Quantcast
Channel: NBC 7 San Diego - Top Stories
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live

Supermoon Dazzles San Diegans

0
0

The supermoon early Monday morning was the largest Earth has seen in 68 years. Residents from all over the county shared their supermoon photos on social media.

Photo Credit: Instagram/evgenyyorophotography

Testing Store Bought Stuffing Mixes

0
0

What would Thanksgiving be without turkey and stuffing?

It's not easy to cheat on the turkey, but what about taking a shortcut by using a packaged stuffing? Consumer Reports’ food experts cooked up nine popular stuffings to determine which were tastiest.

They were all prepared using unsalted butter and lower-sodium chicken broth. Some directions called for fresh chopped veggies. Five of the mixes were in the herb or chicken category. There were several very good standouts that will make a yummy side for your turkey.

Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing is a flavorful stuffing made with white bread and whole-wheat bread. Tasters detected a slight butter flavor along with sage and poultry seasonings.

Stove Top Lower Sodium Stuffing Mix for Chicken is a good, mild base that could be doctored with fresh carrots, apples, or water chestnuts, for example.

Pepperidge Farm also took the top slot in the second category with its Classic Cornbread Stuffing. It has a slightly grainy cornmeal texture, and the poultry seasoning flavors come through.

Consumer Reports tasters also tried gluten-free options. Aleias Gluten Free Savory Stuffing Mix calls for the addition of fresh carrots, onions, and celery, and is very good.

Whatever you prepare, don’t take the risk of making your guests ill at Thanksgiving. To help keep bacteria out of your stuffing, Consumer Reports suggest that you bake it separately from the turkey. Also, Consumer Reports found that most pop-up thermometers are not accurate. Invest in a good thermometer and roast your bird to 165 degrees.



Photo Credit: Consumer Bob

Trial Begins for Driver in Fatal Tierrasanta Crash

0
0

Trial began Monday for a Tierrasanta woman implicated in a February 2016 crash that killed one girl and seriously injured another.

Julianne Little, 30, faces gross vehicular manslaughter and hit and run with serious injury charges for the death of 10-year-old Raquel Rosete and the injury of Rosete’s friend, 12-year-old Mekayla Lee.

San Diego police said Little swerved off the road, up the curb and into the girls as they were walking along the sidewalk at about 6 p.m. on February 20 in the area of Santo Road near Shields Street.

Lee testified in court that neither Rosete or her had heard the car approaching them.

Little’s defense attorney Anna Yum said her client fell asleep at the wheel and was not texting at the time of the crash.

At a pretrial hearing, San Diego police Officer Jason Costanza testified he noticed an outgoing phone call and text from Little's phone at the time of the accident.

"It said, 'I'm going to miss you, my friend,'" Costanza said.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys said Little sent that text at 22 seconds after 5:56 p.m.

The defense told the jury Little sent the text while sitting at a red light at Aero Drive and Santo Road. After Little sent the text, Yum said, the traffic signal turned green.

A 911 call from a passerby registered with the CHP at eight seconds after 6 p.m., San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Marissa Bejarano.

At 6:02 p.m., Little's phone connected to her house wifi, Bejarano said.

"There is not one single phone call for help," Bejarano told jurors.

One jogger and another driver found the girls in the bushes off the bike lane. Rosete suffered a brain injury and passed away after the crash. Lee suffered a fractured ankle, concussion, and abrasions along her back.

Under cross-examination, the jogger testified she called 911 from her at 5:58 p.m. and had been on the scene two or three minutes before she made the call.

Little told investigators that she fell asleep at the wheel. She left the scene but later returned with her father.

Her attorney said the defendant was not aware that she struck anyone when her car went off the road.

She was initially arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, but now investigators said there was no evidence of impairment.

Little is facing charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony hit and run.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Woman Randomly Attacked Getting Out of Car: SDPD

0
0

A woman getting out of her car early Monday morning was randomly attacked by a man now charged with attempted murder, San Diego Police (SDPD) said. 

The stabbing happened at approximately 5:01 a.m. Monday near Morena Boulevard and Savannah Street in San Diego's Morena neighborhood, police said. 

A 59-year-old woman was steppin out of her car when she was attacked by a man, later identified as Gregg Taylor, 57, police said. The woman suffered a stab wound. 

Taylor was booked into jail on one count of attempted murder. Authorities said it is unclear if he was under the influence. 

Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have more information to call them. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images/File

Plaza de Panama Project Approved by City Council

0
0

The City Council has approved the Balboa Park Plaza de Panama project, a $79 million project that would create acres of pedestrian-friendly public space in the iconic park.

Nearly 200 people filled the City Council chambers and spilled into the halls Monday afternoon to voice their opinions on the controversial project. Ninety people from each side spoke.

The Plaza de Panama Project would create more than six acres of car-free parkland, gardens and plazas, an underground paid parking structure with a 2.2-acre rooftop park, a pedestrian bypass bridge and other accessibility improvements.

Charles Kaminski, who is opposed to the project, said he think the project has not been vetted enough.

"I think it's premature I think it needs more study and think as someone told me there's nothing wrong with the bridge, it's not sick it doesn't a bypass," he said.

Those in favor of the project, like San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, say the project would help preserve the park for decades to come.

"It's our responsibility as those before us did to ensure that the park endures for the next century," he said.

While environmentalists and historic preservationists fought it through city hall and filed legal challenges, dozens of public parking spaces that drivers jockeyed for were removed -- which opened up more of the plaza to pedestrians and cyclists.

The plan carried an original price tag of $45 million -- to be met by donations from Qualcomm billionaire Irwin Jacobs and other philanthropists.

The now $79 million price tag will still include private philanthropy contributions in addition to City funds earmarked for capital projects in combination with parking revenues. Of the total price tag, $49 million would be City funds. 

After a spirited discussion, Councilmembers voted to approve the project. 

“We can now seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform San Diego’s crown jewel for the next century,” said Faulconer in a statement. “This public-private partnership will reclaim the heart of Balboa Park for pedestrians and return the Plaza de Panama to its original grandeur. With the support from the City Council and great civic leaders like Dr. Irwin Jacobs, the grand restoration of Balboa Park can finally begin.”

More Hate Crimes Reported Despite Trump's Call to 'Stop It'

0
0

A family in Michigan awoke Saturday to find a wall of boxes scrawled with "Trump," "Take Back America" and "Mexicans suck" blocking their driveway. A doll made of balloons was also found hanging nearby and a vulgar message was spray-painted on the driveway, police said

In Maryland, parishioners arriving for Sunday services discovered the words "Trump Nation, Whites Only" scrawled on the walls of the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Silver Spring. The church offers weekly Spanish-language services.

In Brooklyn, a suspect spray-painted a swastika in front of a 78-year-old man's home. And three students were disciplined after a Confederate flag was brought to Coral Reef Senior High School in South Florida on Monday, officials said. 

Nearly a week after the election of Donald Trump, reports of hateful intimidation or harassment continue. The Southern Poverty Law Center said it had received 437 reports of such incidents between Wednesday, Nov. 9 and Monday, Nov. 14.

Most of the cases appear to involve graffiti or intimidation directed at racial or ethnic minorities and in some reports the perpetrators indicated support for Trump. 

Ryan Lenz, a spokesman for the anti-intolerance watchdog said acts of hate and intimidation occurred in the U.S. during the campaign season with SPLC tracking the high-profile cases. But those incidents have increased sharply since Election Day on Nov. 8. 

"After the election these reports have become ever present, coming at us and everyone else at a level that was demanding our attention. And so what we did — we started to tally them," Lenz said. He added that the reports "are not completely confirmed."

The apparent uptick in reports of bias crimes and discrimination in the Empire State prompted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to launch a hotline Tuesday.

"We will continue to work with our local partners to investigate all incidents of reported bias, and ensure that New Yorkers feel safe and protected," Cuomo said. "Any acts of discrimination or intimidation will be met with the full force of the law." 

After calls for Trump to address the hateful incidents, the president-elect said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes," that he did not hear about the violence and harassment in his name or in some cases directed at his supporters, other than "one or two instances."

"I would say don’t do it, that’s terrible, ‘cause I’m gonna bring this country together," Trump said in addressing his supporters.

He added: "I am so saddened to hear that. And I say, “Stop it.” If it-- if it helps. I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: Stop it."

During the campaign for president, Trump was criticized for being slow to condemn former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke after he gave the candidate his backing. The Republican has also repeatedly retweeted messages from white supremacist sympathizers. 

Lenz said the SPLC commends Trump for addressing his supporters in the Sunday interview. But he said that Trump's actions contradict his words. 

"This is an energized and angry movement that has been given legitimacy because of the election and suddenly to switch gears on them and tell them the hate we’ve been jamming down your throat and legitimizing and targeting Muslims and immigrants, 'oh by the way slow down on that,' I mean it doesn't seem to be an appropriate effort at this hour," Lenz said. 

Trump's directive to his supporters came on the same day he named Steven Bannon his White House chief strategist and senior counselor. Bannon, the Trump campaign CEO, came from Breitbart News, the site that under his leadership has pushed a nationalist, anti-establishment agenda and become one of the leading outlets of the so-called alt-right — a movement often associated with far-right efforts to preserve "white identity," oppose multiculturalism and defend "Western values."

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid called on Trump Tuesday afternoon to rescind his appointment of Bannon. Reid cited quotes from the appointee, recorded in legal documents, in which Bannon had bluntly declared that he "doesn't like Jews," among other anti-Semitic comments.

"I say, 'Take responsibility,'" Reid said, addressing the president-elect. "Rise to the dignity of the office, instead of hiding behind your Twitter account." The senator also discouraged Americans from normalizing any racism and misogyny espoused by newly appointed and elected leaders.

Reid read a letter, addressed to Trump, written by a 7th grade female student who said she's "extremely scared."

"What message does Trump send to the young girl who woke up Wednesday in Rhode Island afraid to be a woman of color in America?" Reid asked.

On Monday, Breitbart.com published a story by a senior editor that cited a few cases of the reported hate crimes that turned out to be untrue or unverified, using the headline "Wave of Fake 'Hate Crimes' Sweeps Anti-Trump Social Media."

The story dismissed cases of intimidating behavior by students as "boorish" and argued "real crimes" are being committed by protesters at some anti-Trump protests. The media "narrative" of a wave of hate crimes is meant to tarnish the president-elect, the story argued. 

Lenz said Trump's appointment of Bannon, "someone whose website has trafficked in anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic memes for the better part of 18 months, seems to put a big red stamp of illegitimacy" on anything the president-elect says. 

Trump's transition team has not responded to NBC's request for comment on the new reports of hateful incidents and on Reid's and Lenz's comments about Bannon. 

The Bannon pick was met with backlash from, in some cases, both sides of the political aisle.

John Weaver, a Republican strategist who worked for Ohio Gov. John Kasich's presidential campaign, tweeted, "The racist, fascist extreme right is represented footsteps from the Oval Office. Be very vigilant, America."

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that including Bannon in the new administration "is an alarming signal that President-elect Trump remains committed to the hateful and divisive vision that defined his campaign. There must be no sugarcoating the reality that a white nationalist has been named chief strategist for the Trump Administration."

The day after Bannon's appointment, The American Jewish Committee and the Islamic Society of North America, two of the nation’s largest Jewish and Muslim advocacy groups, announced they've joined forces to fight bigotry.

“We have to show the administration that as American Muslims and Jews — people of the faiths of Abraham — we are uniting to help the administration navigate in the proper constitutional manner, to uphold freedom of religion and constitutional rights for all American citizens," said Eftakhar Alam, senior coordinator at ISNA’s Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances.

The concept to form the council originated months before the election, Alam said, and would've been implemented even if Democrat Hillary Clinton won.

Meanwhile on Monday, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting division released its annual "Hate Crimes Statistics" report, on the number of bias-motivated incidents in 2015.

More than 5,800 incidents of hate crimes were reported to authorities, involving 7,121 victims, the report said.

The number of hate crimes rose 6 percent in 2015. The number of reported anti-Muslim hate crimes jumped 66 percent that year, according to the report.

Lenz said the FBI's report is not surprising. 

"The year in question saw extreme growth in Anti-Muslim movement as a result of terror attacks in the U.S. and Europe," Lenz said. "It came at a time when there was tremendous fear of refugees coming from Syria as a result of conflict there and also came at a time when President-elect Donald Trump was traveling the country making promises about putting a complete ban on the immigration of Muslims to the United States a ban that’s arguably completely unconstitutional of the ground of prohibiting someone based on their race or religion."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Amazon Pickup Location Heads to UC San Diego

0
0

A new brick-and-mortar Amazon pickup spot will open in San Diego this Friday, tucked inside the bookstore at the University of California San Diego.

Photo Credit: Amazon

San Diego's Parade of Lights

0
0

Holiday Parade of Lights: Get ready for this year’s Parade of Lights on San Diego Bay. The annual event is held on two weekends in December. Dozens of boats deck themselves out with lights and sail past the shoreline lined with San Diegans. This year it will be held on December 11 and December 18 beginning at 5 p.m. on Shelter Island. Follow the parade route to decide where you’ll set up your party. Boats will sail past Harbor Island, The Embarcadero, Seaport Village, Cesar Chavez Park and the Ferry Landing on Coronado.

It Began With a Roar: Participants can expect to see a "wilder side" of San Diego in the holiday light displays this year as the parade theme is a nod to the centennial celebration of the San Diego Zoo. The captain and crew that best displays the theme "It Began with a Roar – San Diego Zoo Celebrates 100 Years” will win the coveted "Best of Parade" award.

Special Seats: The Maritime Museum of San Diego makes a unique opportunity for families by offering a seat on an historic ferryboat. For a price, you can be near where parade judges are stationed (aboard the steam yacht Medea) so you’ll have a great vantage point to watch the captains do all they can to get top prize. A holiday buffet and a no-host bar will be offered from 5:00 p.m. –8:00 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults and $25 for children ages 3-12 and can be purchased online through the museum’s website at www.sdmaritime.org or by calling 619-234-9153 ext 101. Children under 3 are free. As an added bonus, the ticket includes museum admission so you can go early and take a look around. There’s also the option just to watch the parade with a $10 museum admission after 6 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots program.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

NYC's Trump Place Drops Name After Tenants Petition: Property Manager

0
0

Trump Place, a high-rise condominium complex near Lincoln Square in Manhattan, is about to get a name change.

The three buildings will drop the name of the president-elect in favor of their street addresses, 140, 160 and 180 Riverside Boulevard, according to a spokesman for complex manager and owner Equity Residential.

"We are assuming a more neutral building identity that will appeal to all current and future residents," said company spokesman Marty McKenna.

A spokeswoman for The Trump Organization, the company that manages President-elect Donald Trump's business interests, said in a statement that the change is "simply the enforcement of a pre-existing agreement which has been in place for years."

"It was mutually agreed upon," the spokeswoman said. 

The name change comes after nearly 600 people signed a Change.org petition created by three residents to have the building drop the moniker and get rid of the gold-emblazoned name on the structure's facade. 

"Our home is our most personal private space, a building we should feel proud of and happy to walk into every day... so... THE TIME HAS COME TO DUMP TRUMP," said Linda Gottlieb, Robert Tessler and Brian Dumont. 

The petition cites President-elect Donald Trump's "appalling treatment of women, his history of racism, his attacks on immigrants, his mockery of the disabled, his tax avoidance (and) his outright lies" in calling for the change.

The petition also noted that while Trump's name is on the building, he doesn't actually own the property.

Trump Place is one of several buildings that bear the president-elect's name in Manhattan. Despite the exposure, Trump only garnered 10 percent of the popular vote in the borough. 



Photo Credit: NBC 4 New York

Noise Alert for Naval Base San Diego

0
0

Navy personnel will be training on how to respond to a terrorist attack at Naval Base San Diego this week and that could mean some unusual noises in the area, officials warned Tuesday.

The training dubbed Citadel Protect will involve the firing of blanks between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Thursday, November 17.

Citadel Protect tests and assesses the Navy's capability to protect ships from various potential threats in ports at home and overseas, military officials said in a written statement.

Residents should expect to hear blank gunfire during the exercise.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Woman Sues Zara Over Dead Rat

0
0

A Manhattan woman is suing Spanish fashion retailer Zara after she says she found a rat sewn into a dress she bought at one of their stores.

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court last week, 24-year-old Cailey Fiesel says that she not only suffered emotional distress but was diagnosed with a rodent-born disease after wearing the dress.

Court documents say that Fiesel bought two dresses “off-the-rack” at Zara’s Greenwich, Connecticut, store back in July and hung them in her closet. In mid-August, she wore the black dress in question for the first time.

While at work, Fiesel says she started to notice a “disturbingly pungent odor” but couldn’t figure out where the offending smell was coming from. “She was unable to escape this odor,” according to court papers.

Throughout the day, Fiesel says she noticed something that felt like a loose string from her dress rubbing against her leg. She didn’t give much thought to it and reached down to try to find the string. That’s when she says she made the grisly discovery.

“To her utter shock and disbelief, as she ran her hand over the hem of the dress she felt an unusual bulge and suddenly realized that it was not a string that was rubbing against her leg but was instead a leg rubbing against her leg. The leg of a dead rodent that is,” court documents say.

“Paralyzed with fear,” Fiesel jumped out of her chair as coworkers gathered around her desk. Court documents claim that when she took off the dress she found a dead rodent sewn into its hem, the bulge of its body hidden beneath the fabric.

Photos of the dress included with the court papers “conspicuously [depict] the dead rodent with at least one of its appendages protruding.”

The lawsuit claims that Fiesel “has sustained significant personal injuries and emotional distress” and “a large rash that was diagnosed as a rodent born disease” as a result of Zara’s negligence.

It was Zara’s duty “to prevent its products from being manufactured and sold with disease causing rodents sewn into them,” the suit says.

Fiesel is seeking unspecified damages.

A spokesperson for Zara USA told NBC 4 New York the company is aware of the allegation and is investigating the matter.

"The brand has stringent quality controls and health and safety standards worldwide that are followed and met in manufacturing, including stitching and pressing," the spokesperson said. "We are committed to ensuring that all of our products meet these rigorous requirements."



Photo Credit: Getty Images
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

SDPD: Car Damage Suggests Driver Hit Brake in Fatal Crash

0
0

Jurors heard new details Tuesday in trial of a woman accused of driving up on the sidewalk and striking two girls with her car in Tierrasanta.

Julianne Little, 30, faces gross vehicular manslaughter for the death of 10-year-old Raquel Rosete and and hit and run with serious injury charges for the injury of 12-year-old Mekayla Lee.

San Diego police said Little was driving home from work about 6 p.m. on February 20 when her car jumped a curb and ran into the girls as they were walking along the sidewalk near Santo Road near Shields Street.

Little listened to testimony Tuesday regarding the speed of her vehicle before the crash and the what the damage left to her car suggested to investigators.

The driver's side of the hood on Little's car had a large dent where Rosete was struck and damage to the right front light where Lee was struck, according to a San Diego police officer.

Officer Christine Garcia testified Rosete was thrown forward from the hood of the car.

“There's no dust or anything disturbed on the side of the car,” Garcia testified, pointing to the side of the hood not dented. “In order for her to come off the front of the car. Some braking must have been applied.”

Little’s defense attorney Anna Yum told jurors in her opening statement that  her client fell asleep at the wheel and was not texting at the time of the crash.

At a pretrial hearing, San Diego police Officer Jason Costanza testified he noticed an outgoing phone call and text from Little's phone at the time of the accident.

"It said, 'I'm going to miss you, my friend,'" Costanza said.

Both prosecutors and defense attorneys said Little sent that text at 22 seconds after 5:56 p.m.

The defense told the jury Little sent the text while sitting at a red light at Aero Drive and Santo Road. After Little sent the text, Yum said, the traffic signal turned green.

A 911 call from a passerby registered with the CHP at eight seconds after 6 p.m., according to the prosecutor.

Little left the scene but later returned with her father.Her attorney said the defendant was not aware that she struck anyone when her car went off the road.

She was initially arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, but now investigators said there was no evidence of impairment.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

No Change to Immigration Policy Under Trump for Police: SDPD

0
0

A spokesman for the San Diego Police Department says the department will not change its policies in the face of pledges made by President-elect Donald Trump to toughen up the country's immigration laws.

"If you are a criminal and in the country illegally you will most likely be deported after you have been held accountable for your crime," SDPD Lieutenant Scott Wahl, a spokesman for the department, said in a statement.

SDPD officers do not initiate contact with anyone for the sole purpose of determining if they are in the county illegally, according to policy in place right now, said Wahl. 

"There has to be a criminal nexus," Wahl said in the statement. 

While on the campaign trail, Trump promised to make immigration a key issue going into his presidency. He told supporters he would build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and deport undocumented immigrants living in the country.

In the days since his election, many have been concerned about the pledges Trump made.  

Wahl said the department does not want victims or witnesses to be afraid of stepping forward in the future because of Trump's promises.

"We also want to emphasize if you are a victim or a witness to a crime we want you to come forward without fear of being deported," Wahl said. "There are protections in place victims and witnesses."

The Los Angeles Police Department Chief previously voiced a similar perspective on a potential change in immigration policies, saying his department does not intend to do anything different. 

Disneyland to Move Security Checkpoints

0
0

Disneyland security checkpoints will soon include the Downtown Disney district in a move that is set to be completed by the end of the year.

The change of checkpoints is intended to boost security and increase guest convenience, a Disney spokeswoman said.

While no "specific incident" has prompted the change, the park constantly reevaluates is safety procedures and has acted on a "current state of heightened awareness," the spokeswoman said.

The plan will see the western security location, currently located between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, move outward. The east side checkpoint is not changing for now.

The new metal detectors and bag checks will be located in the area between ESPN Zone and the Rainforest Café; ESPN Zone and Earl of Sandwich; and an area located by Sephora and Anna & Elsa's Boutique.

In addition, guests entering through the Disney and Friends parking structure will also have to go through the metal detectors and bag checks.

The security point from the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa into Disney California Adventure will remain.

Currently, people who do not visit Disneyland or Disney California Adventure can enter Downtown Disney without going through a metal detector or a bag check.

However, visitors to the theme parks have to go through the checkpoints each time they go in and out of Downtown Disney and back into one of the parks.

Moving the security points out will allow park guests to go into Downtown Disney without having to go through the points a second time.

The spokeswoman said that they do not foresee a bottleneck effect by visitors trying to enter into Disney property, since the higher number of security points will in turn help control the larger crowd that will now encompass the secured area.

The move is set to be completed by sometime in December, the spokeswoman said.

Three Charged in Death of Marine

0
0

Three suspected gang members were charged Tuesday in the shooting death of a 19-year-old Marine who was found dead in his car while on leave.

Lance Cpl. Carlos Segovia, remembered by his colleagues as an unselfish "true warrior," was shot Sept. 16 in Los Angeles' Jefferson Park area while on leave from Camp Pendleton. He died three days later at a hospital.

Oscar Aguilar, 26, and Esau Rios, 28, were each charged with one count of murder. Aguilar also faces one count each of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and dissuading a witness by force or threat.

He used the firearm in the slaying, according to prosecutors.

Ricky Valente, 18, was charged with a count of accessory after the fact, having knowledge of the murder, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. 

The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon.

Investigators had little to go on in the days after the shooting, except for a cellphone call that provided a look into Segovia's final moments. He had just left the home of his girlfriend's family and was having a cellphone conversation when it appeared he became aware of something suspicious, investigators said. The line then went silent, according to Capt. Peter Whittingham, commander of the LAPD Criminal Gang Homicide section.

A vehicle pulled up beside the Marine's car, and at least one person opened fire, striking him once in the head, police said. He was found slumped over the car's steering wheel.

A $50,000 reward was announced for information in the case and Segovia's mother issued heart-wrenching pleas for help. Details about what led to the arrests were not immediately available. 

The young Marine was honored during a funeral mass at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, where rows of uniformed service members filled rows to hear about their colleague's legacy of helping others. The service included eulogies by Lopez's mother, friends, relatives and Lt. Col. Cory Quinn.

"To join the Marines at a time of war, to join as an infantryman, is an extraordinary emotional and intellectual decision," said Lt. Colonel Quinn. "You can see how important it was to him. You learn what it is to defend, what it is to stick up for others. And, that's why he joined."

Segovia worked with the homeless through the LA on Cloud 9 organization. After graduating from Foshay Learning Center last year, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, but during leave time continued to volunteer.

He was born in El Salvador and came to the U.S. with his mother.



Photo Credit: Claudia Perez

$32K Worth of Meth Found in Discarded Backpack

0
0

Images of smuggling attempts at their finest.

Photo Credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Little Italy Café to Serve Free Thanksgiving Day Meal

0
0

A vegan restaurant in San Diego’s Little Italy will share its gratitude next week by serving a free meal to patrons on Thanksgiving Day.

Staffed by community volunteers, Café Gratitude, located at 1980 Kettner Blvd., will open its doors on Nov. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to serve a free, organic plant-based Thanksgiving Day meal. The pre-set menu includes festive dishes like raw pecan, cranberry and apple stuffing, red lentil holiday loaf, mushroom gravy and more.

This is the first time the San Diego location will partake in the Thanksgiving tradition. Other Café Gratitude locations in California – including its flagship eatery in San Francisco and location in Venice – do this annually, as the Thanksgiving holiday goes hand-in-hand with the company’s philosophy of expressing gratitude on a daily basis.

The event will incorporate community, sustainability and, of course, giving thanks.

The 100% organic Café Gratitude planted its roots in Little Italy in late July 2015 at a 4,000-square-foot space at 1980 Kettner Blvd. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, as well as gluten-free pastries to-go and fresh-pressed juices.

The gourmet vegan eatery highlights healthy cuisine and organic ingredients from sustainable sources. To that end, many of the items use produce sourced from local farms as well as fruits and veggies from the founders’ farm in Vacaville, California. 

Items on the menu are named after positive affirmations, including the “Vivacious” appetizer ($8), oven-baked kale chips with a choice of garlic tahini, cashew nacho cheese or cashew ricotta dipping sauce, or the “Liberated” ($15), an entrée consisting of marinated pesto kelp noodles, heirloom cherry tomatoes, local black and green olives, wild arugula, basil hempseed pesto, cashew ricotta and brazil nut parmesan.

The eatery also offers coffee, tea lattes, smoothies, milkshakes, spritzers and “Wellness Elixers” such as the “Beaming,” a vitamin C shot that combines orange juice, carrot juice, goji berry, camu camu, astragalus, acerola berry and amla berry.

The Little Italy location is the first San Diego-based outpost for Café Gratitude, which was originally founded in 2004 in San Francisco. The café has other locations in California, including Los Angeles, Venice Beach, Santa Cruz, Berkeley and Newport Beach.

The company’s expansion into San Diego was supported by health-conscious singer-songwriter Jason Mraz, a major investor who lives in San Diego’s North County, and a vegan food enthusiast.



Photo Credit: Cafe Gratitude/Twitter

New Rules for Mini-Dorms Near SDSU

0
0

The San Diego City Council voted 6 to 3 Tuesday to end the development of so-called mini-dorms in College Area neighborhoods near San Diego State University.

City Council officials held an 11-hour meeting that ended at 1 a.m. Tuesday. In the end, they approved legislation that includes limiting the number of bedrooms in new construction.

Homes will be strictly capped between five to six rooms depending on the size of a home. Parking is also more strict and there will be greater enforcement for homeowners who violate the rules.

No more than five bedrooms will be allowed in lots with less than 10,000 square feet. Lots larger than that will be permitted to have no more than six parking spots.

A bedroom is defined as any room with a door or that would be designed to have a door.

Also, the maximum fine for code violations will be increased to $10,000 a day to be paid by the homeowner, not the tenant.

Residents in favor of the new rule changes said the mini dorms are getting out of control and are changing the community in favor for students who live in the area for a brief period of time.

"There's no room for the parking, backyards are paved over and basically a family will never be able to buy that property again," said homeowner Susan Hopps-Tatum.

Students were concerned not only about the cost of housing but about the possible fines for violating the new rules.

"When students can't afford housing, they can't afford an education," said student Dylan Colliflower.

"I don't know anybody actually that would be able to be fined $10,000 and would be able to stay in school and continue pursuing their degree," said student Harrison Baum.

But homeowners said the constant noise and partying is too much, and they want their neighborhood back.

“The onus really needs to be put on SDSU, not on the residents in the single family neighborhoods to absorb the extra students in the community," said Hopps-Tatum.

The regulations will not apply to existing mini dorms, but would prevent future construction projects as well as any new conversions to single family homes. All the existing mini dorms would be grandfathered in.



Photo Credit: Courtesy CACC

NKOTB, Paula Abdul, Boys II Men Announce Tour

0
0

[[401305986,C]]

Pop stars from yesteryear are joining forces for one epic tour in 2017 that happens to be stopping by San Diego: New Kids on the Block, with Paula Abdul and Boys II Men.

New Kids on the Block, also known as NKOTB to fan girls, announced Tuesday on “Today” that they’re hitting the road with Abdul and Boys II Men next spring. The “Total Package Tour” begins May 12 in Columbus, Ohio and will then make its way to cities like Cincinnati, Nashville and – cue screams – San Diego.

“We’re bringing happy back,” NKOTB member Donnie Wahlberg said on “Today.”

Here's how you can see your favorite pop acts, step by step:

[[401304195,C]]

The tour is scheduled to stop in San Diego on June 1, 2017, at the Viejas Arena at San Diego State University. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday at 10 a.m. PT. VIP Package tickets, which include upgraded seating options and meet-and-greet opportunities go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m.

General admission tickets range from $28 to $128 per person.

NKOTB – which includes members Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Walhberg and Danny Wood – soared to fame in the mid-80s to early-90s with pop hits like “Step by Step,” “Hanging Tough” and “You’ve Got the Right Stuff.” The group is known for paving the way for other hit-making boy bands of the 1990s like ‘NSync and the Backstreet Boys.

Abdul – and her dance moves – was a fixture of the 1980s, best known for hits like “Opposites Attract,” “Straight Up” and “Rush, Rush.”

With their smooth R&B style, the original Boys II Men quartet, Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris, Shawn Stockman and Michael McCary, enjoyed hit after hit in the 1990s including “Motownphilly,” “End of the Road” and “On Bended Knee.” This group also pioneered the boy band frenzy of the 1990s.

[[401343765,C]]



Photo Credit: AP
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Boxer's Electoral College Bill

0
0

U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is slated to introduce legislation Tuesday that would eliminate the Electoral College, so that presidential elections would be decided by the popular vote.

Boxer is expected to introduce the bill when the Senate comes into session Tuesday.

The move is in response to Donald Trump's presidential victory last week. The president-elect won through the Electoral College, although Hillary Clinton is leading the popular vote by nearly a million votes, a statement from Boxer's office read.

Trump won the presidency by securing at least 290 electoral votes while Hillary Clinton recieved 228, with two states still left to call, according to NBC News. Boxer was a Clinton supporter.

[[238427591, C]]

"When all the ballots are counted, Hillary Clinton will have won the popular vote by a margin that could exceed two million votes, and she is on track to have received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history except Barack Obama," Boxer said.

Trump will be the fifth president in U.S. history to win the election despite losing the popular vote. George W. Bush won the most recent such election, in 2000.

"This is the only office in the land where you can get more votes and still lose the presidency," Boxer said in a statement. "The Electoral College is an outdated, undemocratic system that does not reflect our modern society, and it needs to change immediately. Every American should be guaranteed that their vote counts."

Four years ago, Trump called the Electoral College "a disaster for a democracy," in a tweet sent on Nov. 6, 2012.

[[401318825, C]]

But Tuesday morning, a week after the election, the president-elect sent two tweets conveying his support for the Electoral College, which he now calls "genius."

"If the election were based on total popular vote I would have campaigned in N.Y. Florida and California and won even bigger and more easily," he said.

[[401318985, C]]

In a follow-up tweet he said: "The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!"

[[401318935, C]]

If Boxer's amendment were to pass, it would amend the U.S. Constitution, and "would take effect when ratified by three-fourths of states within seven years after its passage in the U.S. Congress," the statement from Boxer's office read.

The LA Times reports that Boxer has previously sponsored legislation to repeal the Electoral College, but that those bills weren't considered.



Photo Credit: Getty Images
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live


Latest Images