said Steve Johnson with SDCC.

A transition to a new fabric roof will cost $11 million.

The floor below is also showing its age as it’s cracked and patched, and do for an up-grade.

"Strengthen the concrete floor so it's able to handle the added weight of some of the exhibits that are used up there, whether they're cars or trucks or whatever,” Johnson said.

Other needs include new sprinklers, escalators, rest rooms and doors, along with new carpet and signage to will match the new exhibit place, in a proposed expansion.

"So when people come into the building, it looks like all one building, instead of three different buildings patched together,” Johnson said.

Convention center management says a legal agreement requires the city of San Diego to pay the total cost of $31 million.

Mayor Bob Filner says he'll study the request, but he's skeptical.

"This year's budget has sixteen million going to the convention center so I don't know what more we need to do,” he said.

Whoever pays, SDCC managers say the work must begin next year.
 
Convention center managers say the concrete floor is good for another five years; that's a three million dollar job.

Managers say they need to know where the money's coming from so they can schedule the work.

Studio Owner Describes Accused Singer as ‘Mild-Mannered’

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The owner of a local studio where the Grammy-nominated Christian metal band As I Lay Dying recorded two albums remembers lead singer Tim Lambesis as hard-working, mild-mannered and "gentlemanly."

Paul Waroff owns the Blue Fish Recording Studio in Encinitas, where As I Lay Dying recorded their 2005 album, “Shadows Are Security.”

On Friday, Waroff took NBC 7 into his studio and shared his own personal memories about Lambesis, who’s accused of hiring someone to kill his estranged wife.

Lambesis has been in custody since his arrest on Tuesday. He was charged with solicitation of murder, and entered a not guilty plea on Thursday.

Waroff recalled interactions between Lambesis and his now estranged wife, saying the couple seemed very different when he knew them.

The studio owner described Mrs. Lambesis as being similar to a Sunday School Teacher.

"She seemed pretty straight, and he's a musician and touring his look of having longer hair, tattoos," recalled Waroff.

He said the couple would often talk during breaks in the recording session.

In court on Thursday, prosecutors said Lambesis gave an undercover officer whom he thought was a hit man an envelope containing money, photos of his estranged wife and the gate code to her home.

Waroff was shocked to hear about the accusations against Lambesis, saying it sounds out of character for the man he knows.

"If somebody would have told me the story and said, 'Who do you think recorded at your studio that was accused of that?' He wouldn't even come to my mind," Waroff said. "He would be one of the last people I would've thought of."

Waroff also described Lambesis as hard-working and organized.

He was also proud that a San Diego-based band would see enough success to go on a world tour. Blue Fish Studios have hosted performers like Megadeath, Ravi Shankar, Blink 182 and Switchfoot.



Photo Credit: AP

Sandy Hook Panel Votes to Tear Down, Rebuild on Current Site

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A panel facing the difficult task of determining the future of Sandy Hook Elementary School voted unanimously to build a new school at the current site.

The task force met Friday night amid an ongoing discussion about what to do with the current building, where a gunman went on a rampage on Dec. 14, killing 20 first graders and six staff members.

The group rejected a proposal to renovate the 60-year-old current building, and most of the members indicated they thought the other proposed site on nearby Riverside Road was not viable, NBC Connecticut's Debra Bogstie reported.

The decision Friday night came after a meeting held last week about the future of the school ended with no decision

Three weeks after the shooting, students returned to classes, but moved to the former Chalk Hill School in Monroe, about seven miles from the site of the tragic shooting.

The 28 task force members have been trying to decide whether to renovate at the current site or rebuild on nearby Riverside Road, at Reed Intermediate School or on the Fairfield Hills campus.

"I will chain my body to it and to protest if they try to re-open it," said Erica Lafferty, daughter of Dawn Hochsprung, the principal who was killed trying to protect her students.

Residents attended the meeting and voiced their opinions about the site and the options.

“Just tearing it down and building a new school in the same place is one of the solutions that would make the most sense,” Peter Caracciolo, of Newtown, said.

The estimated cost for renovation or building a new school is estimated to range between $47 million and $59 million.

"I don't think people will be unhappy with what emerges there beyond the fact that many will object to that it's there at all," Will Rodgers, a committee member, said. 

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